Archinect - News

Kéré Architecture breaks ground on new timber childcare center at the Technical University of Munich

2024-04-24T15:45:00-04:00

Kéré Architecture has broken ground on a new all-wood childcare facility at the Technical University Munich (TUM). The design of the Ingeborg Pohl Kinderoase an der TUM is 700 square meters (7,500 square feet) in total and will hold space for 60 children in service to faculty members and their families.

Image copyright Kéré Architecture

The building, made possible through a donation from philanthropist Ingeborg Pohl, is defined by its playful interior, which incorporates a variety of scales and unique circulatory features, such as slides that connect each of its five floors.

Image copyright Kéré Architecture

Administrative suites are placed at the ground level, with three floors dedicated to children and divided by age group. A green roof play area called the Himmelswiese (German for “field of the heavens”) completes the program above. The firm has emphasized its use of timber throughout is meant to “take the sustainability of the building to the extreme.”

Image copyright Kéré Archi...

Montreal home becomes a ‘playhouse for kids and adults’ by Indee Design

2024-02-14T11:47:00-05:00

Montreal-based interior designers Indee Design have completed what the studio describes as “a playhouse for kids (and adults!)” in the city. Named Atelier Chabot, the scheme saw the transformation of an existing duplex into a single-family home featuring curated furnishings themed around play.

Image credit: Caroline Thibault

“On a mission looking to change the lives of their family, the owners were trying to decide whether to take a trip around the world by sea or to purchase a home,” the team explains. “This project combines both of those dreams, which seemed to oppose one another. For these great travelers, the notion of travel became the common thread of this project, which inspired the idea of creating a space where the inner child can awaken within.”

Image credit: Caroline Thibault

While the beams and brick walls of the original duplex were preserved, the unit was otherwise overhauled to remove overly-confining partiti...

Multistudio begins work on special infill housing project designed with the help of local schoolchildren

2023-08-31T12:12:00-04:00

Multistudio has broken ground on a noteworthy new four-residence supportive housing project in Lawrence, Kansas, which they say is evocative of their goal of pushing the limits of what’s possible within their community and the industry as a whole.

The project involved collaborating with clients of the nonprofit Tenants to Homeowners and two classes of local elementary school students from the Limestone Community School who sourced materials for the construction with help from the Parsons School of Design.

Image: © Multistudio

The project was enacted to create infill housing on a lot connected to an adjacent bike loop. The first home design features two bedrooms and an open-concept kitchen and living area in addition to a covered patio and bathroom that can be used as an emergency shelter in the event of a tornado. A solution involving a pair of donated solar panels that helped to make the home’s functioning all-electric is likely to be enacted later. Further donations to the project...

New 'Architecture for kids' podcast shares resources on the best engagement practices for children

2023-08-22T15:20:00-04:00

A new podcast series aimed at enhancing educators’ ability to teach architecture to school children is now available thanks to a collaboration between the UK's Built Environment Trust, Thornton Education Trust, and the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University.

Hosted by Architecture for kids CIC founder Antonio Capelao, the ten-episode series engages with various practitioners, academics, and other experts in design education who are working at the field's leading edges with the long-term goal of encouraging wider participation in the built environment from a young age.

The producers share: "These short and to-the-point podcasts hope to improve the interplay between the fields of the built environment and education as we share knowledge between the practitioner, the creative, and the primary school teacher. Exploring how to prepare children and young people for economic, environmental, and societal challenges, and for their professional lives according to today’s needs an...

3XN shares new Copenhagen Children's Hospital images ahead of 2026 opening

2023-08-16T13:57:00-04:00

3XN has shared photos of their nearly complete Copenhagen Children’s Hospital project in the Danish capital.

Spanning 58,000 square meters (about 624,300 square feet), the design will yield a total of 219 beds for children, teens, and pregnant women, 15 operating rooms, 57 ambulatory care suites for children and adolescents, another 30 for adults, 14 delivery rooms, and a nuclear diagnostics center.

Once it opens early next year, the hospital will have a capacity for 900 persons in addition to 1,200 staff. The firm says its design is meant to harness the power of play as a palliative measure and will be completed at a cost of $350 million for its client, the Capital Region of Denmark.

Image: 3XN

Formed by two asterisk-shaped volumes meant to evoke the image of a pair of widespread hands connected together at the wrist plate, the bays inside the individual "fingers" in the design are bookended by winter gardens at the tips and share a central core reserved for family lounge...

