Archinect - Features

The US Just Defined a Zero Emissions Building: Is It Enough?

2024-06-27T16:46:00-04:00

For the first time, the US government has issued a definition of a 'zero emission building.' While the effort to define a 'zero emission building' is both timely and commendable given the proliferation of unverified titles such as 'net zero' and 'carbon positive' in the AEC sector, shortfalls in the new definition may have unintended consequences.

'Beauty Is a Measure of Ecological Intelligence'; A Conversation with ecoLogicStudio Founders Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto

2023-07-31T09:00:00-04:00

Against the backdrop of a frenzied AI discourse dominated by end-product tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto articulate a refreshing call to adventure. The two ecoLogicStudio founders have built their professional and academic careers at the intersection of computation and biology, allowing them to articulate a vision of artificial intelligence that, in their words, "is more like a slime mold, a spider's web, a microalgae colony, or a mycelium network." Here, the computational and biological find common ground in their use of patterns as meta-language; a commonality that, when pushed, invites both human and non-human designers to shape the built environment as an organism itself rather than a static entity enlivened only by our own mechanics.

For Pasquero and Poletto, this is no theoretical exercise. ecoLogicStudio has already won wide acclaim for its real-world applications of ecological systems in the built environment while also articulating ...

'AI Is a Dangerous Distraction From the Pressing Issues Defining Our Generation'; A Conversation with Liam Young

2023-07-17T08:21:00-04:00

Liam Young was once described by the BBC as “the man designing our future.” In 2023, with open letters penned on the risks of extinction posed by artificial intelligence, such a role should be in high demand.

Young’s speculations on the future take the form of fictional stories that join the dots between culture and technology; a skill which he believes should sit at the core of the architecture profession. Amid the media frenzy on generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT, Young stresses the vital need for a creative discipline that measures the dangers of AI against those of climate change: a crisis which Young sees as more dangerous both for its scale and deceptive ubiquity.

In June 2023, Archinect’s Niall Patrick Walsh spoke with Young about his career across design and media, as well as his views on artificial intelligence, climate change, and the role of the architect in addressing both topics. The discussion, edited slightly for clarity, is published below.

This arti...

‘In the Climate Context, Architects Need to Push a New Frontier’; A Conversation with Mario Cucinella

2023-04-22T05:29:00-04:00

When TECLA was unveiled to the world at the beginning of 2021, it captured the attention of both the architectural community and the imagination of the mainstream media. The world's first 3D-printed house made from raw earth, TECLA was one of 17 projects showcased at COP26 in an exhibition highlighting pathways for the built environment to reduce its carbon footprint.

For Mario Cucinella, the architect behind TECLA, the project represents a broader conviction to “imagine a world where beauty is soulful and sustainable.” This same conviction has seen Cucinella and his team at Mario Cucinella Architects establish not only a portfolio of projects driven by dual principles of sustainability and creativity, but an in-house School of Sustainability encompassing environmentally-themed education, research, and practice.

Archinect’s Niall Patrick Walsh sat down with Cucinella recently at the 2022 World Architecture Festival in Lisbon, Portugal for a wide-ranging discussion encompassing the f...

Op-Ed: A Unique Moment for Landscape Architects

2022-09-21T13:38:00-04:00

I recently joined American Society of Landscape Architects President Eugenia Martin, FASLA, and hundreds of other global leaders in landscape architecture in Gwangju, South Korea, at the International Federation of Landscape Architects World Council Meeting. IFLA represents landscape architects worldwide, with 77 member associations globally, including ASLA in the United States.

The time together was a reaffirmation that the global community of landscape architects share goals to promote and diversify the profession, set high professional standards, and exchange knowledge and best practices across cultures and communities.

Finding Value in Waste: Japan’s Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center is a Temple to Material Reuse

2022-02-03T15:37:00-05:00

Today, building materials account for half of all solid waste generated worldwide every year. In response to mounting concerns over the impact of construction on the built environment, a growing number of architects and material scientists are investigating the potential for recycled materials to form an integral part of future construction. In this article, we reflect on a recently completed building in rural Japan that embodies an alternative approach to the norm; with the added accolade of being perhaps the world's first waste recycling center constructed almost entirely from recycled waste.

