Archinect - News

Previewing TWBTA and Davis Brody Bond's new U.S. Embassy in Mexico City

2024-12-20T13:55:00-05:00

Work is wrapping up on the new U.S. Embassy facility in Mexico City designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien (TWBTA) and David Brody Bond at a reported cost of around $1 billion. The LA Times recently checked in on its delayed progress. The project first began construction on the Paseo de la Reforma in February 2018. An opening is now expected by the last quarter of 2025.

Image rendering by DBB/TWBTA

The U.S., Australia, and New Zealand implement an updated reciprocity agreement for architects

2024-11-07T08:00:00-05:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA), and the New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB) have implemented a new Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). It replaces the previous MRA between the countries, created in 2016, further expanding licensure access for international architects.

The new agreement recognizes the professional credentials of architects licensed or registered in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand and acknowledges the value of the various pathways to licensure within each country. As a result, unnecessary barriers to reciprocal licensure, such as extended experience requirements and limited paths to licensure or registration, are being reduced.

As stated by NCARB President Kenneth R. Van Tine, “The updated agreement is pivotal to NCARB’s...

U.S., Canada, and Mexico update tri-national reciprocity agreement for architects

2024-10-08T19:22:00-04:00

A new tri-national Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) has been signed by the three largest North American groups representing professional architects in their respective countries.

The updated agreement between the Regulatory Organizations of Architecture in Canada (ROAC), Mexico’s Comité Mexicano para la Práctica Internacional de la Arquitectura (COMPIAR), and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) recognizes the competencies latent in the initial licensure/registration processes while removing several post-licensure barriers to eligibility.

Victoria Rodríguez Mosqueda, the President of the Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la Republica Mexicana (FCARM), said the latest MRA amendment "includes more accessible requirements that will increase its potential coverage, while reducing the economic burden."

The revised agreement pertains to the existin...

NCARB and ARB release reciprocal licensure guidelines for architects in the US and UK

2023-10-02T12:30:00-04:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has released information containing guidelines for architects attempting to find work authorizations in the United Kingdom through the newly-signed Mutual Recognition Agreement between them and the Architects Registration Board (ARB).

The two systems now offer registered architects in each country the chance to obtain reciprocal licensure and pursue contracts after a four-year-long research and negotiation process determined their educational and professional work experience in both are compatible side-by-side.

Speaking in February, NCARB's CEO Michael Armstrong said the agreement will “enhance the value of the NCARB Certificate as a facilitator of domestic and international mobility for many U.S.-licensed practitioners.”

Under the new agreement, architects must hold a valid license in their home country, hold a work visa or other permissions in the location where they are operating, and either an NCARB or ARB certifi...

Deal reached for US/UK reciprocal architectural licensure

2022-06-14T18:49:00-04:00

Two of the most influential professional architectural associations in the western hemisphere have pushed forward with their plans for a reciprocal licensure agreement between the US and UK. The UK’s Architects Registration Board (ARB) and the American National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) have recently ratified a new Mutual Recognition Agreement that will make the registration and licensure process much easier for practitioners in both countries.

The agreement makes it possible for architects to obtain business contracts, network with peers, and pursue new projects in new markets. This forthcoming arrangement is modeled after existing pacts between the American organization and Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. The basis of the agreement is three-pronged, and hinges on each architect’s ability to hold an active NCARB certificate, be lawfully permitted to work in the country in which they are registered and hold a valid license from their home country’s reg...

Coalition of design and construction organizations seek support for more resilient built environment in letter to Congress

2021-05-27T17:58:00-04:00

A coalition of leading design and construction organizations have called on Congress to include funding in any new infrastructure proposal that would significantly improve the resilience and performance of buildings across the country, The American Institute of Architects announces.

