Archinect - News

Video of Toyo Ito's lecture, "What Was Metabolism? Reflections on the Life of Kiyonori Kikutake"

2012-10-18T12:46:00-04:00

The Metabolist Movement in the 1960s established the foundation from which contemporary architecture in Japan has emerged up to the present. Even today, the visionary architectural and urban projects created by the leading Metabolist Kiyonori Kikutake continue to shine brightly, according to Toyo Ito. In this lecture, he will consider Metabolism’s significance today through his rereading of Kikutake's works of that time.

Update: Doug Johnston

2011-10-04T19:58:31-04:00

Those of you who were reading Archinect 6 years ago may remember Doug Johnston's school blog. If you're wondering what he's up to now check out his website and his online store, featuring his really beautiful sculptures/containers made from cotton sash cord and sewing thread. Really nice!

The New Archinect Blogging Platform is Now Live!

2011-10-03T14:02:00-04:00

The A+D blogging platform with a built-in audience.

We're excited to announce the launch of our new blogging platform. As many of you are aware, Archinect has been hosting hundreds of incredible school blogs, for the last many years, providing a unique insight into architecture programs around the world. The system we were using was basic and difficult to use, to say the least, so we undertook the project of completely overhauling this system, and opening up the blogging platform to all members of the A+D community to start and manage a blog that reflects each persons own distinct interests, skills and experience.

At the moment, there are 6 different types of blogs:

school blogs (by students, instructors, faculty, etc.)
professional blogs (discussing issues related to the practice and/or business of our industries)
travel blogs (consider it your online shared moleskine)
design blogs (covering issues related to design)
technical blogs (nerdy stuff, like CAD t...

From the School Blogs: Pavilioning

2011-08-27T19:22:27-04:00

Here is a look at the final product from StudioBerlin2011. Video by Spirit of Space.

From the School Blogs: Energy Monitoring Equipment Installation

2011-08-12T20:55:33-04:00

Spent yesterday out on-site troubleshooting our monitoring equipment with Tony and Philip from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (These guys are writing the book on home energy research.)

From the School Blogs: Summer Job Search / China 2010 / MArch Yr 3 / China 2011

2011-08-01T15:34:00-04:00

My last entry was in December of 2009. I suppose I never was particularly good about updating this thing, but it seems a bit ridiculous that I couldn't be bothered to post once about the many, many things that have gone on since then. My apologies. I guess I could start by saying that the world looks like a very different place than it did back in second year.

From the School Blogs: Dissertation: Wikileaks and Architecture

2011-07-24T16:55:51-04:00

My dissertation for the final year of RIBA Part 1 architectural studies involved a very contemporary topic. It was entitled "Wikileaks and the Architecture of Data-Loss Paranoia" and done under the tutorship of Martin Parker and Richard Coyne. I am glad to say it has been nominated for the 2011 RIBA President’s Medals Student Awards Dissertation Medal (fingers crossed!).

From the School Blogs: Final Interior Shots

2011-07-11T12:48:53-04:00

I am pleased to announce the completion of interior finish work on the New Norris House project! Check out a few of these amazing shots taken by Ken McCown, chair of our Landscape Architecture Program in the College of Architecture and Design.

From the School Blogs: 015 / It's probably not a datascape.

2011-06-15T21:08:04-04:00

This quarter I took an interesting seminar with Professor Karen Lewis called "Diagrammatic." The seminar focused on the history of diagramming in architecture and was split into progressive categories: Forms & Relationships Abstract Machines Processing Program Datascapes Systems & Networks Landscape Dynamics Flexible & Intelligent

From the School Blogs: Exploring Space

2011-06-15T16:40:32-04:00

This fall [Tony Robins] taught [a studio], which he called ‘Exploring Space’, with another young, local architect, James Eidse. James currently works at the Patkau’s office on Granville Island. The goal of their studio was to create spaces first, with a focus on conceptual development, materials, form-finding and detailing; layering in structure and program afterwards. The studio was obviously the most coveted of the semester and I was lucky to get a spot via the school’s lottery system.

From the Student Blogs: 014 / De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

2011-06-15T16:33:55-04:00

So, Spring Quarter has come and gone, and thus, so has graduation. What a great two years it has been. Over the summer, I plan on posting some of the projects I never really finished updating everyone with - like the final fur studio work. So, be looking out for frequent posts as I begin to curate the work for portfolios and such.

From the Blogs: dealing with disaster

2011-06-13T18:33:15-04:00

The school year began about a month late this year. Rolling black outs meant there was no power for at least a few hours every day, and the buses were not running either (no gasoline) so the school was kind of stranded. The distance between being a first world advanced civilisation and a bunch of people sitting in the dark turns out to be pretty short.

In the coming weeks we will be rolling out some new features on Archinect, including, but not at all limited to, Groups and our new Blog Network. Until then, we don't have an appropriate place for a group/studio blog, so when our friend Jump asked us about setting up a blog for his studio at Keio University in Tokyo, we had to figure something out quick. For the time being, you will be able to follow his blog in the Firm Profiles section, before it gets moved to the forthcoming Groups section and added to the Blog Network. We will also announce new posts here to the news, so stay posted, and enjoy this first post.

From the School Blogs: The other side of the crit.

2011-06-13T17:44:20-04:00

Since last summer I have had my best studio so far, instructed by Architect Tony Robins; spent a term in London at the AA; and got a job at BIG in Copenhagen for the summer. But, before we get into all that I’ll start off at the beginning: September 2010.

From the School Blogs: GLITCHED MATRX by Jason Mould

2011-05-31T14:19:51-04:00

Here is a project from Jason Mould in my studio ARCH 552. This project was also chosen for the Year End Show.

