Early-stage design may be where everything begins, but without careful consideration, it's also where everything breaks down. On average, firms report that nearly 15% of all work done generates zero revenue, much of it tied to concept design. Relying on a patchwork of tools like Rhino, Excel, Revit, and Miro, architects often spend weeks swapping between platforms just to get a concept and presentation out the door. Data gets trapped in screenshots, rework piles up, and by the time the model is ready for documentation in Revit, the creative momentum is long gone. Snaptrude 3.0 Was Built to Fix that.
The fifth edition of the London Design Biennale is taking place at Somerset House from 5 to 29 June 2025. The theme of this year's edition is "Surface Reflections," an invitation to explore "the dynamic interplay between internal experience and external influence." The curatorial proposal, set by British artist and designer Samuel Ross, encourages a focus on the underlying layers of the objects, systems, and spaces that shape our daily lives. The Biennale exhibition is a journey through 35 pavilions by countries, institutional design teams, and curators, presenting soundscapes, immersive experiences, and performances, as well as sculptural and evocative objects. To confront contemporary global challenges, topics include identity, memory, innovation, technology, craftsmanship, ecology, and belonging.
With a balance of emerging talent and established brands, this year's edition of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair fostered meaningful connections, commercial momentum and critical dialogue across the global design community.
Returning to the Javits Center this May, the 2025 edition of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) brought together over 400 design brands from 35 countries, reinforcing its role as a central meeting point for contemporary design in North America. Spanning residential, commercial and hospitality sectors, the fair attracted more than 13,000 attendees and maintained strong engagement across the board — despite ongoing market volatility and tariff pressures.
The intersection of neuroscience and architecture/design has brought innovations to the way spaces are conceived.Recently, the relevance of inclusive and regenerative design has come to the fore, addressing the need to create environments that welcome human diversity, including older adults and neurodiverse individuals. This approach not only broadens accessibility but also promotes environmental regeneration and user well-being.
The German Design Awards 2026 are now open for submissions worldwide. Under the theme Connecting Global Excellence, the awards extend an invitation not just to enter, but to engage—with ideas, with places, with people. This year's open call is accompanied by a new series of Design Masterclasses in Zurich and Copenhagen, created in collaboration with DAAily platforms, offering spaces to share, learn and connect. As the Frankfurt RheinMain region prepares to take the global stage as World Design Capital 2026, the German Design Awards 2026 reflect the full spectrum of design today—from visionary innovation to cultural continuity. They are both a mirror of our diverse design landscape and a catalyst for forward-thinking transformation across all disciplines.
Space has become a luxury in many of the world's most densely populated cities—a growing reality that's hard to ignore. Megacities like Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai, Mexico City, and São Paulo already have populations exceeding 20 million, while other urban centers across Asia and Africa continue to expand rapidly. Among these, Delhi stands out: if current trends continue, it is projected to become the most populous city by 2028. As these cities expand, housing—especially new developments—follows a new logic: as square meters shrink, furniture adapts, and daily life learns to fit and thrive in high-density environments. This change isn't just about size; it reflects a new way of living. Where spaciousness once dominated, density now rules. Every corner gains spatial and commercial value, with the kitchen emerging as one of the biggest challenges in housing design today.
Without dedicated spaces for private focus — a crucial element of effective collaboration — even the brightest idea dims. The office must indeed balance connectivity with personal space most brilliantly, letting employees move between tasks without friction. Booths like hushFree.XS, hushFree.S.Hybrid, and hushFree.S are part of this, together forming a trio of single-person booths that meet the majority of the office's need for individual workspaces.
HushFree.XS, hushFree.S.Hybrid, and hushFree.S work as a complete system, ensuring employees have the right conditions for productive solo work throughout the day, proving to be invaluable tools for architects in designing spaces that completely address varied employees needs. Booths like these make premium refuges for focused calls, impressively immersive video conference spaces, and deep-focus bubbles.
An ancestral house in the rural village of Willendorf in der Wachau stands watch over a grove of fruit trees. The trees have stood for generations and, to this day, provide the fruit which is the basis of the family business. Bound on one side by the river Danube and the other by valley's edge, both house and grove have witnessed the passage of countless seasons together. With each progression between darkness and light, from winter to summer, comes the inevitability of change.
International perspectives are represented through spotlights on countries such as Brazil (top) or Italy (bottom). Photos: Courtesy of Bell'Arte (top) & Gaspare Asaro SRL (bottom)
ICFF returns to New York's Javits Center this May 18–20 with a refreshed sense of purpose and a global perspective. With its 2025 theme, 'Designing in Harmony', the fair sets out to explore how design can bridge divides — between materials and methods, cultures and climates, past and future.
