Month: October 2024

The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) has reached two major milestones in its 12-acre cultural development, the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum: the grand opening of the Crow Museum of Asian Art and the groundbreaking of a new performance hall and music building. Designed by architectural firm Morphosis, the Crow Museum of Asian Art serves as the centerpiece of the university’s commitment to expanding its cultural offerings and engaging both the campus and the surrounding North Texas community. Alongside the museum’s opening, UT Dallas also broke ground on a new performance hall and music building, set to be completed by fall 2026.

In the year 2000, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awarded its prestigious Stirling Prize to Peckham Library, by architects Alsop and Stormer. Although it wasn’t the first time for a library to win the prize, it was the first time a local library won it. It was an illustration of the times when public finances could conjure briefs with the intention to “create a building of architectural merit that will bring prestige to the borough.” The library was commended for the public open space it created, its fun and colorful design, and its environmental credentials. It sits proudly in the heart of the community and it is interesting that its sign, projecting above the roof line, simply spells ‘Library’, an indication of the importance of this building’s function to the area.

Faced with the aging of the global population, one of the most significant social transformations of the 21st century is anticipated. The design of patios, gardens, terraces, and other green areas in facilities for the elderly presents an opportunity to foster interaction, participation in various collective activities, and the establishment of gathering spaces aimed at reducing loneliness among older adults while enhancing well-being and social interaction in connection with nature. How can built environments be created to adapt to the needs of older adults?

This is a rehabilitation work on what was once a barn, located on a family farm, in a small valley in the region of Algarve known as barrocal, in the southern coast of Portugal. An area of orange groves and smooth releave which follows the course of the Arade river, between the heights of the Monchique mountain range, and the flat, low-lying areas of the coast.

The inspiration behind RBhouse came from a desire to create an open, fluid living space while addressing the constraints of a small urban plot. The primary concept revolves around the staggered floor design, where varying floor heights create a seamless visual connection across levels. This promotes a feeling of openness, optimizing natural light and ventilation. Minimalism was a key guiding principle, emphasizing simplicity, functionality, and a cohesive spatial flow.

The sun is an inescapable partner in architecture, influencing lighting, energy efficiency, and comfort inside and outside buildings. This influence has become increasingly relevant in the context of climate change, which has led to rising temperatures and the creation of challenging environments. In response, designers are constantly working to adapt cities to heatwaves through large-scale urban strategies. On a smaller scale, such as in residential settings, the issue can be addressed more specifically through various shading solutions.

Hotel Labaris is divided into 4 zones. Each zone narrates a chapter of a fairytale through a unique conceptual feature of the project, a maze. A maze in each zone has a different design that illustrates a concept of each fairytale chapter and also weaves all chapters together into a whole storyline. The winding mazes also elongate visitors’ experiences in spaces that are actually limited.  An axis goes from the project entrance and cuts through the 4 zones forward to the far back of the project, separating the whole area into 2 symmetrical sides.