Cañada House / Escobedo Soliz

Studies reveal that we spend roughly 90% of our time indoors, and even when we do venture outside, we often remain tethered to technology, with a speaker in our ear, smartphone in our hand, or both. To address this, architects and designers have been pursuing innovative methods for incorporating nature into our living spaces. After already embracing green walls, seamless indoor-outdoor living areas, and strategic natural lighting, it looks like exploring the world of sound is next.

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the new American Buddhist Cultural Society Temple, also known as the San Bao Temple, has broken ground in San Francisco, California. Located on Van Ness Avenue, the new six-story facility will include a community center, a Buddhist shrine, and a meditation room on the upper levels, along with three levels of private dormitories for visiting monastics and volunteers. In the center of the building, a light-filled atrium offers additional amenities, such as a public art gallery, bookstore, teahouse, and community gathering hall. The temple is expected to open by the end of 2024.

Location. The campus Paridaens received a distinct identity with its new wing for the school. It is now a visual anchor point and a point of orientation which is emphasized by its fifth floor on the side wall of the building. The river Dijle is now exposed and was given a green bank with a walking and cycling lane that flanks the river within the constraints of the school site. Consequently, the adjacent urban residential area Janseniushof has the possibility to become connected to the city center.