Archinect - Features

The internship test or: why even become an architect at all?

2016-04-06T09:11:00-04:00

The question of internships frames something of a litmus test in architecture – although they tend to indicate more about the hiring firm than the hire. Exploited labor or necessary rite-of-passage? It’s a debate that’s been raging for decades almost exclusively through this binary, even as the context in which it’s been waged has transformed considerably. While certain practices have moved to institute fair compensation into their intern programs, life for many architecture interns today remains a struggle.

Opendesk, cracking the production code for open-source furniture

2016-03-30T15:12:00-04:00

Before the Industrial Revolution, if you wanted a new piece of furniture, you’d go to your local carpenter. Today, you’re more likely to buy a chair that’s made of Brazilian wood, designed by a Swede, and manufactured in China than one with even a single locally-produced nail. Enter Opendesk, a furniture company with a global network and local manufacturing model, which might just spark a new revolution in the industry.

When designing for money breaks the bank architecture mold

2016-03-25T13:26:00-04:00

Think bank architecture and its associated headquarters and you may find yourself stultified by visions of doric columns, artless atriums, and bland corporate highrises. However, these six structures by prominent practitioners are a survey of the unusual and intriguing. Here’s what each financial institution says about its social/historical context, as well as the role of money at that time.

Geotectura's ZeroHome turns waste into shelter

2016-03-22T09:09:00-04:00

ZeroHome, a project by the Tel Aviv-based studio Geotectura, is a house built entirely from waste – but you wouldn’t necessarily suspect it from looking at its sharp, angular form.

Architecture after capitalism, in a world without work

2016-03-18T10:32:00-04:00

“A spider conducts operations that resemble those of a weaver, and a bee puts to shame many an architect in the construction of her cells,” writes Karl Marx in Das Kapital, likely the most direct invocation of architecture in his influential, and controversial, writings. “But what distinguishes the worst architect from the best of bees is this, that the architect raises his structure in imagination before he erects it in reality.”

Meow Parlour is a modern hangout for NYC's adoptable cats

2016-03-14T15:58:00-04:00

Looking out inquisitively onto a busy New York City avenue, a white and grey cat perches on a counter that is supported by a base that fittingly reads M E O W in bold. She soaks in warm light that beams through a floor-to-ceiling window, while dozens of other felines play and lounge throughout the rest of their 800sf domain. These cats are temporary residents at Meow Parlour, a modest venue that allows adoptable cats and city-goers a chance to interact within a comfortable – and refreshingly upbeat – environment.