Archinect - News

10 libraries, schools, and learning environments we liked this week

2024-04-13T08:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Learning Spaces.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Fariborz Maseeh Hall at Portland State University in Portland, OR, by Hacker Architects; Photo: Pete Eckert

↑ Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in New York, NY, by Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners; Photo: Max Touhey

↑ The Wizard of Oz | KINCANG Modern Pre-School in Shaoxing, China, by LYCS Architecture

↑ Flathead Valley Community College, Wachholz College Center in Kalispell, MT, by Cushing Terrell; Photo: Longview Studios

↑ Greenwich Village School Green Roof—PS41 in New York, NY, by MBB Architects; Photo: Charles de Vaivre

↑ Pinghe Bibliotheater in Shanghai, China, by OPEN Architecture

↑ Hi...

Oliver Wainwright on Disney's 'dream or nightmare' Storyliving community

2024-04-09T11:58:00-04:00

With revenue from cinema and streaming falling in recent years, income from Disney’s “experience” division is soaring, and property development is the next logical step. Disney tried it before in Florida, first with utopian plans for Epcot (the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), followed by the quaint town of Celebration, but Storyliving takes the branded living experience to the next level.

Writing for The Guardian, critic Oliver Wainwright reflects on plans for a major Disney-themed development at Rancho Mirage in the California desert.

As we reported initially in 2022 and in a follow-up last year, the 2,000-home Storyliving by Disney scheme will include a midcentury-influenced member's clubhouse named for the fictional Parr family from the company’s “The Incredibles” franchise, where users can engage with Disney-themed art lessons and experience dinners inspired by Disney stories.

Related on Archinect: Disney unveils further details for planned Cotino community in the Coachella Valley. Image courtesy Disney Parks

In his latest article, Wainwright views the development through the lens of the Architecture of Stage Realities exhibition taking place at Arc en Reve in Bordeaux. The exhibition "paints a portrait of Walt Disney as a natural-born developer, a cartoonist who understood not only how to lure people into his magical worlds but how to keep them coming back," Wai...

10 new architectural landscapes & outdoor spaces we liked this week

2024-04-06T08:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Outdoors.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ 10K Hill South in Washington, D.C., by MA | Morris Adjmi Architects

↑ Powell Residence in Palm Springs, CA, by Studio AR&D Architects

↑ Greenwich Village School Green Roof—PS41 in New York, NY, by MBB Architects; Photo: Charles de Vaivre

↑ LAND Community Center in Xi'an, China, by Atelier Ping Jiang | EID Arch; Landscape: GZ.S.P.I. LANDSCAPE DESIGN CO.,LTD; Photo: EID Arch

↑ Long Island Estate Main House in East Hampton, NY, by BMA Architects

↑ Liminal House in West Vancouver, Canada, by Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses; Landscape: Botanica Design; Photo: Hufton + Crow

↑ The Wizard of Oz | KINCANG Modern Pre-School in Shaoxing...

VolvoxLabs opens internship combining digital fabrication, media, and immersive environments

2024-02-14T17:58:00-05:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Graphics/Multimedia Editor at The New York Times, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Physical Design + Fabrication Internship at VolvoxLabs.

The role, based in Brooklyn, NY, calls for an individual who is “passionate about technology-embedded installations, digital fabrication techniques, parametric design, and exploring new technologies in fabrication.” Among the qualifications sought after in internship applicants are basic digital fabrication knowledge and shop skills, alongside knowledge of 3D modeling software.

TETRA / KINETIC SCULPTURE by VolvoxLabs

Why the role interests us

The open role at VolvoxLabs offers us the opportunity to explore the work of a studio grounded in the intersection between digital and physical space. With a team spanning artists and technologists, the studio has built a portfolio of contemporary art installations and immersive environ...

The New York Times is seeking architectural skills to help with high-profile investigations

2024-02-07T13:51:00-05:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Construction Contract Administrator at EskewDumezRipple, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Graphics/Multimedia Editor at The New York Times.

The role, based in New York, calls for a “creative and versatile 3D specialist who can build, animate, style and render models for breaking news, enterprise and investigative projects.” Among the responsibilities for the role will be creating and building detailed and accurate 3D models, interviewing experts, and executing camera movements for 3D scenes. Qualifications required for the role include 3+ years of 3D modeling experience and expertise in at least one major 3D application.

Related on Archinect: The New York Times uses neural network to map every building in the U.S. Image credit: The New York Times

Why the role interests us

The open role at The New York Times offers us the opportunity to explore how a prominent na...

