Archinect - Features

Archinect’s Guide to Job Titles: Building Façade/Envelope Specialist

2022-03-14T19:54:00-04:00

Expertise in facade design has become a growing niche for firms and individuals who specialize in building envelopes, facade fabrication techniques, and performance-based design solutions. A facade specialist helps firms create unique building exteriors that blend architecture, engineering, and material innovation.

Our latest installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles explores the role of a façade/envelope specialist, the qualifications needed to pursue this as a career path, and what firms are looking for when hiring.

University of Melbourne Graduate Naveen John Thomas Pays Homage to Australia's Indigenous Communities

2020-08-18T13:18:00-04:00

Pulling focus towards the history of aboriginal cultures in Australia, University of Melbourne M.Arch graduate Naveen John Thomas used his thesis "MEMORIAL REPRESENTATION REMEMBRANCE" to highlight the importance of incorporating culture and history within architectural design and narrative.

Thomas shares, "the recent events around the killing of Mr. Floyd in the US and similar reports from Australia regarding the percentage of imprisoned among the First Nation population, only reiterates the importance of acknowledgement of the past, living with that acknowledgement and respect in the present and planning for the future [...] The aim should be to make the architecture communicate. It should communicate the stories, the history, and the purpose." Archinect connected with Thomas to discuss his thesis project and his observations with how the pandemic has influenced Australia and the architecture industry as a whole.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extra...

University of Florida Graduates Mani Karami and Drew Kauffman Create Photobioreactor Facade Systems for Algae Architecture

2020-07-30T13:27:00-04:00

In their project Biokinetics, University of Florida School of Architecture M.Arch graduates Drew Kauffman and Mani Karami explore kinetic design systems as they apply to photobioreactor facade systems powered by algae growth. The duo, working under their project advisors Professor Lee-Su Huang (chair) and Professor Jason Alread (co-chair), experiment with a series of material studies to help create this new system.

They share, "With an emphasis on digital fabrication technologies including thermoforming, 3D printing, and CNC routing, Biokinetics advances the complementary disciplines of algae cultivation and facade design." Archinect connected with the two as they discuss the details of their research as well as their entrance into professional practice after graduating during a pandemic.

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 t...

A Look at Brutalist Guatemala

2018-12-12T12:32:00-05:00

With the launch of Archinect's Brutal coffee, we hit our second destination in this two part feature. Heading over three thousand miles North-West of Brazil, we explore Guatemala and its Brutalist movement.

Guatemala and its relationship with these monolithic structures are tied with the culture and artistic identity of the area. Pulling from its Mayan roots, these prominent structures scattered throughout the region use the Brutalist movement to accompany the historical architecture already present in the city. The artistic presence within the country is a blend of rich folklore and the interlacing of various architectural movements. Highly influential architects such as Roberto Aycinena, José Montes Córdova, Raúl Minondo, and Efraín Recinos, among others, have created a legacy influencing Guatemalan architecture to this day.

Faulders Studio's Wynwood Facade Highlights Street Art in Miami's Dynamic Parking Structure Scene

2016-11-10T13:59:00-05:00

An eight-story parking garage and mixed-use office building becomes an ever-changing reflection of its street art surroundings with Faulders Studio's modifiable Wynwood Facade.

'Matters of Scale' with Bill Zahner, head of the engineering-design consultancy behind the Petersen Automotive Museum's redesign

2016-05-31T09:56:00-04:00

For the second installation of the Matters of Scale series I’m talking to Bill Zahner, president and CEO of the A. Zahner Company. For many people Bill doesn’t need an introduction—he’s been involved with the engineering and fabrication of metal façade systems for the likes of Frank Gehry, Herzog & de Meuron, Diller Scofidio + Renfo, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, and many, many others. When initially planning the Matters of Scale series, Bill’s name was first on my list of people that I wanted to include in the larger conversation, and I’m elated to be able to include him so early in the series.