When asked about why skywells have caught more attention of modern Chinese people, Wang [Zhengfeng] says that the courtyard is also designed to serve as a gathering space for families or communities, and comes with ritual meanings. "Perhaps changes in the way of life could also trigger vernacular nostalgia among people living in concrete and glass forests.”
"It won't be easy to be sustainable by learning from the past without reflecting on our current behaviours."
— BBC
Lightwells are of course, a common passive cooling method in modern Western designs, but in China, their popularity is partly driven by a budding “vernacular nostalgia” for traditional features and concepts. The government’s push towards greener building standards and a 2060 net zero carbon... View full entry
Texas-based Lake|Flato has announced its recent attainment of B Corp certification in a move they say is geared at enhancing the firm’s already-strong social and environmental credentials. As the first entity in the state to achieve the certification, Lake|Flato joins a vanguard of some... View full entry
3XN GXN, alongside property development company British Land, has announced that they are leading the redevelopment of London’s Euston Tower. Built in 1970, the commercial high-rise was viewed as a cutting-edge office space. However, changing tenancy needs have seen a gradual reduction in its... View full entry
New York / Kigali-based BE_Design has completed a facility in rural eastern Rwanda designed to provide health, education, and mentorship programs to young women. The Komera Leadership Center, which also serves family development initiatives and community gatherings, is described by the team as... View full entry
A new Whole Life Carbon Accounting service from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) was unveiled last month in an effort to help building owners and developers make accurate decisions about building performance at all stages of the design phase while pushing the industry further toward a much-needed... View full entry
Local Boston news outlet WBUR has offered an insight into the multi-million dollar operation to repair and renew Boston City Hall. The Brutalist icon, now 55 years old, was recently allocated $80 million to address ongoing issues. The most extensive renewal project to be undertaken in the building... View full entry
A team comprising iart, AMDL CIRCLE, and Michele De Lucchi has created a ‘zero-energy media façade’ for the Novartis Pavilion in Basel, Switzerland. Combining PV panels and LEDs, the façade is described by the team as “illustrating the potential of organic photovoltaics in architecture.”... View full entry
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced earlier this month that it has reached a major milestone in one of the most ambitious low-carbon concrete programs of its kind among U.S. transportation agencies. Originally introduced in September 2020, the Clean Construction Program... View full entry
Congestion pricing in New York City has cleared its final federal hurdle, officials said on Monday, all but ensuring that the first such program in the nation will begin next year with the aim of reducing traffic and pollution in Manhattan and funding improvements to mass transit. — The New York Times
Following the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the program, a local panel appointed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will now work to determine final toll rates, including any discounts or exemptions. A report released by the MTA last August revealed one... View full entry
Plans have been unveiled for the reportedly “world’s largest urban construction project in wood” in the Swedish capital. Named Stockholm Wood City, and designed by Henning Larsen and White Arkitekter, the scheme will extend over 2.7 million square feet across several buildings. Image credit... View full entry
Chingwen Cheng has been appointed as the new director of the Stuckeman School at Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture. Cheng is currently the program head and associate professor of landscape architecture, urban design, and environmental design at Arizona State University’s Design... View full entry
The newest addition to New York City’s High Line has opened to the public. Named the Moynihan Connector, and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with James Corner Field Operations, the timber bridges form a link between a series of civic spaces from Midtown West to the West Village. The... View full entry
De Zwarte Hond has designed a timber office building for Dutch energy company Alliander. Located on the Noordzeeweg in Amsterdam Westpoort, the new offices are described as circular and flexible, consisting of workshops, warehouses, test facilities, and educational and park buildings. Image... View full entry
Benedetti Architects has offered an insight into the new headquarters for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in London. The Grade II listed building has seen a comprehensive expansion and re-design with a budget of £33 million (USD 42 million). Photo credit: Jim Stephenson... View full entry
Reactions in the UK are pouring in after the opening week of Lina Ghotmeh's 2023 Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens. The annual installation’s 22nd overall edition features the Lebanese-born Parisian designers palm leaf-shaped timber À table pavilion, which encases a... View full entry