Archinect - News

Fostering community through multi-residential housing and rooftop urban farming

2024-07-03T19:02:00-04:00

Calgary-based studio Modern Office of Design + Architecture (MODA) — the winners of Canada's 2022 RAIC Emerging Practice Award — has completed a forward-thinking mixed-use development that combines multi-residential housing and urban farming to build community and foster social interaction.

Photo: Ema Peter

Called GROW, the project features 20 units of varying sizes, which are accompanied by a 0.6-acre rooftop urban farm. Additional green spaces come in the form of private gardens, vegetative roofs, and apiaries.

Photo: Ema Peter

The units suit a range of ages and family sizes, including small 450-square-foot studios, medium-sized 600-square-foot condos, 1.5-story lofts, and large 850-1,000 square-foot, two-story townhomes. This arrangement brings various demographics together, such as young professionals, students, and families with children.

Photo: Ema Peter

In addition, residents can come together by participating in all facets of farming, including...

Construction starts on MVRDV's new Berlin mixed-use development

2024-03-17T08:00:00-04:00

Construction has begun on the MVRDV-designed LXK Office and Residential Campus in Berlin. The mixed-use complex will add needed office and residential space to a rapidly developing part of the city.

The project is located in the Friedrichshain district. It spans approximately 658,751 square feet and features abundant office, commercial, and residential space. The complex consists of two L-shaped volumes, with the residential component consolidated into a single block. The corners of each volume open up to create an accessible green, public square. This divide allows the project to integrate itself sensitively into the scale of the surroundings.

Image © MVRDV

One of the most distinguishing features of the development is its single continuous luminous band that wraps horizontally around each structure. The band unifies the fragmented structure into a single form. This component is further activated by green, accessible terraces that offer views into the surrounding city. It also hosts ...

CityLAB's new tree mapping feature calls Berliners towards a greener future

2023-08-23T12:21:00-04:00

The maintenance of urban tree canopies is one of utmost importance to planners in the fight against heat and subsequent efforts to make cities into effective carbon stores that are dually resilient against climate change while improving public health and well-being overall.

A new digital map developed by the technology incubator CityLAB Berlin now helps to improve the care of these vital green infrastructures using data and an inspired citizenry whom they also credit with helping to streamline its development since 2020.

The data includes a register of over half a million trees with information on their water levels and age culled from previous government projects. The map it creates draws inspiration from the NYC Tree Map, and others developed in cities like Athens and Washington, D.C.

Locals who use the app frequently have begun to adopt individual trees as their own, surpassing participation levels that "ignited a debate between different local district authorities as to what e...

SLAS architekci designs colorful multifunctional public park in Poland

2023-07-07T15:06:00-04:00

Polish firm SLAS architekci has injected an eye-catching multifunctional public space into a university campus in the southern Polish city of Chorzów. Called “Activity Zone,” the project was a nominee in the 2022 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award.

Image © Michał Kopaniszyn

The park was completed in 2019 for the University of Silesia. It is located at the former site of a demolished military building where there were a number of pre-existing trees.

Image © Michał Kopaniszyn

The main goal of the project was to transform this neglected, wooded area where the campus is located into a lively, leisurely location for the public to enjoy. It aimed to promote the university and establish a new green space for the city.

Image © Michał Kopaniszyn

“Activity Zone” was designed as a perforated concrete platform that hosts a diverse program, including a student leisure zone, children’s play devices, fitness areas, individually des...

Los Angeles approves car-free 'superblock' pilot program

2023-06-26T17:57:00-04:00

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday on a motion to identify a location to implement its first Park Block -- modeled after the city of Barcelona’s Superblocks, a block grid system that restricts traffic to major roads and opens up city blocks and streets to pedestrians.

The “Park Block” motion was initially introduced by Los Angeles District Councilmember Kevin de León last year. The program aims to save lives lost due to poor air quality and traffic violence. As detailed in a report by LA City Council’s Transportation Committee, the Blocks will serve to form open public space with adequate shade, outdoor recreation, greening, and stormwater capture in communities that lack parks.

