The chaise longue – the literal English translation from French for which is “long chair” – has an exceedingly long history that spans much farther than the chair’s length. Originating from ancient Egypt, this upholstered chair long enough to allow you to put your feet up is traditionally associated with neoclassic French-style boudoirs “fainting couches” of the Victorian era. Today, designers seek for sleek and contemporary shapes for these comfortable furniture pieces seducing the user to sit back and relax.

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Is this an amusement park or a kindergarten? Architects and designers of today disrupt the typology of a nursery school with its boring standardized exteriors, developing exciting and aspirational environments for the new generations of pre-schoolers.

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No matter how impressive the design or how famous the name of the architect, some statement buildings are just not on the cards. We have selected a number of ambititous projects, some controversial, some ill-fated, that were conceived to become new landmarks in the British capital but were destined to remain concepts.

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Concrete is everywhere. Today, it is the single most widely used material in the world. Massive and sculptural, bringing raw beauty to any home, it is an essential material for contemporary architects to use.

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For ages, furniture designers have been working to redefine what a chair should look like. But what if the drastically new approach to this piece of furniture would be to make it invisible?

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Traditional bricks are heated at temperatures of more than 1,000 degree Celsius, producing huge carbon dioxide emissions. The race is on to create more sustainable building materials for the construction industry. Because of the increasing integration of the design, science and engineering domains, designers and researchers work to define the compositions of materials or even create materials for desired functions, such as pollution control, climate responsiveness, sound absorption, thermal barriers, shape and colour changing, and biodegradability. Among recent innovations are eco-friendly bricks made of loofah, no-heat bricks made from urine, and structures grown from mushroom mycelium.

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Excitement about the speed of development in China is nothing new. This year is no exception. We have selected a number of sleek and futuristic projects by the world’s leading architecture practices that are expected to be completed this year.

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Last week we saw the start of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. While athletes are competing, breaking records, delivering tales of gold glory and tear-jerking stories of loss, let us enjoy the beauty of the arenas and stadiums that host events during these two weeks of sports celebration.

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The tiny house movement is all about downsizing living spaces, simplifying, and essentially “living with less.” The advocates of the movement are sure that even within a limited floorspace you can live a more fulfilling life – and without a huge mortgage hanging over your head.

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Structures that attach themselves to an already existing larger buildings borrowing utilities and services from the host are known as parasitic architecture. This architectural approach helps resolve many urban community problems and gaps like unaffordable rents and unavailability of space, not uncommon for most of the world’s overcrowded megapolises.

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