In a letter issued to Congress earlier this week, signatories addressed the increasing threat that natural and manmade hazards pose on the safety of the public and strength of the country. As stated in the letter, “The combination of aging infrastructure and worsening natural disasters has resulted in the unacceptable, yet preventable, loss of human life and costly property damage.” According to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, between 2014 and 2019, the United States experienced 77 weather and climate-related disasters that resulted in over $550 billion in damage and nearly 4,000 lives lost.

Tulane School of Architecture, Fay Jones School, and Carnegie Mellon University are the first academic institutions to sign on US Architects Declare

2020-10-07T18:57:00-04:00

In the summer of 2020, U.S.-based practices took action and signed on to join the international pledge for climate action. With the U.S. Architects Declare movement growing since May and over 284 signatures added to the list, three architecture institutions have signed on to the movement.

Recently published on Archinect, Architects take Climate Action! Archinect talks climate emergency activism with built environment groups taking a stand

Tulane School of Architecture, Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, and Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture are the first architecture programs to sign on to U.S. Architects Declare pledge. A movement initially starting in May 2019 in the U.K., firms, and studios worldwide have pledged their efforts to fight climate change and biodiversity issues.

U.S. Architects Declare is led by a group of volunteer architects and designers throughout the country. Their site states, "All built-environment/construction-industry professionals ...

U.S. architects join international pledge for climate action

2020-05-27T20:21:00-04:00

The Architects Declare movement has spread across the globe as over 20 countries have joined the fight to address climate change and biodiversity issues. The United States has announced its pledge to join. With 92 signatures collected from U.S.-based architecture practices like Perkins Eastman, Inaba Williams, SHAUM/SHEIH, and many more have expressed their commitment to taking action.

Although the current COVID-19 pandemic and other political and economic issues have made headlines these past few months, the architecture industry has made its mark during the crisis. With the battle to mitigate climate change still ever-present, the United States has finally joined the fight.

Initially launched in May 2019 in the U.K., Architects Declare aims to use the voices of architects to "galvanize the profession and provide a platform for advocacy and for sharing information and strategies for change." Initiated by NY-based non-profit The Architectural League, the U.S. branch of Architects ...

Will Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's new infrastructure plan strike gold with voters?

2020-01-15T13:45:00-05:00

In light of the recent Democratic debates, many candidates have shared their goals and intentions towards sustainability, housing, and infrastructure plans. Last year presidential candidate hopefuls like Andrew Yang shared his sustainability plan back in August 2019. Candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders shared their plans for affordable housing and their responses to the Green New Deal during the summer of 2019. With the list of candidates gradually withdrawing from the races, American voters are looking to those left in the race to provide plans and policies they can stand behind.

Recently, Democratic presidential candidate, Pete Buttigieg, announced his national "Vision Zero" plan. According to his site, the infrastructure plan aims to achieve: "Opportunity, equity, and empowerment [...] My administration will invest over $1 trillion in working with states, cities, and other local governments to build the sustainable infrastructure of the 21st century."

Buttigieg p...

After years of improvement, air pollution in the U.S. is getting worse again

2019-10-24T14:09:00-04:00

Air pollution worsened in the United States in 2017 and 2018, new data shows, a reversal after years of sustained improvement with significant implications for public health. In 2018 alone, eroding air quality was linked to nearly 10,000 additional deaths in the U.S. relative to the 2016 benchmark, the year in which small-particle pollution reached a two-decade low, according to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University.

The Washington Post reports that "concentrations of the pollutant have risen about 5.5 percent since 2016," and points out several contributing factors that the Carnegie Mellon study identified: increased natural gas use and vehicle traffic, risen severity and frequency of wildfires, and the rollback of regulatory enforcement of the Clean Air Act in recent years.

"The health implications of this increase in [annual average fine particulate matter] PM2.5 between 2016 and 2018 are significant," explains the research paper. "The increase was associated with 9,700 additional premature deaths in 2018. At conventional valuations, these deaths represent damages of $89 billion."

