The deputy leader of a London council responsible for the ballooning costs of the Marble Arch Mound has resigned. Melvyn Caplan stepped down immediately after total costs nearly doubled to £6m, up from a forecast of £3.3m. Ticketholders were offered refunds for the artificial viewing platform which temporarily closed within two days of opening on 26 July. — BBC News
The Westminster City Council, the park’s operator, has said that a review to “understand what went wrong and ensure it never happens again,” is underway. The MVRDV-designed attraction is now free to visit for the month of August after its plants and grass began to die. In a... View full entry
In a last-ditch effort to save an iconic piece of postmodern architecture from its looming demolition, preservationists in Wrocław, Poland have taken an unconventional, yet jovial approach to protesting. Dancing to hits from the 1990s, clad in that era’s attire, in which there was an... View full entry
The total number of registered architects in the United States has continued to grow over the past year, despite the pressures of COVID-19 disruption on both the professional industry and licensing pathways. New data from the National Council of Architectural Registrations Board (NCARB) has found... View full entry
A large homeless encampment is growing on the site Apple earmarked for its North San Jose campus, two years after Apple made waves with a $2.5 billion pledge to combat the Bay Area’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis. — The Mercury News
Campers appear to have migrated from the nearby Mineta San Jose International Airport, which the city began clearing in late June at the urging of the FAA. Apple bought parts of the 55-acre site in North San Jose in early 2018 and currently holds no publicized plans for its development... View full entry
Archinect Sessions Next Up: Exhibit Columbus continues with sharing conversations with the recipients of The J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize. Today's episode is a conversation with Ann Lui and Craig Reschke of Future Firm. Future Firm is a Chicago-based architecture and design... View full entry
A Chico-based general contractor with a degree in architecture is attempting to use pre-fabricated, non-combustible, eco-friendly and customizable home packages to help rebuild homes in Paradise and other areas of California where replacement homes due to natural disasters still must be built. — The Mercury News
The city of Chico was in the crosshairs of the 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed over 18,000 homes in and around Butte County over a 17-day span. This week, an entire town in Plumas County was razed by the Dixie Fire. Steelmaster has more on Vern Sneed's Q Cabin Kit here. Related Reading... View full entry
Tokyo ranks as the most expensive city to build in the world, driven by the extensive pipeline of real estate and infrastructure projects pushing up demand for construction resources, according to the report. Following Tokyo are Hong Kong, San Francisco and New York. Boston and Los Angeles rank seventh and ninth, respectively, as both of these markets generally have high labor costs for construction. — Construction Dive
According to Turner and Townsend’s 2021 International Construction Market Survey, the top 10 most expensive cities to build, in order, are: TokyoHong KongSan FranciscoNew York CityGenevaZurichBostonLondonLos AngelesMacau With increased activity levels in construction markets in 2021 as the... View full entry
The eviction system, which saw a dramatic drop in cases before a federal moratorium expired over the weekend, rumbled back into action Monday, with activists girding for the first of what could be millions of tenants to be tossed onto the streets as the delta variant of the coronavirus surges. — ABC
The White House is now pushing for states and cities to use some of the billions in coronavirus funds still being held up. Representative Cori Bush of Missouri has been sleeping on the Capitol steps since Friday to raise awareness. Renters in states like New Jersey and Massachusetts have more time... View full entry
More than offering a bold visual, the art will connect people who have grieved the deaths of loved ones in isolation, perhaps without an in-person funeral, Firstenberg said. It’s visualizing the vastness of loss. And it’s allowing people to participate — digitally or in person — whether or not they know someone who died of COVID-19. — Associated Press
A new installation will bring the cost of the Covid pandemic to one of Washington, D.C.’s most sacred public spaces this September in a heartbreaking display of 610,000 individual small white flags placed in the National Mall by local artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg. The flags are part of a... View full entry
Last month, New York State passed the Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act (HONDA), laying the groundwork for hotels and other commercial buildings to be converted into affordable housing. Nevertheless, a recent article by NBC News gives a laundry list of reasons why among commercial buildings... View full entry
Final plans for the new LEED-certified museum expansion at Penn State have been unveiled this week after years of anticipation for a project with an ultimate price tag of $85 million. The project, announced by the school’s board of trustees in 2019, will significantly improve physical... View full entry
MVRDV’s latest project is closing after just two days following a torrent of public backlash against the $3 million artificial earthen mound in Westminster, London. The Marble Arch Mound opened earlier this week after an abbreviated construction period which began in early May. Commentators... View full entry
Archinect Sessions Next Up: Exhibit Columbus continues with sharing conversations with the recipients of The J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize. Today's episode is a conversation with Belinda Tato and Jose Luis Vallejo of Ecosistema Urbano. Ecosistema Urbano is a design and consulting company... View full entry
David Adjaye’s proposed UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Westminster, London is going forward after gaining approval from the Minister of State for Housing Christopher Pincher this week. The memorial has drawn a considerable amount of backlash in the Commonwealth since being... View full entry
The $1 trillion package is far smaller than the $2.3 trillion plan that President Biden had originally proposed and would provide about $550 billion in new federal money for public transit, roads, bridges, water and other physical projects over the next five years, according to a White House fact sheet. — The New York Times
A proposed $20 billion in aid to communities of color that have been historically impacted by past infrastructure projects was reduced to $1 billion as part of the dealmaking process. New York Senator Chuck Schumer has promised an additional $3.5 trillion package that will address climate and... View full entry
