Simon Henley's new book, The Architecture of Parking (Thames & Hudson), casts an objective eye over car parks, one of the most important but most neglected building types of the modern era, and finds a strange and haunting beauty. — guardian
'Using formal expression to overcome any shortfall in the quality of construction' ... The Tricorn Centre, Portsmouth, (above) designed by The Owen Luder Partnership. View full entry
Based upon the woman's story and Moulin's research, Mabon and Hayes constructed a film-style set for the chronic déjà vu sufferer, complete with marks on the floors, visual instructions and specially-designed objects.
They also created a very detailed schedule to give a feeling of continuity and help the woman go through the day with as few surprises (hence risks of déjà vu) as possible.
— we-make-money-not-art.com
As mentioned in previous posts I have been studying in Copenhagen with the Danish Institute of Study Abroad. In the last week we were treated to study tours to either Norway and Sweden or Finland and Sweden. My group traveled to Norway and Sweden. — University of Illinois Chicago (Matthew)
The language was impossible to understand, but the building itself communicated in a clear vernacular: thick columns, coarsely hewn and partly painted white, were topped with gold-haloed icons and lovely scarves that must have been embroidered by hand. The ceiling in the back was only an arm’s breadth above my head... — The New York Times
Evan Rail travels to the Carpathian foothills near Zakarpattia, the western region of Ukraine. The vernacular folk architecture includes a number of unusual wooden churches dating from the 15th to 18th centuries. After years of neglect, the buildings are in danger of disappearing and... View full entry
Meanwhile eric chavkin suggested that "This skate board house has more to do with physio-culture like some experimental soviet projects ie the slanted floors of 'the house of dreams', an architectural experiment to study effects on dreaming. I like the anti-gravity aspects and it reminds me of the space station interior in Kubrick 2001 Space Odyssey it expresses the anti-gravity ideal of early modernism.
In a feature entitled Architecture and Design Graduates – How to Secure Your First Position, James Long/Ellicott Long provides "some useful guidance on how to maximise your chances of success in securing that initial role and draws on examples" that he has experienced both in the UK... View full entry
The AIA received nearly 30 submissions for the AIA Barbie® Dream House™ Design Competition. The AIA and its panel of jurors have selected their finalists, with input from Mattel’s own team of Barbie® experts. Now it’s your turn to help select the winning design. — info.aia.org
Post Post is a new online project focused on exploring the dialog of relational contexts within architectural projects and practices. By extending the lens beyond the individual scope of projects, Post Post seeks to illuminate the interwoven and complex relationships of congruous... View full entry
Many of the central changes in our society since World War II would not have been possible were air conditioning not keeping our homes and workplaces cool. Florida, Southern California, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, and New Mexico all experienced above-average growth during the latter half of the 20th century -- hard to imagine without air conditioning — the Atlantic
Over Rebecca Rosen explores how one technology, air conditioning, made modern America what it is. From cooling our rooms, to shaping what our houses look like, and where we build them, "the advent of air conditioning has shaped our homes and family life as well". View full entry
Little Tokyo Design Week: Future City (LTDW) celebrates the power and energy of cutting edge design and technology now emerging from Japan and its intersection with current trends materializing in Los Angeles. Design’s ability to move us towards a more sustainable and creative urban lifestyle is at the heart of this four-day festival, which will be open to the public from July 14 – July 17, 2011 (VIP Preview Night: 7/13). — ltdesignweek.com
If you're in or around Los Angeles from now until Sunday night, and aren't afraid of a little carmaggedon, make sure to come check out the really fun line-up. I'll be presenting at the Pecha Kucha event on Saturday night along with Pecha Kucha founders Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, local... View full entry
Quebec tent designer Maurice Monette thinks he has the solution to Haiti's housing crisis in his prototype home of foam and aluminum dubbed The Human — vancouversun.com
"I want something that will work in the culture of my country," he said. "I don't like foreigners bringing ideas that are not right for my country." Haitians who viewed the house loved it. Boulos calls his development "The Dignity Project" — bringing jobs and proper homes to his people, as... View full entry
Archinect's Building of the Week series is brought to you by our friends at OpenBuildings.com, the web's most comprehensive directory of buildings. São Paulo-based architect Fernanda Marques is one of the most versatile, comprehensive and innovative designers of our time. Her unique style... View full entry
We know more than the developer, we know more the contractor, we know more than the inspector, we know more than the guy installing something. We know a lot about all the stuff. It’s the integrator and the communicator role that’s the most important thing: We don’t build buildings, we make instruction sets for buildings. — Gregg Pasquarelli, via observer.com
The fish are part of a small side project the lab is working on in the city of Kesenuma. You probably saw it on the news. It's the city that had a massive boat sitting on a street instead of in the water. — KEIO UNIVERSITY
Check out the latest blog entry from the Keio University blog. "The community asked us to think of something that kids could be involved in and that would be cheap to put together and somehow symbolic and fun. The students in the lab came up with using the laser cutter to make a small... View full entry
And then there’s something about the building’s appearance that seems to unsettle people. Just when things got back on track after the fire, a Chinese critic published an article saying that the building’s contorted form, which frames an enormous void at its center, was modeled on a pornographic image of a naked woman on her hands and knees. The piece ignited a storm of negative press, forcing Mr. Koolhaas to issue a denial. — nytimes.com
Scott Erdy, designer of the new library, says open, flexible space — the furniture is movable and the walls act as one giant whiteboard — allows student and staff "knowledge transfer," a concept reinforced by Danuta Nitecki, dean of Drexel's libraries. "We don't just house books, we house learning," she says. — time.com