Understanding the difference between cities proper and the metro areas that surround them

2019-08-27T16:30:00-04:00

When tracking the performance of cities across the United States, various factors come into play. Growth in population and employment are often the first to be researched and analyzed. However, not all cities are seen and discussed in the same light. CityLab co-founder and editor-at-large, Richard Florida, writes a new series that dives into understanding contemporary urbanism by researching cities and their economic performance.

In the first installment of this four-part series, Florida explains the importance of making this distinction between cities proper and metropolitan areas through population and job growth. "The reality is that most studies that purport to talk about cities are really talking about the performance of broader metropolitan areas, which are made of up core or principal cities and their surrounding suburbs and exurbs. Looking at cities by themselves is important and useful for several reasons."

He continues to point out, "there is lots of talk these days abou...

How will Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang plan for a sustainable future?

2019-08-26T20:00:00-04:00

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has introduced a five-step plan to address climate change and to help mitigate its effects in the built environment.

To start, Yang lays out the problem of climate change in personal economic terms: "Why have we so far barely made a dent in what we need to do in order to combat this crisis? When 78% of our fellow Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, it's hard to mobilize people to care about the massive problem of climate change. Many think, 'I can't pay my bills. The penguins will have to wait.' It's impossible to think about the future if you can't feed your kids today. We need to get the economic boot off of the throats of our fellow Americans so everyone can get their heads up and start facing this threat head-on."

Yang's first step to his five-pronged plan is to establish a better net-zero standard for new buildings that would take effect by 2025. To do this, he addresses the need to pull away from fossil fuels while also pay...

Does America still need classical architecture?

2019-08-18T14:00:00-04:00

Perhaps, as a real-estate developer, President Trump might appreciate the richness of America’s heritage of classical public buildings. It’s not inconceivable that he would support reform of the Guiding Principles. Otherwise, U.S. senators and representatives should do all they can to ensure that classical principles guide future federal architecture projects. In doing so, they will be contributing to a renewal of American civilization.

During the administration of President John F. Kennedy, sociologist, politician, and diplomat Daniel Patrick Moynihan drafted the "Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture," a set of architectural guidelines that inform the design of building projects undertaken by the Public Building Service (PBS) and the General Services Administration's Design Excellence program.

For Moynihan, the principles reinforced an ideology of good design in federal building projects. Moynihan expressed, "The belief that good design is optional, or in some way separate from the question of the provision of office space itself, does not bear scrutiny, and in fact invites the least efficient use of public money."

Writing for City Journal, Catesby Leigh voices support for reinvigorating federal buildings through classical architecture and traditional design, which, Leigh argues, have already produced the U.S.'s most prominent civic structures.

Leigh writes: "The design of federal buildings should be guided...

A democratic presidential candidate is pitching to save "dead malls"

2019-07-09T13:31:00-04:00

Entrepreneur and presidential hopeful Andrew Yang has a new policy proposal that promises to set him apart in the crowded Democratic field. He hopes to address an issue affecting the economic vitality of communities all across the country. Yang wants to save the malls. According to his campaign, some 300 malls will fold over the next 4 years, a number in line with an estimate by Credit Suisse that one-quarter of all malls will close by 2022.

In the U.S., the presidential race has already begun with potential candidates showcasing their intended policies and platforms to the American people. Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has created a growing following due to his stance on universal base income and approaching politics with "human-centered capitalism." In learning this, it is no wonder Yang has turned his efforts towards saving dying malls as a means to revive the economy of local communities.

Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang. Image © Chris Zoeller/Globe-Gazette/AP

Yang's goal is to implement the American Mall Act. According to a recent CityLab piece by Kriston Capps, the plan is to "devote $6 billion to find new purposes for these dying retail complexes." Yang made this announcement on July 4th weekend in a video as a response to Palmetto State voters and their experience of the retail apocalypse. In his video, Yang expresses the reality of mall upkeep and points out, "it's a massive challenge to try t...

