Month: February 2023

With a simple flick of a switch, lighting has the ability to completely transform a space, define its ambiance and create a mesmerizing, multi-sensory experience. It can cast shadows and highlights, add depth and texture, and even has the power to stir emotions and influence our well-being. More than just a practical source of illumination, it’s a tool for sculpting spaces and making a bold statement. Lighting fixtures come in various shapes, sizes and styles, each with a unique character and purpose; from the ornate elegance of a chandelier hanging from the ceiling to the sleek minimalism of a recessed light installed into a wall. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. Innovating and breaking the boundaries of traditional lighting design, Tom Dixon’s sculptural luminaires are a testament to these possibilities.

The Romanian Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia will showcase innovative, yet unusual ideas and past technological innovations as a source of inspiration for creating more enjoyable and resilient urban environments. Titled “Now, Here, There”, the project was chosen following a national competition. The curatorial team composed of Emil Ivănescu, Simina Filat, Cătălin Berescu and Anca Păsărin suggests turning to forgotten early 20th century inventions to open up the field of possibilities for future developments. The team also collaborates with a number of specialsits and institutions, including the National Technical Museum in Buchares, who will provide a series of original artefacts to be on display for the duration of the exhibition, from May 20 to November 26, 2023.

Perkins & Will has just begun construction on the Gateway Project for the University of British Columbia. The project will serve as the primary entrance point to the campus, as well as the new hub for the Nursing, Kinesiology, Language Science, and the university’s health clinics. This project is inspired by the surrounding landscape and is informed by the Musqueam people, who have been occupying these territories for generations.

From ancestral constructions to the “concrete of the future“, terms abound to describe timber. Present in the history and horizon of world architecture, the material demonstrates a sustainable possibility and is associated with the coziness and warmth that it provides in the spatial atmosphere. In Brazil, it is no different. Several contemporary works explore the qualities and benefits of its use, including structural bias.

Located in the IV Region of Chile, at beginning of the Atacama Desert, this house was designed to bring together several members of an extended family.

Stabilized Aluminum Foam is a unique looking material that combines the aesthetics of aluminum (its texture, shades and brightness) with a spongy, porous appearance. It is produced by injecting air into a cast aluminum alloy with stabilizing agents, which after curing, creates a porous and lightweight, yet highly resistant and rigid cellular structure. Because of its mechanical and thermal properties, it is particularly useful in applications in various industries, such as automotive, aerospace and marine, especially for energy absorption, thermal insulation, and sound dampening.

The natural landscape is the main protagonist in this 115m² intervention. The project arose from the need to provide infrastructure for the Casa da Mata event space, located on the property of more than 20 hectares of the Hotel Parador Hampel, in São Francisco de Paula – RS. The place, which is in the middle of the native forest, is the setting for the gastronomic event A Ferro e Fogo, which takes place weekly; and it is also a stage for private events.

Overhaul of an ex-local authority home in Islington with a new timber cloister that encircles a hidden courtyard and a series of unexpected spaces that pirouette around a triangular column. Built in the 1980s, Islington’s Grove Estate is composed of rows of nondescript single-aspect houses, accessed via a warren of narrow passageways which are flanked by blank brick walls.