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Architecture

21st Century Architect Guide: 7 Visualization Tools Architects Can’t Live Without

By Zarkon Group,15/05/2023

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The architectural design process is an intricate dance between creativity and technical mastery. From beginning to end, as each act of a project unfolds, and visions come to life, every architect must rely on an array of visualization tools to help them successfully navigate project stages. These tools are our trusty partners throughout the performance that is design.

From sketching the earliest of ideas to unveiling new worlds in digital landscapes, many tools have revolutionized the way we work and transformed how we communicate our ideas. While we each have individual preferences, undoubtedly, from concept to completion, there are some visualization tools we can all agree we would rather not live without.

Conceptualization: Sketching and Diagramming – The Napkin Chronicles

Interior of the reimagined Autodesk Gallery, San Francisco, CA, United States Photograph provided by Autodesk

We’ve all been there — a moment of divine inspiration striking in the middle of lunch, hastily scribbling our ideas on a napkin, a receipt, even our hand. Be it through traditional (pen and paper) sketching or digital tools like SketchBook by Autodesk and Morpholio Trace, conceptualization is the wild west of design documentation, and that’s precisely what these programs are built for.

By allowing us to quickly test various design concepts, proportions, and relationships while providing a platform for experimentation and ideation, such sketching software helps to support and facilitate mark-making and disjointed thought. The intuitive interface and versatile features of these digital sketching apps enable architects to easily switch between mediums, layers, and scales, streamlining the concept process and ultimately helping us make sense of our own ideas effectively.

Schematic Design: 2D CAD Drawings – Back to the Grid

Autodesk Technology Center, Boston, MA, United States Photograph provided by Autodesk

With concepts refined, then comes the time to embrace the precision and orderliness of 2D CAD drawings. Bidding adieu to the delightful chaos of the napkin sketches, programs like AutoCAD and Vectorworks become our new best friends. During the schematic phase, meticulously articulating our visions is essential, ensuring that not even a single datum line goes astray.

Whatever your preferred platform may be, CAD programs allow us to create detailed, scalable drawings, facilitating coordination with consultants, and fine-tuning the review process for and with clients. Over the years, the software’s extensive libraries and automated tools have increased the efficiency of drawing tenfold, reducing errors and resources required at this stage of the design development process.

Design Development: 3D Modeling – The Taming of the Shrewd

Interior of the new reimagined Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco, CA, United States Photograph provided by Autodesk

The design process can often feel a lot like herding cats, chaotic and unpredictable. 3D modeling software such as SketchUp, Rhino, and Revit can feel like our trusty shepherd’s staff in times of uncertainty and compromise. With these tools, we can juggle competing interests — structural engineers advocating for fewer cantilevers and environmental officers requesting more green space alongside MEP consultants demanding cavernous service risers.

3D models give us the capacity to study the spatial relationships and materiality of our designs, enabling us to make informed decisions on practicality with as little impact on the design ambition as possible. The real-time rendering capabilities of these programs thrive in the quest for seamless collaboration between team members, promoting an iterative design process and ensuring that all disciplines are working in harmony.

Visualization: Rendering and Virtual Reality – The Picture-Perfect Performance

The Lumion office building by atelier PRO architekten, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Photograph by Jan Paul Mioulet

During the design process, renderings are akin to a grand soiree, a sumptuous feast for the eyes that unveil creations in all their splendor. With virtuosos like V-Ray and Lumion at the helm, 3D renders allow us to conduct a mesmerizing performance of light and texture, conjuring spellbinding visuals that leave clients entranced.

These rendering maestros boast an array of sophisticated features, from global illumination to physically-based materials and ethereal atmospheric effects, empowering architects to craft lifelike images that impeccably embody their design aspirations. Furthermore, VR technologies such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive transport us to a realm where we can meander through our masterpieces as though they already stand tall — always remember to mind your footing in the tangible world as you navigate the virtual one.

Construction Documentation: BIM – The Clash of the Disciplines

The pièce de résistance of the design process, construction documentation through BIM software, such as Revit, is where the rubber meets the road. Architects know that, in today’s world, coordination is the name of the game, and nothing tests resolve quite like the clash detection feature in our BIM software.

By consolidating architectural, structural, and MEP models into a single, comprehensive database, BIM enables us to identify and resolve conflicts early in the design process, preventing costly and time-consuming issues during construction. BIM’s powerful parametric capabilities also facilitate the generation of detailed schedules and specifications, ensuring that the information is accurate, consistent, and up-to-date.

Digital Fabrication: Parametric Design – A Brave New World

Designed using CATIA V&A Dundee by Kengo Kuma and Associates, Dundee, Scotland. Photograph by Hufton+Crow

As we explore the frontiers of design, the relatively new realm of digital fabrication beckons. Unlike days of old, armed with kappa board and scalpel, parametric design and computational tools like Grasshopper, Dynamo, and Catia empower us to translate complex geometries and intricate patterns into buildable forms. These tools enable us to visualize and rationalize our boldest ideas, bridging the gap between digital models and physical constructs.

We can optimize our designs for structural efficiency, environmental performance, and material utilization by scripting algorithms and generating parametric models. As we venture into the brave new world of 3D printing, CNC milling, and robotic assembly, these visual documentation tools are our invaluable guides, helping us push the boundaries of architectural possibility.

Interactive Presentations: Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality – The Future is Now

Autodesk, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Photograph provided by Autodesk

As the future of architecture unfolds before us, augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies are poised to revolutionize the way we present and experience our designs. Tools like Microsoft HoloLens, Magic Leap, and Apple ARKit allow us to superimpose digital information onto the physical environment, creating immersive and interactive presentations that captivate our clients and collaborators. These cutting-edge technologies enable us to visualize and manipulate design elements in real time, engaging with our projects in novel and exciting ways. By overlaying digital models onto site photographs, AR can enhance client presentations by demonstrating the proposed design in context. As we embrace AR and MR, we stand at the forefront of a paradigm shift, forever changing how we document, present, and interact with architecture.

Throughout the timeline of a project, architects employ an ever-evolving array of visualization tools, from the nascent stages of conceptualization to the emerging realms of digital fabrication and interactive presentations. By embracing these tools and the many more sure to be introduced over our careers, we can continue to push the boundaries of architectural possibility, shaping the world around us with passion, precision, and innovation. As we salute the visual documentation tools accompanying us on our architectural odyssey, let’s not forget the camaraderie and ingenuity that defines our profession. Together, we can create spaces that inspire, transform, and endure for generations.

