Archinect - News 2024-05-03T21:02:13-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150323592/despair-is-useless-mike-davis-reflects-on-california-the-climate-crisis-life-and-legacy-as-he-faces-his-own-mortality 'Despair is useless': Mike Davis reflects on California, the climate crisis, life, and legacy as he faces his own mortality Josh Niland 2022-09-13T18:44:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/2f/2f7a5298b1571c158b2697ab15113004.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>I&rsquo;ve seen miracles happen. I&rsquo;ve seen ordinary people do the most heroic things. When you&rsquo;ve had the privilege of knowing so many great fighters and resisters, you can&rsquo;t lay down the sword, even if things seem objectively hopeless.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The terminally-ill&nbsp;<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/122585949/the-days-of-infinite-thinking-what-city-of-quartz-means-for-los-angeles-25-years-later" target="_blank"><em>City of Quartz</em></a> author sat down recently with <em>The Guardian</em> to discuss his waning health and look back at&nbsp;<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150195000/the-new-yorker-interviews-mike-davis-in-the-age-of-catastrophe" target="_blank">prescient early warnings</a> of the state&rsquo;s slow-motion social and ecological demise that has taken three decades to manifest. True to form, Davis was critical of everything: from &ldquo;fascist&rdquo; LA novelist Raymond Chandler to Governor Gavin Newsom&rsquo;s penchant for arrogating his administration&rsquo;s response to the climate crisis that has been exacerbated by even <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150317300/amidst-increasing-wildfires-should-we-retreat-or-regroup-a-uc-davis-proposal-recommends-taking-the-high-road-despite-challenges" target="_blank">increasingly harmful</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150310383/a-new-tool-provides-wildfire-risk-data-to-american-homeowners-in-the-face-of-climate-change" target="_blank">foolhardy</a> attempts to mitigate the <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/1671771/la-housing-crisis" target="_blank">housing crisis</a>&nbsp;in Los Angels and other non-urban areas across the state.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/cd/cdc16e17f3e97209ac299ba9fa4e87ff.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/cd/cdc16e17f3e97209ac299ba9fa4e87ff.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Related Feature Interview on Archinect: <a href="https://archinect.com/features/article/92790/meeting-mike-davis" target="_blank">Meeting Mike Davis</a></figcaption></figure><p>&ldquo;Our ruling classes everywhere have no rational analysis or explanation for the immediate future,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A small group of people have more concentrated power over the human future than ever before in human history, and they have no vision, no strategy, no plan. It&rsquo;s not just global warming, and drought, it&rsquo;s the fact that two...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150320515/california-unveils-water-security-strategy-to-prevent-10-loss-in-supply-by-2040 California unveils water security strategy to prevent 10% loss in supply by 2040 Niall Patrick Walsh 2022-08-16T11:20:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/bb/bbf59f4210baba6562ccdba4198d1dd4.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/615/california" target="_blank">California</a> Governor Gavin Newsom has unveiled a new plan to enable the state to <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/625345/california-drought" target="_blank">secure its water supply</a> in the face of a hotter, drier climate. The strategy is in response to a prediction that California&rsquo;s existing water supply could diminish by up to 10% by 2040, the equivalent of losing more than the full volume of the state&rsquo;s largest reservoir, Shasta Lake.</p> <p>The strategy, contained in a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22130523-2022-8-11-ca-water-supply-strategy" target="_blank">16-page document</a>, includes four pillars. New storage space for up to 4 million acre-feet of water will be created, allowing the state to collect water during storms to store and use during drier periods. The state will also aim to recycle and reuse at least 800,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2030, water that is currently discharged to the ocean. </p> <p>Meanwhile, 500,000 acre-feet of water will be unlocked by permanently eliminating water waste and using water more efficiently, while new water will also be made available by capturing stormwater, as well as desalinating ocean water and salty water in ...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150112972/xeriscaping-stirs-tension-and-inspires-hope-in-fresno Xeriscaping stirs tension (and inspires hope) in Fresno Shane Reiner-Roth 2019-01-04T14:20:00-05:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/d3/d3295ca1ce682decdb2fef7ad605412b.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>It&rsquo;s not necessarily that conservatives rip out their lawns for economic reasons and liberals do so for environmental ones. Fresno is located in one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, so living here brings a consciousness of water issues, as well as a pride in the region&rsquo;s miles of fields. &ldquo;My Job Depends on Ag&rdquo; is a common bumper sticker about town.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The EPA estimates that a&nbsp;third&nbsp;of the water used by American households goes to watering lawns and gardens, and <a href="http://dryfutures.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Californians have long made up a significant portion of that statistic</a>. State-wide aridity lends California a unique thirst for water, especially after several droughts within the last decade.&nbsp;</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/ba/ba2151f4877d37dcadeccfe508889611.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/ba/ba2151f4877d37dcadeccfe508889611.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p></figure><p>Many Californians have responded by replacing their grass lawns with artificial turf, wood chips, Century plants, or plain dirt, while others still have held to their love of the traditional lawn. </p> <p>When interviewed by City Lab,&nbsp;Fresno-based landscaper Bill Anderson estimated that he has converted at least 500 Fresno-area lawns over the last three years, as the city recently began to offer rebates for turf removal. When Anderson transforms the first lawn on a block, he makes sure to make it attractive enough to inspire envy among its neighbors that might otherwise have reservations against drought-tolerant landscapes.&nbsp;<br></p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/29/2971f7767bd07e0c1972ce4f3ef39514.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/29/2971f7767bd07e0c1972ce4f3ef39514.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p></figure><p>&ldquo;Not in a million years did I think that people here would give u...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/149966951/what-would-happen-if-la-replaced-all-its-lawns-with-drought-tolerant-landscaping What would happen if LA replaced all its lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping? Nicholas Korody 2016-09-06T13:13:00-04:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/w8/w8timd19gqb458wz.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>A new study by researchers at the University of Southern California found that replacing all lawns with drought-tolerant vegetation would have a net cooling effect of 0.2&deg;C &nbsp;&mdash; but the science is less obvious than you might think. In fact, converting lawns has resulted in daytime warming of up to&nbsp;1.9&deg;C, mostly because of decreases in irrigation. But at nighttime, changes in soil thermodynamic properties, which strengthen sea breeze patterns, cool the city by&nbsp;3.2&deg;C.</p><p>In short, replacing all lawns would have significant, and beneficial, effects for public health. And, of course, it helps preserve already-scarce water supplies.</p><p>The study also seems to prove incorrect <a href="http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-lawn-drought-plants-20160801-snap-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">articles</a> that suggested replacing lawns would make LA hotter.</p><p>For more on the on-going drought afflicting California, check out these links:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149951830/what-california-s-30-million-dead-trees-mean-for-its-future-landscape" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What California's 30 million dead trees mean for its future landscape</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149944438/california-eases-some-drought-restrictions-but-makes-others-permanent" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">California eases some drought restrictions but makes others permanent</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/146199131/one-ceo-s-plan-to-supply-water-to-drought-stricken-ca-cities-and-obviously-profit-from-it" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One CEO's plan to supply water to drought-stricken ...</a></li></ul> https://archinect.com/news/article/149954591/huge-groundwater-reserves-discovered-deep-below-california-s-central-valley Huge groundwater reserves discovered deep below California's Central Valley Alexander Walter 2016-06-28T13:49:00-04:00 >2024-01-23T19:16:08-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/61/61560evz3ooh1jsh.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>In a&nbsp;surprising new study,&nbsp;Stanford researchers have found&nbsp;that drought-ravaged California is sitting on top of a vast and previously unrecognized water resource, in the form of deep groundwater, residing&nbsp;at depths between 1,000&nbsp;and nearly 10,000 feet&nbsp;below the surface of the state&rsquo;s always thirsty Central Valley. [...] new research could prove controversial among scientists trying to interpret what it means for a state that has battled over water, and its distribution, going back many decades.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Other drought-related stories in the Archinect news:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149944438/california-eases-some-drought-restrictions-but-makes-others-permanent" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">California eases some drought restrictions but makes others permanent</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/135055228/how-is-water-used-in-california" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How is water used in California?</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/136804115/grassroots-cactivism-1st-place-winner-in-dry-futures-speculative-category" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Grassroots Cactivism," 1st place winner in Dry Futures Speculative category</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/136734972/liquifying-aquifer-1st-place-winner-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Liquifying Aquifer", 1st place winner in Dry Futures Pragmatic category</a></li></ul> https://archinect.com/news/article/149944438/california-eases-some-drought-restrictions-but-makes-others-permanent California eases some drought restrictions but makes others permanent Alexander Walter 2016-05-10T15:42:00-04:00 >2016-05-10T15:42:53-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/ce/cevhlh5lpw7fcsrn.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Gov. Jerry Brown [...] laid out a revised game plan for dealing with California&rsquo;s persistent drought, making some conservation rules permanent while also moving to give communities more of a say in deciding how much water they must save. Brown issued an executive order enshrining a conservation ethic in state regulations &mdash; banning permanently some wasteful water practices and ordering regulators to develop new water-efficiency standards designed to drive down long-term urban use.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Previous Archinect stories covering the drought crisis in California and the Southwest U.S.:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/146139696/have-these-heavy-rains-alleviated-the-california-drought" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Have these heavy rains alleviated the California drought?</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/126421871/gov-brown-issues-order-to-reduce-california-s-greenhouse-gas-emissions" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gov. Brown issues order to reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/135055228/how-is-water-used-in-california" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How is water used in California?</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/136804115/grassroots-cactivism-1st-place-winner-in-dry-futures-speculative-category" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Grassroots Cactivism," 1st place winner in Dry Futures Speculative category</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/136734972/liquifying-aquifer-1st-place-winner-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Liquifying Aquifer", 1st place winner in Dry Futures Pragmatic category</a></li></ul> https://archinect.com/news/article/146199131/one-ceo-s-plan-to-supply-water-to-drought-stricken-ca-cities-and-obviously-profit-from-it One CEO's plan to supply water to drought-stricken CA cities, and obviously profit from it Justine Testado 2016-01-20T15:14:00-05:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/pu/pucutlu7xnsu36ia.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Scott Slater has a plan. It is not a popular plan, but he wants to pump 814bn gallons of water from under the Mojave desert to Los Angeles and other drought-stricken communities in southern California, and make more than $2bn doing so...In addition to environmental concerns, others object to a private company being able to make billions from water. Slater says they do not understand the law, which in California states no entity can own water but they can buy, sell and trade the right to use it.