Previously on Archinect: LA Councilmember introduces plan to establish Barcelona's car-free 'superblocks' in Los Angeles

The program will first be implemented in León’s District 14, which includes parts of downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, and Eagle Rock. LA's Department of Transportation will choose which area will host the initial pilot, with priority given to communities that have the least access to public space, the highest health disparities, and high population densities. In addition, the Department will report back on what funding and resources are necessary to...

Take a look inside Seoul's National Assembly Communication Building

2023-06-21T13:55:00-04:00

South Korean firm Haeahn Architecture, alongside New York-based H Architecture, has shared a video and photographs of their National Assembly Communication Building project in Seoul, South Korea.

The nearly 255,686-square-foot structure is located inside the National Assembly complex, the home of South Korea’s national legislature.

Image: Namsun Lee

The complex was planned as an open space that reflects a pluralistic ideology, while also staying in touch with the existing components of the site. To meet the needs of multiple user groups, the architects say the building’s design prioritizes flexibility and expandability.

Image: Namsun Lee

The project site was described as a green space surrounded by lush trees. The firms aimed to preserve this identity by making the building low and on a human scale, ensuring its height would not exceed four stories and be set amongst the trees. The rooftop also reflects these surroundings through the featured green zone.

Image: Namsun Lee

The archit...

Planting trees could lead to fewer heat-related deaths in urban areas, according to a new study

2023-02-03T17:32:00-05:00

A new scientific study has shown the positive correlations between public health and tree planting in urban areas.

In a report published recently by The Lancet medical science journal, a team of European researchers shared data on mortality rates in 93 cities in the summer of 2015 that showed how premature deaths caused by urban heat islands can be mitigated through increased greening strategies.

The study found 6,700 premature deaths in that period related to the phenomenon. One-third of those deaths, according to the authors, could have been prevented by adding 30% more trees in the urban environments of each city. The data supports established notions that particularly low-income communities can benefit from resiliency measures, adding to a growing chorus of scholarship at a time when climate change is becoming a moribund issue for cities worldwide at an accelerated pace.

Ci...

Framing Atlanta’s BeltLine as a font for gentrification

2023-02-03T13:22:00-05:00

Although the BeltLine was designed to connect Atlantans and improve their quality of life, it has driven up housing costs on nearby land and pushed low-income households out to suburbs with fewer services than downtown neighborhoods. The BeltLine has become a prime example of what urban scholars call “green gentrification” – a process in which restoring degraded urban areas by adding green features drives up housing prices and pushes out working-class residents.

Atlanta’s in-progress 22-mile-long urban greenway is often cited alongside New York’s High Line and Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Park as developments that spurred displacement in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, a concern echoed by opponents of the LA River Master Plan in recent years.

Georgia State University Professor of Urban Studies Dan Immergluck points to the BeltLine’s under-delivery of affordable housing in areas where property values exploded after its TIF was adopted in 2005 as its main flaw. The “urban regime” initiative to lure tech and other high-paying companies using tax incentives is also a factor. Between 1990 and 2019, Atlanta lost one-fifth (receding from 67% to 48%) of its Black population due to gentrification.

New leadership is attempting to address the issue through inclusionary zoning. Meanwhile, the BeltLine's CEO Clyde Higgs has admitted to past oversights and says they are now tracking the problem proactively in order to identify areas that “may re...

New York City’s interactive Tree Map offers live insights into over 860,000 trees across the city

2022-12-13T10:19:00-05:00

Did you know that the London planetree is the most common species of tree in New York City? The fun fact is one of many which can be gleaned from a new interactive map launched by the City of New York, allowing users to explore the city’s tree population. The NYC Tree Map replaces NYC Park’s previous Street Tree Map, and contains data on over 860,000 park and street trees within what the creators call “the most comprehensive and up-to-date living tree map in the world.”

Image credit: NYC Parks

Trees on the interactive map are represented by circles, with the size and color of each circle representing the tree’s diameter and species, respectively. Users can gather data for an entire species of tree, trees in a particular borough or neighborhood, or each individual tree across the map, learning about the tree’s contribution to stormwater management, energy conservation, or air pollutant removal.

Image credit: NYC Parks

For example, the map notes that the 4,265 trees recorded in the Lowe...

