Today’s Solutions: October 12, 2024

Architects

Architects redesign their industry labor model

The architecture profession is often glamorized as a creative and lucrative job where individual designers get their names tied to monumental construction projects. The truth is that an individual’s effort, even their whole team’s collaborative work, is attributed uniformly to the firm.  A Read More...

How slum residents in India ar

How slum residents in India are redesigning their future homes

How do you successfully help residents of a slum move into housing that improves their quality of life while maintaining a strong sense of community? You let them in on the design process and hear them out. At least that is what is happening in an informal settlement in the Indian city of Read More...

Desert animal shelter

This MIT team designed a desert shelter for humans and animals

We have often written about animal agencies at The Optimist Daily and sharing our space on the planet with our furry or winged neighbors. It’s important to recognize the rights of nature and cohabitate with animals as peacefully as possible, but a design team from MIT just took it to the next Read More...

Wine silos transformed into housing in Amsterdam

Architects transform old wine silos into apartments to minimize resources

Breathing new life into old things is one of the best ways we humans can reduce the number of resources extracted from the environment. A new development in Amsterdam did just that by creatively repurposing former industrial wine silos into residential buildings. Beyond reusing the obsolete silos, Read More...

Modular shelters designed for refugees

Ukrainian architects build modular shelters for refugees

Since Russia’s invasion, more than 6.5 million internally displaced people in Ukraine have fled their homes to find safety. Many of them are currently crowded in large spaces like school gyms or bomb shelters, with bare amenities available. In a bid to properly accommodate these refugees, a team Read More...

Amos Rex art museum Finland

These urban playgrounds might be why Scandinavians are so happy

We’ve written a good deal about “what makes people the happiest” at The Optimist Daily. We’ve enjoyed examining the lifestyle aspects of the Blue Zone countries or the joyous aspects of Finnish culture. While looking into Scandinavia, though, it’s important to check out their notion of Read More...

MVRDV's Sun Rock with sun setting behind the horizon

This solar panel covered building reflects Taiwan’s green energy transition

Most projects designed by the Dutch architecture firm MVRDV tend to leave a lasting impression on whoever lays their eyes on them. The company's upcoming project, Sun Rock, is no exception. Designed for Taiwan’s government-owned power company Taipower, the project takes the form of a building Read More...

Residents of this small Spanis

Residents of this small Spanish town pay less taxes the more they recycle

The small Spanish town of La Nucía is located just 10 kilometers away from the touristy seaside resorts of Benidorm. But compared to its skyscraper-dominant neighbor, La Nucía’s architecture ranks high in sustainability rather than height. For over 20 years, the municipality has followed a Read More...

floating office rotterdam

Rotterdam becomes home to the world’s largest floating office

While Rotterdam is typically known for hosting Europe’s biggest port, the second largest Dutch city is also famous as a forerunning innovator in climate adaptability. This reputation is reflected by (among other things) a floating dairy farm located near the port, as well as by the more recently Read More...

This is how we could put our u

This is how we could put our urban rooftops to better use

As cities around the world look to integrate more greenery into their urban landscapes, rooftops could offer a solution to the problem of land scarcity in growing urban areas. However, a new book from architecture firm MVRDV explores more useful ways to transform roofs in order to improve the Read More...