At a time when balance feels elusive, ICFF is aiming to create it through a curated mix of furniture, lighting, objects and conversations around regeneration, resilience and collaboration positioned as practical frameworks. Architonic spoke to ICFF Brand Directors Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat ahead of the fair to elaborate on this through-line and tease what else to expect.
On 19 June 2025, the exhibition will expand to include models of the three winning proposals, which will be announced during the EUmies Awards Day 2025 at Palazzo Michiel in Venice. This event will also unveil the winners of the Young Talent Open, which extends the awards' reach beyond the Creative Europe countries to include participants from the Council of Europe member states and the Asia-Pacific region. All selected works will be documented in a publication and incorporated into the EUmies Awards Archive, contributing to a growing repository of architectural experimentation and discourse.
New Academic Building at ACT by PILA. Image Courtesy of PILA
PILA, an architecture studio based in Athens and New York, has released its design for a new educational building at Anatolia College, located in Thessaloniki, Greece. The project, which serves the institution's tertiary-level programs, was the result of an invited architectural competition. The project is part of the institution's long-term campus master plan and is intended to accommodate evolving academic needs while incorporating sustainable design strategies. The building is scheduled for completion by fall 2027 and is part of Anatolia College's broader efforts to expand its academic infrastructure and engage with the evolving landscape of higher education in Greece.
Riga Bosques, a build-to-rent project in Mexico City’s Santa Fe district, features 110 rental apartments designed by architect Enrique Macotela
When the seeds that would bloom into BoConcept were planted by cabinet makers Tage Mølholm and Jens Ærthøj, in the small Danish town of Herning in 1947, its founders could hardly have foreseen that their nascent furniture company would eventually become a global leader in contemporary Scandinavian design.
But such is the way. BoConcept now operates 300 dedicated stores in over 65 countries, and many of its pieces – from the minimal, organic and ergonomic Adelaide chair, designed by Henrik Pedersen; to Morten Georgsen's classically-inflected, ceramic-topped Santiago dining table – have become touchstones for interior designers and aesthetically minded consumers alike. Its global reach is supported by dedicated franchisers, such as Carlos Salamonovitz, who recently brought BoConcept's vision to a new residential project in Mexico City.
The State of Qatar has just opened its national pavilion's doors at Expo Osaka 2025. Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates in collaboration with Qatar Museums, the pavilion blends traditional craftsmanship from Qatar and Japan while highlighting the two countries' connection to the sea, which is understood as a hub of resources and a medium for trade and knowledge exchange. The exhibition will be on view until October 13, 2025, aiming to showcase Qatar's innovations across diverse fields.
BoConcept combines heritage, simplicity, craftsmanship, functionality, and quality at the heart of their design philosophy
The modest origins of BoConcept – the furniture company founded in 1947 by young cabinetmakers Jens Ærthøj and Tage Mølholm, in the sleepy Jutland town of Herning – belie its standing as a beacon of Danish design. By harnessing and refining the key tenets of heritage, simplicity, craftsmanship, functionality and quality over 70 years, the brand has become Denmark's most globally recognizable name in furniture. It's a fact exemplified in timeless pieces such as its midcentury-style Imola armchair (inspired by the form of a deconstructed tennis ball) and the marshmallow minimalism of its Bellagio sofa – not to mention a proliferation of more than 300 stores in over 65 countries.
Milan Design Week 2025 is one of the most significant events in the design world, taking place from April 8 to April 13. Following in the previous years' tradition, the city of Milano will host a variety of exhibitions, installations, and discussions throughout its diverse districts, each offering a unique atmosphere and thematic focus. Alongside the renowned Salone del Mobile 2025 at the expansive Rho Fiera exhibition grounds, numerous activities and initiatives will be featured, all coordinated under the Fuorisalone agenda. This article will help navigate the many events by highlighting key venues and installations, ranging from the major fair to vibrant design districts and distinctive locations, such as historic courtyards and revitalized industrial spaces.
Leonardo.ai. AI-generated image by ZIGURAT Institute of Technology. Image :Courtesy of ZIGURAT
"We stand on the brink of a revolution in construction. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence is set to inevitably transform a sector that has, until now, been traditional and scarcely digitalized. Soon, we will witness a paradigm shift in how we approach every stage of the construction process, and industry professionals must lead the change," warns Lilian Ho, BIM & Digital Leader in AEC industry.
Designing the next 'wow' project? It's like trying to catch lightning in a bottle—except with BIG and D5 Render, you're handed the jar. Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), a global leader in architecture, is renowned for its bold designs and commitment to innovation. Constantly exploring new tools, BIG pushes the boundaries of design technology to optimize workflows and enhance creativity. With iconic projects worldwide, BIG has redefined architectural storytelling. By leveraging D5 Render's all-in-one platform, the firm has optimized its real-time design and visualization workflow, combining D5 rendering, animation, and AI to bring concepts to life with exceptional speed and precision.