Surge in bomb shelter sales as tensions with North Korea increase

2017-08-11T15:24:00-04:00

As tensions with North Korea flare in light of the news that they may have successfully produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can fit inside its missiles, everyone is scrambling to determine how seriously to take them.

Back in May, when North Korea began testing nuclear weapons with growing sophistication, Japan—vulnerable due to its proximity to North Korea and the fact that it hosts a number of U.S. military bases—saw a huge uptick in price inquiries on private nuclear shelters.

Tropical island-themed nuclear shelter in Japan

Now that the U.S. President has threatened the communist country "with fire and fury like the world has never seen" and Kim Jong-Un has shot back with threats of an attack on Guam, we are seeing a similar increase as those in areas like Guam or California that are at high-risk of being effected in the event of an attack look into extreme safety measures.

Bomb shelter on display, by Atlas Survival Shelters

In California, one company, Atlas Survival Shel...

Northeastern professor discusses the architectural history of the White House

2017-08-09T15:13:00-04:00

While some presidents have had their personal opinions about the White House, it remains, nonetheless, a central piece of America’s identity. And it remains, in the most literal sense of the word, for three major reasons, said David Fannon, assistant professor of architecture and civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern.

While President Trump is on vacation, the White House is undergoing a $3.4 million West Wing renovation. Just over two centuries old, the home of the President has gone through as many changes as it has residents, maybe even more. David Fannon, an assistant professor of architecture at Northeastern University, explains how the White House remains because:

It is built of durable materials
Continues to be used by people
Has major social significance

Leaked government draft report finds that U.S. is already impacted by climate change

2017-08-09T14:30:00-04:00

A draft government report on climate says the U.S. is already experiencing the consequences of global warming. The findings sharply contrast with statements by President Trump and some members of his Cabinet, who have sought to downplay the changing climate. The document, which was leaked ahead of publication and reported by The New York Times on Tuesday, says Americans are seeing more heat waves and rainfall as a result of climate change.

The draft report confirms previous assessments that global warming, as observed over the past decades, is indeed caused by human activity, and climate change is already showing affects on the United States' weather and economy.

"That statement is directly at odds with statements from Trump and key Cabinet members," NPR reports. "The head of Trump's Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, has said there is "tremendous disagreement" on the impact humans have had on the climate. And in June, Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from so-called Paris agreement on climate change, which is the main international effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Click here to read the draft of the climate change report in full.

The US is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement — here's the AIA's response

2017-06-01T18:12:00-04:00

Just a few hours ago, President Donald Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the non-binding Paris Agreement intended to mitigate climate change. The President of the American Institute of Architects Thomas Vonier, FAIA has issued a statement in response, reaffirming its commitment to reducing the (vast) contributions of the built environment to global warming.

Here it is in full:

"The United States must remain a leader in the battle to cease harmful and needless practices that damage the planet and its climate, acting out of both environmental concerns and national economic interests. Instead of helping our economy, as the Administration contends, withdrawing from the Paris Agreement will put us behind our major global competitors.

The AIA will not retreat from its long-established efforts to conserve energy and to deploy renewable resources in buildings. We will continue to lead in efforts to curb the use of fuels and technologies that needlessly pollute our atmos...

Can you guess how many architects there are in each state?

2017-04-28T12:22:00-04:00

The National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB) has tallied up the number of architects practicing in the United States, as well as each individual state. According to their 2016 survey, there are 109,748 architects in the U.S. It’s a drop from the previous year, although pretty minimal (0.4%).

The survey also shows that more and more architects are licensed in multiple states (a 3% increase since 2015). Another finding is that the rate of new architects appears steady, with more than 41,400 candidates taking the Architectural Registration Examination and/or reporting Architectural Experience Program hours.

“Our data confirms that the economy is generating strong demand for initial and reciprocal licensees,” states NCARB CEO Michael J. Armstrong. “We’re also seeing continued growth in the number of architects who hold an NCARB Certi cate, which facilitates reciprocal licensure across the United States and in several countries.”

