Building Facades

Using intricate geometry found in nature and refined through aerospace and biomedical design, scientists have now 3D-printed these forms into concrete to boost strength and capture carbon – creating a scalable material that benefits people and planet.

Nobody likes buildings that are too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. That's where the FlectoLine facade comes in, as it uses two bio-inspired mechanisms to regulate how much solar thermal energy gets through a building's windows.

Form following function is an important principle in architecture, but few buildings lean into the idea quite as hard as this office for a pipe distribution company which appears to be almost totally made from metal pipes.

MAD Architects' One River North high-rise draws inspiration from the surrounding landscape and is defined by a facade that's cracked open to reveal a "Canyon" area that lets residents take a stroll along a mountain trail.

The Upper House is defined by an eye-catching timber facade that twists as it rises. The building riffs on indigenous Australian culture and also boasts significant sustainability features, as well as thousands of plants.

As 3D-printed architecture continues to grow in popularity, we're seeing more creative uses for the tech. This example comes from Studio RAP and uses a 3D printer to transform a retail store with a decorative knitted fabric-like ceramic facade.

MVRDV has been commissioned to extend an airport in the Czech Republic. In response, the firm has designed three buildings with intricate facades that incorporate solar power and satellite images of the country.

MVRDV has completed work on a retail store for jeweler Tiffany's in Singapore's Changi Airport. It aims to catch the eyes of weary travelers with a 3D-printed coral-inspired facade made using recycled plastic partly sourced from fishing nets.

Contaminar Arquitectos takes an unorthodox but visually striking approach to keeping the Quinta do Rei 18 home a comfortable temperature. The firm has wrapped the residence in a twisting concrete facade that protects it from the sunshine in Portugal.

Sava has revealed plans for an ambitious renovation of a moldy old retail building in Vietnam. The project will be focused on increasing light and views inside and will be fronted by an eye-catching facade of stacked greenery filled planters.

A large percentage of a building’s energy usage is consumed by heating and cooling, but a new dynamic shading system could help. Inspired by the skin of krill, the system uses cells of blooming pigment that can block light on demand.

Beautifully designed, energy-generating bio-panels that suck up carbon dioxide and pump out biomass for use as fuel or fertilizer – that's the idea behind Mexican startup Greenfluidics and its nanotech-enhanced microalgae bioreactor building panels.