A few tips from the host of the popular YouTube channel "Stewart Hicks Takes on Buildings."

In 2021, a Canadian farmer named Chris Achter responded to a buyer’s grain contract with a simple 👍 emoji. What followed wasn’t just a misunderstanding—it was a legal showdown that captured global attention. Achter, based in Saskatchewan, had a long-standing business relationship with the buyer. They often finalized grain deals over text. That year, when

The Venice Architecture Biennale, arguably the most iconic event in the architectural calendar, opens its 2025 edition to the public this week on May 10th. As crowds begin to descend on the Italian city and organizers and participants finish their final preparations, Archinect's Niall Patrick Walsh spoke with the biennale's curator Carlo Ratti on what visitors can expect from the event. In our conversation, Ratti unpacks his vision for the biennale as a living laboratory from which ideas and research can emerge to guide the evolution of the built environment; all themed along the exhibition's pillars of Natural, Artificial, and Collective intelligence. In addition, Ratti offers his thoughts on the curatorial process, common topics explored by participants, the future of biennales, and some final advice for those making the trip to Venice to see the event in person. The conversation, edited lightly for length and clarity, is published below.

Rather than court “exercises in reconstruction,” a competition sought “acts of memory, creativity and hope.”

Darkened corners, poorly-lit cars, vandalism, and other physical and psychological indicators that crime is present or can thrive still underpin its persistence on subways and in stations in New York City. This has led to a widespread perception of danger. And, in real terms, the neglect has spurred a 160% increase in arrests throughout the system over the last two years. With the number of felony assaults now on the rise and outnumbering robberies in the subway system 2-to-1, Claire Weisz, founding principal of Brooklyn-based WXY Architecture + Urban Design, whose related work on civic engagement will be on display inside the official United States Pavilion at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, spoke to Archinect about the new Vital City guidances and her personal connection as a New Yorker and the co-founder of Design Trust for Public Space.