</p></em><br /><br /><p>America: The land where nothing is free, indeed.</p><p>h/t <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/127870/one-mans-plan-capitalize-californias-drought" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Republic</a></p><p>More on Archinect:</p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/146139696/have-these-heavy-rains-alleviated-the-california-drought" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Have these heavy rains alleviated the California drought?</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/142904746/thirst-quenching-as-los-angeles-heats-up-next-wave-ucla" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thirst-quenching as Los Angeles heats up: Next Wave @ UCLA</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/136648960/in-face-of-drought-san-diego-s-desalination-efforts-won-t-stop-there" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In face of drought, San Diego's desalination efforts won't stop there</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/139615184/meet-the-architects-behind-the-winning-dry-futures-proposals" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Meet the architects behind the winning Dry Futures proposals</a></p> https://archinect.com/news/article/146139696/have-these-heavy-rains-alleviated-the-california-drought Have these heavy rains alleviated the California drought? Nicholas Korody 2016-01-19T20:45:00-05:00 >2016-01-19T22:17:57-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/cz/czfqo7b4678z0p68.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>...this week's higher temperatures and sunny skies serve as a reminder that one watery week doesn't erase the years of hardcore drought that have dragged on in SoCal and all of California. The record-breaking rains are a reason to be excited, certainly, but "Although this is a favorable start to the year, there are still 3-4 more critical months that will determine how much rain/snow will fall and accumulate during the wet season," [says] David Miskus, a meteorologist ...</p></em><br /><br /><p><strong>Relevant:</strong></p><ul><li><a title="Drought reveals 16th century church beneath Mexican reservoir" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/139317744/drought-reveals-16th-century-church-beneath-mexican-reservoir" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Drought reveals 16th century church beneath Mexican reservoir</a></li><li><p><a title="In face of drought, San Diego's desalination efforts won't stop there" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/136648960/in-face-of-drought-san-diego-s-desalination-efforts-won-t-stop-there" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In face of drought, San Diego's desalination efforts won't stop there</a></p></li><li><p><a title="Thirst-quenching as Los Angeles heats up: Next Wave @ UCLA" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/142904746/thirst-quenching-as-los-angeles-heats-up-next-wave-ucla" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thirst-quenching as Los Angeles heats up: Next Wave @ UCLA</a></p></li><li><p><a title="Fatal shores? Sea snakes wash up on Southern California beaches" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/140811641/fatal-shores-sea-snakes-wash-up-on-southern-california-beaches" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fatal shores? Sea snakes wash up on Southern California beaches</a></p></li></ul> https://archinect.com/news/article/142904746/thirst-quenching-as-los-angeles-heats-up-next-wave-ucla Thirst-quenching as Los Angeles heats up: Next Wave @ UCLA Nicholas Korody 2015-12-08T19:18:00-05:00 >2015-12-15T23:55:57-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/v6/v6m2ltvvspq7l9qj.png?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Last week, UCLA&rsquo;s Hammer Museum hosted the final iteration of its 2015 program "<a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/122213377/the-pragmatics-of-adaptating-to-sea-level-rise-the-next-wave-ucla" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Next Wave: Quality, Quantity, and Accessibility of Water in the 21st Century</a>," a robust discussion series that has gathered experts in various fields to explicate and consider the most pressing issues surrounding water in the 21st century. This final event, subtitled "<a href="http://hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events/2015/12/thriving-in-a-hotter-los-angeles/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thriving in a Hotter Los Angeles</a>," grappled with issues closest to home, largely under the purview of the goals articulated by the ambitious "<a href="http://grandchallenges.ucla.edu/sustainable-la/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sustainable LA Grand Challenge</a>," a UCLA initiative dedicated to achieving water and energy sustainability in the county by 2020.</p><p><strong>Claudia Bestor</strong>, the director of public programs at the Hammer, began the evening by introducing the speakers: <strong>Mark Gold</strong>, Associate Vice Chancellor for Environment and Sustainability (among other titles) at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA; <strong>Alex Hall</strong>, the faculty director at the UCLA Center for Climate Change Solutions; <strong>Eric Hoek</strong>, the founder and CEO o...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137896720/lagoonous-assemblage-antifragile-urbanism-for-a-dry-los-angeles-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-speculative-category "Lagoonous Assemblage : Antifragile Urbanism for a dry Los Angeles," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Speculative category Archinect 2015-10-02T11:30:00-04:00 >2015-10-24T15:36:54-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/d1/d1i0uukzfe3k0v9h.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Among the many writers of disasters and crisis &ndash; from Barthes to Blanchot to Ballard &ndash; there is a strain of thinking that rejects the normative and reductive assumption that a disaster must be met with an austere temper or melancholic pragmatism. Rather, disasters can breed their own wild creativity. The <em>&#8203;Lagoonous Assemblage: Antifragile Urbanism for a dry Los Angeles</em>&nbsp;Honorable Mention proposal seems to take this direction, asking how the drought can be conceived of as an opportunity.</p><p><em><strong>Lagoonous Assemblage : Antifragile Urbanism for a dry Los Angeles&nbsp;</strong></em>by&nbsp;Tanzil Shafique</p><p>The central question this project explores is how to turn crisis into an opportunity and the notion of antifragility gives a philsophical background to such design exploration agenda. It is defined as a quality of a system to benefit from exposure to disorder/stress/disaster, as opposed to resiliency which merely adapts to the stress. Can a re-invented urbanism be envisoned for Los Angeles that uses the drought as a pre...