Articles by Collin Abdallah

A new property startup named Cube Haus is looking to alter the existing housing market, offering high-value homes at reasonable prices “that can be configured to fit small and awkward urban sites.” To do this, Cube Haus is commissioning a team of Britain’s top architects and designers: Adjaye Associates, Faye Toogood, Carl Turner Architects and Skene Catling de la Peña. The team will create a series of customizable modular homes with a focus on outstanding design. 

“The Well” is set to be one of the most ambitious urban developments Toronto has seen. Estimated to host nearly 10,000 people living and working daily, “The Well” includes over 1.5 million square feet of retail, office space and food services, as well as 1,800 residential units all spread throughout seven buildings flanked by Front, Spadina and Wellington in downtown Toronto.

German architecture and landscape firm Topotek 1 Architektur has released images of a competition-winning design for a new Concert Hall in Nuremberg. Designed as an addition to the ensemble of the Meistersingerhalle, the hall engages the existing infrastructure and context to create a connection between the present landscape and public space.

Sketchfab, the powerful architectural visualization software and database, has released a new extension for Revit. Adding Revit to Sketchfab’s extensive list of software add-ons is a big win for the Building Information Modeling (BIM) community. The new extension will allow Revit users to export models and scenes directly to Sketchfab, where they can be viewed in 3D and virtual reality from any device simply by following a link. 

Last spring, the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services tested a new, creative approach to combat the rising temperatures in the city center. The pilot project covered one neighborhood street in each of the LA’s 15 council districts with CoolSeal, a more reflective asphalt-based coating developed by California-based company GuardTop. After seeing a difference of 11-13 degrees Fahrenheit on the coated streets, Los Angeles and other cities plan on implementing more reflective roofs and pavements to reduce the side effects of “heat islands.”

Architecture requires patience. Seeing a building through from initial sketches to the first occupant is a process that in most cases takes years, sometimes decades. The various details required throughout the building process at times can be stressful, but the end result is nearly always worth the struggle. The finished form reflects the decisions made throughout the process, and thus becomes a contributing member to the surrounding environment.

Nearly a year after opening its “Xiamen Bicycle Skyway,” DISSING+WEITLING Architecture has won another major infrastructure project in the Chinese city. The winning design, “Xiamen Footpaths,” is set to be a 21-kilometer network of paths and bridges creating a large-scale network connecting the surrounding nature and the budding metropolis of Xiamen.

Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter has released images of a new hotel located in the northeast of France. Breitengach Landscape Hotel links the beautiful French countryside and culture with modern lodging through a combination of amenities. The main reception building, a restaurant, and spa are flanked by 14 Nordic-style cabins that sit lightly on the hillside. Referencing the local character and landscape, the hotel will “offer an unusual but comfortable experience” for all visitors. 

Cape Town native Alexis Christodoulou is a winemaker by day but also dabbles in the art of 3D visualization. His Instagram (@teaaalexis) is a striking composition of intricate spaces rich with color, light, and materiality. Crafted entirely from scratch, each of Christodoulou’s digital worlds appears to be influenced by many of the modernist masters. In a recent interview with Curbed, Christodoulou lists Aldo Rossi, David Chipperfield and Le Corbusier among his inspirations. 

Mountain shelters serve as protection for climbers during severe weather conditions. However, a Bulgarian design team discovered that many shelters have been destroyed, putting mountaineers at risk. As the winning proposal for the competition “Architecture of 2050,” this innovative building addresses this critical problem through a combination of sustainability, materiality and technology.