While the two ways of approaching architectural design seem almost identical, there are several subtle differences between the two. These differences mainly come from the way the practice has developed in both regions. The European approach is more complex with multiple moving parts, while the US approach is faster to get off the ground and focuses on efficient construction.

Recent technological advancements along with legislation changes have allowed boutique architecture studios to work remotely on projects that previously only larger firms with more resources could handle. Four key factors that have made remote projects possible are legal transparency, building information modeling, advanced project management tools, and more efficient communication options.

Apartments are one of the most basic forms of living in the contemporary world, virtually ubiquitous in all contexts. Yet, as architects, we are probably the least concerned with them. We barely mention them in school, in favor of more relevant projects such as ‘’Vertical Cities’’, ‘’Urban Farming’’ or ‘’The Zepellin Village’’ (that last one wasn’t a theme per se, but I’ve seen someone come up with it in school).