Industry

Greener lubricants to decarbonise heavy industry

By Zarkon Group,02/02/2024

Spotted: As renewable energy infrastructure expands, so do the maintenance requirements. And, similarly, the growth of e-commerce requires ever-faster production and distribution networks. Facilitating that growth are new machines, including robots, capable of technical tasks older ones are not. As materials technology develops, heavy machinery is increasingly smart, connected, and made from more environmentally healthy components.

A crucial aspect of many industrial machines is the lubricant that allows the pieces to move at incredibly high speeds and temperatures. When contaminants get in the oil, machines can fail, jeopardising worker safety and causing production costs to skyrocket. Dutch industrial lubricant manufacturer Fluitec provides new-generation lubricants and management systems. The company’s lubricants are designed to withstand the new workloads of cutting-edge machinery, and the management systems provide laboratory-level quality analysis on the plant floor as well as in the field.

Fluitec’s Fill4Life programme is a circular method of improving the life span of a lubricant while reducing a company’s carbon emissions. Rather than the linear model of adding new oil to a machine and then disposing of the old, Fill4Life uses Fluitec’s turbine oil and healthier, greener additives to significantly prolong the life of a machine and the lubricant that allows it to run. Fill4Life is customisable and can reduce every machine’s CO2 footprint by 85 per cent and save a company at least 50 per cent of its previous expenditure on oils.

Fluitec also provides the Ruler V Antioxidant Monitoring solution to analyse and predict the longevity of the lubricants currently in a machine. The monitor works in full sunlight and includes dictation capability and a camera for fast, accurate reports from the field. And with a small Membrane Patch Colorimetry (MPC) test, Fluitec provides a visual inspection of a lubricant’s health in under two seconds. The system stores the data for trend analysis and pre-emptive maintenance to help reduce machine failure.

Fluitec is a carbon-negative company and claims to be the only one of its kind to attain B Corp certification.

From electricity-powered paving vehicles to industrial waste materials replacing cement, innovations in Springwise’s library are working to help decarbonise heavy industry as quickly as possible.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Eliminating waste in the drinks industry

By Zarkon Group,03/01/2024

In the UK, around 500,000 tonnes of fresh produce is wasted in hospitality and food service each year. Globally, some estimates put the total amount of food wasted at 1.3 billion tonnes, which according to data from the United Nations equates to around 8-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

A more innovative approach to waste produce is good for the planet and, as UK brand Discarded has discovered, it’s also good for the palette. Discarded is part of the Scottish company William Grant & Sons, famous predominantly for its whiskeys, and was the brainchild of the company’s innovation team who were looking for credible and impactful ways to build on its sustainability strategy. The first product to launch in 2018 was a Cascara Vermouth, made from the fruit that is usually discarded as part of the coffee production process, and trailed in a limited number of bars in the UK.

The pandemic gave the team the opportunity to develop the brand further and double down on its mission to make waste extinct and to inspire progress around reusing produce that would otherwise be thrown away and potentially contribute to methane emissions from landfill. A key objective was to think creatively about waste in order to transform it into a superior product.

The team went back to the drawing board for the packaging: the bottle is now fully recyclable and made from mostly recycled materials. The glass in the bottle is 65-70 per cent recycled, while the lid is 100 per cent recycled tin, waste cork, and recycled plastic, and the label is made from sugar cane pulp.

The vermouth had been a hit with bartenders but to really go mainstream, the brand had to consider something more mainstream. Enter, Banana Peel Rum and Grape Skin Vodka. The rum is made with a spirit base already available in the William Grant supply chain and leftover banana skins. With the vodka, the team wanted to show that the Discarded methodology could be applied to waste produce in other areas of the drinks industry. The result is a trio of liquids that taste good while trying to do good at the same time.

Want to know more? How do you make rum with banana skins? What exactly is cascara anyway? Our next article will feature a conversation with Discarded brand ambassador Sam Trevethyen about how each of the liquids is made and the plans for a roll-out beyond the UK.

discardedspirits.com

Could ceramic chips reduce emissions from high-heat industry?

By Zarkon Group,06/12/2023

Spotted: Although we are seeing some progress towards climate goals in certain areas of the economy – such as mobility and electricity generation – industries that require very high process temperatures remain difficult to decarbonise, and are overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels like natural gas.

Now, Estonian cleantech startup Efenco has come up with a creative solution to reduce emissions from industries that require temperatures above 300 degrees Celsius. This novel technology can be applied to natural-gas-powered processes in the short term, but will also improve the efficiency of combustion processes run on hydrogen – a clean fuel that is tipped to play an important role in industry as the world moves away from fossil fuels.

The company, whose name is a shortened version of efficient energy conversion, has created High Energy Ray Ceramic (HERC) technology that makes high-temperature combustion of gassy fuels more efficient. Using a patented cold plasma technique, the company’s ceramic chip recycles heat from typical industrial heating systems to produce higher temperatures with fewer emissions.

Plasma is a high-energy state that enhances chemical reactions. In the case of commercial heating for steel, pulp, and paper manufacturing – as well as district heating and cement production – the HERC technology has the potential to eventually improve the combustion efficiency of natural gas by 40 per cent and hydrogen by up to 75 per cent. So far, however, the HERC prototype has demonstrated an 18 per cent combustion efficiency gain.

No external source of energy is required to make the HERC chips work, and they can be easily installed into existing gas boilers. No additional machinery or expertise is needed.

Overall, use of the HERC chips can make significant reductions both in terms of fuel costs and carbon emissions. Efenco currently has six partnerships in place and is working towards the elimination of 77 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030 through the installation and use of its technology. Having recently raised €4.5 million in funding, the company plans to continue advancing the development of the chips and begin designing a version for domestic and small-scale use.