LA Councilmember introduces plan to establish Barcelona's car-free 'superblocks' in Los Angeles

2022-08-15T18:23:00-04:00

Los Angeles District Councilmember Kevin de León recently introduced a motion proposing a program titled "Park Blocks," modeled after Barcelona’s Superblock initiative, which would establish usable public space for pedestrians and cyclists by closing certain streets to motorized vehicles.

Barcelona’s approach reconfigured vehicle circulation in its Eixample district, allowing for up to 70% of the street surface area to be used as public space. As noted in the motion, this move resulted in major drops in noise and air pollution and increased civic life for residents inside the blocks.

Previously on Archinect: Barcelona's bold new plan to get cars off the road

De León envisions "Park Blocks" as a means to save lives due to poor air quality and traffic violence as well as creating green and recreational spaces in communities lacking parks. They would reportedly also provide other benefits, such as establishing stormwater capture infrastructure.

"A successful program needs to be thoug...

London's Camden Highline proposal submitted for planning, set to open first phase in 2025

2022-05-19T18:51:00-04:00

London’s proposed Camden Highline has been submitted for planning. Led by the practice behind the New York High Line, James Corner Field Operations, and Camden-based firm vPPR Architects, the project will regenerate a disused railway viaduct to establish an elevated park that connects Camden Town to Kings Cross.

The master plan will create walking routes between local neighborhoods and inject needed green space across a mix of communities. It will feature gardens, walkways, seating areas, cafés, arts and cultural interventions, spaces for charitable activities, and play areas for children. The initiative also aims to boost the region’s biodiversity by providing wildlife habitats for birds, insects, and animals.

Previously on Archinect: James Corner Field Operations to lead design for new UK Highline

“We are extremely excited to share this design vision for Camden Highline,” said Lead Designer James Corner. “The design is intended to celebrate and amplify the unique characteristics ...

New York City lawmakers put pressure on Mayor Adams to double investment in parks

2022-03-16T14:53:00-04:00

Local lawmakers are putting pressure on Mayor Eric Adams to fulfill his campaign promise to make New York City greener by committing more cash to the parks department, something Adams did not follow through with in his preliminary budget. On Monday in Flushing Meadows, members of the City Council and environmental stakeholders called for a $1 billion investment in annual maintenance for New York City parks as part of a five-point plan for improving parks and access to green spaces.

This commitment means that the city would allocate 1% of its budget towards the parks department, which NYC Mayor Eric Adams promised during his campaign. However, in his first preliminary budget proposal, Adams only set aside about $500 million towards parks.

Today we unveiled about 5 point plan for parks across our city. We need to immediately invest more in our existing parks, and create new public, green, restorative spaces for all New Yorkers. pic.twitter.com/zmCnWgjYmd
— Shekar Krishnan (@voteshekar) March 14, 2022

Adams’ vague status on New York’s parks department has seen the unification of the city’s borough presidents, who are calling for the planting of one million new trees by 2030. This is one of the components of the five-point plan, with others including providing waterfront access to all, upgrading playgrounds, parks, and schoolyards across all of New York City, and the creation of a Parks Construction Authority with the aim of building new parks. Councilm...

New York City borough presidents unite calling for a million trees

2022-02-25T15:38:00-05:00

When Mayor Eric Adams named a commissioner last week to oversee New York’s parks department, he spoke of how important the city’s green spaces were for recreation and contemplation, especially during the pandemic. But he also acknowledged having no particular agenda or master plan for the more than 30,000 acres of parkland under his control.

In response, all five of New York’s borough presidents have come together calling for Mayor Adams to plant a million new trees by 2030, reviving former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Million Trees NYC initiative. In addition, they also asked Adams to honor his campaign pledge to allocate 1 percent of the city’s budget towards the parks department.

According to environmental nonprofit Nature Conservancy, only about 22 percent of the city is covered by tree canopy, with approximately 7 million trees for its 8.8 million residents. And, while about 650,000 trees line the streets, however, like parks, they aren’t evenly distributed. Low-income New Yorkers and communities of color have significantly less access to available green space than white and wealthy areas. The conservancy predicts that New York could accommodate 250,000 more street trees.

