Articles by Alden Rose

Spain’s geographic and geological diversity produces some of the most compelling and unique stone st ructures on earth.

Nendo’s cofounder and chief designer Oki Sato observes stories all around him. He has dedicated his life to observation of the everyday and the ordinary. For him, the most successful designs begin as simple ideas that evoke an honest and empathetic response from people. Sato cherishes what he calls the “!” moments in design, when…

Polycarbonate and timber occupy opposite ends of the material spectrum. The combination of these two materials results in a new approach to housing that offers a compelling alternative to traditional construction and housing economics.

Architects prize the gabion wall, traditionally used as a landscape material, for its bold, textured look

Architects, with increasing sophistication, are producing nuanced structures that provide some comfo rts for visitors in remote and often harsh locations.

Tourism in South Korea has more than quadrupled in the last 20 years. The majority of travel is dome stic as the transportation infrastructure, including trains and buses, becomes increasingly sophisticated. In addition, the cultural phenomenon known as the Hallyu, or the “Korean Wave” has brought tourists from neighboring Asian countries such as China, Japan and…

German factories are the site of much of Germany’s economic prosperity. German manufacturing account s for a quarter of its GDP, and its exports are second only to China. The country’s manufacturing boom dates back to reunification and modernization after World War II. Factories became more technical, focusing on the booming industries of automotive and consumer…

Public restrooms are a unique architectural exercise. The inherent tension between interior and exte rior, mixed with the most intimate of activities, positions public restrooms as an exceptional exploration of hyper-public and hyper-private spaces. As a public service facility, the public restroom must be visible and accessible to the people around it, standing tall as a…

Portuguese architecture has a long history of pragmatism, engineering sensible solutions for public spaces. The Baixa district in downtown Lisbon was designed in the 18th century to place all of the public squares in proximity to the town hall, arranged to meet modern needs of efficiency and order. These were spaces of transportation or commerce,…