Understanding Light Sources: Types, Metrics, and Their Role in Architectural Design
Choosing the right light source is now a core design decision, not just a technical detail. The article outlines four primary lamp families—incandescent, LED, fluorescent, and halogen—and explains why LEDs have become the industry standard. It also breaks down key metrics such as color temperature, luminous flux, wattage, and opening angle that dictate how light shapes space, mood, and energy use. By mastering these concepts, architects can create environments that are both visually appealing and energy‑efficient.
C1 Workplace / Bruzkus Greenberg
Bruzkus Greenberg is designing the shared amenity floors of Berlin’s C1 office tower, a 1,600 m² building slated for 2025 completion. The design draws on hospitality cues—hotel lobbies, cafés, bars—and blends bespoke and vintage furniture to create a “third place” that feels...
Rethinking the Architecture Firm for the AI Era
Architectural firms are confronting mounting productivity pressures as projects demand faster delivery, tighter budgets, and higher precision. Traditional, fragmented practice models, reliant on a few senior experts for code and regulatory knowledge, are proving inefficient. AI platforms such as Ichi Plan...
Furniture as Architecture: Micro-Modernisms Inside the Home
The article reframes modernist furniture as a condensed form of architecture, arguing that chairs, tables and modular units carried the movement’s core ideas before full‑scale buildings were realized. Le Corbusier described furniture as "equipment of living," while the Bauhaus treated pieces...
Innovation Lab / MTA ARCHITECTS
MTA Architects unveiled its Innovation Lab, a 6,750 m² satellite office in Chennai that doubles as a working studio and client lounge. The building showcases the firm’s commitment to local sourcing, passive environmental design, and construction methods rooted in regional traditions....
Jardins Secrets Bioclimatic Shells / Vincent Callebaut Architectures
Vincent Callebaut Architectures completed the Jardins Secrets project in Montpellier, delivering 113 residential units across the Théia and Opale & Sens buildings. The development integrates bioclimatic shell envelopes that harness Mediterranean sun and wind to create a breathable microclimate while meeting France’s...
Residence in Sumaré / Trema Arquitetura + Gabriel Sepe
Trema Arquitetura and Gabriel Sepe completed a 300 m² renovation of a brutalist residence in São Paulo’s Sumaré neighborhood. The design removed obstructive walls, introduced a monolithic epoxy floor, and opened sightlines to the surrounding landscape, especially the view of Pico do...
House in La Cañada / Ramón Esteve Estudio
Ramón Esteve Estudio’s 1,053 m² house in La Cañada, completed in 2016, reinterprets the traditional Spanish villa with a single‑storey, self‑enclosed layout centered on a Roman‑style courtyard. A white‑concrete cantilever frames the pool and garden, while perforations admit sunlight to seasonal living zones. Thick...
Monet's Cottage / LEIVA Arquitetura
LEIVA arquitetura’s Monet’s Cottage is a 100 m² luxury cabin set on a one‑million‑square‑meter farm, designed for short‑term stays that prioritize immersion in nature. The sloped site rests on a suspended deck to reduce soil impact, while a closed front façade ensures...
Contemporary Farmhouse / Ashworth Parkes Architects
Ashworth Parkes Architects completed a 606 m² contemporary farmhouse in North Hertfordshire in 2024, replacing a derelict 1940s structure on a former market garden. The design distributes living space across a central house and three ancillary outbuildings, creating sheltered courtyards that echo local...
From Tradition to Modern Living: The Versatility and Elegance of Timber in 12 Japanese Interiors
Contemporary Japanese architects are re‑imagining timber as both structure and finish across twelve recent residential projects. By leaving wood unpainted and highlighting natural grain, designers achieve a spectrum from dark, grounded interiors to bright, airy spaces. The material’s flexibility also...
Apartment Block Grundmühle / Dolmus Architekten
Dolus Architekten unveiled the Grundmühle apartment block, a four‑story building that replaces an existing single‑family house. The elongated structure is angled south‑west to capture maximum sunlight, while the north‑eastern façade follows the plot’s shape to blend with the neighborhood. A...