Improving efficiency and usefulness while reducing environmental harm is the focus of many technologies, with Springwise’s database including examples of a high-performance magnet that does not use any rare earth elements and a nano aerogel that cuts refrigeration emissions.

Written By: Keely Khoury and Matthew Hempstead

Could microbe-derived dyes transform the fashion industry?

By Zarkon Group,01/12/2023

Spotted: With the dyeing industry relying on petrochemicals to affix colour to textiles and requiring around 200 tonnes of fresh water for every tonne of coloured fabric, the challenge of reducing even part of the fashion industry’s environmental footprint is huge.

Now, however, one company, UK-based Colorifix, has created a transformative technology for the textile industry’s dyeing needs. Using fermentation and microbes, the startup creates bioengineered dyes. At the start of the process, Colorifix identifies a colour produced by an animal, plant, or microbe, before isolating the section of the organism’s DNA where the colour is coded. Microbes can then be made to recreate this DNA sequence in the lab without needing to use toxic chemicals.

The company ships a small amount of this microbe-produced colour to a manufacturing client, which then ‘brews’ as much dye as needed for each batch of fabric in a process similar to beermaking. All-natural feedstocks – such as sugar, plant by-products, and yeast – fuel the fermentation process, feeding the fast-growing microbes to create a batch of dye in one to two days.

Colorifix dye is usable in industrial machinery, with no special mechanisms or tools needed. To bind the colour to a fabric, Colorifix, again, replicates a natural process for maximum sustainability. The startup uses engineered microbes to bind the dye to the fabric by concentrating salts and metals that occur naturally in water, making it possible to dye textiles at much lower – almost ambient – temperatures. The binding process is swift and strong, requiring far fewer rinses to attain a colour-fast finish.

The entire process hugely reduces water consumption and carbon emissions, while eliminating the release of chemicals into the world’s waterways. Colorifix was an Eartshot Prize 2023 finalist in the ‘Build a waste-free world’ competition category, and the company is working towards a goal of dyeing 15 per cent of the world’s clothes by 2030.

Developments in the process to detoxify the dyeing process are improving rapidly, with examples in Springwise’s database including a new low-temperature, bio-based process and a recycling programme that creates jobs and reduces water waste by turning temple flowers into natural dyes.

Written By: Keely Khoury and Matthew Hempstead

Philippe Block on Sustainable Construction: “Building Technique Is More Important Than Materials”

By Zarkon Group,28/11/2023

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available. Order your copy today.

There is a quality one finds in people who really believe in what they do. It is not excitement in the voice or a twinkle in the eye. No, it is simply the fact that they are eager to explain what they do as clearly as they can. With this type, there is no space for any sort of conversational filler. Time is of the essence, and at the end of the discussion, they want to make sure, above all, that you “got” it, that you grasped their message.

The type I am thinking of is the opposite of the dissimulating salesperson who speaks with an agenda in mind. Ironically, of course, a person who believes in what they do is far more convincing than any salesperson.

In any case, this was my experience speaking with Philippe Block, a structural design researcher at ETH Zurich who is best known for his commitment to “strength through geometry,” or the idea that the mass of buildings — and with it their embodied carbon footprints — could be greatly reduced if architects were more thoughtful about load distribution. Instead of beams and flat floor plates, Block envisions a future of vaults and curves. With the right shapes, he argues, we could create high-rise buildings with far less concrete and, in many cases, almost no steel reinforcements whatsoever. And like the Gothic cathedrals he loves, these structures would stand for centuries, persisting through hurricanes, earthquakes and floods.

The fan-vaulted stone ceiling of King’s College chapel at the University of Cambridge, UK: fully unreinforced, standing over five centuries, and proportionally as thin as an eggshell. Photo by J. Kurt Schmidt. Used with permission from Block Research Group.

Reducing the amount of concrete used in construction would have a major impact on climate change. It is estimated that 8% of global carbon emissions are caused by the manufacture of cement, the binding agent in concrete.

Block, it must be noted, is no longer simply a researcher. He recently launched a company called VAULTED AG which produces customizable modular floor plates made from unreinforced concrete. The plates, of course, use the most sustainable concrete available on the market. But the most important aspect of them is not what they are made from, it is their shape. Due to the use of vaulting, these floor plates use 60% less concrete and 80% less steel than the standard floor plates used in the industry.

Yet they are just as strong, and can easily be used in the construction of high-density, high-rise buildings, meeting a practical need in a world with a population projected to grow by over 2 billion in the next thirty years. Geometry, Block explained, is not just about beautiful shells, opera houses and stadiums. It isn’t just for show.

VAULTED AG commercialises a low-carbon, fully circular prefab vaulted floor, called the Rippmann Floor System (RFS), that reduces the global warming potential (GWP) compared to a flat slab in reinforced concrete by at least two-thirds. Here, workers install a Rippmann floor plate in a 10 story project in Zug, Switzerland. Photo by Gabriele Mattei, used with permission by VAULTED AG.

When I spoke to Block over Zoom, he was eager to get down to the nuts and bolts of the discussion, which ended up lasting over an hour. The questions I had prepared ended up being irrelevant, as his slideshow presentation covered all that I wanted to ask and more. It never occurred to Block that I might be interested in talking about his background or personal life. From the jump, our conversation was all about proving his thesis that geometry, or building technique, is more important than materials when it comes to sustainable construction. This, he explained, is the concept behind VAULTED AG’s revolutionary floor plates. And if this principle were widely applied, it could change the future of construction forever.

