Archinect - Features

For Affordable Housing, The Revolution Will Be Modularized

2021-07-28T14:51:00-04:00

Across the globe, the design and construction of affordable housing is failing to meet demand, leaving both low and middle income dwellers with little choice but to accept high costs, substandard conditions, or a move away from urban centers. This reality not only presents dangerous environmental and social conditions, but also underpins a fundamental failure of our current processes to design and construct quality affordable housing. In the face of this crisis, architects are finding opportunities for change. In this article, we speak with architect David Wallance FAIA, whose new book The Future of Modular Architecture sets out a paradigm-shift vision for the future of affordable housing. Here, we discuss the details of Wallance’s industrial-scale system, derived from the standard dimensions of intermodal shipping units, as well as the major changes such a system would bring to cities, housing markets, the environment, architectural education, and the business structure of the arch...

Deans List: University of Calgary's Dr. John Brown Discusses the Importance of Fostering Design Innovation and Entrepreneurship

2019-11-05T06:00:00-05:00

The Deans List is an interview series with the leaders of architecture schools, worldwide. The series profiles the school’s programming, as defined by the dean — giving an invaluable perspective into the institution’s unique curriculum, faculty, and academic environment.

For this installment, Archinect spoke with Dr. John Brown, dean at the University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape. A seasoned architect and academic, Brown's background has allowed him to explore how academia can not only teach students but foster a level of thinking. From running a practice filled with people-centric design, research, and entrepreneurial spunk, Brown expresses for students to "look at what it is they want to do and how they can do that most effectively without being constrained by conventional practice."

A supporter of design innovation and entrepreneurship, Brown shares the challenges the program has faced and how the blending of research and multidisciplinary has led t...

The Deans List: David Gissen of California College of the Arts

2013-11-21T13:27:00-05:00

The Deans List is an interview series with the leaders of architecture schools, worldwide. The series profiles the school’s programming, as defined by the head honcho – giving an invaluable perspective into the institution’s unique curriculum, faculty and academic environment.

For our first installment, we spoke with David Gissen, the Director of Architecture at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.