Inspiration

Behind every great building there lies a story: one of diligence, determination, and creative inspir ation. Telling this story with a visceral flourish can help architects communicate concepts to clients, as well as convincing doubters and inspiring trust in the design process. One of the most powerful ways to do this in recent years has been…

While the practice of drinking tea has a long history in China, the nation’s relatively modern relationship with coffee dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, when China opened to foreign trade and Western missionaries and businessmen brought the bean to treaty ports. Among the industrialized treaty port cities, Shanghai became known as “Paris of the…

Delightful dots and diamonds are among some of the motifs one encounters in this sophisticated cemen t-tile collection from Bisazza. While the Italian company may be best known for its glass mosaics, its foray into cement tiles is proving successful thanks to smart collaborations, such as this one with French architect and designer India Mahdavi. The…

On the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, Latvia’s landscape is composed of lowland fields, farms, an d hilly pastures. The country’s natural beauty has been well preserved, and offers hundred of miles of untouched seashore and scenic forests to explore. Wooden houses dating back centuries can still be found in the countryside and in Riga,…

Zaha Hadid Architects is a firm known for its epic fly-through videos used to illustrate its grand p lans with beautifully rendered details. Recently, though, the studio is increasingly using this medium to show its buildings coming to life in the real world. The following “teaser trailer” gives a bird’s-eye view of the site for a…

Façade glazing that diffuses light, such as textured and translucent channel glass, is traditionally sought for functional attributes, from providing ample-yet-glare-free natural light to reducing solar heat gain, both of which contribute to desirable energy savings for the client or occupants. But aesthetic appeal is yet another good reason to use it. Take one look…

The primary role of fences is to keep the outside out and the inside in; however, preventing escape and intrusion is quite a limited take on the role of fences. More interesting is the function of providing a boundary: fences used to indicate edges and planes instead of spaces that are defined by being enclosed.…

For the detail-oriented set, handsome bathroom fittings and hardware are like jewelry for the bath s pace. But even the oblivious occupant can get the sense that a bath is special or more luxurious from minute touches. One such detail that can make an impact is often found right under one’s bare foot: the utilitarian drain…

Every great western film begins with a wide shot of the open road or an expansive landscape. While t he image of the open road is seminal to American culture, the traditional landscape photo or painting captures what is periphery, what borders the shoulder of the road. A fleeting glance to the side would, more often…