ICYMI Niall Patrick Walsh started the State of AEC intended to "guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically." 

In reporting on the September U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut he pointed out "the Fed’s interest rate today sits at almost exactly the same level as it was in 2007, before a series of rapid cuts in response to the 2008 economic crash. Back then, the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index began a decline in January 2008 that lasted every month for two and a half years until July 2010."

Later, Niall also explored the impact of post-pandemic changes driving "what architecture studios are, and increasingly are not, commissioned to design". Will Galloway weighed in from Japan 

"Interesting findings. I wonder if this is the new normal or still a period of settling into something new…Not sure where we will come down on this topic in the end, but I can imagine a quite different office set up in the next years even if things do not improve or change in other ways."

News

The U.S. General Services Administration decided in favor of an adaptive reuse scheme for the landmarked vacant Century and Consumers buildings, after two years of fighting Windy City preservationists. ‘Nectors uniformly cheered, with Thayer-D writing "Amazing that we're still having these fights after soooo much beautiful building stock was lost."

A $600,000 Humanities in Place grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will help bolster Paul Revere Williams’ archive at his alma mater, the University of Southern California. Eamez believes "Paul R Williams doesn't get enough credit as an Atomic Age architect -- along with Charles/Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen as big three of that era. His design is perfect at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas." Yet, for some reasons still includes a dismissive reference to DEI in their post.

Responding to the news that the next U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale will highlight the porches' role as a social and environmental space in the American context, Donna Sink shared some observations from her own changing historic neighborhood. To wit "The older Black culture here is a social culture of the front porch. The front porch is where people sit and talk and wave to their neighbors and have drinks and grill food and play and socialize…The newer Latino and Hispanic culture is one of courtyards."

gwharton laments that Frank Lloyd Wright's Price Tower "is yet another cautionary tale of how aggressive preservationism can actually result in the destruction of what they are trying to preserve. They've put so many restrictions on what can be done with this albatross, that nobody can actually meet them without bankrupting themselves. It's a terrible shame, because it's a great piece of architecture."

A significant Ray Kappe design, the 1984 Borghei-Cookston Residence in Rustic Canyon, was listed for $4.99 million. Orhan Ayyüce noted "In this project, Ray Kappe gives CMU back its 'unit' properties towards form instead of using it, like in most cases, as a retaining wall when you will never see the other side of the wall. Regarding their size and geometry he challenges the openings in a masonry construction. It is really beautiful up close."

monosierra felt the proposed 54-story mixed-use tower from Foster + Partners "Looks better than the generic boxes getting built all over Brickell! This has the aesthetic of a Miami Beach mid-rise condo stretched into a skyscraper."

Blogs/Firms/Work Updates

Recently Brian Nickel was working with a "Revit to Conduit Bending Cut Saw and CNC Tube Bender".

Marcelo Gardinetti added a post over at his blog, last updated in October 23, about Richard Rogers' Zip-Up House. Therein he explains how "Rogers used panels originally intended for refrigerated trucks and windows manufactured for the automotive industry. These elements, sealed with neoprene zips, provide excellent thermal insulation."

Architect Charles Bloszies FAIA has been pondering the challenges of "Dark Space" for office to residential conversions.

Looking for work? There are firms hiring all over. From Bozeman, MT and Chicago, IL to Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA to Philadelphia, PA and White River Junction, VT. Alternatively, the Eames Institute is "seeking a Design & Construction Project Manager".

Schools

The annual Get Lectured events roundup for the 2024-25 academic year, kicked off courtesy of the University of Hong Kong Department of Architecture.

For their summer design-build studio a group of Clemson University Architecture students installed a "40-foot-long, three-piece table made from Red Oak sourced from campus trees that had been cut down" in The Gunnin Architecture Library. Of note, the "top of the table features topographical carvings based on the actual topography of Clemson’s campus".

On a related note, are you an expert on and passionate about wood? 

Then you have until October 14, 2024 to apply to be Endowed Director of the Wood Utilization and Design Institute at Clemson University and until January 3, 2025, to apply to The Architecture Department at the University of Oregon for a full-time, tenure-track assistant professor position in Architectural Design, Structures, and Mass Timber.

Or for something in higher Ed but not academic, Stanford University is hiring a Project Engineer - Facilities/Construction (Leadership & Technical Focus).

Discussion/Threads

BulgarBlogger had some thoughts and questions about Plan Check - QA/QC. While bowling_ball doesn’t charge clients "for this...we go into every contract, in writing, stating that we bear no responsibility for however long it takes for the city to release the permit." gwharton made the case the bigger schedule risk was "poor or non-existent pre-submittal QA". 

In fact a few years ago "a detailed performance review…found that spending 1 to 3 extra weeks of effort during design and documentation on QA saved MONTHS in permit review." Later proto clarified "my rant is mostly prior to permit submittal when i'm doing my due diligence. I try to engage my jurisdiction exactly so I can have clarity for official submittals."

OddArchitect has recently been "encountering GC's submitting individual items separately.  Their reasoning is that it's easier to do in Procore and it makes the project closeout easier." betonbrut confirms that this is not the way "Unless something is a long lead item that requires an early submittal, my subcontracts require submittals to be group by at least specification section and for MEP, often we outline groups of spec sections within a given division." 

Moreover, Everyday Architect advises "check what your Div 01 sections say about submittal procedures. You might already have language you can enforce to this effect…That's the other thing…you should be getting a submittal schedule and approving it before all of this starts happening…The headaches will continue until Architects learn how to be better contract administrators." For their part b3tadine[sutures] wanted to know "What are the actions you will take if they don't follow through?"

Finally, DaSwede necro’d a thread from 2022 with an update on their MCM Hillside House. Based on just one image, JonathanLivingston outlined a few concerns. On the other hand Chad Miller was impressed "You got one hell of a deal on that foundation…I'm doing a project in CO that isn't a remote location. A foundation similar what you've shown cost $435K." curtkram and proto just liked the pics "always nice to see a pic of people's efforts!"

Additionally

Over at Low-tech Magazine Kris De Decker asks "Should we bring back the public bathhouse for the sake of sustainability?"