Renovation Collaborative is a newly launched online learning resource that aims to help homeowners incorporate environmentally sensitive design into their home build and renovation plans.
Created by architect Stephanie Skyring, the new resource demystifies the home design and build process, and ensures greater access to achievable, sustainable options. Skyring, who has over 20 years of experience in the architecture industry, including a stint at Brisbane City Council writing guidelines for new sustainable development, collaborated with her network of industry and trade professionals to create Renovation Collaborative where she shares professional knowledge and insights to ensure DIY homeowners can access credible information for their build.
The independent online resource offers trusted and up-to-date information from consultants, trades and suppliers critical to home projects.
Renovation Collaborative’s Complete Design Guide provides homeowners with 11 online courses navigating every step of the design and construction process. The first course, ‘Environmental Design: Common sense basics you didn’t know’ is free and shows homeowners how to implement sustainable initiatives from the beginning of their project to achieve the optimal cost benefit.
Homeowners using the resource can also seek practical advice from experts during their projects.
“I know that many homeowners want their houses to be more environmentally responsible but don’t know where to start. And unfortunately, among many professionals and trades, there is still a lack of environmental building knowledge, preventing homeowners from achieving their sustainability objectives.” Skyring says
“My environmental design common sense basics don’t cost more to implement, but add substantial comfort, property value and longer-term cost savings.
“As the cost of construction and housing grows, and climate change action becomes more urgent, Renovation Collaborative is providing a practical guide for homeowners, empowering them to avoid costly design and budget mistakes, create more sustainable dwellings, and build a home that suits their lifestyle, budget and the environment; for now, and the future,” she adds.
Perth is a city rich in history and culture which has resulted in some deeply fascinating architectural designs, influences, and subversions.
The city of Perth was named and founded by Captain James Stirling as the capital of the Swan River colony in 1829. However, the traditional custodians of the land are the Whadjuk Noongar people, who have lived in the area for at least 45,000 years.
Perth is particularly known for the gothic design influences that come through in many of its community buildings and houses. Gothic architecture is still very celebrated in Perth and Western Australia as a whole, securing its status as one of Australia’s most popular design styles to date. Brutalism is another facet of Perth’s architectural culture that contributes to the city’s composition with exposed concrete and brick facades a common sight on Perth’s residential streets.
Perth was also one of Australia’s first cities to embrace the blocky concrete styles of early brutalism. Many large, bulky public buildings were born amid the desire to introduce Perth into the modern world. Their design and construction was helped along by the 1960s mining boom which flushed the city with the resources to build large and efficient public buildings. Such buildings have become a part of Perth’s iconography, including structures like the Public Transport Centre Building in East Perth.
Another factor leading to the rise of Brutalism in Perth’s architecture was the affordability of building materials. During the 1970s, concrete and clinker bricks were extremely cheap – making them a favourite for up and coming contractors. The Hale School Hall in Perth is credited with being one of Australia’s first brutalist buildings. The popularity of brutalism first rose in Perth before spreading to the eastern states.
Perth’s first architects, Tom McKendrick and Elliot Langdon, laid the groundwork for a city with architectural diversity which would later spread kilometres. The Western Australian city has nurtured such historical architects as George Temple Poole, who made a name for himself designing in the early 1900s, and Iwan Iwanoff in the 1950s-1980s. Modern Perth celebrates just as many bright stars in the architectural world, such as Kerry Hill and Jeffrey Howlett.
When it comes to architecture in Perth – both modern and historical – there are a rich number to choose from. Perth is constantly seeing new developments, revivals and expansions. Every week new interior designers seem to propose a revamp of one of Perth’s historic or abandoned buildings. Nevertheless, there are a few iconic buildings which stand the test of time when it comes to the most beautiful buildings in Perth. Here are a few of the highlights.
Architecture Perth: The captivating and unique designs of Perth buildings
07. North Perth lesser hall
The North Perth Lesser Hall is one of Perth’s most beautiful heritage buildings. It was built in 1902 and designed by Henry Procktor. The North Perth Lesser hall is located in the City of Vincent, which is one of Perth’s most populated LGAs.
At 24 View Street North Perth, the building is just 3kms away from Perth’s CBD. The North Perth Lesser Hall shows influences from gothic and Baroque architecture, making it one of the most theatrical and opulent buildings of Perth’s cityscape.
06. ANZAC house Perth
Originally a veteran’s house, this building provides a home for the heart of Western Australia’s ANZAC Club.
This building, located at 28 George St Terrace, is a space for ex-service, community and businesses related to the Australian Defence Force to gather and build camaraderie. The building was completed in 1934 and was designed by Maccormac architects, one of Perth’s leading architecture firms to this day.
05. The Old Mill
This historical building is one of Perth’s most famous cultural landmarks. It was completed in 1835 and provided many jobs for the community until the early 1860s. The building was the city’s main source of flour, producing up to 680kg of flour a day during its peak.
The Old Mill has been repurposed for a variety of things over the years – including a wine saloon, poultry farm, hotel, and private residence – before it was granted to the City of South Perth and vested in the National Trust. For those curious about Perth architecture, you can take a virtual tour of The Old Mill here.
04. Government house
Government house is the official residence of Western Australia’s governor. Remarkably, it is situated in the CBD of Perth, though the building itself hardly looks as though it should be at home among skyscrapers. It was built during the 1850-1860s and is one of Perth’s most impressive official buildings. The two storey mansion was designed by Edmund Henderson, who was heavily influenced by Jacobean Revival style.
03. Perth bell tower
This magnificent bell tower is home to the swan bells, an 18-bell symphony which hangs on an 82.5m tall campanile. Western Australia’s most culturally significant bell tower was custom designed to house the twelve bells of St Martin in the Fields – historically significant bells of the parish in Buckingham Palace which date back to before the 14th century.
02. Central park tower / Rio Tinto building
Now, Perth is not particularly known for its skyscrapers – but this doesn’t mean it has none. The Central Park Tower (also known as the Rio Tinto building) is one of the tallest buildings in Perth at a whopping 205m tall. Edged out of the running by Brookfield Place (234.4m), the Rio Tinto building held the title of Perth’s tallest building from its 1992 completion into 2016.
