President Donald Trump’s administration is looking at ways to convert a glut of commercial real estate resulting from the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdowns, into affordable housing, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said Wednesday. — Bloomberg
HUD Secretary Ben Carson gave remarks on the unlikeliness of things going back to how they were before the pandemic, citing the greater number of people that will work from home in the future. As a result of that new reality, Carson said, according to Bloomberg, "That's going to free up a lot of... View full entry
Following a rare show of bipartisan support, the Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2019 has passed the United States House of Representatives and is now headed for consideration by the Senate. The bill would require "each public building constructed, acquired, or of which more than 50% of the facade is... View full entry
The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) has announced that architect and educator Lynne M. Dearborn has taken office as the organization's new President. Dearborn will serve through June of 2021 and is expected to focus on issues relating to racial justice within the ACSA... View full entry
Atlanta's State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks professional basketball team, is being converted into a massive polling site to help the state of Georgia make voting more accessible to its residents. CNN reports that the 17,000-seat arena will open as a polling center for the... View full entry
A newly unveiled $2 billion development proposal crafted by Foster + Partners, Gensler, and RIOS for developers Alagem Capital Group aims to bring a pair of verdant, balcony-wrapped towers to Beverly Hills. The project would be situated behind the Waldorf Astoria and Beverly Hilton... View full entry
Congratulations, we have reached this year's halfway mark! While 2020 hasn't always been smooth sailing for the architecture and design community so far, we'd still like to dare a quick look back at some of the brighter moments on Archinect's Instagram feed. Whether you're already one of... View full entry
Already sharply criticized for its slow progress and rising costs, the $1.2-billion bond program is in a new slump. A Times analysis of data from the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department shows that 57 projects have fallen behind schedule since January. Of those, 21 were pushed back more than six months. — The Los Angeles Times
Doug Smith of The Los Angeles Times checks in on the progress (or lack thereof) on a variety of affordable housing projects initiated through the L.A.'s Proposition HHH bill. The report states that delays caused by COVID-19 have been exacerbated in recent months due to a shortage of Section... View full entry
The basic model at Northeast Bunkers is a cylindrical steel vessel eight feet in diameter, in 13- or 20-foot lengths, welded from quarter-inch plate steel and equipped with an entrance hatch on top. Standard features include rust-resistant exterior paint, cedar plank flooring, zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds) interior finishes, two vent ports, floor hatches for storage, and an emergency exit hatch. — The New York Times
Writing in The New York Times, Mira Ptacin surveys the growing demand for underground bunkers across the United States as disease, social unrest, and political instability push some people to prepare for potential worst case scenarios, both real and imagined. Brian V. Camden, principal of... View full entry
A growing chorus of Black students and faculty members at prestigious universities across the country are pushing for substantive change with regards to the persistent lack of diversity and representation within these institutions. Two weeks ago, following a blistering letter from the... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has unveiled its latest set of design adaptation strategies aimed at retrofitting existing buildings for post-pandemic use. The latest guide, following up on strategies for schools, commercial facilities, and other spaces, is geared specifically for... View full entry
The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) will no longer use the term "master" to describe the primary bedroom of a home on their housing listings. The term "master" has roots in slavery, and HAR says the topic of removing it from realty terminology has been debated for years.
Now, the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) platform that HAR uses for listings, will use "primary bedroom" and "primary bath," HAR said in a statement to CBS News.
— CBS News
"The origin of the terms is debated, and we are not saying they are rooted in slavery. Others didn't personally view them as sexist or racist but believed we should change the terms for anyone else who might find them objectionable. The consensus was that Primary describes the rooms equally as... View full entry
The architectural archives of prolific 20th century architect Paul Revere Williams, long thought to have been lost to fire during the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising, have been jointly acquired by the University of Southern California School of Architecture and the Getty Research... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has chosen the winners of the latest round of AIA Upjohn Research Initiative grants. The grants offer $15,000 to $30,000 in research support for "applied research projects that enhance the value of design and professional practice knowledge,"... View full entry
June marks the start of hurricane season on the Atlantic Ocean. Even amidst the ravages of a novel coronavirus and state violence, the perils posed by a heating planet are not going away. If the city turned out to be woefully underprepared for a pandemic, what about measures to protect against storms and floods? — Urban Omnibus
Amy Howden-Chapman, co-founder of the climate change and arts platform The Distance Plan, takes a closer look at a variety of climate impact interventions at New York City's most endangered stretches of coastline: from Lower Manhattan and the Lower East Side, Red Hook, Rockaway Boardwalk, all... View full entry
The National Organization for Minority Architects (NOMA), Hastings Architecture, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville have announced a new scholarship initiative aimed at bolstering the pipeline of students from diverse backgrounds entering architectural education. The new Keystone... View full entry
