Vaults & domes

Compression geometry: arches, vaults, domes and shells.

39 entries

White concrete interior looking through an open door to a minimalist white outdoor patio and water feature under clear sky.

Daily Line

Zurich’s Hydrologic Veil: Passive House with Anodised Aluminium and Water

This Zurich passive house demonstrates precision in material application, marrying advanced thermal performance with traditional water features and a stark white aesthetic.

20 Aug 2026

Aerial view of stone buildings with moss-covered tile roofs, green roofs, and verdigris metal roofs amidst a rural landscape.

Visual Essay

Cycladic Barns: Terracotta Roofscapes and Thermal Resilience

The Cycladic tithe barn, traditionally a robust agricultural structure, finds new purpose in contemporary architecture. This essay explores its thermal mass and passive climate control. Terracotta tiling contributes significantly to seasonal resilience.

19 Aug 2026

Timber staircase with dark risers and light treads, contrasting with light wood ceiling beams overhead.

Architecture Travel

Cienfuegos Lighthouse: Acoustic Echoes in Colonial Timber

The Cienfuegos Lighthouse keeper's house offers a unique study in the interplay of colonial design, timber acoustics, and the distinctive soundscape of its maritime context.

18 Aug 2026

Rammed earth wall with a timber-framed window overlooking a coastal landscape with green dunes and ocean waves.

Field Notes

Rammed Earth at Kommetjie: Seasonal Shifts in a Colonial Cabin

This piece examines the reinterpretation of rammed earth in a Colonial Caribbean-influenced beach cabin near Kommetjie, Cape Town, focusing on its seasonal adaptation.

17 Aug 2026

Modern building with dark timber and textured concrete walls, reflecting in a black tiled ground and water feature.

Future Living

The Singapore Baroque Institute: Concrete Shells and Reflected Light

The Singapore Baroque Institute employs precise concrete shells and rammed earth formwork to create a contemporary research environment, integrating water features as central design elements. Its design in black basalt and charred cedar reflects a new approach to tropical architecture.

13 Aug 2026

Rough, dark rammed earth wall meets glossy black square tiles, a material contrast in the Copenhagen rammed earth research ce

Architect Minds

Copenhagen’s Black Earth: Mughal Tiles and Rammed Earth Colour

Exploring a contemporary research centre in Copenhagen where the deliberate choice of black ceramic tiles and pigmented rammed earth shapes its aesthetic and functional narrative.

10 Aug 2026

Close-up, worm's-eye view of an illuminated timber soffit with dark metal framing and glass windows at night.

Construction Diaries

Kikuchi Kengo: The Georgian Retreat and Anodised Aluminium

This piece examines Kikuchi Kengo's Tokyo studio retreat, a Georgian-era project integrating anodised aluminium rainscreen and principles of circularity for future adaptability.

9 Aug 2026

Modern house with black timber siding, a timber-framed porch, and a brick arched entry, viewed from the front path.

Light & Atmosphere

Cuban Country Estates: Vaulted Brickwork and Timber Echoes

Cuban colonial country estates blended classical architectural ideals with local climatic responses. This examination reveals the interplay of vaulted brickwork and a contemporary reinterpretation using precision timber joinery.

3 Aug 2026

Stone facade window with dark timber frame, showing a warmly lit room with a timber-beamed ceiling.

Colour & Palette

Cycladic Fortified Farms: Lath, Light, and Defensive Woodwork

Exploring the architectural heritage of Cycladic fortified farmhouses, or pyrgos, reveals how their construction, particularly using lath and plaster, integrates natural light strategies with defensive design.

2 Aug 2026

Close-up of a doorway with rammed earth walls, dark timber paneling, and a floor of polished concrete and raw earth.

ARCHITECTT Cases

Casa de Piedra: Thermal Mass and Precision Joinery in a Caribbean Fisher’s Home

Casa de Piedra, a fisherman's cottage in Cartagena, Colombia, integrates colonial thermal mass principles with precise Japanese joinery for passive climate control.

30 Jul 2026

Close-up of a concrete wall with exposed aggregate next to a smooth marble surface with a brushed metal trim.

Visual Essay

Raimundo da Mota: Hydrologic Logic in Lisbon’s Arts and Crafts Prefabrication

Raimundo da Mota’s innovative approach to modular prefab assembly in early 20th-century Lisbon combined Arts and Crafts aesthetics with pioneering hydrologic design for off-grid living.

28 Jul 2026

Blue tiled brick and grid panels cover a building with a blue metal roof, viewed from a low angle against a clear sky.

Architecture Travel

Tanjong Pagar: Blue Glaze and Tropical Art Nouveau

The former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore features a distinctive Art Nouveau canopy, showcasing innovative prefabrication and passive climate control principles.

27 Jul 2026

Exterior corner of a building, showcasing dark timber cladding and black brickwork, meeting at a black metal beam.

