Resilient design is about saving priceless lives and resources.

"A year of natural disasters" is a phrase that characterizes 2017.  Thousands of lives were lost and billions of dollars in damages impacted numerous countries and regions around the globe.

The huge losses caused by these catastrophic natural disasters of 2017 stress the importance of resilient design.
Check out the video below to learn how resilient design can protect against natural and man-made disasters, as well as accelerate recovery.

When guests walk into a hotel, the very first thing they notice is not the amenities—it's the design, the look and feel of the property.

This vibe and how it makes them feel kicks off their guest experience during a hotel stay.

Most guests notice a hotel’s style—industrial, minimalist, bohemian, country. They see wall colors, furniture, lighting fixtures and tile patterns on the floor. Maybe there's a spectacular staircase or mural in the lobby that catches their eye. Whatever they see or sense will trigger an experience.

Good design is pretty aesthetically pleasing. Great design engages the senses, lures people in and creates a visual narrative that guests will remember long after they leave.  Designers' talent lies in their ability to create guest experiences that are genuine, unique, and memorable.

Well-designed affordable housing should do more than provide adequate, accessible and inexpensive shelter to lower-income households.

In addition to being resilient itself, a successful affordable housing project should contribute to the resilience of its community and city. Resilient placemaking can transform disconnected neighborhoods into thriving cities.

As areas affected by recent hurricanes and earthquakes struggle to recover from the damage, demand for resilient multifamily housing capable of resisting natural and man-made disasters is expected to climb in coming years.

Given the power and magnitude of the quakes and storms, boosting multifamily building resilience in the Caribbean, Mexico and along the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coasts is not an extravagance, but a necessity.

Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz shares his keys to success through entrepreneurship

Throughout two interviews with Enoch Sears, from The Business of Architecture podcast, our firm’s Principal and Co-founder, Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz shared his path to success as an entrepreneur, his celebrated business model, and other keys to success that he has picked up over the years.

Designing for Disaster Saves Lives and Money in the Long Run

Natural disasters cannot be prevented, but the damage they inflict on the hospitality industry can be mitigated through resilient design and adequate disaster preparedness. It is up to hotel owners and operators to take the necessary measures to safeguard their property and protect their guests, especially in regions prone to extreme weather patterns.

Without good food, a restaurant cannot survive. Without good design, it cannot thrive.

Restaurant customer experience will trump food and service, making layout, decor, lighting and other interior design elements the most important factors in luring in diners.

Here are the top eight restaurant interior design trends we see flourishing in 2018.

Key Principles, Characteristics and Applications of Resilient Design

In the face of these devastating natural disasters, designing resilient buildings has become more important than ever, tasking architects and developers with incorporating innovative design and building techniques that improve resiliency. But let’s start at the beginning.

Renaissance Square (previously known as Las Gladiolas Community Development) wins Multi-Housing News Excellence Gold Award

In a recent event hosted by Multi-Housing News and Commercial Property Executive in New York City, AD&V was acknowledged for its application of traditional architecture, one that is both aesthetically pleasing and respectful of its surroundings.

Public housing has a decades-long reputation for concentrating poverty, increasing crime, encouraging welfare dependency and causing urban decline.

One way the U.S. has addressed the public housing problem and sought urban revitalization is to replace low-income housing with mixed-income housing developments.

Has it worked? It depends on whom you ask. 

Study: Low-Income Housing Does Not Lower Nearby Home Values

For years, a common and strong objection to affordable housing development has been that it lowers the real estate value of homes in the surrounding areas. That, it turns out, is a myth.

Research shows that affordable housing does not have a long-term negative impact on nearby property values.

Natural disasters are catastrophic events that cause loss of life, extensive property damage and environmental degradation.

Coming back from such devastation is extremely challenging. Events like Hurricanes Maria and Irma demand we put aside our differences and usual functions to do whatever it takes to help each other and recover as soon as possible.

Disasters like these remind us of our roles as human beings and citizens. But what is our role as architects? How can we help?

This year’s busy hurricane season reminds us of the importance of complying with building codes that promote the construction of safe and durable structures. 

Strict, uniform building codes protect lives and mitigate property damage caused by natural and man-made disasters.

The increasing popularity of eco-friendly or green tourism is driving sustainable design in the hospitality industry to new heights.

Green travelers want to stay in green hotels, and eco-friendly guests are not likely to be persuaded to act against their values. Sustainable design offers environmentally conscious travelers a place where they can feel comfortable spending their time and their hard-earned cash.

High technology is revolutionizing architectural design, altering both the process and end result of a new breed of innovative architecture that is disrupting the industry and heading in unexpected and exciting directions.

Technology in architecture—from computational design to apps—has architects doing more than designing and supervising the construction of buildings. They are pursuing new horizons in design, chasing algorithms, experimenting with adaptability, robotics, 3D printing and reality.

Housing affordability is one of the biggest problems affecting our society today.

Some industry experts claim the concept of affordable housing itself is flawed. Many maintain it has failed because of poor management. Others believe that government subsidies are ineffective and counterproductive. 

So how can we help solve the complex problem of housing affordability?

Eviction Vicious Cycle Crushes Families, Communities and Entire Neighborhoods.

Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City," written by Harvard sociologist Matthew Desmond, put the spotlight on the extreme hardships and trauma that evictions inflict on low-income families.

A new study by real estate website Redfin estimates that 2.7 million renters in the U.S. faced in 2015. This number is likely to come short of reality because of the lack of eviction data and because many evictions happen outside the court system.

How Other Countries Are Tackling Their Affordable Housing Problem

While the U.S. continues to experience a stubborn housing crisis, it could learn a thing or two from other countries that are managing their affordable housing issues more effectively.

Unaffordability in the U.S.

An increasing number of Americans are struggling to pay the rent, an estimated 2.5 million of them getting evicted each year. Evidently, government programs designed to help low-income folks get adequate, affordable housing are failing or not doing enough to put a dent on the affordable housing crisis.

Millennials are shaping the hospitality industry (not to mention the world!)

It's the millennial revolution, and it's all about guest experience, technological conveniences, and social media.

Millennials are unlike traditional travelers. They don't travel; they explore. They crave new, unexpected, meaningful experiences. Still, why should the hospitality industry cater to them?

Interior design is the key to strengthening your brand and your hotel guest's experience

A physical space is an excellent place to create unique customer experiences, make a memorable impression and spark an emotional connection with customers that will elevate your brand and influence their behavior.

Good interior design may seem like a luxury, yet without it, hotels, restaurants and others in the hospitality industry are handicapped. Strategic interior design can accomplish the following and more: