Buildings in Delhi’s residential areas were restricted to two storeys, with construction permitted on only a fraction of the space on the third floor, so on top of homes, families built small dwellings for their own use, as accommodation for domestic staff or to rent out cheaply. Exposed to the elements, the single room on the top floor became known evocatively as the barsati – derived from the Hindi word for rain, barsaat. — the Guardian
"These apartments – generally, a small shack with a large terrace – afforded a new generation of urbanites cheap living space near the centre of town... But it’s a typology that, as land values rise and the population grows, is fast disappearing. While there are no official figures... View full entry
Made possible by a special change in law, a building that is set to claim the title of world’s tallest timber tower is now under construction in Vancouver, Canada.
When complete in 2017, the 18-storey (53m) tower, called Brock Commons, will house hundreds of students at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
[...] the CAN$51.5m residence is set to be the world’s tallest, beating the 13-storey ‘Origine’ apartment block now being built in Quebec City.
— globalconstructionreview.com
"Earlier this year the provincial government of British Columbia passed a new regulation that allowed UBC to go over timber-structure height limits if the building met rigorous health and safety standards. The architects, Acton Ostry, and UBC building officials helped draft the regulation." In... View full entry
Today, The Barack Obama Foundation issued a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to seven architectural firms, one of which will ultimately be selected to design the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) on the South Side of Chicago. [...]
Although the RFP process is not a design competition, the RFP will require defined, visual responses from each candidate to present creative ideas in response to the Foundation’s project goals.
— barackobamafoundation.org
After sending out RFQs to a broad range of (undisclosed but widely speculated) architectural firms on August 26, the President and First Lady, together with advisers from the Obama Foundation, have found time to sit down and select seven finalists to receive a formal Request for Proposal. The... View full entry
In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect... View full entry
North Korea held a ceremony on Tuesday to celebrate Mirae Scientists Street, the residential sector dedicated for scientists or engineers of North Korea.
Mirae (“Future”) Scientists Street, located in the center of Pyongyang, directly next to Pyongyang Station adjacent to the Taedong River, is nearing completion. [...]
Wednesday’s report emphasized the term “Pyongyang Speed,” the idea that North Korean workers can produce miraculously fast construction speeds.
— nknews.org
"KCNA reports revealed that one of the buildings is 53 floors high, designed with an artistic exterior and guided under Kim Jong Un’s orders. The street also had a kindergarten, daycare center, school, stores, sports park and more, according to KCNA."h/t CTBUHRelated news on... View full entry
The Armenian American Museum unveiled its conceptual design at the Glendale City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 8, 2015. [...]
The Armenian American Museum concept designed by Alajajian Marcoosi Architects will include exhibitions space, resource center, a performing arts theater, and classrooms. [...] The 1.7 acre property on the corner of Verdugo Road and Mountain Street will also serve as the location for a memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
— Armenian American Museum
For more information about the project, head over to the Armenian American Museum website. View full entry
Majestic doesn't cover it—to judge by these photos by Adam Mørk and Hufton+Crow, MAD's new 850,000 square foot Harbin Opera House located on the titular Chinese city's Cultural Island is approaching a masterpiece.With two theaters (The Grand Theater seats 1,600, the Small Theater 400) and a... View full entry
Nicholas Korody penned a double review; of 'The Geological Imagination' and 'The Underdome Guide to Energy Reform'. He finds "The two books also help illuminate some of the difficulties in perceiving climate change, while offering some potentials for movement" and goes on to reference... View full entry
Wood latticework, green shrubbery, sunken sports fields and temple-like touches can be seen in the two final design proposals for Tokyo’s controversial new Olympic Stadium. [...] The new proposals [...] are more understated in style and also smaller in physical form compared to the originally commissioned design. [...]
The agency has not named the firms behind the two final designs, although unconfirmed local media reports stated that they were Kengo Kuma and Toyo Ito [...].
— telegraph.co.uk
Design A - rumored to be by the office of Kengo Kuma.Design B - believed to come from Toyo Ito's firm.Which design is your immediate favorite? Who is going to finally build the Japan National Stadium? Let us know in the comment section.UPDATE: Kengo Kuma selected for new Tokyo Olympic... View full entry
No, these images aren't for an upcoming Lego kit design or a fantasy-genre video game, although they might as well be. They're Mark Foster Gage's concept for a 102-story ornamental skyscraper nicknamed "The Khaleesi", proposed for 41 West 57th Street in NYC's Billionaire's Row.Interestingly... View full entry
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved subsidies to help expedite the construction of lower Manhattan’s 2 World Trade Center [...].
Developer Silverstein Properties Inc., which leases the sites for 2 World Trade Center and two other towers from the Port Authority, would receive a rent break that amounts to $9 million over the life of the lease [...].
The agency had previously maintained that 2 World Trade would be built entirely without public assistance.
— bloomberg.com
Previously in the Archinect news: Bjarke Ingels and the challenges of designing Two World Trade Center2 World Trade Center Could Be the Most Expensive Office Tower in the WorldPort Authority reveals plan to sell World Trade Center site View full entry
Alongside the companies shortlisted for the management services, four of the UK’s largest architectural practices have been shortlisted to provide architectural advice. The companies shortlisted are Allies & Morrison, BDP, Foster & Partners and HOK.
[...] The report, produced by Deloitte Real Estate, Aecom and HOK, stated that the major works would cost between £3.5bn and £5.7bn and take between five and 40 years to complete.
— construction-manager.co.uk
Related news on Archinect:With London's Palace of Westminster crumbling, the British government may have to find a new homeLondon skyline campaigners' dismay as Unesco ignores risk to Westminster View full entry
In making the long-awaited decision as to who would reimagine its home, the New York Philharmonic — together with Lincoln Center — has made a surprising choice, selecting the London firm Heatherwick Studio and Diamond Schmitt Architects of Toronto to redesign the interior of David Geffen Hall. [...]
He will essentially be replacing the British heavyweight Norman Foster, the Pritzker-winning architect who a decade ago was commissioned to redesign what was then known as Avery Fisher Hall.
— nytimes.com
We particularly asked contestants to get inspired from icons of Turkey. Currently we are evaluating the submitted projects and will be announcing the results as soon as possible. - The Client — designboom
ZHA’s design was based on whirling dervishes, RMJMs on seagulls and Safdie Architects’ on Ottoman geometric patterns.Massimiliano Fuksas based its design on minarets while Grimshaw-Nordic drew inspiration from its nearby terminal buildings and Pininfarina-Aecom was influenced by tulips.So... View full entry
College officials say 1950s-era buildings that are peppered across the Costa Mesa campus — many of them designed by renowned architect Richard Neutra — are no longer able to accommodate the school's rising population. [...]
"We appreciate the Neutra buildings for what they were and what they meant to the campus, but times do change," trustee Mary Hornbuckle said. "We have to be responsive to the needs of the 21st century student."
— latimes.com