Reference

Interior Design

Five highlights from Zaha’s Moonsoon: An Interior in Japan

By Zarkon Group,15/05/2023

The Zaha Hadid Foundation has opened an exhibition about Zaha Hadid’s Moonsoon restaurant in Sapporo, Japan. Here, exhibitions officer and curator Johan Deurell selects five highlights from the show.

Zaha’s Moonsoon: An Interior in Japan is a case study of architect Hadid’s first built project outside of the UK – the Moonsoon Bar and Restaurant in Sapporo, Japan, which was constructed in 1989.

The exhibition offers a journey from the conception of the venue – conveyed through a series of archival models, presentation documents and sketches – through to its built form, presented through images and one-to-one recommissioned furniture from the bar’s interior.

“Our latest exhibition showcases the creative processes behind one of Zaha Hadid’s earliest and less well-known projects,” said Zaha Hadid Foundation director Paul Greenhalgh. “Moonsoon was created at the time of the incredible explosion of the Japanese economy, and the design boom that accompanied it.”

“Japan provided opportunities for emerging architects to work on experimental projects. For the foundation, it is a chance for us to dive deep into the archives and highlight works rarely seen before.”

Monsoon’s design referenced some of the early 20th-century avant-grade movements that emerged out of Russia, such as the works of Russian abstract artist Kazimir Malevich.

Angular, twisting and geometric shapes were translated into functional architectural volumes and layers. Additional design references include the works of sculptor Alexander Calder, French liquor commercials from the 1950s and imagery of orange peel and pasta.

Zaha’s Moonsoon: An Interior in Japan takes place at the Zaha Hadid Foundation headquarters in Clerkenwell, London, which functioned as Hadid’s headquarters from 1985 until her death in 2016.

Read on for Deurell‘s five highlights:

Photo of a presentation briefcase at Zaha's Moonsoon: An Interior in Japan

Presentation case, acrylic and aluminium by Zaha Hadid Architects, 1989-90

“The idea of our exhibition came about with the discovery of a Perspex briefcase in the archive. This briefcase was made by Daniel Chadwick as a container for the Moonsoon design concept.

“It carried elements of model as well as 14 paintings, six perspective drawings and 13 collages shown in this exhibition. The case would be taken to the clients as a form of presentation strategy, where the works on paper would be laid out and the model assembled.”

Photo of a model at Zaha's Moonsoon: An Interior in Japan

Presentation model, acrylic by Zaha Hadid Architects, 1989-90

“This model, made by Daniel Chadwick, was created to illustrate a concept, rather than as a replica of the restaurant’s final form. Here an ‘orange peel’ shape swirls through the two floors, and the colourful shards represent the furniture and interior elements. At the time it was made, the interior and furniture designs had yet to be finalised.

“Zaha Hadid Architects embraced the transparency of acrylic to make the relationship between interior and spatial elements in the model easier to view. In the future, digital models would provide the transparent layering effects that Hadid sought to achieve through the early use of acrylic.”

Painting on show at Zaha's Moonsoon: An Interior in Japan

Interior concepts, acrylic paint on black cartridge paper by Zaha Hadid Architects, 1989-90

“This painting belongs to a suite of 14 paintings originally stored in the Perspex briefcase. Moonsoon’s concept was partially inspired by fire (for the first-floor bar) and ice (for the ground-floor restaurant), which is illustrated through the reds and blues in this painting. A swirling ‘orange peel’ shape represents the central furnace penetrating through the two floors, whereas splintered ‘ice shards’ symbolise tables.

“Zaha Hadid Architects used paintings to explore concepts that could not be shown through conventional perspective drawings. Various team members contributed to the paintings. The works were derived from sketches, which had been transferred to tracing paper and then onto cartridge paper, and subsequently coloured in, often by Hadid herself. Their warped shapes and layering anticipated the possibilities later offered by CAD software.”

Zaha’s Moonsoon, by Marwan Kaabour, 2023

“Not everything in the show came from that briefcase. There were boxes upon boxes of archival material too. During the research phase, colleagues at Zaha Hadid Architects told me: ‘go find the little doodle’. That turned out to be a sheet of Arabic letterforms spelling out Zaha and Moonsoon, and the recurring swirly shape, which you see in the model and paintings.

“With some help from Marwan Kaabour, who designed the graphic identity for the exhibition, I learnt that the swirl is a stylised version of the letter H in Zaha. Marwan has done some amazing work for Phaidon and V&A before and runs the Instagram account Takweer on queer narratives in the SWANA region. I asked him to make a video based upon the archival material we had found.

“This snippet is taken from that video. It charts the development of Moonsoon’s ‘orange peel’ structure, from the brief to its final built form. Beginning with sketches of the words مونسون [Moonsoon] and زها [Zaha] based on Arabic letterforms, through references to orange peel, pasta, and the works of Alexander Calder, it concludes with their eventual translation into the technical drawings informing the construction, as well as images of the construction and built.”

Interior photo of the restaurant — Photo by Paul Warchol

Sofa and tray table by Zaha Hadid Architects, 1989-90 (remade in 2014)

“Finally, the exhibition includes a boomerang-shaped sofa from the bar. The furniture for Moonsoon employed intersecting curves and diagonal planes to create an interior landscape. Designed by Michael Wolfson, the differently sized sofas have interchangeable plug-in backrests and tray tables, which came in different colours and finishes.

“Waiters could set the tables on their stands when delivering the drinks to guests. I am not sure how well this waiting method worked in practice, but it is interesting to think about this furniture as part of a design historical tradition of flexible seating landscapes. We know that Zaha was a fan of Verner Panton’s work, for example.”

Zaha’s Moonsoon: An Interior in Japan is on show at the Zaha Hadid Foundation in London from 20 April until 22 July 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Reference

Sustainable News

Tapping Brazilian biodiversity for next-generation drugs

By Zarkon Group,14/05/2023

Spotted: The World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest report on the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All finds that progress is lagging on health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to overlapping health crises. One contributor to those crises is the growing resistance to antibiotics. Materials scientists and innovators searching for new medicines are increasingly turning to the natural world for inspiration.

Brazilian biotechnology company Next Innovative Therapeutics (Nintx) has built a laboratory gastrointestinal system called xGIbiomics to test plant-based therapies for a range of illnesses. The company is focusing on infectious diseases, gastroenterology, neuroscience, immunology, and cardiometabolic health.

