Affordable housing has rapidly become one of the biggest crises faced by major cities across the globe – as writer John Lorinc notes in his article How to Fix Social Housing (In Six Easy Lessons), the need “cuts right across society, from those on the lowest income rungs to young professionals and families that would once have been securely middle class.” So what is to be done? Having thoroughly researched the subject, Lorinc presents six key design principles to activate successful social housing, from architectural flexibility and built-in job opportunities to future-proofing infrastructure. Along this parallel is the need for hospitable and stable migrant housing; in Building Permanence, Linda Besner suggests what lessons can be learned from Germany’s so-far successful method of taking a longview approach to developing shelter.

Closer to home, Azure executive editor Elizabeth Pagliacolo sat down with WXY principal Claire Weisz in New York City to discuss the importance of urban connectivity and why architects need to play the role as advocates for public spaces.

Plus: Fumihiko Maki’s game-changing new cultural complex in China; on-the-ground coverage from the Venice Architectural Biennale, NYCxDesign and NeoCon; and Avenue Road’s new showroom in Vancouver.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

A return to character-filled spaces, the magnetism of induction cooking, a San Francisco eatery helmed by a robot and more.

Systems large and small, statement-making bathtubs and on-trend matte black faucets.

From synthetics to tech-driven innovations, the latest exterior textiles for a variety of projects.

The September 2018 issue of Azure is now available on newsstands and online. Get yours now. For single copies, go to shop.azuremagazine.com. To subscribe, visit azuremagazine.com/getazure.