Lana Del Rey is right: There is a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard

2024-02-01T13:10:00-05:00

With days to go until the 2024 Grammy Awards, one nominee in the running for Album of the Year contains an unexpected architectural overture.

Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, nominated in three categories, contains a song of the same name that dwells on an abandoned piece of infrastructure in Long Beach, California.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by lanadelreyInfo (@lanadelreylnfo)

In the song “Did You Know There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” Del Rey draws on themes of being forgotten and underappreciated in the future despite current fame. The lyrics draw a parallel between Long Beach's Jergins Tunnel under Ocean Boulevard which was closed to the public in 1967 and has since been largely forgotten, a historical fact Del Rey entwines with her own foreboding of one day being unappreciated and overlooked.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emily B (@chimesatmidnight)

Constructed in 1927, the su...

Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló overlaid with AI-informed artwork by Sofia Crespo

2024-01-30T11:46:00-05:00

Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló in Barcelona has served as the host for a major projection mapping artwork by Sofia Crespo over the weekend. Titled Structures of Being, the event drew 95,000 visitors across its showing on January 27th and 28th.

Image credit: Claudia Maurino

Created by Crespo with music by Robert M. Thomas, the project is described by organizers as “a spectacular setting that immersed the public in the nature contained inside Casa Batlló as well as in Gaudí's creative universe.” Created with the aid of artificial intelligence and the Barcelona Supercomputer Center, the project used data on the behavior of marine currents.

Image credit: Claudia Maurino

The artwork draws on Crespo’s interest in the boundaries of human perception in addition to her research into Gaudí’s own sources of inspiration. The resulting methodology saw Crespo use artificial neural networks to extract visual patterns from data inspired by the bra...

10 interior designs we liked this week

2024-01-20T08:00:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Interiors.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Chapel of Sound in Chengde, China, by OPEN Architecture; Photo: Jonathan Leijonhufvud

↑ ANNA Collection in Werkendam, Netherlands, by Caspar Schols

↑ Liminal House in West Vancouver, Canada, by Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses; Photo: Hufton + Crow

↑ Poly·City Gather in Shijiangzhuang, China, by JAMES LIANG & ASSOCIATES LIMITED; Photo: One Thousand Degree Vision

↑ CAMPout in Lake Tahoe, CA, by Faulkner Architects; Interior Design: NICOLEHOLLIS; Photo: Joe Fletcher

↑ Blue Lake-Lakeside Teahouse Renovation in Beijing, China, by YI+MU Design Office

↑ WDW — Retail Design waterdrop® in Cologne, Germany, by AllesWirdGut; Photo: t...

Refik Anadol creates ‘world first’ AI model trained on data from nature instead of humans

2024-01-15T11:35:00-05:00

Refik Anadol Studio has announced the creation of the “world’s first open-source generative AI model dedicated to nature.” Titled 'Large Nature Model,' the model is trained “solely on nature’s inherent intelligence” as opposed to the conventional approach to AI large language model training, which consists of human-generated data such as art and text.

To train the model, Anadol’s studio used open-access information from institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and London’s Natural History Museum alongside various other universities, museums, foundations, government entities, and libraries. The studio is also visiting 16 rainforest locations around the world, deploying data collection technologies such as LiDAR, photogrammetry, and the capturing of ambisonic audio and high-resolution visuals of diverse ecosystems to further train the model.

“Our vision for the Large Nature Model goes beyond being a repository or a creative research initiative,” said Refik Anadol about the m...

10 modern home designs we enjoyed this week

2024-01-13T08:00:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Houses.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Real de Los Reyes in Mexico City, Mexico, by Miguel de la Torre Arquitectos; Photo: Rafael Gamo

↑ Liminal House in West Vancouver, Canada, by Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses; Photo: Hufton + Crow

↑ Villa A. in Aerdenhout, Netherlands, by Paul de Ruiter Architects; Photo: Tim van de Velde

↑ Wetland Cabin on Jianyang Lake in Taizhou, China, by 城理设计UrbanFabric

↑ Blodgett-Calvin Residential Compound in San Marino, CA, by Fung + Blatt Architects; Original Architect: Calvin Straub; Photo: Mark Mahaney

↑ House in Watermill, NY, by Desai Chia Architecture; Photo: Paul Warchol

↑ Patio House in Brooklyn, NY, by Palette Architecture

↑ C...