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137896721/seeding-micro-clouds-power-transmission-lines-watertransmission-surfaces-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category "SEEDING MICRO-CLOUDS. Power Transmission Lines & WaterTransmission Surfaces," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Pragmatic category Archinect 2015-10-02T09:00:00-04:00 >2015-10-08T01:26:33-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/f6/f6el8xs4denymsdi.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>In the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics, there was a flurry of news about the Chinese government's attempt to seed clouds in order to engineer the weather. In fact, the technology &ndash; while largely considered imperfect &ndash; both exists and has been implemented. The&nbsp;<em>SEEDING MICRO-CLOUDS. Power Transmission Lines &amp; WaterTransmission Surfaces</em>&nbsp;Honorable Mention proposal imagines a future in which existing infrastructure could be employed to serve as the base for a micro-cloud seeding operation to provide water to a thirsty California.</p><p><em><strong>"SEEDING MICRO-CLOUDS. Power Transmission Lines &amp; WaterTransmission Surfaces,"&nbsp;</strong></em>by&nbsp;Cristina Jorge Camacho<br><br><strong>INTRODUCTION.</strong>&nbsp;Why electric infrastructure is so important compared to water supply? How we can restore the natural balance? Cyberspace does not exist without electricity, humanity cannot survive without water. It is possible to take advantage of using electric grid for helping improve water resources. Transmission towers&rsquo; structure with an additional structural...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137895917/the-ocean-above-us-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-speculative-category "The Ocean Above Us," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Speculative category Archinect 2015-10-01T11:30:00-04:00 >2015-10-20T01:31:20-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/6x/6xc1bh30j9hb3tf6.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>In the face of events that exceed our capacity for comprehension, humans tend to invent myths and stories that render things palatable. The passage of the sun across the firmament, the surge of the oceans in a storm, the crash of thunder that follows the flash of lightning &ndash; these all have been attributed to the actions of gods, demons, etc. Even when a more precise or scientific answer is available, humans tend to rely on these stories to help explain complex phenomena to children. What stories will humans of the future invent to understand our time of ecological crises? <em>The Ocean Above Us</em>&nbsp;Honorary Mention proposal takes the form of such a fable, sited in a speculative future in which humans reach to the skies to quench their thirst.</p><p><em><strong>The Ocean Above Us</strong></em><strong>, </strong>by<strong>&nbsp;</strong>Jake Boswell</p><p><em>&ldquo;The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man. Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio. Subsistence increases only in an arithmetical r...</em></p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137896719/playing-with-fire-golf-takes-a-new-course-of-action-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category "Playing with Fire: Golf takes a new Course of action," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Pragmatic category Archinect 2015-10-01T09:00:00-04:00 >2015-10-08T01:15:04-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/dr/dr1u3zyoaorpyw19.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Consuming disproportionately-vast quantities of water for the recreational pleasure of a small (typically elite) group of people, golf courses&nbsp;often become a first line of attack during droughts. But what if they could be appropriated in order to help&nbsp;<em>mitigate</em>&nbsp;the effects of a water shortage? The <em>Playing with Fire: Golf takes a new Course of action&nbsp;</em>Honorable Mention proposal is a proactive &ndash; incendiary, even &ndash; reimagining of the the role of golf courses in Southern California.</p><p><strong>Playing with Fire: Golf takes a new Course of action</strong>, by Mark Faulkner</p><p>Fire has historically been a regular and natural presence in California&rsquo;s environment. As the landscape becomes drier the threat to residents grows. Fire suppression can lead to greater fire catastrophe further down the line as fuels build up. The Wildland Urban Interface will continue to expand and California needs to plan for<em>&nbsp;</em>increased fire presence and to consider fire as a factor in design.&nbsp;</p><p>Golf Courses have become a key recreation for re...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137817182/the-continental-compact-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-speculative-category "The Continental Compact," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Speculative category Archinect 2015-09-30T11:30:00-04:00 >2015-10-08T00:50:55-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/vv/vv31xht5wg7kssgq.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>While the current drought is likely linked to larger issues like climate change, California has always had cycles of dry and wet seasons, as well as regular drought periods. But, for thousands of years, the inhabitants of the region were (for the most part) able to survive times of water scarcity &ndash; in part because there was, frankly, less of them. As anyone whose seen&nbsp;<em>Chinatown</em>&nbsp;knows, Los Angeles as we know it today is only possible because of the massive projects that pipe water in from out of state. While this was undoubtedly an infrastructural feat, it was also a policy one.&nbsp;<em>The Continental Compact&nbsp;</em>Honorable Mention considers historical hydro-policies in order to imagine radically different futures.</p><p><em><strong>The Continental Compact&nbsp;</strong></em>by&nbsp;Ian Caine, Co-Designer, Derek Hoeferlin, AIA, Co-Designer, Emily Chen, Illustrator and Researcher, Tiffin Thompson, Illustrator and Researcher, Pablo Chavez, Illustrator.</p><p>The drought crisis in California is first and foremost a political crisis. Decades of pub...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137816376/growing-energy-from-waste-a-natural-twist-on-direct-potable-reuse-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category "Growing Energy from Waste: a natural twist on Direct Potable Reuse," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Pragmatic category Archinect 2015-09-30T09:00:00-04:00 >2015-10-08T00:45:46-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/cz/czgg3zsfnohoz1u8.