SO – IL's newest residential complex offers Brooklynites a 'new way of living'

2021-08-09T15:25:00-04:00

Sales are underway for units in the new SO – IL-designed 450 Warren in Brooklyn following a detailed construction period that topped out last fall.

Touting a “new way of living,” the 18 unit private residential development transforms the city into nature. Gowanus’ first-of-its-kind balanced community offers inhabitants refreshing views and an array of eco-friendly amenities surrounded by courtyard gardens in the heart of one of the borough’s most artistic neighborhoods.

Image courtesy of SO – IL

Developer Tankhouse announced the plan in the spring of 2019. The residences will feature an open kitchen plan, private foyer entryways, and oversized windows in an intimate layout connected to a central rooftop atrium via a series of bridges and hallways that give users added freedom of movement around the five-story building.

Image courtesy of SO – IL

Per the architect: “The materiality of 450 Warren is like nothing ever seen in New York City construction. 50,000 green-hued terrazzo-groun...

Interboro Partners, H3 Studio among designers of 17-acre “Nature Playscape” for Forest Park, St. Louis

2019-07-16T19:34:00-04:00

“We want this to be an evolving place for people to come back again and again,” said [Lesley Hoffarth, president and executive director of Forest Park Forever]. It will change with the seasons and change as people decide how to use it, she said.

Having easier access to green urban spaces and thoughtfully sprucing up public parks would ideally be higher priorities for cities across the U.S. In Missouri, nonprofit conservancy Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis celebrated the groundbreaking yesterday of the upcoming 17-acre Nature Playscape in historic Forest Park, located in the western part of town.

Scheduled to open in 2020, Nature Playscape is being built to encourage local residents of all backgrounds to get outdoors and allow kids and their developing minds to engage with nature and reap the benefits of spending time outdoors. The project is the first of its kind at this scale in the region.

The Meadow at the Forest Park Nature Playscape. Image courtesy of Forest Park Forever.

A team of landscape architecture and play-space experts that included the Natural Learning Initiative, H3 Studio, Interboro Partners, and Rubus Landscape Architecture developed and designed the project in collaboration with Forest Park F...

Henning Larsen builds a colorfully sustainable school in urban Hong Kong

2018-10-22T16:28:00-04:00

“With its wide array of sustainable measures, ranging from the choice of materials, to the many passive designs to economize energy and ensure great daylight, to the way the school is able to share spaces with the surrounding community, the new campus of FIS offers lessons in sustainable architecture for pupils and local builders. - Claude Godefroy, Design Director and partner at Henning Larson Hong Kong

Hong Kong's seven million residents and bustling urban city is filled with looming concrete buildings and dense streets. However, the new campus of the French International School shines amongst the congested cityscape.

Image © Philippe Ruault

Finding green space is difficult in such an urban environment like Hong Kong. Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen has taken the 215,278 square foot space and creates a visually captivating school which is designed to foster a rich academic environment while featuring cost-effective sustainable designs.

Image © Philippe Ruault

The entrancingly designed facade functions both as a charming and inviting exterior while allowing for the building to adapt to natural daylight. The clever use of sunlight was another feature designers of the building spent much time on. Classrooms were positioned facing north or south allowing for sunlight to enter in a generous and balanced way. The specific orientation of windows helped avoid...

The high rise apartment terrace is evolving

2018-05-01T17:54:00-04:00

If yesterday’s terraces were just little rectangular slabs tacked onto the sides of buildings — on which a tenant might cower, or perhaps more likely, rarely step foot — today’s are becoming increasingly generous and welcoming. Some developers and architects are ushering in a new age of terrace design in a bid to provide more interesting outdoor space, capitalize on views and add greenery. In the process, they’re adding drama to the buildings themselves.

Via 57 West terraces (pictured above) are inset to the building by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). The firm names them “cockpits” due to their shelter against wind and noise.

305 East 44th Street terrace floor rendering. Image: Moso Studio.

Terraces of 1,400-square-feet will be located between apartment floors at 305 East 44th Street. The design will also feature spiral staircase leading from an apartment to its outdoor space.