To better sift through Brazil’s biodiverse natural environment and narrow down potential candidates for new pharmaceuticals, Nintx also created an analytics infrastructure called GAIApath that’s powered by artificial intelligence (AI). By more quickly identifying plants that show promise for medicinal use, Nintx’s AI can help R&D departments work more efficiently and with less duplication.

Once a plant is chosen as a possible extract or compound for a pharmaceutical therapy, the xGIbiomics lab allows scientists to track its efficacy in treating both the microbiome and targeted disease cells. Currently focusing on the development of an antiviral treatment, Nintx is also using a $3 million (around €2.7 million) investment to accelerate the path to market for its products, most of which are in the early stages of research.

Technology continues to impact the global provision of healthcare, and Springwise has spotted innovators doing everything from delivering time-release micro dosages of medicines to printing vaccines on-demand with a tabletop printer.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

white dynamic ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan

Architecture

white ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan

By Zarkon Group,14/05/2023

Studio Marco Piva reconstructs Torre Antonini after fire

Architectural Studio Marco Piva takes over the reconstruction of the skyscraper that caught fire in Milan on August 29, 2021, leaving 80 families homeless. The project provides for the partial restoration of the architecture of the pre-existing tower ‘Torre Antonini’, giving it a distinctive morphology that stems from the cues from the previous structure and translates into a modern architectural solution. The design composes loggias that, by enveloping the entire building, establish a connection with the surrounding area and offer usable and scenic outdoor spaces. The concept holds a soft aesthetic with sinuous shapes that enfold the structure, ‘like light and elegant ribbons’. The project is planned to be completed between 2025 and 2026.

Torre Antonini exterior by Studio Marco Piva | all images courtesy of Studio Marco Piva

dynamic parapets and innovative green spaces adorn the tower

The building has two floors below ground and nineteen above, with a total height of approximately 70 meters. Starting from the lower floors, the dynamic elegance of the parapets extends fluidly over the entire height of the tower, softening its overall profile. The studio designs a stylistic element to be featured on the building, a special glass insert positioned in an irregular pattern in each parapet enabling residents to enjoy captivating views of the city of Milan.

The Torre Antonini project follows the ‘Green Wave’ concept by Marco Piva, offering an innovative and contemporary urban lifestyle that is expressed through the selection of high-quality finishes and materials and attention to every detail of the external spaces, and shaping new comfortable and functional living areas. The design of the outdoor zones and restructured loggias is the combination of research, inventiveness, and functionality, from the first objective of increasing private external areas to the subsequent implementation of sliding ‘brises soleils’ on all sides to mitigate exposure to the sun. Fixed planters and green-covered vertical grilles are provided near the lift shafts to increase the privacy of the adjacent terraces. The project aims to enhance the osmotic relationship between the Tower and its surrounding landscape, between indoor and outdoor areas, while fostering the necessary domestic intimacy.

the facade as it looks before the restoration

the designed loggias envelop the entire building offering usable and scenic outdoor spaces

the current state of the skyscraper

Reference

Interior Design

The Mint List brings mid-century influences to north London family home

By Zarkon Group,14/05/2023

Interior design studio The Mint List has brought light, space and warmth to this Edwardian house in London with multiple extensions, a hidden playroom and plenty of tactile materials.

The renovated end-of-terrace house in Kensal Rise belongs to a film-industry couple that wanted a cosy family home with mid-century elements, in particular referencing the work of designers Charles and Ray Eames.

“The clients had a leaning towards mid-century style but they didn’t want that to overwhelm the scheme,” The Mint List founder Camilla Kelly told Dezeen.

“The Eames House was a good mid-century reference in terms of encompassing warm, repurposed textures, a sense of scale and an abundance of light.”

The brief was to open up this formerly dark and “unremarkable” home and create an improved sense of flow.

As well as adding two bedrooms and a small study in the newly converted loft, The Mint List created a rear extension to house the kitchen-dining space and absorbed the property’s former garage into the house, providing a mudroom, pantry and playroom.

The playroom is cleverly concealed behind a bank of new storage in the hallway, which has also been enlarged by opening it up into the former porch.

“There was huge importance given to light in the design,” said Kelly. “Wherever possible, we created tall windows benefiting from the south-facing aspect.”

The house is full of custom-designed features and finishes at the request of the client.

The floor uses unusually slim lengths of oak, laid at right angles to each other in huge grids, while the thresholds were distinguished with slender fins of brass that add subtle visual interest.

Drawing on the design language of mid-century furniture, the kitchen was completely custom-built for the space with a clean-lined, yet playfully asymmetric design.

“We centralised the assembly and used high windows on either side of the cabinets to emphasise the cubic nature of the design,” said Kelly. “The asymmetric cubes that form the cabinets were built using walnut, with cream-painted doors for the covered storage.”

The material mix includes walnut veneer, reeded glass, olive-coloured door fronts and antique brass detailing, as well as concrete and reclaimed iroko wood worktops.

“I’m averse to keeping things all in one colour,” the designer said. “It’s a missed opportunity to bring texture, colour and character to a space.”

The kitchen island was designed to account for the owners’ love of entertaining, with a section of the worktop raised to bar height to draw guests away from the cooking area.

“The island is even more asymmetric, with different levels, drawers, shelves and openings that served to show how the geometry of a design can sometimes be off-kilter and still look neatly intentioned, as long as it sits correctly within the scale of the space,” Kelly said.

The curved bar provides a visual link to the rounded steps that lead down into the kitchen area, as well as to other curved elements throughout the house.

“I like to include some curves in my projects through room openings, joinery and countertops,” Kelly said. “They help to soften spaces and improve flow from one area to the next.”

Adjoining the kitchen is a hybrid library and snug, which is partially enclosed with oak shelving finished in glass and raffia, that double up as room dividers and nod to the Eames House in California.

“We didn’t want this to be a dead space,” Kelly said. “It’s a quiet spot where you can curl up with a book or listen to music. And when the couple is entertaining, this is a soft space where you come to catch up with someone.”

Four bedrooms are spread across the home’s upper levels, including a shared children’s bedroom with bunk beds on the first floor and two added bedrooms in the converted loft.

Since founding The Mint List in 2011, Kelly has completed a number of interior projects in London.

Among them are the headquarters of music management company Everybody’s in Highbury, which she kitted out with mid-century-style movable furniture.

The photography is by Dave Watts.