In Other Worlds by Liam Young Reimagines Cities, Landscapes, and Climate Futures at the Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre will host "In Other Worlds," an immersive exhibition by speculative architect Liam Young from May 21 to September 6, 2026, spread across three venues within the complex. The show blends large‑scale projections, LED installations, soundscapes and artefacts...
Detached House in the La Reserva Neighborhood Bahía Blanca / Vagón Arquitectura
Vagón Arquitectura’s new detached house in Bahía Blanca spans 454 m² on a north‑facing corner lot. The 2023 project delivers 393.6 m² of covered space and 60.7 m² of semi‑covered areas, organized around a central circulation spine that links social zones to private bedrooms....
The Albanian Kaleidoscope - Reconstruction and Musealization of the National Historical Museum / Casanova + Hernandez Architects
The National Historical Museum in Tirana is undergoing a 21,400 m² overhaul slated for 2026, led by architects Jesús Hernández Mayor and Helena Casanova. The "Albanian Kaleidoscope" adds a plug‑in architectural layer that reconfigures circulation, introduces an underground Black Box archive,...
House at Town's Edge / ElliottArchitects
House at Town’s Edge, designed by Matt Elliott of ElliottArchitects, re‑imagines a 3,906‑sq‑ft residence on an existing foundation in Maine. The home straddles a town edge and a wooded landscape, using a granite‑block rift to delineate parking, entry and a...
Building with the Landscape: Non-Invasive Design Strategies for Steep Terrain
Architects confronting steep terrain are shifting from earth‑moving to non‑invasive design, letting the landscape dictate form. Five strategies—point loading, stepped cascades, spanning bridges, vertical cores, and fragmented clusters—demonstrate how minimal ground contact can preserve slope stability while delivering striking architecture....
Casa Continua / STUDIOTAMAT
STUDIOTAMAT’s Casa Continua reimagines a 115 m² Rome apartment by making the kitchen the social engine of the home. Custom burgundy glazed partitions, restored parquet flooring, and bespoke oak joinery turn former rooms into a fluid, interconnected layout. Iconic pieces such...
Shoreline Studio / NORM Architects
Shoreline Studio, designed by NORM Architects in Denmark’s Odsherred region, serves as a secluded atelier that fuses traditional Danish summerhouse architecture with Japanese spatial concepts. The modest structure features a thatched roof, brick flooring, reclaimed timber, and a skylight that...
KinderKunstLabor for Contemporary Art / Schenker Salvi Weber Architekten
The KinderKunstLabor is the world’s first laboratory where children directly engage with contemporary art. Commissioned by municipal and state authorities, the project began with only a working title, forcing architects Schenker Salvi Weber to invent a new building typology. From day one...
Bhoon+ House / Anonym
Thai architect Phongphat Ueasangkhomset designed a 350 m² modern home that pivots around a planted central courtyard, physically and visually linking the new residence with the owners’ original house. The linear, east‑facing volume reduces direct sun exposure while glazed walls on...
The Happy Spot Under the Light Rail / VIASCAPE Design
The Happy Spot under the Light Rail is a 3,540 m² urban renewal project in Shanghai that repurposes the undercroft of Metro Line 3 into a free, multi‑functional sports and play area. Designed by lead architect Sun Yijia, construction finished in March 2025...
Old Residence in Kitayama / Td-Atelier + ENDO SHOJIRO DESIGN
Architects Masaharu Tada and Endo Shojiro renovated a 1931 wooden residence in Kyoto’s Kitayama district, trimming its floor area by more than 30% to restore the original footprint. Selective demolition exposed the historic timber frame, while a new diagonal wall...
Villa 68 / MAS Architecture Workshop
Villa 68, a 500 m² residence in Ho Chi Minh City, tackles urban privacy and noise challenges for a young family. The design raises the ground floor 1.5 m, adds a semi‑basement for vehicle access, and centers family life around a central atrium with a...
Dam House / Bernardes Arquitetura
Bernardes Arquitetura unveiled the Dam House in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a 1,030 m² residence perched on a reservoir edge. The design employs a sweeping wooden roof, pivoting wooden brise‑soleils, and a hybrid concrete‑steel‑wood structure to create seamless visual connections with water,...
