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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater Restoration and Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026: This Week’s Review
This week marked World Health Day, observed annually on April 7 by the World Health Organization. This year's edition issued the call to "Stand with science," inviting renewed engagement with scientific knowledge as a foundation for collective action across disciplines. In architecture and urban design, this imperative resonates through projects that translate research into spatial strategies: from the deployment of digital twins to inform urban planning and decision-making, to rewilding initiatives that integrate biodiversity as a tool to mitigate climate change, and materially informed practices that engage resource-conscious construction. Within this broader framework, recent works also foreground architecture's social agency at multiple scales, including a landscape-driven cancer support center in Kent that aligns wellbeing with environmental sensitivity, an urban installation in Brescia operating as a civic awareness device around life in prison and pathways to reintegration, and the transformation of a street in Mantua into a pedestrian-oriented, biodiversity-rich public space.
Arquivo: Deconstruction and Material Reuse for a Circular Architecture
The construction industry today faces an unavoidable paradox: the urgent need for sustainable solutions for the future of cities collides with the exhaustion of the term "sustainability" itself, often reduced to a hollow commercial label. In this scenario, Arquivo – one of the winners of ArchDaily's 2025 Next Practices Award – emerges as a facilitator and mediator between different stakeholders in the construction field through disassembly – or rather, de-construction – and the reuse of building elements. Etymologically, if "construction" derives from the Latin construere (to heap up, assemble), the prefix "de-" imposes a conceptual inversion: it is not about destroying, but about disassembling with intelligence to understand the logic of the parts.
While conventional demolition practices generate a vast volume of waste and energy consumption, Arquivo proposes reuse as a viable alternative for the circular economy. The company operates in the gap between disposal and new construction, guided by a clear premise: "Reuse is only fully realized when the material gains a new life."
Carrickalinga Shed / Architects Ink
- architects: Architects Ink
- Location: Carrickalinga, Australia
- Project Year: 2021
- Photographs: Thurston Empson
- Area: 320.0 m2
Philo Science Center at Institut Le Rosey / Bernard Tschumi Architects
- architects: Bernard Tschumi Architects
- Location: Rolle, Switzerland
- Project Year: 2025
- Photographs: Iwan Baan
- Area: 16222.0 m2
Chaka Salt Lake Tourist Railway Station / THAD SUP Atelier
- architects: THAD SUP Atelier
- Location: Wulan County, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China
- Project Year: 2024
- Photographs: Yingnan Chu
- Area: 3997.0 m2
Two Gabled Volumes, One Landscape / BRBB Architects
Reused Shipping Containers Form A Flexible Workplace in Spain
An agricultural business has different requirements than a typical corporation centered in an urban setting. This can present a unique set of challenges to designers when they envision an alignment of operations and staff in headquarters that support a range of functions.
When Impepinable Studio was tapped to design a hub for seed processing company Agrosemillas, the team embraced certain constraints and looked to the landscape and elements of manufacturing for inspiration. “The site sits in an industrial environment, so rather than introducing a foreign language, we wanted to work with what was already there—materials, scale, and atmosphere,” says Gabriela Barrera, co-founder of Impepinable Studio.
Located in El Peral, Spain, the complex includes more than 48,000-square feet of new production and storage facilities, built with the help of local craftsmen who were responsible for metalwork, carpentry, and plumbing, which shaped the zones that were made to withstand the dust-heavy surroundings.
Four reused shipping containers rest on a concrete plinth shared with the adjacent warehouses. Skylights bring soft glow into the interior, while the north-facing orientation of the open planes ensures a steady flow of illumination. The green and yellow brand colors of Agrosemillas pop against the gray facade punctuated by circular portals. These windows are protected by manually-operated shutters that act almost like basic levers, which create an open or closed feel as required.
Three bands organize the plan in a grid style. The first is dedicated to open workspaces, another to service areas, and the third section holds meeting rooms and laboratory facilities. Entrances are separated according to logistical flows to maximize efficiency. Oak cladding and furniture offer a warm complement to steel frames. Roof surfaces incorporate strips for experimental crops, which physically link research, fabrication, and architecture within a single framework.
This busy center houses its own infrastructure that transcends typology. “It was less about designing an office and more about rethinking what a workplace in this context could be. That mindset gave us the freedom to explore a playful approach,” Barrera notes. “The project is spatially rich while remaining extremely simple and ordered.”
To see this and other works by the firm, visit impepinable.studio.
Photography courtesy of DEL RIO BANI.
House SI / Iragüen Viñuela Arquitectos
- architects: Iragüen Viñuela Arquitectos
- Location: Algarrobo, Chile
- Project Year: 2023
- Photographs: Pablo Casals Aguirre
- Area: 187.0 m2
The New Laundry Chair by Simone Giertz Cleans Up Nicely
Since the dawn of the loom, all of humanity has experienced it. We’ve tried our best throughout the millennia, but there are some things that remain constant––that pile of clothing neither fully dirty nor completely clean. It exists in a liminal state somewhere between. Simone Giertz––designer, inventor and many other things––presents the Laundry Chair, an answer to an age-old problem. With a rotating secondary arm that is perfect for laying clothes that are worn, but not ready for the laundry basket, this chair turns what was once an eyesore into a beautiful and functional solution.
