Archinect - News

UMaine experiments with 3D printed floor panels made from recyclable natural materials

2024-08-10T11:00:00-04:00

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Maine are leading interesting new engineering research into floor cassettes made using recyclable natural materials that are strong enough to be used in multi-story buildings. Thanks to experiments at UMaine's cutting-edge Advanced Structures and Composites Center (which previously contributed to our coverage of bio-based 3D printed homes), engineers were able to produce a capable model made from polylactic acid and lumber by-products, such as wood flour.

The SM2ART Nfloor cassette components can be 3D printed in roughly two-thirds the time it takes for a typical floor cassette to be factory assembled, thus saving labor costs. Scott Tomlinson, a structural engineer at the Center, shared: "This technology holds a lot of promise for the future of sustainable buildings." The project came together at the initiative of the SHoP offshoot Assembly OSM.

The work was also recently on display as part of the ...

HGA leverages Maine's 'working forest' identity for a pair of mass timber structures at Bowdoin College

2023-12-13T14:54:00-05:00

A new mass timber academic design for Bowdoin College from HGA has been unveiled for the first time following the project’s completion earlier this year in Brunswick, Maine.

The Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies project called for the construction of two opposing asymmetrical structures totaling 46,000 square feet to be used as educational and art exhibition spaces for students on the 207-acre campus.

“This project was an opportunity for Bowdoin to further demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, not only through high-performance buildings but also by investing in generous, flexible learning, teaching, and research spaces,” Rebecca Celis, principal and arts, community and education sector leader at HGA, says of the design. “These buildings will grow Bowdoin’s education and research capabilities while embracing the college’s environmental ethos.”

The campus red Mills Hall design is set to host the college’s C...

Six featured architecture and design jobs in Portland, Maine

2023-11-24T08:22:00-05:00

The latest edition of our curated job highlights from Archinect Jobs features five employers in Portland, Maine, looking to expand with new, exciting job opportunities.

To learn more about the various positions firms are offering, make sure to check out Archinect's Guide to Job Titles series. Also, consult our Archinect Tips collection for helpful guidance on how to get that next job.

Woodhull seeks an Interior Architect/Designer - Custom Residential
"Woodhull’s Residential Studio is eager to bring on an Interior Architect/Designer who will be an integral part of the design team. Woodhull’s goal is for interiors to inform a project's architecture as much as the architecture informs the interiors. We are looking for a skilled interior architect/designer who has, at minimum, three years of professional technical design experience behind them. We are also happy to connect with formally trained architects who have a special interest in interiors."

Paradise Road by Woodhull. Photo: Trent ...

Harriet Pattison, landscape architect and longtime Louis Kahn collaborator, dies at 94

2023-10-10T18:47:00-04:00

Harriet Pattison, a noted American landscape architect who worked closely with her romantic partner Louis Kahn, passed away in Philadelphia last week, according to their son, filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn. She was 94.

Pattison enjoyed a career that spanned more than thirty years, working predominantly in Maine and Pennsylvania before she pursued her own path following the death of Kahn in 1974. Pattison studied landscape architecture at the University of Pennsylvania after working briefly in Dan Kiley’s Vermont-based practice. She would later go on to work alongside Kahn on the Kimbell Art Museum and Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park projects through a position with George Erwin Patton. Pattison was also inducted as a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2016.

Pattison was instrumental in creating the landscape architecture at Louis Kahn's design for the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress (Public Domain)

Patti...

Five contemporary uses of timber by Woodhull: Your Next Employer?

2023-10-10T17:22:00-04:00

Following last week’s visit to Los Angeles-based Office Of:, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Portland, Maine this week to explore the work of Woodhull.

Founded in 2003, the firm prioritizes “durability, honesty, and thoughtful use of materials” across its residential and commercial portfolio. “We think of craft as a verb,” the firm explains about its values. “While we are always proud of the finished product, the thoughtful and intentional process of getting there defines us.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for several positions. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning more about life at an architecture studio, we have rounded up five contemporary timber projects by Woodhull that exemplify the studio’s ethos.

Seaweed. Image credit: Trent Bell

Seaweed, South Portland, ME

Woodhull was commissioned by Seaweed Co. to create an “architecturally significant building” that could “lead the way in Maine’...

World's first 100% bio-based 3D printed home unveiled at the University of Maine

2022-11-22T12:06:00-05:00

The University of Maine has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s first 3D printed home made entirely with bio-based materials. The home, developed by the university’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC), measures 600 square feet and features walls, floors, and a roof made of 3D printed wood fibers and bio-resins.

Titled BioHome3D, the single-family project was printed offsite in four modules before being transported to its current site and assembled in half a day. Sandwiched within the 3D printed structure, wall and roof insulation are made of wood, while floor tiles are made from recycled materials. The house itself is also fully recyclable.

Photo credit: University of Maine

“Many technologies are being developed to 3D print homes, but unlike BioHome3D, most are printed using concrete,” said Dr. Habib Dagher, ASCC executive director. “However, only the concrete walls are printed on top of a conventionally cast concrete foundation. Traditional wood framing or wood t...

Portland Museum of Art unveils competing conceptual designs for new $100 million expansion

2022-11-21T15:35:00-05:00

Four finalist concept designs were just unveiled by the Portland Museum of Art for a planned expansion of the institution set to be completed by 2026 in the thriving New England cultural capital.

The $100 million project will add a total of 60,000 square feet of space to the existing museum in the form of a new six- or seven-story structure meant to accommodate the PMA’s collections, which have recently grown.

"Right now, because of our growth, the real risk is not to build," Director Mark Bessire explained. "If museums don’t continue to grow, if you fall back, it can take a generation to recover."

The project concludes the overhaul of Portland’s Congress Square district and will include restorations of some of its existing buildings, three of which are more than 100 years old, funded by a capital project that has already raised more than $30 million. Former USC School of Architecture Dean Milton Curry and White Arkitekter Partner Monica von Schmalensee were among the 13 jurors who ...

10 great architecture job opportunities in the Northeast, outside of NYC

2019-02-07T10:06:00-05:00

The past few weeks have been quite "stormy" for the Northeast, no pun intended. However, with tumultuous weather seeming to make its final round and the recent win of a certain sports team, the Northeast can focus on other news worthy topics like architectural job opportunities.

For this week's weekly job round up we're featuring firms from Philadelphia, New Jersey, Maine, and more who are currently hiring architects, designers, PMs, and entry level architects.

Image © SMRT

SMRT seeks an Architect in Portland, ME
SMRT specializes in the design of high-performing, programmatically complex environments for clients nationwide and across market sectors. The idea candidate will have a minimum of 5 years of architectural experience in technical design and detailing of commercial construction projects, with a developed ability in coordinating design documents for construction. A 5 Year Professional Degree or Master's Degree in Architecture preferred. NCARB registration a plus and LEED Prof...

Mysterious Google barge destined for the scrap yard

2014-08-06T14:03:00-04:00

There’s no smooth sailing for at least one of Google’s mysterious barges. Parts of the $4 million boat, located in Portland, Maine, are being sold for scrap, a Google spokesperson has confirmed to Fortune. Google’s three barges sparked a media storm of inquiries when they first appeared in 2013, raising questions about their purpose. Were they floating data centers? A secret lab to design and launch Google’s next stunning project?

Previously: