Less than a decade after a spate of record-breaking condo towers reached new heights in New York, the first reports of defects and complaints are beginning to emerge, raising concerns that some of the construction methods and materials used have not lived up to the engineering breakthroughs that only recently enabled 1,000-foot-high trophy apartments. — The New York Times
The New York Times on complaints about substantial "leaks, creaks, breaks" in NYC's preeminent supertall ultraluxury condo tower, and briefly also tallest residential building in the world, 432 Park Avenue. Previously: Rafael Viñoly admits 432 Park ‘has a couple of screw-ups’Central Park... View full entry
COVID-19 forced many companies, including architecture firms, to lay off staff, resulting in several professionals out of the workforce with few prospects. But, as job opportunities increase and more people receive vaccinations, reentry into the workforce could become a greater reality for some... View full entry
Amazon has unveiled the latest design plans for the second phase of its $2.5 billion Arlington HQ2 campus. The proposal for the PenPlace site includes three 22-story office towers, several smaller buildings, a 250-seat outdoor amphitheater, public green space, and a fourth 350-foot swirling glass... View full entry
A few weeks ago, I started a Forum Thread about screen fatigue, sharing some of the challenges I have had during the pandemic and the additional screentime incurred to stay connected with family and friends. I shared my commitment this year to take more breaks away from my desk and asked the... View full entry
Richard Branson's Virgin Hyperloop endeavor appears to be picking up some momentum with recent announcements of the first human passenger test and plans for a $500 million Hyperloop Certification Center in West Virginia. Now the company unveiled a new concept video that adds a bit more visual... View full entry
With a street frontage of just six metres, the Pencil Tower Hotel is barely wider than a terraced house. [...]
Planning documents for the $35.6 million hotel, which are on exhibition until February 2, describe the “improbably narrow” tower as a “skyscratcher” because it is too thin to be regarded as a skyscraper [...].
— The Sydney Morning Herald
The proposal for a 33-story new hotel tower in Sydney's Central Business District is catching attention for its ambitiously skinny proportions: designed by Sydney-based Durbach Block Jaggers Architects to stand 110 meters (361 feet) tall, the structure will occupy a narrow site that is only six... View full entry
Ever since the transition of many offices to remote work, plans and strategies on returning to the physical office have been developing. Archinect is reaching out to the community to learn about various plans on reopening the office. Previously on Archinect: Architects share their biggest... View full entry
Los Angeles County unveiled its draft update to the L.A. River master plan, the document intended to guide the development of new parks and water quality projects along the 51-mile corridor, while also accounting for potential displacement and equity issues in neighboring communities. — Urbanize Los Angeles
The new document was formed with input from thousands of residents, with online materials receiving nearly one million impressions, Urbanize LA reports. Frank Gehry is leading the masterplan effort in collaboration with Philadelphia-based landscape architecture firm OLIN. © Los Angeles... View full entry
UNStudio and Delta Light have partnered to create Soliscape, a flexible system that allows for the personalization and customization of light and acoustic conditions in the workplace. "The way we work, live, and relax is changing," said Ben van Berkel, founder of UNStudio. "This new hybrid world... View full entry
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Jan. 27 directing his administration to end policies that enable discrimination in housing and lending, and acknowledging the federal government’s role in erecting systemic barriers to fair housing. — Bloomberg CityLab
According to Kriston Capps, writing for Bloomberg CityLab, "Biden’s executive order tasked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to review two key rules implemented under the Trump administration. One of those rules governs how cities assess and enforce efforts to reduce... View full entry
Pvilion, a Brooklyn-based manufacturer of rapidly deployable robotic structures, is working with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on a project to use computer automation to improve its manufacturing process. The partnership comes in response to the growing need for rapidly deployable temporary... View full entry
A new report details how construction costs have changed across 12 U.S. cities since the coronavirus pandemic began. Broken down by market, all of the U.S. cities in the Rider Levett Bucknall report saw at least small gains, except for Chicago, which experienced a 1.29% decrease in comparative costs from October 2019 to October 2020. — Construction Dive
According to Construction Dive, the new report by construction consultancy firm Rider Levett Bucknall signals a 2.03% increase of the national average for construction costs. The survey tracks the RLB Comparative Cost Index for major cities across the United States and found the biggest cost... View full entry
Award-winning architect and designer, Suman Sorg, FAIA, founder of Sorg Architects, has formed the non-profit design firm, A Complete Unknown, in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to promote social justice, peace, and unity through architecture and design. "At this stage in my career, I have... View full entry
This week's featured virtual event happenings, from Archinect's Virtual Event Guide, address race, urban planning, sustainability and the future of cities. Are you hosting a virtual lecture? Presentation? Tour? Interview? Happy Hour? Submit it for consideration by clicking here. Are you... View full entry
When the last touches of landscaping are done next month, the 232-bed Vignes Street development will have shattered the axiom that homeless housing takes years to build and is exorbitantly expensive. From start to finish in under five months and at a cost of about $200,000 per bed, it has shaved years and hundreds of thousands of dollars off a traditional homeless housing project. — Los Angeles Times
The project, delivered in collaboration with Bernards, a design and construction firm; VESTA Modular, a national modular construction company; and NAC Architecture, is a mix of both permanent and temporary structures and will be used for housing and shelter. According to the Los Angeles... View full entry