01. Town Hall
Perth town hall is the single best example of how Gothic architecture influenced Western Australian design. Standing its ground among skyscrapers, the Perth town hall can be found on the corner of hay and Barrack street.
It was designed by Donald Bailey and is Australia’s only Gothic-style town hall. There are many other things which make the town hall unique; for one, it is the only town hall in Australia built by convicts. The town hall was the tallest building in Perth at the time of its completion.
Urban mobility in the United States has seen a radical transformation with the introduction of ridesharing services in the late 2000s. The widespread adoption of services such as Uber and Lyft has altered the way citizens move around cities, offering convenience, flexibility, and accessibility like never before. The innovative business model that excels at designing for individual users failed to foresee larger implications at the scale of the city – congestion, public transit systems, and car ownership. While European countries such as Brussels have pledged to encourage public transportation to curb traffic congestion issues, American cities hunt for solutions of their own.
Rideshare platforms, such as Uber and Lyft, have gained widespread popularity across much of the world, especially in the United States where it was first launched. These services connect passengers and drivers via mobile applications, enabling on-demand transportation services and reducing the necessity for car ownership in a nation where car dependency strongly prevails.
While these services have improved connectivity across cities, they are recently being increasingly criticized for causing urban congestion in cities like New York City, and negatively impacting the public transport sector. Ridesharing has altered urban mobility in the United States, introducing a variety of impacts, both advantageous to challenging:
The transportation sector is the largest source of pollution in the country, with passenger cars being responsible for 58% of those emissions. Ridesharing services help mitigate the environmental impact of transportation by offering Americans an alternative to car ownership while still providing the convenience of on-demand transportation.
While initially hailed as a more eco-friendly option compared to traditional taxis and private vehicles, ridesharing has also been implicated in contributing to emissions. However, there are initiatives underway to address these concerns. Lyft has introduced a “Green Mode” in select cities like Seattle and Portland, allowing riders to request clean cars and incentivizing environmentally-conscious driving practices among drivers. Additionally, Uber and Lyft have committed to electrifying more of their fleets in the coming years.
Despite their potential to improve air quality, ridesharing services have also been associated with increased congestion and other traffic-related challenges. While ridesharing may offer a cleaner alternative to personal vehicles, the additional driving to pick up and drop off passengers can exacerbate congestion and overall environmental costs.
While rideshare vehicles play a role in congestion, it is important to note that private and commercial vehicles, taxis, and limos still account for the majority of traffic congestion in urban centers. This underscores the complex interplay between ridesharing services, public transit, and urban congestion management strategies.
Car Ownership
The impact of Companies such as Uber and Lyft on personal vehicle ownership varies across different types of cities in the United States. While some urban areas experienced a slight decline of just 1% in personal vehicle ownership following the introduction of ridesharing services, this decrease was not consistent across all regions. Uber and Lyft had minimal impact on the number of personal vehicles on the roads. Instead, the services became another option as a form of transit or replaced public transportation.
Interestingly, in car-dependent and slow-growth cities, these services led to an increase in car ownership. Additionally, they tended to displace transit ridership more significantly in cities characterized by higher income levels and fewer children. The influence of Uber and Lyft on transportation habits is therefore nuanced and depends on the specific socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of each city.
Public Transportation
Ride-hailing services have significantly reshaped transportation habits, raising concerns about their impact on sustainability and public transit systems. Easy access to ridesharing has been found to dissuade commuters from opting for greener alternatives such as walking or using public transportation. Survey data from various U.S. cities indicates that around half of rideshare trips would have otherwise been made by walking, cycling, or using public transit, or may not have occurred at all. This shift in transportation preferences has led to a decline in public transit ridership, with an 8.9% decrease reported.
While some argue that ridesharing services undermine the viability of transportation systems like buses and subways, Uber maintains that it enhances access to mass transit by collaborating with transportation authorities to offer discounted travel to transit hubs. Ridesharing services are also argued to better connect commuters to public transportation from their origin and to their destination. Cities like New York City have noticed that subway disruptions have led to a notable increase in the use of ride-hailing and taxi services, rather than bike-sharing, highlighting the complex relationship between ride-hailing, public transit, and green mobility.
Parking Space
American cities with populations exceeding one million have witnessed an average of 22% of land within the city center being allocated for parking purposes. This extensive dedication of urban space to parking lots can adversely affect the overall urban landscape, weakening walkability and overall desirability of the city. Rather than fostering vibrant, pedestrian-friendly environments, American cities often prioritize the provision of street space for private vehicle storage.
Ridesharing services allow an opportunity to reduce the area allocated for parking or repurpose surface parking lots and parking garages for more productive and community-enhancing uses. Parking spaces can then be utilized for initiatives such as the development of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, dedicated transit lanes, parklets, or the integration of street trees, all of which promote multimodal travel.
As ride-sharing apps continue to reshape urban transportation patterns, architects and urban designers play a crucial role in combating the implications they induce. Adopting a holistic approach that integrates multi-modal transportation, smart technology, pedestrian-friendly design, zoning policies, and shared mobility initiatives creates cities that effectively address the challenges posed by ride-sharing services. Through collaborative efforts between urban planners, policymakers, and design professionals, sustainable and congestion-free urban environments and eco-friendly urban mobility can soon be realized.
How are AI Systems Assisting Architects and Designers?
The Museum of Temporal Delight. This image was created, in Midjourney, using 7 language prompts and a few small refinements.. Image Courtesy of John Marx/ Form4 Architecture
Since their introduction to the wider public, artificial intelligence technologies seem prone to change the working landscape for professionals across all fields, and architecture and urban planning are no different. While many fear their negative impact, AI technologies can also be viewed as a different set of tools in the arsenal of architects and designers. As revolutionary as they are, there is a plethora of applications and platforms being developed not to replace, but to aid, offload repetitive tasks, and help visualize ideas or large data sets, all to provide a basis for the architect’s decision-making process.