The Met unveils designs for new children's learning center ahead of September opening

2023-06-14T18:49:00-04:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has set a date for the opening of the new 81st Street Studio children’s education space created by KOKO Architecture + Design.

This September 9th will see the daylong dedication festival for the new learning center, which takes over a renovated space in the museum’s Harold D. Uris Center for Education. The 3,500-square-foot design will offer free activities to children ages 3–11 and their caregivers, offering itself as an “interactive space that reimagines how the Museum can inspire exploration of its encyclopedic collection, amplify curiosity, and create new experiences for The Met’s youngest visitors.”

Museum director Max Hollein says: ”This is a project that was made possible by so many and with strong support to create something unique for our younger audiences.”

Rendering: Brick Visual. Image: KOKO Architecture + Design, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Education is a critical — and very exciting — part of The Met’s mission, ...

A flexible Japanese nursery school that functions like a village

2023-06-07T15:12:00-04:00

Takeru Shoji Architects has designed a nursery school in Niigata, Japan, that forms a seamless connection between its rooms, the building, and the surrounding area. Called The Center for Early Childhood Education and Care, the school is dedicated to the principles of engaging “naturally with nature.”

Image © Koji Fujii (toreal)

The single-story wooden building was designed to establish a mutual relationship between it and the surrounding village, in which the village is involved in the children’s learning and play, and the nursery functions to revitalize the village.

Image © Koji Fujii (toreal)

A series of workshops, including childcare researchers and workers, parents, and local residents, was conducted to discuss the potential of hosting a school that would serve an area with an aging population and declining birthrate. The participants decided on a vision to create the nursery school to work like a village and for the village to function like a nursery ...

Arup’s VR95 experience tool offers the vantage point of small children for urban planners

2023-04-29T08:00:00-04:00

An immersive new VR experience tool developed by Arup called VR95 is helping architects and urban designers immerse themselves in the unique perspective of children in the hopes of creating a better environment for them to dwell in.

Arup feels this is an important venture as nearly 70% of the world’s population is expected to inhabit cities by mid-century. In order to prepare, they reached out to the Bernard Van Leer Foundation for help developing an experience that gives users a sense of the world at only 95 centimeters (or a little over three feet) tall.

According to the creators of the tool, it aims to "raise awareness about some of the common challenges currently faced by young children in cities around the world, and encourage decision-makers and thought leaders into thinking from the perspective of a 3-year-old."

Related Feature on Archinect: How Digital Spaces Can Shape Cities as We Exit the Pandemic

It is included as part of the Proximity of Care Design Guide, a tool that ap...

A children's mental health facility in Melbourne designed for a new health care typology

2022-03-29T14:58:00-04:00

Kerstin Thompson Architects and Bloxas have “invented” a new health care typology in their design for a children’s mental health facility in Melbourne’s north. The $7.3 million Statewide Child and Family Centre in Macleod will provide mental health services for children aged up to 11 who have experienced negative or traumatic events.

According to Kerstin Thompson and Bloxas principal Anthony Clarke, their design is based on the innovative care model developed by clinicians at Melbourne’s Austin Health. The main challenge for the architects was creating both a residential atmosphere and environment where children felt they have instrumentality and choice. They also wanted to break down the dichotomous patient-clinical dynamic of the setting. The team, thus, explored a number of different types of children’s spaces, such as childcare centers, children's libraries, and Maggie's Centers, which provide support for cancer patients.

Specific features in this new type of facility include the separation of therapy-focused areas from other spaces reserved for other activities, such as play areas, for the purpose of ridding confusion between positive and negative spatial association. Transition zones were also added, allowing individual decision-making to occur. In addition, garden spaces are present in all of the key spa...

10 libraries and reading spaces we liked this week

2021-03-26T14:41:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Learning Spaces.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ The Church in Sag Harbor, NY by SKOLNICK Architecture + Design Partnership

↑ The Grolier Club in New York, NY by Ann Beha Architects; Photo: Michael Moran

↑ Cruzen-Murray Academic Library, College of Idaho in Caldwell, ID by Richärd Kennedy Architects; Associate Architect: McKibben + Cooper; Photo: Gabe Border Photography

↑ NLL Children's Library in Riga, Latvia by GAISS; Illustrations: Rūta Briede; Photo: Ansis Starks

↑ Earl G. Graves School of Business & Management in Baltimore, MD by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF); Architect of Record: Ayers Saint Gross; Photo: Tim Griffith

↑ <OOZOORO 1216> : Tween Section...

