Building Type Studies

Architectural Record has long produced in-depth analyses of a particular building type, with photos, drawings, specifications, descriptions and design solutions. Our Web site adds to this amazing resource with full coverage of additional projects each month, including those that run in the magazine.

MARCH 2015: CIVIC DESIGN

Even in this post-recession era of continued government belt-tightening, civic buildings have an important role to play in fostering a sense of community. Using design, cities and towns have created inventive and engaging environments that attract diverse groups of people. The seven projects shown here demonstrate awareness of budget constraints but also assert architecture’s role in creating significant public places. From an airport in northern Canada to a fire station in coastal Texas to a branch library in southern California, the structures featured here show a range of practical and symbolic solutions to shifting programmatic needs. In the past, such buildings established their civic credentials through monumental and formal design. Now a new generation of public architecture is asserting its importance by emphasizing transparency and accessibility.

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