News: Rem Koolhaas has defended the design of OMA's CCTV tower in Beijing, after the Chinese president called for an end to the construction of "weird architecture" in the country. More about "Chinese architecture will benefit" from CCTV building, says Rem Koolhaas
The gaping hole in the centre of this office block in Paris was designed by MVRDV to preserve views of another local building (+ slideshow). More about MVRDV's Pushed Slab office block has a huge hole in its middle
News: a trio of international architecture firms will redevelop and add new facilities to Montreal's natural science museum, housed in a vast glass velodrome within the grounds of the city's former Olympic park. More about AZPML, Lacaton & Vassal and Kuehn Malvezzi to redesign Montreal's natural science Biodome
News: underwater cities with infrastructure networks spiralling down into the depths of the oceans could be a reality as soon as 2030, according to a Japanese construction company. More about Spiralling underwater cities could make oceans inhabitable by 2030
News: a 3D printer on the International Space Station has produced its first object, "paving the way to future long-term space expeditions" according to the US space agency NASA. More about NASA 3D prints its first object aboard the International Space Station
Behind a traditional limestone facade, Heneghan Peng's new architecture school for the University of Greenwich is a four-storey composition of steel and glass centred around a double-height critique room (+ movie). More about Heneghan Peng's Greenwich architecture school has a restrained exterior and a modern interior
Japanese architect Kunihiko Matsuba has balanced a small white house over the flat rooftops of a dental clinic and garage near Tokyo (+ slideshow). More about Tokyo house bridges the rooftops of a dental surgery and garage
A group of Canadian designers has created a wearable device that monitors environmental data including air quality and UV radiation, and presents the metrics via an app. More about TZOA wearable environment tracker measures UV and air pollution
Multi-tonal layers of concrete resemble bands of sediment on the walls of this visitor centre designed by Swiss architect Max Dudler for a medieval fortress in Germany (+ slideshow). More about Sparrenberg Castle visitor centre by Max Dudler boasts striated concrete walls
Comments update: Thomas Heatherwick found himself at the centre of a flurry of criticism this week, as planning documents revealed some unusual restrictions for his proposed bridge across the River Thames. More about "Is there a quota of new friends I can make while on this bridge?"
News: designers including Marti Guixè and Stefano Giovannoni will be among the teaching staff of a food design course being co-developed by one of Italy's leading design schools – an increasingly popular subject area for design education (+ interview). More about Milan universities team up to launch "unique" food design degree
News: Utopia Arkitekter has unveiled plans to build a multi-faceted office block clad with shards of metal and glass beside the train station in Uppsala, Sweden (+ slideshow). More about Jewel-inspired office block by Utopia Arkitekter to be built next year in Sweden
News: Foster + Partners has teamed up with building contractor Skanska to pioneer the use of 3D-printed concrete in the construction industry. More about Foster + Partners works on "world's first commercial concrete-printing robot"
Neri Oxman's team at MIT Media Lab has created four 3D-printed "wearable skins" designed to facilitate synthetic biological processes that might one day allow humans to survive on other planets. More about Neri Oxman creates wearable 3D-printed structures for interplanetary voyages
Dezeen promotion: Italian designers Alessandro and Francesco Mendini have reinterpreted a traditional orthogonal grid to create a new collection for tile brand Ceramiche Refin's research and development branch DesignTaleStudio. More about Ceramiche Refin launches graphic tiles with zigzagging grids
Timber window shutters align with the vertical strips of pale timber that clad this gabled house in the Austrian countryside, by local architects Bernardo Bader Architekten (+ slideshow). More about Bernardo Bader sources wood from a local forest to build barn-like house in rural Austria
White concrete surfaces vary from matte to polished on the walls of this library and concert hall, completed by London studio DRDH on the waterfront of Bodø, Norway (+ slideshow). More about White concrete cultural centre by DRDH nestles up against a Norwegian harbour
Dutch design collective Studio Diip has added wheels and sensors to a fish tank so that its inhabitant can drive it by swimming in a certain direction (+ movie). More about Studio Diip's goldfish-driven vehicle is designed for "enhanced pet mobility"
Pastel-coloured wedges pattern the light wooden walls of this cafe in a former prison by Australian office Biasol: Design Studio (+ slideshow). More about Australian prison converted into a cafe lined with colourful tessellating triangles
Lights illuminate the plunging outlines of the two Lugnet Ski Jumps, newly restored by Swedish studio Sweco Architects with glass and steel edging (+ slideshow). More about Sweco Architects modernises Swedish ski jumps ahead of 2015 world championships