Details That Matter

Charred Timber and Brick: Mid-Century Mass Timber in Copenhagen

Exploring the material intersections of charred timber and parametrically coursed brick in Copenhagen's mid-century modern cultural architecture, examining their environmental impact.

24 Jul 2026

Highlands Rammed Earth Hammam with textured earth walls and stone foundation in a rugged landscape.

Future Living

Rammed Earth Retreat: A Highlands Hammam Reimagined with Critical Regionalism

A contemporary hammam in the Scottish Highlands demonstrates how critical regionalism and rammed earth construction can create architecture deeply rooted in place.

22 Jul 2026

Modern timber building with slatted facades and prominent buttresses, reminiscent of Djenné mud architecture, under a clear s

Architect Minds

Rainwater Harvest: Djenné Mud Architecture and its Hydrologic Logic

Djenné mud architecture exemplifies a regional vernacular where building form and hydrological management are intrinsically linked, demonstrating sustainable design.

19 Jul 2026

Modern timber interior with large open windows showcasing snowy mountain views and Jean-Jacques Dubuis architecture.

Construction Diaries

Jean-Jacques Dubuis: Timber and Thermal Mass in Alpine Shotgun Houses

Jean-Jacques Dubuis innovated alpine housing by adapting the efficient shotgun typology, incorporating timber and advanced thermal mass strategies for multi-seasonal comfort.

18 Jul 2026

Rammed-earth wall to the left of an ornate glass door, with a smooth plaster wall and concrete floor to the right.

Adaptive Reuse

Cape Cod's Gothic Dacha: Reimagining a Russian Vernacular

This piece explores the adaptive reuse of a Gothic-era Russian dacha on Cape Cod, examining its material transformation and the integration of hand-forged ironwork. The project emphasizes regional vernaculars and the sensory experience of built space.

16 Jul 2026

Concrete stairway with blue painted walls and railings leads to a blue door.

Biophilic & Wellness

Blue Shells of Helsinki: Material Honesty and Air Quality in Research Architecture

Helsinki’s concrete-shell research laboratories synthesize ancient structural principles with modern material honesty, prioritizing indoor air quality through precision steel detailing and non-toxic material choices. This approach addresses off-gassing and VOCs.

15 Jul 2026

The underside of a modern timber roof overhang with intricate wooden beams, set against a cloudy sky.

Sustainability & Climate

Vaulted Oriel: Critical Regionalism in Highland Vineyards

The 'Vaulted Oriel' explores Critical Regionalism in the Scottish Highlands, focusing on how material choices inform color palette and architectural expression within vineyard structures.

13 Jul 2026

Contemporary home with a weathered green copper and stone facade and a living wall, viewed from a garden path.

ARCHITECTT Cases

Ruta 40 Retreat: Color as Structure in Patagonian Bauhaus-Era Châteaux

ARCHITECTT examines the architectural use of color, beyond mere decoration, in Bauhaus-era château designs within Patagonia, highlighting terracotta and green material applications.

8 Jul 2026

A light-filled bathroom features timber wall panels and beams, with travertine marble tubs and benches.

Architecture Travel

Gothic Revival Hammams in New England: A Confluence of Style and Craft

This article explores the rare intersection of Ottoman hammam typology with 19th-century New England Gothic Revival architecture, analyzing how local craftspeople adapted traditional styles and materials.

5 Jul 2026

A timber trellis with climbing ivy, a patinated copper door, and a moss-covered stone wall, from a close-up angle.

Details That Matter

Rainwater and Joinery: Japanese Machiya Hydrology in Renaissance Marrakech

Exploring the adaptive architecture of the Japanese machiya, this piece examines its advanced hydrological strategies and intricate joinery. We recontextualize these within Renaissance Marrakech to reveal cross-cultural design ingenuity.

2 Jul 2026

Facade of a building constructed with rammed earth, featuring a stone lintel over a shadowed entryway, framed by desert plant

Architect Minds

Rammed Earth Cabins: Climate Cost of Rajasthani Coastal Construction

Rammed earth (pisé) offers a low-carbon alternative for coastal construction in a conceptual Renaissance Rajasthan, addressing embodied carbon and material lifecycle concerns through its localized sourcing and inherent thermal properties.

27 Jun 2026

Wine archive with dark timber paneling and black metal racks filled with bottles, from a first-person perspective.

Transformation Logic

Kyushu in Sydney: The Subterranean Soundscape of a Wine Archive

This article explores the transformation of a cavernous Sydney space into a sophisticated subterranean wine archive, integrating Edo-period Japanese joinery techniques with cross-laminated timber for unique acoustic performance.

25 Jun 2026

Modern concrete and glass residence with flowing water features, viewed from an outdoor pathway.

Material Notes

Hydraulic Logic: The Fluidity of Water as Structure

Water traditionally resists architectural integration as a structural element. However, its properties enable novel applications, from hydrostatic support in foundations to dynamic envelopes.