“When speaking of sustainability, so many people, in a very un-nuanced and simplistic way, talk about materials only, right?” he said, about a minute into the conversation. “Wood is good, concrete is bad. That is an absolute absurdity. It is not just about material, it’s also about how much you need, which is where structural design and optimization comes in, and then, increasingly important, the extending of resources or entire components past the first life of a building — to keep things in the loop in a circular construction economy.”

The three main levers that contribute to the environmental impact of a building or construction, focusing on embodied emissions and resources. Graphic prepared by Catherine De Wolf & Corentin Fivet. Used with permission from Block Research Group.

Here Block pulled up a graphic showing how he calculates the environmental impact over the lifespan of a building. He emphasized that his goal was not only to lower the mass of buildings, reducing the amount of carbon, but also to use forms of concrete that are recyclable, and that can be reused once a building has been demolished. Concrete used correctly, he explained, is just as sustainable as wood, especially if one takes into account the lifespan of the building and the ability for unreinforced concrete to be reused and repurposed.

At this point, Block moved to a slide of the famous fan vaulting over the nave of King’s College Chapel at the University of Cambridge, England. This structure, he explained, has stood for over 500 years. More impressive than this, the stone vaults of this structure are simply “masonry systems… just pieces of stone held together in compression. They stand because they have a good geometry while being proportionally as thin as an eggshell.”

The Armadillo Vault, shown at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale: 399 pieces of cut stone, held together through geometry, without mortar, glue or reinforcement, using the same principles as Gothic Cathedrals and demonstrating the beauty of strength through geometry. Photo by Iwan Baan. Used with permission from Block Research Group.

Block then opened his next slide, an installation he and his team created for the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale. “What you are looking at are 399 pieces of cut stone that are held together because of their geometry, no glue, no mortar, no reinforcement, fully dry assembled,” he explained. “So the same principles as to why the cathedrals are standing make this possible.” What struck me about this installation was just how thin the shell was. With the right geometry, a lot can be done with a small amount of materials.

Concrete, he explained, essentially behaves like stone once it is cast, so masonry principles apply to concrete construction. However, most modern buildings require massive amounts of steel-reinforced concrete because the structure is not assembled according to intelligent masonry principles. The key is to “align the structure to where the compressive forces naturally want to be,” unlike a “typical beam,” which does not offload the weight in any kind of strategic way, but simply braces the structure.

Concrete is an artificial stone, and like stone, it does not want to be a straight beam, it wants to be a masonry arch. A rib-stiffened, arched floor with tension ties uses up to 70% less concrete and 90% less steel compared to a flat slab in reinforced concrete for the same structural requirements. Graphic prepared by Block Research Group, ETH Zurich. Used with permission.

These are the principles that underlie Block’s vaulted floors, called the Rippmann Floor System or simply RFS. Aesthetically, I told Block, I really appreciated how these floors looked once installed, especially from underneath, where they can be installed to appear as beautiful vaulted ceilings. In the future, I proposed, perhaps flat roofs and ceilings will be associated with the 20th century, while geometrically informed construction will be considered a more contemporary building practice.

Block agreed, adding that there is something about these spaces that, like Gothic cathedrals, “feel good” to the visitor. One can tell that the materials are “happy,” that they are in an arrangement that “makes sense.” However, he added, he did not want to really push this point too hard. One could hang a simple flat suspended ceiling, concealing the expressive elements under thin shells. Architects who want to work with flat ceilings are still free to do so with this new system. Plates are fully customizable and easy to dry assemble on site. They are just as easy to work with as traditional floor systems; they just use drastically less material, and have a much smaller carbon footprint.

The CreaTower project in Zug, Switzerland, designed by Gigon+Guyer Architects, introduces the Rippman Floor System in a 10-story office tower. In the interior view, note the beautiful ribbed detailing on the ceiling, which makes structural elements of the flooring system visible. PONNIE images. Used with permission from Gigon+Guyer

The Rippmann Floor system is already being employed in commerical projects. In Zug, Switzerland, Gigon+Guyer is using the system for their CreaTower project, which includes a 10 story, 40 meter office tower.

I left my conversation with Block with a renewed sense of optimism about the future of architecture. Beautiful, powerful buildings need not be accompanied by a guilty conscience. With the right kind of ingenuity, we can have dense urban construction without catastrophic waste. Sustainability does not mean thinking smaller — just thinking differently. And maybe lighter…

Cover image: An early, sand-3D-printed prototype of the discrete masonry floor, which was further developed into the Rippmann Floor System. Used with permission from Block Research Group.

The A+List: Architizer’s Top Architecture and Design Firms to Watch in 2024

By Zarkon Group,15/11/2023

Architizer’s global architectural awards program, the 12th Annual A+Awards, is now accepting submissions, with a Main Entry Deadline of December 15th, 2023. As well as celebrating some of the most innovative, recently completed projects around the globe, the A+Awards also serve as an incredible indicator of which designers will be at the forefront of innovation in the coming year.

In recognition of this fact, Architizer is delighted to present the much-anticipated fifth edition of the coveted A+List, an annual rundown of every firm that scooped an A+Award and A+Firm Award in the previous season. The A+List forms a comprehensive guide to the world’s best architecture firms and is refreshed each year based on the results of the annual A+Awards program. You can see last season’s A+List here.

The A+List is arranged alphabetically, with more information available by clicking on the link to each firm’s profile. We’ve also curated a selection of featured firms, providing some extra background on their A+Award triumphs.

Get Your Firm On the Next A+List

If you missed entering last season’s program and would like to secure your position on the next A+List, we encourage you to enter your firm’s recent projects in the 12th Annual A+Awards. Every winner features in this definitive directory of high-quality firms, and will also see their work published in a stunning, hardbound compendium on the World’s Best Architecture, as well as gaining continual publicity through our year-round global celebration of design.

