Fragile and flammable, Eucalypti have been implicated in worsening wildfires across the world. But there's little consensus over their culpability, value, or future in California's landscape. Defenders and opponents each say that science and history are on their side. — The Guardian
A long-simmering battle over the current and future status of California's Eucalyptus trees is close to bubbling over again, as the increasingly present risk of catastrophic fire events pits Eucalyptus lovers against native plant enthusiasts who would like to see the tinder-producing groves... View full entry
The McHarg Center at the University of Pennsylvania has published a digital atlas that attempts to communicate the wide-ranging implications of both climate change and a potential Green New Deal for the United States. A color-coded breakdown of land uses across the country that includes... View full entry
New Story, a non-profit pioneering solutions to end global homelessness, in partnership with Mexico-based ÉCHALE, have announced "the world's first 3D-printed community" in Mexico. The first set of homes have been revealed. Each coming in at 500 square feet, the innovative structures were printed... View full entry
Greg Mills, co-owner of Southwest Engineering Concepts is suing the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration after he was fined for calling himself an engineer and working without an engineering license, reports IEEE Spectrum. Mills has three decades of experience as an engineer in the... View full entry
University of Pennsylvania Professor David Leatherbarrow has been awarded the 2020 Topaz Medallion by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). The award is presented by the two organization every year to superlative educators... View full entry
Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio said the newly elected government: [...] "We are left now with our country in tatters, and no hope, no future and no sense that our government will ever be anything other than a horrendous concoction of idiotic, self-interested, self-serving and morally bankrupt half-wits. We deserved better: we had our chance, and we’ve blown it. Now for two decades or more of discontent." — Architect's Journal
Architects in the United Kingdom are not taking kindly to the electoral rout taken by the nation's liberal political parties in this week's election. The conservative electoral victory guarantees that Brexit will finally come to pass; UK Architects have strongly opposed the measure... View full entry
NOMAArchitect and equity and inclusion advocate Gabrielle Bullock has been named as the recipient of the 2020 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The award, which has been given out since 1972, according to the AIA website, “distinguishes an architect... View full entry
The height of the new jail towers was later slashed from 45 storeys to a maximum of 29, but the damage had been done. The images of these brutish concrete silos symbolised a rack’em and stack’em approach, attracting criticism from both prison reform advocates and the communities in which these fortified slabs were to be planted. — The Guardian
Writing in The Guardian, critic Oliver Wainwright examines competing visions for the future of New York City’s prisons. Earlier this year, AECOM was selected to envision a dispersed carceral archipelago for the city that would take the place of the sordid Rikers Island prison. The plan has... View full entry
A design team led by interdisciplinary, New York City-based architecture and landscape firm Weiss/Manfredi has been selected to reinterpret the La Brea Tar Pits and George C. Page Museum building in Los Angeles. The design team includes experiential designers Imaginary Forces... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced its two top honors for 2020. The AIA Board of Directors announced today that architect Marlon Blackwell will receive the 2020 Gold Medal citation, which honors "an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence... View full entry
The 6th Street Bridge team of 170 includes 15 women — the most on any commercial project in Los Angeles and nearly double the Department of Labor’s participation goal of 6.9% female crew members. — The Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times reports on the relatively high proportion of women construction workers helping to build the Michael Maltzan Architecture-designed 6th Street Bridge in Los Angeles. The bridge is being constructed via a joint venture between Skanska and Stacy and Witbeck. Skanska... View full entry
Gia Biagi, principal at Studio Gang, has been nominated by Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot to lead the city's Department of Transportation. Previously, Biagi has served as the chief of staff at the Chicago Park District and has worked at the Department of Planning and Development. Biagi earned... View full entry
Antonio Pacheco, Managing Editor at Archinect, published a Studio Snapshot of Alloy Development a New York City-based architecture, development, and building management practice with over $1.6 billion in projects under its belt. archanonymous believed "The work is quite good, and it's an inspiring... View full entry
President Donald Trump has nominated J. Brett Blanton as the next Architect of the Capitol. Blanton would follow two acting directors, Christine Merdon and Thomas Carroll. If confirmed by the United States Senate, Blanton will serve a 10-year term as the official in charge of maintaining the... View full entry
Professor of art education and African American studies and interim director of Penn State's School of Visual Arts B. Stephen Carpenter II has been named as the new dean for the university's College of Arts and Architecture. The announcement follows the retirement of former dean Barbara... View full entry