high-intensity LED streetlights ... emit unseen blue light that can disturb sleep rhythms and possibly increase the risk of serious health conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. [...]
Some [researchers] noted that exposure to the blue-rich LED outdoor lights might decrease people’s secretion of the hormone melatonin. Secreted at night, melatonin helps balance the reproductive, thyroid and adrenal hormones and regulates the body’s circadian rhythm of sleeping and waking.
— washingtonpost.com
While the American Medical Association cautions cities to re-evaluate their use of high-intensity LED lights for health reasons, others have pointed out that most televisions and computers also emit the blue light wavelength found to be potentially harmful. Aside from human health concerns, LEDs... View full entry
Bjarke Ingels has found the elusive silver lining in global sea level rise and the European affordable housing crisis in the form of "Urban Rigger," a series of inexpensive student housing complexes that are designed to float in the sea, especially in those cities which have dense urban cores next... View full entry
Almost every kitchen counter in the United States is 36 inches tall. And 25 inches deep. Eighteen inches above the counters are the cabinets, which are 16 inches deep.
Where do these sizes and dimensions come from? Have they always been so exact?
— Atlas Obscura
"In 1938 Hitler’s chief architect Albert Speer hired Neufert to, as Speer put it, “oversee the standardization of building parts, and the rationalization to building methods.” He got to lead his own team of designers and technicians. They were called The Neufert Department.He created the... View full entry
Almost every kitchen counter in the United States is 36 inches tall. And 25 inches deep. Eighteen inches above the counters are the cabinets, which are 16 inches deep.
Where do these sizes and dimensions come from? Have they always been so exact?
— Atlas Obscura
"In 1938 Hitler’s chief architect Albert Speer hired Neufert to, as Speer put it, “oversee the standardization of building parts, and the rationalization to building methods.” He got to lead his own team of designers and technicians. They were called The Neufert Department.He created the... View full entry
This post is brought to you by Alucobond® A big compliment to architects is hearing that one of their building designs has become a recognizable landmark. That’s the case for architects at the Los Angeles office of Arquitectonica International Corp. who designed the Olume residential building... View full entry
During my ride, along a few miles of road near Uber’s testing facility in an old industrial neighborhood, the car performed admirably in many difficult situations...and I mostly felt pretty safe. However, several times the person behind the wheel needed to take control [...]
it will take time for Uber and others to perfect fully automated driving. In fact, it remains unclear what needs to be done before it can be considered safe to remove humans from the driver’s seat.
— technologyreview.com
More on Uber and autonomous vehicles:Japan gunning for Tokyo to take on driverless vehicles by 2020 Olympic GamesTesla Model S driver suffers fatal crash while using autopilot, in first known death involving an autonomous vehicleGoogle, Uber, Lyft, Ford and Volvo join forces to lobby for... View full entry
In a throwback to arcade games, Bjarke Ingels' firm BIG has created an Arkanoid version of their website called Arkinoid, where you can earn points by hitting the firm's projects with a black paddle ball:Don't think it will be easy to claim the top score, however: "Ben Devine!" is currently in the... View full entry
Tokyo-based Dynamic Map Planning will undertake the task of mapping out roadways in the highest detail to date (featuring such useful insights as curb location, lane height, and limits on turning), intended to be 20 times as precise as current maps [...]
The company will also lead the effort to equip Tokyo with digital infrastructure that will allow self-driving vehicles to pick up on factors that can change or appear in their surroundings as often as every few minutes or even seconds
— forbes.com
More autonomous driving news from around the world:Airbus promises autonomous flying taxis in the (very) near futureTesla Model S driver suffers fatal crash while using autopilot, in first known death involving an autonomous vehicleWould self-driving cars be useful to people living outside urban... View full entry
For nearly 30 years, Michael Arbib taught computer science, neuroscience, engineering, psychology, and mathematics at the University of Southern California, and is known for his prolific work on brains and computers: essentially, what the mechanisms of one can teach us about how the other works... View full entry
This post is brought to you by BQE ArchiOffice. Providing great architectural services and running a financially successful firm are not mutually exclusive. It’s quite the contrary. If you are as good an architect as you think, you’ll be successful and it won’t be because of your design... View full entry
University of East London hosts international PACT conference - two days of keynotes and discussions with Patrik Schumacher ( ZHA), Mario Carpo ( UCL), Jose Sanchez ( Plethora Project/USC) and Benjamin Dillenburger ( ETH/ITA). — University of East-London and IEREK
PACT Conference UEL, 12.09-13.09 Please join for keynotes by Mario Carpo (UCL), Patrik Schumacher (ZHA), Jose Sanchez ( Plethora Project / USC) and Benjamin Dillenburger ( ETH/ITA) , followed by a series of provocative Panel Discussions. The Panel Discussions are organised around our keynotes... View full entry
With a press release that makes references to Banksy's iconic global stencils, the new digital architectural stencil set from Morpholio enables architects to instantly make customizable stencils of complex designs, from faces to condo layouts to intricately shaded trees. The initial image can... View full entry
Watch professional tennis, and you'll notice that silence makes up a significant part of the game, to the point where spectators can hear the bounce of the ball each time it lands on the playing surface. The acoustics of the new Rossetti Architects-designed roof for the Arthur Ashe stadium, which... View full entry
The project, which is being designed by UM SoA’s Responsive Architecture and Design Lab (RAD-UM Lab), will be built next to the Yucatán Science and Technology Park (YSTP), established by the National Autonomous University of Mexico. RAD-UM Lab specializes in technology-based designing and the “internet of things,” everyday objects that can collect data and connect to modern tech. — The Miami Hurricane
The University of Miami School of Architecture continues to experiment in the realm of responsive architecture, this time at an urban scale. Zenciti is a proposed "smart city" to be located in the Yucatan Peninsula where the gathering of data will play a prominent role. Information technology... View full entry
Martz’s proposal would make the suburb of Altamonte an unlikely test bed for one future of public transit. It would also raise questions about whether such a future can serve everyone equally, and force Martz to navigate between the transparency of public office and the demands of a multibillion dollar company with a penchant for secrecy. [...]
for some transit advocates, the embrace of Uber and its competitors risks undermining civic ideals of accessibility and transparency.
— theverge.com
More on the contentious ride-sharing giant:Uber lets you hail its self-driving cars in Pittsburgh later this monthNew study finds ride-sharing apps like Lyft and Uber have no effect on drunk-driving fatalitiesWithout Uber or Lyft, Austin turns to Facebook for ridesA look at the history and future... View full entry