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Long abandoned to the shadows of architectural thinking, the proverbial "throne" of the house &ndash; the toilet &ndash; is beginning to make a bit of a comeback, taking a central role in last year's <a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/101728824/rem-s-venice-biennale-is-like-being-immersed-in-a-stormy-s-m-l-xl-with-a-glass-of-wine-and-hundreds-of-other-people" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Venice Biennial</a>, and making an occasional <a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/106114990/shitting-architecture-the-dirty-practice-of-waste-removal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">appearance</a> in Archinect features. While it may upset our lingering Victorian sensibilities, toilets &ndash; and what they flush &ndash; are an integral aspect of the contemporary house and the modern city. In the context of a drought crisis, these water-vaccuums take on a different hue. The&nbsp;"Growing Energy from Waste: a natural twist on Direct Potable Reuse"&nbsp;Honorable Mention submission&nbsp;reexamines the toilet and its contents within a larger framework, proposing using existing algae technology to treat our wastewater.</p><p><strong><em>Growing Energy from Waste: a natural twist on Direct Potable Reuse</em></strong>, by&nbsp;Prentiss Darden and Algae Systems LLC</p><p>In Southern California, we fill our toilets with water that has traveled over 400 miles, consuming great amounts of energy and emitting carbon dioxid...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137509787/hold-the-salt-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category "Hold the Salt," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Pragmatic category Archinect 2015-09-29T11:30:00-04:00 >2015-10-08T00:38:57-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/wq/wqumn4m2apr75lak.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>One of the great ironies of the California drought crisis &ndash; or at least one that's repeatedly mentioned &ndash; is that the thirsty state borders the theoretically-endless water reserves of the Pacific Ocean. But, of course, closer examination reveals that a) desalination is no simple task and b) the saltwater, in fact, poses one of the great challenges to our water reserves, constantly threatening to leach into aging infrastructure. The&nbsp;<em>Hold the Salt&nbsp;</em>Honorable Mention submission takes the tenuous relationship between salty and fresh water as the starting point for an expansive proposal involving large-scale infrastructural rehabilitation and conversion.&nbsp;<br><br><strong><em>Hold the Salt</em></strong>, by Erik Jensen and Richard Crockett &nbsp;</p><p>California&rsquo;s water system depends upon a fragile balance of inbound saline water against outbound fresh water from the state&rsquo;s watersheds. This tenuous and shifting watermark of salt intrusion is continually maintained with aggressively engineered systems controls. This year California w...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137512200/freshly-squeezed-survival-on-the-fringes-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-speculative-category "Freshly Squeezed- Survival on the Fringes," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Speculative category Archinect 2015-09-29T09:00:00-04:00 >2015-10-08T00:42:47-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/ac/acoqex8od60inym8.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Part and parcel to the image of Orange County in the popular imagination, the suburban tract home is a ubiquitous, popular, and oft-derided element of the Southern California architecture vernacular. The&nbsp;<em>Freshly Squeezed: Survival on the Fringes&nbsp;</em>Honorable Mention proposal crafts an extended timeline for this housing typology, revisiting its history and imagining its position in a speculative future marked by natural disasters and resource scarcity.<br><br><em><strong>Freshly Squeezed: Survival on the Fringes</strong></em>, by Robert Alexander</p><p>For 60 years, the Orange County suburban tract house has been a model real estate product for living and consumption in Southern California. Thousands of homes were built following this model of development: large single family houses (2000 to 4000 square feet), built of wood frames with stucco and generally occupying the center 50 to 60 percent of their lots. These houses demonstrated efficiency in their construction and in their ability to sell quickly, but were usually design...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137509788/apart-we-are-together-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-speculative-category "APART, WE ARE TOGETHER," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Speculative category Archinect 2015-09-28T10:09:00-04:00 >2015-09-29T19:25:26-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/9p/9p5uzopikgv9uzyf.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Coping with California's drought and ensuing water restrictions have been stressful for everyone in the state, but some bear that stress more heavily than others. In <em>Apart, We Are Together</em>, the state's most affluent members will manage to detach the water infrastructure from everyone else to continue buying water at whatever cost, while the lesser-haves must get by with whatever's left, resulting in a drastically divided California.</p><p><strong>APART, WE ARE TOGETHER</strong>, by&nbsp;El Hadi Jazairy and Rania Ghosn</p><p>California will not be homogeneously dry. Its main geographic challenge is economic and political.</p><p>With 21 spots on the list of 30 neighborhoods with the highest percentage of million dollar homes, the taxpayers in these zip codes will pay for desalted water, a cost nearly twice as expensive as the rate for imported water was. They will ramp up their infrastructure to convert salty ocean water into drinking water to quench their long-term thirst. (Don&rsquo;t worry about the intensive energy needs of such...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/137511397/hydroforest-an-honorable-mention-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category "HydroForest," an honorable mention in Dry Futures Pragmatic category Archinect 2015-09-28T09:09:00-04:00 >2015-09-28T23:52:40-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/jw/jwdeljit41646o0t.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Used in some of the world's driest places, fog-catchers can turn atmospheric moisture into potable water, effective on scales small and large &ndash; it's used by the South African Namib Desert beetle as an evolutionary trick to stay hydrated, and by a Chilean brewery to make beer. The&nbsp;<em>HydroForest&nbsp;</em>Honorable Mention proposal calls for a community-run fog-catching system in the famously foggy San Francisco, where residents can be responsible for their own moisture-trapping canopy in a local public space.</p><p><em><strong>HydroForest,</strong></em> by Difei Chen and Ted Ngai (Advisor, RPI)</p><p>The HydroForest is a project that attempts to address climate change, namely the water crisis in California, through a crowd sourcing urban intervention strategy of implementing low-tech fog collectors to create what we call Community Owned and Managed Public Space (COMPS). This strategy takes precedence in how urban trees are managed in many cities, where residences can take responsibility of a tree pit in front of their properties and c...