Reference

Sustainable News

Construction blocks made from sugarcane

By Zarkon Group,13/05/2023

Spotted: Sugarcane is the world’s most produced crop as of 2021 and is grown mostly for use as sugar and ethanol. Bagasse is the waste product left behind after the sugarcane is crushed to harvest the juice. Some of the leftover material is used for biofuel, but much is left to go to waste. Many of the world’s developing countries are key sugarcane producers, so finding a way to turn the bagasse waste into a valuable new product would provide significant support in further developing local economies.

A collaborative project based in the University of East London has brought together researchers, commercial partners, sustainability experts, and architects to create Sugarcrete, a concrete brick replacement. According to the team, if only 30 per cent of the world’s bagasse waste was used for Sugarcrete production, the global brick industry could be completely replaced.

Sugarcrete bricks are ultra-low carbon and are made by mixing bagasse with mineral binders. A fast-growing crop, sugarcane is an extremely efficient carbon sink. When combined with the low-emission manufacturing process, the final product becomes a particularly sustainable building option.

The polyhedral bricks are designed to lock together to create strength without the need for additional supplies. Square slabs of the bricks are held together with only perimeter ties, and the team is working on strengthening the bricks further.

The bricks meet industry standards for strength, durability, fire resistance, and thermal properties, and are four times lighter than traditional bricks with only 15 per cent of the carbon footprint. The team has made its research open source in order to support communities in developing new industries to replace the need to import expensive building supplies.

The usefulness of sugarcane biowaste is being recognised by various innovators, who are transforming it into a range of new products. Springwise has also spotted electronics packaging and takeaway cups with a built-in lid.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Paire House and rural surroundings viewed from above

Architecture

Paire House by Rodolfo Cañas provides shelter for a Chilean family

By Zarkon Group,13/05/2023

The tale of Jonah and the Whale informed the design of this house in Chile, which architect Rodolfo Cañas shaped around two gardens.

In the rural town of Pomaire, less than an hour southwest of Santiago, Cañas designed the single-family home to shelter its inhabitants from the elements and the surroundings.

The architect likened the shielding quality of the house to the whale that swallowed the prophet Jonah in the biblical story.

“In some ways, the Paire House can be comparable to the whale that protected Jonah during the storm,” said the architect. “In a rural, dry, rugged environment and also close to a highway with a heavy traffic flow, this house works as a container; a protective body, which separates its inhabitants from the hostile environment and makes them look towards a more sheltered interior.”

Entrance through a garden under a canopy — Entry to the home is via a shaded garden

Viewed from above, the house is shaped like an abstract human body with four limbs that protrude at different angles.

Two parallel circulation routes – one public and one private – and a desire to orient rooms towards specific views dictated this unusual layout.

Living room opens on to enclosed garden — A second enclosed garden sits at the centre of the house

Entrance to the property is via a garden to the north, which is shaded by a canopy and landscaped to funnel visitors towards one gate, and the residents to another.

“This forms the cut between the rugged exterior and the sheltered interior of the house,” said Cañas. “It is a covered garden and considers a more controlled natural lighting in order to generate the cut coming from the outside.”

Kitchen and dining room — An open-plan kitchen, dining room and lounge occupies one of the building’s “legs”

The “body” of the house contains a row of four bedrooms that all face an enclosed garden through floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

Guests pass through the garden on their way to the living spaces, while the family can traverse an interior corridor that passes behind the bedrooms.

Bedrooms facing onto garden — Bedrooms face the central garden through floor-to-ceiling glass doors

Light is brought into this passageway via a skylight that protrudes at an angle above the low roofline.

Overlooking the central garden, an open-plan kitchen, dining and lounge area occupies the building’s southwest “leg”.

The primary suite is located in the other, facing southeast. Both open onto terraces that face carefully chosen views of trees in the foreground and hills in the distance.

“The trees are a little misleading when you’re inside, hinting that the outside is wooded and less hostile than it really is,” Cañas explained. “Meanwhile, the nearby hills speak of the real context: a wild and dry environment.”

Paire House at dusk — The home’s layout was dictated by a desire to orient rooms towards particular views

Off the central outdoor space, close to the entry, is another small appendage that contains a games room.

Largely devoid of windows, the exterior walls and internal gardens are wrapped in blackened wood, while interior spaces are minimally decorated and furnished.

Charred timber appears to be a popular choice of cladding material for Chilean houses.

Other examples of its use in the country include a home sheathed entirely in blackened pine, an angular mountain cabin and a beach residence comprising stacked volumes.

The photography is by Aryeh Kornfeld.

Project credits:

Architect: Rodolfo Cañas
Builder: Mauricio Fuenzalida
Drawings: Samuel Riveros

Reference

Interior Design

Ten gallery interiors that are artworks in their own right

By Zarkon Group,13/05/2023

A subterranean gallery carved into a sand dune and a treehouse-style art museum feature in our latest lookbook, which collects striking gallery interiors from around the world.

Art galleries are specifically designed as spaces for showcasing artworks such as sculptures and paintings. As a result, they are often characterised by neutral and minimalist interiors so as not to divert attention from the objects on display.

However, some galleries are defined by statement designs that not only complement the artworks they house, but transform their interiors into masterpieces themselves.

From a converted Iranian brewery to a Milanese basement, read on for 10 galleries with memorable interior designs.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring inviting entrance halls, terracotta kitchens and Crittal-style windows.

IK Lab, Mexico, by Jorge Eduardo Neira Sterkel

Curving cement walls and undulating vine floors provide an alternative backdrop for artwork within the gallery at the Azulik resort in Tulum.

The gallery, which visitors must enter without shoes via a winding walkway, is elevated above the ground and reaches the height of the surrounding tree canopy. Circular windows of various sizes flood the space with natural light.

The gallery was opened by the resort’s founder and designer, Jorge Eduardo Neira Sterkel, after the great-grandson of the famed American art collector Peggy Guggenheim and a Tulum local suggested the idea.

Find out more about IK Lab ›

Interior of TaoCang Art Center by Roarc Renew in Jiaxing, China — Photo is by Wen Studio

TaoCang Art Center, China, by Roarc Renew

TaoCang Art Center is comprised of two disused granaries located in the village of Wangjiangjing in China’s Zhejiang province. Shanghai studio Roarc Renew connected the volumes with a pair of sweeping brick corridors that are lined with arches.