Rendering of 48-unit residence development by FXCollaborative. Image: Williams New York.

Adding value to the traditional function of a terrace, FXCollaborative took inspiration for this design from rippling water on the East River nearby.

MVRDV reveal integrated offices in new city center of Łódź, Poland

2018-02-05T16:14:00-05:00

MVRDV’s new project, Fabryczna Offices, will house both office and retail space in the center of Łódź, Poland's third largest city. The firm's design draws inspiration from the city’s industrial textile heritage reimagined for contemporary use. The 13-floor building uses the distinct glazed brick and glass facade materials to signal both the past and the city’s future ambition of recent surrounding development.

Fabryczna Offices by MVRDV, located in Łódź, Poland. Image: © MVRDV.

The private green roof and public courtyard, by Dutch firm Lola Landscape Architects, are designed as a family of semi-public spaces with greenery and a large variety of vegetation and spaces for terraces and bikes. The building will also be located across the street from the newly developed railway station “Fabryczna”, and other local landmarks.

Fabryczna Offices by MVRDV, located in Łódź, Poland. Image: © MVRDV.

“This building will help to bring back more density and urbanity right in the heart of Łódź,”...

Amazon's Spheres are now partially accessible to the public; here's how to get in

2018-01-29T17:05:00-05:00

Amazon’s Spheres, a botanical gardenlike workspace for the retail giant’s employees, are primarily a private space. But the company has set up a few ways for the public to access the geodesic domes — in downtown Seattle on Lenora Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues — starting Tuesday, when the Spheres officially open to visitors and employees.

The Amazon Spheres, designed by NBBJ, will now be open to the public; however, getting in may be tricky. There is the option of entering from the ground floor to see an exhibition about the Spheres, and the much more difficult option to join a guided tour of the entire headquarters.

Inside the Spheres at Amazon headquarters in Seattle. Image: Seattle City Council/Flickr.

Amazon has created an exhibit space called Spheres Discovery at Understory, located on the ground floor of the spheres. The space will showcase all the details about the design and plants housed within Amazon's newest addition to their Seattle headquarters. Admission is free, but you will need to make a reservation for your visit.

Amazon Spheres in the company's Seattle headquarters location. Image: iTecnologia/Twitter.

Getting in on the guided headquarters tour will give you access to the employee-only areas. These tours are offered on Wednesdays and include a stop at the Spheres, while they are free they are als...

Tinkering connections between architecture and neuroscience

2017-06-06T15:54:00-04:00

The importance of urban design goes far beyond feel-good aesthetics. A number of studies have shown that growing up in a city doubles the chances of someone developing schizophrenia, and increases the risk for other mental disorders such as depression and chronic anxiety.

While it might appear as common intuitive knowledge, humans are strongly influenced by their context. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in studies on the connection between neuroscience and architecture.

Last month, London's Conscious Cities Conference brought together architects, designers, engineers, neuroscientists and psychologists to encourage more multidisciplinary engagement. Some of the recent psychological studies focus on defining a stimulating space through the use of wearable devices that monitor skin conductance, various apps, VR and EEG headsets for either visualizing or measuring brain's activity and mental states. Other findings include data on the impact of building facades on our moods, green space on our health, and urban environments on our social interactions.

Analyzing the ways in which the built environment affects our brains through evidence-based research can grant architects the insight needed for making healthier and more socially-consc...

Dror's plan for Istanbul's Parkorman offers the city a love story with nature

2017-03-21T18:38:00-04:00

The lack of public greenery is a concern troubling many urban areas around the world. For city-dwellers living in increasingly dense neighborhoods, nature often becomes synonymous with a singular tree or two as existing green spaces are few and far between. Istanbul, as the heart of Turkey, is one of the most congested cities in the world and has been struggling with the loss of public greenery due to privatization and population growth. Back in 2013, a riot over Gezi Park broke out as citizens desired to protect one of the cities last remaining green spaces from development.

Dror, the NY-based design practice, has plans to address this dearth with their new master plan for Istanbul’s Parkorman. Located six miles north of the city center, Dror plans to counter the industrialized city-scape by “designing a love story between people and nature in a city with no Central Park.”