So how many architects are there in each ...

The Vilcek Foundation announces three $50K awards for immigrant architects

2017-04-12T17:35:00-04:00

Established in 2000 to “honor the contributions of immigrants to the United States and to foster appreciation of the arts and sciences”, the Vilcek Foundation has just announced that a major new prize for architects is open for applications. Three winners will each receive $50,000 in unrestricted funding.

In order to qualify, applicants must have been born outside of the United States, be 38 years of age or younger, and hold a professional degree in architecture (or a related field). This includes professionals working in the fields of urban planning, landscape architecture, architectural engineering and architecture criticism.

Candidates must submit an application form, a CV, a portfolio, three short essays and proof of immigration status. A panel of experts will evaluate their portfolios and essays. Winners will be announced in February 2018. Submissions are open now. Head over here for more information.

In new report, U.S. infrastructure scores a D+

2017-03-10T17:53:00-05:00

The American Society of Civil Engineers releases a report every four years that details the conditions and performance of American infrastructure. The group gives a letter grade—like with a school report card—and this year, America got a failing D+.

Some of the dismal findings include:

Only 51% of U.S. households report that they’re able to get to a grocery store using public transportation.
35,092 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2015.
The need for wastewater infrastructure exceeds $271B.

Check out the full report here.

Christo abandons $15 million U.S.-based river project as protest against "landlord" Trump

2017-01-31T12:46:00-05:00

Christo's proposed silver-fabric-panel draped "Over the River" project has been in the making for about 25 years, after he started hunting for a natural host site in 1992 and then gradually garnered the neccessary official approvals and permits over the following decades for a 42-mile stretch along the Colorado River. However, the artist is abandoning the $15 million dollar project as a protest against President Trump, explaining that “The federal government is our landlord. They own the land. And I can’t do a project that benefits this landlord.” Although it's doubtful that the official landlord would appreciate the nuance and splendor of Christo's work, the people of Colorado would have undoubtedly benefitted economically from tourists.

President-elect Trump offers HUD post to Ben Carson

2016-11-23T13:19:00-05:00

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has offered the post of secretary of housing and urban development to former presidential candidate Ben Carson, who will consider it over the Thanksgiving holiday, a Carson spokesman said on Tuesday. "The president-elected asked him to consider it and he's considering it," Carson spokesman Armstrong Williams said. Carson, a retired surgeon, dropped out of the 2016 presidential race in March and backed Trump.

More on the US Department of Housing and Urban Development:

Homelessness decreased this year in the US, but increased in cities including LA

2016-11-21T13:40:00-05:00

Accurately tracking a population that has no permanent home has always been a challenge for those who attempt to put together figures on homelessness. Many studies elect to count transients one night each year in order to create some form of consistency. Using that method, a study by the Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that figures for homelessness seem to down overall across the nation as of January 2016, while certain cities such as Los Angeles and Washington D.C. have experienced significant upticks. As NPR explains:

"But some areas bucked the trend. Washington, D.C., saw a 14.4 percent increase in homelessness, over 1,000 more people, and there were an additional 2,680 homeless people in Los Angeles County, an increase of 6.5 percent. The Dallas and Seattle areas also had big increases, 21.3 and 6.0 percent, respectively."

For more on homelessness:

President-elect Donald Trump renews pledge to invest in American infrastructure

2016-11-10T13:45:00-05:00

US President-Elect Donald Trump, who built his business on constructing towers, used his victory speech early today in New York to repeat his pledge to put “millions of people to work” rebuilding American infrastructure, airports, schools and hospitals. [...] “We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals,” he said to whoops and applause.

“We’re going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none, and we will put millions of our people to work as we rebuild it.”

More on how the Trump residency may impact the built environment:

It's the infrastructure, stupid: benefits of using adaptable strategies to revamp the U.S.