Dystopia in the Desert: Expo 2020 Dubai Embodies Our Unsustainable Attitude Towards Urbanism

2021-11-12T12:05:00-05:00

In a confluence of events, the autumn of 2021 saw the opening of both the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow and Expo 2020 in Dubai. While COP26 is billed as "the last chance saloon" to save the planet, Expo 2020 Dubai is described by its organizers as "the most sustainable expo in the history of expos." This opinion piece reflects on how beneath Expo 2020 Dubai's rhetorical and programmatic accolades, the event is in fact a symptom of a systemically unsustainable attitude towards the built environment and a warped exercise in utopian thinking.

Business as Usual or Build Back Better? Architectural Leaders Share Their Thoughts on This Weekend’s COP26 Opening

2021-10-29T15:19:00-04:00

With the opening of the UN COP26 climate summit this weekend, the eyes of the architectural world will be upon Glasgow to see what, if any, effective measures of memoranda will come out of the two-week conference. Past COP summits have resulted in monumental policy measures like the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol. Recent conferences have been seen as less successful. The most recent meeting was dubbed “a major disappointment” after failing to produce a consensus on a number of different key climate issues.

This year’s event is perhaps the most anticipated in the organization’s history. The Queen of England will not be attending. Other prominent figures will skip the conference as well. The architectural community will be well-represented, with contingents from the AIA, RIBA, and other institutions and practitioners who all have stakes in climate change policies and the built environment.

Global voices, from Greta Thunberg to Prince Charles, have derided world leaders for their...

The Architect's Power in Tomorrow's Energy Infrastructure

2021-10-04T14:35:00-04:00

The architecture of energy systems is undergoing a renaissance. As our ability to generate, consume, and store energy in a clean, sustainable way continues to accelerate, spurred by a heightened awareness of climate change, architects are steadily sculpting a new architecture to celebrate, showcase, and interweave these new technologies into the built environment.

To explore this new architecture of energy infrastructure, we spoke with two prominent architecture firms, AL_A and C.F. Møller Architects, both of whom have recently overseen the design of energy schemes that prioritize transparency, interaction, and a contemporary architectural flare. In addition to exploring the design process of energy infrastructure, we reflect on future possibilities for the energy typology and the role that architecture studios large and small can play in shaping it.

Transforming Climate Pessimism Into Resilient Design Action

2021-10-01T08:48:00-04:00

Like in so many places across the US, summer of 2021 was announced by the symphonic celebration of cicadas that, for seventeen long years, were patiently colluding within the earth’s caverns before proclaiming their virtuosity in our parks and green spaces. The cicadas that have made so much noise, literally with their raucous reaching up to 100 decibels, and figuratively as they managed to capture a sensational buzz across various news media, are part of the largest generation of periodic cicadas known as Brood X. The next time we will see these winged torpedoes will be in 2038. By then, the world will look very different.

‘The Regime of Building Is Deeply Flawed’: A Q&A With Graham Foundation Grantee Alican Taylan

2021-09-01T12:36:00-04:00

With exhibitions ranging from an exploration of the structural qualities of Black hairstyling techniques to an examination of local carnival architecture in Trinidad, this year's crop of Graham Foundation Production and Presentation grants has joined a field of notable proposals in their inquiry into the future of architecture and the built environment. Among the twelve grantees in the category, Alican Taylan stands out for his criticism of capitalistic development schemes, industry norms that are out of touch with human needs, and exploitative practices that take advantage of impending ecological emergencies.

Taylan, an architectural designer, critic, and engineer, had been reading Lefebvre and working on marine projects after undergrad when the 2013 Gezi Park protests in Istanbul triggered a shift in his thinking. The protests furthered the idea for him that space is indeed political and sparked an interest in research topics at the center of his forthcoming exhibition. In early ...

FireCity | FireLAnd: New Models of Resilience and Community with UCLA's Hitoshi Abe and Jeffrey Inaba's Research Studios

2021-07-22T13:48:00-04:00

What does building resiliency look like for urban landscapes? With the effects of climate change increasing, architects, urban planners, and landscape architects must work towards land use design strategies while having humans and nature coexist effectively.

The University of California, Los Angeles Department of Architecture and Urban Design's faculty and students continue to unpack challenges between land development and urban conditions. An institution that focuses on collaborative research between its students and faculty, it strives to create learning environments fueled by experimentation and discovery. To highlight these initiatives, Archinect connected with Associate Adjunct Professor Jeffrey Inaba and Professor Hitoshi Abe to discuss their collaborative research studios FireCity and FireLAnd. In addition, they explain common misconceptions students have when learning about urban regeneration, land use, and ways to approach design strategies for fire resilient urban infrastr...