From the architects: We set out to create a park that dissolves the anxiety and fear that often accompanies an...

Foster + Partners' Apple "spaceship" set to touch down and open up in April

2017-02-23T12:57:00-05:00

According to a press release from Apple, it will take six months to move all 12,000 employees into the 175-acre campus, which will officially open for occupancy in April. In addition to the 2.8 million square foot, naturally ventilated Foster + Partners'-designed "spaceship" building, the campus features two miles of running and walking paths, and boasts a 17 megawatt solar energy rooftop installation (making it one of the largest in the world). Nothing about this place is small, or happenstance; the construction process was reportedly a clash between perfectionist designers and slightly more impressionistic contractors.

However, all's well that ends well: although Steve Jobs won't be able to see the completed campus, designer Apple's chief design officer Jony Ivy feels like things worked out. “Steve invested so much of his energy creating and supporting vital, creative environments. We have approached the design, engineering and making of our new campus with the same enthusiasm and ...

A critical look at Downtown L.A.'s ambitious plans for two new public parks

2016-02-26T21:24:00-05:00

One thing, though, is different this time around. These days the city and county are busy investing money and lavishing attention on public spaces across L.A. — and even producing some from scratch...In a range of ways, Southern California is beginning to make up for neglecting its public realm for the bulk of the postwar era.

With two park design competitions currently underway (linked below), Downtown L.A. is eager to boost its amount of green space. But will those ambitious plans pan out in a tricky cityscape? Christopher Hawthorne gives his two cents on the potential of each park.

Previously on Archinect:

Take a look at these bold visions for Downtown LA's next park

Pershing Square Renew competition narrows down to four finalist teams

BIG's concept for a spiraling-landscape tower in NYC's Hudson Yards

2016-02-08T18:56:00-05:00

The New York cityscape might get another tower from Bjarke Ingels. At 1,005 feet, "The Spiral" is a new office building proposed to fill up an entire block on 66 Hudson Boulevard in Manhattan's West Side. The concept was unveiled today.

The 65-story Spiral is set to be the fourth tallest tower in the rapidly redeveloping Hudson Yards neighborhood. The 2.85 million square-foot structure shows off a glass exterior and, most notably, cascading landscaped terraces and hanging gardens, akin to BIG's affinity for incorporating slopes and spirals into their designs. As its name describes, the Spiral's terraces will wrap around the tower in an ascending motion to create a continuous green pathway and give easy access to outdoor space on each floor.

Located at the intersection of the four-acre Hudson Boulevard Park and The High Line, the Spire "will punctuate the northern end of...the linear park [and it] will appear to carry through into the tower, forming an ascending ribbon of lively gr...

"The Hills" park in NYC scheduled to open almost a year in advance

2016-01-25T15:14:00-05:00

The Hills on Governors Island will welcome visitors this summer — nearly a year ahead of schedule, it was announced last week — and add 10 acres of green space to the city, largely in the form of four artificial hills. Made of recycled construction debris and clean fill, the hills rise as high as 70 feet above the island...An unseasonably warm fall contributed to faster-than-expected construction times.

You can find more photos and renderings from the Governors Island's Flickr here and here.

Scroll down for a drone video of the park under construction.

More about public parks on Archinect:

Pershing Square Renew competition narrows down to four finalist teams

BIG unveils 28-acre master plan for Pittsburgh's Lower Hill District

Taking a stand against privately-owned public spaces

Locals welcome The 606, a.k.a. Chicago's "High Line", but anxiety for its future remains

Talking parks with Adrian Benepe, senior vice president of The Trust for Public Land

2015-11-13T18:53:00-05:00

Before becoming senior vice president for The Trust for Public Land in 2012, Adrian Benepe spent 11 years working as New York City Park Commissioner under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, overseeing such projects as the High Line, Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Central Park's renovation, among others. The sheer level of Manhattan park development under his tenure has been compared to the changes amassed under Robert Moses.