Functioning as distinct gallery spaces, the granaries are characterised by striking arrangements of lotus flowers on their floors – an ode to the village’s lotus-flower industry and a pond adjacent to the site.

Find out more about TaoCang Art Centre ›

Bedroom at art gallery — Photo is by Ye Rin Mok

Maison Lune, USA, by Sandrine Abessera, Lubov Azria and Gabriella Kuti

Designers Sandrine Abessera and Lubov Azria, founders of the contemporary art gallery Maison Lune, worked with interior designer Gabriella Kuti to set it within a former private house in California.

Spread across rooms in neutral hues, the gallery is laid out like a collector’s home featuring a varied cluster of artworks and design pieces. Multiple terraces and internal stepped areas provide plinth-like display units for the objects throughout the property.

“We want to build an alternative to traditional galleries, which are often perceived as too elitist and intimidating,” explained Abessera and Azria.

Find out more about Maison Lune ›

Amos Rex by JKMM Architects — Photo is by Tuomas Uusheimo

Amos Rex, Finland, by JKMM Architects

Finnish studio JKMM Architects designed the Amos Rex art museum in Helsinki with a series of domed subterranean galleries, which bubble up through the ground to create a sloping outdoor playground.

While a portion of the museum is housed in the renovated Lasipalatsi, a functionalist 1930s building at street level, Amos Rex was also extended underground to include the domed galleries. These subterranean spaces feature minimalist monochrome interiors illuminated by large round skylights.

Find out more about Amos Rex ›

Studio and gallery for Bosco Sodi — Photo is by Sergio Lopez

Studio CDMX, Mexico, by Alberto Kalach

A multi-purpose artist residency and gallery come together at Studio CDMX, a space in Mexico City designed for Casa Wabi founder Bosco Sodi in which to work and exhibit his pieces.

Constructed on the site of a former warehouse, the building reflects its location’s industrial roots with concrete, metal and brick elements arranged in chunky formations. Sodi’s sculptural works, finished in materials including stone and ceramic, also influenced the interiors.

Find out more about Studio CDMX ›

Meandering rattan structure in a dining room by Enter Projects Asia — Photo is by William Barrington-Binns

Private gallery, Thailand, by Enter Projects Asia

A winding rattan installation traces an overhead route through this private gallery in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Architecture studio Enter Projects Asia used an algorithm to design the structure, which snakes in and out of the gallery’s various indoor and outdoor spaces.

“We sought to create an immersive experience, giving the space a warmth and depth uncharacteristic of conventional art galleries,” said studio director Patrick Keane.

Find out more about this private gallery ›

Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum in Milan — Photo is by Duccio Malagamba

Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum, Italy, by Mario Cucinella Architects

Layered stone walls line the new basement of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum, an art gallery housed within a 19th-century palazzo in Milan that was both preserved and expanded by Italian studio Mario Cucinella Architects.

The basement walls were created from overlapping layers of limestone ashlar, which curve upwards to form domed ceilings. Free-standing and wall-mounted cases designed by the architecture studio display two hundred Etruscan artifacts, including ancient jewellery and cinerary urns.

Find out more about Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum ›

Argo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre, Iran, by Ahmadreza Schricker Architecture North

US studio Ahmadreza Schricker Architecture North renovated a 1920s brewery in central Tehran to create the Argo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre, preserving many of the factory’s original industrial features.

Designed without middle supports, a curvilinear concrete staircase was inserted into the building to connect the museum’s lobby and its six galleries above. The staircase is one of a number of new elements with a rounded shape, created to contrast the uniform brick architecture.

Find out more about Argo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre ›

UCCA Dune Art Museum, China, by Open Architecture

Carved into a dune on a beach in Qinhuangdao, this coastal art museum is comprised of a network of subterranean concrete galleries.

Beijing-based firm Open Architecture took cues from caves for the interlinked spaces, which are illuminated by organically shaped openings and feature an irregular texture.

“The walls of ancient caves were where art was first practiced,” Open Architecture co-founder Li Hu told Dezeen.

Find out more about UCCA Dune Art Museum ›

GO'C Mini Mart City Park — Photo is by Kevin Scott

Mini Mart City Park, USA, by GO’C

Mini Mart City Park is a community arts centre with a gallery built on the site of a former 1930s petrol station in Seattle.

Local studio GO’C referenced the location’s history when creating the design for the centre, opting for classic signage, an overhanging roof and divided metal windows.

Inside, the gallery space is characterised by exposed wooden rafters and smooth grey-hued floors, providing a neutral backdrop for the exhibition of artwork.

Find out more about Mini Mart City Park ›

Reference

Sustainable News

Solar-powered street carts for food vendors

By Zarkon Group,12/05/2023

Spotted: Street vendors are a big part of Kenyan culture and a significant source of livelihood for many Kenyans, particularly in the capital, Nairobi. But, for some 100,000 street food vendors in the city, it can be both economically challenging and environmentally damaging to keep food at the right temperature. Many vendors rely on charcoal, which releases high levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and pollutants.

Instead, Nairobi-based startup Zuhura Solutions has introduced the Halisi Trolley, a solar-powered vending car that allows food to be kept warm for longer using an alternative, clean energy source.

The stored solar energy is converted into heat that freely warms the food to ensure it’s kept at the necessary temperature for safe eating. Surplus energy that is generated powers LED lights, so vendors can sell them for hours into the night. There are also charging ports that can be used to power customers’ mobile phones at an extra cost – allowing vendors to easily earn additional income.

Zuhura sells adverting space on the carts to fund its production and subsidised the final cost for vendors. The startup only uses durable, high-quality materials to create the carts, which are available in customised or modular versions, or can be sold in bulk.

The startup offers vendors a flexible pay-as-you-go plan of $80 (around €73) a month with a 10 per cent initial down payment. Zuhura also connects vendors with technicians who can quickly service their trolleys in the event of a malfunction.

Food insecurity is a growing concern, particularly for areas without the infrastructure to store produce safely. Springwise has spotted many innovations working to ease this pressure, including a solar-powered refrigerator to cut food spoilage for fishermen and farmers, and another sustainable refrigeration unit that can generate continuous refrigeration for up to four days.

Written By: Anam Alam

Reference

Architecture

30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina

By Zarkon Group,12/05/2023

From its conserved colonial architecture to its contemporary craft, Argentina’s built environment is colorful and individual. Cities like Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Mendoza have been heavily influenced by European architecture. From Spanish colonial to Art Nouveau to Neoclassical design, the architecture of Argentina offers unique translations of similar programs in 19th-century Europe.