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/136805722/analogue-sustainability-the-climate-refugees-of-san-francisco-3rd-place-winner-in-dry-futures-speculative-category "Analogue Sustainability: The Climate Refugees of San Francisco," 3rd place winner in Dry Futures Speculative category Nicholas Korody 2015-09-16T14:00:00-04:00 >2016-01-21T13:48:00-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/na/nacs63fa0h32w9dg.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><em><strong>Analogue Sustainability: 'The Climate Refugees of San Francisco,'</strong></em> by Rosa&nbsp;Prichard<br><br><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/im/im2hthgpb0w8byem.jpg"><br><br>The project is sited on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. The scheme tackles the Californian paradox of too much vs too little water. While the area is in a state of drought, San Francisco Bay is still at risk of flooding both from seasonal heavy rainfall and rising sea levels. The project is an inhabited flood defence wall that wraps around the island, housing those displaced by rising sea levels in the bay. A field condition of maize is planted over the island to draw out the radiation remaining from the island&rsquo;s naval occupation. The island becomes a self-sustaining system, where analogue technologies that hark back to industrial mechanisms are used. The island offers a celebration of a more simple and natural way of life, in contrast to that of San Francisco and Silicon Valley.<br><br><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/bb/bbxa3psixedvme1b.jpg"></p><p>Sustainable systems of water purification and energy production become central to the building. The burning of the maiz...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/136804115/grassroots-cactivism-1st-place-winner-in-dry-futures-speculative-category "Grassroots Cactivism," 1st place winner in Dry Futures Speculative category Nicholas Korody 2015-09-16T14:00:00-04:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/ji/ji9m45rt9lzq8emg.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><em><strong>Grassroots Cactivism</strong></em>, by Ali Chen<br><br><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/ja/jaewfh47mhoybnxi.jpg"></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>California is entering the fourth year of an epic drought. Urban households have reduced water usage by 25%. However, legislation does not apply to farmers, while 80% of the state's water usage goes towards agricultural production. A large percentage of that water goes towards crops that feed livestock. Efforts to conserve water need to target these water-intensive aspects of the farming industry.</p><p>California's unique arid and mediterranean climate plays host to a variety of indigenous species. Among these is the drought-tolerant nopales cactus, otherwise known as the prickly pear. It has existed as a food source in local culinary traditions for many centuries, and is also commonly used as fodder for livestock in times of drought.</p><p><br><br><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/rv/rveqxircfixzafo0.jpg"></p><p>There is another lesser-known use of the nopales: its pulp acts as a cleaning agent for water. Locals in Mexico have often dumped the water used to cook cactus into polluted rivers and streams. The 'mucilage' or inner cactus ...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/136734971/liquid-bank-2nd-place-winner-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category "Liquid Bank", 2nd place winner in Dry Futures Pragmatic category Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2015-09-16T14:00:00-04:00 >2015-11-22T14:49:34-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/uh/uhkvlc4zo0grwdls.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><em>Every drop counts</em></p><p><strong><em>Liquid Bank</em></strong>, by Juan Saez</p><p>Liquid Bank confronts California&rsquo;s drought from both a local and global perspective. The project addresses the relationship between domestic water consumption and the global water crisis with the development of water related infrastructure in emerging countries. Ultimately, the project aims to address California&rsquo;s drought emergency situation by causing a behavioral shift amongst California residents.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/ov/ovz074k0lef6h231.jpg"></p><p>Liquid Bank is a platform (app and website) that offers a system of rewards and incentives that encourage users to use water responsibly in both their domestic and corporate life.</p><p>Users sign-up for a profile at LiquidBank.com and begin earning the Liquid Bank&rsquo;s digital currency, Aquo. Users can earn Aquos through implementing a variety of water-saving habits: installing low flow shower heads or faucet aerators, incorporating container gardening or drought resistant plants, reducing their household water bill or, as an enterprise, developing a plan...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/136734973/recharge-city-3rd-place-winner-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category "Recharge City", 3rd place winner in Dry Futures Pragmatic category Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2015-09-16T14:00:00-04:00 >2015-09-18T14:24:02-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/zr/zr0jshlvbnskyz56.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><em><strong>Recharge City</strong></em>, by Barry Lehrman</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/uk/ukrlgrakpkuhssxt.jpg"></p><p>Recharge City evaluates pragmatic options for recharging the groundwater in Los Angeles County by recycling the 502 million gallons of water that is dumped by Hyperion Treatment Plant and the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant into the Pacific each day. This is enough water to quench the thirst of 5 1/2 million people.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/e6/e68n3b9rio7zx8rp.jpg"></p><p>To identify plausible sites for recharge, this project undertook a holistic mapping of the water infrastructure for the metropolis - ultimately collecting data from over 50 local, state, and federal agencies.</p><p>Recycling water is a necessity for Southern California to survive, so how can this massive infrastructure project to close the water loop create a better city for us to live in?</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/5u/5u1693czawqdzoqb.jpg"></p><p>Barry Lehrman is an assistant professor of landscape architecture at <a href="http://archinect.com/CalPolyPomona" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cal Poly Pomona</a>. You can view the Recharge LA project website at <a href="http://www.rechargela.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.rechargela.org/</a>.