Start Submission

Without further ado, explore the work of each of these immensely talented firms below, and good luck with your submissions to this year’s program!

AD ARCHITECTURE
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Art

Adjaye Associates
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Multi Unit Housing – High Rise (16+ Floors)

Aidlin Darling Design
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Mixed Use (S <25,000 sq ft.)
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Private House (XL >6000 sq ft)

Alencar Arquitetura
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt – Multi-Unit Housing (S <10 Floors)

all(zone)
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Color

Altura Architects
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Private House (S 1000 – 2000 sq ft)

ANT ARCH
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +For Good

Longmenshan Town · Woyun Platform by Archermit, Peng Bai Lu, Peng Zhou Shi, Cheng Du Shi, China | Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Cultural & Expo Centers

Founded in 2015, this Chengdu-based firm has achieved a considerable amount before reaching its first decade milestone. Archermit’s core concept is to create new multidimensional spatial experiences. This is evident in the poetic environments they create, which break the mold of traditional architectural forms and massing; theirs is an exploration of the contemporary and locality of Chinese architecture. Across their work is an emphasis on reconfiguring the relationship between building users and the surrounding environment. While embracing modern technology, the firm celebrates unique local architectural expression.

Archi-Tectonics
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Innovation

ARCHITECTS 49
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Large Firm (41+ employees)

Arsh 4D Studio
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt – Multi-Unit Housing (L >10 Floors)

ASAS arkitektur AS
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Multi Unit Housing – Low Rise (1 – 4 Floors)

ASPECT Studios
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Landscape Design Firm

B² Architecture
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Commercial Interiors (<25,000 sq ft.)

Komera Leadership Center by BE_Design, Rwanda | 11th Annual A+Awards: Jury Vote Winner in Architecture +For Good; Jury Vote & Popular Choice Winner in Architecture +Low Cost Design; Jury Vote Winner in Architecture +Community; Popular Vote Winner in Community Centers

After living in Rwanda for several years, Bruce Engel founded BE_DESIGN in 2016 upon his return to New York. The team comprises Alain Yves Twizeyimana, Emmanuel Havugimana, Aziz Farid Shyaka, and Marie Minerve Dukunde. Together, the five are creating progressive educational and community projects that serve rural and underprivileged areas in Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ghana. The young firm is already garnering awards and recognition for their incredibly intricate fusion of local artistic traditions, talents and techniques with program brief and architectural form. Exemplified in the Komera Leadership Center, which swept at the 11th Annual A+Awards, this firm is one to keep a close eye on.

Beijing AN-Design Architects
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Residential Renovations & Additions
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Urban & Masterplan

Birdseye
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Gallery & Exhibition Spaces

Blue Temple
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best X-Small Firm (1 – 5 employees)

BRAG Arquitectos
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Multi Unit Housing – High Rise (16+ Floors)

Bureau Fraai
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Residential Interiors (>3000 sq ft)

CAA
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Sports & Recreation Building

CAZA
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Religious Buildings & Memorials

Cumulus Studio
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Bars & Wineries
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Cultural & Expo Centers

D/DOCK
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Coworking Space

Kia Lab by Davood Boroojeni Office, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran | Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Hospitals & Healthcare Centers

Davood Boroojeni Office’s vast range of experience is evident in one look at the Tehran-based firm’s profile. With over 15 years of professional experience, their team has developed expertise in all areas of architectural production — from preliminary design ideas to schematic design and development, as well as producing submittal packages, visual presentations, construction documents, layouts and details through close dialogue with clients, producers and engineers. This multifaceted approach is evident in projects such as Kia Lab, which take a holistic view of the programmatic brief, embedding the building’s function with the broader urban and cultural environment.

Dedang Design
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Community Centers

Design Workshop
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Landscape Design Firm

Dubuisson
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Gyms & Recreation Centers

DXA studio
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Residential Firm

ECADI
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Sports & Recreation

Edition Office
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Multi Unit Housing – Low Rise (1 – 4 Floors)

EHDD
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Sports & Recreation Building

Ghaf Majlis by Etereo Design, Ajman, United Arab Emirates | 11th Annual A+Awards: Popular Vote Winner in Best Young Interior Design Firm; Popular Vote Winner in Mixed Use (S <25,000 sq ft.)

Etereo Design is both a singular studio with a unique output and a cosmopolitan firm of the 21st century, which is to say it draws strength from the intersection of cultures. As the firm puts it, “with an astute understanding of architecture, a vibrant and artistically abundant Italian heritage, dotted with influences from the Middle East and harmoniously brought together with passion, Etereo is born.” From this starting point, the firm creates breathtakingly elegant spaces that exude creative force and revel in an expert selection of materials and finishes, which are honored in the painstaking execution of their project’s finer details.

EYAC Arquitec
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Urban Transformation

Foster + Partners
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Stadium & Arena
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Commercial Building
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Health

gad
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Spa & Wellness

Gensler
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Masterplan
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Commercial Building

GN Architects
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Small Projects

H Architecture
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Government & Civic Buildings

National Assembly Communication Building by HAEAHN Architecture and H-Architecture, Seoul, South Korea | Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Government & Civic Buildings

HAEAHN is the brainwork of over 1,300 employees, spread over offices across the world — from its headquarters in Seoul to new branches in Baghdad, Ho Chi Minh City, Riyadh and Savannah (Georgia) that came about through the firm’s alliance with H Architecture New York in 2011. This radical internationality translates to the broad expanse of the firm’s expertise: employees specialize in a range of fields, from architecture to environmental design to urban planning to interior design and more. Since it was founded in 1990, HAEAHN Architecture, has strove to design ambitious and impactful urban environmental projects, deeply rooted in a spirit of innovation.