In the 1930s, Argentine architects looked to the work of Le Corbusier, and many began to adopt a rationalist sensibility. The nation’s urban fabric began to shift: the ornate edifices from decades prior were now paired beside geometric and clean-lined designs. Decades later, skyscrapers began to dominate the skylines of Argentine cities, signaling a generation of designers who embraced modern techniques yet maintained a similar aesthetic to their predecessors. And today’s architects continue to push new limits through designs that respond to the country’s breathtaking landscape and celebrate Argentine culture.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Argentina based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Argentina architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 32 best architecture firms in Argentina:

30. BAM! arquitectura

We are a versatile design, urbanism and architecture studio created by young entrepreneurs, who have a comprehensive, creative and challenging look and who are aware of the social and natural environment. We believe that buildings, as people, are more than the sum of its parts. We believe that it is possible to accomplish a blend of design, functionality and context. We believe that in projects co-creation better
results are achieved thanks to teamwork.

Why BAM!? Because we believe in design process innovation as a problem solution. Our clients are those who dare a better living. We create spaces that enable people to interact and communicate.

Some of BAM! arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped BAM! arquitectura achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

29. Ça

Ça Arquitectura is an architecture firm based in Argentina. The studio specializes in residential design and commercial design.

Some of Ça’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Ça achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

28. La Base Studio

La Base Studio is a workshop with a triple disciplinary approach, a synergy between architecture, furniture design and landscape. It was founded in Buenos Aires in 1985 by Alejandro Sticotti. Since 2021 is integrated by a group of professionals where Nicolás Tovo and Teresa Sarmiento lead the architectural area. The main goal is to combine all the knowledge in a coherent language from any scale of intervention. Materiality is fundamental in our work, it is a constant dialectic between thinking and doing. This search is supported by our workshop, where we experiment from construction details to prototypes and production of objects. Focusing on processes, trades and people. With a strong academic imprint in public and private, local and international universities, La Base Studio share this theoretical proposition and establishes new geographical contexts such as its spaces in New York and more recently in Barcelona.

Some of STICOTTI’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped STICOTTI achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

27. Claudio Walter Arquitectos

WALTER Arquitectos is above all a team. The studio, founded in 1992 and led by Claudio Walter, produces rigorously contemporary architecture committed to the responsible use of natural resources . Its coherence is based on its own work methodology, deliberately avoiding the development of a style or formalisms. Each project is a specific search, with clients and technology as inalienable references . The response to program, context, budget and time is necessarily unique.

The WALTER arquitectos team pays special attention to the construction process in order to give the highest quality to the project . In this work, those responsible for the different areas are involved, in the design and development of architectural projects.

Some of Claudio Walter Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Claudio Walter Arquitectos achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

26. forma

forma is a group of young architects and designers who aspire to provide a space for creation and innovation committed to architecture and sustainable development. Design and construction, architects and labor, carpenters, and masons. We seek to be present in every step of the process, we promote the use of both the mind and the hands. We specialize in design, in an integral Architecture, and as we want our projects to be done correctly and under our high standards of definition, we like to be very involved in the construction and execution of the projects. Working together with experienced carpenters and builders we generate a united human group with the same aspirations to offer a quality product.

As a young studio we are in a phase in which wood predominates over other materials. With each project we explore the limits and possibilities of the material with its logics and systems to reach a product that is coherent throughout the whole process from the idea to the material. Wood is a noble material that in addition to its thermal capabilities and malleability means a negative carbon footprint to the ecosystem so its use is highly sustainable. In any case, we look forward to the possibility of exploring new materials.

Some of forma’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped forma achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

25. Nicolás Fernández Sanz

Nicolás Fernández Sanz is an architect based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His specialty includes cultural, commercial and retail architecture.

Some of Nicolás Fernández Sanz’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nicolás Fernández Sanz achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

24. Nidolab Arquitectura

Photo: Federico Kulekdjian – © Nidolab Arquitectura

Nidolab Arquitectura is an architecture firm based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Founded by Lucía Villarreal and Sol García del Río, the firm specializes in retail, restaurant and residential architecture.

Some of Nidolab Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nidolab Arquitectura achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

23. Najmias Office for Architecture NOA

Najmias Office for Architecture [NOA] offers a wide range of professional services related to the built environment, ranging from new buildings and master plans to small interventions in existing buildings. The common denominator in this diverse portfolio is our experience that is based on finding the balance between an innovative and strong identity with the level of customer expectations and the overall quality of projects.

Our experience, with both public and private clients, has given the team the flexibility to meet customer requirements and needs, while maintaining tight cost control. In NOA, we formulate solutions that create a unique architectural identity, optimizing costs and maximizing the value of the project while considering the social, emotional and intellectual implications both to the environment and users we serve.

Some of Najmias Office for Architecture NOA’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Najmias Office for Architecture NOA achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	4

22. Salassa-tissot-castañeda / STC ARQUITECTOS

STC Arquitectos is led by partners Juan Salassa, Ivan Castañeda, and Santiago Tissot. All graduates of the School of Architecture and Design at the National University of Córdoba, secondary colleagues and friends, all three designers have different ideas and ways of thinking with the same goal, trying to reflect and make an architecture that is socially useful in the context that we live today.

The studio was founded back in 2006 and since 2010, the firm collaborates with other professional designers. Our business focuses primarily on two axes, first orders both private and public and other contests architecture.

Some of Salassa-tissot-castañeda / STC ARQUITECTOS’s most prominent projects include:

Suburban house, Alta Gracia, Argentina
Refuge in Cordoba, Argentina, Villa Serranita, Argentina
PH Solares, Alta Gracia, Argentina
Spinlock – Magnetic Resonance Solutions, Córdoba, Argentina
contest winners Convention Center Alta gracia, Alta Gracia, Argentina

The following statistics helped Salassa-tissot-castañeda / STC ARQUITECTOS achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	8

21. BIAGIONI / PECORARI arquitectos

Our study brings more than 15 years designing and directing works of architecture with a mission of service to clients seeking effective responses to their needs and budgets, offering spaces with professionalism and quality design.

