Housing must now be recognised as a human right, no different than the right to vote or express yourself freely. This means understanding that housing cannot be viewed first and foremost as an economic driver or a commodity to add to an investment portfolio; that forced eviction is not development; that land has more than monetary value; and that the private market must be regulated. — the Guardian
It also means housing homeless people rather than making them criminals for trying to stay alive, and it means recognising that everyone has the right to live in the city regardless of socio-economic status.Many of the world's major cities are gripped with housing crises. For more on this... View full entry
Although Los Angeles has had its battles over supergraphics—those painted on advertisements that often stretch multiple stories on a building's facade—the billboard as a concept has received substantially less attention, unless the provocative imagery on it causes fender benders. However, Tom... View full entry
For the first time since the summer of 2012, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) posted consecutive months of a decline in demand for design services. [...] The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the September ABI score was 48.4, down from the mark of 49.7 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 59.4, down from a reading of 61.8 the previous month. — AIA
“This recent backslide should act as a warning signal,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “But this drop-off in demand could be continued hesitancy in the marketplace to move forward on projects until the presidential election is decided. The fact that new work coming... View full entry
A day after the Austrian government said it was planning to tear down the house where Adolf Hitler was born, the interior minister now says it is likely to be redesigned.
The idea is to prevent the property from being a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis. [...]
"the new plan comes after members of a government-appointed commission on the future of the house suggested that erasing the house would give the impression Austria was trying to erase its past."
— npr.org
The tricky business of architectural preservation:Plans unveiled to save Aberdeen home of Mitsubishi founderRIP: Bruce Goff's Bavinger House demolishedNo guarantees for historic residential architecture in "real-estate limbo"The price of keeping Britain's 'Downton Abbeys' from crumblingPreserving... View full entry
This post is brought to you by PPI. It’s an exciting time to be an ARE candidate. With the release of ARE 5.0, new information is revealing itself daily. Keeping up with these updates can be difficult, but not impossible. Read on to discover essential ARE updates from NCARB that will help you... View full entry
Although Cleveland often serves more as a punchline than a solution (the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969 due to pollution), a climate change conference convened by the United Nations and currently being held in Quito, Ecuador sees new potential in the city. As StreetsBlog reports, if Cleveland... View full entry
Last time, we went XXL. Now, we want the opposite—the tiny, the slight, the subtle and obscure: the XS. We're looking for the small but fierce interventions, tweaks, ideas and yes, even buildings that push architecture in a constructive direction by going small.》PROJECT SUBMISSIONS: Small... View full entry
Nicholas Korody talked with Denise Scott Brown about Learning from Las Vegas. To be published as three edited parts, the first details her early biography and architectural influences. In part 2 she explains the unique pedagogical methods she pioneered, alongside Robert Venturi. "I was applying... View full entry
For the latest installment of Archinect's live podcasting series, Next Up, we're focusing on the L.A. River, and the wide swath of urbanist concerns within its ongoing master planning efforts. It could be the project that makes, or breaks, Los Angeles. With a complex historical legacy and an... View full entry
Aside from their role as workshop co-chairs for the ACADIA conference, this week's One-to-One guests are both architects who work and teach at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. Their focus on fabrication led them to their roles at ACADIA, with McGee... View full entry
This week, there are plenty of opportunities to look at architecture's origins, both collectively and personally. Whether you admired the experimental, striking work of Cedric Price as you first explored an architectural career, or whether this spark was born from playing The Sims, this week is a... View full entry
In reality, the central neighborhoods of many major American cities are thriving. [...]
“Inner city,” in short, is imprecise in describing today’s urban reality. It captures neither the true geography of poverty or black America, nor the quality of life in many communities in central cities. But politically, its 1970s-era meaning lingers. [...]
But in any context, it is hard to shake the phrase’s association with an era when American cities looked very different from the way they do today.
— nytimes.com
Republican Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump, in recent debates with Hillary Clinton, had referred to the "inner cities" as “a disaster education-wise, job-wise, safety-wise, in every way possible,” and as places that if "You walk down the street, you get shot."In fact-checking response... View full entry
A city in a country that recently gained independence is likely to undergo processes of radical transformation and massive restructuring and re-imagining that are not only societal, political, and economic in nature, but can also impact the planning system of a city and influence its built-up environment. — Bernd Upmeyer, Editor-in-Chief, October 2016
A city in a country that recently gained independence is likely to undergo processes of radical transformation and massive restructuring and re-imagining that are not only societal, political, and economic in nature, but can also impact the planning system of a city and influence its built-up... View full entry
Last week, the White House held its very own arts and culture festival in D.C., South by South Lawn (SXSL). Organizers arranged a list of panel discussions and programs that brought together a diverse troupe of creatives for a "festival of ideas, art, and action.” SXSL kicked off with a conversation between illustrious light artist James Turrell and award-winning architect David Adjaye, which was streamed live on The Creators Project’s Facebook Page. — thecreatorsproject.vice.com
"Over the course of their chat, which was moderated by LACMA director Michael Govan, the two artists unpacked their general philosophies on art, light, space, and culture, and discussed some of the influences that have driven their processes and works."Video via The Creators Project.Similar... View full entry
There are dozens of Frank Lloyd Wright houses across the country that fans of the architect can visit. There are a handful that can be rented. There is only one where you can sleep overnight for $148, which includes a personal guided tour by the 90-year-old owner and breakfast in a Wright-designed “great room.”
The Cooke House in Virginia Beach, Va., built in 1959, is one of Wright’s last commissioned works.
— The New York Times
For more on Frank Lloyd Wright:Lloyd Wright's LA Samuel-Novarro House for saleWhen 'Frank Lloyd Wright' and 'historic designation' are holding back your home’s value, what’s a seller to do?New Jersey’s Oldest and Largest Frank Lloyd Wright House Listed for $2.2M View full entry
