Advocates for the preservation of modernist landscapes in Washington have taken on another fight. After beating back the National Geographic Society’s plan to demolish “Marabar,” the 1984 sculptural installation by Elyn Zimmerman on its campus, they are now battling the Hirshhorn Museum’s proposal to redo its sunken sculpture garden by the architect Gordon Bunshaft and the landscape architect Lester Collins. — The New York Times
As the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. gears up to restore its existing Gordon Bunshaft-designed facilities, landscape preservation advocates have voiced concerns over parallel plans to alter and reconfigure a series of Lester Collins-designed gardens that surround the iconic circular... View full entry
Florida's new Public Financing of Construction law requires contractors on publicly funded coastal projects to study how those projects could be impacted by sea level rise before starting work. — Construction Dive
Construction Dive reports that project studies will need to estimate the increased storm risk during a 50 year lifespan for these structures as well as the likelihood of substantial flooding that could take place on a project site over the next 50 years. The new law also requires that designers... View full entry
MVRDV has completed construction of Concordia Design, a mixed-use building filled with co-working spaces, an event venue, a food hall, a café, and a rooftop terrace. The project is located on Słodowa Island in Wrocław, Poland and entails the renovation and extension of a 19th-century... View full entry
The National Building Museum has announced that Brent D. Glass, Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, will serve as the institution's Interim Executive Director. Glass takes up the interim position after former Executive Director Chase W. Rynd, Hon. ASLA... View full entry
A new 443-unit apartment building designed by David Baker Architects (DBA) was recently completed in San Francisco, filling in a growing section of the city's Design District and South of Market neighborhoods. The dynamic apartment complex, known as 855 Brannan, sits on a 4.3-acre site and... View full entry
A pair of recently published economic tracking studies for the construction industry developed by Quarterly Market Forecast (QMF) highlight the increasingly split nature of construction proposal activity within the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic. Commercial projects are... View full entry
A stunning 3D virtual tour from the Egyptian Tourism Authority takes viewers deep into the heavily detailed tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses VI. Named Tomb KV9, the underground structure has a long corridor leading down to the now-broken sarcophagus, and both walls and the ceiling are inscribed with writings from ancient Egyptian texts and astronomical renderings. — Colossal
If you're ready for some archaeological adventure but find yourself pandemic-trapped at home and unable to make it to Egypt's ancient Valley of the Kings right now, try the virtual tomb tour of Pharaoh Ramses VI who reigned in the 12th century BC. Take a look at some screenshots of the ruler's... View full entry
The builder of a privately funded U.S.-Mexico border wall segment in Texas has agreed to an inspection of the 3.5-mile structure, which experts say is showing signs of erosion...Built by North Dakota-based contractor Fisher Industries and finished just months ago, the $42 million wall is in danger of falling into the adjacent Rio Grande River — Construction Dive
According to Construction Dive, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane is overseeing a lawsuit brought by the federal government and the neighboring National Butterfly Center over the construction of the fence and its potential threat to the Rio Grande. Moreover, it was also reported that the structure... View full entry
A bill introduced on July 13th by Nevada Representative Dina Titus aims to write the General Services Administration's "Guiding Principles" for federal architecture into federal law. The bill, titled the "Democracy in Design Act," represents an effort to stop the implementation the... View full entry
The Getty Foundation has selected 13 pivotal Modernist structures located around the world to receive funding for conservation and restoration initiatives as part of its Keeping It Modern Architecture Conservation Grants program. As in years passed, the selected structures are located... View full entry
[...] tall buildings are still sold on the basis that they are good for the environment. Mostly the argument is about density – if you pile a lot of homes or workplaces high on one spot, it is said, then you can use land and public transport more efficiently. There’s some truth in this, but you can also achieve high levels of density without going above 10 or 12 storeys. — The Guardian
The Observer's Rowan Moore dissects a list of the usual arguments in favor of ever taller buildings around the world and concludes that not much of it passes the reality test of urgent climate crisis, resource scarcity, wealth distribution, city planning, global pandemic, and ultimately, good... View full entry
Canada is offering homegrown softwood lumber and steel to help with the reconstruction of Paris’s famed Notre Dame Cathedral, which was partially destroyed by fire in mid-April.
In a letter sent to French President Emmanuel Macron this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was proud to support France in the reconstruction of the iconic monument.
— Global News
According to Global News, the Canadian Steel Producers Association and the Forest Products Association of Canada have already indicated their support for the Canadian government's initiative. View full entry
In a joint statement from the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Chapter (AIALA) and the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SoCal NOMA), a new tool to expand inclusion has been announced: the SoCal NOMA Diversity Equity and Inclusivity... View full entry
Progress is being made toward enacting the Great American Outdoors Act, a legislative effort recently passed by the United States Senate and due to be taken up by the US House of Representatives next week that could begin to address the $11 billion backlog of road, building, and facilities... View full entry
As part of a $2.5 billion funding commitment made by computer and electronics giant Apple to help fund additional affordable housing initiatives, the company has allocated $400 million toward a series of first-time homebuyer and affordable housing efforts. An announcement from Apple... View full entry
