two-dimensional materials will be the linchpin of the internet of everything. They will be “painted” on bridges and form the sensors to watch for strain and cracks. They will cover windows with transparent layers that become visible only when information is displayed. And if his team’s radio wave-absorber succeeds, it will power those ever-present electronics. Increasingly, the future looks flat. — The New York Times
Amos Zeeberg of The New York Times takes a look at the wide world of super-thin materials, a growing class of substances that have the potential to reshape humanity's technological capabilities. The materials include graphene, an incredibly strong and conductive "2-D form of carbon"... View full entry
The University of Oregon (UO) College of Design in Eugene, Oregon is currently searching for a new dean. According to a job listing hosted by the Association for Collegiate Schools of Architecture, the 1,800-student college is home to 1,300 undergraduates and 500 graduate students and... View full entry
China’s largest property developer by sales Country Garden is planning to start mass production of construction robots next year to cut costs and raise efficiency, it said on Friday.
The group, which started investing in robotics research and development in 2018, said it aims to have at least one robot at each of its sites across the nation.
— Reuters
According to Reuters, Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd. has signaled its intention to invest more than $2 billion in robotics each year for the next five years to boost automation in the company's construction, agriculture, restaurant, and property management businesses. To showcase its... View full entry
There is cross-laminated timber (CLT), which looks like inch-thick strips of heartwood arranged like a Jenga set to produce a block that is pretty much the definition of the word solid. Or glu-lam, used to make structural beams that are like extremely strong plywood, and LVL—laminated veneer lumber—which makes excellent heavy beams and had formed the skeleton of the apartment building. — National Geographic
Saul Elbein dives into the growing industry of mass timber and talks with architects, both abroad and in the U.S., that are already using the new materials to design buildings of today. Elbein also chats with those imaging cities of the future, full of "standardized, customizable, mid-rise... View full entry
“The bottom line is this: The way people get around, the way people live is going to change,” [Texas Governor Greg] Abbott said, according to the Rivard Report. “As a result, this generation of roads that [Texas Transportation Commission Chairman] Bruce Bugg is in charge of building is probably the last major buildout of roads we’ll have in the state of Texas, even considering the fact that Texas is the fastest-growing state in America.” — D Magazine
Might Texas finally end its long-running love affair with highway infrastructure? According to the state's Governor, Greg Abbot, it's a possibility. In a recent speech, Abbot, who is a Republican, expressed doubt that the state's current transportation regime can last much longer as the... View full entry
One Thousand Museum, first-and-only residential tower designed by the late Zaha Hadid in the Western Hemisphere, makes its debut in Miami's Museum Park this week. The residential tower stands prominently alongside neighboring condo towers and other notable Miami structures like the... View full entry
The Getty Research Institute (GRI) in Los Angeles has acquired two collections of drawings and sketches by visionary architect Lebbeus Woods. Woods passed away in 2012 after a long career as a radical, inventive architectural designer who created thousands of fantastical visions for... View full entry
Ziva is a two-wheeled, image-capturing robot that Casta describes as a temporary closed-circuit TV for jobsites. The robot, which can travel up to 11 mph and has a 12-hour battery life, utilizes cameras and facial recognition software to identify people and vehicles present and if they’re allowed to be in the area — Construction Dive
Developed by British company Casta Spes Technologies, the robot is designed for security surveillance and documentation of construction sites and can autonomously navigate the jobsite. View full entry
This post is brought to you by Microsol Resources Microsol Resources, an Autodesk Platinum Partner and a premier provider of technology solutions to the building industry, will host its TECH Perspectives conference at the Seattle Art Museum on February 11, 2020. TECH Perspectives is Microsol... View full entry
In a statement Monday, Uber announced, on behalf of PeopleForBikes, the North American Bikeshare Association, and the League of American Bicyclist, it authored a letter urging the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to prioritize the safety of vulnerable roadway users such as... View full entry
Super Nintendo World, the Mario-themed expansion to Universal Studios, is shaping up to be one of the most interesting and tech-infused theme park attractions to date.
The park, launching ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as part of Universal Studios Japan in the city of Osaka, will feature wearable wrist bands called “Power Up Bands” that will sync with a smartphone app and track digital activities while you walk around
— The Verge
After breaking ground on its ambitious high-tech theme park, Super Nintendo World, in 2017, Universal Studios Japan unveiled more details this week about the anticipated destination slated to open in Osaka this summer. "A life-size, living video game" -- Thierry Coup shows us the new app used to... View full entry
If I have to do one more portable project, I'm going to lose my mind! This was part of a story an early mentor of mine told me. It was the end of my first year right out of school and we were meeting for my performance review. I had just finished working on my third masterplan for a local... View full entry
This post is brought to you by Southern California Institute of Architecture Deeply embedded in the entertainment industry of Los Angeles, SCI-Arc’s postgraduate Master of Science program in Fiction and Entertainment has emerged as the place to tell new kinds of stories about the alternative... View full entry
This news post is brought to you by AIA Los Angeles *Competition Update: The open call for faculty submissions has been extended to February 17, 2020AIA Los Angeles is seeking local faculty to design and build this year’s exhibition for the annual 2x8 student competition. The theme “DOMUM”... View full entry
While our busy schedules didn't allow us to release as many episodes this year, compared to the last few years, 2019 was a great year for Archinect Sessions. We gained thousands of new subscribers and more than doubled the number of listens per episode. Here's a list of 2019's most popular... View full entry
