I started writing this post about one year ago. I was heartbroken and had just returned from a long Summer in China. I quickly bought flights to London, as a way to stay away from my architecture thesis a bit longer. Being an architecture student is no easy task. That day was sunny- thanks for … Continue reading
I visited Boston for the first time two years ago. Its buildings, primarily low-rise, the city layout, based on narrow and winding streets and its parks, part of the urban grid, made me like Boston immediately. In my opinion, Boston has every good thing about European architecture without losing the distinctive touch of Northern America. Anything interesting … Continue reading
Architecture and illustration are fields that come hand in hand. The first, solid and real, represents something objetive and acts as a container. The second one, flexible in format, is subjective to the eye of the beholder and represents a series of feelings and moods of a certain person in a period of given time. I … Continue reading
First of all, a big thank you to Randy Deutsch’s article for inspiring me to write this post. Most of the credit goes to him. Is there any future in Architecture? This soul-destroying question comes as no surprise. Whether you are an architect yourself or a relative of yours is, you’ll agree that the future of architecture may … Continue reading
Lisbon is a breathtakingly beautiful city. It might be old and shabby but perhaps its 3,000 years of history and the series of earthquakes that occurred will do that, still the shabbiness adds immeasurably to its charm in my opinion – and the same happens to Porto. The tiny winding streets always lead to magnificent viewing points, and … Continue reading
Very few people will leave Lisbon without falling in love. Beautiful and unexpected details such as a picturesque street, a magnificent viewpoint at the turn of a street and singular tiled façades will make you slowly fall in love. Its people, among the most friendly in Europe in my opinion, will make you feel at … Continue reading
Some weeks ago I published 20 Amazing UI/UX Web Designs, where I talked about the importance of minimalism (in color and layout), neatness and one clear message (like business cards). Lately I’ve been working a lot on corporate web design (check #3) and summarizing what a company is, believe me, it’s no easy task. For that reason, today I am focusing on this topic. Each of these … Continue reading
When we have something precious to keep, we usually find a very precious container. We put it in a safe place and enjoy watching it from time to time. However, some of us end up appreciating the container more than what it contains, right? A museum is a space that conserves a collection of artifacts. Therefore, a museum is a container. Sometime ago, … Continue reading
Today I can proudly say I’m an architect. Very few people will understand what this means, what it implies. Yet, here we are, in the day that everything has finally ended. I am very grateful to my family and friends who supported me till the end, which I though was never going to arrive. I have … Continue reading
Shanghai, 18.30. I had 30 minutes before the city became a neon light explosion. I entered the Hyatt’s lift up to the 92nd floor feeling kind of nervous. The same type of nervous when you wait for someone at the airport or when you concentrate on smelling the rain. My stomach felt like falling due to the … Continue reading
I had never been to China before this summer. I was very fortunate to have been awarded a full scholarship for Tongji’s summer program on sustainability and green practices and got the chance to visit Shanghai for the first time. I was deeply impressed by their culture, their philosophy and their construction methods. I had time to discover the … Continue reading
Have you ever played with LEGOs when you were a child? I’m sure you’ve spent hours and hours creating cities, spaceships and other constructions. And the thing is that these blocks have brought us more than hours of entertainment, they’ve also brought quite a bit of teaching and a lot of learning power. LEGO has proved to … Continue reading
Experts predict that climate change will cause sea levels to rise 3 ft (0.9m) or more by 2100, putting hundreds of low-lying cities at risk of massive and permanent flooding. More and more frequently architecture is adapting to nature in order to overcome the upcoming climate conditions. Some weeks ago I published an article about … Continue reading
One of the most beautiful things about Istanbul is its unique skyline and architecture. Minarets still crown the city skies no matter in which direction you look, making it an interesting composition between new and old buildings. As much as I love Chicago‘s or San Francisco‘s skylines, I admit I was very impressed by Istanbul’s … Continue reading
Everyone agrees on Istanbul’s magical charm, which still has some grandeur of the Byzantine Empire. When I first visited this summer, I was very impressed by its architecture: mosques, hidden baths and its unique skyline. Anything interesting in terms of architecture is here. If you find any mistakes, or have any suggestions please let me know. My … Continue reading
