Inspiration

Penda is a firm on the up. The experimental studio, a global practice based in Beijing, China, and V ienna, Austria, has gone from strength to strength since winning an A+Award in May 2015 for the distinctive Ice and Snow Apartment in the Chinese capital. In the following six months, the architects have been hard at…

Chile’s spectacular natural landscape is matched only by its remarkable residential architecture. Co mbining rough wooden materials with sharp, elegant lines, Chilean architecture has developed a unique aesthetic. As influential urban architect Alejandro Aravena told the LA Times earlier this year, “it’s a local interpretation of modernism. It’s rougher. But it’s also quite poetic.” Chile’s architectural…

Architecture can be a slow-moving business, and few architects are more aware of this slowness than American Steven Holl. Seven years ago, his firm won an international competition to design the LM Harbor Gateway in Copenhagen, a dramatic new addition to the city’s historic waterfront that would constitute an instant architectural icon for Denmark. The…

The public is often fascinated with disappearing acts when it comes to interiors. After all, space-s aving or camouflaging elements really open up a room, visually, and, in turn, instill a sense of Zen and cleanliness. As natural problem-solvers, architects and interior designers are well-positioned to provide such features for clients. One can design bespoke built-ins completely from scratch, but there are also customizable made-to-order products that can considerably reduce research or installation time — and maybe, even, cost.

King + King Architects of Syracuse, N.Y., has used Vectorworks BIM software for more than 15 years, but, earlier this year, they were given a special opportunity to try something new: Vectorworks Architect 2016. As a beta tester for a variety of innovative new features, King + King Project Manager Luc Lefebvre, OAQ, LEED® AP…

It is not common to see black buildings because they can’t thrive in just any kind of weather. Becau se the color black easily absorbs sunlight, in geographical locations with not a lot of shade and a lot of direct light, the building will absorb and trap heat inside. This is not a sustainable practice since…

Earlier this year, West Elm, already an arbiter of affordable home style, expanded its influence. We st Elm Workspace comprises six collections of contract-grade furniture for the modern office. Comprising more than 75 pieces, the sub-brand’s lines were designed entirely in-house and produced in collaboration with North American manufacturer Inscape, with high-performance fabrics by Designtex. Architizer…

Fresh Air Photo Bristol, VA and its companion city of the same name, Bristol, TN, straddle the Virgi nia-Tennessee border and share the reputation as country music’s birthplace. The 1927 Bristol Sessions, country music’s first commercially successful recordings – commonly referred to as the genre’s “Big Bang” – are immortalized in the new Smithsonian-backed Birthplace of…

The fourth annual Architizer A+Awards program is now open for entries! Help us celebrate great archi tecture and get your designs recognized on a global stage: FIND OUT HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT HERE. To celebrate the launch of this year’s A+Awards — the world’s largest awards program for architecture and products — we asked the…