Now at the nonprofit Trust, which is headquartered in San Francisco but operates throughout the US, Benepe focuses on providing public park space for people in urban areas, to "ensure that everyone has access to nature within a 10-minute walk from home," (in the words of the Trust). While visiting Los Angeles for the Dwell on Design conference earlier this year, Benepe spoke with me about his path to TPL, how green space is necessary for resiliency, and the symbiotic relationship between the public and private in parks. Listen below:

From the interview: info on...

Trust for Public Land initiative will soon bring greener alleys to L.A.

2015-07-03T19:03:00-04:00

If the project is scaled up, it could have a substantial impact on the urban fabric: Los Angeles has a total of almost 900 miles of alleys, roughly the length of the coast of California. Proponents believe that on a citywide scale, green alleys could act as significant rainwater sponges, mitigate the heat island effect, and reduce vehicle use, as well as bring social and health benefits to nearby residents.

Tori Kjer, a program director of the Trust for Public Land, and her colleagues won support from local South L.A. communities for their proposed Avalon Green Alley Network Plan, which will transform the city's alleyways into more community-friendly spaces for playing and for bike and walking routes. The plan will start with the renovation of two alleys early next year.

Deborah Berke's design for new Cummins distribution HQ is unveiled

2014-12-03T15:11:00-05:00

Since Cummins Inc. appointed Deborah Berke Partners back in September, the company finally revealed DBP's design of their new global distribution business headquarters in downtown Indianapolis to the City of Indianapolis’ Metropolitan Development Commission today. The Commission could vote on the plan as early as December 17.

Deborah Berke went against Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and SHoP Architects for the development. The new distribution headquarters appears to have been receiving a very warm welcome from locals, as the project is considered a refreshing sight that can bring more architectural innovation into the city.

Located in a 4-acre plot in the Market East cultural district where the Market Square Arena previously stood, the plan includes a 10-story tower that will provide flexible office space, views, and natural light, a conference center, retail spaces, a parking garage, and an ample amount of public green space. The building is expected to break ground in early 2...

"Wynwood Greenhouse" gets 1st place in DawnTown’s Wynwood Gateway Park Competition in Miami

2014-09-30T17:21:00-04:00

Our friends at DawnTown continue to uphold innovative ideas in the Miami architecture scene with their Wynwood Gateway Park Competition. Just recently, the winners were announced for the international competition, which challenged participants to design a 14,000-sq.ft urban park and garden to be realized at the Wynwood Gateway Complex near Downtown Miami. The competition garnered over 238 submissions from interdisciplinary teams from over 20 countries.

Three winning teams were selected under anonymity by the jury:

1ST PLACE (US$10,000): "Wynwood Greenhouse" by artist Jim Drain, landscape architect Roberto Rovira, and architect Nick Gelpi
2ND PLACE ($5,000): “Graffito Green” by Meyer + Silberberg Land Architects from Berkeley, California
3RD PLACE ($2,500): “Wynwood Commons” by Solid Objectives - Idenburg Liu/SO-IL from Brooklyn, New York

Wynwood Greenhouse will be constructed and implemented as part of the second phase for the Wynwood Gateway Complex development, which will be built as a dynamic entryway for the Wynwood neighborhood.

Find out more on Bustler.

Previous DawnTown competitions.

NIMBYs go to court over "modern" home; Zaha gets an apology; global warming rages on: News Round-Up for August 25, 2014

2014-09-02T20:07:00-04:00

Friday, August 29:

MIT's MindRider helmet draws mental maps as you bike: The prototype is currently being used to create a mental-map and guidebook for NYC, and an upcoming Kickstarter campaign will attempt to fund the project for commercial sale.
In Beirut, a grassroots push for more grass: Lebanon's fifteen-year civil war made much of Beirut's green space inaccessible or dysfunctional. The Beirut Green Project is trying to bring at least a modicum of green space back to the city's residents.

Thursday, August 28:

Norwegian artists plan to open art academy in North Korea: Nothing's final yet, but the school is committed to its disbelief in sanctions or boycotts on art.
Alvar Aalto gets a close look from Google's Cultural Institute: Google's cameras go inside the famous Finnish architects studio, as well as a selection of his works, for a curated photo-exhibition.

Wednesday, August 27:

China considering drastic ban on coal: Chinese news outlets claim that work is underway to ban coal in Bei...