Spotted: It is clear that AI represents the future of computing, but today’s most popular AI chips (GPUs) are expensive and require huge amounts of energy, which is incompatible with both broader use outside data centres, and a low-carbon future. Now, EnCharge AI, which was spun out of the lab of Dr Naveen Verma at Princeton University, is building on new research outside of the GPU model to accelerate AI capabilities for a broader range of users.
To create chips that can handle modern AI in smaller and/or lower-energy environments, the researchers turned to analogue computing. The team designed capacitors to work with the analogue signal to switch on and off with extreme precision. By having this computation done directly in memory cells (in-memory computing), they created a chip that can run powerful AI systems using much less energy.
EnCharge’s PR Account Manager, Yhea Abdulla, explained to Springwise that, “It’s all geometry-based, aligning wires that come in a capacitor (no extra parts, costs, or special processing). They combined this with their research in in-memory computing (IMC) to enhance computing efficiency and data movement issues, bringing in the value of analogue without the historical limitations.”
EnCharge has recently been awarded an $18.6 million (around €17.2 million) grant by the US’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The funding will be used to further develop the chip technology as part of DARPA’s Optimum Processing Technology Inside Memory Arrays (OPTIMA) programme to unlock new possibilities for commercial and defense-relevant AI workloads not achievable with current technology.
From climate forecasting to food waste and cancer detection, AI has already grown to the point where it is becoming incorporated into many aspects of daily life. This makes it vital that we reduce the energy needed to run AI applications.
Danish architecture studio BIG has created an experimental stage set for Danish pop trio WhoMadeWho’s world tour.
A suspended silver orb formed the centrepiece of the immersive audiovisual design, which was created for the tour that began in November. It is BIG‘s latest inflatable structure and was informed by the floating 26-metre-diameter, mirrored sphere it created for Burning Man in 2018.
BIG designs stage set with inflatable orb for WhoMadeWho’s world tour
“Our design for WhoMadeWho’s stage draws from our previous ventures into inflatable creations like SKUM and The Orb [at Burning Man],” BIG partner Jakob Lange explained.
“With maximum visual impact, the inflatable sphere serves as a canvas for captivating three-dimensional video projections, elevating the concert experience to a new level.”
The reflective sphere was designed to mirror the surrounding real-time visuals
The orb was integrated with controllable lights and visuals, but was also designed to reflect the surrounding scenography to give its presence a multimedia dimensionality.
Three futuristic silver pods were positioned below the sphere to be occupied by each band member and the stage was framed by an expansive LED screen background.
BIG’s stage was brought to life with immersive visuals from the creative teams of Flora&faunavisions, LA-based EyeMix Studio and animator Christopher Mulligan.
Using AI and other advanced visualisation tools, the artistic teams sought to combine BIG’s stage set with cutting-edge imagery that can respond in real-time to WhoMadeWho’s performances.
Three silver pods are occupied by WhoMadeWho below the hovering orb
The stage system will reach audiences across cities such as Paris, Los Angeles, London and New York City as WhoMadeWho – comprising of Tomas Høffding, Tomas Barfod and Jeppe Kjellberg – continue their world tour in 2024.
Founded in 2005 by Bjarke Ingels, BIG is one of the world’s most influential architecture studios with headquarters in both Copenhagen and New York. The studio recently unveiled its masterplan for a 1,000-square-kilometre development in Bhutan and its design for a cascading, luxury residential building near Athens.
Commissioned by Nepal’s Ministry of Health & Population, this new 18,000 square foot public medical facility is located in the Jumla District, an area characterized by its inaccessibility and poverty.
Sited along the Karnali River and named after the natural hot springs, the hospital signifies a renewed emphasis on health in a region where advanced healthcare services have been historically limited due to the rugged terrain. Crafted from rammed earth using local soil and labor, the new hospital will embody sustainability, affordability, and respect for local ecology.
Comprising three interconnected volumes that encircle a healing garden with native plantings, the hospital offers panoramic views of the Karnali River valley. This low-carbon and passive solar building hosts emergency, out-patient, and administrative departments on the west side, ensuring easy access. On the eastern side, the in-patient department, surgery, and maternity ward nestle, providing the needed privacy.
Read More About the Project
Project: Tatopani Hospital Firm: Building Bureau Finalist, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Sustainable Non-Residential Project
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.
Rooftops have traditionally been the domain of mechanical equipment, line-drying laundry and the occasional playground for kids. Panoramic views and good weather make the perfect setting for sunset drinks (bars, restaurants and hotels got it right!), but expansive areas of residential building rooftops remain underused around the world. These spaces are waiting to be transformed into pleasant outdoor environments — and not necessarily for lucrative purposes. The benefits of transforming rooftops extend not only to residents but to entire cities at large.
