On the cusp of SCI-Arc’s first semester implementing its new EDGE Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture program, Director Hernan Diaz Alonso has named David Ruy as chair. SCI-Arc first announced it was launching EDGE in November of last year, offering “four graduate degree programs in... View full entry
The residents of the northern Alaskan village of Shishmaref are currently voting to decide whether or not to relocate their village. As global warming brings up temperatures, the sea ice that once protected the village has begun to melt. Now the town, which is built on a barrier island in the... View full entry
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) was positive in July for the sixth consecutive month, and tenth out of the last twelve months as demand across all project types continued to increase. [...] (AIA) reported the July ABI score was 51.5, down from the mark of 52.6 in the previous month. This score still reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 57.5, down from a reading of 58.6 the previous month. — AIA
“The uncertainty surrounding the presidential election is causing some funding decisions regarding larger construction projects to be delayed or put on hold for the time being,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “It’s likely that these concerns will persist up until... View full entry
In the spring of 2015, we ran a Working Out of the Box feature with Abraham Burickson, the practicing architect who founded Odyssey Works—a theater company that produces performances for an audience of one, often lasting days. Participants are extensively researched and the performances are... View full entry
The aptly named "McMansionhell" tumblr has taken the time to carefully note just what makes a McMansion an ugly, terrible, no good architectural atrocity. Skipping over frothy diatribe and going straight into meticulous point by point dissection, the tumblr notes that McMansions fail in four key... View full entry
Among the discoveries in the magical realist-flavored experiential series of smartphone games from the Triennale Game Collection is just how compelling this format is for exploring the nuances of architecture, even if that architecture pushes the limits of physics (and is often heavily layered... View full entry
Democratic [VP] candidate Senator Tim Kaine drew a bright line on Friday between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on a subject important to pretty much every voter: housing. While Americans say that housing is as important an issue as other priorities, so far the subject hasn’t come up much during the campaign. That just changed....His editorial outlines the ways that a Clinton administration would work to make housing fairer and more affordable. — CityLab
A closer look at Sen. Tim Kaine's opinion editorial, wherein he briefly outlines the Clinton administration's plans on fairer housing laws.More on Archinect:Shoring up America's infrastructure by repatriating money stashed overseasHow Republicans and Democrats differ when it comes to... View full entry
As our planet grows warmer over our lifetimes, the number of cities that will be cool enough to reasonably host the summer games is going to rapidly dwindle. And that doesn’t just mean Atlanta or L.A. According to an analysis published in The Lancet last week...only three plausible host cities in the entire continent of North America may still be low risk by 2085 (or the summer games of 2088): San Francisco, Calgary, and Vancouver. — FastCo.Design
There may be zero in Africa or Latin America, and only two in Asia (Bishkek, in Kyrgyzstan, and Ulaanbaatar, in Mongolia).As the article notes, the really disturbing implication of this research is less about athletics and more about day-to-day work. Half the world's population works outside... View full entry
Perhaps no one is better situated to forge a behind-the-scenes look at Rem Koolhaas than his son, Tomas Koolhaas. The LA-based filmmaker just wrapped up 'REM', a documentary about his father as he travels the world and reflects on his work.Related: Listen to Tomas Koolhass talk about REM on... View full entry
Donald Trump has made a wall on the US-Mexico border a controversial centerpiece of his presidential campaign, and EU countries have erected fences to keep migrants and refugees out. But the Berlin Wall anniversary should be a stark reminder: Walls can only contain people for so long. [...]
Almost 28 years after the wall came down, Germany’s capital remains economically disadvantaged from its divided years, while buildings in the former East still show the scars of neglect under Communism.
— qz.com
Related on Archinect:Design a wall that separates Trump from the U.S. in this call for ideasThe Problem With Designing Trump’s Border WallUS/Mexico border wall competition provokes controversyBerlin After the Wall: A Microcosm of the World’s Chaotic Change8,000 Glowing Balloons Recreate the... View full entry
Make no mistake: Drones are coming, and they’re going to change a lot of things about how we shape our lives. So why shouldn’t we change how we shape our buildings to get ready for them?
[...]
That’s the basis for my Drone Tower, which would look like a futuristic condo building, with large balconies built to accommodate small electric aircraft or shipping drones. You wouldn’t need to buy your own drone, you’d simply order a ride with an app like a taxi—and hop in right from your terrace.
— Wired
For more on the intersections between autonomous flying machines and the city, check out these links:Unequal Scenes: drone images reveal Cape Town's "architecture of apartheid"This drone video takes you on a fascinating flight through the guts of Seattle's Bertha tunneling machineDrones for Good... View full entry
This post is brought to you by PPI. If you are on the path to becoming a licensed architect, you may already be aware that the Architecture Registration Exam (ARE) is being updated starting November 1st, 2016. You may not know that there could be significant benefits in store for you if you... View full entry
For museum executives, the dirty secret of expansions has been that they are often motivated by the need to have some exciting new thing to rally board members and interest potential patrons. These institutions depend heavily on rich people to fund them. Those rich people like to pay for flashy new buildings; no one wants to donate to boring old museum upkeep. — NYT
Ben Davis regarding the challenge caused by the glamour of capital vs operational projects and funding. Or why we're building new museum buildings and simultaneously laying off museum workers. h/t @Donna Sink View full entry
Critics point to a less-than-robust tech scene, layoffs and shuttered businesses as major stumbling blocks, while others applaud the community's transformation. [...]
"The other thing that we would have done differently, knowing what we know now, is really made our goals much more explicit," Hsieh said.
For example, he would have put "collisions" — serendipitous encounters between individuals who can drive innovation — ahead of co-learning, connectedness and even return on investment.
— cnbc.com
Related on Archinect:Vegas is back...sortaLearning from Las Vegas: a look at the Strip through urban planning lensesWill Zappos turn downtown Las Vegas into the next Silicon Valley?70's Vegas underground home on the market for $1.7MSomething is happening in Vegas; but will it convince people to... View full entry
project managers at a building site in North Korea’s capital Pyongyang are openly supplying their exhausted work force with powerful methamphetamines called “ice,” North Korean sources say. [...]
Officials in charge of the project are pushing workers hard to finish frame construction on the buildings, which include a 70-story high-rise apartment building and at least 60 other structures, before the weather gets too cold, sources said.
— Radio Free Asia
The construction project in question appears to be Ryomyong Street, a so-called "Pyonghattan" for its giant scope and reportedly the country's tallest apartments. According to a report in Foreign Policy, the spread of methamphetamine (aka "ice") first began in North Korea during the 1990s, when... View full entry
