April is already here, and the Curry Stone Design Prize just announced seven new members for the Social Design Circle. Instead of announcing only one winner for the 2017 Curry Stone Design Prize, the Social Design Circle was created to honor a total of 100 individual designers and practices across the globe whose work is dedicated to addressing an array of social issues in their local communities and cities. — Bustler
Based on the Social Design Circle monthly question “Can Design Prevent Disaster?”, the seven designers who were selected to join the Circle include Denver-based Build Change, the Mississippi State University's Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, and Yasmeen Lari's Heritage Foundation of... View full entry
The government won't identify companies until contracts are awarded around June 1 — and even then, only the winners — but some bidders released plans on their own — Yahoo News / AP
Although many political agendas have trickled into the realm of design, the border wall continues to be a hot topic for architects. Since the inception of this project, social media has highlighted the "We Won't Build Your Wall" campaign, which has been prevalent at a number of architectural... View full entry
The architecture giant Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) has announced that they will open a new office in Dubai, a move intended to further their presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The office will be led by Thomas Behr, who will oversee all operations in the... View full entry
The Island is uniquely positioned to accommodate an expanded LaGuardia Airport that would reduce delays and could serve as many as 12 million more passengers annually. — 6sqft
Last week, New York Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that the city would close Rikers Island jail complex. The news followed a report by the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform which recommended such action. The report also included a number of... View full entry
Azure Magazine's annual AZ Awards has just released their list of finalists. Now its 7th year, the competition offers architects, designers, manufacturers, and students across the globe a shot at getting their best work internationally recognized. The competition continues to grow having seen... View full entry
Dr Sumaya Bint Sulaiman Al Sulaiman has become the first woman in Saudi Arabia to be appointed dean of a design college. Al Sulaiman now heads the College of Design at the Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faysal University
...the highest administrative position for a Saudi woman at a public college or university was vice-dean, except at Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, an exclusively for women university in the capital Riyadh.
— Gulf News
Dr. Al Sulaiman's appointment at the University of Dammam College of Design last month is one of two groundbreaking university dean appointments in Saudi Arabia. She was appointed days after Dr. Dalal Namnaqani, who became the first woman to become dean at the Taif University College of... View full entry
Related Companies has released images revealing the interior of the late Dame Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th building. For the residence in the first images, the designer Jennifer Post was commissioned to provide furniture and decor. "I am usually the creative visionary behind both the architecture... View full entry
Communities across the country are confronting the mounting evidence of climate change and developing means of fortifying buildings and infrastructure against rising sea levels and ever-more-intense storms, even as the Trump administration reverses policies premised on climate change.
“We’re not spending money on that anymore,” Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters in Washington recently. “We consider that to be a waste of your money.”
— The New York Times
"People who live, work or build in flood plains like West Chelsea and elsewhere say they cannot be so dismissive. They are spending money."The New York Times has compiled case studies as well as an associated glossary of steps taken in New York City and its environs to help shore up the built... View full entry
Located in Seoul, the Lotte World Tower, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, has become the world’s fifth tallest tower, in the process knocking 1WTC—the tallest U.S. American building—out of the top five. At 555 meters tall, the Lotte World Tower has also surpassed Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin... View full entry
Kwong Von Glinow Design Office was awarded 1st Prize for their New York Affordable Housing Challenge competition entry. Their project responds to Mayor de Blasio’s priority placed on creating more affordable housing in New York City, by using both new sites and redeveloping existing sites... View full entry
This post is brought to you by PPI.The road towards licensure is exciting, humbling, and full of unexpected surprises. However, as daunting as the task may seem, there are ways to shorten the duration and ease stress as you go from wide-eyed architecture student to stamp-carrying architect... View full entry
As we discussed at the Witte, the EPA’s “Energy Star,” indoor air quality, and materials safety programs directly support the design and construction industry each and every day.
The proposed EPA budget eliminates funding for these programs and will severely impact the ability of engineers and architects to meet client demands, fulfill our contractual obligations, and carry out the duties of our licensure to protect the public.
— Letter from David Lake via The Rivard Report
In response to a letter in which Texan Republican Congressman Lamar Smith told David Lake that he gets all of his news from a "biased liberal media," Lake not only kindly (and eloquently) rebutted this inaccuracy, but also encouraged the Congressman not to defund the EPA if he still wants to live... View full entry
What sets apart high-performing architecture firms from their award-lacking brethren? Not surprisingly, a commitment to excellence, which according to the AIA is measured by several factors, including an emphasis on sustainability and diversity. While the full report details the findings from a... View full entry
What's the most efficient, ethical, and sustainable way to remake public spaces? If you're in Nariobi, Kenya this May 3-4th, you'll have the opportunity to answer that question by attending the "Making Cities Together - The City We Need through Safe, Inclusive and Accessible Public Spaces"... View full entry
The Berlin-based studio HENN and the Aarhus-based studio C.F. Møller Architects have jointly won an international competition to design an extension for the University Hospital RWTH Aachen, a historically-listed, high-tech, 1970’s building. The expansion comprises a new building that houses a... View full entry
