The London fire brigade’s readiness for the Grenfell Tower fire was “gravely inadequate” and fewer people would have died if it had been better prepared, a long-awaited public inquiry report into the disaster that killed 72 people has concluded ... [despite] “compelling evidence that the external walls of the building failed to comply with requirements” of building regulations governing fire safety. — The Guardian
The Fire Brigades Union published a damning report in September that accuses former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's deregulation — followed, and reportedly amplified, by Tony Blair — of having gutted building and fire safety regulations. At the same time, firefighters are blamed for... View full entry
United Voices of the World (UVW) will support the Section of Architectural Workers (UVW-SAW), as the new union is named, with free in-house legal advice, employment law and organiser training, skill-sharing, workplace representation and negotiation, as well as cross-sector experience and campaigns. Membership is between £6 and £10 per month, depending on income. — The Guardian
“We’re open to everyone involved in the production of architecture,” Jake, a UVW union member, tells The Guardian’s Oliver Wainwright, “from the model-maker to the office cleaner and admin staff, everyone should be united under the same umbrella.” Jake added, “Employers will say that... View full entry
This post is brought to you by BQE Core If you want your clients to respect and treat you like the expert you are, instead of as an employee or subordinate, then you need to set clear and consistent boundaries with them. Far too often, we don’t take the time to think through the consequences of... View full entry
Collaborative conceptions Pride attaches undue importance to the superiority of one's status in the eyes of others; and shame is fear of humiliation at one's inferior status in the estimation of others. When one sets one's heart on being highly esteemed, and achieves such rating, then he or she is... View full entry
Katherine Guimapang profiled architect Paul Preissner for an edition of Studio Snapshot. Therein Preissner explained his interest in "Making normal things weird, and popularizing the idea that boring can be valuable too." spamdeleter wondered "I'm not sure if it's because of the slightly dry... View full entry
Air pollution worsened in the United States in 2017 and 2018, new data shows, a reversal after years of sustained improvement with significant implications for public health.
In 2018 alone, eroding air quality was linked to nearly 10,000 additional deaths in the U.S. relative to the 2016 benchmark, the year in which small-particle pollution reached a two-decade low, according to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University.
— The Washington Post
The Washington Post reports that "concentrations of the pollutant have risen about 5.5 percent since 2016," and points out several contributing factors that the Carnegie Mellon study identified: increased natural gas use and vehicle traffic, risen severity and frequency of wildfires, and the... View full entry
A common question when preparing for an interview is on what to wear. A tie? A blazer? Is a dress okay or pants? Are sneakers too casual?How does one determine what's appropriate and what's over the top? First, it's important to understand that dress is only one factor when it comes to making a... View full entry
A new report issued by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) shows that the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) moderated in September following relatively bleak August figures. According to the new report "design activity shows signs of remaining sluggish at U.S. architecture firms,"... View full entry
Like many professionals, our days in architecture can get hectic. We try to manage the emails, the meetings, and the deadlines. In our efforts to check off all of our boxes we can sometimes fall short. With everything from calendar apps to team management softwares, we have a multitude of tools to... View full entry
A Berlin-based artist who put up billboards advertising fake real estate projects in protest against runaway property development received more than 200 calls from would-be investors who didn’t get the joke. [...]
At a distance, the adverts look plausible but closer inspection of the images visualising what the new properties would look like reveals odd details.
— The Guardian
Treptown Visions, billboard in public space, Treptow, Berlin, 2019 by Dorothea Nold. Image: Dorothea Nold/aussenwelt "Citizens are not being asked for their permission when investors make such drastic changes in their city, that’s why I thought it is okay to put them without permission up to... View full entry
At a community meeting last week, four developers pitched plans for a Metro-owned property above the under-construction 1st/Central subway station in Little Tokyo...Though the station site is 1.2 acres, the property only offers a 14,500-square-foot building pad due to the diagonal orientation of the 1st/Central station box. — Urbanize LA
"Metro released a request for qualifications to prospective developers in August 2018, and received eight responses by January 2019," reports Urbanize. Of those eight, four have moved forward: Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), who has teamed up with FSY Architects; Centre Urban Real Estate... View full entry
Google's recently released filing shows plans to build an 80-acre development that will encompass up to 7.3 million square feet of office space and 5,900 units of new housing in San Jose, California, reports CNBC. This exceeds the initial proposal of 6.3 million square feet of office space... View full entry
We are entering the home stretch of Archtober 2019, New York City’s annual Architecture and Design Month, and there's still so much to do! Archinect & Bustler have partnered with Archtober for the ninth year in a row and present you our weekly highlights from a packed calendar. Below are our... View full entry
Small talk is a dreaded practice for many professionals. It's often forced, and the parties involved participate out of obligation as opposed to genuine interest. Naturally, there are those of us who don't mind it, we actually enjoy it. Instead of hysterically pressing the close door button in the... View full entry
For all you furniture buffs out there, this table offers an interesting solution in flexibility. Called the Goliath, the table can go from a mere 17 inches to about 10 feet in length. It utilizes a system of rails similar to drawer guides, something that, according Rain Noe over at Core... View full entry