10 new architectural spaces designed for kids

2021-03-19T13:26:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Kids Spaces.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Kids Barbershop "ByBliss" in Odessa, Ukraine by JK Lab Architects; Photo: Natalia Nagorna

↑ NLL Children's Library in Riga, Latvia by GAISS; Illustrations: Rūta Briede; Photo: Ansis Starks

↑ Playground in the outdoor gallery "Walking in the Clouds" in Suwon, South Korea by EUS+ARCHITECTS; Photo: Myungho Kang

↑ Bookend House in Santa Monica, CA by ORA (Oonagh Ryan Architects Inc.)

↑ Park School in Mortsel, Belgium by Binst Architects; Environmental Construction: TV Thiers – Dujardin Landschapsarchitecten

↑ Peninsula Residence in San Francisco, CA by Richard Beard Architects; Interior Design: Kelly Hohla Interiors; Pho...

Center for Architecture creates #architectureathome activities for kids

2020-05-04T13:33:00-04:00

To help parents and kids get through the stay-at-home period, architecture institutions like the ASLA and firms like Foster + Partners have created fun activities to keep everyone busy and creative!

Known for their K-12 public learning programs, the Center for Architecture has found a way to help kids develop new skill sets while instilling the importance of learning about the built environment.

Image courtesy of Center for Architecture

The Center for Architecture partnered with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development to create #ArchitectureatHome. These online resources provide fun family activities that explore ways kids can learn about architecture at home. From "How to make a Blueprint Drawing" to the "ABC's of Architecture," these activities keep young minds stimulated.

Each activity comes with downloadable PDF content that parents and educators can use for classroom exercises and fun at-home activities.

10 libraries, schools, and learning environments for your Friday inspiration

2020-04-17T15:18:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Learning Spaces.

↑ Royal College of Pathologists in London, UK by Bennetts Associates; Photo: Gareth Gardner (Bennetts Associates was also recently featured in Archinect's Studio Visits series)

↑ Bavilion in Punjab, India by Studio Ardete; Photo: Ar. Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

↑ Brooklyn Law School in Brooklyn, NY by BKSK Architects, LLP in partnership with SmithGroup; Photo: Raimund Koch

↑ Edible Schoolyard PS216 in Gravesend, NY by WORKac; Photo: Iwan Baan

↑ The Children's Library at Concourse House in Bronx, NY by MKCA // Michael K Chen Architecture

↑ Swawou Girls' School in Kenema, Sierra Leone by Orkidstudio

↑ Bishop’s University Learn...

Risk-Averse Design: What would Aldo van Eyck think of playgrounds today?

2019-11-01T10:28:00-04:00

Going to the park and playing in the playground is a memorable childhood past time. However, with the increase of risk-averse design, have these beloved spaces for children to frolic, climb, and fall become too dull for children? Oliver Wainwright of the Guardian addresses an excellent perspective towards these "risk-averse" play areas, outlining how "architects are taking issue with risk-averse playgrounds full of sluggish roundabouts and tiny climbing frames."

Regarding this specific subject, it's difficult not to think of Aldo van Eyck and his iconic playground designs found throughout Amsterdam. The famed Dutch architect played a pivotal role in transforming Amsterdam's playground landscape for children after World War II.

Image © Aldo van Eyck Archive / Amsterdam City Archive

Image courtesy of WikiCommons

Thanks to Mariabruna Fabrizi of SOCKS, her informative piece on van Eyck analyzes details highlighting his 30 year research and its relevance to urban design for children. Fab...

The Heights: BIG and Leo A Daly complete terraced school building for creative learning in Arlington

2019-10-30T14:20:00-04:00

Stacked onto a compact site along Arlington's Rosslyn-Ballston corridor in Virginia, The Heights by BIG and executive architect LEO A DALY is a new 180,000 square-foot academic building that brings two existing secondary schools under one roof. The Heights is BIG's first U.S. public school — and their fourth school project to be completed within the last academic year.

The Danish firm worked with Arlington Public Schools (APS), WRAP (West Rosslyn Area Plan), and the local Arlington community on the building's design, which supports H-B Woodlawn Program's visual and performing arts-focused programs as well as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program's resources for students aged 11 to 22 with specialized educational needs.

Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu.

Designed to accommodate up to 775 students, the cascading, glazed-brick building comprises five rectangular classroom "bars" that fan out from a central axis point. Above each floor is a green ter...

10 fresh architectural spaces designed for kids

2019-09-27T13:06:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Kids Spaces.