HDR
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Health

Heatherwick Studio
Jury Vote & Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Shopping Center

HGA
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Higher Education & Research Facilities

HLW
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Adaptive Reuse

HOK
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Transportation Infrastructure

Hooba Design
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Medium Firm (16 – 40 employees)

Inrestudio
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Brick
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Office – Low Rise (1 – 4 Floors)

JSPA Design
Jury Vote & Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Factories & Warehouses

K-Studio
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Stone

Bundanon Art Museum + Bridge by Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA), Illaroo, Australia | 11th Annual A+Awards: Jury Vote Winner in Architecture +Environment; Jury Vote Winner in Sustainable Cultural/Institutional Building | Photo by Rory Gardiner

The output of Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA) configures architecture as an inherently civic endeavor; to do so, each design has strong multidisciplinary foundations. Indeed, the team has forged strong relationships with engineers, emerging technology specialists and landscape and heritage consultants, and their expertise informs the approach to each project, injecting innovation and environmental sensitivity to the specificities of a given project whilst evolving the firm’s design approach for future commissions. The result is an oeuvre of sensitive, site-responsive architecture that synergize form and function with landscape, resulting in highly meaningful and resilient places.

Kosloff Architecture
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Libraries
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Learning

LAAB Architects
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Apartment
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Branding

Laguarda.Low Architects
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Office – High Rise (16+ Floors)
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Urban & Masterplan

Landao Design
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Landscape

Laney LA
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt – Private House (L >3000 sq ft)

Lazor/Office
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Wood

Backcountry Hut Company by Leckie Studio Architecture + Design | Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Young Firm

The Vancouver-based inter-disciplinary design studio was founded on ambition, with the aim of “pushing the traditional boundaries of architectural practice as a catalyst for cultural change.” Designing across a variety of scales and media, the eighteen person team emphasizes highly collaborative approaches to project development. Impressively, their internal digital visualization lab creates an integrated workflow for testing and developing design ideas. Moreover, the team comprises a variety of specializations including interior design, prefabrication, mass-timber, industrial design, digital fabrication, graphic design and architectural visualization, allowing them to tackle projects of substantial size and complexity.

Leehong Kim Architects
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Transportation Infrastructure
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Glass

LUO studio
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Interior Project

MAD Architects
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Cultural Firm
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Concrete

MADO ARCHITECTS
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Institutional

MARS Studio
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Small Firm (6 – 15 employees)

McGregor Coxall
Jury Vote & Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Teamwork

SAWA by Mei architects and planners, Rotterdam, Netherlands | Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Sustainable Residential Project

The word “environment” carries many associations, and for Mei architects and planners, the term serves as an anchor for all projects: the history of the location, the current context and future living environment. The Rotterdam-based office is structured around the knowledge divisions of Building Transformation, New Construction and Urban Development. With a dash of courage, the resulting design champion innovative technical applications and user concepts aimed at social and ecological sustainability. With the design and development of SAWA, a fully wooden residential building in Rotterdam, Mei established themselves as pioneers in creating future-proof, nature-inclusive housing.

MESH Architectures
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Multi-Unit Residential Building

Mix Architecture
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Hospitality Building

modus studio
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Pavilions

Moneo Brock
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Community

Morphosis Architects
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Branding
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Museum

MQ Architecture
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Small Firm (6 – 15 employees)

Xinglong Lake CITIC Bookstore by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, China | Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Young Firm

MUDA-Architects are an exciting and daring young firm that has dominated the architectural landscape in recent years. The up-and-coming practice is keen to showcase its diverse talent on the global stage, and with a rapidly expanding portfolio of fascinating projects, the young team is already gaining recognition for its creativity and leadership. Initially founded in Boston, the US, in 2015 and currently based in Southwest China, MUDA-Architects occupies offices in Beijing and Chengdu. Their work in the public realm ranges from bookshops to hotels and is united by their dedication to finding the right solution without compromising aesthetics.

Multistudio
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Libraries

Multitude Of Sins
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Interior Project

MVRDV
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Facades

NAPUR Architect
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Museum
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Facades

NEWSUBSTANCE
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Pop-Ups & Temporary

NICOLEHOLLIS
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Residential Interiors (<3000 sq ft)

NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Transport Interiors
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Primary & High Schools

NOA
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Spa & Wellness

Noxon Giffen
Jury Vote & Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Teamwork

Office AIO
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Interior Design Firm

8899 Beverly Boulevard by Olson Kundig, West Hollywood, California | 11th Annual A+Awards: Jury Vote Winner in Best Large Firm (41+ employees); Jury Vote Winner in Gallery & Exhibition Spaces;

The portfolio of Olson Kundig is vast, varied and captivating. The Seattle-based firm’s completed works read as a long list of distinctive projects that span more than fifteen countries across five continents. Founded by Jim Olson in 1966, the studio began its life exploring the relationship between dwelling and landscape — a provenance that remains at the heart of the company’s ethos that has since evolved, morphing in productive new directions as applied to a range of typologies and across dense urban and expansive rural settings. Every finished project manifests a “macro to micro” level of attention, from the big ideas to the smallest details.

