Construction of "Arc de Trump" set to begin in next two weeks

The construction of a 250-foot-high triumphal arch in Washington DC designed by Atlanta-based Harrison Design, is set to begin "over the next two-week period".

Plans to begin construction of the giant arch, alongside the Arlington Memorial Bridge on the south bank of the Potomac River, were announced last week by US interior secretary Doug Burgum.

"We are pleased to announce that after a very long wait (over 125 years!), we are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the great triumphal arch and military observation deck, at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island between the Lincoln Memorial and...

Breccia Rosa 4D slab tile by Iris Ceramica Group

Dezeen Showroom: Italian manufacturer Iris Ceramica Group has recreated the warm elegance of an unmistakable pink Italian marble in its Breccia Rosa 4D slab tile.

Produced by its subsidiary Sapienstone, the Breccia Rosa 4D porcelain stoneware tile emulates the look of its namesake marble, which is also known as Breccia Pernice or Breccia Oniciata and is quarried around Verona.

Like the finest slabs of this type, it has an even antique pink colour with sprawling ivory veins and traces of terracotta, powder pink and grey adding depth.

Iris Ceramica Group manufactures the large-format tile...

Groupwork completes "world-first" high-rise held up by stone exoskeleton

A thousand tonnes of volcanic rock replace concrete and steel in Petra Heights, a housing development in north London by architecture studio Groupwork and engineer Webb Yates.

The apartment building at 317 Finchley Road consists of three blocks ranging from six to 10 storeys, all held up by an exoskeleton of unreinforced stone.

This ladder frame single-handedly carries the high-rise's weight and wind loads, with no concrete stability core or concrete columns, no steel reinforcement bars and no need for cladding since the stone acts as both structure and facade.

"All of the weight of the...

Design overtakes retail as biggest contributor to UK economy

Britain's design industry has grown by 40 per cent and is now responsible for £1 in every £20 generated across the country, according to a landmark report from the Design Council.

Published today, the report paints a positive picture of a thriving design industry, which contributed £136.7 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy in 2023 – a 40 per cent rise from 2019.

As a result, the design industry has overtaken the £114 billion retail sector as the single biggest contributor to the national economy, the report argues.

Grace tiles by Ceramiche Keope

Dezeen Showroom: Italian brand Ceramiche Keope has recreated the subtle allure of limestone in its Grace collection of porcelain stoneware tiles.

The Grace collection was created with reference to limestone from the region of Saint Antoine d'Auberoche in France, a popular source of stone for European buildings throughout the 19th century.

Ceramiche Keope mimics its understated elegance with a look that appears near uniform from a distance but reveals the mesmerising detail of grains of sand and small fossils when viewed up close.

The colour palette is also drawn from the stone of this region, with options ranging...

Badweather converts derelict canal boat into London's first off-grid bathhouse

Architecture collective Badweather has transformed a 17-metre canal boat into Soak, an off-grid bathhouse that moves to a new location along London's waterways every two weeks.

Soak combines a wood-fired sauna, two cold plunge pools, showers, changing facilities and a small bar for up to 12 people.

It operates without mains water, electricity or sewage connections, instead drawing water directly from the canal and passing it through a six-stage filtration and UV treatment system before it is used for bathing.

Electricity is generated by solar panels and stored in an onboard battery system, while a...

Oliver Stiff designs collectible "fashion furniture" from Vivienne Westwood deadstock

Royal College of Art graduate Oliver Stiff has created a series of sculptural furniture pieces that aim to "bring the language, attitude and materials of fashion design into furniture".

The London-based designer's recent works include the Hurmull Chair and Side Table set, alongside the Socialite Chair, which was made using deadstock fabrics donated by global fashion house Vivienne Westwood.

"Fashion understands how to create desire and identity through styling, image-making and storytelling. I think furniture can operate in that same way," Stiff told Dezeen.

"I use bodily reference, silhouette, material and the idea...

Strut table and pouf by Yet Design Studio among new products on Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom: a matching pouf and table made from aluminium is among 12 new products featured on Dezeen Showroom.

Strut table and pouf by Yağmur Köylü for Yet Design Studio

The Istanbul and London-based Yet Design Studio has added a pouf and table to its existing Strut chair, forming a cohesive collection with an industrial aesthetic.

The Strut table and pouf have legs and bases made from angular aluminium profiles – commonly found in the construction of buildings.

The pair was recently featured on Dezeen Showroom alongside a wall light with a handmade glass diffuser and a storage system defined by its pinstriped recesses.

Read on to see...

Merckx-Holvoet Architecten designs seaside penthouse to evoke North Sea coast

The sandy tones of Belgium's North Sea shore informed the interiors of this penthouse, designed by Antwerp-based studio Merckx-Holvoet Architecten.

The holiday home, named V Penthouse, occupies the ninth and tenth floors of a building in Duinbergen, a seaside village in the West Flanders region of Belgium.

"[We] aimed for an interior that envelops without overwhelming, one that reveals itself slowly rather than all at once," Merckx-Holvoet Architecten co-founders Marc Merckx and Sebastien Holvoet told Dezeen.

"The design centres on poetry and refinement, built around a reduced palette of materials and colours," the architects continued.

Merckx-Holvoet Architecten filled...

Lidar Drone Scanning

FWA of the day 07 September 2026:

Lidar Drone Scanning

Project Link

Turning raw drone LIDAR scans into a real-time 3D point cloud, rendered live in the browser with WebGL

#FOTD #thefwa