After two decades of experimentation with the digital, the prevalent paradigm of formal continuity is being revised and questioned by an emerging generation of architects and theorists. While the worl
The most significant architectural spaces in the world are now entirely empty of people. The data centres, telecommunications networks, distribution warehouses, unmanned ports and industrialised agric
Today, architecture in China is at a watershed. Over the last decade, rapid urbanisation and the burgeoning economy turned the country into a playground for the world’s signature architects, making it
New modes of practice are now emerging in architecture. Rural Studio, Exyzt, Muf, Assemble and many more have led the way by challenging conventional ideas of ‘The Architect' and reclaiming the notion
Across the world, the housing crisis is escalating. Mass migration to cities has led to rapid urbanisation on an unprecedented scale, while the withdrawal of public funding from social housing provisi
Architects are facing a crisis of agency. For decades, they have seen their traditional role diminish in scope as more and more of their responsibilities have been taken over by other disciplines with
We are entering a new era of architecture that is technologically enhanced, virtual and synthetic. Contemporary architects operate in a creative environment that is both real and digital; mixed, augme
In the 21st century, architects and engineers are being challenged to produce work that is concurrently sustainable and resilient. Buildings need to mitigate their impact on climate change by minimisi
Some architects dream of 3D-printing houses. Some even fantasise about 3D-printing entire cities. But what is the real potential of 3D printing for architects? This issue focuses on another strand of
Loose-Fit Architecture: Designing Buildings for Change September/October 2017Profile 249 Volume 87 No 5ISBN 978 1119 152644 Guest-Edited by Alex Lifschutz The idea that a building is 'finished' or 'co
We are now on the brink of a new era in construction – that of autonomous assembly. For some time, the widespread adoption of robotic and digital fabrication technologies has made it possible fo
Conceived as an augmentation of the architectural design process, workflows establish relationships, design-thinking protocols, tools and techniques at scales ranging from the individual to large dece
Design for Health: Sustainable Approaches to Therapeutic Architecture Guest-Edited by Terri Peters Our experience of hospitals and medical clinics is almost wholly determined by their architecture. Th
4D Hyperlocal: A Cultural Tool Kit for the Open-source CityGuest-Edited by Lucy Bullivant JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017Profile No 245 Volume 87 No 1ISBN 978 1119 097129 The evolution of digital tools is revo
This issue will be visually stunning, featuring built work and speculative projects, which highlight how contemporary practices are using devices such as spatial compositing, surface articulation and
Even more than authorship, ownership is challenged by the rise of digital and computational methods of design and production. These challenges are simultaneously legal, ethical and economic. How are n
The rural is not what it used to be. No longer simply a site for agricultural production for the city, the relationship between the rural and urban has become much more complex. Established categories
Brazil is a country of city dwellers undergoing radical transformation: over 85 per cent of the country’s citizens live in cities and over 40 per cent of the population live in metropolises of more th
Parametricism is an avant-garde architecture and design movement that has been growing and maturing over the last 15 years, emerging as a remarkable global force. The tendency started in architecture
The traditional veneration of architecture for its monumental and enduring qualities seems to be changing. Architects and other designers are moving away from seeking permanence towards a more open, c
Material Synthesis: Fusing the Physical and the Computational Guest-edited by Achim MengesA new understanding of the material in architecture is fast emerging. Designers are no longer conceiving of th
