6 Colorful Public Spaces Painting the Urban Canvas
CategoriesArchitecture

6 Colorful Public Spaces Painting the Urban Canvas

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Amidst the ever-changing urban landscapes characterized by towering structures and bustling streets, there is a captivating force that deserves attention: color. In these concrete jungles, color holds the key to turning ordinary public spaces into vibrant havens that capture the imagination and uplift the spirits of passersby.

From the soothing blues that bring tranquility to the energetic bursts of red that ignite passion, color plays a vital role in shaping our emotions. It’s no wonder that architects and urban planners are constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ways to harness its transformative potential.

In this article, we’ll showcase six inspiring use cases that celebrate the magic of color and serve as a testament to its ability to create dynamic and engaging environments. From China to Canada, these chromatic interventions will demonstrate how color breathes life into spaces and offers enjoyable experiences for all.


Songzhuang Micro Community Park

By Crossboundaries, Tongzhou, Beijing, China

Popular Choice, 2022 A+Awards, Architecture +Community

Situated in the vibrant art village of Songzhuang, this park was specifically designed to cater to the diverse needs of both artists and the local population. Color plays a pivotal role in capturing attention and creating an inviting atmosphere within the park.

Along with connecting various outdoor “rooms,” a yellow track serves as a visual link between different areas. This track not only physically connects the spaces but also injects vibrancy and dynamism into the overall design. The park incorporates colorful accents, such as a vivid yellow room for children’s play and alternating perforated grey brick walls with double layers of perforated Corten steel. Through strategic color choices, the Songzhuang Micro Community Park stands out as an exemplary well-designed public space that promotes well-being, social interaction and artistic engagement within the community.


POPCourts!

By Lamar Johnson Collaborative, Chicago, IL, United States

PopCourts is a vibrant pop-up park in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood that served as an outdoor haven during the pandemic. It exemplifies the transformative power of community, collaboration and innovative design in revitalizing underutilized spaces. Color plays a central role in PopCourts, reflecting the neighborhood’s energy and cultural identity. The bold color palette creates an engaging backdrop for community events. Divided into three zones, the park offers versatile spaces. The basketball court doubles as a community plaza, while the gravel drive hosts food trucks and vendors. The shaded lawn becomes a food court with seating. Artwork, including murals of influential figures and a Pop Art theme, unifies the space and celebrates the community’s history.


Paint Drop

By 100architects, Shanghai, China

The Paint Drop project is a visually captivating public space intervention that effectively utilizes color to create a noticeable, attractive and vibrant environment. The primary goal of the installation was to draw attention to a newly opened retail space and entice pedestrians to explore it. To achieve this, a tunnel of splashing color paint was designed as the central theme.

The installation features a series of interconnected catenary arches that span along the intended path, resembling paint dropping from above. As the arches reach the ground, vibrant splashes of color form functional seating features and resting areas. The immersive floor graphics further enhance the experience, creating an engaging and visually striking atmosphere. To add an interactive element, the arches are equipped with a lighting system that is triggered by movement sensors, illuminating flexible LED strips embedded within the arches as people pass by. This combination of dynamic colors, interactive lighting and playful design successfully transformed the area into a hotspot, attracting both children and adults and increasing pedestrian circulation in the desired location.


Face to Face | Tête à Tête

By PLANT Architect Inc, Toronto, Canada

The Face to Face/Tête à Tête project is a charming installation that creates a space for shared conversation along a 44-foot (13-meter) roadway. Featuring two remarkably long tables accompanied by continuous benches and surrounded by lush greenery, its design stands out. Yet, what truly distinguishes this project is its brilliant utilization of color.

The narrow room is adorned with captivating blue and orange tones, which not only make it noticeable but also infuse it with vibrancy and a sense of excitement. With the combination of these bold colors and projections, the installation manages to catch the eye, even amidst the bustling King Street. By purposefully incorporating color and visual elements, an intimate atmosphere is created within the busy surroundings, enticing people and intensifying the ongoing conversations. The design accommodates individual occupations as well as larger collective gatherings, making it an appealing and welcoming space for various activities, from co-working to simply enjoying the lively ambiance.


Puzzle Maze

By 100architects, Shanghai, China

As an urban intervention within an open-air Retail Street, the Puzzle Maze project aims to transform a privately-owned public space into an engaging and lively area. To create an innovative kids’ playground that surpasses traditional expectations, the marketing team of Life Hub @ Daning sought to turn a stagnant pedestrian street into an attractive and bustling space.

The installation is a gigantic puzzle designed as a walkable urban object, serving as both a game and an openly used urban element. The use of color in the maze adds vibrancy and excitement, capturing the attention of children and families. By employing a vertical design, the maze optimizes the limited space available and allows for proper circulation along the corridor. The colors utilized in the maze not only make it visually appealing but also contribute to its role as an interactive and engaging play area, inviting visitors to explore, interact and have a memorable experience.


Industry City Courtyard 5-6

By terrain-nyc, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY, United States

Once a cargo loading dock, this space within the historic manufacturing complex has been reborn as a vibrant and diverse landscape, breathing new life into the old factory. Serving as a vital public green space for over 600 creative businesses and the local community, Courtyard 5-6 stands apart from the surrounding buildings with its captivating colors and an array of design elements.

The landscaping boasts a spectrum of hues, infusing the space with energy and visual allure. A welcoming grove of Honey Locusts creates a bright and shaded area for outdoor dining and work. For performances, relaxation and children’s play, a flexible turf and timber bleacher space accommodates diverse activities. Additionally, a native forest with meandering walkways hides scenic vistas and offers secluded seating nooks. The deliberate use of color throughout the courtyard cultivates an inviting and visually stimulating environment, fostering social interaction and contributing to the overall revitalization of the site.

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Reference

© UTAA
CategoriesArchitecture

30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea

South Korea’s architectural language has developed over centuries, undergoing many evolutions and stylistic variations — many influenced by wavering politics. From the Japanese occupation to the devastating Korean War, South Korea’s urban fabric has endured many moments of unrest. The remains from times of political strife now stand alongside the nation’s contemporary architecture.

The nation’s pre-modern architecture is heavily influenced by Buddhism and Chinese design. South Korea’s mountainous landscape is home to traditional sloped-roof dwellings, temples and palaces attributed to past dynasties. Take the Changdeokgung Palace and the Haeinsa Temple, for example. These two relics are among South Korea’s 15 World Heritages Sites.

Alongside the tradition found in South Korean architecture is an astute interest in modern architecture and technology. Following the Korean War, the divide between North and South brought forth independent architectural styles. Once the dust from the wars settled and capital increased, Korean architecture flourished. A new sensibility was found — one that rejects pragmatism and encouraged experimentation and sophistication. South Korean architects began studying abroad and fusing their international perspectives with cultural tradition to breed a distinct Korean spirit. And Seoul, South Korea’s capital, has become an international stage for large-scale and impressive architectural feats.

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 South Korea 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 South Korea architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in South Korea:

30. UTAA

© UTAA

© UTAA

Managed by principal director Byungyong Choi and principal architect Changgyun Kim, UTAA is a Seoul-based architecture firm that has been  practicing since 2009. Their work is rooted in honesty, clarity and experimental organization.

Some of UTAA’s most prominent projects include:

  • Rest Hole in the University of Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
  • Black Box, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, South Korea
  • Boseong House, Boseong-gun, South Korea
  • Pinocchio, Pocheon-si, South Korea
  • Cinema House, Paju-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped UTAA achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 4
Total Projects 5

29. Z_Lab

© KIM Jae Kyeong

© KIM Jae Kyeong

Z_Lab is a design group to create a place and space based communication with region and reflects the individual’s desire and will. We must achieve a balance of individual aspirations and regional universality in terms of the design and local identity. We create a new experience for staying out through space and personalized lifestyle brand.

We would like to contribute to give a new experience for many people beyond the geographic boundaries based on the place and space. So that our results can be created with a private transfer to local and sustainable value for the future to create a positive business model based on the person and region.

Some of Z_Lab ‘s most prominent projects include:

  • Zer0place, Seosan-si, South Korea
  • Creativehouse, Seoul, South Korea
  • Pyeongdae Panorama, Jeju-si, South Korea
  • Yuwolbyulchae, Jeju-si, South Korea
  • blindwhales, Jeju-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped Z_Lab achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 4
Total Projects 5

28. ANM

© ANM

© ANM

Founded in 2009 by Hee Jun Kim, ANM is a Seoul-based architecture firm that emphasizes diversity and distinction while creating realistic and honest architectural relationships.

Some of ANM’s most prominent projects include:

  • Monk’s Cabin (Zen Room for a Buddhist Monk), Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea
  • House in Jeju, Jeju-do, South Korea
  • D Church, Yeoju-gun, South Korea
  • Yangpyeong House, Yangpyeong-gun, South Korea
  • Coffee House_Dong am, Yangpyeong-gun, South Korea

The following statistics helped ANM achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 4
Total Projects 6

27. Oh jongsang

© Oh jongsang

© Oh jongsang

Based in South Korea, Oh jongsang is a architecture firm specializing in religious and residential architecture.

