In The Poetics of Space, French philosopher Gaston Bachelard proposes reading architecture as a lived experience, in which each environment carries emotional and symbolic meaning. Reflecting on the house, he places particular importance on thresholds (windows, doors, stairs, attics, basements) as zones of transition and rupture between the intimate and the open, the known and the unknown. For him, the window is not merely a functional opening, but a point of dreaming and contemplation: it is through the window that the inhabitant projects themselves into the world. This perspective inspires a sensitive approach to architectural work, in which boundaries are not limited to separation, but articulate imagination, memory, and desire.
The proposal by Argentinian architects Marco Zampieron and Juan Manuel Pachué for the Argentinian Pavilion at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 is clear from the outset: upon entering Siestario, visitors are immersed in a space of dim lighting and evocative sound, and immediately encounter—at the center of the room, stretched across its width, and acting as the undeniable protagonist—a large, inflated pink bag that instinctively invites repose. This is a silobag, an object commonly used in the Argentinian countryside to store grain and a potent symbol of the country’s export-driven economy. In this setting, the silobag becomes more than a spatial intervention; it also introduces a temporal dimension: an invitation to pause and reflect amid the relentless rhythm of the Biennale.
How do pavilions emerge in architecture? What role do they play in urban spaces? Beyond the multiple interpretations that exist around the world, the pavilion, as an architectural principle and typology, tends toward extroversion, often associated with a centrifugal nature and visual openness toward the horizon, which is linked to its origins as a tent offering shelter from the elements. Pavilions are usually identified as isolated and independent structures that can promote lateral openings in the urban space, panoramic or introspective views, technological reflections, and material experiments that are recognizable from the outside or once inside.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic idea in architecture — it is a concrete reality that is reshaping how we design. In seconds, computational systems can process and evaluate a wide range of variables — formal, programmatic, contextual, and regulatory — guiding architects toward highly optimized solutions. But as we embrace this algorithmic revolution, a critical question arises: can architectural intelligence be reduced to data-driven logic? In response, alternative approaches are gaining momentum — ones that value ways of building grounded in sensory experience, adaptation to place, and the intergenerational transmission of knowledge. In the exchange between artificial and ancestral forms of intelligence, a deeper understanding begins to take shape. Intelligence does not reside in the tools themselves, but in the intention and sensitivity with which we use them to navigate complex realities.
International perspectives are represented through spotlights on countries such as Brazil (top) or Italy (bottom). Photos: Courtesy of Bell'Arte (top) & Gaspare Asaro SRL (bottom)
ICFF returns to New York's Javits Center this May 18–20 with a refreshed sense of purpose and a global perspective. With its 2025 theme, 'Designing in Harmony', the fair sets out to explore how design can bridge divides — between materials and methods, cultures and climates, past and future.
With each of the more than 23,000 breaths we take per day, air travels through the respiratory system into the lungs, where vital gas exchange occurs: oxygen is absorbed, and carbon dioxide is expelled. This involuntary and essential act also triggers another, less visible but deeply impactful process—our perception of smell. As air passes through the nasal cavity, odor molecules come into contact with olfactory receptors located in the olfactory epithelium. These receptors send signals directly to the olfactory bulb, which is part of the limbic system—the area of the brain linked to memory and emotion. Far from being a secondary sense, smell acts as a direct bridge between the environment and our deepest emotional responses. Scents carry a unique power to evoke vivid memories, elicit comfort or immediate aversion, and influence our emotional state almost instantaneously.
Architecture is quintessentially a place-based practice. The amount of local knowledge required to design a building has meant that architects, even many of those with widely spread works, have had concentrations of built projects in individual cities. Giovanni "Gio" Ponti, born and raised in the Italian city of Milan, is one such architect. His projects outside Milan include the Denver Art Museum in the USA and the Villa Planchart in Caracas, Venezuela, as well as university buildings in Padua and Rome, and Taranto Cathedral. However, his works in his native city, such as the Pirelli Tower, best track the development of his architecture and his contribution to product design and publishing.
On April 23-24, 2025, at the ACCIONA Campus, the second edition of the NEXT IN Summit, hosted by ACCIONA Living & Culture, brought together global leaders in museology, architecture and art. Inaugurated in the presence of Madrid's mayor, José Luis Martínez Almeida, the event highlighted best practices in cultural space design, management, and innovation. Esteemed figures such as architect David Chipperfield, Glenn D. Lowry, director of MoMA, digital artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, and Mariët Westermann, director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, led discussions on the future of cultural institutions.
There is a renewed interest in how food is produced and how its creation affects the well-being of both the land and the communities it supports. A similar shift is occurring in architecture, where material culture is emerging as the backbone of design innovation. LEVER Architecture exemplifies this movement with its pioneering "forest-to-frame" model, an approach that reimagines architecture not as an extractive process, but as a regenerative force with positive impacts that extend well beyond the boundaries of any individual building site.