Omar Gandhi Architects
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Private House (M 2000 – 4000 sq ft)
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Restaurants (L >1000 sq ft)

Orange Architects
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Multi Unit Housing – Mid Rise (5 – 15 Floors)

PAN Cabins
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Metal

Park + Associates
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Apartment
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Restaurants (S <1000 sq ft)

Perkins&Will
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Sustainable Firm

PPAG architects
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Restaurants (L >1000 sq ft)
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Hospitality Building

Provencher_Roy
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Hospitals & Healthcare Centers

RAAD Studio
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Residential Interiors (<3000 sq ft)

House of Light by Rangr Studio, Berkeley, CA, United States | Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best X-Small Firm (1 – 5 employees) | Photo by Joe Fletcher Photography

Since 2004, Rangr Studio has deployed the principles of ancient design with contemporary materials and methods to find poetic and harmonious solutions to a wide variety of design challenges. Rather than imposing a structure on an environment, the studio creates essential architectural forms in harmony with the surrounding landscape — whether rural or urban in setting. Founder Jasmit Singh Rangr grew up on the coasts of India, and in the UK, was educated at Yale, and is currently bi-coastal between California and New York. His life experience and training inform Rangr Studio’s philosophy — an approach that is deeply sensitive to the interaction between climate, landscape, culture, and architecture.

RAU
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Sustainable Residential Project

RIOS
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Workspace

RVAD STUDIO
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Models & Rendering

Sasaki
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Landscape/Planning Project

Featured Firm: SAVA

Thavi Cosmetics Showroom by SAVA, Vinh, Vietnam | Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Commercial (Also pictured in top image).

With headquarters in Borneo, Malaysia and Danang, Vietnam, SAVA draws inspiration from mountains and coastlines. Committed to designing spaces for people from every walk of life, the firm consciously designs to harness locally-sourced materials and building techniques with the aim of bringing people closer to nature — especially those in an urban environment. Indeed, the firm draws on its past experience in masterplanning, housing and bamboo architecture in Asia and Europe to produce architecture that goes beyond aesthetics — even if the result is a visually playful array of perforated geometries with openings that create new relationships to the surrounding environment.

Shape Architecture
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Sustainable Non-Residential Project

Shejin Space Design
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Commercial Interiors (<25,000 sq ft.)

SkB Architects
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Commercial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft.)

Sordo Madaleno
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Restaurants (S <1000 sq ft)

SPARK
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Retail

Featured Firm: STARH

Umani Hotel by STARH, Varna, Bulgaria | Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Environment | Photo by Dian Stanchev

STARH is an architecture studio with a mission to overcome stereotypes in the architectural environment. The Bulgarian studio has established a name for itself by creating high-quality designs, from both a functional and material standpoint, with a high level of attention to detail and longevity. Through this approach, the firm achieves innovative design solutions with a distinctive signature. STARH’s portfolio covers projects of different scales and complexity that are united by bold and rhythmic geometries resulting forceful formal statements.

STL Architects
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Institutional

Studio FEI
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Cultural

Studio Gang
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt – Multi-Unit Housing (L >10 Floors)

studio mk27
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Private House (L 4000 – 6000 sq ft)
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Art

StudioPOD
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Transportation Project

Superbloom
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Sustainable Non-Residential Project

Superkül
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Educational Interiors

SWA GROUP
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Public Parks & Green Spaces

temporary work
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Models & Rendering

Açucena House by Tetro Arquitectura, Nova Lima, Brazil | Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Private House (M 2000 – 4000 sq ft)

Flowing roofs that soar over meandering structures are some of the hallmarks in the remarkable portfolio of this Brazilian firm. Based in Belo Horizonte, the office grounds its work in the careful study of the premises and conditions of the site. This approach is evident in the resulting structures, each highly unique and unrepeatable. In the words of the firm, “fundamentals such as integration with nature, use of natural materials and exploration of architectural voids are characteristics that permeate every project, from urban scale to furniture design.” This is true across typologies, from museums and venues to commercial, residential and industrial buildings.

TM Light
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Light

tono
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Private House

Turner Arquitectos
Jury Vote & Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Mixed Use (L >25,000 sq ft.)

UNStudio
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Cultural/Institutional Building

West of West
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt – Multi-Unit Housing (S <10 Floors)

WOJR
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt – Private House (S <3000 sq ft)

Twentieth by WOODS + DANGARAN, Santa Monica, California | Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Best Medium Firm (16 – 40 employees)

Woods + Dangaran’s portfolio boasts an array of warm, elegant residences that exude a timeless California cool and hinge on opening interiors to the outer world. However, going beyond buildings, this Los Angeles-based firm designs at every scale, and their work even includes custom furnishings. The team prides itself on building collaborative relationships — whether with clients throughout the design process or tradespeople for working out uncompromising in craftsmanship.

XISUI Design
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Joy

XMArchitect
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Metaverse

ZGF Architects
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Higher Education & Research Facilities

ZZYY Studio
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Commercial
Jury Vote & Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Transportation

Great architecture comes to fruition through the work of talented teams and collaborators. There are numerous A+Award-winning companies that fall outside of the traditional architectural role, but that deserve recognition for their contributions. They include:

BR+A, L.F. Driscoll and Balfour Beatty (PennFIRST IPD Team)
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Health

Chongqing Qimo Architectural Design Consulting
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Hotels & Resorts

Deed Studio (photography)
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Photography & Video

feinknopf (photography)
Jury Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Photography & Video

Shanghai Rail Transit Line 18 Development
Popular Vote Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Transport Interiors

You can check out previous editions of the A+List here: First Edition, Second Edition, Third Edition, Fourth Edition

To secure your position on next year’s A+List, make sure to enter the 12th Annual A+Awards before the Main Entry Deadline on December 15th:

Enter the 12th Annual A+Awards

Paper Architecture: Diversity of Drawing Styles Hint at New Directions for Visualization

By Zarkon Group,06/11/2023

We are thrilled to announce the winners of Architizer’s inaugural Vision Awards, the world’s biggest awards program dedicated to the art of architectural representation. Sign up to receive future program updates >

Drawing is a reflection of how we imagine new futures. When we leave spaces and lines open to different interpretations, it gives room for diverse meanings and ideas. In turn, drawing styles are wide-ranging, from sketching and more technical techniques to colorful collages and more. The style that a designer or artist chooses gives way to different readings of light, space, form and place.

