Around 75 % of residential buildings in Germany are made of masonry. This enduring preference reflects growing confidence in solid construction and provides the impetus for dedicating this issue of Detail to the topic.    

Building plots are becoming scarce, housing costs are soaring, and apartments in new developments are shrinking. The model has shifted from suburban houses to urban living. But what does that mean?    

What lies ahead for architecture in the digital age? To gain insight, we surveyed architects from around the globe on the role of artificial intelligence. The result is a fascinating snapshot of their perspectives.    

In addition to the winning projects of the Detail Award, our December issue takes us to masonry buildings in France and southern England and to Danish brick construction.    

From residential estates and office complexes to an observation tower and an Olympic milestone in Paris, this issue showcases the versatility of timber construction through seven exemplary projects.    

While many new residential buildings are generic investor projects using cheap materials, Paris continues to lead with experimental mile­stones in the use of natural building mate­rials. We present these building envelopes in this issue.    

New Work is a widely used term these days, but its meaning often remains unclear. In this concept edition of Detail, we let current projects illustrate these changes rather than providing rigid definitions.    

From the metropolis to the solitude of the mountains: In our summer issue, we explore two highly contrasting subjects. The Olympic Games in Paris and Building in the Mountains.    

Sustainability encompasses various practices, all aimed at reducing carbon emissions. With this June issue, we spotlight six diverse projects that are taking steps towards a climate-neutral future in very different ways.    

The focus should be on developing housing within existing buildings and settlementstructures – through conversions, additions, extensions, and densification. Our new issue illustrates how this can be achieved.    

Out into the open! Our April issue delves into the construction and design of buildings with balconies, terraces, loggias, and arcades. We hope you enjoy exploring these features.  

Is it possible to reduce costs and guarantee quality simultaneously in construction? As we embark on the new year, we confront a pressing issue that will accompany us for some time to come.  

Is it possible to reduce costs and guarantee quality simultaneously in construction? As we embark on the new year, we confront a pressing issue that will accompany us for some time to come.  

This December issue is dedicated to urban density and the architectural solutions needed to achieve it. While we understand the necessity of densification, few are eager to sacrifice their own space.  

In the last decade, timber construction has rapidly gained ground in the building industry. Our current issue documents multi-layered examples of the detailed application of natural building materials.  

Facades have always had many roles to play. They give buildings a face, protect them from the elements, and convey meaning. The examples presented in this issue highlight the merits of thoughtful facades.  

We selected exciting projects for our September issue, focussing on mixed use concepts. They include residential and office spaces, sports halls and gastronomic functions and many more within their complex programs.

Space is a type of resource we bring to light in this summer edition of Detail. Our Documentation section features innovative structures that make clever use of limited space.

Anyone asking the inevitable question about climate protection in architecture today will receive not one but many answers.

Now the top view, i.e. the roof, is often the first impression we have of buildings.

Debates about building materials in architecture inevitably mention the term “truth to materials” (known in German as “Materialgerechtigkeit”).

Few sectors of the economy were so battered during the corona years as the hotel industry.

Not only in Germany and Europe but also worldwide, building in existing structures is currently gaining in acceptance and relevance.

While compiling our personal favourites of the year in the Detail editorial office, I was surprised at the vast scope of projects my colleagues had experienced in 2022. For this issue’s review of the year, they describe their architectural observations in places like Jerusalem, Berlin, and Montagnana, Italy.

If the aim is net zero, demolition and landfill disposal must be avoided at all costs. Today, a progressive architecture is one that takes part in the circular economy and reuses building materials.

Our October issue is all about light and interiors. PPAG’s school in Vienna brings daylight into deep cluster spaces to foster daily well-being.

In 1997, the Guggenheim Museum opened in Bilbao, and Frank Gehry’s eccentric new building transformed the Basque city into an overnight hotspot for international tourism.

Especially in big dense cities, roofs and facades are the only places left to make things greener.

“Doing away with everything superfluous creates the potential for an architectural quality all of its own,” says Florian Nagler about “simple building” in an interview with Frank Kaltenbach.

Naturstein und Hochlochziegel, Ortbeton und Stampflehm in vorproduzierten Elementen: Für die Massivbauweise kommen viele unterschiedliche Materialien in Frage, und oft ist ihre Anwendung regional motiviert.

Natural stone and perforated bricks, cast-in-place concrete, and rammed earth in prefabricated ele­ments – these are just a few of the diverse materials used in solid construction, and their use is often regionally motivated.

“A villa in the countryside with a large terrace, in front of you the Baltic Sea, Friedrichstrasse behind you …”. Thus begins Kurt Tucholsky’s 1927 poem, “The Ideal”. While Tucholsky’s ideal of urban life might be unattainable in Berlin, there are cities where it has become a reality.