[...] scientists say a simple and inexpensive new process can transform any type of wood into a material stronger than steel, and even some high-tech titanium alloys. [...]
The results are impressive. The team’s compressed wood is three times as dense as the untreated substance, Hu says, adding that its resistance to being ripped apart is increased more than 10-fold. It also can become about 50 times more resistant to compression and almost 20 times as stiff.
— Scientific American
Wood, so hot right now. Thanks to new and improved construction methods, there is barely a month going by without the announcement of record-breaking wooden structures and rapidly increasing height limits for cross-laminated timber skyscrapers around the world. Meanwhile material scientists are... View full entry
Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter/Spring 2018 Archinect's Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back regularly to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss... View full entry
One year after Los Angeles unexpectedly won the right to host the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the spaceship-like project is now ready to push dirt in Exposition Park. Protective fencing now encircles the site of filmmaker George Lucas' $1-billion legacy project, which replaces two parking lots at the intersection of 39th Street and Vermont Avenue. The eventual four-story, 115-foot-tall building will feature[...] Lucas' 10,000-piece collection, a library, two theaters, classrooms, and offices. — urbanize.LA
Image courtesy of Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.Exposition Park in South Los Angeles has already a number of high-profile construction projects going on (new MLS soccer stadium and Coliseum makeover to host the 2028 Summer Olympics) or on the books, and the $1-billion Lucas Museum of Narrative... View full entry
Winners of the 2017 Tile Award competition were recently announced awarding three projects for creative and advanced ideas illustrating varied design possibilities of ceramic tile. The contest was open to architects and interior designers under the age of 38, and called for the design of new... View full entry
The City of Gothenburg recently selected UNStudio to design their new cable car system, winning over proposals by BIG, WilkinsonEyre, and White Arkitekter with Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The new public transit system is one of the numerous projects being built in commemoration of Gothenburg's... View full entry
Facebook is close to signing a deal for a new British headquarters at the King’s Cross redevelopment in London.
The social media giant is understood to be finalising outline terms with King’s Cross Central, which is majority-owned by the AustralianSuper pension fund. Facebook is expected to take four buildings covering more than 700,000 sq ft, tripling the size of its footprint in the capital.
— The Times
King's Cross is further strengthening its position as London's emerging tech hub, following previous proposed developments like Google's mega "landscraper" HQ, designed jointly by Heatherwick Studio and BIG. According to The Times and Architect's Journal, Gehry Partners is considered as... View full entry
Announced this morning, the 2018 MPavilion, arriving in spring of this year, will be designed by the award-winning Carme Pinós. Now in its fifth iteration, the MPavilion is Australia's answer to the U.K's Serpentine Pavilion. An initiative of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, the design event... View full entry
Planning ahead for another busy week in Los Angeles? Bustler put together a snappy list of architecture and design events around town. This week brings a Mass Timber construction lecture, the opening of the PLATFORM Community College Exhibition, a lecture by Alberto Kalach, and the... View full entry
Wondering what architecture and design events are happening around New York City this week? Housing takes the spotlight in Bustler's latest event picks: The Architectural League's last Housing Brass Tacks discussion; a book talk with Princeton University history professor Alison Isenberg... View full entry
This post is brought to you by the Vilcek Foundation The Vilcek Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Vilcek Prizes in the Arts and Humanities, this year recognizing the field of architecture. Awarded annually, the prizes call attention to the breadth of immigrant contributions... View full entry
... not just a summation of his work’s themes but his masterpiece, the grandest exploration of pure color and form in a seven-decade career spent testing the boundaries of both. It is also the kind of ambitious fantasy that artists rarely get to execute... — T Magazine
M.H. Miller writes about Ellsworth Kelly’s "Austin," the artist’s final work and only building, which opens this month at the University of Texas’s Blanton Museum of Art. View full entry
The number of those living in the streets and shelters of the city of L.A. and most of the county surged 75% — to roughly 55,000 from about 32,000 — in the last six years.
But the crisis has been decades in the making. If homelessness continues to escalate at current rates, it will swamp even the best efforts.
— Los Angeles Times
Despite declaring homelessness in the city an 'emergency' and committing drastically increased funds to housing and services, Los Angeles is failing to improve the lives of its unsheltered citizens. View full entry
The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) confirmed on Friday that it wants to build the Sphere, a glazed orb with up to 18,000 seats and room for 5,000 standing, beside the Olympic Park in east London.
Designs of a similar “sphere” planned for Las Vegas suggest that the vault of the roof will become a giant screen for vast projections, which could evoke the sensation of being underwater or in a forest.
— The Guardian
Rumors about a monumental sphere-shaped music venue proposal for London seem to be gaining substance: The Guardian reports that the New York-based Madison Square Garden Company confirmed its plans to build a glazed orb — designed by Populous — for over 20,000 concert goers near the... View full entry
On the lookout for a new job? Archinect's Employer of the Day Weekly Round-Up can help start off your hunt amid the hundreds of active listings on our job board. If you've been following the feature on our Facebook, Employer of the Day is where we highlight active employers and showcase a... View full entry
The AIA has announced the winners of their Young Architects Award. Now in its 25th year, the awards competition distinguishes early-career professional architects who have been licensed for 10 years or less regardless of their age. The following 18 winners for 2018 have all shown exceptional... View full entry