Taking things one step further, generative AI tools can leverage machine learning to help test out and create plans and visual representations of spaces following the input set of criteria. Building upon widespread tools for computer-aided design (CAD), new technologies can help optimize spaces, generate plans and volumes, and improve the workflow.
Among them, Hypar is a cloud-based platform facilitating generative design for building proposals, complete with analysis and simulation tools for performance optimization. Ark AI automates schematic design and fit studies, producing code-compliant feasibility studies and optimized designs. Planner 5D integrates a GPT-4-powered chatbot for real-time interior design assistance and features AI, VR & AR technologies for realistic visualizations, while ARCHITEChTURES employs machine learning for AI-powered building design, facilitating direct interaction with generated results.
Risk Assessment for Existing Buildings
Researchers at Drexel University are developing technologies similar to those used for facial recognition to detect and assess structural damage. Given the need to work with the existing building stock, efficient and accurate assessments could provide the basis for restoration and adaptive reuse projects. The researchers are using a stereo-depth camera and a convolutional neural network to identify cracks and defects in structural building elements, then direct a robotic arm to scan them with a laser line scanner, creating a 3D model. This approach enhances inspection efficiency, reduces human workload, and provides accurate data for maintenance decisions. In addition to architecture, the system can be used to also assess the integrity of infrastructures such as bridges, tunnels, or dams, thus providing a timely diagnosis and preventing potential hazards.
AI systems are especially adept at helping in those domains that have to manage large inputs of data. When it comes to urban planning, technologies like AI-based urban planning systems like Urban Insights and digital twins enable rapid prototyping and simulation of urban landscapes, enhancing decision-making processes. AI also aids in climate adaptation, with tools like Google’s Tree Canopy assisting in mitigating extreme heat waves through accurate tree coverage assessment. Additionally, AI-powered aerial mapping, exemplified by Colombia’s MAIIA software, facilitates infrastructure planning by efficiently identifying informal settlements. Moreover, AI fosters community engagement through VR/AR applications and intelligent traffic management systems, promoting participatory planning processes. AI technologies are also used to assess and promote urban safety, with several applications focused specifically of urban safety for women.
Architects are also beginning to integrate artificial intelligence into their own workplace design. New York Times reports on Zaha Hadid Analytics + Insights, or ZHAI, a dedicated team at Zaha Hadid Architects that utilizes AI to personalize the workspace of the employees according to their individual needs and preferences. ZHAI’s AI tools generate numerous interior design options in a fraction of the time it would take manually, facilitating rapid prototyping based on environmental conditions and human movement. They use the data to optimize layouts and relocate amenities, however, technologies such as these have raised some concerns regarding privacy and data usage
Text description provided by the architects. A Communal Epicenter for Learning. Learning and Community. The new school at Amager in Copenhagen is an open and inviting house, where every inch of the architecture offers spaces for learning. A central feature of the school is the leisure zone, which we have weaved into the fabric of the city by letting the school’s architecture melt with the surrounding area. The zone has multiple functions that invite by-passers to interact with the school. Towards the street, we have designed the building as community architecture with large staircases that function as both seating plateaus and workout spaces.
“There’s a flow and an unusual visual profit from the interior design of the school. The project shows a great understanding of new ways of thinking and learning spaces. This is shown especially on the ground floor where the playing zone and the open auditorium are located.” Description of how possibilities of movement and flexibility are integrated into the architecture of the school, from the judge’s feedback on the winning project.
A City Garden. The outside stairs create a seamless transition between the urban cityscape and the school’s architecture. As the local users climb the stairs, an outside playscape opens above the city’s noise and traffic. Here the local community can enjoy a break under full-size trees while the kids have fun at the play sets and the climbing walls. When the time comes to go back down, the locals can either take the stairs or use the slide, which winds its way back to street level.
Modern Take on Community Architecture. Apart from being a school organized to facilitate ideal learning environments, the school doubles as a center for after-school activities for adults and children alike. Thus, on the ground floor, the school offers easy access to a gymnasium, workshops, maker spaces, and an auditorium. Here, we have designed the architecture in a manner that facilitates a vibrant social environment for activities such as lectures, crafts, concerts, and communal meetings.
A Unifying Staircase. To let in daylight, we have created an inner atrium with skylights and a large staircase for sitting. The staircase opens the rest of the school’s floors for the pupils. Moving up through the levels, the pupils will become more shielded from the outside world. By creating this vertical connection, we have organized the architecture, so the youngest pupils have their daily lives farthest from the bustling streets, thus ensuring a safe learning environment.
Project location
Address:Copenhagen, Denmark
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
As the architecture industry shifts its focus towards greater sustainability and energy efficiency, many modern projects in the world’s hottest (and getting hotter) environments are unearthing more traditional ways to control temperature, light, and ventilation by learning from the past to save us from the future.
With one of the highest average temperatures on the planet, India’s need for solar-controlling architecture is huge. With one of the fastest-growing economies as well, however, the country is faced with balancing growth with international commitments to sustainability, all during a time of unprecedented environmental crisis. To achieve both targets, many projects are re-introducing the traditional intricate jali – or jaali – facade, or revitalizing the technique in a simpler form.
Jali involves drilling or carving through stone panels to provide building facades with intricate and ornate patterns with historical, religious, and cultural significance. While the technique adds an impressive and symbolic aesthetic to an exterior, they are also useful for controlling the harsh daylight inside, often used to create cool, dimly lit sanctuaries and direct attention toward sacred images in temples.
Similar to the practice of mashrabiya common in traditional Islamic architecture, the open gaps control an interior’s airflow through passive ventilation, without leaving it completely open to the sun. By blocking light and encouraging airflow, jali walls are often used to bring additional light and a cooling breeze to internal areas, without reducing privacy.
Although the intricate patterns found in historical Indian jalis required the work of highly skilled stonemasons, the effect is growing in popularity with modern projects too, thanks to its environmental credentials, but in a far simpler form. To use some of the most recent ArchDaily featured projects as examples of the rising popularity of the technique, the Ishtika House is encircled with a brick veil, sheltering its edges from the searing Ahmedabad sun while allowing air to flow through, ‘facilitating convectional cross-ventilation and to keep the home treating,’ explain the architects SPASM Design Architects.