Security, Resilience, and Stewardship: Studio Ma Collaborates with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Building Operations to Create Resilient, Forward-Looking Environments for All

2021-07-02T12:52:00-04:00

Phoenix-based architecture and environmental design firm Studio Ma works with The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Building Operations (OBO) in their architectural research initiative that examines new applications for large-scale institutional buildings. This research explores the application of mass timber, rammed earth, and design solutions for extreme heat and drought conditions.

In an exclusive interview with OBO and Studio MA, Archinect dives into their research objectives and what steps can be taken to develop resilient buildings fit for the world's changing climate.

The Venice Biennale Pressed Pause, While Everyone Else Changed the Game

2021-06-29T08:42:00-04:00

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the way we live, work, and interact has transformed. The architecture world has been forced to adapt in tandem, with our means of design, communication, and education all undergoing rapid changes. Though set against a tragic backdrop, this forced evolution of the industry has opened new avenues for the future of work and education which were either unproven or unconsidered before the pandemic. However, while the rest of the industry evolved, the 2020 Venice Biennale chose to delay its opening date in order to proceed with its traditional format. This opinion piece reflects on how the Biennale may have missed a once-in-a-generation opportunity to radically reform how it promotes contemporary architectural trends, and in doing so, address long-held concerns over its relevance, accessibility, and environmental impact.

Meet the Architects Designing Software to Fight Climate Change

2021-06-14T13:57:00-04:00

The 21st century has seen rapid advances in technology, allowing an ever-increasing portion of the architectural and urban planning process to move into digital space. At the same time, our understanding of the climate crisis and momentum to address it have also gathered pace. Responding to both technological advances and climate awareness, architects and designers have begun to embrace software not just as users, but as creators. To explore this further, we speak with four architecture and design studios who are developing digital tools that respond to the climate crisis. From BIM software plug-ins and carbon calculators to interactive tools that generate location-specific environmental design strategies, these four teams are carving a potential future path for the profession; one with responsibility for the design of both digital and physical systems.

The Butterfly Effect: Retrofitting Low-Income Housing

2021-05-27T13:18:00-04:00

America's low-income housing stock is aging. The human health, social, economic, and environmental consequences of substandard housing is felt not just by their inhabitants, but by the general public. However, a growing number of architects, researchers, and policymakers are identifying a solution: retrofitting. In this article, we take a closer look at the current status of America's low-income and public housing stock, as well as the benefits, methods, and potential futures for a large-scale retrofit campaign that transforms both lives and living conditions.

Smog City: The Fight Against Urban Air Pollution

2021-05-13T12:00:00-04:00

Around the world, cities and citizens continue to suffer from the effects of air pollution. While the COVID-19 pandemic ironically led to a temporary improvement in urban air quality, the status quo for the air we breathe in cities is bleak. In this article, we examine the prevalence, causes, and effects of air pollution in urban environments. In a concluding note of optimism, we also highlight examples of architects using their skills to enhance air quality in cities and improve the health of both humans and nature.

Embodied Carbon and the Aesthetics of an Ecological Age

2021-04-06T08:57:00-04:00

Modernism was said to have died in 1972 with the demolition of the Pruitt-Igoe housing development. Well, many events since seem to contradict that declaration, one of which came as recently as last month with the announcement that the French architects Anne Lacaton & Jean-Philippe Vassal have been awarded this year’s Pritzker Prize. The committee brief states the two’s practice "renews the legacy of modernism." But this must be a reformed modernism, not the same movement that celebrated such starkness, such overdetermined streetscapes, and facades of mid-twentieth-century design. In fact, the entire tabula rasa methodology has yielded to a strategy today that is more gentle, one that emphasizes context and historical juxtaposition.

Architects take Climate Action! Archinect speaks to practitioners and educators taking on the challenge of adapting to the climate emergency

2020-10-12T10:53:00-04:00

The IPCC, backed by the UN Secretary-General, issued a warning in fall 2018 that there are just 12 years left to take action on the climate emergency before triggering a global environmental and economic crisis. ‘Architects Take Climate Action!’ Part I investigated how, catalyzed by inertia in the construction sector, architects have self-organized to call for change and launch targeted campaigns. Major industry bodies, including the AIA, have now confirmed their commitment to support urgent climate action and exponentially accelerate the decarbonization of the built environment. How can architects bring about the deep operational change required across the construction industry in the 10 years which remain?

