50 Times Architects Went Above And Beyond Creating Thoughtful “Friendly Architecture”

A lot of architecture, especially today, seems to have little to no humanity. That’s why I like the friendly architecture group so much.

Nestled in a quiet corner of Reddit, this delightful subgroup has found a way to make architecture feel a little less like a boring lecture and a little more like a neighborly chat over the fence.

With over 20K members (because who’s really counting?), this band of aesthetically curious folks gathers to gawk at the architectural wonders that look like they’d offer you a cup of sugar.

Forget about the stone-cold edifices that dominate the skylines; these buildings are here to be your pals. Whether it’s a house with a window that smiles or a bridge that high-fives you as you drive by, this subreddit is about finding the warm and fuzzy in something that’s usually… well, concrete. I hope you enjoy them, but be warned: these structures may cause your cynical heart to thaw just a little.

These are 50 examples of architecture that go above and beyond to help us all.

1. In case this counts: braille on the rail to describe the view

2. Sympathetic Architecture

3. It’s Not For People But It’s Still Friendly

4. Parent + Child library carrel, so you can do your research and keep your little one occupied. Fairfield Library, Virginia, USA.

5. Friendly on the eyes

6. Pool and Water Slide, Egmont Højskolen (“Folk High School”), Western Denmark.

7. Wheelchair friendly sandboxes, various

8. Wildlife Overpass, Trans-Canada Highway, Banff National Park, Canada. The 38 passes and fencing have reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions by more than 80%

9. Homeless bench, Vancouver, Canada

10. In Norway you get a small amount of money for recycling bottles/cans. They’re often collected by poor people, homeless etc. A lot of our trash cans has these holders around them so people don’t have to search through the trash to collect them

11. Modskool – Design Museum winner for best architecture 2020, India

12. Teetertotters Slotted Through the U.S.-Mexico Border Wall by Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello

13. In Asia nobody has to worry about falling into the subway tracks.

14. Hedgehog Highway (Dolly Parton called these out this week), UK

15. this anti-climbing Fence on the” Suicide Bridge “(colloquially) in a small town England. there are also signs with suicide Hotlines on them. not a fun part of architecture but definitely helpful/saving lives.

16. Old City, Jerusalem added 4km of wheelchair-accessible routes in 2019 (and cleared it with UNESCO)

17. The tiles around our apartment complex is made up like the enemies in Space Invaders, Sweden

18. Cover for bicycle saddle so it doesn’t get wet when it rains

19. A friendly urban cycle path in Girona

20. Wall of Kindness, Norwich, Vermont, USA

21. These two coin lockers that are easily accessible in a wheelchair, Austria

22. Circular footbridge over roundabout, Shanghai

23. This drinking fountain allows you to gill your bottle, and saves the extra water for passing dogs.

24. These public benches are reversible, so you can choose to look at people, or boats.

25. Bioswale, Seattle WA. (A channel to concentrate, clean and move stormwater)

26. A bridge providing a bench in the fences in Shanghai

27. Safe Haven Baby Boxes

28. Good news for a change: friendly architecture [original source unknown: found on Bored Panda]

29. This gate allowing horses and pedestrians not cars

30. Crab migration bridge, Christmas Island, Australia

31. This bus stop near my home in Norway

32. Solar park bench with USB charging ports.

33. This bench also works as a xylophone. Also, no dividers!

34. The Fruit Bus Stops of Nagasaki Prefecture (designed to showcase the agricultural output of the region)

35. Recessed “pause space” for those with ASD providing an opportunity to control the amount of incoming information, UK

36. A bus stop with swings

37. Super-accessible waterfront, Sirens Beach, Greece.

38. Public defibrillation station, Adelaide, Australia

39. Amphibian Tunnel, Cycle Highway of Eindhoven, Netherlands

40. Wheelchair resting spot on a long hill. Also a bench in a pinch.

41. Australian Wheelchair Swing!

42. Giving back to pedestrians!

43. Turtle Tunnels in Japan, protecting the turtles crossing train tracks and stopping trains from derailing due to turtles!!

44. Mini door at child’s doctor’s office, neat idea!

45. Bee Bricks: bricks with holes for solitary bees.

46. Tiled patches in cracked pavement, Lyon, France (by Ememem)

47. Earthships, passive solar earth shelters around the world

48. Green Man+, a card & traffic light system to give people more time to cross at intersections, Singapore

49. Wheelchair accessible gardening. Used for garden therapy, rehab, hospice. Developed in Douvres-la-Délivrande, France

50. Trash cans for cyclists (Blikvanger), Netherlands