Meanwhile, at the Belaku House in Bangalore, a brick jali screen ‘diffuses light into the bedrooms, but prevents rainwater from entering,’ says 4site architects, and A N Design Studio, architects of The Reading Room in Thiruvanthapuram, also chose to employ a brick jali to ‘diffuse the western sun’s brightness while creating an ambiance that balances natural radiance with discreet seclusion,’ as the architects put it.
For those who choose to include a jali wall or facade in a project, the decision is not only based on the technical advantages such as passive ventilation and solar management, but also on the more creative side. By changing the position, angle, and order of bricks, a simple wall can become a building’s standout feature, without affecting the project’s budget. Using nothing more than ordinary straight-facing bricks, projects like The Reading Room can bring part of the facade to life simply by leaving gaps between them. Alternatively, by changing the bricklaying angle by 90 degrees, the Masjid E Zubaida in Raichur adds depth with a wave pattern of bricks and gaps. Meanwhile, the Banyan Tree House in Thrissur brings flowing movement to a static wall by making slight changes to the angle of each brick.
One way to add more creativity to a jali wall is to use more specialized perforated bricks. The bricks can be harder to produce but are often simpler to lay onsite. For example, the Inara House in Vaikom combines holed bricks with solid ones to feed light into a reading room and the Manjodaya House in Bangalore chooses specialist bricks with more intricate perforations or three-dimensional depth for its facade. But because both sets of bricks share the same dimensions, they can be laid just as quickly. Meanwhile, with a far larger jali wall section required, the New Building for the Parliament of India includes large-scale jali panels made from sandstone, used to shade the building’s first-floor verandahs.
The door remains open – or should that be a wall? – to various possible material choices for jali walls. Any hardwearing and structurally sound natural or man-made stone or brick can be used to apply the right color, texture, and functionality required. As well as the detailed perforations made in sandstone at the New Building for the Parliament of India, other project examples include the Lenka House, which features a 100ft boundary wall of granite crafted by skilled stonemasons without mortar, three-dimensional terracotta tiles at the Aham House in Guruvayur, and glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) panels that combine detailing with the strength and speed of application at the large-scale decorative facade of the Atal Akshaya Urja Bhavan Office Building in New Delhi.
Finally, it’s not just the partitions between the exterior and interior where jali walls can be effective, but the solution’s ability to improve the mobility of light and air also applies to interior partitions. By positioning jali walls either across a project’s exterior facade or by continuing the theme inside too, architects can punch through the facade to invite calming light, breeze, and natural environments inside.
These contemporary project examples from India detail the various materials, functions, patterns, and applications to use when creating a modern traditional jali wall:
Find these and other recent projects with Jali walls and facades in this ArchDaily folder created by the author.
This article is part of an ArchDaily series titled India: Building for Billions, where wediscuss the effects of population rise, urbanization, and economic growth on India’s built environment. Through the series, we explore local and international innovations responding to India’s urban growth. We also talk to the architects, builders, and community, seeking to underline their personal experiences. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should feature a certain project, please submit your suggestions.
Located along Manhattan’s East River waterfront, the Freedom Plaza sets out to create a new civic and cultural hub, introducing a new open and green space in the crowded area, with plans to add an in-park Museum of Freedom and Democracy. Additionally, the scheme designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group includes affordable housing units, two hotels, retail, and restaurants. Developed by Soloviev Group and Mohegan, the Freedom Plaza development reimagines one of the largest undeveloped plots in Manhattan, measuring 6.7 acres located south of the United Nations headquarters in the Midtown East neighborhood.
Surrounding the public green space designed by OJB Landscape Architecture, BIG designed the museum, the podium, and the four surrounding towers. Two of them, measuring 50 and 60 stories respectively, are dedicated to residential units, including 1,325 apartments with nearly 40% of them dedicated to permanently affordable housing. The other two 51-story towers accommodate two hotels, as well as a conference and entertainment center.
The design is adjusted to align with the orthogonal grid of Manhattan and to allow view corridors towards the East River and Queens. The residential towers take cues from New York’s famous modernist buildings, featuring glass and aluminum facades connected at the base by a podium dedicated to retail spaces and a food market. The two hotel towers present a different image, clad in a warm metal finish and connecting at the roof to create visual unity. The resulting sky bridge cantilever offers a multisensory viewing platform with a glass floor and ceiling.
Bookending the park are two pairs of towers, joined at the base or top and each framing a corner plaza: one showcasing the life of the city and the other forming an urban gate from the city to the upper park and East River beyond. Balanced on a perch overlooking the river, the Museum of Democracy neighbors the towers and celebrates the origin and evolution of one of the most impactful inventions of mankind and our continuous struggle to build, maintain, and protect the institutions that uphold it. – Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director, BIG
By placing the towers at the perimeter of the site, an ample public green space takes shape, featuring spaces for children’s play, dog runs, and a lawn for hosting al fresco events. OBJ have designed the landscape to host native plants and climate adaptive species, while also creating a habitat for pollinators year-round. The museum building is paired with a sculpture garden and amphitheater to take full advantage of its in-park location. The Museum itself takes the shape of a Möbius strip, blending interior and exterior spaces and allowing for outdoor walking paths.
Urban developments of this scale usually feature a multistory podium with parking and inaccessible private amenities on a podium rooftop. Freedom Plaza, however, breaks free from that stereotype by integrating all podium programs such as parking, retail, ballroom, gaming, and entertainment below grade, which allows us to create an over 4.77-acre green space accessible to everyone. The purposefully simple forms of the towers surround the park as an urban oasis with cultural and community programs within. -Martin Voelkle, partner, BIG
The development strives to be operationally net-zero carbon, as it uses the East River as a heat sink and heat source to supplement the buildings’ heating, cooling and domestic hot water systems, thus reducing the demand for potable water significantly. The landscaping includes stormwater capture and retention, while the mature trees help reduce the urban heat island effect.
