Inspiration

Sinks, soap dispensers, and hand dryers in public spaces are so commonplace that washing your hands typically goes by without a second thought. But, for anyone tracking resources, the germ-conscious, and detail-oriented designers, these mundane systems can pose huge problems. Protruding dispensers make it difficult to get the most use out of a space, and…

Building Tomorrow presents the contemporary trends in building design and the global forces driving them forward, using Architizer’s annual A+AWARDS submissions as the benchmark. the data is creatively visualized to provide valuable insights for designers, retailers, and any industry working to create experiential designs. Download the full report for free at www.psfk.com/report/building-tomorrow. It has been…

Some of the greatest cultural buildings in modern history have been defined by stone, from the trave rtine tiles of Richard Meier’s Getty Museum to the great carved walls of Snøhetta’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The material is loved by architects the world over for its contrasting qualities of solidity and flexibility: its innate permanence is countered by…

On a night of grand ceremony and big ideas, Bjarke Ingels picked up further recognition for his ambi tious plan to increase the resilience of New York City in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. In partnership with Amsterdam-based firm One Architecture, BIG received the LafargeHolcim Global Bronze Award for the Dryline — otherwise known as the…

Arctic architecture arises from its constraints. Few places across the world have such extreme envir onmental, socio-political, and material demands. While vernacular projects have been designed throughout the region for centuries, the Artic is currently experiencing intense, newfound attention, especially in architecture, planning, and infrastructure. Increasingly diminishing polar ice levels have opened up the Northern Sea…

Renzo Piano is mostly renowned for masterminding a string of cultural landmarks around the globe, fr om the Pompidou Center in Paris to the splendid Whitney Museum in New York City. However, the Italian architect has proven more than a match for his peers in the commercial realm, too, beating a host of illustrious names to…

Natural elements can wreak havoc on buildings. As architects and designers, we are always fighting w ater, solar heat gain, thermal bridging, and a number of different climatic or environmental conditions. Architecture simply does not exist outside its context; every building is sited among unique, broad systems that constantly challenge our “pure” forms. As architecture has…

Flooding spaces with natural light is more popular than ever in architecture today. Not only does it reduce the need for artificial lighting (and therefore translates to energy savings), but it provides a connection to nature and the outdoors. The sun’s power is a double-edged sword, however, causing heat gain that may negate those energy savings. We take a look at six outstanding products — winners and finalists of the 2015 A+Awards

“We’re not here to build for other architects, we’re here to build for all of humankind.” – Bjarke I ngels of BIG, A+Awards Firm of the Year 2014 The wait is officially over. The world’s premier awards program for architecture is back — and for 2016, it promises to be bigger than ever. Why enter? Because…