It is not only a new way of working, it is part of the latest renaissance in drawing; imagining the heart of the designer merged with the brain of a computer. — Morpholio
Morpholio has just released “ScalePen”, a patent-pending tool used to draft on the developer’s popular "Trace" app for the iPad. The company’s co-creator, Anna Kenoff, views ScalePen as an “entirely new opportunity for architectural drawing… Rather than setting or keeping records of... View full entry
The cartoon drawings and graffiti scrawled all over the 1970s hangout of the Sex Pistols - a former silversmith’s workshop attached to a townhouse in London’s Denmark Street – have helped the building be awarded Grade 2* Listed Status.
The decision by the Department of Culture, Media & Sport, on advice from Historic England, is a major victory in the campaign to maintain Denmark Street, known as “Tin Pan Alley”, which is widely seen as a spiritual home for British popular music.
— independent.co.uk
To raise awareness and funds to address the 3 million feral cat population in Los Angeles, “Architects for Animals” recently tasked twelve local architects to design outdoor cat shelters. Their designs would then be put up for auction to benefit FixNation, a pro-spay and neuter nonprofit... View full entry
Rapidly rising property prices and rents, combined with the loss of social housing through right to buy, have put councils under growing pressure to find new ways to help people off their housing lists.
In Lewisham one solution is a £4.3m scheme to provide 24 homes and 880 sq m of business space that can be picked up and moved at a later date, allowing the council to make use of vacant brownfield land while longer-term projects are finalised.
— theguardian.com
The contemporary design champion is moving from its current location in Shad Thames to the former Commonwealth Institute building, a Grade II*-listed 1960s landmark conceived by architects RJMM.
Its new home, which is being remodelled by designer John Pawson, will provide three times more space and have a learning centre, auditorium, library and a ‘Designers in Residence’ studio.
— thespaces.com
Dubai's desire to become a (tasteful) global cultural center is gaining further traction with an OMA-designed events and project space for local art-scene hub Alserkal Avenue. The 1,000 square meter gallery features four movable walls which can either rotate or slide within a flexible floor plan... View full entry
Working with [Seibu Group's] design team, [Sejima] has proposed a concept for [their] 'Red Arrow' series that would be one with the environment, melding into the background as it travels through city and countryside. The plan represents a sharp deviation from train designs of the past, which have emphasized a bold, striking look through slick lines and bright colors. In contrast, Sejima has chosen keywords like 'friendly' and 'soft' to define her new vision for express trains in Japan. — Spoon & Tamago
More on Archinect:Watch SANAA's "River" project come to life in this time-lapseFirst glimpse: SANAA wins over Snøhetta for Budapest's new National Gallery + Ludwig MuseumCut away confusion from your NYC commute with these beautiful subway mapsWill LA's new metro extension bring growth to the... View full entry
Amid the controversy that perpetually surrounds Planned Parenthood, it's easy to forget that the nonprofit organization is, first and foremost, a health care provider. It is the largest provider of sex education in the United States. Every year, 2.5 million people—men and women—visit its health centers for care and information. It administers life-saving cancer-screening tests and offers contraception. In some states, it's the only abortion provider... — FastCo Design
"In 2014, Planned Parenthood embarked on an ambitious collaboration with the global design consultancy Ideo to hatch plans that would help the nonprofit do what it does best: care for patients."For more design responses to public health challenges, check out these links:Turning the “ugliest... View full entry
Central Park Summer Pavilion Competition was open for international architects. The CPSP was envisioned as a meeting point for different cultural and leisure circuits, with the goal of using the same space for a broad range of daytime and nocturnal activities in a sustainable fashion that... View full entry
Mostly it is about how propaganda multiplies within that upload/download architecture; an architecture in which both fact and fiction can exist side by side and even overlap — It’s Nice That
Billie Muraben investigates 'The Sprawl', a multi-channel video installation, by design studio Metahaven. 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
"The People's Design Library is a digital library maintained by buildingcommunityWORKSHOP for anyone looking for help in improving their community. The three collections - guides, inspiration, and [bc] publications - provide practical advice and examples of the wide range of resources out there for citizens doing community work. It’s the right of the People to shape their city, let's exercise that right and have some fun doing it!" — buildingcommunityWORKSHOP
There are countless design, policy, and organizing guides created by different organizations to help citizens navigate how to make lasting change in their neighborhoods. We created The People’s Design Library to bring these resources together in one place. If you know of, or have created, a... View full entry
The City of Vancouver has reached an agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway that will transform a contentious stretch of old rail corridor into a public greenway.
Under the deal, the city will pay $55 million to purchase the land on the railway route, which extends for nine kilometres from False Creek near Downtown Vancouver to Marpole on the city's south side.
— CBC News
Once the unofficial home to community gardens and in situ artworks, under the city's plan the Vancouver's Arbutus Corridor will become a place for cyclists and walkers. It's not the High Line (although much like that project, Vancouver city officials would like to continue thinking that the rail... View full entry
After Architecture for Humanity closed in 2015, affiliate Chapter Network took its place, appointing Garrett Jacobs as its leader (with whom Archinect had the opportunity to speak with on its podcast). Now, the Chapter Network organization is formally rebranding itself as the Open Architecture... View full entry
graphic artists Michael Eaton and Felicity Hickson designed a wide range of props, from books and cigarette packs to the entire contents of a supermarket ... to help cement the look and feel of 1970s apartment living [...]
the film follows Dr Robert Laing ... as he adjusts to his new life as a tenant on the 25th floor and explores the relationships between the building’s various social groups and the tribal mentalities that emerge as the tower gradually descends into chaos.
— creativereview.co.uk
In any discussion of poor doors, newly urbanized class structures, or gentrification, there's a spot for J.G. Ballard's "High-Rise" (1975). Check out the trailer for the film adaptation, directed by Ben Wheatley, below. View full entry