In densely populated areas where scant land is available, underused roofs offer the opportunity to expand green urban areas, promoting urban biodiversity, improving the well-being of city dwellers and reducing negative environmental impact. With green roof technology, rooftops no longer accumulate heat during the day, creating the so-dreaded heat island effect. Instead, they retain rainwater and capture CO2 and pollutants. Turning rooftops into pleasant outdoor spaces accessible to building residents is an effective use of otherwise wasted built space and offers the opportunity to replace lost habitats.
Improving the Quality of Life for City Dwellers
Architects, developers, builders, landscape architects/designers and product manufacturers are the ideal team to create cohesive, functional and sustainable buildings that improve city dwellers’ quality of life. Architectural examples worldwide demonstrate that the effort to counter the overpopulation of urban areas and the scant green spaces is global. They differ, however, in the architectural vocabulary, which, in each case, facilitates the integration of buildings into their specific context, taking into account cultural, climatic and economic factors.
90-unit housing development in Saint-Ouen, France, by Atelier du Pont. Photo by Takuji Shimmura.
Take, for example, Atelier du Pont 90-unit mixed-use building in Saint-Ouen, near Paris, France, which draws inspiration from the city’s industrial heritage. The project offers private open spaces at various levels and a shared community garden, a gathering spot for the building’s residents.
The building’s overall massing of staggered concrete “boxes” maximizes natural daylight, while brightly colored metal balconies provide private outdoor spaces. On the sixth floor, a community garden offers open space for residents to grow their own organic vegetables and socialize. As open spaces in cities dwindle, rooftops and terraces open a world of opportunities.
Avalon Bay Urban Housing Landscape by Todd Rader + Amy Crews Architecture Landscape Architecture LLC, New York City, NY
Meanwhile, our next case study brings us to the New York City, where Todd Rader + Amy Crews designed the landscapes at Avalon Bowery Place in the heart of the concrete jungle, where scant land is available. The new landscapes root the project in the urban context and provide open space for the building’s residents and the neighborhood.
The project includes three landscapes at the ground level and two on building rooftops. While the ground-level landscapes unify the complex through visual connection and material selection, the roof terraces are physically isolated landscapes in the sky, where they enjoy sunny exposure and participate in the aerial archipelago formed by the landscape of city rooftops.
Nieuw Bergen by MVRDV, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Finally, let’s take a look at The Nieuw Bergen — a multi-unit housing development in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Its design responds to an urban strategy tool that the architects, MVRDV, have been developing and implementing in cities on the way to sustainable densification. This strategy establishes environmentally friendly and dynamic living conditions for residents. The sloped roofs maximize sunlight for the buildings and the public spaces at street level, resulting in significant energy savings. The diverse roofscape of solar panels and greenery complement the area’s architectural character of new and existing buildings.
So, given all of the clear urban benefits demonstrated by the private initiatives explored in these examples, what would it look like to implement green roof design at an urban scale? Well, one European city has already recognized the broader benefits of mandating this architectural upgrade and is exploring ways to provide impetus for designers to incorporate green roofs in their plans.
Barcelona Living Terrace Roofs and Green Roofs Initiative
Following the example of other European cities, Barcelona has been promoting environmentally conscious initiatives, offering sustainable solutions to reduce pollution and increase access to green areas (internationally, Barcelona’s popular superblock concept has received a lot of coverage). Now, the Living Roofs and Green Covers initiative highlights the social and environmental benefits of green roofs and, since 2017, has been the platform to launch the Green Roof Competitions to promote the creation of green rooftops in privately owned residential buildings.
Initiatives like this one are paramount to raising environmental awareness. According to the Guide to Living Terrace Roofs and Green Roofs published by the City of Barcelona in 2014, it is estimated that 67% of the surface area of roofs in Barcelona (1,764.4 hectares) could be landscaped. If this could ever be achieved, the temperature in the city would drop by approximately two degrees, the green area per resident would more than double and the levels of air pollution would be considerably lower.
The Expansion of the Green Roof Market
The surface area that city building roofs cover is vast, and the social and environmental benefits of greening these surfaces are considerable. Building owners invest in green roofs, designers dream up the plans, and city authorities play a major role in spreading the practice. Choosing between living in the suburbs close to nature and living in the city near work is no longer necessary. Building residents are looking for homes with outdoor access, especially since the pandemic.
Aware of the increasingly popular demand, the real estate industry sees multi-unit residential buildings with partially or entirely planted rooftops as an architectural trend that adapts to a contemporary lifestyle. But how fast is the green roof market expanding? Studies indicate that the global green roof market has been steadily growing at a rate of 17% since 2020 and is expected to grow at this same rate through 2027. Limitations for this growth? Unfavorable climate conditions and maintenance requirements.