When we speak of intelligence at the 2025 Venice Biennale, the main exhibition broadly categorizes it into three domains: natural, artificial, and collective. While much attention has been drawn to robotic performances, future-forward material experiments—such as Boonserm Premthada's elephant dung bricks, or Canada's display of mesmerizing picoplankton, one often overlooked yet critical form of collective intelligence lies in the act of archiving.
Several national pavilions showcase this collective intelligence through beautifully curated exhibitions—the Spanish Pavilion's witty play on scale, for instance, features meticulously crafted models that invite close reading and delight. These curated collections offer a snapshot of the present, and in some cases, gestures toward the future. But without critically engaging with the past, without documenting and making sense of our shared spatial and architectural knowledge, the potential of collective intelligence remains incomplete. Archiving is not simply an act of preservation; it is a generative tool for projecting new futures.
Impresión de paredes exteriores. Image Cortesía de XWG Archi Studio at Tsinghua University
According to the analysis firm Gartner, 3D printer sales surged by 75% around 2014, nevertheless, the technology continues to experience significant growth. While there are multiple debates in the field of architecture about whether 3D printing can be considered craftsmanship or if it is feasible to mix local materials with 3D printing, its implementation from academia aims to create new experiences, research, and knowledge that contribute to its development and practical application. Now, how might the integration of 3D printing in academia provoke future changes in the construction industry? And how could education in architecture and design encourage collaboration with other disciplines to create new applications across different fields?
When we talk about the future intelligence of architecture, much of the historical effort has centered on pushing boundaries—challenging norms, exploring alternatives, and projecting bold visions of what architecture could become. The advent of modernism exemplified this approach: radical new materials and construction methods gave rise to a vastly reimagined architectural future. This momentum continues today, with research institutions and leading practices constantly exploring innovative techniques, materials, and systems of making.
Yet one method of imagining architectural futures often remains overlooked: the act of critically revisiting the past. Learning from, uncovering, and documenting lesser-known spatial and communal practices is just as essential. These quieter forms of knowledge—how spaces have been used, adapted, and inhabited—can reveal enduring insights that shape more grounded, culturally resonant futures. Rather than chasing novelty for novelty's sake, perhaps an equally meaningful path lies in building a cohesive architectural archive that bridges the past and future.
Japan, one of the places known for its high longevity, is critically facing a demographic shift. As the aging population continues to grow, so too does the demand for thoughtful, well-designed spaces that support elderly care. Traditionally, caregiving was woven into the fabric of family life, often falling on the shoulders of female members in a patriarchal society. However, as a traditional big family structure largely dissolves and the nuclear family becomes the norm, elder care increasingly relies on social welfare services and specialized facilities.
This situation presents a profound, growing architectural challenge: How can care environments not only accommodate medical and nursing needs but also foster individual dignity, comfort, and human and nonhuman interactions? The ideal design of elderly care facilities balances clinical functionality with the nuances of daily life—for the elderly themselves, for those experiencing challenges and difficulties such as dementia, for their families, and for the caregivers who support them.
Paradoxically, the bathroom is usually both the most compact room in a house and the one with the greatest technical complexity: it's where electricity, cold and hot water networks, sewage, ventilation, and often gas converge. As such, its design must be optimized to accommodate pipes, valves, drains, and connections without compromising aesthetics or functionality. The strategic placement of plumbing points, accessories, cabinets, and lighting should aim to make the space efficient and functional, ideally transforming these typically compact areas into comfortable and visually appealing sanctuaries. Every decision matters — from product selection to the installation height of a shower tray.
The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, created in 2006 by architect and scholar Jana Revedin, annually recognizes five architects—or offices—from around the world whose practices are grounded in the principles of sustainable development, participatory design, and a community-oriented approach. This recognition aligns with the global urgency surrounding today's pressing issues—the ecological and climate crises, as well as social, cultural, and economic challenges. Acknowledging architecture's critical role in shaping the built environment, the award seeks to highlight the work of creators who address these challenges with innovative and creative solutions.
Hotels are increasingly being designed as more than just places for accommodation. As expectations around travel shift, architects are approaching hospitality projects as opportunities to explore ideas of context, experience, and identity. Whether integrated into remote landscapes or inserted into dense urban environments, these proposals examine how architecture can shape the guest experience through spatial organization, material selection, and connection to place. The hotel becomes a framework not only for rest, but for interaction with the surroundings, with others, and with the design itself.
