The creative approach to internal and external architecture

Welcome to our blog. Today we would like to move a bit away from the 3D industry which we are used to talking about a lot and consider the architecture itself. As everyone in our team has additional architectural education and experience, we have decided to develop this topic. We have gathered some trends and approaches in architecture, well, some of them are old and have to be refreshed, and some of them are completely novel.

Smart glass and no curtains are needed

We have “artificial intelligence” featured in plenty of home items, which can be connected to Wi-Fi, phone, or Bluetooth and we perceive it as something normal. Right now, even windows acquired intelligence. One of the recently developed tools in contemporary architecture is smart glass. Generally, such glass is usually used not only for high-rises and skyscrapers, where the sun is closer to the top and the level of ultraviolet is very strong but also for the interiors and many other areas such as marine and aviation production, cars, kiosks. Nowadays, the market represents a huge variety of these products: electrochromic, thermochromic, photochromic with different color variations. There is the next mechanism behind it- the glass becomes tanned due to its light sensitiveness and ability to detect the sunlight. There are many types of it, which are very similar in the way they work. Due to special molecules inside, some of them react to sunlight and become darker without any external control. Others, are sensitive to heating temperature and change their color when overheated. In addition, there is an electrochromic glass, which changes with the push of the button. All of them are actively used in today’s architecture, single houses, and interiors. When it comes to interiors, it could be effectively applied as a part of glass walls and doors in offices, in medical services, and hospitals, as well as hotels and restaurants. Smart glass is a perfect part of the internal and external architecture, which helps to improve the space environment, influence our health, workflow and simplify our life routine.

Solar batteries

We guess it is hard to surprise with solar batteries now, but this technology has made a big breakthrough in architecture. We all know the huge benefits of its usage, but this technology develops speedily. The novel and innovative solution which was recently invented is a fully printed solar cell. Compared to usual solar panels, which are big, tough, and inflexible, this option is more elastic, supple in hands, and – printed. This means such types of solar batteries will apply to different roof shapes due to their flexibility. By the way, we are proud to mention the innovative solar battery, invented here in Poland (Wroclaw city) where we are based. This solar battery reminds a thin sheet of paper, which is surprisingly flexible and able to take a different surface shape. The process of production is absolutely eco-friendly. The solar cells have a high degree of light absorption, and different shapes, and colors, suitable for indoor spaces. These two novel products are made with the same technology: solar sun blinds and photovoltaic glass. The solar blinds help to control the amount of light that goes inside and gain energy simultaneously, and photovoltaic elements can be installed into facades and windows and work as a part of the building. Coming back to the previous smart glass topic, it is worth saying that even glass was turned into a solar battery. This may significantly lower the energy consumption of the whole building.Biophilic design

This is currently a “boom” in architecture. It aims to connect a concrete urban look with greenery and nature. We all probably feel how actively the overall relation to space changes with the appearance of various design approaches. The name “biophilic” comes from the theory that everyone has a biological linkage to nature as we are a part of it, so if we spend a lot of time inside (offices, working spaces, homes) we should bring nature from the outside. However, biophilic design is meant to have greenery as the main aspect, it brings the idea of mental balance and smooths the mental condition by moving the focus from hard work and internal tension to relaxation. What are the examples of this design? There are green gardens in some workplaces, hospitals, and schools situated separately from the buildings or even inside, where everyone can go to relax and breathe in some fresh air. Another example is the hotel business, where biophilic design has become even a marketing strategy. Guests are more willing to book the “green” rooms. This type of design changes the industry – that is the fact. Futuristic video walls and lighting – play with the light

This is a new but fast-developing solution for the interiors and exteriors, which aims to bring the idea of “watching through the walls”. We used to see concrete, gray colors, or very basic (minimalistic) architectural constructions, but visual technology already breaks the concrete borders. Instead of applying the materials to the facade, some architects use light installations/ projections. The most important advantages of lighting are:

– the ability to change the picture at any time without changing the building materials;

– adjust the light to the night and daytime;

– make the building exterior advanced and competitive;

– create special visual, thanks to which the building may become a recognizable place; The same goes for the interior, but it is better to use LED lights or wide displays in internal areas. This solution always looks impressive and fits any place. You may use it to add a note of professionalism by showing some company promo videos, or use it as an entertainment element, or contribute to the general atmosphere by playing with the colors. Many stationery shops use it as a part of marketing campaigns, some restaurants use it for the interior element, etc. This is what we recommend to bear in mind as an idea. Remember that you may display everything to support the main design idea and change it at any time without redesigning the whole space.

There is also a sustainability idea, which is more and more often considered in architectural projects so far. We believe this is one of the most popular concepts nowadays, so we wrote an additional blog post about it. We may say, all those features described above are part of sustainability when the architects are caring about people and nature, but saving the strengths of architectural features.

We hope you have found something new and inspiring in this article. We will be continuously observing new trends for you to place them in the next blog posts. Let’s raise our creativity together!

The images featured in this post are all the Viscato’s projects and you can see all of them in our Portfolio section. If any of projects are inspirational for you, feel free to contact us at contact@viscato.com