Some of Oh jongsang’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Oh jongsang achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 4
Total Projects 10

26. HyunjoonYoo Architects

© HyunjoonYoo Architects

© HyunjoonYoo Architects

Founded by Hyunjoon Yoo, HyunjoonYoo Architects is a Seoul-based architecture firm specializing in public and residential architecture of all scales.

Some of HyunjoonYoo Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped HyunjoonYoo Architects achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 6

25. DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC

© DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC

© DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC

DIOINNO Architecture PLLC is a Seoul and Buffalo-based firm founded by architects Jin Young Song, AIA.

Some of DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner 1
A+Awards Finalist 2
Featured Projects 1
Total Projects 25

24. D.LIM Architects

© D.LIM Architects

© D.LIM Architects

D·LIM is an architectural group led by its two principals, Yeonghwan Lim and Sunhyun Kim. The Seoul-based firm was founded in 2007 and specializes in private, public and corporate architecture.

Some of D.LIM Architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall, Seoul, South Korea
  • H&M Seoul Hongdae Store, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
  • Stardom Entertainment Office, Seoul, South Korea
  • Coconut house, Seongnam-si, South Korea
  • CJ Nine Bridges “The Forum”, Seogwipo-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped D.LIM Architects achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 5

23. YounghanChung Architects

© YounghanChung Architects

© YounghanChung Architects

Younghan Chung architects is an architectural studio based in Seoul. The firm seeks for new typology of living in the dense and uniform picture of the city and studies experimental and creative design processes through the relationship of various phenomena of the city.

Some of YounghanChung Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped YounghanChung Architects achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 5

22. Architecture Studio YEIN

© Architecture Studio YEIN

© Architecture Studio YEIN

Based in Gangneung-si, South Korea, Architecture Studio YEIN in a boutique firm specializing in residential architecture. The firm was founded by Yesun Choi in 2003.

Some of Architecture Studio YEIN’s most prominent projects include:

  • Sushi-Hu, Noam-dong, Gangneung-si, South Korea
  • BomBom Boutique Hotel, Gangneung-si, South Korea
  • Haemutje House, South Korea
  • Dried Persimmon House, Yeondang-gil, Gangneung-si, South Korea
  • The Pencil, Hongje-dong, Gangneung-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped Architecture Studio YEIN achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 14

21. Lee Eunseok+KOMA

Atelier KOMA is an architecture practice in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The firm was founded by Lee Eun Seok and specializes in residential, commercial, cultural and religious architecture.

Some of Lee Eunseok+KOMA’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Lee Eunseok+KOMA achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner 1
Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 4

20. WISE Architecture

© WISE Architecture

© WISE Architecture

WISE Architecture was established in 2008 by Young Jang and Sook Hee Chun. The specializes in small but meaningful projects that focus on the materiality of everydayness in Seoul.

Some of WISE Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

  • BOX MOBILE GALLERY, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
  • ABC Building, Seoul, South Korea
  • Dialogue in the Dark Bukchon, Seoul, South Korea
  • Red Mirror Strips, Seoul, South Korea
  • Mu;M Building, Korea

The following statistics helped WISE Architecture achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 6

19. JMY architects

© JMY architects

© JMY architects

‘Architecturing’ has two main meanings. First, it refers to the basic posture and method of constructing in a present progressive sense rather than the resultant object of an architecture. Second, it also describes the object of design as ‘a work of organizing a space’ rather than the external form. There is no end if architecture is confronted with difficulty.

Occasionally, the numerous theories and results of architectures and cities deceive our mind and disturb the liberal thoughts of our brain. Since our knowledge and experiences are limited, an attitude of learning something new and emptying our mind everyday is required. Pure intellectual curiosity, positive thinking, and attitude that can stand up to the challenges we face will broaden our knowledge and deepen our thought. It is architecturing of JMY architects to enjoy learning and doing so.

Some of JMY architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • Woljam-Ri House, South Korea
  • [5X17] Daecheong-dong Small House, Busan, South Korea
  • [Sky ground] Sinsa-dong Office Complex, Seoul, South Korea
  • [Cheonggye-ri House] Where mountains, lakes and sky meet, apparatus at the boundary and gap, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea
  • [EARNEST CAPE] The Hill where the sky and the sea take a break, Ulsan, South Korea

The following statistics helped JMY architects achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 7

18. ON Architecture INC.

© Yoon Joon-hwan

© Yoon Joon-hwan

Based in Ulsan, ON Architecture INC. is an architecture firm that explores the function of architecture within the social and cultural phonema.

Some of ON Architecture INC.’s most prominent projects include:

  • Y-HOUSE, Ulsan, South Korea
  • Tower House, Gimhae-si, South Korea
  • Min Hwi Jeong, Ulsan, South Korea
  • Project Floor Area Ratio Game, Ulsan, South Korea
  • Double house, Ulsan, South Korea

The following statistics helped ON Architecture INC. achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 5

17. aoa architects

© Hyosook Chin

© Hyosook Chin

Architecture is nothing. However, architecture is more significant than any others like air in our life. Architecture is not a hero. Architecture is just a stage of our living. We do not want architecture to say a lot of showing language to come forward from the surroundings. As people live healthier within clean air, we want architecture to be a clean, pure and honest artifact that holds human life silently. We do not believe architecture will change the world and we do not work in order to change the world through architecture. For now, we, aoa architects, are about to construct the architecture with architecture itself without a metadiscourse beyond architecture.

Some of aoa architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • ㄷHouse (digeut-jip), Eumseong-gun, South Korea
  • Chubby Cat House, Seoul, South Korea
  • villa mangwon – stacked house, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
  • Malefemale House, Seoul, South Korea
  • villa Jeju, Seogwipo-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped aoa architects achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 6

16. Archium

© Archium

© Archium

Archium Architects has been practicing architecture in the Seoul region since 1986. The firm specializes in commercial, residential and cultural design.

Some of Archium’s most prominent projects include:

  • Persona, Seoul, South Korea
  • Bauzium Sculpture Gallery, Gangwon-do, South Korea
  • Gilmosery, Seoul, South Korea
  • Khmeresque, Battambang, Cambodia
  • Himalesque, Jomsom, Nepal

The following statistics helped Archium achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 7

15. HAEAHN Architecture

© Namsun Lee

© Namsun Lee

HAEAHN Architecture has been continuously striving to design valuable urban environmental projects based on creativity and innovation since its establishment in 1990. HAEAHN has been in alliance with H Architecture, New York, USA since 2011 and established several overseas offices which have greatly contributed to its extensive growth in becoming a world standard architectural design firm.

Some of HAEAHN Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped HAEAHN Architecture achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner 1
Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 23

14. ArchiWorkshop

© ArchiWorkshop

© ArchiWorkshop

We are Architects, who think, create, enjoy and share everyday Architecture. The title ‘ArchiWorkshop’ has two meanings. One is ‘workshop of artisans’, and the other is the meaning of ‘attacking and defending to each other through discussion’. From a result perspective of view, architecture is a visual work. But at the same time, its origin accompanies philosophy and rational thinking. For that reason, we discuss and converse as much as sketching and this approach allows us for more influential operations and results. We, ArchiWorkshop, think, create, enjoy and share everyday architecture. Our ‘Everyday architecture’ has meaning of high level of architecture, namely, architecture with healthy environment and expansion of this architecture culture to more people to share.

Some of ArchiWorkshop’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ArchiWorkshop achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 11

13. SsD

© SsD

© SsD

SsD is an architecture firm that approaches design as a convergent, interdisciplinary venture. Minimum form takes maximum effect with the goal to bridge the utopian and the pragmatic. Instead of separating aspects of architecture, landscape, history, social systems, and codes into their constituent disciplines, these agendas are simultaneously explored so that each discipline symbiotically gains from the other.  In this way sustainability emerges as an integrated rather than additive result.

Some of SsD’s most prominent projects include:

  • Simgok, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, South Korea
  • Songpa Micro-Housing, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
  • Oasis Place
  • Big Dig House, Lexington, MA, United States
  • Braver House, Newton, MA, United States

The following statistics helped SsD achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Finalist 3
Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 10

12. Yong Ju Lee Architecture

© Yong Ju Lee Architecture

© Yong Ju Lee Architecture

Yong Ju Lee, AIA is the principal of Seoul-based Yong Ju Lee Architecture. He has been working for stimulating design for everyday life in multiple scales and media.

Some of Yong Ju Lee Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

  • Myeonmok Fire Station, Seoul, South Korea
  • Root Bench, Seoul, South Korea
  • Hoehyeon Community, Seoul, South Korea
  • Dispersion, Suwon, South Korea
  • Wing Tower, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped Yong Ju Lee Architecture achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 8
Total Projects 9

11. OBBA

© OBBA

© OBBA

Office for Beyond Boundaries Architecture (OBBA) was founded in 2012 by Sojung Lee and Sangjun Kwak to look at various issues that arise in the rapidly changing contemporary society and the gaps between them from an integrated perspective rather than an individual perception and to pursue multiple options and mixed solutions. All projects undertaken by OBBA start with a critical view of people, architecture, and all the everyday things that interact with them. This means starting by addressing real-world problems that we are facing, rather than simply pursuing a utopian ideal.

