Architectural education is plagued by the mentality that suffering is a necessary part of its practice. [...] The acceptance of suffering easily slips into normalizing sexual misconduct and its suppression as simply part of the practice. Cultlike worship of the star architect only exacerbates this condition, and there are plenty [...] willing to sacrifice their time and integrity because they have been conditioned to believe that this mode of production is normal. — The New York Times
The architecture world is known for many movements that have enabled architects to create iconic works. From bauhaus to brutalist, midcentury modern to contemporary, countless movements have impacted the architectural timeline. But in today's climate of inclusivity and representation is there one... View full entry
Architecture's presence in academia plays an increasingly pivotal role in shaping and guiding new designers of the future. Many architects use their own experiences academically and professionally to instruct students in various capacities. Whether it be teaching in the studio, as a guest... View full entry
[...] Peter Barber, one of the most original architects working today. Over the past decade he has built a reputation for his ingenious reinventions of traditional house types and his ability to craft characterful chunks of city out of unpromising sites.
[...] He is a master of humane high-density, designing that rare thing: new housing that feels in tune with the grain of London, in the form of neither alienating slabs nor tacky towers, without resorting to pastiche.
— The Guardian
The Guardian's architecture critic, Oliver Wainwright, has nothing but praise for the award-winning firm Peter Barber Architects, a small practice that seeks to integrate social activism ideals when designing better, and more humane, housing for London. Holmes Road Studio, a whimsical housing... View full entry
Richard Meier is officially out at Richard Meier & Partners Architects, the company announced in a statement titled Leadership Changes this morning. "Founder Richard Meier will step back from day-to-day activities and support the leadership transition of the firm he founded in 1963," reveals... View full entry
Lord Palumbo has given Mies van der Rohe's Mansion House Square archive—which includes models, photographs, and films—to the RIBA Collections. Considered one of the most important collections of architectural materials in the world, the donation to RIBA is an important step in preserving the... View full entry
What makes Dr. Oxman, the scientist, so unusual, said Paola Antonelli, the senior curator of architecture and design at MoMA, is her aesthetic sense. “She’s not afraid of formal elegance,” Ms. Antonelli said. “The reason why she is a gift to the field of architecture and design is that her science works, her aesthetics work, and her theory works. — The New York Times
Tenured professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, Dr. Neri Oxman's larger than life approach to architecture and design has continuously turned heads. Her impact in the world of architecture has led her to various breakthroughs in understanding the relationship and... View full entry
Gordon Matta-Clark’s inventive site-specific cuts into abandoned buildings demonstrated approaches to the concept of home and to the market system of real estate that were anarchistic, creatively destructive, and full of queer promise. — Places Journal
In "Unbuilding Gender," Jack Halberstam extends the ideas of unbuilding and creative destruction that characterize Gordon Matta-Clark's work to develop a queer concept of anarchitecture focused on the trans* body. Halberstam is the 2018 recipient of the Arcus/Places Prize for innovative public... View full entry
At age 90, Beverly Willis will receive the Engineering News-Record's Legacy Award for her decades-long career as an architect and fierce advocate for women in the field. Considered a lifetime achievement award, the prestigious regional award honors individuals for their lifetimes services to the... View full entry
The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks consists of 29 shipping containers and has a total floorspace of 320 sq m (3,444 sq ft), spread over two floors. The containers have been reinforced, modified for glazing, and are painted white. The building's interior, which wasn't designed by Kuma, includes a brightly-colored wall mural representing Taiwan's aboriginal Amis people and offers views of a nearby mountain range. — New Atlas
Kuma has worked with the global coffee giant before, having designed the, now iconic, store in Fukuoka, Japan, and will also be the exterior architect of the upcoming Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo. Photo: StarbucksJust last month, Starbucks announced its plans to design, build, and operate... View full entry
Five meters below the surface of the North Sea, near the southernmost tip of Norway, Europe's first underwater restaurant is nearing completion [...] The restaurant was built in about six months on a barge near the coast, then towed into position -- about 600 feet away -- with a heavy-lift vessel. To submerge the structure, containers filled with water were placed inside, before securing it to the sea floor with a total of 18 anchoring points. — CNN
In the southernmost tip of the Norwegian coastline, Snøhetta is in its final stages of completing the world's largest underwater restaurant. Submerged five meters below the North Sea, the restaurant appropriately named Under is preparing for its debut in Spring 2019. This 110ft-long structure... View full entry
They were planned after the second world war to whisk people above car-choked streets in the financial district, but remained unpopular and half-built. Now, pedestrian walkways are being reimagined for a 21st-century city — The Guardian
The "pedway" made its structural debut as a solution to providing a walkable, streamlined path for pedestrians in London's car stricken streets. However, what was devised as a plan to create an efficient walkway system, turned into an under appreciated and underwhelming concept. Examples of... View full entry
R.I.P. Robert Venturi. Initially Anthony Morey offered up a collection of videos (of just some of) Venturi’s public conversations and lectures. Architect Robert Venturi in Las Vegas in 1966. Photograph- Denise Scott Brown VSBALater Frank Gehry eulogized "He was a staggering figure in my life. We... View full entry
Princeton has announced a call for proposals for Field Studies, a doctoral student workshop hosted by the PhD program in History and Theory of Architecture at Princeton University. The workshop will be held at Princeton University’s School of Architecture in March 2-3, 2019. The state of the... View full entry
For nearly two years, [Janna Ireland has] searched out buildings to photograph — mansions and housing projects, churches and banks designed by the Angeleno architect who died in 1980. [...] “I’m interested in stories about black people, and I’m interested in stories about Los Angeles. There’s an intersection there,” says Ireland, who grew up in Philadelphia. — Los Angeles Times
Mimi Zeiger profiles artist/photographer Janna Ireland, who has spent the last two years photographing the buildings of Paul R. Williams as a way to preserve his architectural legacy. “It has all of this psychological depth ... [Ireland's photos] don’t simply document the architectural... View full entry
Yet it is Ms. van Loon’s innate sense of openness that allows her to think freely, particularly as a woman in a male-dominated profession. She said she had seen an improvement in the number of women in the profession, along with the increasingly important roles they play, and their influence on the design of buildings.
[...] “Now at OMA, we’re 50/50 men and women, though let’s hope there are a few more female partners in the future."
— The New York Times
The New York Times introduces OMA's only female partner, Dutch architect Ellen van Loon, who recounts her first fascination for Rem Koolhaas and looks at some of her recent high-profile projects, such as the new Qatar National Library, Rijnstraat 8 in The Hague, and the recently completed 'Blox'... View full entry
