Wendelstrand near Gothenburg is a new community and housing development with social and ecological sustainability, sited in a disused quarry. The master plan and Lakehouse by the architects at Snøhetta show how urban planning and housing construction can be reimagined.

Completed in Gothenburg and made of wood, Nodi was named business building of the year 2021. It is another prestigious timber construction in the portfolio of White Arkitekter, the architects responsible for timber high-rise Sara Kulturhus in Skellefteå.

Dense, green forests are often synonymous with calm, nature and unspoiled landscapes – but they also need care and attention. Such forestry operations can inspire interesting architecture, as shown by the Forest Administration Lodge in Czechia.

The teams at Berlin Waste Management are out and about day in day out, keeping Germany’s capital city looking good and ensuring resources remain in the cycle. Their new headquarters in Südkreuz have the same aspirations and are a prime example of sustainable ideas.

The new contender in the pursuit of the world’s tallest timber high-rise is called C6. Due for construction in South Perth, Australia, it will soar to a height of 189 metres. Residents will have access to a fleet of 80 Teslas as a special green benefit.

Its facade is made from recycled aluminium, and the load-bearing structure follows a hybrid timber design. Named i8, this office building in Munich’s Werksviertel is committed to decarbonization and forms a link with the neighbourhood’s industrial past.

Bangkok-based Plan Associates is one of Thailand’s elite architectural firms. In the north of the kingdom, they have created a new office building that harnesses the forces of nature.

Powerhouse Company has designed the new Amsterdam headquarters of IT giant IBM, delivering on the company’s vision for the working world of tomorrow: a sustainable building that is not so much a traditional office as a pleasant and healthy meeting place for sharing ideas.

In the Brazilian city of Manaus, Laurent Troost Architectures has created an office as a statement that harmonizes nature with urban life. It also demonstrates that a working environment is perfectly able to recreate a holiday feeling.

Sustainability is reaching new heights for the new design of Dock A at Zurich Airport. In the design competition organized by Flughafen Zurich AG, the jury selected “Raumfachwerk”, a project submitted by BIG, HOK and 10:8 Architekten consisting primarily of timber.

Japanese technology giant Konica Minolta is treating its new research centre not only to a modern design, but also to architecture offering clever alternatives in the fight against climate change.

Europe’s largest port is seeing an innovation boom that is expected to drive the entire Dutch energy transition. As part of the post-pandemic recovery, the iconic World Port Center has been sustainably renovated.

The Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end chocolate and cocoa products. At the new headquarters in Zurich, diversity of flavours and sustainability are as integral as well-being in the workplace and upcycling of materials.

Technology meets architecture: in Silicon Valley, internet giant Google has constructed a building complex based on its very own vision for the first time. With its sustainable design, the Bay View Campus is geared towards the future of work.

A special kind of discovery world is taking shape in Gothenburg, where Swedish vehicle manufacturer Volvo is using timber construction and nature to create its World of Volvo. The components and engineering for Henning Larsen’s design are being provided by Austrian firm Wiehag.

Danish architects 3XN are operating a separate division called GXN that develops green innovations. In this interview, Kim Herforth Nielsen and Kåre Poulsgaard talk about behavioural design, carbon as a market driver, and their radical high-rise project in Sydney.

Non-profit association Aktion Mensch has an emphatic motto – “Together we will win”. Inclusion is especially important to this private charity, which runs a lottery to support social projects. Its focus is also reflected in the organization’s new head office in Bonn, Germany. The design concept by the Ippolito Fleitz Group takes diversity as a central theme. And it also turns interior design into a strong framework for displaying the humane side to life.

Studio Perspektiv has transformed a historic industrial landmark into a modern office building. Bratislava’s former heating plant, designed in functionalist style by architect Dušan Jurkovič, now serves as a spacious Base4Work co-working centre.

In the Vietnamese metropolis Ho Chi Minh City, an increasing number of new office towers are shooting skyward. Local architectural office MIA Design Studio makes sure that nature isn’t forgotten in the process. Even if it has to flourish inside busy interiors.

