The initial responses of some local architects to the arena drawings were underwhelming.

While cautioning that the renderings are preliminary, Seattle architect and critic Mark Hinshaw said some of the views of the proposed arena seem like "boxes with a tight lid" that could be any number of public buildings.

"One thing that seems missing is any kind of dramatic roof expression that we have seen with a number of landmark buildings — particularly ones that involve large audiences. — seattletimes.com

As part of our mini series of Stage 1 proposals submitted to the Helsinki Central Library competition, here is the entry by Belgian collaboration OYO + office9 + Ingenium. — bustler.net

It is an unusual soul, however, who proceeds to build 7 houses, 10 ponds, a hermit’s hut, a 17-foot-tall maple-wood Jesus and a yoga studio whose sculptured pink doorway resembles (with frank anatomical accuracy) the female genitalia.

The lord of this manor is a 60-year-old barefoot maverick named SunRay Kelley. And his fantastical hand-hewn compound lies at the end of a dirt road that bears his grandfather’s name, in the foothills of the Cascade Range, north of Seattle. — nytimes.com

Modern retailers go to extremes to make their mark and compete within an increasingly competitive market. This often goes beyond out the box design ideals such as virtual retail or smartphone-based shopping processes. — DesignBuild Source

While becoming the tallest in architectural terms will always garner attention, taller building often harbour some of the lengthiest development periods.

With a rise in the prominence of prefabrication, however, large is no longer necessarily equated with lengthy. — DesignBuild Source

Lennar started marketing its new designs last fall with particular gusto: “Next Gen — The Home Within a Home” is a title and tag line intended to wrap the notion of multigenerational living in a futuristic gloss. But it is more than just marketing; the blueprints themselves are changing. — NYT

A recent structural discovery that was recently found buried beneath 30 tonnes of rubble has the global industry abuzz.

The architectural secret, which was dubbed ‘Berlin’s best kept architectural secret,’ is a three-storey German Music Hall Theatre, designed by famous architect and business owner Oscar Garbe and built in 1905. — DesignBuild Source

Holistic sustainability is a notion too often forgotten in a global industry heavily focused delivering on green ideals. While the notion of green building is an umbrella under which all things related to environmentally responsible construction and design efforts are categorized, the green sector actually falls under the broad-reaching holistic sustainability model. — DesignBuild Source Canada

After the success linked to their Rolex Learning Centre, built on the campus of EPFL Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, SANAA again set out to design a non-hierarchal relationship between the elements of a landscape that is human before it is architectural. The campus lies on the former site of Milan's Centrale del Latte (milk-processing plant), whose north side is attached to the university's existing complex. — domusweb.it

As part of our mini series of Stage 1 proposals submitted to the Helsinki Central Library competition, here is the entry by Portuguese firm OODA. — bustler.net