Architectural case studies and material exemplars to spark your creativity and inspire your next project.
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…
Ma Yansong is never one to shy away from big ideas. Not long after revealing his firm’s first reside ntial project in the United States — the green-walled 8600 Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Calif. — the Chinese champion of sustainable cities has conceived a new scheme for Los Angeles, scaling up his utopian concepts to a…
When psychologist Barry Schwartz gave his TED Talk about “The Paradox of Choice,” exploring how bein g bombarded with too many options can cause anxiety and take up too much of our time, he may have been onto something. Case in point: paint centers can overwhelm some patrons with entire color libraries presented right off the…
For the last 50 years, designs for company headquarters have been dominated by thick slices of moder nism in steel and glass, from SOM’s iconic Lever House in Manhattan to Kohn Pedersen Fox’s glittering Samsung HQ in Seoul. The brief for such projects remains the same today — to formulate a structure that can come to…
Outside of sports stadiums and mini-golf courses artificial grass is often considered taboo. From in door offices to pop-up restaurants, new examples of artificial turf point towards a new acceptance, and even pleasure in the artificial. Architects and designers are celebrating the good points — forever green, resilient, low-maintenance, and in some cases safer — rather…
Few architects have had as great an influence on the design of our built environment over the last h alf a century than Le Corbusier, so it is unsurprising that the modernist’s work is still being celebrated today, 50 years on from his death. This new interactive map from infographic magicians Timescape provides a comprehensive overview…