In Part II, Archinect explores the work of practitioners and educators striving to embed climate principles into their practice and organizations. Matthew Barnett Howland and Dido Milne from CSK Architects, a UK Architects’ Declare signatory firm, explore the opportunities and c...

Architects take Climate Action! Archinect talks climate emergency activism with built environment groups taking a stand

2020-10-05T08:45:00-04:00

The first ‘climate emergency’ declaration by a constituency of suburban Melbourne in 2016 was an early signal that public opinion on global heating and biodiversity loss had shifted from a feeling of concern to that of crisis. Architects and built environment professionals around the world have since joined forces with their colleagues and youth groups in a global climate movement calling for urgent action and pragmatic solutions. In recent years, the visibility of these campaigns has intensified, in part due to the release of an alarming 1.5ºC report from the IPCC, articulated by young Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Today, over 1777 local authorities across 30 nations have declared a ‘climate emergency’, yet, according to the UN Environment Programme’s latest Global Status Report, building construction and operations remain the largest CO2 emitter by sector, accounting for 36% of global energy use and 39% of global energy-related CO2 emissions.

The first of our two-part series, ...

MIT M.Arch Graduate Angeline Jacques Designs a New Conceptual Framework for Glacier National Park

2020-08-13T12:40:00-04:00

Recent MIT M.Arch graduate Angeline Jacques focuses her thesis project, Mission 2066, on the state of National Parks, specifically Glacier National Park in Montana, and how our perceptions and interventions within these parks might change for the future.

According to Jacques, her thesis seeks to, "adapt and deploy a series of interventions that augment and artificialize melting glaciers. These interventions not only assist in easing the speed of change to ecologies and economies reliant on the glaciers but also provide new inhabitations of the park." Archinect connected with Jacques to discuss her thesis project as well as her experiences entering the workforce during a pandemic. As one of the lucky students able to secure a job post-graduation, she shares with us her experiences as a young designer learning how to start her professional career remotely.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extraordinarily challenging year for architecture graduates. Stud...

UCLA's Chinmayi Suri, Xinran Ge, and Xue Zhao Reshape LA's Mountaintops

2020-07-17T13:17:00-04:00

The iconic hills of Los Angeles not only play a role in the city's eccentric history, but also shape its land use trends over the decades. Chinmayi Suri, Xinran Ge ,and Xue Zhao are students in UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's Master of Architecture II (M.Arch.II program). Archinect connected with the trio to discuss their final project, Third Mountain. Studying within the school's IDEAS - Urban Strategy program led by Associate Adjunct Professor Jeffrey Inaba, Gillian Shaffer, and David Jimenez Iniesta, the students explore a the addition of new urban fabric for the city of Los Angeles. According to the group, "These new sites [Third Mountain project] create a different identity for Los Angeles’s urban fabric, inspiring new glamour and ideas of building with earth and landscapes."

The research-based projects at UCLA's IDEA's campus, according to the educators, push students to not only conceptualize possible outcomes through data and prototyping but also to foster solutions fo...

UCLA AUD Master of Architecture II Students Interrogate the Climate Risk of LA Real Estate

2020-06-23T09:00:00-04:00

Wenhan Dong, Linyi Zhang, and Xiyan Wang are students in UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's Master of Architecture II (M.Arch.II program). Archinect caught up with Dong, Zhang, and Wang to discuss their final project within the school's IDEAS - Urban Strategy program. Led by Associate Adjunct Professor Jeffrey Inaba, Gillian Shaffer, and David Jimenez Iniesta students unpack the city of Los Angeles and the effects climate change will have on land-use and development in the year 2050.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extraordinarily challenging year for architecture graduates. Students were displaced as schools shut down, academic communities had to adapt to a new virtual format, end-of-year celebrations were canceled or change...

AIA|LA's Carlo Caccavale on Setting the Tone For Architectural Practice in Los Angeles

2020-02-04T12:05:00-05:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) was founded in 1857 by a group of architects in New York City led by Richard Upjohn. In the more than 160 years since, the organization has grown to over 90,000 members and now represents the interests of professional architects across the country. Nationally, AIA undertakes a variety of initiatives aimed at elevating the professional and economic standing of licensed architects and designers, efforts that include lobbying for legislation, setting ethical and professional standards for practitioners, and pushing for greater sustainability, diversity, and equity among its membership and the work they take on.