Some of BIAGIONI / PECORARI arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Building in Seguí Street, Santa Fe, Argentina
Castelli Building, Santa Fe, Argentina
House in “Los Molinos”, Santa Fe, Argentina
Brew Bar in Belgrano Station, Santa Fe, Argentina
Building on Candioti street, Santa Fe, Argentina

The following statistics helped BIAGIONI / PECORARI arquitectos achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	9

20. Botteri-Connell

Based in La Plata, Argentina, Estudio Botteri-Connell is known for their cultural and residential designs. The firm takes a collaborative approach to architecture, arising from a deep relationship with their clients and understanding of their needs.

Some of Botteri-Connell’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Botteri-Connell achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

19. Morini Arquitectos

Lucio Morini is an architect based in Córdoba, Argentina. The firm specializes in hospitality and commercial architecture.

Some of Morini Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Morini Arquitectos achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

18. Studio Cella Architects

Estudio Cella is an architecture practice based in Argentina. The firm has been around for over three decades and today, is executed by Daniel Cella, Lucía Cella and Pedro Peralta.

Some of Studio Cella Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Studio Cella Architects achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	2

17. Nicolas Pinto da Mota

Nicolás Pinto da Mota is an architect and lecturer based in Buenos Aires. He founded his practice Nicolás Pinto da Mota Arquitectos in 2008, which has seen developed an extensive portfolio of residential and industrial designs.

Some of Nicolas Pinto da Mota’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nicolas Pinto da Mota achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	4

16. Estudio BaBO

Estudio BaBO was brought to life in 2007 when, after having coincided in a diversity of academic and professional interests, Francisco Kocourek from Buenos aires, Francesc Planas Penad from Barcelona and Marit Haugen Stabell from Oslo, decided to settle in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. From the Colegiales area within the city of Buenos Aires, Estudio BaBO works in Argentina, Spain and Norway, both independently and in collaboration with local practices.

Some of Estudio BaBO’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Estudio BaBO achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	6

15. Moirë Architects

Moirë arquitectos was founded by Mariel Cámara and Ezequiel Muñoz. Based in Mar del Plata, Argentina, the firm manage all aspects of a design project, from developing the architectural work, managing the construction and advising investors.

Some of Moirë Architects’s most prominent projects include:

House Lucerna, Mar del Plata, Argentina
Atelier Gael, Mar del Plata, Argentina
House Cronos, Pinamar, Argentina
Mio Building – Bonjo III, Mar del Plata, Argentina
Houses Strobel, Mar del Plata, Argentina

The following statistics helped Moirë Architects achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	6

14. CCPM Arquitectos

At CCPM Architects we work between concept and matter, assembled and designed, landscape and object. We reflect con the place architecture occupies in contemporary culture and we seek in form the critical role of the project. We work in Buenos Aires on a wooden board on two industrial trestles with computers, drawings, models, books, photos, printers, mugs, and mate.

Some of CCPM Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped CCPM Arquitectos achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	3

13. Pablo Gagliardo

Pablo Gagliardo is an Argentine architect who in 2003, founded the architecture practice within the construction company Obring. Pablo Gagliardo develops projects of various scales with a speciality in residential design.

Some of Pablo Gagliardo’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Pablo Gagliardo achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	3

12. Besonias Almeida arquitectos

Besonias Almeida arquitectos is an architecture studio integrated by Argentinian architects María Victoria Besonias and Guillermo de Almeida. They both are engaged in the profession independently since 1975 and as holders of BAKarquitectos architecture office from 2000 until 2012. They leave the certainties to assume that doubt can be a valuable creative material and that any progress on those unknown frontiers should be done walking between boldness and caution.

Some of Besonias Almeida arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Torcuato House Pavilion, Malvinas Argentinas, Argentina
Besonías Almeida House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Wein House, Pinamar, Argentina
Mar Azul House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Concrete House, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The following statistics helped Besonias Almeida arquitectos achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	20

11. Estudio Ramos

Based in Buenos Aires and New York, Estudio Ramos has developed a distinctive style that relies on a well defined vision of modernism. Through 40 years of experience the firm has developed its work with a deep respect for architecture’s principles. In their long trajectory of residential and commercial building they seek to understand and interpret each project’s context, pursuing its ideal scale and sustainability. Their goal is to encourage reflection through a simple, pure, and honest architectural language.

Some of Estudio Ramos’s most prominent projects include:

Figueras Polo Stables, General Rodríguez, Argentina
Nacho Figueras House, General Rodríguez, Argentina
Yacht Club House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Accesos Puertos del Lago, Tigre, Argentina
56th Street Apt., New York, United States

The following statistics helped Estudio Ramos achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	33

10. REMY arquitectos

In 2004, architect Andrés Remy founded his studio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where projects with an original style matching functionality and design, are developed. With a focus on residential design and hospitality architecture, the firm has a presence in Argentina as well as the United Arab Emirates.

Some of REMY arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The Black House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa Carrara, Pilar, Argentina
Devoto House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
FSY House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cabos House, Tigre, Argentina

The following statistics helped REMY arquitectos achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	6

9. IR arquitectura

R architecture is a cooperative platform created in 2008 by Luciano Intile and Andrés Rogers. Composed by architects and industrial designers trained in different academic and practical areas, this platform serves as an open, malleable, and symbiotic system. It is its multidisciplinary nature which allows it to address the integrated management of work. IR architecture makes focus on social, environmental and economic issues with the objective of creating urban, architectural and object-based models, responding to functional and aesthetic requirements self-imposed, seeking higher energy efficiency records. The harmonious relationship with users and their environment mobilizes this thinking applied to each stage of the process, from the choice of materials, construction systems to the function of the parts themselves.

Some of IR arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped IR arquitectura achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

8. RTN Arquitectos

Founded by Javier Rivarola, Gustavo Trosman and Ricardo Norton in 2000, RTN is an architectural and urban planning firm based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The firm commits to high quality standards beginning with concept design phase up to construction documents. Our intent is to get involved in the overall process, even during construction phase, in order to maintain strict control over the final quality.
RTN develops projects locally and internationally.

Some of RTN Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Beale Street Landing, Memphis, United States
Dashi, Buenos Aires, Argentina
White and Gray House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
MB House, Tigre, Argentina
Ruiz Huidobro, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The following statistics helped RTN Arquitectos achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	9

7. MSGSSV

MSGSSS is an architectural practice based in Buenos Aires with more than 50 years of professional experience. Through unexpected pathways we develop an architecture far away from imitative procedures, for away from repeating models. Multi-dimensional approaches, minor interventions and major projects all form part of our background and they are all handled with the same interest. Each and every problem is worthy of an in-depth search for the right solution, because the magic of architecture lies in the intensity and passion that go into it.