Timber construction can be decidedly high-tech, as illustrated by the head office built for SR Bank in Stavanger, Norway. Bjergsted Financial Park offers workplaces that are fit for the future, and it is among Europe’s largest engineered timber buildings.

Sejet Plant Breeding in Denmark develops modern grain varieties. The company cultivates plants using state-of-the-art, sustainable technology, and has adopted the same approach for its new entrance building, designed by GinnerupArkitekter.

Good news for local fauna: The dedication of not-for-profit organization CABI to combatting climate change through innovative agricultural solutions is reflected in the architecture of its new headquarters in England.

Alan Hofmann is a building engineer and timber constructor from Austria. His company Woodplan occupies a digital niche for building projects around the world. In this interview he describes his interpretation of intelligent offices, and how an office can be smart in an old Austrian building.

In everyday office life, automation is especially key to success. Lighting, sound, shading, heating, cooling, ventilation and access systems can be operated centrally with intelligent controls by Loxone.

The new co-working space Hammerbrooklyn in Hamburg is designed to be a place of inspiration and creativity. Besides its passion and dedication, this curated community thrives on a desire for innovation and thirst for the future.

Cologne is home to one of Germany’s most digitalized office buildings, known as The Ship. Inspired by its success as a model of contemporary working, a second project is being added just next door: the Vorum.

Heralding a bright future in an innovative, exciting location, this robotics centre in Denmark designed by 3XN is expected to become the perfect place to work. It is a Cobot Hub for the employees at two companies. And also for the robots developed there.

Big tech can actually be avoided. The small Swiss company Infomaniak is taking on digital office tech giants like Zoom and Microsoft. Without any charges or advertising, it is offering videoconferencing that can also be used by inexperienced users.

In Istanbul the two spectacular towers for Ziraat Bank have grown high into the sky. While their shape is oriented on traditional calligraphy, the interior displays state-of-the-art technical features.

Inspired by traditional survival strategies of experienced miners, the architects at 3XN/GXN have “bred” a stylish canary that takes care of our health in the workplace.

As he was constantly on the move, technology entrepreneur Jeff Kleck was looking for a clever solution for a live-work space. His brilliant idea? To convert an old Airstream into what is probably the world’s best mobile smart office, which he calls “Kugelschiff”.

Automated machine communication is enabling new applications. In predictive maintenance, smart lifts indicate whether they are working or need attention.

You’ve seen smart homes, now it’s time for smart buildings. Cube Berlin, an office complex that controls itself via artificial intelligence, opened in early 2020.

Andreas Thamm is a “smart office” expert. As Chairman of the Management Board at UBM Development Germany, he is steering the company towards an intelligent future. It is an issue that is particularly relevant in times of COVID-19.

In China, Zaha Hadid Architects are building two 400-metre giant structures that make sensational use of digital possibilities. With its smart solutions, Tower C is efficient and, above all, environmentally friendly.

Architecture studio Foster + Partners have designed an extraordinary office tower for the heart of Buenos Aires. As a sustainable and flexible building, Avenida Cordoba 120 is set to provide more than just an optimum working environment. Its public space is intended to enhance the entire district.

The office complex ICÔNE has been created by the architects at Foster + Partners as an elegant answer to current working trends. This new flex office building is currently under construction in Luxembourg’s Belval Quarter, where urban renewal is set to create the city’s new “best address”.

The new showpiece unveiled by Swatch is not a watch, but office architecture at its finest. To create the reptilian curves of the new Swatch headquarters in Biel, star architect Shigeru Ban has built one of the world’s largest timber-framed constructions.

Internet giant Google wants to do more than provide the right answers every time on the digital front. With the construction of the new headquarters in Silicon Valley, it wants to supply the solution to every workplace problem. Specifically, it aims to revolutionize working environments completely!

Berlin has a new landmark: the new Axel Springer building. The avant-garde complex isn’t just an urban statement, it also stands for the future of working in the digital world.