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 this lookbook, we’ve rounded up eight home interiors featuring entrance halls including a home in Devon with clay walls and a double-height entry space in Mexico.
Entrance halls can be described as the space that is located directly inside of the main entry point into the home.
These spaces are often hallways that lead to multiple different rooms in the home. They are typically where first impressions are made and can set the tone for the rest of the home.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bathrooms with colourful features, homes with cross-laminated timber and mix-and-match flooring.
Photo is by Markus Linderoth
Timjan, Sweden, by Johan Sundberg Arkitektur
At this home in an apple orchard in Lund, Swedish practice Johan Sundberg Arkitektur applied a modern finish to the 1920s villa by adding an extension that contrasted with its 20th-century style.
Plywood panelling covers the interior of the home and is paired with expanses of glass in the home’s entrance hall. A large clerestory window was placed above the entrance to the home, which is marked by a simple wood-framed glass door.
Find out more about Timjan ›
Photo is by Ramon Portelli
Mill House, Malta, by Valentino Architects
Architecture studio Valentino Architects transformed a collection of 16th-century stone buildings in Malta into a family home that surrounds a central courtyard.
From a large wooden door, original stone arches line the home’s entrance hall above a polished concrete floor that runs through the entirety of the building. A large planter decorates the entrance hall and visually links to the history of the original 1920s villa.
Find out more about Mill House ›
Photo is by Fabian Martinez
Casa Tres Árboles, Mexico, by Direccion
This home in Valle de Bravo, Mexico was renovated by Mexican studio Direccion and was designed to celebrate natural materials, the contrasts of light and shadows and convey a feeling of refuge and retreat.
The entrance hall at Casa Tres Árboles has a wide span and a double height that allows light to be drawn into the space. Much like the rest of the home, the space was decorated with a simplistic yet rustic interior palette and uses black micro cement and wood across its floor.
Find out more about Casa Tres Árboles ›
Photo is by Adam Scott
A Cloistered House, UK, by Turner Architects
The walls at the entrance hall of A Cloistered House by British studio Turner Architects were covered in pale sage green that allow the home’s original dark wood flooring to be the focal feature of the space.
Dado railings, skirting boards and arch moulding trims were painted white to contrast against the green walls and highlight the London home’s classical details. A black-painted bannister flanks the side of the wooden staircase.
Find out more about A Cloistered House ›
Photo is by German Sáiz
Conde Duque apartment, Spain, by Sierra + De La Higuera
Madrid-based architecture studio Sierra + De La Higuera refurbished this apartment in its hometown by creating an open-plan living and dining arrangement, which are divided by a wood-clad entrance hall.
Wood panelling covers the walls of the entrance hall and complements the mustard yellow glazed herringbone tiling that covers the floor of the space.
Find out more about Conde Duque apartment ›
Photo is by Michael Sinclair
Palace Gate apartment, UK, by Tala Fustok Studio
This apartment in a Victorian mansion block that neighbours Hyde Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, was transformed into a “calm sanctuary” by Tala Fustok Studio to balance the business of the city.
The entrance hall was decorated with a woven chair, a large Venetian mirror and a stone plinth that was sourced from MAH Gallery in east London. A large vase from Flow Gallery was placed on top of the plinth and is host to a single stem.
Find out more about Palace Gate apartment ›
Photo is by Jim Stephenson
Made of Sand, UK, by Studio Weave
London architecture office Studio Weave added a two-story timber-clad extension to a stone cottage in Devon, England. The extension was designed to provide accommodation and workspace for the client’s family and visitors.
The interior of the extension and the walls of its entrance hall were clad in rust-coloured clay with subtle curving edges that blend into the door frames and walls. A bench lines the wall of the entrance hall and was topped with two pillows.
Find out more about Made of Sand ›
Washington DC home, US, by Colleen Healey
An arched, tunnel-like hallway marks the entrance to this renovated home in Washington DC’s Logan Circle by architecture studio Colleen Healey Architecture.
The white, tunnel-like entrance hall leads directly into an open-plan kitchen dining and living area that includes an exposed brick wall and diagonally laid flooring that helps to disguise the home’s skewed walls.
