Archinect - News

University of Chicago researchers create cooling fabric that can block heat from structures in cities

2024-06-24T20:10:00-04:00

Future city dwellers could beat the heat with clothes made of a new fabric that keeps them cool. The textile, made of a plastic material and silver nanowires, is designed to stay cool in urban settings by taking advantage of a principle known as radiative cooling – the natural process by which objects radiate heat into space.

The material was designed by a team of researchers at the University of Chicago led by Po-Chun Hsu, an Assistant Professor of Molecular Engineering. They designed it to block more than half of the radiation from the buildings and the ground. As reported by New Scientist, the material emits heat in the form of infrared radiation into space, while reflecting the sun’s radiation and infrared radiation emitted by surrounding structures, such as buildings and pavement.

Previously on Archinect: University of Maryland researchers develop 'cooling glass' that can redirect a building's heat into space

The researchers developed a three-layer textile, where the inner layer is made of common fabric, such as wool or cotton, and the middle layer consists of silver nanowires that reflect most radiation. The top layer is made of a plastic material called polymethylpentene, which emits a narrow band of infrared radiation. Outdoor tests found that the material stayed 16ºF cooler than a regular silk fa...

COS pays homage to the Bauhaus with their remastered capsule collection

2019-09-13T19:30:00-04:00

Architects are known for their distinct fashion sense. From the clean, minimalistic look to the striking and avant-garde, fashion's relationship with architecture is close and personal.

Popular clothing brand COS is paying tribute to its Bauhaus-inspired design principles with a unique capsule collection for those who wish to embody the iconic design school's aesthetic.

Image © COS

COS designer Christophe Copin shares with Wallpaper, "We really wanted to work around form and function this time." Copin continues, "You need a coat to protect you from the cold, but maybe you don't need all its additional detail [...] We were focusing on the art of closure."

Image © COS

While some might view fashion trends unimportant and trivial, for those who appreciate the design history of popular fashion trends, COS' new collection could be a good fit, however. The attention to the Bauhaus school's geometric forms and monochromatic color palette make this collection simple and a basic in design and ...

Zaha Hadid Design steps into fashion for Odlo

2019-02-01T14:05:00-05:00

The Zaha Hadid name has been behind, in its storied past, many products outside of architectural design, including chairs, tables, and even a cheese grater for Alessi.

ZAHA Parka. Photo courtesy of Odlo

But the Zaha Hadid Design branch of the firm has recently turned its sights towards fashion. Odlo, the Swiss sports performance brand commissioned the architecture firm to design the 'Zaha Line,' a clothing line for its spring/summer 2019 Women’s Activewear collection, includes a parka, tights and a bralette.

ZAHA Warpknit Tights and ZAHA Warpknit Bralette. Courtesy of Odlo

According to the company, the Zaha line "adapt[s] to the anatomy and physiology of the human body, [and] incorporates layering techniques to give optimum performance and design." The parka's flock-print increases comfort during strenuous exercise, the tights use 'warp knit technology' to provide full freedom of movement, and the bralette features 'bio-centric body-mapping' to provide climate control and flexibility....

New "Architecture Sucks" T-Shirts; Order today for likely delivery by Saturday

2018-12-19T14:33:00-05:00

Yep, after many years, and countless requests, we've restocked our classic "Architecture Sucks" t-shirt. All online orders this week will be shipped priority mail, so if you're looking for that last-minute gift for your disgruntled architect friends, here's your chance. Shirts are also in-stock in our downtown LA shop, open from 10-7 every day until Saturday.

Buy from Archinect Outpost

The New York Public Library is now loaning out clothing and accessories for job interviews

2018-11-12T17:16:00-05:00

NYPL's Riverside branch has initiated a new program called "Grow Up Work Fashion Library", loaning neckties, briefcases and handbags to assist library members in their job search. The items may also be loaned out for formal occasions, with the only requirement being that that the member owe less than $15 in overdue fines.

The program was spearheaded by Michelle Lee, a young adult librarian at the branch, who has noticed a number of the people she worked with could not afford these items.

How to dress like an architect? It's all in the details!

2018-08-31T15:26:00-04:00

While popular culture might suggest that all architects are super-rich, in reality, most are not very well paid. “Instead, there is a lot of ingenuity in the way they buy clothes,” says Wainwright. “These are often cleverly layered garments that you might not look at twice from a distance, then you realise have interesting textures. Materials are something architects obsess over in their jobs, and they dress the way they design.” Dressing like an architect means dressing mindfully.

Whether you opt for wearing all black or bright colors, choice of material and unique details can effortlessly add more character to your outfits (shopping at COS not required). If you're looking for more sartorial inspiration, revisit Archinect's previous features on architects working in fashion, or see the latest in fashion-related architecture news.

Sou Fujimoto to design immersive "Forest of Light" for Salone del Mobile 2016

2016-03-24T15:08:00-04:00

'I envisage to make a forest of light. A forest which consists of countless light cones made from spotlights above. These lights pulsate and constantly undergo transience of state and flow.' “People meander through this forest, as if lured by the charm of the light. Light and people interact with one another, its existence defining the transition of the other.”

In another collaboration with top-notch designers, fashion label COS has teamed up with Sou Fujimoto to create a nature-inspired installation for Milan's Salone del Mobile 2016 next month. For COS' fifth year of taking part in the design fair, Fujimoto is creating a "Forest of Light" that will exhibit the brand's collection in what could be a mesmerizing combination of light and sound.

"Forest of Light" draws inspiration from the experience of walking through a forest at twilight, which Fujimoto relates to his growing up in Hokkaido, where he was surrounded by nature. Set inside the now-derelict Cinema Arti theater, the installation will comprise of a darkened space illuminated by numerous towering cones of light produced from spotlights shining from above.

As visitors go about the space, the cones of light will pulsate and respond to their movements. Mirrored walls will create a seemingly infinite landscape of "abstracted trees, joining together to form a shifting forest of light." F...

The 2015 holiday gift-giving guide for architects

2015-12-10T19:51:00-05:00

If you’re asking yourself, “What should I give the architect(s) in my life?” the answers are here: we came up with a slew of architect-appropriate gifts, ranging from clothing to furnishings to apocalyptic salvation, for that special detail-oriented someone. The best part? Absolutely no clichéd, Frank Lloyd Wright tchotchkes. You’re welcome.

ALTERNATIVE MODELS

These model-based items reconceptualize seemingly static spaces and processes in aesthetically pleasing (and quite efficient) ways. Archie Archambault’s mental maps, which represent cities not with GPS-accuracy but rather in the way we mentally and physically navigate them (for example, by landmarks extending outwards in concentric circles) are not only intellectually stimulating, but visually gorgeous too. Damien Murtagh's Arckit models, meanwhile, have a more practical application: by creating a kind of pre-fab, quick-to-build scale model house kit, architects can spend less time with tedious adhesives and more time modifying ...