↑ Nook, a new children’s play and learning space in Ballston, VA by Mickus Projects; Photo: Abby Jiu

↑ Kindergarten & Nursery in Linz, Austria by lobmaier architekten zt gmbh; Photo: Kurt Hoerbst

↑ Plainsboro Public Library in Plainsboro, NJ by BKSK Architects, LLP; Photo: Ruggero Vanni

↑ Avenues: The World School, New York Expansion in New York, NY by Eleven of Eleven Architecture; Base Building Architect: Morris Adjmi Architects; Executive Architect: Murdock Solon Architects; Photo: Ernst Fischer

↑ Nakuru Children's Home in Nakuru, Kenya by Orkidstudio

↑ Children's Museum of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA by Koning Eiz...

How Canadian designer Eric McMillan redefined the way we play through the Ontario Place Children's Village

2019-08-01T19:33:00-04:00

Watching the way children used his equipment, often in ways he could never have anticipated, made him more and more certain: play wasn’t a frivolous distraction from learning, but something essential to childhood and indeed humanity. [...] According to his design philosophy, each park wasn’t just a place to jump on a shockingly large air mattress. It was “a place where a child can ask questions of what it means to be human.”

Journalist Nicholas Hune-Brown profiles Canadian designer Eric McMillan, who started out his career as an exhibition designer and was then thrown into the spotlight after he designed the Ontario Place Children's Village in Toronto. Suddenly becoming the expert on children's design, McMillan incorporated elements that aimed to help kids learn through play — which includes helping create the world's first ball pit.

In the piece, McMillan looks back on those years — from the thought process behind the iconic Toronto playground, to how changing attitudes towards playgrounds led to the end of those glory years, to what he thinks should be done with the now-defunct site.

“The key was to build things that sparked interaction, between kids and the equipment, but especially between the kids themselves,” Hune-Brown writes in the piece.

Architects install transnational pink seesaws at U.S.-Mexico border wall

2019-07-31T14:25:00-04:00

It may seem like an ordinary scene: Children and adults playing on pink seesaws, carelessly laughing and chatting with each other But this is a playground unlike any other. These custom-built seesaws have been placed on both sides of a slatted steel border fence that separates the United States and Mexico.

The binational Teetertotter Wall intervention, connecting Sunland Park, New Mexico with Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, is the brainchild of Ronald Rael, a professor of architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and Virginia San Fratello, an associate professor of design at San José State University.

View this post on Instagram One of the most incredible experiences of my and @vasfsf’s career bringing to life the conceptual drawings of the Teetertotter Wall from 2009 in an event filled with joy, excitement, and togetherness at the borderwall. The wall became a literal fulcrum for U.S. - Mexico relations and children and adults were connected in meaningful ways on both sides with the recognition that the actions that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side. Amazing thanks to everyone who made this event possible like Omar Rios @colectivo.chopeke for collaborating with us, the guys at Taller Herrería in #CiudadJuarez for their fine cra...

Interboro Partners, H3 Studio among designers of 17-acre “Nature Playscape” for Forest Park, St. Louis

2019-07-16T19:34:00-04:00

“We want this to be an evolving place for people to come back again and again,” said [Lesley Hoffarth, president and executive director of Forest Park Forever]. It will change with the seasons and change as people decide how to use it, she said.

Having easier access to green urban spaces and thoughtfully sprucing up public parks would ideally be higher priorities for cities across the U.S. In Missouri, nonprofit conservancy Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis celebrated the groundbreaking yesterday of the upcoming 17-acre Nature Playscape in historic Forest Park, located in the western part of town.

Scheduled to open in 2020, Nature Playscape is being built to encourage local residents of all backgrounds to get outdoors and allow kids and their developing minds to engage with nature and reap the benefits of spending time outdoors. The project is the first of its kind at this scale in the region.

The Meadow at the Forest Park Nature Playscape. Image courtesy of Forest Park Forever.

A team of landscape architecture and play-space experts that included the Natural Learning Initiative, H3 Studio, Interboro Partners, and Rubus Landscape Architecture developed and designed the project in collaboration with Forest Park F...

What happens when kids design their own bedrooms?

2019-04-12T13:44:00-04:00

With their unabashed imagination, fresh perspectives, and uninhibited curiosity, young adults have a lot of talent to offer the world of design. And, what better way to let them explore their aesthetic capabilities than giving them free reign to design their own bedrooms? That's why, when seeking new sources of home design inspiration, Angie's List decided to look through the eyes of a child.