Northview Point Apartments / Brooks Scarpa Huber
Northview Point Apartments, designed by Brooks Scarpa Huber, delivers 67 low‑income units arranged around a central garden and courtyard, replacing traditional enclosed towers with an open, socially‑focused layout. The two‑story perimeter buildings feature cross‑ventilation, breezeways, and a two‑story trellis that provides shade,...
Casa Luce / HK Associates Inc
Casa Luce, a 3,558‑ft² mid‑century modern home in the Catalina foothills, was extensively renovated by architects Kathy Hancox and Michael Kothke. The redesign removed central masonry piers, introduced a floating ceiling, and reoriented living spaces toward a floor‑to‑ceiling picture window that...
From Lighting to Modular Systems: ArchDaily’s Selection of 13 Architect-Designed Objects at Milan Design Week 2026
ArchDaily highlighted 13 architect‑designed objects unveiled during Milan Design Week 2026, showcasing collaborations between top architects and leading brands. The selections span Zaha Hadid Architects’ Erosion and Aeris furniture collections, CRA‑Carlo Ratti’s adaptable OLTRE kitchen, Foster + Partners’ timber BEAM and COLUMN systems, and a range...
ORGA Completes Carbon-Negative Biobased Housing Prototype in Marknesse, Netherlands
ORGA, a nature‑inspired architecture firm, finished a carbon‑negative neighbourhood prototype in Marknesse, Netherlands, comprising 12 affordable rental homes. The design reinterprets the traditional “Delft Red” brick typology with timber‑frame construction, wooden chimneys that host bats, and a 76% share of...
Origin Cafe and Roasters Jax / S.DA
Origin Café & Roasters, designed by Duaa Abukhalaf, repurposes a 329 m² warehouse in Riyadh’s JAX District into a three‑zone venue that mirrors the coffee‑making journey. The space retains its raw industrial shell while introducing cement‑cast monolithic counters, charred‑wood partitions, and a...
Cosmos House / Cristian Nanzer
Cosmos House, designed by architect Cristian Nanzer, occupies a 355 m² sloped site at the foothills of the Punilla Valley in Capilla del Monte, Córdoba. The residence is organized around a central social core and aligns three primary sightlines toward a...
Camarate Elementary School No. 5 / UMA Collective
The Camarate Elementary School No. 5, designed by architect Rui Cruz, opens in 2026 on a 1,731 m² site in Loures’ São Francisco neighbourhood. The project combines a modern school with a publicly accessible library, creating an urban anchor that revitalises the area....
Kownatki Lake House / Archmondo
Kownatki Lake House, a new luxury holiday‑home enclave on Poland’s Lake Kownatki, is being built by developer Rohe with a show home designed by Gdańsk studio Archmondo. The first phase will deliver 20 homes ranging from 90 to 110 m² on...
SSOC Dining / DESIGN2TONE
SSOC Dining, a 109 m² restaurant in Seoul’s Seongsu district, opens in 2025 under Design2tone. The concept fuses the area’s raw industrial character with a refined contemporary Asian aesthetic, using responsive RGB façade lighting and a stark material palette of stainless...
Student Studies 46B / Carmelina & Aurelio Taller De Arquitectura
Student Studies 46B, designed by Gilbert Aurelio Lopez Santiago and Jessy Carmelina Victorio Robles, converts the roof of a 72 m² garage in Ocozocoautla de Espinosa, Chiapas, into a six‑studio student housing block. The compact studios each deliver sleeping, cooking and bathing functions...
Cabin Devín / Ark-Shelter + ARCHEKTA
The Cabin Devín, a 20 m² weekend retreat perched above Devín Castle, delivers full‑season comfort while remaining completely off‑grid. Its radical openness is achieved through fold‑down terraces and sliding glass walls that expand the living area into the surrounding landscape. A...
Plaza Mahou / External Reference Architects
External Reference, led by Carmelo Zappulla, has opened Plaza Mahou inside Santiago Bernabéu, the first brewery‑branded space in a Spanish stadium. The 1,100 m² venue includes a 700 m² interior and 450 m² terrace, offering on‑site brewing of Mahou Cinco Estrellas (≈30,000 L/year) and...
