Remembering Frank Gehry and Looking Toward Architecture in 2026: This Week’s Review

This week's news reflects architecture's simultaneous engagement with cultural reflection, professional legacy, and the material realities of building cities. The passing of Frank Gehry prompted a broader reassessment of late 20th- and early 21st-century architectural practice, while Shigeru Ban's selection as the recipient of the 2026 AIA Gold Medal brought renewed attention to socially driven design and the profession's public responsibilities. These milestones unfolded alongside wider conversations sparked by Human Rights Day, examining architecture's role in equity, housing access, and safety worldwide, and forward-looking discussions setting the architectural agenda for 2026 through major international events and cultural programs. At the scale of the built environment, these themes are echoed in three projects shaping future urban conditions: Powerhouse Company's transformation of a former limestone quarry into a mixed-use neighbourhood in Bærum, near Oslo; the groundbreaking of Riverside Wharf, a hospitality-led development contributing to the regeneration of Miami's River District; and Foster + Partners' approved retrofit of 1 St James's Square in London, focused on structural retention and long-term urban resilience.

Beyond the Syllabus: Architectural Education and a Defense of the Profession

Recent federal discussions regarding the reclassification of architecture as a degree that no longer carries professional standing have intensified the need to articulate the purpose and structure of accredited programs. These political conditions have produced a moment in which the internal coherence of architectural curricula intersects with broader questions on public welfare, technical accountability, and the ethical responsibilities that define professional expertise. Architectural education in the United States requires an examination that acknowledges its internal pedagogical logic and the external pressures that shape its contemporary reception.

Rose Terraces / Luigi Rosselli Architects

Luigi Rosselli's new "build to rent" homes often feature rammed earth: a slow, sustainable material affordable only for those with the time to build them, deep pockets to cover the costs, or both. Now the Sydney architect is experimenting with another highly sustainable material on a row of four terraces in Bondi Junction with walls that go up "like a Lego kit." Designed as a low-cost version of a terrace, the homes use prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) made from layers of wood stuck together to shrink construction time from "one-and-a-half years [conventional build] to just six months."

VILAKK Residence / 3dor Concepts

Sumesh and his family want to build his dream home at his native place, Payyanur, a vibrant town known for its cultural heritage, traditions, and scenic charm also has a rich history that blends folklore like theyyam, spirituality, and artistry. Being a devout spiritualist and residing in a village with a rich cultural heritage, he wanted the symbolisation of the local context and the richness of the temple architecture to reflect in the very own space that can be defi ned as his home.

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