Each month, ArchDaily's editors curate a selection of unbuilt projects around a shared typology or theme. Submitted by firms of all scales from around the world, these proposals represent the diversity of approaches within our global architecture community. This month's selection focuses on hotels, ranging from the sculptural Pistachio Villas in Ubud to the modular Dubai Edition Hotel and the vineyard-rooted Terra Dionysia in Santorini. Together, they reflect a wide spectrum of architectural thinking around hospitality, from landscape integration and cultural references to questions of density and public space. Submissions are open to everyone.
As architecture navigates a rapidly changing world shaped by ecological urgency, social transformation, and technological acceleration, the notion of intelligence is shifting. No longer confined to individual cognition or artificial computation, intelligence can emerge from cultural memory, collective practices, and adaptive systems. In this broader sense, architecture becomes a field of convergence, where natural, artificial, and social intelligences intersect to offer new ways of designing and building.
Vernacular traditions embed generations of environmental knowledge, often transmitted through materials, construction techniques, and spatial logics finely tuned to local conditions; participatory platforms expand decision-making to wider communities to take part in shaping their environments, redistributing agency in the design process; and computational processes simulate and respond to complex data in real time bringing the capacity to analyse, simulate, and respond to complex variables — whether environmental, social, or behavioural — offering new forms of adaptability.
Buildner is pleased to announce the results of its third annual Architect's Chair Competition, which received excellent ideas from around the globe. Buildner has published two books on the topic, highlighting key ideas and outstanding projects from its past editions. With registration now open, we invite you to share your vision of the ideal chair by September 18th—submit your entry here.
Chair design exemplifies the interdisciplinary nature of architecture, showcasing architects' ability to adapt skills and sensibilities across scales and contexts, blurring the lines between architecture, design, and art. This versatility empowers architects to explore new ideas and challenge conventional notions of chair aesthetics, materials, and technology.
Heritage restoration has always been an intricate process that requires delicate balancing between preserving the integrity of historic materials while integrating contemporary techniques that can enhance accuracy, efficiency, and resilience. With the restoration process of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada's capital city, this intersection of tradition and technology is now on full display. The East Block, built in 1865, offers a compelling example of how digital tools can support the efforts of heritage restoration and contribute to a centuries-old craft such as stone carving.
What is enough light? The question is difficult enough but when faced with having to calculate how much LED lighting you need to create a well-lit space, it can become a bit more complicated.
Whether it's architectural LED lighting for commercial applications or residential applications, here's how to determine how many LED Lumens you'll need to properly light your space.
https://www.archdaily.com/897277/how-to-determine-how-many-led-lumens-youll-need-to-properly-light-your-spaceDavid Hakimi
The architecture of cultural and community centers in rural areas around the world has become a rich field for experimentation, where tradition and innovation intersect. Rather than replicating standardized urban models, these projects embrace contemporary approaches tailored to local realities, blending bold design, sustainable technologies, and collaborative processes. Often developed in close partnership with local communities, they draw on regional materials and cultural symbols to create spaces that do more than host activities: they express a collective identity and a profound sense of belonging. By reimagining vernacular knowledge through a modern lens, these buildings support and inspire new ways of living in the countryside.
The twentieth century marked a definitive shift in the realm of architecture, as the Modernist movement broke from traditional building styles and encouraged experimentation and innovation. With the help of new materials and technologies, these times represent a crucial moment in the history of architecture as both cities and building styles evolved at an unprecedented rate. The structures that stand testament to this day are, however, nearing the age of a hundred years old. Their stark design features are not always embraced by the public, while the functionalist principles often hinder the adaptability of their interior spaces. Given that they also often occupy central positions within the city, there is increasing pressure to demolish these structures and redevelop the area in its entirety.
For decades, technological evolution was driven by the exponential growth in computer processing power—a trend famously predicted by Moore’s Law. From rudimentary mechanical devices to highly sophisticated microprocessors, this trajectory fueled the miniaturization and popularization of personal computers, laptops, and smartphones. Now, with the advent of quantum computing, a new leap is on the horizon. Unlike classical bits, which represent only one value at a time—either 0 or 1—qubits can simultaneously represent a combination of both states. This means that while a traditional computer tests one possibility at a time, a quantum computer can explore many at once, dramatically accelerating the resolution of complex problems. Molecular simulations, logistical optimizations, and advances in cryptography are just a few of the areas transformed by this new frontier.
In the construction industry—a sector historically resistant to abrupt changes—the evolution of materials also has its breakthrough moments. From carved stone to reinforced concrete, from raw timber to high-performance composites, each new material has expanded the structural, aesthetic, and functional boundaries of architecture. In recent years, however, researchers have been testing a new generation of materials that transcend the traditional idea of passivity. These are intelligent materials, capable of sensing, reacting to, and even interacting with their environment and users, challenging the very concept of inert matter.