10 examples of color in architecture we liked this week

2023-12-09T08:00:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Color.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ BBT Hilltop in Sharq, Kuwait, by TAEP/AAP; Photo: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

↑ Briarcliff Residence in Franklin, MI, by Iannuzzi Studio; Interiors: Elizabeth Fields Design; Photo: Rafael Gamo

↑ The Axolotl in Los Angeles, CA, by Yu2e, Inc.

↑ Wientalterrassen Residential Quarter in Vienna, Austria, by ARGE KDG / Architekt Christoph Lechner & Partner ZT GmbH and Berger+Parkkinen Architects ZT Ltd.; Photo: Daniel Hawelka | ARGE KDG

↑ Blue Cube in Tehran, Iran, by Darkefaza Design Studio; Photo: Mohammad Hossein Hamzehlouei

↑ Troquer Offices in Mexico City, Mexico, by ASHO MX; Photo: Aldo Gracia

↑ Dream Glow Pavilion in Shenzhen, C...

London’s Battersea Power Station hosts giant Christmas tree animation by artist David Hockney

2023-12-06T13:10:00-05:00

The world-renowned artist David Hockney has lit up London’s iconic Battersea Power Station with a giant installation resembling two Christmas trees. Titled ‘Bigger Christmas Trees’ and set on the station’s two north-facing 328-foot-tall chimneys, the animation will be on display from December 1st until Christmas Day, December 25th.

“Battersea Power Station is such a beautiful building, I wanted to decorate it in a way that I hoped would bring joy and hope to Londoners,” said Hockney about the scheme.

Image credit: Apple

The 10-minute animation was designed by Hockney on an iPad using a digital pencil; an appropriate method given that Battersea Power Station currently houses Apple’s UK headquarters.

In June, we reported on the opening of Foster + Partners’ Apple Store within the station, marking the company’s 40th store in the United Kingdom. Late last year, meanwhile, we covered a review of the newly completed WilkinsonEyre interior spaces in the station alongside a Frank Gehry-desig...

Autodesk launches VR tool for reviewing BIM models with Workshop XR

2023-11-16T19:24:00-05:00

Autodesk has unveiled a virtual reality tool described as an “immersive design review experience for the AEC industry.” Named Autodesk Workshop XR, the tool offers multiple users the ability to explore design models in real-time using Meta virtual headsets, including abilities to flag and update issue items.

“Workshop XR will transform how architects and building engineers plan and review projects,” said Nicolas Fonta, Senior Director & General Manager, XR at Autodesk, in a statement. “Most building projects that go over budget do so because issues are discovered once construction has begun. We’ve heard many customers share the challenges of reviewing designs across dispersed teams.”

Image credit: Autodesk

In the Workshop XR environment, multiple users will be able to track issues, catch errors, and explore working BIM models linked to the Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC). “With automatically connected data from ACC, no-prep model loading, and synced issue tracking, Workshop XR make...

Iconic Parisian cathedral transformed into ‘sensory nighttime exploration’ by multimedia company Moment Factory

2023-10-26T12:53:00-04:00

Montreal-based Moment Factory has completed an immersive multimedia experience inside the iconic Dôme des Invalides in Paris. The project, titled 'AURA Invalides,' consists of a 50-minute experience combining video mapping, lighting, special effects, orchestral music, and sound design to celebrate the building’s architectural and historical heritage.

Image credit: Moment Factory

Conceived in 2019 by cultural operator Cultival in collaboration with Musée de l’Armée, the project seeks to create a “sensory nighttime exploration” in which visitors wander through the Dôme des Invalides and its six chapels guided by light. The experience is divided into three acts, each portraying a distinct facet of the site: “its construction, the memories it harbors, and its power to inspire one and all.”

Image credit: Moment Factory

To project an experience onto the main dome, which measures 295 feet high and 98 feet at its smallest diameter, the t...

10 architectural details we liked this week

2023-10-14T08:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Details.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Keki Shop in Toronto, Canada, by Kilogram Studio; Photo: Scott Norsworthy

↑ Mariposa Land Port of Entry in Nogales, AZ, by Jones Studio

↑ Museum Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, by KAAN Architecten; Photo: Sebastian van Damme

↑ Te Pakeke House in Wanaka, New Zealand, by Fearon Hay Architects

↑ ANNA Collection in Werkendam, the Netherlands, by Caspar Schols

↑ Glaze in Toronto, Canada, by Kilogram Studio; Photo: Scott Norsworthy

↑ Girl Scout Camp Lakota in Frazier Park, CA, by Perkins&Will; Photo: Here and Now Agency

↑ Fargo House in Louisville, CO, by DAJ Design

↑ Oceanfront Residence in Southampton, NY, by B...