The national organization is complemented by state and local chapters, which offer support and organizational infrastructure to keep professional architects engaged with regional issues. The AIA Los Angeles (AIA|LA) chapter is no exception. Created as part of the Southern California chapter of the AIA in 1907 following the establishmen...

Kilograph and Climate Cents Team Up To Rewrite L.A.’s Climate Action Narrative

2020-01-03T14:57:00-05:00

Discussions regarding climate change and the need to make progressive reforms in the built environment are everywhere these days.

Over the last year, calls from architects and the architecture community to strengthen their involvement in fighting the growing climate crisis have increased markedly. From international organizations like Architects Declare to efforts on the part of individual practices to create manifestos to ensure their own accountability towards this issue, it's difficult to avoid talking about sustainability and climate action when discussing architecture.

Individually, however, the task of reinforcing action and follow-through can be tough, but collectively, entities and groups of firms can band together to create not only moments of change, but also movements that advocate for continuous action. To learn more about such collaborations, Archinect spoke with Keely Colcleugh, CEO of Kilograph and Sean Cushing board member of Climate Cents. Together, they unpack th...

It’s Getting Hot in Here: Will Heat Waves Become the New Normal?

2019-07-21T12:28:00-04:00

Let’s face it...it’s hot. Even though it is the summer season, sweltering temperatures ranging in the 100’s with added humidity isn’t due to the season alone. With Archinect’s recent coverage of sustainable cities and alternative building practices to help regulate building temperatures, how can this information be applied to the everyday American? Cities and infrastructures can’t be rebuilt in a day so what can residents, especially those in the Central and Eastern portion of the U.S. do to survive the heat? What can we learn from heat waves like this, and how can the built environment respond to these changes?

One step to staying cool and safe during these extreme weathers is staying informed. In this piece, we break down terms relating to heat waves and learn how the built environment impacts these temperatures.

37 Fearless Moments of Modern History: A Review of ‘The Architecture of Closed Worlds’

2019-02-27T11:36:00-05:00

The 37 prototypes in Lydia Kallipoliti's The Architecture of Closed Worlds reveal the 20th century’s nebulous relationship with science, ecology and architecture in a way that helps make sense of that landmark era. Their presentation in a single publication also doubles, intentionally or not, as a survey of some of the most unusual and visionary experiments in modern history.

If you are in Los Angeles March 6th, join us at Archinect Outpost from 7-9pm to host Lydia Kallipoliti and her newest book! Kallipoliti will provide a lecture, followed by a book signing. RSVP here. The book can be preordered here.

Five Steps to Becoming a More Responsible Architect in the Age of Climate Change

2018-12-13T13:00:00-05:00

The latest climate report by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) anticipates that the world will experience the more extreme effects and consequences of climate change much earlier than originally thought, all within most of the global population’s lifetime. This news, paired with the ongoing world climate crisis, pushes us to maximize our efforts toward a more sustainable future.

As professionals in the AEC industry, we must first acknowledge the effect our work has on the environment and then focus on what steps can we take to mitigate those impacts.

How Can Architecture Respond to the 1.5ºC Imperative?

2018-11-02T12:10:00-04:00

The recent report from the International Panel on Climate Change alters the discussion of architecture and environment. The report, released on October 11, is alarming. As the Guardian puts it “we have 12 years to limit climate catastrophe, warns U.N.” Based on discussions from the IPCC meeting in Paris in 2016, a group of scientists reviewed and summarized thousands of relevant articles to assess the relative goals of 1.5 and 2ºC increase in global average temperature, from an 1850 baseline. It suggests that immediate action is needed—on reducing carbon emissions, on removing carbon from the atmosphere—to keep warming to 1.5ºC, and also warns that governments must begin preparing for social disruption from climate instability.

Beyond 2030, Thoughts on the Anthropocene

2018-10-10T09:00:00-04:00

Soapbox is a weekly series delivering a curated set of lectures, talks and symposia concerning contemporary themes but explored through the archives of lectures past and present. With the plethora of lectures, talks, symposia and panels occurring world wide on a daily basis, how can we begin to keep up and if not, find them once they are gone? Soapbox looks to assemble a selection of recent, archived and outlier lectures surrounding a given theme. Soapbox looks to curate this never-ending library of ideas into an engaging and diverse list of thoughts and provocations. Soapbox is just that, a collection aimed at discovering the occasional needle in a haystack.

Coming off this week's news that we only have twelve more years before a climate change catastrophe hits, we take a look at the Anthropocene.