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
Modular home builder Plant Prefab has announced that it completed installation of a 11,054-square-foot, four-unit townhome development in Los Gatos, California in July in just three days. According to Plant Prefab, The townhomes range in size from 2,650 to 2,902 square feet, and each... 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 system uses a microphone outside the window to detect the repeating sound waves of the offending noise source, which is registered by a computer controller. That in turn deciphers the proper wave frequency needed to neutralize the sound, which is transmitted to the array of speakers on the inside of the window frame. — The New York Times
A team of researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore led by Masaharu Nishimura and Bhan Lam have developed a prototype approach that can decrease the amount of urban noise that infiltrates a dwelling. The grid of circular speakers is installed within the open window frame... 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
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
The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has unveiled designs for The Plus, a new furniture factory for Vestre, a Norwegian manufacturer of urban furniture. Located in the heart of the Norwegian forest, the 6,500-square-meter open production facility will double as a public 300-acre park for hiking and... View full entry
According to Urbanize LA, an entity associated with Chicago-based Cardiff Mason Development has selected Morphosis to design a new self-storage facility in Westchester. The project calls for the construction of an approximately 50,000-square-foot structure consisting of three... View full entry
The initial idea of residential construction firm Mitsubishi Estate Residence, the Cat Tower Mansion was realized by a team led by Japanese-based architect Akiko Ishimaru, who also happens to be a cat-lover. The multi-story structure is designed to exist within the interior of a home. The "ground... View full entry
Climate-conscious architects in the United Kingdom are speaking out against British architect Norman Foster as efforts to have architects disengage from air transport projects intensify. Last week, Archinect reported news of a high profile airport commission taken on by Foster + Partners for a... View full entry
President Emmanuel Macron of France on Thursday dropped the unpopular idea of building a modern spire atop a restored Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, a possibility he had floated after a devastating fire sent the previous spire crashing through the roof. [...]
But the idea of a modern spire never caught on with critics or with public opinion, and Mr. Macron never committed to it.
— The New York Times
French President Macron's decision to let go of his long-championed vision of a contemporary spire for the fire-damaged Gothic cathedral comes one year after the French senate passed a bill approving the government's restoration plan under the condition that Notre Dame be restored to its "last... View full entry
Designed by Seattle-based LMN Architects, the new 82,476-square-foot Plant Sciences Building at Washington State University brings previously separated fields of study into a single facility, inserting itself as the latest addition to the university's growing Research and Education Complex (REC)... View full entry