Tag: Architecture

At the highest point of the Saliencia Valley, in Somiedo, Asturias, stands the Farrapona summit, from which one can contemplate one of the most geologically significant locations in the Cantabrian Mountain Range. The Somiedo Town Council called for an ideas competition through the Sustainable Tourism Plan for the construction of a geological viewpoint near La Farrapona.

The project began with La Sirène de Paris, one of the oldest independent amateur orchestras in France, founded in 1874. For decades, it rehearsed at 20 Rue Dareau, a space that had become obsolete. To secure its future, the association envisioned a mixed-use building, combining a music auditorium with housing for students and young workers, ensuring both cultural continuity and urban vitality. The design was guided by the need to anchor this historic institution within the city. Inspired by the Art Deco details of the district and the modernist horizontality of Le Méridien, the project balances solidity and permeability, with sculpted concrete, terraces, and framed openings, creating a space where music and daily life intertwine.

Nestled within an elongated trapezoidal plot, this villa of 350m2 boasts a design that ingeniously navigates the contours of its surroundings to offer unparalleled views of the Mediterranean Sea. Initially challenged by the site's oblique orientation towards the sea, the architects strategically crafted open corners that unveil breathtaking sunset vistas, transforming initial difficulties into design opportunities. To harmonize with the natural surroundings, the design strategy involved subdividing the extensive program into nine rectangular volumes of varying heights, artfully stepping down the slope and weaving around majestic trees. The stair-like setbacks follow the plot's trapezoidal shape, creating intimate pockets of privacy in the garden, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces.

What makes a building architecture? The eternal debate over what distinguishes architecture from mere utilitarian construction has often included affordable and social housing as an influential topic, sparking different points of view. This question is particularly significant in the Latin American context, where unique conditions go beyond cost concerns, whether imposed or unavoidable. Limited access to financing, the prevalence of self-construction, and the spread of informal settlements are interconnected factors shaping the built environment. These dynamics foster an aesthetic that, for some, challenges notions of

Matière Première Architecture is an architecture studio based in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Closely partnered since 2016 with its sister company, Nu Drom, a construction firm, the two teams had long been seeking a permanent site to root their shared identity, one built on the seamless integration of design and construction. The opportunity to jointly acquire a site at the gateway of the town of Magog, alongside a third partner from the woodworking industry, marked the starting point of a foundational project. Two buildings were designed by Matière Première Architecture and constructed simultaneously by Nu Drom: one dedicated to artisanal production, and the other conceived as a space for work, reflection, and public engagement. While focusing here on the office building, both structures were envisioned as part of a unified architectural ensemble, coherent in both materiality and placement.

Enel, a global leader in renewable energy, launched "WinDesign", an international contest where talented professionals and students, in the domain of engineering, architecture and design, are invited to imagine and design new wind turbines. The goal is to develop turbines projects that blend more seamlessly into the landscapes that host them, thereby supporting a wider role for them in the energy transition.

Titled Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective. and curated by Carlo Ratti, the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale will be holding the 19th International Architecture Exhibition from May 24 to November 23, 2025.

The project comprised the design of a new single-storey house in the northern Canberra suburb of Turner, close to the city centre and the University precinct. The building forms a "U" shaped plan with an internalised large central court. The internal planning wraps the central court with a parents' zone on the northern side, a living spine along the west, and a children's zone along the south. This layout provides the desired privacy from the public realm, but allows for open and generous views from living spaces into the central court.

DROPCITY is an ambitious and open platform for architecture and design, located in Milan's formerly abandoned Magazzini Raccordati tunnels behind Central Station. Initiated by Andrea Caputo in 2018 and open permanently since 2024, the project reimagines 40,000 square meters into public galleries, production workshops, prototyping labs, and research spaces. The founder of the platform is Andrea Caputo, an Italian architect and researcher. During Milan Design Week 2025, ArchDaily's managing editor, Maria-Cristina Florian, had the chance to sit down with Andrea Caputo to explore his vision and plans for DROPCITY, the platform's connection to the city of Milan and its active architecture scene.

The internal environment is the focus of this second article about designing for noise to improve well-being. According to several recent studies, noise in cities has become an increasing hazard to health. Environmental noise, that is, noise from traffic, industrial activities, or amplified music, which reaches internal spaces, is not merely an annoyance. It has been linked