Upholstered in a smart, olive, low-pile cord, this chair is meant to stand alone, even without the laundry. Solutions must be equitable, beautiful, and do exactly what’s expected to be truly successful––and Giertz has done it again. The design is not meant to change human behavior, but to work within the parameters of how we already exist. In the case of laundry––a task that costs time, energy, and money––the unassuming chair alleviates the mental anguish of managing piles while better maintaining garments in the interim.
Various fashion cultures include slips or other undergarments to keep outer clothes clean, reducing the necessity of washing, as it still is an incredibly laborious task to complete by hand. Frequent washing is also not recommended for most fibers, much less purely natural ones. Denim purists seem to be the loudest in this regard. Either way, the smartest approach to doing less laundry is to create less in the first place, and the Laundry Chair makes that process easy. All your textiles can be lined up for visual and olfactory inspection.
“As a perfectionist… I think there’s something that I have to practice a lot, which is standing proud next to things that are imperfect, and loving them anyway,” shares Giertz. “I think it’s really about trying to focus on volume. It’s not volume in the sense that you make a bunch of content, or try out a bunch of things, but the worst position to be in is being stuck. Sharing something that’s half finished might be a great way of getting unstuck, or just keeping some sort of movement and pushing it forward”.
Not to be dramatic, but Simone Giertz may be one of the closest things to a modern-day Da Vinci that we’ve got going on. A problem-solver of novel, everyday frustrations, the smallest details are usually the ones that separate the good from great designs. Giertz turned her love of robots and engineering into a full-on obsession with invention, where common problems have the opportunity to become delightful solutions.
To learn more about the Laundry Chair by Simone Giertz, visit yetch.studio.
Photography by Yetch Studio.
An Argument for Interior Design with Neuroaesthetics in Mind
In interior design, stylistic fads come and go. More often than not, these trends reflect changing tastes and fleeting—dare we say vapid—cultural phenomena, but rarely anything else. With our homes, offices, and ever-fluid civic spaces forming the backdrop of our lives, shouldn’t these environments be conceived with more substantiated intention? Shouldn’t the right acoustic or lighting plan supersede the perceived “need” for gimmicky flex? And why can’t these essential considerations be delivered with visual appeal still in mind?
A new report from John Hopkins University’s International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) re-assesses the serious functional value of aesthetics in not just supporting mental and physical health but also better facilitating individual creativity and interpersonal interaction; a condition in short supply these days.
Released earlier this year, the Intentional Space Roadmap is an in-depth, multivalent scientific yet accessibly written study that ultimately calls for the establishment of a more well-rounded interior design field coined Neuroarchitecture, one that incorporates the indispensable expertise of psychology. It unpacks how light, sound, texture, form, and natural shape (Biophilia) implicitly influence how we feel, think, heal, and connect with others.
“We are in, or move through, spaces every moment of our lives, and we now know that our environments have powerful effects on our physical and mental health,” said Susan Magsamen, Executive Director of the IAM Lab. “The importance and momentum of this work have never been more critical. From individual wellbeing to community impact, across every sector of society, the implications are profound. Intentional spaces represent a cost-effective, life-changing opportunity to improve health, resilience, innovation and quality of life at scale. This is not a dream or wishful thinking. There are organizations already putting these ideas into practice and leading the way and we are offering a roadmap and resources to accelerate this movement.”
The report isn’t merely a defense of this fresh proposition—one rooted in long-refined strategies—but also an actionable framework. Sections self-reflectively outline the research involved; the disciplinary obstacles still in place that stymie the adoption of this more versatile and actually holistic mindset; and recommendations to get past these limitations. Overall, it calls for a more cross-disciplinary and collaborative approach.
Some of the challenges identified include the lack of universal terminology, access to applied evidence, and regulatory incentive. Incomplete training and financial constraints—the speed at which we expect projects to be carried out to meet the bottom-line of increasingly hurried economic realities—are other more obvious hurdles. The onus is both on design practitioners and academic researchers, both of which tend to keep their intuitive and intellectual expertise siloed within their respective fields.
Some of the strategic “tools” outlined centers on dissolving these boundaries, making research and the values of neuroaesthetics more integral to design education for one. When it comes to the actual practice of interior design, an evidence-based strategy could more closely take into account the use of a specific space; its role is helping individuals focus; create memories; regulate emotions; ideate with little constraint or distraction; and have more pleasing—calming—sensory experiences.
Perhaps the most important aspect for our still capitalist society is to draw clear links between the economic value—efficiency and cost-effectiveness—of this methodology; the idea that spaces that are more holistically designed along this framework will help its inhabitants/users live and perform better.
To further evolution, and perhaps be more answerable to the environment, architecture and design need to harness the virtues of the scientific method.
To learn more about IAM Lab, visit artsandmindlab.