OBBA is interested in the boundaries of each field and the boundaries between them, noticing new relationships that are not yet realized, developing expertise in various fields, speaking languages, and being a Boundary Crosser, freely crossing the boundaries of each field and trying to break away from conventional thinking. In addition, OBBA does not limit itself to one field, architecture, but crosses a wide range of scales and explores various topics to discover new possibilities.

Some of OBBA’s most prominent projects include:

  • The Vault House, Hadong-gun, South Korea
  • Beyond the Screen, Seoul, Korea, Republic of
  • The Floating Island, Bruges, Belgium
  • The Oasis, Yongin-si, South Korea
  • The Illusion, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped OBBA achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 8
Total Projects 7

10. L’EAU design Co.,Ltd.

© Kyungsub Shin

© Kyungsub Shin

L’EAU Design is a group seeking after such environment as falling under comprehensive sense and attempt the relationship with architectural design. ‘Environment’ includes meanings of social and cultural conditions that influence in human lifestyle as well as ecological and build environment.

L’EAU Design, since its establishment in 2000, has been pursuing a total design focused on architecture and urbanism, renovation and interior design, enviroment design in order to architecturally design diverse concerns amid the better ‘human environment’, which is based on our research about social and cultural background of human.

Some of L’EAU design Co.,Ltd.’s most prominent projects include:

  • Matryoshka, South Korea
  • Tropism of wild flower, Seoul, South Korea
  • Song-chu Bending Band, Yangju-si, South Korea
  • Jeju BAYHILL POOL & VILLA _ EGOISTIC CROPPING, Yeraehaean-ro, Seogwipo-si, South Korea
  • Cosmos Intime, Gwangju, South Korea

The following statistics helped L’EAU design Co.,Ltd. achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 9
Total Projects 22

9. stpmj

© stpmj

© stpmj

stpmj is an award winning design practice based in new york and seoul. The office is founded by seung teak lee and mi jung lim with the agenda, “provocative realism”. It is a series of synergetic explorations that occur on the boundary between the ideal and the real. it is based on simplicity of form and detail, clarity of structure, excellence in environmental function, use of new materials, and rational management of budget. To these we add ideas generated from curiosity in everyday life as we pursue a methodology for dramatically exploiting the limitations of reality. From new perspectives, our work is nuanced yet bold and represents a reaction against architectural clichés.

Some of stpmj’s most prominent projects include:

  • Invisible Barn, Truckee, CA, United States
  • Shear House, Yecheon-gun, South Korea
  • Stratum House, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
  • The Surface, Gwacheon-si, South Korea
  • Dissolving Arch, Jeju-do, South Korea

The following statistics helped stpmj achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Finalist 1
Featured Projects 10
Total Projects 10

8. JOHO Architecture

© JOHO Architecture

© JOHO Architecture

JOHO Architecture is a Seoul-based architecture firm ran by principal Jeong Hoon Lee. Interpreting architecture as a part of the humanities, JOHO Architectrue bases their philosophy on creating new identity and discourse in contemporary cities. In addition, architectural materials are set as a unit of ‘geo-metry’ and designs are developed through the grouping, addition and subtraction of these units. This ‘material_metry’ refers to the reinterpretation of a material’s meaning within the context of a site.

Some of JOHO Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

  • Namhae Cheo-ma House
  • The Curving House, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
  • Casa Geometrica, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
  • Time Stacking House, Seoul, South Korea
  • Platform-L Contemporary Art Center, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped JOHO Architecture achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 9
Total Projects 12

7. BCHO Architects Associates

© BCHO Architects Associates

© BCHO Architects Associates

Founded in Seoul, Korea in 1994, BCHO Architects started as a design build office with a focus on simple structures and strong regard for nature. Since 1998 the practice focus is  architecture and furniture,   however we work very closely with contractors and multiple fabrication specialists in various disciplines; including stone masons, product designers, wood workers, potters, lighting engineers, furniture and graphic designers and artists. We also have multiple professional collaborators in Montana, Massachussetts, California, Hawaii and Peru. BCHO Architects believe that buildings, furniture and art are made, not created. Each architectural project, encompassing various scales and programs, explores the phenomenon of light and space, fabrication and construction methods , recycling and reusing, and a broad sense of sustainability (social/cultural/physical) which uses our collective creative energy to reduce our buildings demand for grid energy.

Some of BCHO Architects Associates’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped BCHO Architects Associates achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Finalist 1
Featured Projects 10
Total Projects 11

6. Suh Architects

© Suh Architects

© Suh Architects

With every project, Suh Architects is defined by the marriage of function and verve. It does not adhere to a predetermined style, and expects its architecture to outlast current trends. Buildings must not only make sense spatially and in an intangible way, but also keep the rain out, heat in, and stay within budget. The firm is well-aware that this sort of harmony is only made possible by maintaining consistent standards and fully understanding its clients’ needs.

Its founder, Eulho Suh, is directly involved in the design and execution of each project from its initial conception, through planning, construction, and completion. With every project, spatial clarity and human scale are foremost; subsequent details are held to the highest standard of execution.

Some of Suh Architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • HYUNDAI SONGPA, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
  • JEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS FC CLUBHOUSE, Bongdong-eup, Wanju-gun, South Korea
  • GENESIS SUJI, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, South Korea
  • GENESIS STUDIO, Hanam-si, South Korea
  • HYUNDAI MOTORSTUDIO, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped Suh Architects achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner 4
A+Awards Finalist 3
Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 8

5. UNITEDLAB Associates

© Pace Studio

© Pace Studio

Founded in 2015 by Sang Dae Lee, UNITEDLAB (UL) is multi-disciplinary design studio providing a comprehensive suite of architecture, landscape, and urbanism services. UL has locations in New York City and Seoul. Our multi-disciplined approach reflects our belief that diverse perspectives enable a broader view that guides the design process and enriches creative insight. UL is passionate about understanding how the rich interplay of society and ideology has shaped the built environment, and in turn, how the shaped environment affects its inhabitants. We call it SCAPE.

SCAPE views the interactions between social landscapes and urban patterns as a living system that is comprised of the built environment and people. Beyond a careful observation of the physical domain, factors such as societal influences, ideologies, economics, and metaphysical idiosyncrasies inform our design work and research. Additionally, UL analyzes, researches, designs, and envisions scenarios for future cities. By bridging the boundaries between theory and practice, UL is challenging the notion of traditional typologies.

Some of UNITEDLAB Associates’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped UNITEDLAB Associates achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner 5
A+Awards Finalist 2
Featured Projects 7
Total Projects 4

4. Mass Studies

Photography (C) Yong-Kwan Kim - © Mass Studies

Photography (C) Yong-Kwan Kim – © Mass Studies

Mass Studies was founded in 2003 by Minsuk Cho in Seoul, Korea, as a critical investigation of architecture in the context of mass production, intensely over-populated urban conditions, and other emergent cultural niches that define contemporary society. Amid the many frictions defining spatial conditions in the twenty-first century, namely past vs. future, local vs. global, utopia vs. reality, and individual vs. collective, Mass Studies focuses on the operative complexity of these multiple conditions instead of striving for a singular, unified perspective. For each architectural project, which exist across a wide range of scales, Mass Studies explores issues such as spatial systems/matrixes, building materials/techniques, and typological divergences to foster a vision that allows the discovery of new socio/cultural potential.

Some of Mass Studies’s most prominent projects include:

  • Daum Space.1
  • Southcape Owner’s Club – Clubhouse, Yeosu, South Korea
  • Bundle Matrix: S-Trenue, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
  • Missing Matrix Building: Boutique Monaco, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
  • Ann Demeulemeester Shop, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped Mass Studies achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner 1
Featured Projects 9
Total Projects 9

3. Moon Hoon

© Namgoong Sun

© Namgoong Sun

Moon Hoon is a Korean architect based in Seoul. Moon Hoon is known for his playful and artistic architecture that often experiments with color and geometry.

Some of Moon Hoon’s most prominent projects include:

  • Two Moon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
  • Vi-sang House, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
  • Busan Times, Busan, South Korea
  • Simple House, Jeju-si, South Korea
  • Wind House, Jeju-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped Moon Hoon achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 16
Total Projects 12

2. IROJE KHM Architects

© IROJE KHM Architects

© IROJE KHM Architects

IROJE KHM Architects is an award-winning architect’s office in Seoul, Korea. Kim Hyo Man, the principal of IROJE KHM Architects is architect, concurrent professor of graduate school of architecture and editorial adviser of an architectural magazine.

Some of IROJE KHM Architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • Ga On Jai, Kwangmyŏng, South Korea
  • HWA HUN, South Korea
  • Kyeong Dok Jai, Goyang-si, South Korea
  • Tetris Nursery, Dobong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
  • STELLA FIORE, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, South Korea

Top image: Flying House by IROJE KHM Architects, Incheon, South Korea 

The following statistics helped IROJE KHM Architects achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 16
Total Projects 20

1. Studio Gaon

© Studio Gaon

© Studio Gaon

studio_GAON is a Seoul-based architecture practice founded by architects Lim Hyoungnam + Roh Eunjoo Architect. The firm specializes in residential, cultural and commercial design.

