Archinect - News

Your next role could be designing for increasing water demands with the US Bureau of Reclamation

2024-03-13T11:24:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Staff Architect at Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for an Architect at the US Bureau of Reclamation.

The role, based in Denver, CO, calls for an individual to “make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.” Among the responsibilities for the position, which requires a degree in architecture or a related field, will be developing designs for typologies such as hydroelectric powerplants, pump stations, and water and wastewater and treatment facilities.

Why the role interests us

The open role at the US Bureau of Reclamation offers us the opportunity to explore the role of a federal body responsible for the development of water infrastructure in the United States. Established in 1902, the bureau has constructed over 600 dams and reservoirs in the western United States,...

China is building a massive new hydroelectric dam with AI-controlled robots and 3D printing technology

2022-05-11T15:37:00-04:00

China is using artificial intelligence to effectively turn a dam project on the Tibetan Plateau into the world’s largest 3D printer, according to scientists involved in the project. The 180 metre (590 feet) high Yangqu hydropower plant will be built slice by slice – using unmanned excavators, trucks, bulldozers, pavers and rollers, all controlled by AI – in the same additive manufacturing process used in 3D printing.

The Yangqu dam project is set to finish in two years and is being overseen by Tsinghua University’s Liu Tianyun, who recently argued that developments in 3D printing have made the technology “identical to nature.”

Its purported future annual output of nearly 5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity for Henan Province is a full billion more than that of the Hoover Dam, whose WPA-era construction was similarly the product of two decades worth of advancements in engineering and construction technologies.

14th-Century Italian village resurfaces from lake for the first time in over 70 years

2021-05-20T19:37:00-04:00

The submerged Italian village of Curon is resurfacing for the first time in over 70 years.

Located in the northern part of the country near Switzerland, the village, dating back to the 14th Century, was once home to hundreds of people. However, in 1950 construction began on a large dam in order to produce hydroelectric energy and to unite two nearby lakes, Lake Resia and Lake Curon. In order to complete the project the town was flooded, with the only remnants being a centuries-old bell tower that has partially remained visible above the water. Through this striking visual, the lake gained popularity and even inspired a book and Netflix series.

Now, for the first time in decades, the old town is fully visible. The lake, which lies in South Tyrol, the Alpine region that borders Austria and Switzerland, was temporarily drained to allow for repairs, revealing the remnants of the former village. According to the BBC, locals have been exploring the site, sharing photos and videos of wea...

GWWO Architects shares project visualizations of new design for Niagara Falls Visitor Center

2021-04-26T18:43:00-04:00

In collaboration with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Baltimore-based architecture firm GWWO Architects shares their design for the new Niagara Falls State Park Visitor Center. Familiar with museum and visitor center projects, the firm has also completed design projects for the Homestead Heritage Center in Beatrice, Nebraska, the Robinson Nature Center in Howard Country, Maryland, and Port Canaveral Exploration Tower in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

A true spectacle, Niagara Falls attracts over nine million visitors every year to witness the powerful force of 3,160 tons of water flowing over the falls per second. The GWWO design team explains the newly designed center will "offer an immersive experience, both inside and out, taking visitors on a journey through time, spanning the eras of geological formation and human impacts on the falls, bringing to life the many voices and perspectives of those experiencing its beauty and grandeur, and highlight...

The scientists trying to harness the power of waves

2016-03-24T19:09:00-04:00

For four decades, the problem of how to create an economically viable business producing power from waves has fascinated a specialized group of engineers, many of whom are concentrated around the sea-beaten coast of Scotland. Inventors have created all sorts of strange and wonderful devices to coax energy out of the water; investors have poured millions of pounds into the effort.

"The problem is arguably one of the most perplexing in energy production. And maybe, just maybe, the answer is getting closer."

Interested in other articles on the renewable energy? Take a look at these links: