The Architecture Lobby (TAL) has put forth a set of guiding principles for architects to follow as debate over a potential Green New Deal takes shape across the industry. According to a recently-published memo, TAL is pursuing a four-pronged approach for envisioning how architects can contribute... View full entry
Many baby boomers poured millions into these spacious homes, planning to live out their golden years in houses with all the bells and whistles.
Now, many boomers are discovering that these large, high-maintenance houses no longer fit their needs as they grow older, but younger people aren’t buying them.
— wsj.com
The Wall Street Journal reports that wealthy baby boomers in America's far-flung retirement suburbs are having trouble selling their McMansions. The problem? The homes are too big, too expensive, and too far away from everything else. Another issue: Too many multi-million dollar homes are... View full entry
Before launching the Mola Structural Kit 1 in 2014, Brazilian architect Márcio Sequeira spent ten years developing the Molar design model before it hit the market. He initially came up with the Mola Structural Model while he was a postgraduate student in architecture school. Since then, Mola has... View full entry
The number of homes that were flipped was actually down 8% from the previous year to a three-year low. And the number of investors engaging in home flipping has dropped 11% over the past year. — Marketwatch.com
Life is hard for a home-flipper these days. As real estate prices have ballooned across the country, profit margins for renovated and re-sold homes have narrowed. As a result, the number of homes being flipped has fallen markedly in recent years. What does it mean? Todd Teta, chief product officer... View full entry
Manhattan’s latest crop of new luxury developments continues to attract a steady stream of buyers.
At the ultra-pricey 220 Central Park South in Midtown, the grand limestone skyscraper designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, four more units officially sold, including New York City’s most expensive closing in May: a three-bedroom aerie for nearly $26.5 million.
— The New York Times
The NYT's Vivian Marino provides an update on the biggest recent luxury real estate transactions in New York City with notably pricey purchases at Robert A.M. Stern's 220 Central Park South and 250 West 81st Street towers and also at the newly opened Hudson Yards mammoth development. "Philip I... View full entry
The legislation would bring more value to historic tax credits and improve access to the credit and investment for smaller rehabilitation projects.
The legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Darin LaHood (R-PA), Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Mike Kelly (R-PA). Senate introduction of similar legislation is expected within the next few weeks.
— ntcic.com
Efforts to expand the Historic Tax Credit (HTC) program have earned bipartisan support in the United States House of Representatives, where last month Congress members Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Darin LaHood (R-PA), Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Mike Kelly (R-PA) introduced the Historic Tax Credit growth... View full entry
All the blueprints and material specifications needed to put it together are included in a cardboard box. They come both on a flash drive in PDF format and printed on 36-by-24-inch sheets. The company says that the package also includes reading materials about the house, discount codes to build some of the stuff you need at providers all around the United States, as well as a door knob, a hammer, and a hat with the company logo. — Fast Company
A company that once sold designer trailer homes switched gears after a stalled venture to focus their attention on helping homeowners design their ideal A-frame cabin. For how much you ask? $1,950. As ideal as that sounds, one may be waiting for the catch. However, when Everywhere Inc.'s... View full entry
Two state agencies that had been embroiled in a yearslong impasse over how to develop the last site at the World Trade Center appear to have resolved their differences and are planning to bring the parcel to market.
The Port Authority and the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. have reached a deal to release a request for proposals in the coming months for 5 World Trade Center
— Crain's New York
Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) head Holly Leicht explained in a meeting that "after quite a lengthy period of time of negotiation, we executed a memorandum of understanding with the Port, the LMDC and the city to move forward on an RFP for Site 5, which will be our last major site... View full entry
One of the largest potential office buildings in New York City has long been in the works on the site of the Hotel Pennsylvania, at 401 Seventh Avenue, with renderings for a soaring supertall first released last decade [...] the latest on Vornado’s newest vision for the site, which would place Facebook within a massive 2.8-million-square-foot tower designed by Rafael Vinoly, dubbed “Penn15” in the brochure. — New York Yimby
Renderings of the 1,400-foot structure paint a new picture for Facebook's new office building plan. It's been stated that "Facebook has already publicly committed to One Madison Avenue in NoMad, so this ideation may already be moribund." Despite the recent commitment placed by Facebook, Vornado... View full entry
Big changes will be coming to Miami International Airport over the next decade or so to meet the demands of the future.
On Tuesday, the Miami-Dade commission approved a capital improvement plan for the airport which would fund up to $5 billion in modernization projects over the next five to 15 years.
The changes are needed as MIA is projected to reach 77 million travelers and more than four million tons of freight by the year 2040.
— CBS Miami
Miami International Airport, which celebrated its 90th anniversary last year, laid out some details in a statement released yesterday: "The comprehensive program is designed to address all of the airport's future capacity and operational needs through five sub-programs that include: a... View full entry
Called the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center, the space feels like being inside a giant Nike shoebox designed by Abloh himself. It features the self-aware, over-indexed print labeling that Abloh is known for. The Re-Creation Center sign itself has “for promotional use only” printed on top. The rest of the space’s irony is more subtle, or arguably nonexistent. — Fast Company
Virgil Abloh is a name that's grown synonymous with what is trending in design and fashion. A connoisseur of creating new things from the simplest of concepts, Abloh's collaboration with Nike has emphasized his influence not only in design but in design culture. Having worked with some of the... View full entry
Blackstone Group is cashing in on its bet on the suburban rental class.
The private-equity firm late Tuesday sold more than $1 billion of shares of Invitation Homes Inc., the giant single-family home landlord it launched following the financial crisis in a wager that many Americans would be willing to rent the suburban lifestyle they could no longer afford to own.
— Wall Street Journal
In the two years since private-equity firm Blackstone Group launched its suburban home management service, Invitation Homes, the company's stock has gone up by over 26%. During that same time, homeownership has fallen to its lowest levels since the mid-1990s, rents have edged upward in the... View full entry
The developers of the New York Wheel killed plans to build a 630-foot observation wheel on Staten Island in October, amid skyrocketing costs and lengthy delays in getting the project completed.
But, NY1 learned Tuesday that plans are in the works to bring the project back to life.
— NY1
Archinect has been covering the tumultuous history of what was once promoted as "the tallest observation wheel in the Western Hemisphere" with spectacular views from Staten Island's North Shore. View this post on Instagram At 630 ft and the tallest in the Western Hemisphere, here's how we stack up... View full entry
The news of British Prime Minister Theresa May announcing today that she would move out of 10 Downing Street on June 7, following a lengthy period of political disarray over the UK's post-Brexit future as well as criticism over her handling of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, did not come as an... View full entry
Following a sizable decrease in demand for design services in March, the April Architecture Billings Index (ABI) climbed back into positive territory according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
AIA’s ABI score for April showed a small increase in design services at 50.5 in April, which is up from 47.8 [...] Despite this and the positive overall billings score, most regional and sector indicators continue to display decreasing demand for design services.
— AIA
"In contrast to 2018, conditions throughout the construction sector recently have become more unsettled," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. "Though we may not be at a critical inflection point, the next several months of billing data will be indicative of the health of the... View full entry
