Performance Review
Everything that's going wrong with architecture
As part of our Performance Review series, Edwin Heathcote sets out 12 key problems facing the architecture profession. More about Everything that's going wrong with architecture
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Neom
"Neom promised radical urbanism but is delivering sterile desert suburbia"
While Neom struggles to create ground-breaking urbanism, it is having more success replicating suburbia in the desert, writes Tom Ravenscroft. More about "Neom promised radical urbanism but is delivering sterile desert suburbia"
American houses
"Trump is not necessarily being pathological, he is simply being American"
As a certain prominent American grabs headlines with his home renovation works, Julie Lasky considers why people in the US often make ill-advised choices about residential architecture. More about "Trump is not necessarily being pathological, he is simply being American"
3D printing
"Like fast food and fast fashion, fast architecture is inevitably less fulfilling"
People have long searched for ways to reduce the time it takes to construct buildings but instead we should be trying to slow architecture down, writes Phineas Harper. More about "Like fast food and fast fashion, fast architecture is inevitably less fulfilling"
Politics
"The St George's cross speaks of the power of design to transform public space"
The proliferation of St George's flags across England raises questions about design's capacity to influence political forces in today's world, writes Catharine Rossi. More about "The St George's cross speaks of the power of design to transform public space"
Tropical modernism
"Recognition is long overdue for the local architects of tropical modernism"
The prevailing story of tropical modernism in the Global South has long overlooked the contributions of local architects and engineers, writes Mohamed Ismail. More about "Recognition is long overdue for the local architects of tropical modernism"
Architecture
"Financial literacy needs to be a part of every architect's training"
Training architects about the business side of designing buildings would have major benefits for the profession, writes Erin Agdinaoay. More about "Financial literacy needs to be a part of every architect's training"
Architecture and design education
"Make sure you accept any opportunity you get to talk to students and see their work"
The UK has bags of talented young student and graduate designers who demonstrate that design education is worth funding, writes Alice Fisher. More about "Make sure you accept any opportunity you get to talk to students and see their work"
Obituaries
"That generation of men who grew up toying with Meccano and went on to change the world is finally leaving the stage"
Following the recent deaths of British architects Nicholas Grimshaw and Terry Farrell, Catherine Slessor reflects on their intertwined but highly distinct careers. More about "That generation of men who grew up toying with Meccano and went on to change the world is finally leaving the stage"
Thomas Heatherwick
"Thomas Heatherwick's Humanise campaign is an incredibly reductive way of assessing the built environment"
Thomas Heatherwick's Humanise campaign fails to identify the causes of poor-quality architecture or ways to tackle them, writes Owen Hopkins. More about "Thomas Heatherwick's Humanise campaign is an incredibly reductive way of assessing the built environment"
Technology
"The idea of designing for virtual worlds is just getting started"
Rumours of the metaverse's demise are greatly exaggerated – particularly when it comes to designing virtual buildings, writes Sarah Housley. More about "The idea of designing for virtual worlds is just getting started"
Protests
"In the process of resisting social and environmental harm, has design become too inward facing?"
Design needs to shift its focus away from self-critique towards galvanising the public to resist the political crises facing the US and the world, writes Susan Yelavich. More about "In the process of resisting social and environmental harm, has design become too inward facing?"
Architecture
"The knowledge we have built from storm to storm is the true legacy of Hurricane Katrina"
Hurricane Katrina served as a wake up call that has led to US cities becoming more resilient and safer, writes Amy Chester on the 20th anniversary of the deadly disaster. More about "The knowledge we have built from storm to storm is the true legacy of Hurricane Katrina"
Materials
"We need plastic to keep our economic order going"
Governments' failure to agree a treaty on curbing plastics pollution draws attention to how reliant on the material we have become but there may be a silver lining, writes Smith Mordak. More about "We need plastic to keep our economic order going"
Modernism
"I'm teaching students not to follow Mies van der Rohe's example"
Architecture students are often taught about Mies van der Rohe as a master of modernism but they should also learn about the problematic legacy of some of his most significant work, writes Leen Katrib. More about "I'm teaching students not to follow Mies van der Rohe's example"
Architecture and design education
"With another academic year over, there are thousands more young people struggling to find an architecture practice"
For people graduating from architecture school to have a better experience of navigating the job market, change is required at all levels, writes Sana Tabassum. More about "With another academic year over, there are thousands more young people struggling to find an architecture practice"
Climate change
"We must confront design's colonial inheritance"
For design to become truly sustainable in the face of rapid climate change we must first acknowledge its ties to colonialism, writes Céline Semaan. More about "We must confront design's colonial inheritance"
Design
"Design and architecture needs a new vocabulary"
Changing some common terminology in architecture and design could be an important first step towards solving systemic issues, writes Katie Treggiden. More about "Design and architecture needs a new vocabulary"
Ruins
"A little bit of dereliction in an otherwise-polished city can be glorious"
Derelict buildings don't usually get left alone for long but they have a unique value in today's cities, writes Jessica Furseth. More about "A little bit of dereliction in an otherwise-polished city can be glorious"
Furniture
"Civilization has gone about as far as it can go, chair-wise"
By severing the link between chairs and sitting down, design art provides a glimpse into humanity's future, writes Julie Lasky. More about "Civilization has gone about as far as it can go, chair-wise"