Some of Studio Gaon’s most prominent projects include:

  • Jetavana Buddhist Temple, Nam-myeon, Chuncheon-si, South Korea
  • Casa Gaia, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si, South Korea
  • House of January, House on the Demarcation, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, South Korea
  • House of San-jo, Buk-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
  • Lucia’s earth, Kongju, Korea, Republic of

The following statistics helped Studio Gaon achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects 28
Total Projects 41

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

Alberghi Diffusi: Architects Should Embrace Italy's Decades-Old Design Concept
CategoriesArchitecture

Alberghi Diffusi: Architects Should Embrace Italy’s Decades-Old Design Concept

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.

Across the iridescent olive groves, vine-laden hills and skyline of sunflowers that intertwine to become the breathtaking Italian countryside, there lies a number of rural gems unblemished by modernity. Their façades bare the marks of many lives lived, and their cobblestone streets chatter with centuries of traditions and tales. While you venture through the quiet alleys, under clotheslines laden with laundry, you’ll find the remarkable concept of “alberghi diffusi” — Italy’s answer to sustainable tourism.

An idea that expertly juxtaposes the past with the present, marrying rustic charm with modern luxury, preserving heritage while showcasing rural sophistication. Here, amongst the charm and romanticism of rural Italy, hospitality takes on a different meaning: it’s not about visiting, it’s about belonging, and these “scattered hotels,” a constellation of repurposed dwellings, are the lifeblood of these otherwise semi-deserted hamlets. As more and more architects embrace adaptive reuse and renovation is increasingly celebrated as preferable to new-builds, Italy’s model for sustainable tourism is set to gain further traction beyond the Mediterranean country’s borders. 

Santo Stefano di Sessanio Village, Abruzzo, L’Aquila, Italy. Photograph by Stefano Pellicciari

The albergo diffuso model is by no means a new concept. It was initially conceived in the late 1970s or early 1980s (an exact year cannot be pinpointed). Some attribute the model to the aftermath of the May 1976 earthquakes, when the idea was utilized to revitalize the impacted villages and was then later championed by Giancarlo Dall’Ara, a pioneering figure who is now-President of the Alberghi Diffusi National Association.

The philosophy of the albergi diffusi model is rooted in the notion that a hotel’s room should not have to be contained within a single structure but, in fact, can be spread throughout the houses and buildings of an entire town, and it is the service and amenities in the proximity to the room that establishes it as being part of a hotel.

Cividale del Friuli, Italy Photograph by milosk50

A “scattered hotel,” as it translates in English, creates visitor accommodation by reusing and restructuring existing properties, with one crucial factor — it must be located around an inhabited town center. It is the inhabitants of the albergo diffuso that serve as the draw for the guests that are so enthralled by these places in their search for authentic experiences.

In the heart of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the model found fertile ground in Comeglians, a village of approximately 400 inhabitants that became one of Italy’s first albergo diffuso’s. By the mid-1990s, under careful orchestration and with cooperation from the residents, a transformative project began to unfurl. A handful of the nearly 300 houses, left vacant after a decades-long exodus of youth searching for urban opportunities, were repurposed into an albergo diffuso. This revitalization not only safeguarded the village’s heritage but also reinvigorated the local economy by creating jobs and stimulating tourism that continues to thrive to this day.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Abruzzo, Italy. Photograph by Giulio Benzin

Meanwhile, down in the rugged terrain of Abruzzo, the town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio harbored a latent opportunity despite its population dwindling to under 100 by the late 1990s. Swedish-Italian entrepreneur Daniele Kihlgren, recognizing the town’s potential, made considerable investments to meticulously restore its ancient, stone-walled structures. The project, which converted 27 medieval buildings into 27 rooms of the Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, not only rekindled the town’s historic charm but also spawned a variety of jobs, reducing unemployment and re-populating this once-deserted gem.

Santa Caterina dello Lonio, Catanzaro, Calabria, Southern Italy. Photograph by Fabio

The tale took a southern twist in Sicily, where the historic borough of Borgo Santa Caterina witnessed a similar resurgence. Here, the alberghi diffusi’s model breathed new life into the town’s decaying structures, emblematic of diverse eras, including the Arab, Norman and Byzantine epochs. The regeneration of these architectural marvels into Albergo Diffuso Borgo Santa Caterina attracts a steady stream of tourists, bolstering the local economy and enhancing the livelihood of its residents, who had endured years of economic stagnation. These enduring transformations underscore the alberghi diffusi’s ability to fuse architectural preservation with socio-economic regeneration.

Corippo, Verzasca valley, Switzerland. Photograph by fotoember

The ripple effects of this ingenious model are palpable even beyond the Italian borders, in Switzerland’s Verzasca Valley, further underscoring its potential as a global blueprint for rural revitalization, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, renowned for its emerald-green river flowing past miles of winding canyons, lofty peaks and forests. Corippo, a tiny 800-year-old hamlet of handcrafted stone homes, rises nearly 2,000 feet (610 meters) above the valley floor, and in June 2022, Corippo became the home of Switzerland’s first certified albergo diffuso. The lodging is part of a multiyear plan to preserve and revitalize the medieval village hit hard by depopulation, which follows the all-too-familiar story where its inhabitants have emigrated to other parts of the world in search of a better life.

Corippo’s new albergo diffuso consists of ten cozy rooms spanning five restored residences. Adjacent to the main piazza is a terraced osteria (restaurant) with sweeping canyon views that doubles as a lobby. Distinctive architectural details, such as original exteriors and dimensions, were preserved using local materials and traditional methods.

Labro, Rieti, Latium, Italy. Photograph by e55evu

Beyond Corippo’s historical significance and ideal landscape for outdoor activities, its appeal is its sense of solitude. Locarno’s promenade of boutiques, cafes, and Lugano’s art museums and galleries are a magnet to all who visit the secluded yet stunning secret.

Sauntering through these resilient, reborn hamlets, we can encounter an enduring testament to the power of sustainable innovation with the Alberghi Diffusi model. These scattered hotels are not merely establishments offering accommodation; they are a vibrant tapestry of community life, a profound immersion into authentic Italian culture and heritage.

Each albergo diffuso emerges as a phoenix from the ashes of urbanization and economic stagnation. They are the robust threads reconnecting frayed populations, providing gainful employment and a renewed sense of pride in the people of their historical legacy. In this innovative reinterpretation of hospitality, we find the courage of countless small towns standing tall against time, breathing new life into their narrative, heritage and future.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.

Reference

Sustainable Practice: An Inside Look at the Zero Waste Design for The Greenhouse Theatre
CategoriesArchitecture

Sustainable Practice: An Inside Look at the Zero Waste Design for The Greenhouse Theatre

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and it has plenty to answer for in design and architecture. This is immediately evident at The Greenhouse, a zero-waste theatre complete with performance space, standalone screening room, bar and box office

Visiting three prime spots in London this summer, the first run, at Royal Docks, was part of Sea Change, a cultural program about climate. Next, the space holds a residency at Canary Wharf, from 19th June until 14th July, before finishing at Battersea Power Station between 7th August and 3rd September. A striking, if understated, approach to experimental venue design, the venue is hand-built from recycled and reused materials. After revealing his background in site-specific productions, Artistic Director Oli Savage tells Architizer how the idea came about.

“Around 2016, a close friend, collaborator and colleague of mine put a script on my desk all about eco-terrorism, Swallows. It was a metaphor for violence towards each other and towards the planet by Henry Robert, a really talented writer. I’m interested in space and how a space can make the show work. And from a practice perspective, I’m interested in working holistically. To me, if you’re putting on a show, it’s important that everything around that show reflects the ideas of what that show is talking about. You’d feel a little hypocritical working on a climate piece and having lots of impact and waste,” says Savage.

 The Greenhouse is the UK’s first zero waste theatre (C) The Greenhouse Theatre

“A couple of years later, we’re on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival, our show was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Standing in the pissing rain, handing out flyers to promote the performance, I said to our head of marketing: ‘Surely this isn’t actually a very effective way of getting people through the door’. She said: ‘No, and it causes a lot of waste.’ I started digging into this, and it’s astounding how much waste is created, most of which isn’t recyclable,” he continues. “This is particularly evident in fringe arts.”

With the script for Swallows still in mind, Savage began brainstorming with collaborators, trying to figure out how the show could run at the Edinburgh Fringe and stay true to its climate message. Soon realizing there was no existing facility that could tick all necessary boxes, a decision was made to create a new space. Returning to the Scottish capital twelve months on, The Greenhouse debuted in 2019 with Swallows finally staged and, as Savage puts it, “has been on and off” since.

The Greenhouse Theatre under construction in London, 2021 (C) The Greenhouse Theatre

“I just say to people come and see the space,” Savage replies when we ask about the green credentials. “I’d say it’s obvious when you’re inside — this is not making claims that can’t be backed up. In terms of design principles, we were determined to show the materials being using, so the waste is showcased front line for people to see for themselves. And we’re a zero waste theatre, that’s the terminology. There are differences between this and, say, carbon neutral. So all the materials had a life before us, and will hopefully have another life once we’re finished.