In the School Blogs: HKGBOS: a collaborative photo project with School Blogger Andreas Viglakis

2011-05-31T14:18:36-04:00

And, well, now I'm in the hospital after a bicycle accident yesterday, waiting for surgery on my foot, ankle, and leg. Luckily I didn't hurt anything else. But you can follow my progress, in all the gory details, over the next few weeks at HKGBOS.

Get well soon Lian!

From the School Blogs: Mini-Term, week 1 Recap

2011-05-27T12:50:14-04:00

On the bio-retention bed front, the five beds have now been planted full of native water loving goodness! The greywater bed is piped in, but can't be turned on until city ordinances allowing it have passed in June. The rainwater beds (beds 2-5) have all been planted, but won't be piped in until next week. Currently our rainwater is being diverted into a pile of gravel in the yard, but once the system is all put together all excess rainwater will eventually make it's way to through these beds!

From the School Blogs: #23: EOYS [Icing on the Cake]

2011-05-20T20:42:31-04:00

So the summer is here and it's been raining all week in NYC. I'm off to DC for the weekend! As I promised, photos from the GSAPP 2011 End-of-the-Year Show. Are you excited? I am particularly proud of all the work everyone at our school produced. Architecture is alive and kicking.

From the School Blogs: It's Almost Here

2011-05-19T11:15:56-04:00

Exit Reviews are starting tomorrow and we all can't believe they're here. They've felt so far away for so long. I'm probably about 98% done with my talk, I go Tuesday at 4:30 so I have time to polish it up.

From the School (Live) Blogs: Georg Vrachliotis at 'The Virtue of the Virtual' at McGill University

2011-05-18T18:55:49-04:00

Very excited to be back in Montreal for the next few days, for McGill School of Architecture's conference, 'The Virtue of the Virtual.'

From the School Blogs: Open House: May 2011

2011-05-17T13:56:51-04:00

This weekend our team hosted a "soft opening" of the New Norris House to celebrate the completion of major construction. There is lots more to do and details to resolve, but this event was a welcomed termination of two semesters of work by design|build studio/seminar participants.

From the School Blogs: The End and The Beginning

2011-05-13T15:22:00-04:00

The first year of architecture school is complete. There were a lot of ups and downs but as you’re about to see, it seems that many of the experiences have balanced themselves out.

And congrats for getting accepted to Cooper Union!

Soundscapes: Atlantikwall

2011-05-12T15:55:09-04:00

I was driven instead by a curiosity about how the structures are used today and how they have settled into the everyday landscape. This is not a bunker archaeology or philosophy, as Virilio would have it, but a bunker sociology — a bunker acoustic ecology.

Nick Sowers, author of the classic UC Berkeley Archinect School Blog, has an essay published at Places discussing "Bunker Archaeology and Acoustic Ecology", with recordings of World War II bunker landscapes. For more backstory on Nick's work and research, make sure to visit his archived blog.

From the School Blogs: #21: 18 critics, 10 projects, 2 dyson air multipliers, 115 avery

2011-05-11T13:43:47-04:00

Place: Living Room Studio Time: 12:18 PM Photos from the final!

Anthony shares with us photos from the final reviews at Columbia. Star-studded cast!

From the School Blogs: Current Status + 2012 Venice Biennale in Architecture

2011-05-11T12:14:20-04:00

There's still a bit more house to take down, but we've come much further than I thought we could in a few short months. The above photograph was taken three days ago – we aren't salvaging the addition so two rooms on the main floor are all that remain.

From the School Blogs: And...... Sleep.

2011-05-06T17:51:20-04:00

We were joined by Andrew Zago, Rob Livesey, Jose Oubrerie, and Ben Nicholson. Zago as many of you may know is a professor at Sci-Arc, Nicholson is at the School of the Art Institute (not to be confused with AI, the online/art school/thing)and Rob Livesey, and Jose Oubrerie come from Ohio State. As I understand it Oubrerie is a disciple of Corb.

Live Blog: Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron

2011-05-05T18:10:00-04:00

Jacques Herzog: I don't believe in books on architecture; they're bound to fail and disappear even sooner than architecture...which can last for hundreds of years [before disappearing]. Not that I don't respect people who write books.

From the School Blogs: Week Seven

2011-05-04T17:48:15-04:00

In our weekly review, we’ve begun discussing the means by which the home’s undoing can transition into the pages of a book. In a project that must somehow translate itself to a far-removed audience, starting early in this process will be critical to ensure we don’t miss any essential moments.

From the Blogs: end of Winter, beginning of Spring

2011-05-02T18:16:46-04:00

The end of Winter Quarter was, as always, filled with excitement here at the KSA. My partner and I made a fun model of our proposed looping transit system for Ohio. (I'm pretty sure I can draw the state now without looking at a map.)

From the Blogs: #20: Postpartum Depression

2011-05-02T18:14:15-04:00

On campus, Bacchanal, is throwing a concert featuring Snoop Dog. I'm at home nursing my postpartum depression after birthing my final project and trying to do my paper for Kenneth Frampton's Architecture History II.

From the Blogs: M. Arch Thesis 2011

2011-05-02T18:09:58-04:00

Beautiful thesis projects abound at the presentations last Friday... a busy semester coming to a close giving way to a promising Summer and a formal beginning of my own thesis. My work this semester has focused on becoming literate in various scripting languages and diving deeper into the possibilities enabled by Building Information Modeling, parametric softwares and simulation tools to assist and enhance the quality of design.

Michael, Archinect blogger from UC Berkeley, shares some end-of-year thesis work.