Huizhen High School by Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd_Huizhen High School by Approach Design Studio. . Image Courtesy of WAF23
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is set to host its 17th edition in Miami, marking the event's first appearance in the United States. This year's festival theme, announced as Hearts and Minds, will explore the intersection between rational design strategies and emotional resonance. Through a series of talks and panel discussions, speakers will examine how architecture operates both as an intellectual pursuit and a sensory experience, engaging perception, memory, and affect. Scheduled from November 12-14 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Florida, the festival will gather architects and designers from around the globe for a three-day program featuring talks, awards, exhibitions, and fringe events. The event will highlight international practices, showcase new projects, and facilitate discussions on key issues shaping the built environment.
The 2025 edition of Milan Design Week took place from April 8 to April 13, 2025. During these five days, the city of Milan hosted special events, exhibitions, installations, and discussions centered on the creative disciplines, including the 63rd edition of the Salone del Mobile at Fiera Milano fairgrounds. Among the numerous activities, the event serves as an ideal opportunity to introduce the latest trends and showcase upcoming pieces from brands and designers worldwide. Among the new releases and product launches, the ArchDaily team identified a selection of products designed by architects, ranging from lighting and furniture systems to materials and small objects.
In contemporary urban development, the concept of Privately Owned Public Space (POPS) has gained increasing prominence. These are spaces that, while built, owned, and maintained by private developers, are legally required to remain publicly accessible. Often the result of negotiated planning incentives—such as zoning bonuses or increased floor area—POPS have become especially prevalent in dense urban environments where land is limited and demand for public amenities is high.
In the autumn of 2024, the Kistefos Museum Foundation invited 28 architectural firms to participate in a prequalification process to design a new site-specific standalone gallery. Scheduled to open in 2031, the new museum building will house the art collection of the museum's founder, Christen Sveaas. The gallery will join Kistefos' sculpture park, which features 55 works by international artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Olafur Eliasson, Fernando Botero, and Anish Kapoor, as well as an industrial museum and BIG's award-winning art gallery, The Twist. Additionally, a new visitor center, designed by the Oslo-based architectural firm Lund Hagem, is set to open in 2026.
The synergetic relationship between architectural design and scientific discovery tends to be rarely addressed, yet a lucrative proposition. The built environment holds immense potential in supporting research breakthroughs and innovation and the scientific community. The influence extends beyond physical spaces to include both internal dynamics and external engagement through strategic design interventions that connect various caches of impact, from individual researchers to the broader community.
Despite their whimsical appearance, treehouses offer a unique platform for structural innovations and design explorations. Traditional treehouses rely on the trunks of trees for structural support, but, in order to ease the load supported by the tree, contemporary projects often introduce additional systems, such as stilts to maintain the image while offering additional support. One of the key advantages of elevating them in this way is the reduced environmental footprint. Treehouses can be designed to leave the forest floor untouched, preserving small-scale ecosystems. By freeing up the ground below, they minimize disruptions to native flora and fauna, allowing nature to thrive undisturbed. Similarly, many architects use the local topography to create seamless connections, incorporating ramps, stairs, or bridges that integrate with the landscape. These solutions not only improve accessibility but also enhance the overall experience creating an architectural promenade that moves between the treehouse and its surroundings.
"This sensitivity to the environment is reflected not only in the structural design but also in the careful selection of materials. The use of natural materials like wood, also helps the structure blend with its environment. Some designers have gone further by employing alternative materials such as mirrored panels to reflect the surrounding forest and mask the treehouse's presence entirely, demonstrating that the choice of material can contribute to creating a project that feels like an extension of its setting rather than an imposition on it. This collection highlights notable examples from Sweden, Denmark, Indonesia, and France, showcasing their diverse approaches.
Throughout the year, ArchDaily's team of curators works on expanding and populating our project library. Located all around the world, each curator carefully considers the best works emanating from their respective regions in an effort to have a diverse representation of the most inspiring and innovative built works. The team looks to new rising practices, new technologies, and the vernacular revival of traditional construction techniques. Seeking socially driven initiatives, as well as major works by renowned architects, the overall offers a holistic view of the built world today and is relayed through the yearly project review.
Beijing, as the cultural and political center of China, embodies a rich architectural language that bridges history and modernity, tradition and innovation, showcasing the city's profound depth and diversity. From monumental landmarks like CITIC Tower and Daxing International Airport to the hidden courtyard renovations nestled within the city's historic hutongs; from the dramatic revitalization of the Shougang industrial site to the refined transformations of Baiziwan and Baitasi, Beijing's architectural achievements continue to captivate and inspire. Every space tells a unique story of the city, blending heritage with contemporary vibrancy.
In this city, memories are preserved, and vitality thrives. Let us step into Beijing, rediscovering the "new Beijing" within the "old Beijing" through the lens of its architecture, and experience the depth of time and the pulse of the city in its dynamic spaces.
