Articles by Fernanda Castro

When working in an urban area with a complex topography, one of the biggest challenges is urban integration. Worldwide, many socially deprived neighborhoods are situated in complicated geographical locations surrounded by steep slopes. Such areas complicate mobility for pedestrians, cyclists, and the elderly, with a lack of accessibility often excluding them from taking part in city life effectively.

In this context, urban elevators can be a novel solution which combine elements of both functional connectivity and sculpture. With some rising up to 30 meters in height, they become urban and touristic landmarks, creating new viewpoints and walkways. Additionally, in many cases, they can help to uphold the historic legacy of the city.

Below we have collected some interesting examples of urban elevators that have been key in the spatial planning of the urban environment.

Weston Surman & Deane Architecture were commissioned by an author and illustrator to design and build a studio space in Hackney, East London.

During the recent AIA Conference in Las Vegas, ArchDaily had the opportunity to interview Tom Kundig, Principal at Olson Kundig who has been designing and building for the firm for the last 30 years.

Designing for kids is certainly not child’s play. Whilst the design process is undertaken by adults, the end users are often children, such is the case in kindergarten, schools, and parks. Architects have a responsibility, therefore, to ensure that the built environment offers children the chance to play, explore, and learn in physical space, even in a digital age. With that in mind, here are 18 cool spaces designed especially for children – environments which may perhaps inspire the Fosters, Hadids, and Le Corbusiers of tomorrow.

Last week, Chaos Group returned to Bulgaria presenting the latest and most innovative within the world of technology and visualization through the Total Chaos 2019 conference. With more than 50 specialists in the field, the event was divided into a series of talks and masterclasses where ArchDaily had the opportunity to participate to cover what was a remarkably enriching instance for all those involved in the world of architecture and the creative industry.

When we think about a perfect match between acoustics and good design it may not be as easy as it seems. A number of technical decisions in order to make an interior space acoustically efficient -and to achieve its programmatic purpose correctly- can make some of the architect’s design intentions fade and be replaced by standard and prefabricated panels.

In the wake of the recent fires at Paris’ Notre Dame and the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, we have seen many architects propose new ways of rebuilding these sacred spaces, opening them up to new possibilities.

Historically, after the decline of the Catholic Church and the increasing loss of faith in several locations in Europe and in North America, the maintenance costs and the disuse of sacred spaces has led to the eventual abandonment of churches, shrines and monasteries with great architectural and historical value.

This opens a new opportunity for investors and architects to rescue and re-contextualize the historical heritage of these buildings. Below we present 15 examples of adaptive reuse in ancient churches–transformed into hotels, homes, museums, libraries and other cultural spaces.

Italian architect Gaetano Boccia has been researching drawings and architectural representation for the past two years. The Pdda (piccoli disegni di architettura) project was born with the intention of sharing Boccia’s thoughts, which he has always cataloged and kept in notebooks.

Dealing with data analysis and communication is an important part when it comes to mediating between decision-makers and residents. Architect and Urbanist Lena Pak has developed a personal interest for data visualization in order to improve the communication process in a clear and effective way and she has shared with ArchDaily her last project based on the Pritzker Architecture Prize. A dynamic and interactive infographic that is meant to generalize information about the prize and to highlight curious facts of its distribution.