Inaya, a 5-year-old from Pakistan, wanted cartoonishly large puzzle-pieces on her walls, while Elias, a 7-year-old from Greece, wanted a forest-like room due to his love of squirrels. The two, along with five other participants ages 5 to 10, were each given the open-ended brief to draw whatever they wanted in their rooms, and so they did. Researchers also conducted a short Q & A with their parents to get further insight into their lives and interests. Afterwards, the project was handed over to an interior designer, a CG artist, and others to help bring these drawings to life in realistic CGI r...

A children's book to gift to your little aspiring architect

2018-12-28T17:03:00-05:00

Through gorgeous illustrations and a relatable story Norman's Architecture Adventure teaches children how having an imagination is the greatest adventure anyone can have. Nothing holds Norman back, he sees what could be and he creates it. He is unrestricted by age, ethnicity, or preconceptions.

Now published and available for purchase online, Norman's Architecture Adventure is a fun children's book written & illustrated by Joshua P. Sanabria. By following the steps of a young African American boy that aspires to be an architect just like his mom, the book not only hopes to foster kids' curiosity and imagination but also to encourage more African Americans to pursue architecture.

With help from the local community, Michael K. Chen Architecture designs new Children's Library for a Bronx homeless shelter

2018-12-07T15:29:00-05:00

Many of us fondly look back on childhood memories of going to the local library. The new Children's Library at the Concourse House — a Bronx-based shelter that serves women with young children who are transitioning out of homelessness — was created to bring that meaningful, formative experience to kids who may not have access to their own books.

Designed pro-bono by New York-based Michael K. Chen Architecture (MKCA), the Children's Library took over an underused mezzanine space in the shelter. Underneath a vaulted ceiling, it now offers a welcoming, playful learning environment that's flexibly designed for individual and group readings, story time, and other book-related programming.

Photo: Alan Tansey.

The space sure wouldn't feel like a library without the round, illuminated shelving unit, which is now filled with about 1,200 children's books donated by Sisters Uptown Bookstore. The shelving unit also serves as a permeable protective barrier be...

10 inspiring examples of schools, libraries, and other learning environments

2018-09-14T14:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Learning Spaces.

↑ Stapleton Library in Stapleton, NY by Andrew Berman Architect; Photo: Naho Kubota

↑ Queen Mary, University of London: Graduate Centre in London, UK by WilkinsonEyre; Photo: Jack Hobhouse

↑ Alfriston School in Buckinghamshire, UK by Morris+Company

↑ Mississippi Library Commission Headquarters in Jackson, MS by Duvall Decker Architects

↑ New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, NJ by Marvel Architects

↑ Rutgers Business School in Piscataway, NJ by TEN arquitectos; Photo: Peter Aaron/ESTO

↑ Abercrombie Building, Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, UK by Design Engine Architects

↑ Counter Culture Coffee Trainin...

10 new architectural spaces designed for kids

2018-08-03T15:55:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Kids Spaces.

↑ Frederiksvej Kindergarten in Frederiksberg, Denmark by COBE

↑ Act for Kids Child and Family Centre for Excellence in Townsville, Australia by m3architecture

↑ A hat on the tree in Shanghai, China by Mur Mur Lab

↑ Dr. Seuss Playhouse in Grand Junction, CO by Bldg Seed Architects

↑ Primary School in Murteira, Portugal by NOZ Arquitectura; Photo: Fernando Guerra

↑ MARTaK in Loveland, CO by Andrew Michler

↑ Water Pavilion in Ann Arbor, MI by Synecdoche Design Studio

↑ Vestre Fjord Park in Aalborg, Denmark by ADEPT; Photo: Ramus Hjortshoj - COAST

↑ Silverlake Residence in Los Angeles, CA by Laney LA

Click here to see mor...

AIA teams up with National Girls Collaborative to build new educational pathways to architecture for girls

2018-03-01T14:33:00-05:00

In their latest effort to advance diversity and equity in the architecture profession, today the AIA and the National Girls Collaborative announced their new partnership to create new pathways for girls to achieve educational goals that will prepare them for future careers in the architecture and STEM fields.

Based in Seattle, the NGC teams up with organizations around the U.S. that are committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers. The group also runs The Connectory, the largest directory of youth-focused STEM programs in the country.

“Architecture represents an innovative blend of design and crucial STEM skills,” said Karen Peterson, the National Girls Collaborative CEO, in a statement. “Thanks to this partnership with AIA, we are looking forward to engaging more girls in architecture activities and career paths.”

On March 22, the NGC will host a one-hour webinar on how architecture and design programs around the U.S. can use The Connectory. It'll also be pos...