Celebrating diversity and ingenuity in different drawing styles, Architizer launched the Vision Awards to recognize the students, professionals and studios that are boldly envisioning architecture. The following work represents the winning entries in a variety of categories, all exploring different drawing styles today. From hand drawing to computer-aided and more, they illustrate how to bring buildings and cities to life. Each visionary work is accompanied by the text teams submitted to give context to their drawings or further provoke new readings of the work.

The Last Resort

By Nikhita Sivakumar, Student Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Hand Drawn Drawing

“The Last Resort, a black hole observatory located in Greenwich Park, is a testament to humanity’s quest for survival and a gateway between alternate dimensions. As the stars emerge each night, the observatory awakens, physicists gathering within hallowed halls and pooling centuries of knowledge into one goal: seeking an inter-dimensional refuge in the race against our planet’s dying climate.

Scientists turn to the God Particle monument, a historic symbol of faith that bridges metaphysical understanding with spiritual reflection. The engineering facility, buried below the surface, aims to develop a voyager that may embark on this journey, whilst the telescope above decodes the nature of Sagittarius A*, located at the galactic centre of our own Milky Way. The Last Resort exists to bind science with the spiritual, drawing on the hope that brings these two worlds together.”

The Iceberg

By CEBRA architecture, Studio Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Hand Drawn Drawing

“The Iceberg is among the first completed projects in the redevelopment of Aarhus’ former container port for 7,000 residents and 12,000 workplaces, spanning 800,000 meters square — one of Europe’s largest harborfront developments. The client, PensionDanmark, assigned CEBRA to maximize views and sunlight for every apartment. Challenging the master plan of closed blocks, The Iceberg consists of four L-shaped wings. The street spaces between the parallel wings open towards the water.

Founding Partner Mikkel Frost used watercolor to create a cartoonish concept drawing merging ancient techniques and contemporary styles, uniting problem-solving with artistic ambition. To obtain optimal daylight conditions and views over the bay, the angled volumes are cut up by a jagged roof profile. The structure offers well-arranged lighting and views to most apartments — even in the back row. The simple algorithm in the design created a stunning structure of eleven white peaks — like a floating iceberg.”

Fable or Failure

By Alexander Jeong and Brandon Hing, Student Winners, 2023 Vision Awards, Computer Aided Drawing

This imaginative drawing “Fable or Failure” by Alexander Jeong and Brandon Hing won the 2023 Architizer Vision Award for a Student Drawing in the Computer Aided category. Jeong and Hing’s rendering reimagines a multitude of fantastical scenarios through space travel. As the duo notes, “Fable or Failure is a project that seeks to reimagine how space travel can be conceptualized in the distant future of societal development.” Taking the shape of an exploded axonometric drawing, the winning entry uses black, white and grey linework and shading, as well as a single color to denote outer space.

Together, Jeong and Hing are curious in how a visualization can pose questions of space, community and gathering. “Will space travel be dominated by the rich and corrupt with the ability to experience otherworldly and transformative events, commodifying it? Can we imagine a future of space travel dominated by imaginative individuals or kids, optimistic in carrying the hopes of the future of the earth with them to space? Through three distinct parts: navigation, archival and extension, the organization of the shuttle is designed for a plethora of humanity’s desires in space travel.”

Amsterdam City Centre Pub

By Olivia O’Callaghan, Student Creator Of The Year, 2023 Vision Awards

“Where do we go when we read? The pub designed for Amsterdam’s city centre aims to answer this, creating a bar residing in the metaphysical, that through its drawings invite you in, wherever you may be visiting the pub from. The pencil drawings emerge from data collected within the site at dusk when the pub opens. Small devices constructed from black mirrors and poetic fragments were taken to the site at this time and created textual openings to it, using the fragments as locators.

As the site darkened, the black mirrors became more intangible and only came to life out of the amorphous backdrop when aligned with the light from the surrounding nightlife. The data collected by these models at their points of activation became the information from which to tease out a sublime architecture dwelling in the textual world, activating the imagination just as reading does. But, just as when we become aware of the flow of our own reading, we lose access to the imagination of the text, and the entry to the bar. This is a bar that serves up drinks that intoxicate the imagination imagination and make visitors drunk from words alone.

The work aims to use the architect’s imagination as a field of play for data collection of responses to the site that becomes reworked through drawings. All the drawings are created and worked into simultaneously, creating a world in the drawings that is fully realized. Some drawings work to describe how the architecture looks whereas others, through their process, aim to investigate how the architecture operates.

I invite you now to look at the drawings and in visiting and revisiting them, entertain you and draw you in to the pub. The drawings become a condition of entry to the bar.”

VENUE ID PINKLAO-SALAYA “Shirakawa-go”

By LWD.Co.,Ltd, Studio Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Computer Aided Drawing

“Underlining the idea that CAD drawings can be done in many different styles, the drawing VENUE ID PINKLAO-SALAYA “Shirakawa-go” by LWD.Co was the Vision Awards Studio Winner this year for Computer Aided Drawing. As the team outlines, it was made as an “inspired design that tells the story of a beautiful farming village nestled in the valley alongside the Shokawa River, where one might find an old house reminiscent of a childhood fairy tale.” Reading like a comic, the juxtaposition of angles, moments and frames moves the eye through the drawing and text.

