Virgin Trains USA Vice President Bob O’Malley told delegates at the Nevada Economic Development Conference that design work was 30% complete and that the proposed line between the Las Vega strip and Victorville, on the northeast outskirts of Los Angeles, would be using the Virgin Trains’ Florida project as its model. The line will span [185 miles] with trains travelling up to [149 miles] per hour, which would clock a journey time of approximately 75 minutes. — Construction Global
Virgin Trains USA is reportedly seeking financing for the project, which could shuttle up to 22 million travelers per year between the two metropolitan regions. The outfit, which is also behind the successful Brightline train line in Florida, aims to finish construction of the L.A.-Las Vegas... View full entry
Ever since its opening in 2009 the Millennium Tower has been slowly sinking, so far it's settled about 16 inches on its southwestern corner, causing the entire to tilt around 14 inches. Residents applied for a permit to perform a retrofit back in December 2018 and a plan is now in place to... View full entry
Plans for a site located at 265 West 45th Street in New York City's Midtown district are beginning to take shape as developer Extell moves forward with a potential project there. New York YIMBY reports that the developer recently filed demolition permits for a series of four-story... View full entry
HDR will serve as the general engineering consultant to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to help implement the state's commitment to the development of connected and automated vehicle technology (CAV). "Among HDR’s key responsibilities will be implementing the state’s recently... View full entry
Along the banks of the Rhône and Saône rivers in Lyon stands an unmissable new tower designed by the famed architect Jean Nouvel. The 16-story building's pastel-colored facades and angular parapet present a stark contrast to the tower's more traditional industrial and residential apartment... View full entry
The Tamayouz Excellence Award has announced the finalists for the Women in Architecture and Construction Award 2019. The program recognizes women who have made progressive contributions to the fields of architecture and construction in the Middle East and North Africa.With a notable jury... View full entry
After an extensive renovation, the art nouveau market anchoring the neighborhood returned to its original 19th-century splendor last year. In the area around it, parking was moved underground, newly planted trees and shrubs dot the streets and public plazas, children romp in new play areas, and bicyclists and pedestrians now have ample space to move around freely. In short, public space has increased by thousands of square meters — all because car traffic was deprioritized. — Capitol Hill Seattle
In an effort to improve safety conditions for the city's pedestrians and cyclists, Seattle in considering implementing a series of traffic calming measures along a six-block section its Capitol Hill neighborhood that would create the city's first "superblock" configuration. The move comes as the... View full entry
Architecture and nostalgia share a special relationship. Designs trends and building techniques that thrived during their heyday may not receive the same response decades later. However, one must not underestimate the following of these seemingly "outdated" designs. As the world continues to... View full entry
Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Fall 2019 With a new school year upon us yet again, it's time for Archinect's latest edition of Get Lectured, an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check... View full entry
As a firm leader begins to plan the next season of life away from their business, succession becomes a natural point of focus. "Current principals and owners should look ahead, recruiting employees who have the potential to take the firm into the next generation and providing them with... View full entry
The firm's entry to the San Francisco Department of Public Works' (DPW) design competition calling for "the conceptualization of industrial art that would double as toilets," was selected as the winner. Courtesy of SmithGroup The design, called AmeniTREES, is a multi-functional kit of... View full entry
Although no campus buildings were deemed to be in the worst category, “dangerous,” six at UC Berkeley and three at UCLA were found to have a “severe” risk to life. The remaining 62 at UC Berkeley and 15 at UCLA were said to have a “serious” risk to life, according to the first reports released this week in response to a UC Board of Regents 2017 directive calling on every campus to undertake a seismic risk assessment. — The Los Angeles Times
The list includes some of both campus's most historic and important buildings, including Berkeley's architecture building, Wurster Hall, and UCLA's Powell Library. A potential 2020 ballot measure and a recently-proposed California State Senate bill could provide funding to make necessary retrofits. View full entry
We must continue to prepare for acute shocks—
events that could threaten our City’s ability to function, such as
natural disasters. We must also address chronic stresses—challenges that weaken our natural, built, or human resources, such
as income inequality and chronic homelessness. Stresses often
exacerbate the effects of shocks when they occur, particularly for
vulnerable populations.
— City of Seattle
The plan comes as Seattle, the fastest-growing city in the country, and the larger Puget Sound metropolitan region around it, prepare to nearly double in population by 2050. View full entry
The 2019 edition of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture has come to a close with the reveal of the winning projects. Established in 1977 by the Aga Khan and bestowed every three years, the $1 million prize recognizes outstanding building concepts that are deemed to have successfully addressed the... View full entry
The Trump administration and lawmakers in both parties generally don’t believe the government should be running in effect two enormous financial companies. Administration officials want to shrink the government’s involvement and return housing finance to a privately run system. — The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal takes a look at how (and why) the Trump Administration is looking to change the federal government's role in overseeing aspects of the nation's mortgage securities market. According to WSJ, the two government-sponsored entities secure half of the nation’s... View full entry
