Articles by Rene Submissions

For those considering a career in environmental design –as an architect, landscape architect, urban designer, or city planner–, an immersive summer program in architecture and sustainable design might be the way to go before making a more long term commitment. Intensive summer programs are a great way to explore a career interest in architecture and environmental design. The College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley offers a variety of immersive summer courses, emphasizing hands-on studio design and teaching a multitude of relevant foundational design skills. By attending these programs, students gain professional clarity, competency, an increased network of peers and experts, and an empowering experience.

The third and final part of “Stories of Lisbon’s Light” focuses on a robust and daringly contrasting family home between the seven rolling hills of ‘the city of light’, Lisbon. Discover how architect Pedro Domingos designed a home where daylight and the river Tagus play the leading roles. With the residence facing the south, radical architectural choices had to be made to allow the light to flow through the entire residence.

Sustainability is much more than simply deciding for or against a specific product. It is a concept that must be integrated into the way we build and design architecture, as well as the intelligent use of existing buildings and their potential renovations. From a sustainability perspective, demolishing an old building is just as unsustainable as building a new one. Both use large amounts of embodied energy that can be avoided when all planning parties consider new ways of working and collaborate more closely.

Higher noise emissions, higher wind loads and a desire for greater energy efficiency – the structural requirements for façades in multi-storey residential buildings and skyscrapers are becoming increasingly demanding, for both new builds and renovations. This is the result of the urban densification that is taking place in response to the acute lack of available housing and the more extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change. 

A home’s entry is often its first impression, and modern architects are using large scale glass to create impressions that are dramatic, surprising, and uniquely welcoming. See how six architects designed unique entries for homes, regardless of size and location. 

Hadi Teherani approaches his architecture and design projects holistically. Born in Teheran and raised in Hamburg, he is a prolific and versatile designer whose works can be found in Germany and all over the world. His projects have been recognized with internationally renowned awards for their ecologically-sound sustainability and holistic approach. Maybe that’s the reason for his constant stream of ideas: he sees the process of creation as a reaction to what he sees, senses and feels.

Prefabricated, modular timber construction has emerged as a particularly suitable way for building in existing structures – especially in confined urban spaces. Gaps between buildings can be closed and older ones can be extended in a short time and with little energy and space expenditure. Compared to other building materials, wood is also very light, which is especially important when expanding existing buildings with low static reserves. 

Part two of “Stories of Lisbon’s Light” takes place in Cascais, a vibrant seaside resort an hour away from Lisbon, hidden on the westernmost tip of the European continent. Right on the Riviera Portuguesa, architect Bruno Novo gave his modern, minimalist touch to a holiday villa where natural light plays the leading part. Focusing on natural elements and minimal touches that open up the spaces inside and outside, the house is made with a family holiday in mind.

The Brick Award is an internationally established award that presents outstanding brick architecture from all around the world. Independent architecture critics, experts, architects and developers are invited to submit innovative and creative buildings and other construction works made of clay building materials. The spectrum of applications ranges from building solutions using classic clay blocks, facing bricks and roof tiles to the creative application of clay pavers and ceramic façade panels.

The 2023 A’ Design Award Competition is announcing its last call for submissions, which close on February 28th, with the results announced to the public on May 1st. The international A’ Design Awards give designers an opportunity to showcase their work to a global audience, for designers, architects, or innovators from any other design field. Among other design competitions and awards, the A’ Design Award stands out for its exceptional scale with over 100 design categories.