World's tallest (mostly) Lego tower built in memory of eight-year-old cancer victim

2018-01-02T18:50:00-05:00

Plastic building blocks are once again reaching for the sky. This time, it was the city of Tel Aviv that made an attempt to build the tallest Lego tower — or, officially, the tallest structure built with interlocking plastic bricks, not all of them made by the Danish toy giant. [...] a joint effort between Tel Aviv City Hall and Young Engineers, an organization that promotes learning with toy bricks. The tower is intended to honor a child who died from cancer.

"Omer Tower" was built in memory of Omer Sayag, himself an avid fan of the colorful plastic blocks, who lost his battle with cancer in 2014 at the age of 8.

Clocking in at a height of 35.85 meters (117 feet and 7 inches), the structure on Tel Aviv's Rabin Square beat previous world records including the most recent one in Milan in 2015.

Knowledge spaces: 10 school, library, and museum designs that make learning fun

2017-10-20T12:52:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Learning Spaces.

↑ Learning Hub for St Andrew’s Anglican College in Sunshine Coast, Australia by Wilson Architects; Photo: Christopher Frederick Jones

↑ SUNY: Morrisville State College: Center for Design and Technology in Morrisville, NY by Perkins Eastman; Photo: David Revette

↑ Stanford University, GSB Highland Hall in Stanford, CA by Steinberg and Legorreta

↑ Burntwood School in London, UK by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM)

↑ The French International School of Beijing (LFIP) in Beijing, China by Jacques Ferrier Architecture; Photo: Luc Boegly

↑ Toi Ohomai Health Sciences Building in Rotorua, New Zealand by MOAA Architects in...

Dream houses drawn by kids and rendered by professionals

2017-10-17T19:35:00-04:00

There is a wonderful children's book written by Chis Van Dusen called If I Built a House, in which the character Jack embarks on designing the house of his dreams. In the opening pages, Jack announces that "[his] house will be different. It can't be the norm./[He'll] think about traffic flow, function, and form./Oh, it may include shapes like a tower or dome./But [he'll] focus on what makes a building a home."

Like the character Jack, children in general can make great architects. While architects often focus on how they can create spaces—like schools and playgrounds—for children, the less explored question is what can children offer the architect. With their unabashed imagination, young adults have a lot to offer design, which is itself a childlike kind of process that allows you to engage with something in a more immediate kind of way. To this process, children bring fresh perspectives and an uninhibited curiosity, they are spontaneous, honest and have further been found to conce...

Future Aleppo: Syrian boy builds model of his hometown, now on display in Los Angeles

2017-08-11T09:00:00-04:00

A Syrian boy hand-built a model of what his hometown might look like after the country’s civil war, and now “Future Aleppo” is on display in Los Angeles. [...] As he watched his city get demolished, Mohammed carefully crafted his vision for a future Aleppo using paper, wood, colored pencils, and glue. He lovingly recreated destroyed landmarks, like the medieval Citadel and his favorite park, and added imaginary, forward-looking buildings and design features [...].

"While much of his model was destroyed when Mohammed and his family fled to Turkey, the surviving portion was brought to the U.S. by Alex Kalman, founder of Mmuseumm, a pop-up gallery in Manhattan."

KCRW's Design & Architecture host, Frances Anderton, talks to Kalman about the model's adventurous journey from Aleppo via Turkey to New York and how Mohammed's story represents both "the worst in humanity, as well as the best in humanity."

Anderton also interviews young Syrian architect Marwa Al-Sabouni (previously on Archinect), who's hometown Homs — the country's third largest city — suffered immense destruction and human suffering. Her book The Battle for Home: The Vision of a Young Architect in Syria will be out in September.

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Kids Spaces" Pinterest Board

2017-06-23T14:59:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Kids Spaces.

↑ Burntwood School in London, UK by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM)

↑ Broxholm Road in London, UK by Selencky///Parsons

↑ SANDBOXING in Dallas, TX by DSGN AGNC (Quilian Riano, Designer), New Cities Future Ruins (Gavin Kroeber, Curator), Ash Studio (Fabrication)

↑ Hummingbird House Children's Hospice in Brisbane, Australia by ThomsonAdsett; Photo: Alicia Taylor

↑ The Boa Constrictor in the Children's Grand Park-Touch the Story Project in Seoul, South Korea by studio_GAON

↑ Cheetah Mobile global office headquarters in Beijing, China by IDEAL Design & Construction

↑ Chelsea Eco Duplex in New York, NY by Wunderground a...