“Broadly, the whole thing is built from three materials. Timber framing and wood pallet cladding, around a triangular lighting truss skeleton. The roof is made from corrugated PVC,” he explains. “As you’re designing, you’ve got to be thinking, if we want this to be zero waste, what materials do we have access to? How are we going to be able to deliver this in a zero waste way. Another interesting thing was our first situation for the venue didn’t have the possibility of any power. So we came to this conclusion it needed to be naturally lit with a clear plastic roof. That’s now one of my favorite aspects of the venue.”

The Greenhouse Theatre at Canary Wharf, London

The Greenhouse Theatre at Canary Wharf, London (C) The Greenhouse Theatre

For Savage, The Greenhouse Theatre design is all about dialogue between different demands. The requirements stipulated by the project itself — zero waste, low impact — and the need to develop a space suitable for creative practice. Form meeting function deep in the grass roots.

“It was also a necessity for me that it was in the round. That was a big thing. If I’m working in a theatrical space, it has to be either in the round or traverse. It creates this sense of community,” says Savage, pointing out all this is replicable. “Reclaimed timber is easy to come by. There are lots of facilities around the UK, recycling centres that take surplus timber from sites, clean it, then sell it on. Most are charities, awesome organizations. The trussing was from a lady who used it for trade shows, retired and sold it to us for a really good price. The plastic, I think it was a builder who bought it for a project that was cancelled or over-ordered.”

“The headline is that it’s not that hard. It seems like it’s challenging, but so much theatre, at university for example, relies on borrowing and reuse,” he adds. “We have a consultancy, working with filmmakers, other theatre makers, creatives, to help them towards zero waste. There’s a lack of provision for fringe artists in terms of this type of thing. It’s tricky, though. One of the hardest things is a lot of people expect work for free… Obviously, my goal as a person is to have the most impact and help. But the reality is some try to take advantage… If we can’t monetize, I’m not going to have a business, and we’re not gonna be able to run.”

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

Reference

What is a Design District and How Has Their Rise Transformed Our Cities
CategoriesArchitecture

What is a Design District and How Has Their Rise Transformed Our Cities

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

In the ever-evolving landscape of urban design, the emergence of design districts has become a defining characteristic of progressive cities worldwide. These vibrant enclaves, often juxtaposed against the backdrop of industrial relics or purposefully planned developments, have become catalysts for economic growth, creative collaboration and community engagement.

At its core, a design district is a concentrated area within a city that serves as a thriving hub for creative and design-focused activities. These are places where architects, designers, artists and entrepreneurs converge to showcase their talents, exchange ideas and create an immersive experience for visitors. The value of a design district extends beyond its aesthetic allure; it breathes life into the local economy and community, fostering economic growth, cultural enrichment and a sense of place.

Grand Bazaar of Istanbul bIV. Murat

Long before the rise of modern metropolises, ancient civilizations laid the foundation for what we now recognize as design districts. These neighborhoods of artisans and craftspeople played a crucial role in the cultural and economic fabric of their respective societies. The Agora of Athens was a bustling marketplace that served as a hub for artists, philosophers and traders. Within its grand colonnades and stoa, the Agora fostered the exchange of ideas, the birth of democracy and the creation of iconic architectural wonders like the Parthenon.

While across the Aegean Sea, the 61 covered streets and 4,000 shops that make up the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul traces its origins back to the 15th century. This labyrinthine marketplace encapsulated the rich heritage and diverse influences of the Ottoman Empire. Within its alleyways, artisans, jewelers and carpet weavers transformed the Bazaar into a beacon of trade, attracting visitors from far and wide and establishing Istanbul as a global exchange hub.

Since then, we have borne witness to the emergence of many design districts across every continent and over centuries of design movements, and it was the demise of the industrial era that may have resulted in the most significant growth of the “design district.” Following the Second World War, countless factories and warehouses were left empty, creating opportunities for revitalization and adaptive reuse.

Soho neighborhood, Lower Manhattan, New York bRafael Sanchez Lopez/Wirestock Creators

Starting with SoHo in New York City of the 1960s, abandoned factories and warehouses became fertile ground for architectural reinvention across the world. Once-decaying cast iron structures have since been transformed with design districts emerging from the ashes of these forgotten structures, infusing new life into their once-decaying shells. More recently, in the heart of London, the vibrant community of Shoreditch has flourished within the remnants of its industrial past. Former factories have been imaginatively transformed into studios, galleries and creative workspaces, attracting a new generation of artists, designers and entrepreneurs.

Similarly, the Meatpacking District in New York City underwent a remarkable metamorphosis from a gritty industrial zone to a thriving hub of fashion, art, and design. Repurposing the neighborhood’s historic meatpacking warehouses, the district now teems with high-end boutiques, galleries and avant-garde restaurants, redefining the concept of urban cool.

In the modern era, design districts have become invaluable commodities to thriving cities and the creatives who inhabit them. They serve as vibrant cultural epicenters, nurturing collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas across disciplines. These districts attract designers, artists and entrepreneurs, fueling economic growth through increased tourism, job creation and consumer spending. Their impact transcends economic gains; design districts contribute to the cultural fabric of a city, hosting exhibitions, events and festivals that celebrate creativity and artistic expression.

Shoreditch Chimney By Dani

However, patience is not a characteristic often coveted in urban development in the modern age, and today design districts may not be gifted the same lengthy development time as their predecessors. Rather than coming into existence as a natural ecosystem of designers, artists and makers drawn to an area with cheap rent and little in the way of planning restrictions, design districts are now often shaped by the vision of architects who are tasked to create places that accommodate the needs of the creative community while appealing to the broader public. Architects embarking on the design of a design district face multifaceted challenges to create authentic experiences.

The synergy of function and aesthetics lies at the core of successful design district architecture. Striking a balance between iconic structures that inspire and functional spaces that accommodate diverse businesses and creative enterprises is paramount. Architects must navigate the delicate balance between creating visually striking environments and ensuring that these districts cater to the needs and aspirations of the creative community and local residents.

Flexibility and adaptability are key considerations when designing design districts. The ability to evolve with changing trends, technologies and creative practices is crucial for their long-term success. Modular and versatile design principles that allow for easy reconfiguration are essential for fostering an environment of continuous innovation and adaptation.

Greenwich Peninsula Low Carbon Energy Centre by C.F. Møller Architects, London, England, United Kingdom. Photo by Mark Hadden

Similarly, connectivity and accessibility play pivotal roles in the design of these districts. Careful planning of transportation networks, pedestrian-friendly spaces and digital infrastructure is required to ensure the communities are accessible and inclusive. By integrating design districts with the larger urban fabric, architects foster connections, diversity and interactions, nurturing a sense of community and place.

While purposeful planning and intentional programming are important aspects of design district creation, striking a delicate balance is paramount. Single programming can inadvertently inhibit the natural “ecosystem” of different proprietors, stifling the organic growth and diversity that defines traditional neighborhoods. Design districts should feel as though they have evolved naturally, allowing for the emergence of a rich ecosystem of creative ventures and businesses intermingled with places to eat, linger and take part in cultural events. Their restaurants and music venues often define design districts.

Burò Furniture by Mezzo Atelier, Milan, Italy

Purposely designing a design district is challenging, and caution should be taken against over-planning and segmenting a district into areas for function which can lead to districts failing to be vibrant homogenous neighborhoods and echoing shopping malls with an area to eat, a zone to shop, and a place to work. The Greenwich Peninsula in London has been criticized for this very reason. The purpose-built design district lacks the balance of function needed to meet the aspirations of the creative community and local residents, which is crucial for creating spaces that resonate with authenticity and a sense of belonging.

Successful design districts bear the imprints of visionary architects who have shaped these urban landscapes. Zona Tortona, Milan, Italy, was designed by a collective effort of visionary architects, including Fabio Novembre, Giulio Cappellini, and Piero Lissoni. Zona Tortona has become one of the most iconic design districts in the world and is renowned for its cutting-edge design, fashion and art events. The former industrial area now comprises sleek showrooms, galleries and creative venues. Zona Tortona’s success lies in its seamless integration of contemporary architecture and historic industrial structures, creating a captivating and vibrant atmosphere for visitors and design enthusiasts.

Poblenou, Barcelona, Spain by Pavel

In Barcelona, the Poblenou Design District started around twenty years ago, when artist collectives took over abandoned factories to work and host parties. Early adopters of Poblenou included the artist Antoni Miralda and Mariscal, creator of the legendary Palo Alto design studio. Although large swathes of the area still retain a gritty nature, the neighborhood is now dotted with warehouse conversions containing open-plan homes, galleries, coworking spaces and architects’ studios, making it the historic city’s creative heart.

The economic and cultural benefits of design districts are far-reaching. They attract diverse businesses, from galleries, studios and showrooms to boutiques, cafes and restaurants. The influx of visitors and tourists fuels economic growth, job creation, and increased consumer spending. Design districts become vibrant cultural epicenters, hosting exhibitions, workshops, and events that celebrate artistic expression, foster cultural exchange, and enhance the local community’s quality of life. And so, if you ever find yourself at the forefront of designing a design district, consider the marketplaces of ancient Athens, the revival of SoHo by the struggling artists of New York or the design geniuses of Barcelona and perhaps 500 years from now, your efforts will stand as a testament of great design as the streets of Grand Bazaar of Istanbul continue to do so to this day.