Public Swimming Pool Großfeldsiedlung / Illiz Architektur
Illiz Architektur won an invited competition to add a 2,550 m² training‑pool hall to the 1980s Großfeldsiedlung swimming complex. The freestanding structure sits on the former parking area and connects to the legacy building via two cantilevered bridges, placing the pool on...
House Among The Trees / Wrzeszcz Architekci + Mode:lina
House Among the Trees is a 2024 residence created by Polish studio Wrzeszcz Architekci with interior partner mode:lina™. The design treats the dense pine forest as a design partner, using stepped rooflines, varied ceiling heights, and large glazed façades to...
“Earth Is Not Nostalgia”: Hand Over on Design-Build and Local Materials
Hand Over, a Cairo‑based studio that blends design, construction and research, was named a 2025 ArchDaily Next Practices Awards winner. The practice champions an integrated design‑build workflow that prioritises earth construction, local stone and emerging geopolymers while training community workers....
Flying Vegetation / H&P Architects
Flying Vegetation, a 1,200 m² agritecture project by H&P Architects in Thai Binh, Vietnam, merges residential housing with vertical urban farming. The façade features hanging plant columns that create a floating vegetation screen, reducing noise and dust while providing micro‑farms. Floors 1‑3 are...
Radio & Television Building (RTS) / OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen
The Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) headquarters opens on the EPFL‑UNIL campus beside Lake Geneva. The building combines a broadcasting centre with public, educational, and research spaces, organized as four independent rectangular boxes and a suspended “field” slab. A glazed foyer...
Bot-House / SON Architecture
Bot‑House, a 750 m² family residence completed in 2023, reimagines a former kindergarten site in Malta with a 25‑metre lap pool that runs the length of the home. Led by architects Mark Peregin and Mark Sullivan, the house pivots around a...
Stack & Field House / Steffen Welsch Architects
Stack & Field House, a 162 m² 2025 extension of a 100‑year‑old Melbourne weatherboard home, redefines compact urban living through fragmented massing and offset planes. Lead architect Steffen Welsch prioritises plan over aesthetic gestures, creating layered rooms and courtyards that make the...
Kripanilay Farmhouse / HabitArt Architecture Studio
Kṛpānilaya, a 2,600 ft² farmhouse in Shoolagiri, India, is designed by Aditya Venkat to respond to the region’s hot, dry climate. The house employs compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEB) for thick, thermally massive walls and deep, sloping tiled roofs that act as...
House 17-JB / Luiz Volpato Arquitetura
Casa 17‑JB, designed by Luiz Volpato Arquitetura in Curitiba, Brazil, occupies a 1,113 m² lot with strict environmental limits that preserve 70% of native forest. The residence is composed of four interlocking volumes—two elevated, one semi‑buried, and one underground—that follow the steep topography...
A House in a Mountain Meadow / Atelier SAD
Atelier SAD completed a new residence in the Krkonoše National Park, rebuilding on the exact footprint of the historic cottage that once stood there. The design respects strict conservation rules, using a variable‑slope roof (45° south, 41° north) and local wood...
Regenerative Salt Landscapes: An ArchDaily Student Project Awards Winner Rethinking Extraction in Argentina
A team of architecture students from the National University of Córdoba won the ArchDaily Student Project Awards with a thesis titled “Regenerative Salt Landscapes.” The project tackles the clash between expanding lithium extraction at Argentina’s Olaroz Salt Flat and the...
Minoru Yamasaki's Northwestern National Life Building in Minneapolis to Be Converted Into Hotel
Minoru Yamasaki’s 1960s Northwestern National Life building in downtown Minneapolis will be transformed into a 165‑room hotel, with opening slated for 2028 pending approvals. The adaptive‑reuse plan retains the iconic white‑quartz concrete portico and marble façade while inserting wellness, event...
MVRDV Obtains Construction Permit for Low-Carbon Mixed-Use Tour & Taxis Towers in Brussels
Rotterdam‑based MVRDV has secured a construction permit for the Tour & Taxis Towers, a 126‑metre, 58,000‑square‑metre mixed‑use development in Brussels. The twin‑tower scheme combines office space, 199 residential units and public amenities, anchored by a five‑storey plinth. Using its CarbonSpace...