Practice

“We always come back to the pool as the perfect center point in our projects,” says Wong.

Like plants to the sun, most of us possess the innate desire to bask in — or just have access to — n urturing natural light. But in the deepest of building cores or lowest of subterranean floors, true openings or daylight harvesters might not be feasible or affordable. So architects and interior designers have found ways to simulate daylight, whether through faux skylights, cove lighting or strategic material and color palettes.

When Paul Schaerer joined USM in 1961, the Swiss metal manufacturer bore a strong resemblance to the company his grandfather originated in 1885, making metal architectural elements and products almost entirely manually. The younger Schaerer decided to set the company’s sights on the modern day, and he tapped architect Fritz Haller to help. Haller not…

Architecture can be a lonely pursuit — but also the greatest thing you'll ever do.

Fire ratings, performance codes and product specifying can bring on some of the most frustrating cha llenges to architects, taking time away from actual design and creating potential liability issues with every detail. Well known for its fiberglass material, roof shingles and insulation products, Owens Corning put serious thought into making this less appealing but hugely…

Recent renovations to one of Westfield California’s flagship shopping centers, the Westfield Santa A nita, have transformed the classic Southern California mall into a more sophisticated and modern venue. Its major attraction — and new dynamic meeting place — is the mall’s 41,500-square-foot Center Court with soaring, exposed 80-foot ceilings. While this openness offered a dramatic…

SketchUp Viewer enables architects to fully immerse themselves and experience their ideas through 1: 1 holographic scale models.

Lighting has the ability to transform a project and how it’s experienced more than you may realize, particularly when it’s used to highlight vertical surfaces and ornaments. Consider, for a moment, what the New York City skyline would be like at night without the recognizable beacon that is the Empire State Building’s crown. The building’s…

Rendering artist Rafal Barnas approaches each project individually.