BIG Team:Ahmad Tabbakh, Alejandro Guadarrama, Alvaro Velosa, Bernardo Schuhmacher, Brendan Murphy, Cheng Zhong, Hudson Parris, Jan Klaska, Joanne Zheng, Johannes Alexander Hackl, Omer Khan, Otilia Pupezeanu, Paul Heberle, Rafael Alvarez, SangHa Jung, Sparsh Gandhi, Sung-Hwan Um, Will Chuanrui Yu, Youjin Rhee, Beat Schenk, Margaret Tyrpa
Salone del Mobile.Milano has announced the opening dates and events program, expanding the trade fair event to encompass more narratives and projects relevant to the design community. The 62nd edition will take place at Rho Fiera Ilano from April 16 to 21, 2024. It is expected to include over 1900 exhibitors from around the world, with contributions from emerging designers and several design schools under the recurring SaloneSatellite, now in its 25th-anniversary edition. The cultural program also includes immersive installations, like David Lynch’s “Thinking Rooms.”
After the 2023 edition of the international fair included the biennial Euroluce, this year’s Salone will host EuroCucina, a biennial exhibition focused on kitchen and bathroom design. The exhibition is developed in collaboration with Lombardini22, creating a display that reflects the new narratives of today, with a renewed focus on conviviality, well-being, nature, and sustainability. Additionally, EuroCucina’s collateral event, FTK – Technology For the Kitchen, will present innovative products and prototypes that reimagine the future of cooking.
The organizers have also released layouts of the exhibitions featuring layouts that prioritize human-centric routes informed by collaborations between architects and neuroscientists. “The Salone del Mobile will be the first trade fair to use neuroscience as a tool for detecting visitor satisfaction levels and improving the visitor experience inside the pavilions by optimizing the pathways,” declares Andrea Vaiani, the fair’s Exhibitions Director. The result is a redesigned space for EuroCucina, FTK, and the International Bathroom Exhibition that ensures optimized routes for visitors.
The layout also includes several large installations as part of the Salone’s expansive cultural program that aims to provide visitors with new forms of experimentation, comparison, and analysis. “Interiors by David Lynch. A Thinking Room” (Pavilions 5-7) is the installation created by famous filmmaker David Lynch to provoke visitors to reflect on the production of interiors and their relationship with inwardness and introspection.
Additionally, Emiliano Ponzi, Accurat, and Design Group Italia propose an immersive installation titled “Under the Surface” for the central space of the International BathroomExhibition, in Pavilion 10. Recreating the image of a submerged island, the interactive artwork impels visitors to think about their relationship with the most precious natural resource on Earth.
Neuroscience, artificial intelligence, new formats and paths, a unitary but widespread cultural project, encompassing consistency and multi-disciplinarity. David Lynch’s Thinking Rooms, the Salotto NY installation that takes us underwater, using poetry and numbers to take stock of the state of the art of the bathroom industry. – Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano
The full program of Talks and Round Tables entitled “Drafting Futures. Conversations about Next Perspectives” will be curated by Annalisa Rosso. The series aims to bring together renowned figures like Pritzker Prize winner Francis Kéré, Jeanne Gang, and John Pawson in conversation with author and critic Deyan Sudjic. In the “Drafting Futures” Arena designed by Formafantasma, discussions will address a wide range of topics, from the use of artificial intelligence, the relationship between boating and design, and news in the hospitality sector. A new addition is the Salone del Mobile Library, also designed by Formafantasma, offering a diverse array of international titles.
France has long been renowned for its rich history, heritage, and culture, spanning centuries of art and architecture movements which has influenced architects and designers from around the world. From notable gothic churches and baroque palaces to Le Corbusier’s modernist icons to post-modern classic Centre Pompidou, the country has showcased exemplary architecture. It is still a centre for architectural innovation today, with firms pushing the limits of building and design. With the new generation of firms emerging, redefining architecture of the 21st century, the architectural landscape of France is more dynamic than ever. The following list is a selection of 25 such firms that are distinguished for their creativity, ingenuity, and technical expertise in bringing some of the most notable architecture in the country to life.
Dominique Coulon & Associés is a highly acclaimed architecture firm located in Strasbourg that has gained national and international recognition for its quality public facility designs. With over 25 years of experience, the firm has worked on diverse projects, including media libraries, schools, sports facilities, residential homes, and housing. The firm’s architects, Dominique Coulon and Steve Lethos Duclos strive to develop projects that balance contrast and complexity while maintaining spatial quality and natural light, which is achieved through precise geometry. Dominique Coulon & Associés has won numerous awards and distinctions, including the Prix de la Première Oeuvre, Équerre d’Argent award nominations, and the Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award. The firm also received the first prize in the Eiffel Trophies for steel architecture in 2017 for the Media Library in Thionville and was nominated for the European Union prize awarded by the Mies van der Rohe Foundation.
Established in 1981, Brenac and Gonzalez Architecture Agency was founded by Olivier Brenac and Xavier Gonzalez. The agency now has three new partners and a diverse team of around 40 professionals who work on various projects, including housing, cultural, educational, offices and health-related facilities, divided equally between public competitions and private commissions. Their approach to architecture is inspired by the idea of a “perpetual present,” where the focus is on a constant quest for fleeting and immutable elements of the world. This approach aligns with the concept of modernity defined by Baudelaire, who believed that it is a combination of both transitory and eternal aspects. The agency strives to incorporate both contemporary and timeless aspects in its work, making it profoundly modern.
Ferrier Marchetti Studio is an architecture firm based in Paris and Shanghai that has received numerous international honours and has been featured in several solo exhibitions across the globe. In 2010, they established the Sensual City research lab with philosopher Philippe Simay, and the founders are also involved in teaching and writing about architecture and urban planning. Their methodology involves a co-design process with clients, collaboration across diverse fields, cutting-edge research and development, and the creation of innovative tools for representation and experimentation. They also share their expertise through publications.
The Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) was founded by Renzo Piano in 1981 and has offices in Genoa, Italy and Paris, France. The team consists of 12 partners, including Pritzker laureate Renzo Piano, with around 100 architects and 30 support staff. The firm has extensive experience working on building projects in France, Italy and abroad, providing architectural design and consultancy services. In addition to architecture, RPBW also provides interior design, master planning, landscape design and exhibition design services. The firm has significantly contributed to the architecture scene in France with notable works including the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center in Nouméa, and the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé in Paris. RPBW is also currently working on several projects in France, such as the Paris North Hospital, La Samaritaine department store renovation, and the transformation of the former Renault factory on the Île Seguin into a cultural centre. Through their designs, RPBW strives to create buildings that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing while respecting the cultural and historical context of their surroundings.
Yiorgis Yerolymbos, courtesy of Nice Day Developments
A world-renowned architecture firm, Ateliers Jean Nouvel integrates various disciplines of design, including architecture, urban planning, interior design, landscape design, graphic design, and product design. The multicultural team of 130 people from more than 20 countries has produced award-winning designs for numerous prestigious commissions around the world. Institut du Monde Arabe and the Musée du quai Branly, Philharmonie de Paris and the forthcoming Tour Signal which is going to be the tallest skyscraper in the city are a few of the notable contributions of the firm in France. The firm has also been involved in the revitalization of post-industrial sites in France, like the rehabilitation of the former Renault factories in Boulogne-Billancourt and the Docks de Saint-Ouen. These projects demonstrate the firm’s commitment to pushing boundaries and redefining the limits of contemporary architecture.
Paris-based international design firm, Dominique Perrault Architecture was founded in 1981 and later expanded its offices to Geneva and Madrid. Comprising a multidisciplinary team of architects, urban planners, and designers from around the world, the firm gained world recognition for winning the competition for the National French Library in 1989, post which they completed major architecture projects like the Velodrome and Olympic swimming pool of Berlin, the extension of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, and Olympic tennis centre in Madrid. The Dufour Pavilion at the Château de Versailles, the prestigious Hippodrome de Longchamp, and the Poste du Louvre building, in Paris are a few noteworthy heritage rehabilitations undertaken by the firm.
Hamonic+Masson & Associés is a Paris-based architectural firm founded in 1997 by Gaëlle Hamonic and Jean-Christophe Masson. The practice has worked on various projects, including Maison Métal in Parc de la Villette, which earned them recognition at the crossroads of art and architecture. They have also co-curated the French Pavilion at the 2008 Venice Biennale and have opened exhibitions at the Cité de l’architecture & du Patrimoine. They work in different sectors, such as housing, public facilities, retail, offices, infrastructure, and urban design, in France and internationally. They are currently involved in the debate on high-rises that has become a hot topic in France and have worked on several projects in Paris, including the first housing project measuring 50m since the 1970s. The agency also won “large scale” consultations such as Inventons la Métropole du Grand Paris II in 2019 and Imagine Angers consultation in 2018.
AZC Atelier Zündel Cristea was founded in 2001 by Grégoire Zündel and Irina Cristea, both alumni of the Strasbourg School of Architecture. The Paris-based agency employs architects with a diverse range of creative, technical, and organizational skills, allowing them to engage in all stages of architecture projects, from conception to construction supervision. The firm primarily works on projects related to the metropolises, including residential buildings, logistics and educational buildings, multi-sports halls, and metro stations in cities such as Paris, Rennes, and Lyon. Their current focus is on bringing project design as close as possible to their context, considering the general state of the framework, such as the environment, economic situation, and program.
The Emmanuel Combarel Dominique Marrec Architecture studio was founded after receiving the Albums de la Jeune Architecture in 1993 and the Villa Médicis Hors les Murs in 1996. Their work focuses on defining living environments through architectural projects that take into consideration landscape, usage, lifestyles, and materiality. The team’s philosophy evolved over twelve years of experience working on a variety of projects in all areas of architectural practice, including new construction, renovation, urbanism, and design. The studio strives to create simple, sober, and direct architecture that addresses contemporary environmental and societal issues without nostalgia or stylistic concerns, ultimately aiming towards building well.
Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes (DFA) is a Paris-based firm established in 1993. With thirty workers spread out between Paris and Vienna, the team primarily serves Europe. The firm earned a solid reputation for its creative architecture and empathetic design approach. Its work explores the interaction between engineering and architecture while linking the two together. DFA strives to integrate environmental and sustainable development in tasteful and sensitive architecture that is respectful of both humans and nature. The firm has received international recognition for its awards and publications’ excellence in design.
Manuaelle Gautrand Architecture is an architecture firm based in Paris founded in 1991. Manuelle Gautrand is the principal architect and director, and Marc Blaising is the partner and financial and administrative director. The team of architects is responsible for designing projects for public contracting authorities and private firms in France and abroad, with each architect-project manager overseeing a project. The firm’s philosophy is centred around creating innovative and sensitive architecture that is contextual and unique to each location, striving to bring beauty and poetry to their designs while finding the DNA of each city and site.
Atelier du Pont was established in 1997 by two founding partners, Anne-Cécile Comar and Philippe Croisier. Over the years, they have added multiple skills to their team with people from different backgrounds. They are architects, interior designers, and designers who provide a global approach to their projects. Their focus is not only on architecture but also on urban planning, interior design, furniture, and artistic direction. They believe in contextual and generous architecture that incorporates traditional know-how, local raw materials, and the genius of the place. Their new agency, Impasse Lamier, located in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, is a showcase of their know-how and way of design.
LAN (Local Architecture Network) is a firm founded by Benoit Jallon and Umberto Napolitano in 2002, aiming to explore architecture as an area of activity that intersects with other disciplines. The agency’s projects reflect its methodology which involves social, urban, ecological and functional issues. They work on a range of scales and programs such as the Maillon Theatre and the experimental housing in Bègles. The firm is involved in theoretical production through exhibitions, publications, and conferences. They also have two new projects: the Research Laboratory dedicated to Architecture and Reality (RAAR) and the Pianoterra Gallery restaurant. LAN’s partners have been named Chevaliers de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2018.
A+ is a group founded thirty years ago that has three areas of expertise: architecture, urban planning and design, site management and construction economics, and building engineering and environmental approach. It has 9 partners, and its team includes architects, urban planners, engineers, economists, project managers, OPCs, and professionals from related disciplines. They work on large-scale projects for public and private project owners. With Mediterranean roots, A+ continues to develop and integrate new skills and invest in new territories. The group has more than 100 employees and is based in Montpellier, Nîmes, Toulouse, and Paris, deploying their energy and know-how in innovative and sustainable projects that meet the expectations of project owners.
VIGUIER is an architectural firm founded in 1992 by Jean-Paul Viguier and is now composed of 7 partners with diverse skills and experience. Their projects, for public and private clients, focus on placing individuals and society at the centre of an architectural approach that considers the environment and technological change. VIGUIER takes an ecosystems approach, integrating four disciplines (architecture, interior architecture, urban planning, and landscape design) and in-house support services to tackle projects at different levels of scale. The firm also supports research in experimental architecture and urban planning, collaborating with top researchers to provide clients with highly innovative projects. In 2019, the agency adopted a new name as part of a process of transmission.
Vincent Parreira founded AAVP in 2000 because he felt it was time to embark on a new journey into space and he couldn’t wait until 2001. Having grown up on construction sites, he loves cities and metropolitan areas, which is why he set up his agency in the 11th district of Paris. The agency dismisses boring architecture and believes that every building can make life better. With 6 schools, 1018 housing units, a hotel, and half of a museum, the firm has pushed the boundaries of each project.
Christelle Avenier and Miguel Cornejo established their agency in Paris after studying together at the École Supérieure de Paris Malaquais and working for various agencies in France, Chile, and the US. They began with private projects and won public procurement projects for equipment and housing in 2007. Their recent projects include a house in Orsay, housing for Siemp and Efidis, a young workers’ hostel and a crèche in Paris, as well as projects in Zac des Lilas and Zac Clichy Batignolles, macro lot E8, Paris 17. Their approach is creative and adaptive, generating innovative responses to each project.
ChartierDalix is an architectural firm that was founded in 2008 by Frédéric Chartier and Pascale Dalix. The firm has already completed over twenty buildings, with around ten more in progress, including housing operations, a logistics centre, and a new Grand Paris Express station. Some of their notable projects include the new AP-HP headquarters in Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris, a school group in Lille, and a 65,000 m² tertiary campus in Saint Ouen. ChartierDalix is also responsible for the restructuring of the Pinard building in the future Saint-Vincent de Paul district in Paris and the Caserne de Lourcine for the University of Law Paris 1.
Ateliers O-S Architectes was established in 2007 by Vincent Baur, Guillaume Colboc, and Gaël Le Nouëne following their experience in Rotterdam with OMA and West8. They adopt a conscious and responsible neo-artisanal approach to their projects, with a commitment to controlling the entire production chain from image to manufacturing. The firm undertakes public interest projects ranging from social housing to cultural equipment, emphasizing precision, social and spatial interaction, politeness, and courtesy in their work. Rather than adopting a fixed architecture, the architects seek to explore and reveal the potential uses and activities that are unique to each site, resulting in buildings that have hidden treasures of potential and unexpected spatiality.
Jakob + MacFarlane Architects is an experimental architecture laboratory that focuses on environmental transition and digital culture. They are interested in programmatic and urban social innovations, and their passion for construction and innovation is evident in projects such as the Orange Cube in Lyon and the Frac Centre in Orléans. The agency’s research is focused on links with technicality and materiality, aiming to anchor each project in their temporal relationship and site.
Pietri Architectes is an architectural firm whose style is inspired by the Mediterranean coast, mixed with Parisian and Haussmannian architecture. Led by Jean-Baptiste Pietri and a team of collaborators, the firm creates solar architecture that is generous, respectful of the environment, and balanced between North and South. With projects throughout France, PietriArchitectes adapts its architectural style to the context while maintaining a unique identity. The firm’s portfolio includes various public and private programs, from single-family homes to apartment towers and a luxury waterfront hotel, with a focus on interior design.
The h2o agency’s work spans architecture, urban design, and historical monument restoration. The agency’s founders prioritize interdisciplinary approaches and employ a project development process based on hypotheses to avoid singular project solutions. The chosen solution is based on a rigorously developed and client-collaborative process. They also prioritize societal issues such as the environment and sustainable development in their design processes. By combining an inductive and rigorous conceptual approach with a freer approach, the agency gives each project a soul that is both chiselled and playful while allowing for possible uses and appropriation.
Architecture Patrick Mauger, established in 1999, has a unique approach to architecture. By collaborating with project initiators, decision-makers, and users, the firm creates spaces that adapt to future needs and respond to new uses. For each project, interactive forums are held with architects, users, and external experts to develop original solutions. The agency prioritizes plasticity and works on space, light, and matter to create a distinctive personality for each project. Their work includes creating, transforming, and extending buildings for various purposes such as work destinations, cultural, education, research, and housing, on scales ranging from interior design to urban spaces
AREP is a multidisciplinary architecture practice that was established in 1997. The firm focuses on renewing architecture, cities, and regions by bringing together a range of specialities and expertise. AREP’s name is derived from architecture, research, engagement, and post-carbon, and they prioritize providing practical solutions to ecological issues through their client-centred EMC2B approach. They contribute to research, public dialogue, and changing practices through their published works. AREP has a strong international presence with nearly 1,000 employees from 30 different countries, and they are ranked first among architectural practices in France based on their turnover.
Patrick Schweitzer & Associés Architectes, one of the top architectural firms in France was founded in 1983. The firm has completed numerous noteworthy projects such as the Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Théâtre National de Strasbourg, and the Cité de la Musique et de la Danse. They mainly specialise in residential, commercial, educational and cultural projects and are renowned for their creative and sustainable designs, incorporating energy-efficient components and resources. The company has earned a great number of accolades for their efforts, with the esteemed Mies van der Rohe Award in 2003 for the Cité de la Musique et de la Danse being one of them.