2016-10-25T13:39:00-04:00

LIke everything else in the 21st century, infrastructure is no longer about big moves but rather about nuance, refinement, and creative strategy. This is the argument advocated by The Hill, which makes the case that all infrastructure projects should be resilient and made to serve multiple functions. As the article notes:

"In the wake of Hurricane Sandy there were calls for a flood wall around lower Manhattan. But the path the city, state and federal government took was far better – instead of just building a wall, they are creating a system of parks which will provide the same protection, provide additional greenspace for the city, and improve community cohesion by giving people public space to meet and socialize. Instead of gray infrastructure, the city will have a brand new park."

For more on infrastructure:

American home sales drop unexpectedly in August

2016-09-22T12:57:00-04:00

U.S. home resales unexpectedly fell in August, crimped by a shortage of inventory that is boosting home prices faster than the pace of wage growth. The National Association of Realtors said on Thursday existing home sales declined 0.9 percent to an annual rate of 5.33 million units. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast sales rising 1.1 percent in August to a 5.45 million-unit pace.

July's sales pace was also revised lower to 5.38 million units from the previously reported 5.39 million units. However, despite sales being at their second-lowest pace of the year, home resales were still up 0.8 percent from one year ago.

For more on the current state of the housing market in the States, follow these links:

Are enough high-wage jobs being created across the United States?

2016-09-13T13:52:00-04:00

Unsurprisingly, the majority of the U.S.' job growth over the past five years has been centered in large metro areas like Los Angeles and New York. What might be surprising is how the majority of those newly created jobs are either "mid-wage" or "low-wage" jobs, here defined as those that pay under $21.14 an hour. In a study conducted by CityLab's Richard Florida based on facts compiled by the economic data modeling firm Emsi, Florida notes that:

Low-wage jobs accounted for the largest increase in new jobs between 2011 and 2016, adding 4.5 million jobs, compared to 4.1 million high-wage jobs and 3.5 million mid-wage jobs. Low-wage jobs accounted for 34 percent of jobs in 2016 (a total of 48.2 million jobs), while mid-wage jobs accounted for 29 percent (a total of 40.7 million jobs)...

The top ten metros for job growth are a mix of knowledge-based and service-based metros. The tech hub of Provo, Utah, tops the list with a 26.8 percent increase in jobs; Austin (21.9 percent), San Jose ...

How Republicans and Democrats differ when it comes to infrastructure

2016-07-28T13:36:00-04:00

On issues related to the funding, mass transit, biking, and the environment, the two parties have staked out dramatically different views about how they envision the future of the nation’s transportation system. Democrats are proposing an expansive increase in federal support for transportation investment, with a focus on building access to opportunity, bolstering access to non-automobile modes, reducing the impacts of climate change, and maintaining the role of unions.

Republicans, on the other hand, propose no increase in federal spending (though Mr. Trump may disagree), an elimination of the federal role in funding non-automotive transportation, an emphasis on pollution-spewing modes and energy sources, and a reduction in the role of unions.

For more on the state of American infrastructure, check out these links:

Dispatch from the Venice Biennale: Uruguay's underground, Germany's construction site, Britain's housekeeping and more from the national pavilions

2016-05-27T13:40:00-04:00

May 26, 2016

Aravena’s Biennale for architecture to give a damn might imply a specific kind of project, but, after one day on the ground, it is clear that there is no one way for it to respond. For one thing, there is a truly incomprehensible quantity of material to cover. The volume alone speaks to the complex of energy and passion coming worldwide from the discipline. After an incomplete first pass around the Giardini and a tactical visit to the Arsenale, Venice’s two main Biennale sites, I am struck by the inconsistency and individuality across and within these many contributions. Noteworthy trends may, at some point, emerge from the crowd, but, for now, I can list a few, non-representative soundbites only:

The US Pavilion, “The Architectural Imagination,” gives us architecture as we have come to expect it. Through twelve proposals for four Detroit sites, it posits the speculative as the instrument of societal uplift, offering up wild thinking as the means of igniting change. It do...