The most-liked Instagram posts of summer 2023 on @archinect

2023-10-07T08:00:00-04:00

As the morning air feels crisper and the smell of pumpkin spice anything becomes increasingly hard to avoid, we're taking a quick look back at the highlights on Archinect's Instagram feed this summer.

Whether you're already one of @archinect's 95.1k followers or not (yet) — check out the most popular posts of the past three months, showcasing stand-out projects from various firm profiles on Archinect as well as from here, our news and features editorial sections.

Also, if you want to stay up-to-date on the latest architecture firms hiring right now, make sure to follow our dedicated @archinectjobs account as well.

9. Logan Pavilion in Jackson, WY by CLB Architects / @clbarchitects; Photo: Kevin Scott @k7scott

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Archinect (@archinect)

8. Blue Lake-Lakeside Teahouse Renovation in Beijing, China by YI+MU Design Office

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Archinect (@archinect)

7. Glimmer House in Tor...

Film and storytelling feature in KPF's latest New York job opportunity

2023-09-13T14:31:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Facilities Accessibility planner at Yale University, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an opportunity on Archinect Jobs for a Junior Video Editor-Producer at KPF.

The role, based in New York, calls for an individual who will “assist and support the creation of videos, from production to post-production, with the aim of telling the stories of the projects, process, and people of KPF.” The position is open to recent graduates, or those with 1–2 years of experience in a relevant field.

Why the role interests us

The latest role at KPF offers us the opportunity to reflect on Archinect’s recent coverage of the intersection between video, film, and architecture. In April, we took a closer look at a stunning Nordic hotel that played a prominent role in an episode of the hit HBO series Succession. In the ...

The Cultural Landscape Foundation acquires photographer Alan Ward's archive

2023-08-31T14:19:00-04:00

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) has just announced a gift of landscape photographer and architect Alan Ward’s digital archive, a donation they say provides both the public and scholars exposure to one of the profession’s most beloved practitioners.

The Sasaki Associates principal’s bequest includes 2,500 photographs. Each will be made accessible through the Alan Ward Portfolios of Designed Landscapes section of TCLF’s website and is part of the “Related Content” holdings, which currently includes over 13,000 images depicting more than 2,600 sites across the world.

Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, Kent, U.K., 1999. Photo © Alan Ward, courtesy The Cultural Landscape Foundation

France’s iconic garden at Vaux-le-Vicomte is one recent documentary subject included in the trove, which features work from the United States and twelve other countries taken over a 50-year span. A total of 20 of 110 separate portfolios will be unveiled first as part of the launch. The TCLF says they are useful...

Maya Lin unveils 'Ghost Forest Seedlings' generative art project

2023-08-18T13:06:00-04:00

The artist, architect, and environmentalist Maya Lin is set to release her inaugural generative art project. Titled Ghost Forest Seedlings, and produced by Pace Verso with Web3 art innovators E.A.T_WORKS, the work will be released on September 18 to align with Climate Week NYC.

Ghost Forest Seedlings builds on Lin’s 2021 Ghost Forest installation, which saw 50 Atlantic white cedar trees placed in Madison Square Park to highlight Earth's fragility amidst the climate crisis. The latest artworks, each priced at $1,000, depict a seed or group of seeds that grow into an intricate root pattern over a predetermined amount of time. Each of the 500 unique works from the project will include three components: a signed print of the final root system, a generative NFT that shows the seedling’s evolution in real-time, and a video timelapse tracing the seedling’s complete growth pattern.

Portrait of Maya Lin. Image credit: Pace Gallery

“With Ghost Forest Seedlings, Lin explores the organic growth ...

New NEOM documentary features Thom Mayne, Peter Cook, Reinier de Graaf, and other architects speaking highly of The Line megacity project

2023-07-28T13:06:00-04:00

A new look behind the process and select architects involved in Saudi Arabia’s controversial The Line megacity for NEOM has been released, answering some questions as to its ideation while leaving many remaining in regard to the project's structural engineering, technical specifics, and design feasibility overall.

Among the torrent of quickly-spliced and placable bromides, the 45-minute "documentary" features Peter Cook stating, "if it's to be a success... parts of it will fail." None of the interviewees, including especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, offered an explanation as to how the "top-down, hardcore engineering" OMA partner Reinier de Graaf describes will be carried out in any detail, an element which has been a constant source of criticism since the segment was first announced a year ago.

