Archinect - News

See physics behind why buildings crumble

2013-05-22T15:22:00-04:00

CNN's Tom Foreman explains the strength of the tornado in Oklahoma and why some buildings couldn't withstand the force.

Donate to Architecture for Humanity to help rebuild Moore, Oklahoma

2013-05-22T13:52:00-04:00

Architecture for Humanity is working with local and regional construction professionals to begin assessments and support rebuilding work after an F-4 tornado ripped through the heart of Moore, OK and surrounding communities.

Architecture for Humanity focuses on helping communities beyond the relief phase of disaster. The agency is currently working on rebuilding efforts post Superstorm Sandy and rebuilt in communities affected by Hurricane Katrina. Architecture for Humanity is mobilizing to assist in long term-reconstruction to help rebuild Moore and the surrounding communities. The agency works to incorporate resiliency and disaster mitigation strategies, leaving communities safer and stronger than before.

“After the Haiti earthquake students from Moore West Junior High raised funds for the organization to help rebuild schools for displaced students. Our thoughts are with the entire community of Moore, OK and those affected,” said Cameron Sinclair, Co-founder, Architecture for Humanity.

New York Architects Re-Plan a City Under Threat [Post Sandy]

2012-11-20T11:13:00-05:00

After the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Sandy, those responsible for our built environment, especially in New York, are facing the dawn of a new environmental clime and industry reality. Designing and delivering to the highest safety standards in what were once thought of as safe areas of the world now holds far greater importance than ever before.

coded buildings

2012-11-08T11:33:00-05:00

The X-code is a marking left by the Urban Search and Rescue teams, coordinated by FEMA. It was first developed after the 1985 Mexico earthquake, when many people died in later building collapses, trying to rescue people who were already trapped. As each building is searched for survivors, it is marked first with a slash, and then when the search is finished, an X. Then, the quadrants of the X are marked with a code to define who made the search, when, and what they might have found.

Beijing Infrastructure Not Fit for Torrential Rains

2012-07-23T14:22:00-04:00

As China's flood-ravaged capital dealt with the aftermath of the heaviest rain in six decades Monday, including the deaths of 37 people, questions were being raised about whether the city's push for modernization came at the expense of basic infrastructure such as drainage networks. [...] The city has seen tens of billions of dollars poured into its modernization [...] — all while basics like water drainage were apparently neglected.

With 'Power in a Box,' Princeton students win national competition

2012-05-02T15:34:00-04:00

Converting a standard shipping container into a sustainable source of energy for remote or disaster-torn regions, a team of Princeton University students took top honors in an 18-month national competition that culminated April 21 and 22 on the Washington, D.C., Mall.

Architecture for Humanity and AIA partner up for more effective disaster response

2012-02-07T14:05:00-05:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Architecture for Humanity announced a strategic partnership to coordinate advocacy, education, and training that helps architects make effective contributions to communities preparing for, responding to, and rebuilding after disaster. The partnership is focused on providing resources so more architects can utilize their skills in disaster response environments and better serve as leaders in their community.

QUESTIONING CATASTROPHE

2012-01-23T20:24:00-05:00

Human beings and their communities are fragile because they are sustainable only within a narrow range of conditions and possibilities. It is the main task of architecture to maintain this range or to create it where it has not existed before. To some extent it is also architecture’s responsibility to expand this range when people require it not only for survival but also to flourish within the demands of change brought on by catastrophic events such as earthquake and tsunami.

Designing for disaster

2011-12-14T15:32:37-05:00

The mission facing architects today is fusing aesthetics and armor. In the aftermath of attacks on US embassies abroad, the 1995 truck-bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and the 2001 terrorist takedown of the World Trade Towers, guidelines for government buildings and other potential targets such as museums and monuments assumed a quasi-military character.

2011 Curry Stone Design Grand Prize Winner Announced Sustainable Architecture in Post-Disaster Areas

2011-10-04T14:06:00-04:00

The 2011 Curry Stone Design Prize Winners were announced today with an official presentation ceremony to follow on November 7th at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. [...] Hsieh Ying-Chun is the Grand Prize Winner; he will receive $100,000 from the foundation with no strings attached. Hsieh is a leading Taiwanese architect who for over a decade has deployed his talents in rural areas decimated by natural disaster.

Two additional 2011 Winner Prizes, of $10,000 each, will be awarded to Atelier d’Architecture Autogérée (AAA) and FrontlineSMS.