Shaping the Way we Live in Cities - For such a small word, home is laden with meaning: dwelling, identity, family, wellbeing, property, refuge, shelter, both physically and psychologically, aspiration, rootedness, belonging, hope… How can architects embody all these evocative ideas in their designs without being overwhelmed by the enormity of the responsibility of designing homes for the masses? It’s 2019 and housing remains a pressing issue. C3 has chosen three exemplary projects recently built in Europe to showcase what interesting, even poetic, approaches exist to inner city living.

Public Buildings and Placemaking - Public buildings have consistently been defined by their role, scope, and function, as well as the impact they have on a place, state, country, or society. Once a representative manifestation of the divine, the sublime, or the prerogative and the glory of an authority, today’s public buildings seem to aim more toward serving humanistic values by providing a ‘sense of place’ that allows people to share space and interact under their shed. However so, the collection of buildings in this article show us that architecture can reply to these complex problems by doing what it usually does best: reading between the lines and interpreting a given program in an insightful and most creative manner. This way, the need to make the building an attractor to the community is answered simply by making it an attractive place to be.

Additions that add More than Space - An addition to a site, or to an existing building, can only be successful if more than physical space is added to the project. It is not enough to add more space or an extension of the existing, nor is it suitable to expand the existing. The new should add significance to the old, and both of them should further the overall narrative of the company, organization, or institution for which they are home. Where one addition expresses the expertise of its members, another displays a lesson in architectural history, while another gives an aspirational design to an institution dealing with an issue where hope is desired. Each addition adds a new chapter to the narrative, which could not have been achieved if only space was added.

Shaping the Way we Live in Cities - For such a small word, home is laden with meaning: dwelling, identity, family, wellbeing, property, refuge, shelter, both physically and psychologically, aspiration, rootedness, belonging, hope… How can architects embody all these evocative ideas in their designs without being overwhelmed by the enormity of the responsibility of designing homes for the masses? It’s 2019 and housing remains a pressing issue. C3 has chosen three exemplary projects recently built in Europe to showcase what interesting, even poetic, approaches exist to inner city living.

Public Buildings and Placemaking - Public buildings have consistently been defined by their role, scope, and function, as well as the impact they have on a place, state, country, or society. Once a representative manifestation of the divine, the sublime, or the prerogative and the glory of an authority, today’s public buildings seem to aim more toward serving humanistic values by providing a ‘sense of place’ that allows people to share space and interact under their shed. However so, the collection of buildings in this article show us that architecture can reply to these complex problems by doing what it usually does best: reading between the lines and interpreting a given program in an insightful and most creative manner. This way, the need to make the building an attractor to the community is answered simply by making it an attractive place to be.

Additions that add More than Space - An addition to a site, or to an existing building, can only be successful if more than physical space is added to the project. It is not enough to add more space or an extension of the existing, nor is it suitable to expand the existing. The new should add significance to the old, and both of them should further the overall narrative of the company, organization, or institution for which they are home. Where one addition expresses the expertise of its members, another displays a lesson in architectural history, while another gives an aspirational design to an institution dealing with an issue where hope is desired. Each addition adds a new chapter to the narrative, which could not have been achieved if only space was added.