In an interview with The Times, Dame Zaha Hadid said that the Qataris “should do something” about the issue of migrant workers. [...]
“I’m not a defender of the Qatari situation, but it’s important to get the facts right and then we can discuss it. I’m very happy that the press make the government aware of problems on certain sites. But it doesn’t apply to this site.”
— designmena.com
To read the full (paywalled) The Times interview with Dame Hadid, click here. Previously in the Archinect news: "7,000 construction workers will die in Qatar before a ball is kicked in the 2022 World Cup," new ITUC report findsZaha Hadid defends Qatar World Cup role following migrant worker... View full entry
Online job boards burst with ads recruiting “idea people” and “out of the box” thinkers. We are taught that our own creativity will be celebrated as well, and that if we have good ideas, we will succeed.
It’s all a lie.
— slate
After announcing last summer that it would "sunset" the term "intern" from its nomenclature, NCARB has now begun enacting that transition with the Intern Development Program, which will be renamed the Architectural Experience Program (AXP). The change will become effective on June 29 of this year... View full entry
Give employees all the tools they need to innovate, make space for a little fun, then watch the sparks fly. The truth about creativity, however, is considerably less convenient. Discomfort, and even a degree of hardship, are what drive creativity, not bean bag chairs and ping pong tables. [...]
if companies want to nurture creative employees, not only content ones, they must include challenges and even a dash of hardship in their bag of perks.
— latimes.com
Related posts from the serendipity machine news desk:Archinect's Lexicon: "Serendipity Machine"Will Zappos turn downtown Las Vegas into the next Silicon Valley?Do contemporary office designs upend work/life balance? View full entry
There were a few occasions where demand for design services decreased from a month-to-month basis in 2015, but the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) concluded the year in positive terrain and was so in eight of the twelve months of the year. [...] (AIA) reported the December ABI score was 50.9, up from the mark of 49.3 in the previous month. This score reflects a slight increase in design services [...]. The new projects inquiry index was 60.2, up from a reading of 58.6 the previous month. — aia.org
Key ABI highlights for the month of December were reported by the AIA as:Regional averages: West (53.7), South (53.3), Northeast (46.7), Midwest (46.1)Sector index breakdown: multi-family residential (52.9), institutional (52.2), commercial / industrial (47.3), mixed practice (46.5)Project... View full entry
A report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has estimated that 7,000 workers will die before the first ball is kicked in the 2022 World Cup. [...]
“Qatar’s labour laws are ruinous for workers. All the government has done is to codify slavery. Employers can now even lend out workers to another employer without the worker’s consent for up to a year”
— globalconstructionreview.com
In its 2015 report Qatar: Profit and Loss. Counting the cost of modern day slavery in Qatar: What price freedom?, the ITUC demands that FIFA would make workers' right a central concern of the 2022 World Cup preparations. The organization has also called on Qatari authorities to take these... View full entry
Julia Ingalls penned a review of the "recently redesigned Petersen Museum". Responding to her criticism Seth Terry asked "has the public really been cheated?...I find it telling that the members of the public quoted in the article itself not only like the museum but find that it fills the role... View full entry
As has been the case a few times already this year, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dipped in November. [...] The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the November ABI score was 49.3, down from the mark of 53.1 in the previous month. This score reflects a decrease in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 58.6, up just a nudge from a reading of 58.5 the previous month. — aia.org
Key highlights for the month of November were reported by the AIA as following:Regional averages: South (55.4), West (54.5), Midwest (47.8), Northeast (46.2)Sector index breakdown: multi-family residential (53.8), institutional (52.0), commercial / industrial (51.0), mixed practice (47.6)Project... View full entry
Chinese citizens have for decades been limited in public services they can access by their household registration [...]
The problem is especially acute for the millions of migrant workers who are often forced to either leave their children in the countryside or place them in unregistered and often sub-standard schools in the city. [...]
“The move is to improve basic public services in urban areas and provide conveniences for residential permit cardholders”
— theguardian.com
More news from China:Touring China's past, present, and future: an examination of "Architectural Guide China"Beijing's latest "airpocalypse" is bad enough for city to issue first ever red alertFour O Nine's Andrei Zerebecky shares his must-see architectural sites in ShanghaiExploring China's urban... View full entry
Julia Ingalls published back to back chats with Tom Kundig and Steven Holl. The former, on the release of ‘Tom Kundig: Works’ by Princeton Architectural Press which features nine of Olson Kundig’s most recent works.The later, on the occasion of Phaidon’s comprehensive new monograph... View full entry
Robert Urquhart’s first piece for Archinect, was a report from the front lines of the London Design Festival. Plus, Julia Ingalls talked with Guggenheim Fellow and Los Angeles Times book critic David Ulin about his book ‘Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles’. News Over at The... View full entry
Julia Ingalls highlighted the work of Design Build Research (DBR), based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Currently a non-profit institute led by architect Michael Green and creative entrepreneur Scott Hawthorn, one of the earliest projects was building a theater when TED headquarters’ moved... View full entry
Amelia Taylor-Hochberg penned an essay on The humanity of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, wherein she argues "the Biennial is more about architects than it is about architecture." Meanwhile Julia Ingalls reviewed the book Conversations with Architects: In the Age of Celebrity, by former... View full entry
Heads up to all you job seekers and active employers. It's been some time since Archinect's last Employer of the Day round-up. If you've been following the feature on Archinect's Facebook page, Employer of the Day is where we highlight active employers and showcase a gallery of their work.In... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the September ABI score was 53.7, up from a mark of 49.1 in August. This score reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). — Calculated Risk
Although the multi-family residential sector continues its eighth-month weak streak, the majority of sectors of the Architecture Billings Index showed signs of growth after a backpedaling August. According to AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD, "a lack of a deep enough talent pool to... View full entry