</p><p>Click&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/news/tag/648320/dry-futures-winners" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to see the other winners in both the&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/136743068/and-the-winners-of-archinect-s-dry-futures-competition-pragmatic-category-are" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pragmatic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/136742264/and-the-winners-of-archinect-s-dry-futures-competition-speculative-category-are" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Speculative</a>&nbsp;categories!</p>... https://archinect.com/news/article/136734972/liquifying-aquifer-1st-place-winner-in-dry-futures-pragmatic-category "Liquifying Aquifer", 1st place winner in Dry Futures Pragmatic category Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2015-09-16T14:00:00-04:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/z6/z6xk1g35h3jv3eeq.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><em>What if the Valley could have multiple wells placed around the city in contingent locations for maximum water replenishment back into the Aquifer?</em></p><p><em><strong>Liquifying Aquifers</strong></em>, by Lujac Desautel</p><p>The story of water in the San Fernando Valley is the by-product of the American frontier to the West and the seemingly unattainable ambitions to protect the mythicized image of lush palm trees and turquoise swimming pools. But, the illusion of water is on the cusp of extinction.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/j7/j7dsrqwwiv3y953k.jpg"></p><p>The San Fernando Valley is conceptualized as an archipelago of islands characterized by the infrastructures that sever its own territories. In between these forgotten corridors are the conduits, transportation networks, and energy easements that are a crutch to the livelihood of the Valley.</p><p>The largest of these corridors, the Tujunga Wash cuts the valley in half by a 13 mile artificial river that sends every drop of water to the Pacific Ocean. Its adjacencies are anything but monotonous, rich, poor, industrial, mega malls, and th...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/136804920/urban-swales-subterranean-reservoir-network-for-los-angeles-2nd-place-winner-in-dry-futures-speculative-category "Urban Swales: Subterranean Reservoir Network for Los Angeles," 2nd place winner in Dry Futures Speculative category Nicholas Korody 2015-09-16T14:00:00-04:00 >2015-10-06T12:42:57-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/6d/6db1gkn08uzo3hl1.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><em><strong>Urban Swales: Subterranean Reservoir Network for Los Angeles</strong></em>, by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.geofutures.arch.rpi.edu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Geofutures @ Rensselaer School of Architecture</a> / Muhammad Ahmad Khan (student); Chris Perry (program director), Ted Ngai, Fleet Hower, Kelly Winn, Lydia Xynogala (program faculty).&nbsp;Acknowledgements: Evan Douglis, Dean of the Rensselaer School of Architecture.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/1a/1axgbd3ltib44b90.jpg"></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Urban Swales proposes a series of medium-scale urban excavations throughout the City of Los Angeles, micro-reservoirs that, in addition to collecting periodic storm water runoff for remediation, storage, and redistribution to local communities, provides a new typology of shaded &ldquo;urban caverns&rdquo; for human as well as nonhuman forms of occupation. As such, Urban Swales not only functions as a distributed form of water management infrastructure, the general ambition of which is intended to relieve the city&rsquo;s excessive dependence on imported water, but a new form of public space and wildlife refuge as well.<br><br><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/e9/e9fgl6gi8x0k91ud.jpg"></p><p>Located at select intersections throughout the city, these &ldquo;swal...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/136648960/in-face-of-drought-san-diego-s-desalination-efforts-won-t-stop-there In face of drought, San Diego's desalination efforts won't stop there Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2015-09-14T13:05:00-04:00 >2015-09-14T18:25:53-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/3e/3e7daf7345e757e52096b2fd621a71e9?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>San Diego may be known as "America's Finest City," but &mdash; at least this week &mdash; it's also the epicenter of the desalination and water reuse movement. [...] The area had one of the first desalination plants &mdash; opened in Point Loma in 1961 &mdash; and will soon see a $1-billion facility open in Carlsbad. [...] a sustainable water future depends on two things: "political leadership and public engagement, whether it's desalination or reuse."</p></em><br /><br /><p>Desalination is just one large-scale technology for treating potable water, but it's attracted recent attention in places like <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/132659521/as-a-last-resort-in-historic-drought-santa-barbara-dusts-off-its-desalination-plant" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Santa Barbara</a> and San Diego as the California cities ramp up their water-conservation efforts and learn how to market the large upfront costs of desalination as long-term money savers.</p><p>While not necessarily practical for inland cities, desalination for has been adopted in Australia, Singapore and Saudi Arabia, and experts from these areas shared their success stories recently with San Diego officials. While desalination can seem like a silver bullet, cities should never be comfortable relying on a single technology, but combine what they have with new strategies to always be anticipating future needs.</p><p>Nearby Carlsbad, also in San Diego County, is home to the nation's largest desalination plant, which opens soon.</p><p>For more on California's drought:</p><ul><li><a title="How is water used in California?" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/135055228/how-is-water-used-in-california" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How is water used in California?</a></li><li><a title="What if the California drought continues?" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/134747785/what-if-the-california-drought-continues" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What if the California drought continues?</a></li><li><a title="California drought sucks San Jose's Guadalupe river dry" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/133953060/california-drought-sucks-san-jose-s-guadalupe-river-dry" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">California drought sucks San Jose's Guadalupe...</a></li></ul> https://archinect.com/news/article/135362232/don-t-forget-that-the-dry-futures-submission-deadline-is-tuesday-september-1 Don't forget that the Dry Futures submission deadline is Tuesday, September 1! Justine Testado 2015-08-29T12:00:00-04:00 >2015-08-31T12:14:54-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/vh/vh79wzivx5iokcj4.