LWD.Co. wanted to create an illustration that highlights the architectural design of Gassho-zukuri houses. “Built using the same architectural characteristics as traditional houses, this design employs the architectural style called Gassho-zukuri. Gassho means hands folded together in prayer. The distinctive feature of this traditional Japanese architectural style is the large gable roof that looks like hands folded together. This creates a beautiful blend between the wooden Japanese frame and the architectural style of a traditional Thai house. This combination is perfect for the hot and humid climate of Thailand; the elevated structure which creates a faux-basement space underneath the house is just one of the unique characteristics of Thai-style houses.”

Treehouses Without Trees

By Thomas Wells Schaller, Professional Winner, 2023 Vision Awards, Hand Drawn Drawing

“There is a universe of possibility that spans the distance between what we look at and what we see. And in that space is our experience of the world. This is what I try to paint — the experience of seeing my world — from perspectives both external and from within. And as such, dreams, memories, and pure imagination are every bit as valid as is anything that can be physically observed.”

Thomas W. Schaller is an artist, architect, and author based in New York City. This work, Treehouses Without Trees, was created in response to lockdowns and inspired by the works of writer Ishiguro. It is a study of connection and isolation, the triumph of aspiration and resource over circumstance, and the looming prospect of an unknown future in a world under siege.

Solar-powered cooling for East Africa’s livestock industry

By Zarkon Group,11/10/2023

Spotted: Kenya has a thriving livestock industry that employs half of all agricultural workers in the country. But gaps in the cold chain contribute to large volumes of food being wasted, with Sub-Saharan Africa losing 36 per cent of all food post-harvest, and 94 per cent of that figure being caused by inefficiencies across the supply chain. With the goal of finding a way to reduce waste and improve income for local communities, Kenya-based company Baridi has created a means of using Africa’s sunshine to preserve meats.

The startup’s solar-powered cooling solutions keep fresh meats cold or frozen, and the solar chillers come in three different sizes: a ‘Nano’, ‘Mini’, or ‘Mega’. The Nano is 10 square feet, while the Mini is 20 square feet and the Mega 40 square feet.

Mindful of the range of sizes of operations run by farmers and distributors, Baridi makes it possible to buy or rent a unit via a leasing agreement. And as part of founder Tracy Kimathi’s work to involve more women in the country’s meat supply chain system and boost economic opportunities for families, Baridi also offers a pay-as-you-store model for smallholder farmers and smaller distributors.

Each solar-powered unit the company installs reduces annual meat spoilage by more than 290,000 kilogrammes and decreases public market losses by up to 15 per cent. The units are Internet-of-Things- (IoT) enabled to allow remote monitoring of temperatures and humidity, as well as door openings. Baridi plans to install more than 60 of the cooling units within the next five years at locations across the country.

As temperatures rise around the world, refrigeration becomes even more important to the healthcare and food supply chains that crisscross the globe. From creating ways to store vaccinations and other medicines as solids to portable, solar-powered refrigerators, innovations in the Springwise database showcase the importance of bringing sustainable cooling solutions to communities everywhere.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Fables and Fragments: Vision Award Winners Rethink CAD’s Potential

By Zarkon Group,11/10/2023

Architecture is born from drawing. This act of laying out ideas and visions is what brings buildings and cities to life. Over time, as Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and digital technology became more popularized, there was a move from hand drawings to 3D modeling. Now, designers are quickly seeing the rise of AI-assisted visualization. Across these mediums and at the heart of architectural practice is the desire to tell compelling stories about people and places.

This year, Architizer launched the Vision Awards to recognize the talented students, professionals and studios who are envisioning the world’s architecture. Captured through photography, drawings, renderings, videos, physical models and more, there were hundreds of entries submitted across more than 30 categories. Taking a closer look at the winners, we can begin to see how designers are rethinking the potential of computer-aided design. The result is a series of beautiful, compelling works that represent visionary approaches to drawing and storytelling. The following three projects highlight the winners of this year’s Vision Awards for students, professionals and studios.

VENUE ID PINKLAO-SALAYA “Shirakawa-go”

By LWD.Co.,Ltd, Studio Winner, Vision Awards, Computer Aided Drawing

Underlining the idea that CAD drawings can be done in many different styles, the drawing VENUE ID PINKLAO-SALAYA “Shirakawa-go” by LWD.Co was the Vision Awards Studio Winner this year for Computer Aided Drawing. As the team outlines, it was made as an “inspired design that tells the story of a beautiful farming village nestled in the valley alongside the Shokawa River, where one might find an old house reminiscent of a childhood fairy tale.” Reading like a comic, the juxtaposition of angles, moments and frames moves the eye through the drawing and text.

Fable or Failure

By Alexander Jeong and Brandon Hing, Vision Awards Student Winners, Computer Aided Drawing

Into the Void: Fragmented Time, Space, Memory, and Decay in Hiroshima

By Victoria Wong, Professional Winner, Vision Awards, Computer Aided Drawing

Navigating the past, present, and future of Hiroshima, Victoria Wong’s incredible triptych is a study in composition and layering. As this year’s Vision Awards Professional Winner in the Computer Aided Drawing category, the drawing has a fantastic collection of stories embedded within it. In Wong’s words, “This triptych adapts Japanese aesthetic theories of transience and imperfection, and applies them to the city of Hiroshima.” The three selected locations (Genbaku Dome, Yagenbori, and Shukkein Garden) are experimental adaptations to the spatial and environmental challenges that facilitate ‘changes’ according to mental statuses and behaviors.

Photo Study: A zoomed-in shot showing one of the panoramic views that was described in the text that Victoria was working with.

As writer Patt Fin notes, you might not immediately regard Victoria’s work “as an architectural drawing according to the way the term is usually understood. But this work is an architectural drawing in the more important sense; that is, it is engaged with the questions architects deal with every time they undertake a project, no matter how humble. The illustration explores the relationship between the past and the future and how each new addition to a city is an event in its ever-evolving story.”