Archinect - News

Dump your old vector files in the Digital Junkyard to be recycled into real-world objects

2015-07-24T21:28:00-04:00

The Digital Junkyard is an experiment in virtual salvage. It is a repository of donated digital information that is used to generate real physical and spatial objects...This project is an embodiment of the growing collective intelligence that technology affords us; and an experiment in ideas about digital ecology. It also honours the time and energy that designers put into testing and making mistakes.

No, this isn't some snarky Craigslist ad. Recently launched by architecturally trained designer and artist Car Martin, the Digital Junkyard is a website with a mission to transform as much of your unwanted vector files into a new physical object or creative idea of sorts, in the real world. In addition to "dumping" their files, users can "salvage" and download donated files, and can eventually check out the resulting "artifacts" -- although that section of the site is yet to be filled.

The Digital Junkyard accepts a maximum of 250 MB and is mainly looking for vector files. More specifically:

Adobe (.ai .eps .pdf)
Autodesk (.dwg .rvt)
Mcneel/Rhino (.3dm .gh.ghx)
Sketchup (.skp)
GIS (.mxd & shapefile folders)
Other (.svg .dxf)

Screenshot via djunkyard.com

While the Digital Junkyard can be a practical outlet for architects and designers to clear up their digital workspaces, Martin's website has an introspective side to it that is greatly relevant at this point in our tightening relationship wit...

Herzog & de Meuron's Kabinett shares their entire estate since 1978

2015-06-18T19:14:00-04:00

Herzog and de Meuron no doubt has a wealth of archival material attached to each of their projects - all valuable pieces of information that are often rarely seen outside the architects' main HQ...The Kabinett is a charitable foundation set up in Basel to make the celebrated architects' estate accessible to the public. Establishing this initiative in their home town...has been a 'lifelong aspiration' for the duo.

Herzog and de Meuron recently issued a press statement through the Kunstmuseum Basel announcing their Kabinett project, which features categorized cabinets consisting 'all the items and materials that were produced, collected, and archived' by the firm since its founding in 1978. The estate will be available for loans to local museums and institutions, and the Kunstmuseum Basel will have exclusive access. Experts and researchers can visit the archives upon request.

Read the full statement here.

AIA/ALA Library Building Award winners bolster the value in caring for community libraries

2015-04-06T19:16:00-04:00

The arched ceilings, stained glass windows, and other embellished details of some of the world's oldest university libraries or contemporary hotspots like, say, OMA's glass-clad Seattle Public Library get enough attention when it comes to the "best" library designs. While those libraries are impressive in their own regard, smaller and local community libraries are equally valuable. They can be that much-needed catalyst to revive a neighborhood or that comfortable quiet haven to get work done or temporarily escape from it all (including napping). Even as library archives become increasingly digital, libraries are evolving facilities that shouldn't be taken for granted.

In this spirit, the AIA and the American Library Association (ALA) like to recognize and promote local libraries that are considered to be exemplary models of stellar library design in their Library Building Awards program. The awards jury (listed at the bottom) selected six projects for 2015:

Cedar Rapids Public Library...

The NSA Is Building the Country's Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say)

2012-03-19T18:30:00-04:00

... thousands of hard-hatted construction workers in sweat-soaked T-shirts are laying the groundwork for the newcomers’ own temple and archive, a massive complex so large that it necessitated expanding the town’s boundaries. Once built, it will be more than five times the size of the US Capitol. Rather than Bibles, prophets, and worshippers, this temple will be filled with servers, computer intelligence experts, and armed guards.

Google Glasses - adding a virtual layer to the physical environment

2012-02-24T19:48:00-05:00

The glasses will use the same Android software that powers Android smartphones and tablets... equipped with GPS and motion sensors. They will also contain a camera and audio inputs and outputs. Through the built-in camera on the glasses, Google will be able to stream images to its rack computers and return augmented reality information to the person wearing them. For instance, a person looking at a landmark could see detailed historical information and comments about it left by friends.

Where the World’s Data Is Stored

2011-07-19T15:43:39-04:00

The world’s largest data center sits in Gothic revival splendor just a couple of miles south of Chicago’s downtown Loop in a former R. R. Donnelly printing plant. I happened to walk past the center a year ago and was impressed by the scale of the building and the serenity of the setting...

[Via Mozy]