A new report on the socio-economic situation in Gaza from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has established a baseline for rebuilding as a cease-fire deal that would end the seven-month Israel-Hamas war continues to be up in the air. The findings lay out the most realistic timeline for... View full entry
Alleging an "abuse of power" by Los Angeles city officials, the owners of Marilyn Monroe's former Brentwood home are suing the city to block an effort to have the structure declared a historic-culture landmark, which would prevent its demolition.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit [...] alleges "illegal and unconstitutional conduct" by the city "with respect to the house where Marilyn Monroe occasionally lived for a mere six months before she tragically committed suicide 61 years ago."
— NBC Los Angeles
The LA Times (which has been reporting on the story since January of this year when the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission recommended landmark status for the former Monroe residence) writes that the lawsuit was filed by billionaire heiress Brinah Milstein and her TV producer husband Roy... View full entry
A pair of interlocking high-end residential and hotel towers designed by Foster + Partners recently held its official opening ceremony in Dubai. Rising to 30 and 31 stories, respectively, The Lana and The Lana Residences demand their presence on the skyline of the Marasi Marina waterfront... View full entry
The City of Columbus, Indiana, known as a Midwest jewel box of Midcentury modern architecture, has selected landscape architecture and urban design firm Merritt Chase to redesign a 1.5-acre Downtown Entrance Plaza. The Pittsburgh- and Indianapolis-based team will be tasked with improving an... View full entry
By making a series of cuts and folds in a sheet of paper, Baker found she could produce two planes connected by a complex set of thin strips. Without the need for any adhesive like glue or tape, this pattern created a surface that was thick but lightweight. Baker named her creation Spin-Valence. Structural tests later showed that an individual tile made this way, and rendered in steel, can bear more than a thousand times its own weight. — MIT Technology Review
MIT Technology Review highlights the digital fabrication work of Emily Baker, an architect and assistant professor at the University of Arkansas' Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. Baker began her research into lightweight and sturdy Spin-Valence structures as an architecture graduate... View full entry
It is estimated that the construction of Nusantara will cost $38 billion, with 20 percent of that coming from the Indonesian coffers...But the vast majority of the metropolis – 80 percent of it – is to be financed by private investments. Everything that actually makes a city a city...And that is currently where the greatest hurdles lie: The investors are not showing up — Der Spiegel
Earlier this year, Maria Stöhr and Muhammad Fadli reported on Indonesia's plans for a new capital city. This mega-project is more than just a city but a new capital region. It is billed as "The World's Sustainable City" with plans for "smart security." While the architect of the "Smart... View full entry
The untold history of Bauhaus students and instructors under Nazism is behind a three-part presentation taking place over the summer in the new exhibition Bauhaus and National Socialism, which opens tomorrow in Weimar, Germany. From this month until September 15th, the country’s one-time capital... View full entry
New York City construction worker fatalities have declined to record lows, according to a new report released by the NYC Department of Buildings. Construction-related deaths are now at their lowest point in the past decade despite an increase in injuries at job sites for the third consecutive... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects has issued an update on the EHDD-led campaign to redesign its Washington, D.C., headquarters. The organization this week announced a new initiative aimed at bringing different community members together to better professional practice and advance discourse... View full entry
Curator Carlo Ratti has announced the title and theme for next year’s Venice Architecture Biennale. The 19th International Architectural Exhibition will advance under the banner Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective., a portmanteau title representing different forms of intelligence... View full entry
In this week's curated employer highlight from Archinect Jobs, we are featuring five architecture and design firms with current openings in Los Angeles, Joshua Tree, Portland, and Washington, DC. For even more opportunities, head over to the Archinect job board and explore our active community of... View full entry
Since phasing out several exam policies in last year's update to the ARE, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has shared positive news about implementing the retirement of its former five-year Rolling Clock Policy. The change mandates that scores from all... View full entry
A new exhibition on view currently at the MAK Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna is offering viewers a timely look into the architecture of protests, its production and effectiveness as a disruptor and catalyst for their builders' attempts at societal change.In PROTEST/ARCHITECTURE: Barricades... View full entry
The results of the 18th Global Award for Sustainable Architecture have been announced by the German architect and UNESCO Education and Research Commission delegate Jana Revedin. The award was created in 2006 to promote "innovative thinking" around the sustainable practice of architecture... View full entry
A groundbreaking was held recently for Herzog & de Meuron's new UCSF Health Helen Diller Hospital in San Francisco. The $4.3 billion project that will tie together two existing buildings with a new 15-story facility is expected to culminate in 2030 at 880,000 square feet and serves as a new... View full entry