Month: December 2022

Quito-based developer Uribe Schwartzkopf unveiled two residential projects in the capital of Ecuador: IQON designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, and QORNER, by Safdie Architects. IQON represents BIG’s first project in South America and the tallest building in Quito. QORNER proposes a mix of residences of varying dimensions, complete with amenities such as private terraces, gyms, spas, and pools. To create an engaging interface with the city fabric, a mix of shops, restaurants, and commercial spaces are proposed at the street level.

One of the main attributes of Club Hípico de Santiago, which differentiates it from most racetracks in Latin America – in addition to its remarkable architectural heritage, inherited from the architect Josué Smith Solar – is its magnificent 1,200-meter-long grass track. A team of 30 gardeners works there daily, completely exposed to the sun throughout the day, stopping their work at noon to have lunch and rest under the shade.

Zaha Hadid Architects and Architects 61 unveiled the design for the new Science Center in the Jurong Lake District, Singapore. The 52,460 square meters complex aims to make science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) more accessible through specialized amenities, educational programs, and interactive experiences. The building is expected to open in 2027, which also marks the 50th anniversary of the Science Center and aligns with the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

Equal Saree is an architecture studio based in Barcelona, led by three young architects: Helena Cardona Tamayo, Julia Goula Mejón, and Dafne Saldaña Blasco. All three studied at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona (ETSAB), Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, where they met while taking the subject “Architecture and Politics”, taught by Zaida Muxí and Josep María Montaner. The studio is composed of 15 other women architects, in addition to the founding partners.

The Royal Institute of British Architects has just announced the winners of the 2022 President’s Medals, highlighting the world’s best student architecture projects. In its 186th edition, RIBA’s oldest awards have gathered the highest-ever number of entries, receiving 347 entries nominated by 100 schools of architecture located in 27 countries.

This week’s curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights visionary homes by the ArchDaily community. From a prefabricated house to supporting Ukraine war victims, a modular multi-story house highlighted during the Dutch Design Week, and a villa “shaped” by the Dubai coastline wind flow, this round-up of unbuilt projects showcases how architects move forward from the conventional residence concept to project alternative habitational standards in responding to harsh environments, nature, and technology.

‘Ark38’ showroom: a converted weaving mill    In the industrial town of Aalst, Belgium, a former 18th-century weaving mill and ex-Tupperware factory now houses the ‘Ark38’ showroom for bathroom furniture and kitchen sp…

Leyton House forms a new home for a filmmaker and writer. The design reimagines a neglected, narrow plot that sits at the end of a 1960s terrace built on the site of a World War 2 bomb. The brief was to maximize the potential of the infill site creating a space to live and work that suits the client’s current requirements but also has the potential to adapt and grow as circumstances change.

The house sits upon the brow of a hill, overlooking the waters of Lake Nordås and its collection of small islands. Situated around fifteen minutes drive to the south of the city of Bergen, the neighborhood has a semi-rural and almost bucolic quality, which comes partly from the wealth of woods and trees, but also the open views of a unique and picturesque landscape where hills and coastal inlets combine.

Largely driven by rural migration to cities and overall population growth, 68% of people worldwide will live in urban areas by 2050. By doing so, many will benefit from greater access to basic services, proximity to public transportation, and better education and employment opportunities. But the pursuit of living urbanized lives also leads to isolation from the outdoors –be it a forest, a meadow or the mountains– that can negatively impact our physical and mental health. Exposure to nature has long been proven to reduce stress levels, boost mood, foster productivity and, above all, enhance well-being. So, considering we typically spend around 93% of our time indoors (and that the pandemic has magnified that statistic), now more than ever we find ourselves seeking a connection with the outdoors and all its inherent benefits. Architects thus face the important challenge of bringing nature in, which is precisely where biophilic design comes into play.