Have you ever felt your desk is this wonderful and creative space where you come up with your best ideas? Most uf us spend long hours in front of a computer on a relatively small working space. However, if this space is arranged correctly, hours fly by and we enjoy our working hours. Placing the … Continue reading
Once you visit Spain, you’ll only want to return. Again and again. Let me ask you: Are you aware of all the amazing architecture of this country? Maybe you’re missing some of these amazing buildings. Maybe you’re missing them all. Here is Part II of “50+ Architectural Reasons to Visit Every Province in Spain (1/2)” … Continue reading
If you have a pair of sunglasses and a sketch book, you’ll need nothing else in Spain. In addition to the sunshine and its (amazing) food, Spain is also widely known for its architecture. Influenced by the Romans, the Visigoths and the Muslims among others, Spain has a beautiful mixture of architectural styles that have remained or have … Continue reading
If you love photography, you’ll be quite impressed by Chema Madoz, a Spanish photographer who won The National Photography Prize in 2000. But what is it exactly that makes his photographs so unique? He always shoots with natural light and uses a medium format Hasselblad. However, the extreme sensibility of his photographs go beyond technicism. … Continue reading
Miami is an amazing North American city where you can find anything you want. If you want sun and sand, you’ll have it. But if you wanted a 12th-century monastery brought stone by stone from Spain you could have it too. Impressed? Continue reading… The clear blue water and the white sand beaches are a … Continue reading
Some weeks ago I published 20 Amazing UI/UX Web Designs and this is part II of that article. UI/UX design stands for User Interface and User Experience design. A user interface is what people see when they access a web page or an application (what it looks like) and the User experience is the net sum … Continue reading
Miami is the kind of city not many people visit for its architecture, unless you aren’t the average traveler. In that case you’ll be amazed by its colorful Art Deco buildings from the very first minute you step on Ocean Drive. This kind of architecture reminds us of better times in Cuba, when ladies wore … Continue reading
Architectural photography is one of the most beautiful types of art, and also my favourite. Its goal is to capture the philosophy and essence of a building into a single image- not an easy task at all. However, when done correctly, it looks as if no effort was needed. The greatness of some of the … Continue reading
London is one of the most interesting European cities in terms of architecture. Besides its history, some of the most relevant towers of the 21st century have been built recently, making it a beautiful city full of contrasts. Anything interesting in terms of architecture is here. If you find any mistakes, or have any suggestions … Continue reading
Among all types of infographics, maps are my favourite kind. It’s really fascinating how much information a well-designed map is able to communicate. And this makes subway maps both a challenge and a nightmare to designers. Long before cars became our primary means of transport, the use of interurban transit provided commuters a way of … Continue reading
Despite the use of color in architecture throughout history, modern constructions seem to be a bit skeptical of this design aspect. Contemporary architecture tends to avoid color in general and there are only a few buildings who manage to use tones in the right way. Architects don’t want their buildings to look like a kindergarten … Continue reading
Some weeks ago I published 10 Sites To Take The Best Skyline Pictures in Chicago and immediately thought of San Francisco. Its hilly landscape hides potential views like no other big city in North America. So to speak, you’ll have to be fit to reach many of these spots- but the views will pay off … Continue reading
Winter 1970, Madrid If you love concrete you’ll love this piece, built between 1960-1990. The Spanish cultural heritage building, “Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural” is the most unusual concrete building in Madrid. Building: Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural de España Architects: Fernando Higueras (1930-2008), Rafael Moneo (1937- ), Antonio Miró (1931-2011) Year built: 1960-1990 Location: Calle del … Continue reading
Among all types of designers, architects have proven to be especially picky in terms of typography. Mies van der Rohe once stated “God is in the details” and apparently us architects pay a lot of attention to the fonts we use. However, we are loyal only to a few. According to a survey I’ve been … Continue reading
A few days ago, while updating the The Free Architecture Guide of Rome, something drew my attention, there were barely no new buildings after the 1960s. So I went through every single building of the map to check my suspicion and that was it, no major constructions in nearly 40 years! I wondered if it had to … Continue reading
Virginia Duran 