Photography courtesy of John Hopkins University.
Into the Light - Christus Church / Brückner & Brückner Architekten
- architects: Brückner & Brückner Architekten
- Location: Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany
- Project Year: 2023
- Photographs: Constantin Meyer
- Photographs: mju-fotografie
- Photographs: EKD Scheermesser-Hendriks
- Photographs: Courtesy of Brückner & Brückner Architekten
- Area: 866.0 m2
Veil / Arid
- architects: Arid
- Location: Athina, Greece
- Project Year: 2023
- Photographs: Giorgos Sfakianakis
- Photographs: Yiorgos Kordakis
- Photographs: Vasilis Fotiou
- Area: 850.0 m2
No Solid Ground: Three Approaches to Building Below Sea Level in Rotterdam
Architects carefully calibrate their relationship to the earth, adjusting foundations to soil, groundwater, climate, risk, and culture. Driven timber piles, rammed-earth platforms, and poured concrete slabs are each a response to a specific set of ground conditions, and each shapes the architecture that rises from it. The way a building meets the earth determines its durability and its limits because foundations are among the most consequential design choices an architect makes.
The city of Rotterdam sits approximately one meter below sea level, an organizing condition that shapes daily life in the Netherlands' second-largest city and is a growing preoccupation amid unstable coastal conditions. The city occupies the delta of the Rhine and Maas rivers, a landscape that was never naturally dry but has been kept functional through centuries of hydraulic intervention. The water boards in this region are among the oldest democratic institutions in the world, created in the thirteenth century to manage shared water drainage and still operating today as elected bodies with technical capacity. As sea levels rise and rainfall across Northern Europe grows less predictable and more extreme, Rotterdam faces a significantly increased risk of coastal storm surges and urban flooding driven by overwhelmed drainage infrastructure.
Le Grand Bercail House / L. McComber
- architects: L. McComber
- Location: Cap-à-l'Aigle, Canada
- Project Year: 2023
- Photographs: Ulysse Lemerise / OSA images
- Area: 2800.0 ft2
What to Look Forward to at the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026: Talks, Installations, and City Interventions
From April 21 to 26, the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano returns to Rho Fiera Milano, bringing together over 1,900 exhibitors across more than 169,000 square meters of sold-out exhibition space. Yet beyond its scale, the 2026 edition signals a more structural shift through collaborations with figures such as Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten (OMA) and Formafantasma, the Salone continues to reposition itself as an evolving cultural infrastructure rather than a conventional trade fair. This year introduces new curatorial and strategic layers, most notably the preview phase of Salone Contract and the debut of Salone Raritas, alongside immersive installations and exhibitions, while the Salone's footprint across Milan grows further through city-wide interventions during Milan Design Week.
Not a Hotel Setouchi Resort / BIG
- architects: Bjarke Ingels Group
- Location: Sagishima, Setouchi, Japan
- Photographs: Kenta Hasegawa
- Area: 2350.0 m2
From Data to Digital Twins: Japan’s PLATEAU Project Offers Open-Access Models of More Than 250 Cities
"Map the New World" is the motto of Project PLATEAU, led by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), to develop and expand access to 3D models representing the diversity of cities across the country. Japan comprises a total of 744 cities, including 14 with populations exceeding one million, 190 with between 100,000 and one million inhabitants, and 540 with populations between 10,000 and 100,000. To date, 3D models of more than 250 cities have been made available as open data through the country's public G-Spatial Information Center, and can also be accessed via an online browser viewer. According to public authorities, the project aims to strengthen urban resilience by providing society with new tools to address local challenges. This involves not only urban space modeling but also collaboration with local governments, private companies, and technology communities. The project also includes a digital reconstruction of the recently closed Osaka World Expo site.
“We Live in Toxic Interior Environments”: Interview with Healthy Materials Lab
The well-known phrase "man is what he eats" (Der Mensch ist, was er isst), by Ludwig Feuerbach, asserts that the physical, mental, and even moral constitution of human beings is directly linked to what they consume. Today, this idea is widely internalized, with growing awareness around food, nutrition, and the impact of what we ingest on our bodies. Yet, this same level of awareness doesn't extend to the environments we inhabit, where materials continue to be treated as technical decisions rather than active agents in the relationship between body and space. Considering that a large portion of the global population spends around 90% of their time indoors, it is rarely discussed what actually composes these spaces at their most fundamental level: materials. Walls, floors, and finishes are often approached as technical or aesthetic choices, when in reality they can function as continuous sources of exposure to potentially harmful substances.
Med Uni Campus Graz / Riegler Riewe Architekten
- architects: Riegler Riewe Architekten
- Location: Graz, Austria
- Project Year: 2023
- Photographs: David Schreyer
- Photographs: Paolo Rosselli
- Photographs: Helmut Pierer
- Area: 105.148 m2
No.23 Residence / Tristan Burfield
- architects: Tristan Burfield
- Location: Aireys Inlet, Victoria, Australia
- Project Year: 2025
- Photographs: Tasha Tylee
- Area: 58.0 m2