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

Top image: Ancient Agora of Athens in Greece bnejdetduzen

Reference

Free Webinar Recording: Implementing Zero Waste Strategies into Your Design Practice
CategoriesArchitecture

Free Webinar Recording: Implementing Zero Waste Strategies into Your Design Practice

Do you ever sit back and wonder what happens to your waste? Do you ever ponder the environmental and economic impacts of waste on the planet?

Architizer was thrilled to have Jessica Jenkins, Environmental and Technical Project Specialist at Inpro, speak at the most recent Architizer live event. Hitting us with hard facts, the dos and don’ts and workplace initiatives for waste diversion, Jessica left the audience empowered to take matters into their own hands. Zero waste is attainable within the design industry, and Jessica thoughtfully broke down how to get there.

To reach a wider audience and for those who were unable to attend, the recorded session is available on-demand! Click the button below to watch Jessica Jenkins’ insightful presentation:

Register + Access

Waste is at the forefront of many global sustainable initiatives. Why? Because we all contribute to waste. It is part of our daily lives and, realistically, isn’t going anywhere. Currently, we are running out of space to house our waste. In the US alone, a whopping 292 million tons of trash was generated in a single year. To make room for all this waste, natural habitats have been destroyed, greenhouse gas emissions have risen, and taxes have gone up to offset the costs of running expensive landfills.

Zero waste has been defined as diverting 90% of total waste from landfills.

Thankfully, there are proactive ways to reduce our collective and individual contributions to waste. And such strategies can be implemented into building design. The benefits of designing for zero waste are immense, leading to more sustainable creations, increased property value and safety. Whether a boutique architecture firm or a large manufacturing company, waste diversion is possible within all parts of the design industry. All it takes is a little bit of elbow grease.

For some real-world context, Jessica shared a bit on Inpro’s zero waste journey. By 2025, Inpro aspires to become a zero-waste company. Currently, they have hit an impressive 85% diversion rate, and with only 5% to go, the company is thrilled to offer long-lasting, recycled products to their customers. Sharing a few of Inpro’s key strategies on waste diversion, here are three important factors to consider:

  1. Take ownership: Owning up to your company’s waste streams and processes is a must. It is the first step before implementing waste diversion strategies.
  2. Collect and use data: Striving for zero waste is not a linear process. Examining your company’s current processes through metrics and data is crucial to reaching this goal. Constant reevaluation and reassessment is key.
  3. Convenience is a must: Waste diversion initiatives must be made convenient and straightforward to use.

Looking beyond the workplace and towards the design process itself, Jessica also shared some helpful strategies for zero-waste design.

  1. Clearly communicate: Communicate valuable information (such as recycling guidelines) through legible signage.
  2. Prioritize easy access: Ensure your zero waste strategies (such as designated recycling areas) are accessible and conveniently placed within your building.
  3. Opt for sustainable products: While performance is key to waste diversion, so are the materials used within said processes. Ensure you have durable wall protection and long-lasting materials.

To hear Jessica Jenkins’ complete list of tips for zero-waste design, click the link below.

Register + Access

Striving for zero waste is attainable within all aspects of the architecture and design industry. At first, it may appear like a demanding and unattainable goal. However, in practice, all it takes is a solid waste diversion plan and a continual commitment to the cause.

Top image: The Cradle by HPP Architects, Düsseldorf, Germany

Reference

Photovoltaics, Often Misunderstood as Visual Nuisances, Are Powerful Architectural Features
CategoriesArchitecture

Photovoltaics, Often Misunderstood as Visual Nuisances, Are Powerful Architectural Features

Judging for the 11th A+Awards is now underway! While awaiting the Winners, learn more about Architizer’s Vision Awards. The Main Entry Deadline on June 9th is fast approaching. Start your entry today >

The potential for making an architectural statement with solar PV panels, particularly in the form of a canopy, has been availed by architects for a while now. There is the often-photographed monumental solar canopy at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain, from way back in 2004. More recently, Gensler Architects have built an enormous hypostyle portico covered in solar panels at the Fifth + Tillery office in Austin, Texas. These sweeping expanses of glass and silicon on exposed latticework structures are naturally dramatic and expressive while providing a dappled shade or shelter from the rain.

Fifth + Tillery by Gensler, Austin, TX, United States

On residential houses, however, the pattern is to simply stick solar panels dumbly on the roof in any way they may fit. Newly built houses abound where exceptional care has been exercised over every detail and proportion, no expense spared on materials — except for the ill-shaped clump of solar panels laid out across the roof. It’s as if there is an unspoken agreement not to notice. But you can’t look away: there they are in full sun atop the house: ugly, unloved, visually jarring.

Renewable Energy Tartan

It’s a shame because solar canopies, awnings, eaves, and screens are an opportunity to add construction details and architectural rhythm that is inherent in the trellis-like structures supporting solar arrays. The cross-crossing supports of various thicknesses combined with a grid of individual solar cells naturally form a tartan plaid with layers of depth and visual interest. Although the panels can be mounted at any angle or even flat, the most efficient orientation is always a south-facing slant that can be a strong visual counterpoint to the normally rectilinear forms of a typical house.

Windkraft Simonsfeld, Lower Austria by Arch.

Ernstbrunn Windkraft by Architekturbüro Reinberg ZTGesmbH, Energiewende Platz, Korneuburg, Niederösterreich, Austria

Solar Photovoltaics Everywhere

Solar canopies can power a house and provide well-modulated shade at the poolside, or they can float over the house, shading the roof while adding visual interest to the façade, as in this application of solar panels on an office building façade, with the array jauntily tipped over the front of the building at a skew angle. Panels can be integrated as a carport roof, a door awning, an eave line, skylights, an atrium roof, windows, a deck railing, a brise-soleil, a screening element, or even a garden fence. So it’s a wonder that they almost always just get stuck on the roof in the most unsightly possible way.

A shade trellis is an often-used feature when designers want to make an attractive sheltered backyard space. When made of solar panels, it can not only provide modulated shade but also rain cover. But any surface that receives sunlight can, theoretically, be made into a solar electric collector. Yet, few to no examples of solar panels are being used for features like railings or screening elements in residential architecture.

A solar eave will provide the shadow line of a traditional eave and the opportunity to de-materialize the eave as it reaches its edge. Combining bi-facial panels with clear glass panels offers another opportunity for modulation.

Solar panel canopy

Solar panel and glass canopy. Image by Charles via Pixabay

Lots of Choices

Manufacturers offer a wide variety of specialized solar panels just for solar roofs, canopies, and walls. Bi-facial panels that are glass on both faces are the most commonly used. These panels contain an array of dark silicon cells sandwiched between two sheets of glass. The silicon cells can be arranged at various spacing to adjust the amount of opaque versus clear area. Amorphous silicon glass panels present a uniform look without tiled silicon cells and can be made in various colored tints. Panels are also available in different sizes and form factors as well. Some panels can even be combined with windows and skylights. What if a building’s cladding material were entirely made of solar panels? More power to it! Added to the variety of panels is the variety of off-the-shelf mounting systems available, from minimalist to water-tight.

There is no excuse not to make solar photovoltaics part of the architecture. So, architects and designers, it’s time to embrace solar PV as part of the design and not just an unsightly piece of electrical equipment mounted on the most visible part of the house!

This article was written in collaboration with Californian architect Ian Ayers.

Judging for the 11th A+Awards is now underway! While awaiting the Winners, learn more about Architizer’s Vision Awards. The Main Entry Deadline on June 9th is fast approaching. Start your entry today >

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Straight Down the Line: 8 Tectonic Tennis Court Designs in Plan and Section
CategoriesArchitecture

Straight Down the Line: 8 Tectonic Tennis Court Designs in Plan and Section

The One Rendering Challenge is now part of the Architizer Vision Awards, honoring the best architectural photography, film, visualizations, drawings, models and the talented creators behind them. Winners are published in print! Start your entry >

Tennis is the perfect combination of athleticism and spectating. What makes the sport unique ranges from how it is scored to the variety of environments and playing surfaces used. In turn, the architecture of tennis has been continuously reimagined over time. That evolution can be seen from the early pavilions and stands adjacent to a court to the vast sports halls and modern complexes built around the world.

Dating back to the 12th century in France, tennis was originally called jeu de paume, or “game of the palm,” before rackets were introduced. Today, many features of the modern tennis court can be found around the world: baselines, service boxes, ideally a north-south orientation, and a three-foot net. Designed with spaces for athletes and spectators, these structures are centered around the same standard-sized court. With the French Open currently underway, we’ve rounded up the following projects to showcase the nuance and diversity that can be found in tennis architecture. Located in different climates and countries, the projects range from intimate and private pavilions to large, expansive facilities housing multiple courts.