Find out more about Washington DC home ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring split-level living areas, residential lifts and concrete bathrooms.
three timber houses stand in china’s mountainous countryside
Super Normal Design Office assembles a set of country houses in a tiny village at the bottom of Emei Mountain, reusing old materials. Surrounded by wild foliage, three timber buildings stand hidden behind huts, paddy fields, and untamed springs in Sichuan Province, China. Each building serves a distinct purpose while sharing the same easy-living character of the countryside. Respecting Chinese natural aesthetics the design concept ‘regenerates farmland buildings’ former appearance’ in selected reclaimed materials.
all images courtesy of Super Normal Design
new + old materiality composes the solitary farmhouses
Overlooking Emei’s peak to the west, and the rice field to the east, the solitary houses blend seamlessly with their surrounding landscape. The residence’s open layout interconnects indoor and outdoor zones in a natural unforced ambiance. Both the framework and the furniture in the interior and exterior spaces were carefully carved out with no excessive ornamentation. Concepts of ‘new’ + ‘old’ coexist in the construction forming balanced wooden volumes. Super Normal Design used previously discarded timber elements, locally sourced, following an approach of environmental protection and sustainability. All textures and finishes display earthy hues and tones in minimal design.
observation hallway runs around the main volume
open layout interconnects indoor and outdoor zones
Production designer Kate Byron used vintage “treasures” and referenced key modernist architecture to create the set of psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling, which was shot in California’s Palm Springs.
Byron drew on the architecture and interior style of the many modernist buildings that dominate the landscape in the desert city to create Victory – a fictional, utopian 1950s-style society where the film takes place.
Katie Byron referenced modernist architecture for the film
“We wanted to build a playful and debaucherous take on the 1950s, when there was this illustrious progressive, mid-century modern movement happening,” Byron told Dezeen.
“The world of Victory is supposed to be alluring, it’s supposed to be beautiful and sultry and sumptuous and opulent.”
It was shot in Palm Springs, a Californian city famous for its modernist architecture
Directed by actor and director Olivia Wilde, Don’t Worry Darling follows fiery couple Alice and Jack – played by British actor Florence Pugh and musician and actor Harry Styles – as they go from living in an idealistic paradise to a troubled world fraught with secrets, control and manipulation.
The characters move across a quintessential Palm Springs backdrop of low-slung buildings with clean lines by architects including Richard Neutra, Harold Bissner Junior and Albert Frey.
Kaufmann House was one of the filming locations
Several scenes, such as a cocktail party hosted by the leader of Victory which took place in Neutra’s Kaufmann House, were shot in real modernist buildings, while the home of protagonists Alice and Jack was built in a Los Angeles studio.
“We’re really lucky in California to have access to this architecture and in my history of being an architecture student and a production designer, I’ve gotten to visit a lot of these houses in person,” Byron said.
“I was interested in Neutra, but also Frey was a huge inspiration for us because of that playful wholesomeness that he embodied,” she said.
Alice and Jack’s house is filled with locally sourced props
Byron, who studied architecture at University of California, Berkeley, threaded more subtle modernist details into the interiors of Don’t Worry Darling through devices such as colour.
“A colour we used quite a bit was Frey’s favourite colour – this Frey blue – which is like a robin’s-egg blue that he puts in all of his buildings,” explained Byron.
“There’s also a colour that Kaufman House has quite a bit of; Neutra put this really, really, really dark brown that almost feels black, but it has this warmth to it,” she continued. “We weaved that throughout the film as well.”
Byron used lots of glass and mirrors throughout the set
Byron sourced vintage products from shops and prop houses in LA for Alice and Jack’s home, which recalls “cookie-cutter” houses – rows of identical homes found in idyllic depictions of 1950s suburbia.
Much of the furniture seen was built from scratch, in part because the film was shot during the autumn of 2020 when many vendors were unavailable or had long lead times as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“When you’re in Palm Springs, they just have these antique stores and even in thrift stores and Facebook marketplace you can find really special things,” the designer recalled.
“That’s also one of the most amazing things about Los Angeles – there are infinite prop houses here so we shopped quite a bit at all the local prop houses,” she continued.
“The television in Alice and Jack’s house is from this vendor called RC Vintage, which is just like a treasure trove place of antique electronics.”
Much of the furniture was made from scratch
Other smaller references were embedded into Byron’s material choices, primarily glass, stone and brick.
Meanwhile, the designer paid homage to Neutra’s storage cabinets, which the production team filled with items such as business cards, cleaning supplies and photographs of Alice and Jack to make the set feel more real for the actors.
“Keeping with Neutra as our design inspiration, the house is designed with a lot of storage in mind – we wanted all of this stuff to be cleanly kept behind doors,” Byron said.
The desert setting is designed to look like a utopia
Byron hoped that by incorporating playful elements throughout the set she could “subvert” the sense of normalcy in Victory and play with the audience’s expectations of a thriller.
“The thriller follows a formula often, and I thought it could be really great to just subvert that,” she said.
“I think the level of play helps viewers feel like they want to be there and if it wasn’t for the playful aesthetic, I think we would be expecting something to go wrong,” she added.
Don’t Worry Darling is not the only film that draws on a key architectural movement to inform its set. Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs film sets were heavily informed by metabolist architecture, while Black Panther’s “voluptuous” sets recalled works by architect Zaha Hadid.