Some of MSGSSV’s most prominent projects include:

HOUSE IN MARTINEZ, Martínez, Argentina
Coca-Cola Headquarters, Buenos Aires, Argentina
PRO.CRE.AR Buenos Aires Station Sector 10 , Buenos Aires, Argentina
Campus La Calandria, Pilar, Argentina
Paraguay Government Offices, Asunción, Paraguay

The following statistics helped MSGSSV achieve 7th place in the 32 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	9

6. Hitzig Militello arquitectos

We are an architectural firm which develops civil construction and interior design, according to the commission. We have a long experience in F&B, leisure and hospitality design, where we focus in generating creative concepts. We also take commissions of housing and multiple housing. The office counts with an integral team for each one of the phases required in the project, according to the commission, which works together with technical consultants and specialized suppliers.

Our philosophy is based on the idea of integral design. This means we merge aspects of a brand, use abstract concepts for its contextualization, work with artistic tools and visual communication, (archigraphy), and interior design.

Some of Hitzig Militello arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Atelier Vilela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Office + House Luna, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Goodsten, Martínez, Argentina
Victoria Brown Bar & Restaurant, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Art Gallery – Objeto A, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The following statistics helped Hitzig Militello arquitectos achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	26

5. Alric Galindez

Alric Galindez began its activities in 1995, designing from the beginning different types of works with a special interest in the development of contemporary proposals. The firm has completed more than 250 works and projects of different scales and programs. With offices in Buenos Aires and San Carlos de Bariloche working together in the search for a proactive synergy in search of ideas.

Training and professional growth is of particular interest to the firm. Participation in national and international competitions and teaching at the University of Buenos Aires, as well as participation in exhibitions and conferences are part of this concern.

Some of Alric Galindez’s most prominent projects include:

MD House , San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
CS House , San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
Vizu Jaus , San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
RM House , Mar de Ajó, Argentina
Dachas , San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

The following statistics helped Alric Galindez achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	8

Top image: MD House by Alric Galindez, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

4. Estudio PK – Ignacio Pessagno & Lilian Kandus

This architecture studio is oriented to the design, direction, and execution of works. Working as a team, they interpret the client’s needs through a different, global, and creative vision, which transforms project objectives into precise and uniquely efficient proposals, immersions in a real economic context. They follow up and evaluate throughout the creative process, select both in the project and in the operational technician, optimize and refine the results.

Some of Estudio PK – Ignacio Pessagno & Lilian Kandus’s most prominent projects include:

Casa Nido, San Fernando Partido, Argentina
Casa Tana, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa L, La Costa, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Graffiti House, Tigre, Argentina
Casa Rampa, Belén de Escobar, Argentina

The following statistics helped Estudio PK – Ignacio Pessagno & Lilian Kandus achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	14

3. Estudio Galera

Estudio Galera is dedicated to the design, management, and construction of architecture, providing complete solutions and appropriate responses to challenges. In this sense, the architectural studio becomes the right place to reformulate conventional issues related to architecture considering the environment, climate, economic, and personal factors that might affect those people who will inhabit those places.

The methodology consists of the collection of data and analysis of the problem from different points of view towards ensuring the best results. Thus, the teamwork allows orderly planning and optimization of the resources. The organization of management, documentation, and communication enables developments to be achieved in a timely manner. Cordiality, respect and personalize attention are key factors to enjoy the process. Therefore, the active participation of clients is essential so that the completion of projects can meet their expectations.

Some of Estudio Galera’s most prominent projects include:

Casa AYYA, Pinamar, Argentina
Casa RINCÓN, Ostende, Argentina
Batin House, Pinamar, Argentina
KVS House, La Esmeralda, Argentina
Wanka House, Cariló, Argentina

The following statistics helped Estudio Galera achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	17

2. Luciano Kruk Arquitectos

Luciano Kruk Arquitectos was founded in 2012 by Argentine architect Luciano Kruk. The practice is known for its residential designs.

Some of Luciano Kruk Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

House in the Dune, La Costa Partido, Argentina
S+J House, La Costa Partido, Argentina
10 House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
House in the Trees, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The following statistics helped Luciano Kruk Arquitectos achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	15
Total Projects	13

1. BAK Arquitectos

BAK Arquitectos is an Argentine firm founded in 2000 by architects María Victoria Besonías, Guillermo de Almeida, and Luciano Kruk. The team believes that modern architecture should be flexible and responsive to the client’s wishes.

Some of BAK Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Casa Carassale, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa Pedroso, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa JD, Mar Azul, Argentina
Casa en La Playa, Mar Azul, Argentina
AV House, Mar Azul, Argentina

The following statistics helped BAK Arquitectos achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	13

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “”+”” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.

Reference

Conceptualization: Sketching and Diagramming – The Napkin Chronicles

Schematic Design: 2D CAD Drawings – Back to the Grid

Design Development: 3D Modeling – The Taming of the Shrewd

Visualization: Rendering and Virtual Reality – The Picture-Perfect Performance

Construction Documentation: BIM – The Clash of the Disciplines

Digital Fabrication: Parametric Design – A Brave New World

Interactive Presentations: Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality – The Future is Now

Studio Marco Piva reconstructs Torre Antonini after fire

dynamic parapets and innovative green spaces adorn the tower

How are these architecture firms ranked?

30. BAM! arquitectura

29. Ça

28. La Base Studio

27. Claudio Walter Arquitectos

26. forma

25. Nicolás Fernández Sanz

24. Nidolab Arquitectura

23. Najmias Office for Architecture NOA

22. Salassa-tissot-castañeda / STC ARQUITECTOS

21. BIAGIONI / PECORARI arquitectos

20. Botteri-Connell

19. Morini Arquitectos

18. Studio Cella Architects

17. Nicolas Pinto da Mota

16. Estudio BaBO

15. Moirë Architects

14. CCPM Arquitectos

13. Pablo Gagliardo

12. Besonias Almeida arquitectos

11. Estudio Ramos

10. REMY arquitectos

9. IR arquitectura

8. RTN Arquitectos

7. MSGSSV

6. Hitzig Militello arquitectos

5. Alric Galindez

4. Estudio PK – Ignacio Pessagno & Lilian Kandus

3. Estudio Galera

2. Luciano Kruk Arquitectos

1. BAK Arquitectos

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

A Guide to Project Awards

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