The Quiet Revolution: 13 Innovative Design Solutions for a Softer Urban Experience

A+Award winners that are tackling the issues that arise through city living. The post The Quiet Revolution: 13 Innovative Design Solutions for a Softer Urban Experience appeared first on Journal.

The Quiet Revolution: 13 Innovative Design Solutions for a Softer Urban Experience

The Final Entry Deadline for Architizer's 2025 A+Product Awards is Friday, January 24. Get your brand in front of the AEC industry’s most renowned designers by submitting today.

Living in a city has its perks — 24-hour dim sum, a café for every obscure occasion and, if you have a dog birthday party to organize, there’s a lovely little corner spot near the park for that. Don’t forget the smug satisfaction of a 15-minute commute or the insight that comes from access to historic neighborhoods that are brimming with unique characters and culture. But let’s be honest: urban life can be exhausting. Even without partying until 6 am or submitting to “the grind,” it can feel like a wind tunnel of noise, where double speed is the only acceptable pace and relentless engagement is non-negotiable.

Many scientists predict that by 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas, with cities becoming denser as they absorb millions of new inhabitants. Access to resources, housing and employment opportunities will concentrate in these areas, but so too will the challenges: rising noise levels, poor air quality and chronic stress are just a few of the daily realities of urban living. No wonder, then, that architects, designers and urban planners are rethinking the spaces we inhabit — be they homes, transit hubs, offices or outdoor promenades across all industries; those in the know are seeking to create and specify innovative products that address the physical and psychological toll of city life.

Sticking a few plants in the corner and calling it biophilia, this is not — although, sometimes, that might be the answer. The challenge is to transform urban density into something livable, even restorative. From noise-cancelling surfaces to heritage lighting, the tools to soften city life are evolving fast. This year’s Architizer A+Product Awards winners demonstrate how thoughtful design can create spaces that give back time, energy and calm for those of us whose “garden” is a fire escape and whose neighbors are nocturnal.

Enter the A+Product Awards

Garden on the Wall® Story Telling Gardens

By Garden on the Wall

Popular Choice Winner, Furnishings, Accessories, 2024 A+Product Awards

The Garden on the Wall® Storytelling Gardens turns plants into stories and living artworks. At 105 feet long, Garden on the Wall’s most ambitious installation at Nashville International Airport connects travelers to the local landscape with layers of preserved greenery depicting rivers and bridges. Its maintenance-free design offers architects a no-compromise solution for bringing nature and culture into any urban environment, utilizing unused surfaces in a way that benefits in more than one way.

BuzziCee + BuzziPlanter

By BuzziSpace

Jury Winner, Contract Seating, 2024 A+Product Awards

The BuzziCee acoustic seating system curves into playful forms that help to quiet communal spaces, while the BuzziPlanter integrates greenery without demanding additional floor area. Together, they solve two urban challenges: too much noise and too little nature. Made from recycled materials, the modular seating solution proves sustainability doesn’t have to come at the expense of comfort or personality.

Universal Series™ Window Wall

By Cascadia

Popular Choice Winner, Glass & Glazing, 2024 A+Product Awards

The Universal Series™ Window Wall has a thermally superior fiberglass frame that supports expansive glazing without sacrificing energy efficiency. Its double and triple-glazing options, plus Passive House certification, make it ideal for architects seeking to balance light, insulation and serenity in the heart of the city.

IRIS Luminous SkyCeiling

By Sky Factory

Popular Choice Winner, Recessed & Mounted Lighting, 2024 A+Product Awards

Using advanced algorithms to mimic natural light and drifting clouds, the IRIS Luminous SkyCeiling can be used to turn even the darkest interiors into serene escapes. By aligning its daylight cycles with the body’s circadian rhythms, it offers a creative solution for spaces like hospitals, offices or retail environments where access to natural light is limited, but calm is critical.

Arborisa™

By Arktura

Jury Winner, Acoustics, 2024 A+Product Awards

The design of the Arborisa™ acoustic ceiling is inspired by nature and, more specifically, tree canopies. Its intersecting baffles soften sound while introducing organic forms into shared spaces. With a range of modular designs and customizable finishes, the sculptural product is a versatile tool for creating unique interiors where noise is an issue.

VanAir Door

By VanAir Design

Popular Choice Winner, Doors & Hardware, 2024 A+Product Awards.

The VanAir Door solves a modern urban dilemma: air circulation without compromise. Its staggered slots improve ventilation and balance humidity while maintaining acoustic privacy with an impressive STC rating of 26. For apartments, offices or multi-use spaces, it’s a quiet innovation that makes urban living healthier.

Northport Lighting

By Landscape Forms

Jury Winner, Exterior Lighting, 2024 A+Product Awards

The Northport Lighting collection is a reinterpretation of historical acorn street lamps, layering nostalgia with modern functionality. An optional LED flame creates a gentle flicker, softening streetscapes, parks, or promenades into places that invite pause and reintroduce some historical beauty to our urban environments.

Lido Freestanding Bathtub

ByHydro Systems

Jury Winner, Fixtures & Fittings – Bath, 2024 A+Product Awards

The Lido Freestanding Bathtub channels Miami modernism into a piece designed to be admired. Its ergonomic curves, crafted from HydroLuxeSS™, combine with hydrotherapy options like Cold Plunge to transform private bathrooms into personal retreats. Available in 15 colors, it is brimming with sculptural elegance while providing therapeutic calm.

Facet Bathtub

By Stone Forest

Popular Choice Winner, Fixtures & Fittings – Bath, 2024 A+Product Awards

Balancing precision and materiality, the Facet bathtub stone exterior plays with the surrounding light to become a visual delight while its smooth, ergonomic interior is perfectly designed. Carved from Antique Gray Limestone or Noce Basalt, the bath is a grounding focal point for bathrooms where form and function meet in equal measure.

Theory

By Landscape Forms

Popular Choice Winner, Outdoor Furniture, 2024 A+Product Awards

The Theory collection reshapes transitional zones into places of interaction and connection. Its modular system of beams, shelters and seating can be adapted to evolve with the surrounding cityscape by turning functional spaces into intentional environments that support well-being throughout everyday city life.

Moving Islands

By Furnify

Popular Choice Winner, Best of the Year, Flexible Design, 2024 A+Product Awards

Moving Islands is a perfectly practical and adaptable solution. Designed to create indoor gardens or flexible seating zones, its modular forms are crafted from repurposed materials. In nursing homes, atriums, or event venues, it introduces nature where it’s most needed.

Archi Folds 3D Textile Facade

By Studio Samira Boon.

Jury Winner, Best of the Year, Innovation, 2024 A+Product Awards

Originally designed for Hermes, the Archi Folds 3D Textile Façade is an elegant solution for softening interiors. Its origami-inspired folds balance daylight, privacy, and acoustics. Crafted from recycled yarns, it offers architects a way to create textured, layered environments while controlling privacy and light saturation.