The selection curated by the Archello editorial team is based on a mixture of the amount of featured projects and the views they generated.
On the 3rd of February, this year’s Lagos Biennial opened at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, an emblematic venue that was once the site of Nigerian independence celebrations in 1960. As the 4th edition of the art fair, it continues with its objective of using art to activate historic landmarks that have lost significance either through functional use or symbolic meaning to the residents of the former capital city.
The previous editions of the Biennial have explored various aspects of the city’s architecture, its symbolic significance, political implications, sovereignty, ownership, notions of belonging, and its relationship with the public. This year, the theme of “Refuge” at the Tafawa Balewa Square takes this exploration even further. Curators Kathryn Weir and Folakunle Oshun highlight that this theme prompts the square to address the concept of a nation-state. It also brings together artists and architects from different disciplines to explore alternative approaches to constructing renewable communities and promoting climate justice.
The Biennial showcases the works of 80 participants from 30 countries, who explore the theme through architectural pavilions, art installations, artist talks, film screenings, projections, and performances. As you enter, you are greeted by an installation of closed wooden doors created by the renowned artist, Demas Nwoko. These doors serve as an interface, inviting visitors to interact with enclosures as a form of refuge. They also raise questions about the democratic nature of the venue and its accessibility for the city’s residents. Many visitors expressed appreciation for the Lagos biennial being an opportunity to visit the square and admire its structure. The Biennial’s installations are spread throughout the concrete floor square and raked seats of the structure, encouraging visitors to freely explore and contemplate the underlying themes.
As one explores the square, one will encounter numerous architectural pavilions that delve into local materials and incorporate mixed-media installations exploring individual and communal identity. One notable pavilion is “Traces of Ecstasy,” curated by KJ Abudu and designed by Oswald Dennis. This modular structure consists of overlapping curvilinear enclosures that draw inspiration from the fractal geometries of African indigenous space-making. The enclosures are constructed using concrete bricks stacked transversely, resembling breeze blocks, and are covered with Adire fabric patterns to create a specific ambiance. The Pavilion serves as a framework for sound and video installations, live performances, and a digital browser network that delves into African history, freedom dreaming, and self-identity. Similar themes can be found in other installations within the square, such as the gridded structure of wooden cubes by Albanian architect Endri Marku, which evokes the imagery of a pixel grid and is titled “Wahala, Freedom, Quantum Leap“. This structure houses video exhibits that explore the body as an archive, critique public corruption, and delve into gender-queer experiences in Nigeria. These installations prompt a reflection on self-identity and the importance of embracing plurality as a form of refuge.
However, one particular structure takes a different approach to exploring self and collective identity. Titled “Taşlık Kahvesi” and created by French artist Deniz Bedir, it serves as both a resting space and a communal café, inviting the public, staff, and artists to serve themselves and others. This simple wooden structure features interior paintings depicting seascapes, creating the illusion of windows overlooking a static horizon. With mats on the floor, it fosters an atmosphere for informal exchanges, encounters, discussions, and people seeking solace in one another.
Resource as Socio-Political Refuge
As the Global South teaches us that scarcity breeds innovation, the Lagos Biennial lends its voice through artistic installations that explore the socio-political nature of resources. In the square, renowned artist, Bruce Onobrakpaeya showcases giant outdoor sculptures made with recycled materials, capturing your attention with its collage of interesting shapes and designs. These materials include motherboards, computer parts, engines, automobile spare parts, iron, pipes, and stainless steel sourced from Popular Market spaces in Lagos. They make a compelling case for reuse, environmental protection, and sustainability.
Other installations that reflect the same message are “Human Hive 3” by Nigerian artist Chinenye Emelogu and “Yakachana” by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama. The former is a colorful sprawl of reused plastic rings used for packaging products, while the latter consists of interwoven old jute sacks that were originally used to transport cocoa, rice, and other food products. Mahama’s installation speaks to how foreign-made packages, like the jute sacks, carry various histories of countries in the global north and are used to package home-grown products, limiting certain economic infrastructures from developing and generating wealth for Ghana.
Furthermore, as the Biennial explores the redistributed resources between the global north and global south, it is important to distinguish between imported resources that hinder the growth of the local economy and those that contribute to circularity between both regions. An impactful installation called Re-(t)exHile showcases a textile architecture made of sewn pieces of multiple clothing hung on diverging wires to create an enclosure. The installation aims to address the problem of textile waste that travels from the Global North to the Global South disguised as second-hand clothing. It does so by buying them from markets in Lagos and re-exporting the installation to the Global North. While this installation critiques the durability of these clothes, it fails to understand the role that the global south plays in the circular economy of textiles and how the act of re-exporting is an antithesis to the resource needs of the region.
A Sense of Belonging within Spiritual Space
Various architectural and artistic installations within the Biennial explore the themes of religion and spirituality as a socio-cultural refuge. One particularly striking installation is the Miracle Central by artist Victor Ehikhamenor. It depicts a simple church structure with a facade covered in thousands of white handkerchiefs, which symbolize Pentecostal Christianity in the country. Inside, the installation further delves into spirituality with suspended elements commonly found in these churches and an evangelical sound installation. At the apse of the pavilion, an intricate work of rosaries sewn on lace fabric showcases human figures of a congregation and preacher, accompanied by the message “Expect a Miracle”. This structure explores the intersection of religion, politics, history, and expressions of belonging in the country.
Other installations in the biennial, such as Xtracenstral curated by Kukily Afrofeminist Arts Collective, Airi: Bone Altar by artist Yussef Agbo-Ola, and Omi Elu by French artist Tabita Rezaire, also explore spirituality by examining traditional religious practices. Similarly, all three installations use fabrics with motifs and dye patterns that represent spirits, ancestors, and environmental entities that human life depends on, within a metal frame to create enclosures. Collectively, these installations reference the complex relationship between people, traditional religions, and Africanized Christianity as a space for supernatural and transformative encounters.
ARCHIABYSSNIYA 