Tennis Terraces

Designed by GRAS Reynés Arquitectos, Santa Ponsa, Spain

This elegant tennis facility is defined by white concrete and cantilevered slabs in Spain. The complex includes a total of seventeen courts of all surfaces, from grass to clay. The topography of the land called for a terracing strategy in order to place the different courts at different levels following the slope of the hill. As a result, the team set out to design the building as a continuation of that terracing: as seen in section, multiple floating terraces overlook the tennis compound. The Centre Court is the heart of the project. A series of terraces are carved in the hill create a natural stone stadium to seat up to 1500 spectators.


Tennis Club Strasbourg

Designed by Paul Le Quernec architect, Strasbourg, France

In Strasbourg, the idea was to create a new tennis hall building for three covered tennis courts and and a new club house. The design is directly inspired by people and how they flow in and through the building. Inside, sky domes and a special color treatment on the floor was chosen to increase day light. Areas where natural light falls were treated with a beige resin, while the room borders and corners are treated with a deep orange resin. The soaring roof forms and domes are readily seen in section, and how the building compares in scale to adjacent structures.


Team Rooms, Gatehouse and Tennis Complex Glen Lake

Designed by Mathison Mathison Architects, Maple City, MI, United States

The Glen Lake Community Schools project was made with three components: a new bus garage; new team rooms for home team and visitor teams for soccer and softball; and a new tennis complex with a gateway building. The floor plan drawing for the team rooms showcases how the pavilion structures were organized and designed, emphasizing connection to the outdoors and with a series of welcoming overhangs. By opening to natural light, using natural materials like glulam beams, and the use of insulated roof panels, the team wanted to highlight the uniqueness of the Glen Lake community and its commitment to the natural environment and energy efficiency.


Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning

Designed by GLUCK+, NY, United States

GLUCK+ designed the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning as a multi-use facility. The complex is where underserved youth in New York City can receive free tennis lessons and academic help. As the flagship site for New York Junior Tennis & Learning, the center was made to host local, national and international tournaments. Sited in the natural parkland of Crotona Park, the project included a clubhouse, public tennis courts, and sunken exhibition courts. The building and stadium courts were partially buried as a strategy to minimize the impact of a large structure in the park and also to take advantage of geothermal heating and cooling.


MG Tennis Courts

Designed by T.T.H.R. Aedes Studio, Sofia, Bulgaria

This intervention of an existing sports facility in Zaimov Park aimed to renew and reorganize spaces dedicated to tennis. MG Tennis Academy is situated in the heart of Sofia, amidst the greenery of the urban park. The complex was made with two open courts and three courts covered with a vinyl membrane. The main issue of the project was to reconnect the park and the courts. Preserving the existing layout of the courts and the building, two more entrances were added and all three are offset in-between the courts. Now, visitors of the complex can enjoy the game as well as the park without distractions.


Diamond Domes Tennis & Event Hall

Designed by Rüssli Architects AG, Nidwalden, NW, Switzerland

This temple to tennis was built in Switzerland. As seen in the drawings, the building sections were symmetrically arranged around a central outdoor tennis court. In turn, two identical tennis halls with crystal-shaped roofs border the transverse sides of the court. The original clubhouse was relocated underground and is accessed from street via an entrance pavilion. A core concept of the project was to emphasizes views into the valley. The façades are finished in natural stone in harmony with the resort on site, while the “fifth facade” features beautiful, polygonal roof panels that were clad in aluminum.


Portsea Sleepout

Designed by Mitsuori Architects, Portsea, Australia

Adjacent to the court, this guest house is located within the grounds of an existing family beach house in a secluded coastal setting. The client required a guest house that would embrace the native landscape while establishing its own identity distinct from the existing house. The team’s design concept was to create a building as a landscape element that forms a backdrop to the existing tennis court and is nestled within the surrounding vegetation. A rectilinear timber pavilion was built with weathered grey cladding and climbers growing up over the walls to give the appearance of a simple timber fence within the landscape.


The Couch

Designed by MVRDV, IJburg, Netherlands

MVRDV’s famous Couch project was built in IJburg, a new district to the east of Amsterdam. The newly formed IJburg Tennis Club included ten clay courts and a tennis school. The clubhouse was made to be the heart of the center, providing both a viewing platform and a club overlooking the water. The challenge was to create a building that worked as a central gathering area, a living room for IJburg. The result is a clubhouse with a roof dipping down towards the south and raised towards the north, creating an informal tribune for the club. Inside, the construction is clad with FSC-certified wood, with the outside fully sealed with an EPDM polymer hotspray in the same color and texture as the clay tennis courts.

The One Rendering Challenge is now part of the Architizer Vision Awards, honoring the best architectural photography, film, visualizations, drawings, models and the talented creators behind them. Winners are published in print! Start your entry >

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A.I. Will Destroy Creativity – But Only If We Let It
CategoriesArchitecture

A.I. Will Destroy Creativity – But Only If We Let It

Judging for the 11th A+Awards is now underway! While awaiting the Winners, learn more about Architizer’s Vision Awards. The Main Entry Deadline on June 9th is fast approaching. Start your entry today >

For the 2023 Vision Awards, Architizer has divided the Best Architectural Visualization category into three sub-categories: Photorealistic, Illustrative/Artistic, and A.I. generated. This last one has predictably raised eyebrows.

On Facebook, a reader named Milena Tos asked how someone could possibly win an award for an image created by an A.I. program. “What is going to be the criteria?” Tos asked. “Who picked the best image from 50 images that Midjourney created in a few minutes?”

Their comment ended with a provocation: “An architect who writes a prompt does exactly what clients do – give ‘prompts’ to architects. Is Edgar Kaufmann an author of Fallingwater?” 

The implication was clear – and haunting. The specter of A.I. threatens to make architects irrelevant, as it does with so many other professions. Maybe not today… maybe not tomorrow… but still, the ax looms. Why make A.I.’s takeover easier by validating its visuals with awards?

Prompt: “Midjourney as it imagines itself.” Created by Midjourney v. 4. Chikorita, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Editor-in-Chief Paul Keskeys mused a thoughtful response to Tos’s questions, noting first that generating a great prompt is not as simple as it looks, and second that great A.I. images are often the result of “refinements” within the A.I. program. They’re not, in other words, just the first thing the program spits out. The winning A.I. visualization for the 2023 Vision Awards will likely be one created under the guidance of a person with a real sense for architecture. 

Still, Keskeys conceded that A.I. has lowered the barrier to entry for architectural thinking. “I don’t think everyone is going to become ‘the architect’ of their own houses overnight,” he said, “but these tools do make ideation accessible to a far greater number of people, so it will be intriguing to see where that takes us…”

I agree with Keskeys that it will be intriguing to watch how architecture and other creative disciplines evolve now that A.I. programs like Midjourney exist alongside more familiar digital tools. I applaud Architizer for including A.I. generated images in the Vision Awards, as this type of work deserves critical scrutiny and analysis. It is nothing if not relevant and should not be ignored.

Nevertheless — and I cannot stress this point strongly enough — I loathe A.I. and wish that it did not exist. I also don’t think it’s actually “intelligent” for reasons that have been discussed widely by other writers. (By “A.I” here I mean these new neural network programs with the uncanny ability to mimic human creative labor. I’m not talking about Google Search or the calculator).

I don’t think I am alone here. I suspect that many people feel an aversion to A.I. but are afraid to express it. They don’t want to be seen as a reactionary or a Luddite, like the 19th century painters who feared that their skill set would be replaced by photography

It is understandable that people want to avoid taking an old fashioned position and subsequently being swept into the dustbin of history. But this hang up is preventing us from thinking clearly right now. It must be abandoned for two reasons. 

Prompt: “White castle with a magenta roof, two gardens in the front yard and a golden statue in the middle of the front yard, 4k, Renaissance.” via Midjourney v. 4 Mhatopzz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

First of all, an accurate reckoning with history must begin by acknowledging that the painters were correct. Painting today has nowhere near the commercial application that it did 150 years ago, and as a result fewer people are learning how to paint. A whole sphere of human creativity withered on the vine, just as predicted. Luckily, it was replaced by a new, equally rich creative medium. You or I might not lament the advent of photography, but it is easy to understand why people did so in the past. Technology really can transform how people live, think, and create. 

The second reason is more significant. This has to do with what these neural networks essentially are, that is, the specific processes by which they generate these uncannily humanlike texts and images. Indeed, the more one learns about how A.I. works, the more ominous it seems. If it changes us, it seems that this change could not possibly be for the good. 

A.I. is nothing like the camera. It is nothing like the printing press, the Internet or any of the other “disruptive” technologies it is often compared to. Unlike these technologies, A.I. is philosophically insidious. It does not simply change the means by which people create, but undermines the very foundations of creativity itself.

To understand why, let’s begin with the camera. What is a camera? The camera is a tool for documenting objects in the world. A photograph does not, of course, provide a clear window onto reality but, like a painting, presents a necessarily limited, curated perspective, that of the artist or artists. In this, photography is the same as every other artistic medium; it is an imperfect tool for representing reality objectively that, through its imperfections, allows the subjectivity of the artist to shine through.  