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Got an inventive design idea on how to address the historic drought that's parching up California? Send your submissions to Archinect's <a href="http://dryfutures.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dry Futures</a>&nbsp;competition!&nbsp;Architects and non-architects worldwide are welcome to send entries that are imaginative, pragmatic, idealist, or even dystopic. The submission deadline is&nbsp;Tuesday, September 1 at 10 p.m. Pacific Time.</p><p>We're accepting submissions in two categories: Speculative and Pragmatic. Three prize winners in each category will be announced.</p><p>"Speculative" refers to proposals of the sci-fi variety, perhaps involving technologies that don't yet exist, or imagining alternative future scenarios for a drought-affected California. "Pragmatic" are the more standard, realistic proposals &ndash; ones that could feasibly be implemented today.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/i0/i04xvfbctel6hs0b.jpg"></p><p>1st place winners in each category will receive a $1,000 cash prize, as well as a custom one-week survival kit, including a backpack. 2nd place winners get an emergency kit stocked with one-week of supplies, and 3rd ...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/135194291/meet-the-jury-of-archinect-s-dry-futures-competition-peter-zellner Meet the jury of Archinect's "Dry Futures" competition: Peter Zellner Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2015-08-27T08:46:00-04:00 >2015-08-28T15:44:57-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/t8/t8954ve83r4x6ohd.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Peter Zellner comes to Archinect's <a href="http://dryfutures.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>Dry Futures</strong></a> jury with a diverse architectural background, having worked for large, infrastructurally-minded firms like <a href="http://archinect.com/firms/cover/106465/aecom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AECOM</a>, while previously designing smaller-scale art spaces under his own firm, <a href="http://archinect.com/zellnerplus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ZELLNERPLUS</a>. In September of 2015, Peter will launch <a href="http://archinect.com/ZNcArchitects" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ZNc Architects</a> with partner Paul Naecker. ZNc is a nimble, LEED accredited and NCARB certified architecture firm located in the LA Arts District.</p><p>We recently interviewed Peter at length on an episode of Archinect Sessions (listen <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/132033618/from-z-to-a-peter-zellner-joins-us-in-the-studio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>). Based in Los Angeles, Peter has seen the drought progress and intensify firsthand.</p><p></p><p>Peter's mindset on the drought combines experience living in the dry climates of Australia and southern California, to reflect on prior reactions (urban and not) to drought conditions. While conservation and sourcing are important, using every drop more efficiently by adopting large-scale recycling techniques will make the biggest impact on drought defense. Certain Californian municipalitie...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/135126798/meet-the-jury-of-archinect-s-dry-futures-competition-geoff-manaugh-of-bldgblog Meet the jury of Archinect's "Dry Futures" competition: Geoff Manaugh of BLDGBLOG Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2015-08-26T11:50:00-04:00 >2015-08-26T02:14:55-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/57/57btev1wrusrvu97.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Geoff Manaugh is a design and architecture writer, contributing to publications such as <em>Dwell</em>, <em>New Scientist</em> and <em>The New Yorker</em>, as well as authoring several books and the long-running design and architecture site, <a href="http://archinect.com/news/tag/1334/bldgblog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BLDGBLOG</a>.</p><p></p><p>Manaugh&rsquo;s perspective on the drought focuses on the ripe opportunities for improving California&rsquo;s remarkably inefficient, and in some ways, &ldquo;undesigned&rdquo; water systems, extending from its physical infrastructures to the economic market for buying and selling water rights. &ldquo;I think that the actual pragmatic, ecosystem-based solutions to this &ndash; as well as the rethinking of agriculture on a statewide basis, as well as individual water use &ndash; I think is something that is really exciting and interesting about this contest.&rdquo;</p><p>In collaboration with <a href="http://archinect.com/firms/cover/6143989/smout-allen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Smout Allen Architectural &amp; Design Research</a>, Manaugh will be participating at the <a href="http://archinect.com/news/tag/465082/chicago-architecture-biennial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Architecture Biennial</a> this fall.</p><p><a href="http://dryfutures.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/uploads/f8/f8xfni2nf4bnpbd6.jpg"></a></p><p><em>Have an idea for how to address the drought with design? Submit your ideas to the&nbsp;<a href="http://dryfutures.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dry Futures competition</a>!</em></p>... https://archinect.com/news/article/135111464/only-one-week-left-to-submit-to-archinect-s-dry-futures-competition Only one week left to submit to Archinect's Dry Futures competition! Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2015-08-25T16:02:00-04:00 >2015-08-25T16:28:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/gh/gh6p0jiufiljyrtc.jpeg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Got a sketchy blueprint for a greywater purifier lying around? An unfinished section drawing for the next drought-friendly Californian front yard? Some e-commerce market for exchanging water rights? Designs for a better reservoir? Gussy up those plans and submit them to Archinect's <a href="http://dryfutures.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>Dry Futures</strong></a> competition! Only one week left to submit your future-focused design solution to California's drought. Submission deadline is <strong>Tuesday, September 1 at 10pm PST.</strong></p><p>We're accepting submissions in two categories, with winners announced for both: <strong>Speculative</strong> and <strong>Pragmatic</strong>. "Speculative" refers to proposals of the sci-fi variety, perhaps involving technologies that don't yet exist, or imagining alternative future scenarios for a drought-affected California. "Pragmatic" are the more standard, realistic proposals &ndash; ones that could feasibly be implemented today.</p><p><strong>1st place</strong> winners in each category will receive a $1,000 cash prize, as well as a custom one-week survival kit, including a back pack. Just so you...</p>