23 Jun 2026

Concrete interior with a wood reception desk, glass walls, and a large skylight.

Future Living

Biometric Logic: The Adaptive Environment of Personalized Space

Biometric logic in architecture represents a paradigm shift towards environments that respond to human physiological and emotional data, creating adaptive and personalized spaces.

22 Jun 2026

Neural Logic Architecture of a concrete building with organic, skeletal forms and glass windows, viewed from an interior cour

Built Intelligence

Neural Logic: The Architecture of Adaptive Computation

This article examines how neural networks are influencing architectural design, from generative forms to adaptive environmental controls, shaping a new paradigm of intelligent buildings.

21 Jun 2026

Auditorium with concrete walls, wood paneling, and an Acoustic Logic-designed wood slat ceiling.

Architect Minds

Acoustic Logic: Architecture as a Resonant Instrument

Explore acoustic logic: the architectural art of sculpting space through resonance, geometry, and material density to design the perfect soundscape.

19 Jun 2026

A modern building facade, featuring concrete, brick, metal panels, and glass, illuminated by sunlight from the left.

Transformation Logic

Diachronic Logic: The Synthesis of Chronological Layers

Diachronic logic in architecture explores how buildings accumulate and synthesize chronological layers, revealing material and formal traces of their evolutionary history.

17 Jun 2026

Close-up of a modern building showing textured and fluted terra cotta facades with a dark window.

ARCHITECTT Cases

Terra Cotta Logic: The Clay Tectonics of the Earthen Facade

Terra cotta, a material with ancient roots, is experiencing a resurgence in contemporary architecture. Its inherent properties make it a viable choice for facades seeking both performance and aesthetic value.

16 Jun 2026

Architectural detail showing a concrete wall with an illuminated vertical entryway next to a carbonized timber wall.

ARCHITECTT Cases

Carbonized Logic: The Resilience of the Charred Envelope

Carbonized logic utilizes controlled fire to preserve timber. Explore the technical and aesthetic benefits of the traditional Shou Sugi Ban method.

21 May 2026

Alpine Architecture: a concrete mountain shelter with a glass facade, nestled into a snow-covered slope, against rocky peaks.

Architecture Travel

Alpine Tectonics: The Logic of the Monolithic Mountain

Beyond the timber chalet: exploring the shift toward monolithic concrete, thermal mass, and topographical integration in the Alps of South Tyrol and Switzerland.

2 Feb 2026

Building facade featuring a grid of brushed metal panels, some angled open to reveal dark spaces and a warm glow within.

Built Intelligence

Kinetic Logic: The Intelligence of the Moving Envelope

Kinetic logic explores the shift from static envelopes to dynamic, mechanically responsive façades that adapt to environmental stimuli in real-time.

18 Jan 2026

Plaster wall meeting a tile floor in a Shadow Gap Detail.

Details That Matter

Shadow Logic: The Role of the Reveal in Material Clarity

From structural tolerance to floating volumes, the shadow gap is a crucial tool of architectural precision. We explore the mechanics of the reveal.

8 Sept 2025

The Halley Research Station, composed of brightly colored metal modules on stilts, stands on a vast, snow-covered plain.

Stories of Place

Glacial Logic: The Mobile Tectonics of the Pole

In the shifting cryogenic landscapes of the poles, architecture must abandon the static. Explore the logic of mobility, scouring, and thermal resilience.

19 Mar 2025

A white stone Mediterranean courtyard featuring a large olive tree and a narrow water channel.

Stories of Place

Courtyard Logic: The Microclimate of the Void

An editorial look at the Mediterranean courtyard as a thermal engine. Explore how this ancient typology uses mass, shade, and moisture to regulate climate.

8 Jan 2025

Sydney Opera House architecture with white tiled sails over brown concrete and glass, seen from the water below.

Global Icons

Geometric Icon: The Rationality of the Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is more than a silhouette. We examine the 'Spherical Solution' that turned Utzon’s sketches into a masterclass of prefabrication.

9 Dec 2024

Architectural model of stairs in white plaster, on a wood table, with a bookshelf and window in the background.

Architect Minds

Spatial Shorthand: The Cognitive Logic of the Architect’s Mind

An analysis of 'spatial shorthand'—the mental frameworks and cognitive shortcuts architects use to manage extreme design complexity.

3 Oct 2024

Pink concrete and dark stone walls flank a still reflecting pool, with sunlight casting a diagonal shadow.

Architecture Travel

Atmospheric Logic: The Tectonic Weight of Mexico City

A study of the volcanic materiality, light-driven voids, and chromatic density that define the atmospheric logic of Mexico City’s architectural landscape.

10 Jul 2024

Nearby topics

Joinery Masonry craft Ironwork Stained glass Prefabrication Structure & engineering Facades & envelopes Restoration craft