What is a Large Language Model like Chat GPT or an Image Model like Midjourney? These are machines that boil down a vast amount of data drawn from the Internet in order to perceive statistical patterns. They then use these patterns to predict likely outputs for user generated prompts. In essence, they show you what they think you want to see based on averages. As the artist Hito Steyerl writes in “Mean Images,” her brilliant essay for The New Left Review, “They represent the norm by signaling the mean. They replace likeness with likeliness.” 

Prompt Unkown. City landscape generated by Midjourney v. 4. Artist: Kent Madsen. via Wikimedia Commons

Whose subjectivity is expressed in a work generated by A.I.? In one sense all of ours — a hive mind. Like a vampire, the machine feeds on the labor of millions of faceless artists, stripping away everything that is unique about their work. Even if one tweaks the prompts to create outputs that appear novel, they are still “mean images,” or statistical representations of some kind of common denominator. At best, they are emissaries from the collective unconscious. At worst, they are stereotypes, and indeed Steyerl draws a connection between the way A.I. image generation works and the composite portraits created by eugenicist Francis Galton.

In the 1880s, Galton created images of racial “types” by superimposing hundreds of faces on top of each other, blurring out the details and leaving only the common denominators, the features that members of these racial groups had in common.  That is to say he created racist caricatures but gave them the imprimatur of science.

It is not simply Galton’s aim we should deplore, but his method as well. There is an intrinsic violence in the process of generalization, which is the process of flattening difference to conform with ideological presuppositions. And this is how these A.I. programs work — this is what they do, fundamentally and by definition. 

In a photograph or drawing, the thing itself inevitably escapes, often to the chagrin of the artist. However, in an A.I. rendering, the thing itself is not even a relevant reference point. What you are looking at is not an interpretative view of an object or an idea, but a model of patterns in the data. An A.I. visualization of a building may look like a digital rendering created by an artist, but categorically it is a very different type of object.

A.I. is not creative and it is not intelligent; it is just the newest method for packaging human labor in the mystifying form of a commodity. As I see it, the most immediate danger with A.I. is not that it will take our jobs, although for many this is a risk. It is that we will become too used to using these programs and interacting with their outputs. Little by little, we will begin to think like them. Data will replace thought as our most familiar model of reality, our window onto the world.

To loop back to our starting point, Architzer is right to include A.I. images in its Vision Awards. This is a new species of image that we, as a society, are going to have to learn how to live with whether we like it or not. But readers are also right to have their suspicions. While it might be futile to try to stop technology in its tracks, it is foolish to pretend that the outcomes of technological progress are always benign. They aren’t, and this is one of the most philosophically troubling innovations yet.


Judging for the 11th A+Awards is now underway! While awaiting the Winners, learn more about Architizer’s Vision Awards. The Main Entry Deadline on June 9th is fast approaching. Start your entry today >

Cover image: Prompt: ” a low quality disposable camera fujifilm photo of a glowing female cyborg and glowing male cyborg standing motionless together staring into the camera dramatically in a 2000s nightclub, vintage rave lighting, motion blur” via Midjourney v4. Cameron Butler, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Reference

Buildings with Social Impact
CategoriesArchitecture

Brighter Futures: 7 Purpose-Filled Projects for Justice and Equality

Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.

What is the purpose of architecture? On a base level, the profession is about conceiving and creating spaces where life can exist. But the question becomes much more complex when considering the stark difference between surviving and thriving.

This collection is inspired by the latter — designs based on ideas like freedom, access, equality, education and humanitarianism. Words that individually can mean different things but have strong, unbreakable ties to one another. In some cases, they cannot exist in isolation: education, for example, opens access to many freedoms, and without freedom, education does not function properly.

The following projects are varied and range from small schools already filled with students to huge conceptual blueprints aimed at rethinking how entire areas are used for the good of everything living there. But what they all share is a clear intention to make the world a better and fairer place.


Council 8 District Navigation Center

By: John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects (JFAK), Los Angeles, USA

Buildings with Social Impact

According to figures published by the Los Angeles Homeless Services in 2022, LA County has the largest homeless population in the US — with almost 70,000 people in urgent need of housing. Completed in 2021, the Council 8 District Navigation Center was designed to offer assistance and some degree of security for those living on the streets of the city’s southwestern neighborhoods.

A modular design, the two-story structure is a resource that helps users ‘navigate’ their existing lives. Services include storage for personal items, alleviating fears of valuables such as ID cards being stolen, showers, sinks, toilets and laundry facilities, with specific areas delineated by color to emphasize their specific purpose.


São Francisco Library

By: SPOL Architects, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Buildings with Social Impact Libraries are one of the few remaining spaces we can spend time in without the obligation to spend money. SPOL Architects’ concept for a new São Francisco Library in São Paulo is a prime example of how these institutions need to be adapted to continue playing such a vital role. The focal point of Brazilian democracy and justice, the existing facility has gradually expanded into an untenable, confusing and unwelcoming muddle.

A rethink is needed, so the firm has done just that. Focused on a central void, which cuts the building down the middle, this proposal sees nine individual subject libraries separated by that emptiness, but also connected through it. This offers maximum natural light and ventilation, provides optimum working conditions, and makes the huge facility easy to get around. Inviting the city into the structure, the design democratizes access to documents, texts, and therefore, in theory, justice itself.


Ecole Primaire Santiguyah

By: PBSA / University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf + RWTH Aachen Univeristy + ISAU Conakry, Santiguah, Guinea

Buildings with Social Impact

In Guinea, there is an urgent need for investment in education, with more than half the population illiterate, and rural areas defined by subsistence farming of staple foods and almost non-existent healthcare. Ecole Primaire Santiguyah is a school project founded by the Guinean Ministry of Education and German-owned development bank KfW, based on previous projects the latter has been involved in across West Africa.

Here, though, adaptations and improvements have been made, including passive ventilation and a thermal double roof, addressing the climactic and interior problems past designs threw up — such as the need to quickly cool a room that has been baking in the tropical heat for hours. The campus has two buildings, housing six classrooms — room for 250 children from eight villages — two basic toilets with water points, a staff area, vegetable garden (fertilised by the bathrooms) and sports field. Local materials dominate, with dry-stacked and interlocked methods achieving a 70% reduction in mortar use.


Greenwood Rising

By: Local Projects, Tulsa, USA

Buildings with Social Impact In 1921, a white mob destroyed the historic Tulsa district of Black Wall Street, killing and injuring thousands in an act of racially-motivated violence. Finished 100 years later, Greenwood Rising is a 10,000 square foot exhibition center honoring the memory of the victims, and challenging visitors to consider ideas around oppression, resilience, equality and justice through four adjoining areas.

An immersive experience shows life before the massacre, and presents the socio-economic makeup of that time. The structures that directly contributed to the horrific event are explored next, before we walk through an 80 year period in which the famously entrepreneurial community rebuilt, expanded, and rehabilitated itself. Finally, visitor interaction is brought to the fore as we are asked to discuss the institution, and thoughts on overcoming anti-Blackness. When looking for buildings with social impact, there are few more fitting examples.


Gulmeshwori Basic School

By: MESH Architectures, Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal

Commissioned by the NGO Kids of Kathmandu, MESH used a sustainable approach to construction for this school building located on the hills outside the Nepalese city. Relatively simple in design — just three classrooms, one computer room, and a library — nevertheless it shows how much can be delivered with limited resources, a very tight budget and scarcity of materials.

Coming in at well under $500,000, the school has been erected using the ‘rammed earth’ technique, which gives results comparable to reinforced concrete but with natural materials. Significantly lowering the footprint, that approach provides thermal mass for temperature regulation and fire resistance, ensuring this cheap and easily replicable building is comfortable, safe, and fit or purpose.


Parque Ecológico Lago de Texcoco

By: Iñaki Echeverría Arquitectura, Texcoco Lake, Mexico

Mexico’s Texcoco Lake basin is dominated by Mexico City, and the mega-metropolis has had a stark impact on the area. Extensive draining has wreaked havoc, leading to frequent water shortages, subsidence, loss of habitat and species decline. Parque Ecológico Lago de Texcoco looks to reclaim 35,000 acres of marshland to form the world’s largest urban park in a bid to reverse some of that damage.

Vast open areas, over 70 miles of cycle paths, a mind-boggling array of sports equipment, extensive water habitats, and an on-site research facility for environmental education are all included in the masterplan. The hope is to create 11,000 jobs in the process, reduce pollution, reintroduce nature and improve social justice for those living nearby, with the local population considered to be among the country’s most economically disadvantaged.


GHETTO: Sanctuary for Sale

By: Henriquez Partners Architects, Venice, Italy

Buildings with Social Impact GHETTO is a theoretical project addressing Venice’s biggest problem: tourism. Wresting economic control from visitors, and handing it to the city’s largely overlooked refugee community, Henriquez Partners’ design was developed with the UNHCR and ECC, and is highly controversial. Simply put, it involves building eco homes for 1,000 people fleeing war and persecution with money from the sale of timeshares owned by wealthy foreigners.

Based on four islands, each with view of an iconic Venetian landmark, the locations purposefully spotlight some of the most influential factors in the town’s social makeup, such as the Jewish Ghetto and over-tourism. Meanwhile, the overall concept asks us to consider use and ownership in places where there is exceptional pressure on space. In principal, it could be applied to almost any other urban centre.

Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.

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