Courtesy of HGA | Barabara and Gerson Bakar Research and Academic Building (BRAB)
Architectural firms Snøhetta and HGA have just began work on the Barbara and Gerson Bakar Research and Academic Building (BRAB) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). This nine-story, 323,000-square-foot facility is set to redefine UCSF's approach to biomedical research and academic collaboration. Designed as a state-of-the-art hub for scientific inquiry, BRAB will offer cutting-edge spaces for translational research, fostering breakthroughs in critical areas such as cancer, diabetes, microbiology, immunology, and cell biology.
Snøhetta has won an international competition for the design of the new stations for the city cable car in Koblenz, Germany. Given that the location is within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, the project necessitates a sensitive and respectful approach to the historical context. The proposed stations are designed as contemporary architectural statements that harmonize with the existing heritage, blending into their surroundings.
Snøhetta has revealed its design for a new building dedicated to a well-loved institution, the OmahaChildren's Museum. Located just a few blocks from the Kiewit Luminarium and overlooking the river, this new facility is designed following best practices in early child development, providing exhibits and programming aimed at fostering joy, curiosity, and connection for young children and their caregivers.
Snøhetta has announced a project to rebuild the Refuge de Barroude, a mountain refuge located in a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Pyrenees Mountain range of France. The old building, destroyed in an accidental fire ten years ago, is set to be revived as a stop-off point for hikers on the Haute Route des Pyrénées and as a support center for the staff of the National Park. The next phase of the project is due to begin in 2025.
Architecture has long been understood as a powerful tool for shaping the physical environment and social dynamics within it. However, its potential to foster social equity is often overlooked. Empathy-driven design invites architects to approach their work not only as creators of space but as facilitators of human connection and community well-being. This approach centers on understanding people's lived experiences, struggles, and aspirations — particularly marginalized communities — and responding to their needs through thoughtful, inclusive architecture. It goes beyond aesthetics and functionality, instead focusing on creating spaces fostering dignity, accessibility, and social equity. By prioritizing empathy, architects can design environments that uplift communities, address disparities, and create inclusive spaces that promote positive societal change in a tangible, human-centered way.
In recent years, continuous material finishes enveloping interior spaces have become increasingly prominent, particularly in branding-focused retail environments. A continuous interior refers to using what are typically liquid-applied materials that are cured to create seamless, uninterrupted surfaces, eliminating the appearance of joints and seams—at least during the initial application. A growing range of products now offer various color options, textures, and practical properties, making these finishes more versatile. Interestingly, the aesthetic effect of such interiors is uncanny to the rise of 3D rendering software, where the seamless, fluid look mirrors the smooth, idealized spaces typical of digital renderings. This effect also contributes to a sense of scalelessness, as the absence of visible seams or joints makes it harder to discern the actual size of a space, often giving the illusion that the interior is larger than it is.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, two hijacked commercial jetliners struck the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan, a third plane struck the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed in rural Pennsylvania. A total of 2.977 people were killed in the terrorist attacks. In the face of this unprecedented loss, the city of New York promised to rebuild Lower Manhattan as a lively neighborhood while honoring and maintaining the memory of this day. Thus began one of the largest reconstruction projects in New York City, a process that is still ongoing now, 23 years after the tragedy.
Biosphere at Treehotel / BIG. Image Courtesy of BIG
Today's population lives in large, vibrant, and sometimes chaotic cities. That’s why the most popular options involve escaping to natural settings such as remote forests, tropical jungles, or pristine beaches when choosing places to take a break from daily responsibilities and routines. For those seeking to disconnect completely from city life while staying closely connected to nature, small-scale hotels, cabins, and lodges are excellent options. Whether it’s a private vacation home or a cabin hotel, these accommodations are designed to make their natural surroundings their most important asset, allowing the buildings to blend seamlessly into the landscape.
The King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award has just announced the winners for 2024. Recognizing outstanding achievements in architecture and urbanism in Saudi Arabia, The King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award is an initiative designed to celebrate projects that are aligned with the values of the King Salman Charter in Saudi Arabia. This year, since projects were honored with the award from three categories: built projects, unbuilt projects, and student projects.
The office building typology emerged from the need to unite thousands of people within a relatively strict working environment. In major cities, these structures clustered into Central Business Districts (CBDs), which became dedicated neighborhoods accommodating commerce and businesses. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted this model, leading to the rise of remote and hybrid work. Now, nearly four years later, occupancy rates in these urban centers remain lower than pre-pandemic levels, signaling a long-term shift in the work environment. To address this challenge, developers have been increasingly looking into “repositioning” their projects, seeking to redefine their image by adapting them to contemporary demands. This typology considers the surrounding urban fabric, aiming to expand the building’s use beyond its original purpose and attract people back to the CBDs.