"Many projects acquire their sanity as they go along, and I think very, very much the case here too — and the jury's out," de Graaf stated before bemoaning a "complete lac...

A solar-powered media façade that ‘consumes only as much energy as it produces’

2023-07-06T11:32:00-04:00

A team comprising iart, AMDL CIRCLE, and Michele De Lucchi has created a ‘zero-energy media façade’ for the Novartis Pavilion in Basel, Switzerland. Combining PV panels and LEDs, the façade is described by the team as “illustrating the potential of organic photovoltaics in architecture.”

Photo credit: iart – studio for media architectures

Photo credit: Laurids Jensen

The façade features 10,000 diamond-shaped solar modules with LED lights embedded within that shine outwards as well as inwards onto the pavilion’s metal shell. The reflection of the metal shell creates a shimmer through the semi-transparent solar modules, resulting in a multi-layered membrane for displaying content.

Photo credit: iart – studio for media architectures

The display only consumes as much electrical energy as it is capable of producing through carbon-based organic solar modules that were custom-made for the project. The modules were ideal for the pavilion’s dom...

Archinect's Lexicon: "Spatial Computing"

2023-06-23T11:31:00-04:00

Archinect's Lexicon focuses on newly invented (or adopted) vocabulary within the architectural community. For this installment, we're featuring a term that recently found prominence with the unveiling of the new Apple Vision Pro device.

"Spatial computing" represents a fusion of diverse digital technologies that engage with physical spaces and their human inhabitants. This complex discipline involves merging real and virtual worlds, where digital systems and software function within three dimensions. It combines various technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI).

A significant example of spatial computing in action is Apple's newly-released Vision Pro spatial computer. This cutting-edge device allows users to interact with digital objects and information in their surrounding physical environment, thereby blurring the line between the physical and digital worlds. The term is also interlinked ...

Inside the new BAFTA headquarters by Benedetti Architects

2023-06-20T19:54:00-04:00

Benedetti Architects has offered an insight into the new headquarters for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in London. The Grade II listed building has seen a comprehensive expansion and re-design with a budget of £33 million (USD 42 million).

Photo credit: Jim Stephenson

Photo credit: Rory Mulvey

The resulting 26,500-square-foot revamp includes “state-of-the-art spaces with maximum flexibility, balancing the charity’s educational work with members’ needs and revenue.” The design included accessibility and systems upgrades, including a doubled WC capacity and enhanced fire safety, energy performance, acoustics, thermal comfort, and useability.

Photo credit: Thomas Alexander

Photo credit: Luca Piffaretti

Facilities within the building include two theaters holding 227 and 41 seats, respectively, as well as a banqueting hall, four kitchens, multi-purpose event and exhibition spaces, a members’ bar and restaurant area, a new skylit boardroom containing historic materia...

Archinect's Lexicon: "Hallucination"

2023-06-09T11:22:00-04:00

Archinect's Lexicon focuses on newly invented (or adopted) vocabulary within the architectural community. For this installment, we're featuring a term that has risen to prominence with the advent of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E.

"Hallucination" in the context of artificial intelligence refers to the phenomenon where an AI model generates or interprets something that isn't grounded in the actual input data it was given. This can happen when AI is asked to create content such as text, images, or speech. The AI may infer patterns or details based on its training but doesn't truly comprehend the information it is handling. It can produce results that seem plausible but might not correspond accurately with the provided input or real-world context.

In the field of building design and architecture, AI hallucinations might be relevant in several ways:

Genera...

Apple unveils its ‘first spatial computer’ with Vision Pro

2023-06-07T12:24:00-04:00

Apple has publicly unveiled the Apple Vision Pro, which the company describes as a “revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world.” The device is set to be available for purchase in the U.S. early in 2024, with a starting price of $3,499.

Image credit: Apple

A series of demonstration videos released by Apple show users navigating through a three-dimensional interface using eyes, hands, and voice, with the Vision Pro’s “infinite canvas of apps” populating their surrounding environment. The headset device is powered by visionOS, which Apple describes as “the world’s first spatial operating system,” allowing users to “interact with digital content in a way that feels like it is physically present in their space.”

Image credit: Apple

Product specs detailed by Apple include a high-resolution display system containing 23 million pixels across two displays, encased within an aluminum alloy frame. The device integrates 12 cameras, including Appl...

New Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance building is completed behind a playful stone facade

2023-06-01T11:43:00-04:00

Construction has been completed on the new Ari Kushner Building at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Designed by Tel Aviv-based HQ Architects and New York's HWKN Architecture, the scheme is housed in what the team calls an “elegant, playful, stone facade” to bring a “sense of unity and a contemporary, welcoming identity” to the academy’s campus.

Image credit: Dor Kedmi

The 27,000-square-foot cultural building houses new choreography, jazz studios, vocal and opera studios as well as a 115-seat music recital hall, equipping the campus with a central performance venue that it previously lacked. Externally, the development is defined by a “curiosity-generating” facade that extends in front of both the existing building and the new addition, constructed of unfinished Jerusalem stone blocks turned 45 degrees on their side.

Image credit: Dor Kedmi

“It balances the geometric order, natural materiality, and intentional imperfection all in a...

Oberlander Prize winner Julie Bargmann's work and life featured in 'Pioneers of American Landscape Design' series

2023-05-30T18:06:00-04:00

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) has just released the latest episode of their ongoing Pioneers of American Landscape Design series featuring an oral history and overview of the work of the 2021 inaugural Oberlander Prize winner Julie Bargmann.

The D.I.R.T. founder and University of Virginia professor emerita profiles her career in landscape architecture beginning with her graduation from the Harvard GSD in 1987. From there, Bargmann went on to become a Fellow in Landscape Architecture at the American Academy in Rome before establishing the studio in Minnesota in 1992. Bargmann has since gone on to win the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award and is elsewhere recognized as the "Queen of Slag" for her work outside of academia, which focuses heavily on post-industrial sites and the public realm.

The Turtle Creek Water Works in Dallas, Texas. Photo: © Charles A. Birnbaum, courtesy of The Cultural Landscape Foundation

Adriaan Geuze and Michael Van Valkenburgh are also ...

Habitat 67’s original vision recreated in Unreal Engine by Safdie Architects, Epic Games, and Neoscape

2023-05-17T07:00:00-04:00

Safdie Architects, Epic Games, and the creative agency Neoscape have recreated the original vision for Habitat 67 in virtual reality. Using Epic Games’ powerful game engine Unreal Engine 5, the entire original master plan for the radical early 1960s scheme has been constructed, marking a significant expansion on the realized segment situated in Montreal, Canada.

Video courtesy: Epic Games

The genesis of Habitat 67 stretches back to Moshe Safdie’s master’s thesis at McGill University. At 23 years old, Safdie submitted the idea to the 1967 Montreal World’s Fair, with the goal of creating a pilot for a new type of housing that would not contribute to urban sprawl.

Image credit: Epic Games

“It began with a journey through North America to study housing,” Safdie recalled. “I came to the conclusion that suburbs weren’t feasible in the long term. They consumed too much land, energy, and transportation. If we could reinvent the apartment building to offer the quality...

10 new examples of brick and stone in architecture

2023-05-13T07:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Bricks & Stones.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Harbour House in Chichester, UK by McLEAN QUINLAN; Photo: Peter Cook/Jim Stephenson

↑ Monitor's Rest in Park City, UT by CLB Architects; Photo: Kevin Scott

↑ Jiunvfeng · Cloud of Hometown Resort Hotel in Tai’an, China by line+; Photo: Pan Jie, zystudio

↑ Museum Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands by KAAN Architecten; Photo: Simon Menges

↑ GIORIO CASA Store in Xuzhou, China; Interior Design: CATANIAN; Photo: Jin Weiqi

↑ East Rock Community Magnet School in New Haven, CT by Newman Architects

↑ BOX in Paredes de Coura, Portugal by Tiago Sousa; Photo: Ivo Tavares Studio

↑ Wai'olu Residence in North Kona Coas...

Introducing the ‘Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence’ series

2023-05-01T08:00:00-04:00

Quick links

At Archinect, we are excited to announce the launch of Archinect In-Depth, a new initiative examining the most pressing, transformative, and integral subjects in the architectural community. Each series of Archinect In-Depth will feature three months of dedicated coverage across our platform, addressing each subject's relationship with architectural practice, employment, education, research, and beyond.

Our initiative kicks off today, May 1st, with the inaugural series Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence. Over the next three months, we will explore the ever-evolving relationship between architecture and artificial intelligence through dedicated news, features, interviews, calls for submissions, and a storytelling competition, with input from both Archinect’s editorial team and ou...