Despite many construction projects being put on hold across the U.S., some regions, including Los Angeles, have continued on with business as usual. Word of the LACMA demolition came to light during the second week of April, while a neighboring project is also making progress. In the weeks... View full entry
This is the first installment of a narrative survey of educators around the globe on the challenges of the massive move to online teaching. Some challenges are practical and logistical; others are more conceptual, political, and even philosophical, involving the importance of campus community, the role of schools in providing for the wellbeing of students, and passionate convictions about the nature of learning and the transmission of knowledge. — Places Journal
Places Journal, which recently took a hiatus from its regular publishing schedule in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has gathered perspectives from leading architectural educators offering their takes on what some of the challenges and concerns are for the period moving forward as design... View full entry
Despite the state-wide shutdown of all non-essential construction projects, work on the 77-story One Vanderbilt tower in New York City designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) is marching forward. New York YIMBY reports that construction crews are currently hard at work installing the finishing... View full entry
After much listening, discussion, and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision not to build Black Rock City in 2020. Given the painful reality of COVID-19, one of the greatest global challenges of our lifetimes, we believe this is the right thing to do. — Burning Man Journal
Burning Man is the latest physical event casualty resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The event organizers announced that they will be canceling the physical build-out of Black Rock City this year, for the safety of the participants and community, and will be building the city virtually... View full entry
As design communities around the country come together to help fabricate new stockpiles of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), a team at Harvard University is undertaking its own PPE manufacturing operation. Representatives from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD), John... View full entry
This post is brought to you by Southern California Institute of Architecture In the midst of unprecedented global challenges, SCI-Arc is proud to announce that its annual fundraising gala and exhibition preview Main Event is now Main E-vent, a lively and spectacular virtual affair to which... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has published a preliminary “Preparedness Assessment Tool” to help architects and healthcare directors appropriately select existing buildings for reuse as Alternative Care Sites (ACS). The document brings together best practices for ACS... View full entry
Foster + Partners has designed a general-purpose prototype face visor that can be cleaned and reused to aid in the fight against COVID-19. The firm's hope is to encourage both designers and large scale manufacturers to investigate the potential of digital and laser cutting machines as an... View full entry
What will happen to home-sharing in the wake of coronavirus? It’s one of many questions about the fate of pre-pandemic sharing-economy juggernauts like Airbnb.
[...] with tourism on hold, national economies staggered, and public attitudes about shared space very much in question, the prospects for that industry are now murky.
— CityLab
Feargus O'Sullivan on the consequences of the short-term rental market's collapse, with particular focus on the industry's dominating player, Airbnb. In the aftermath of a worldwide wave of coronavirus-related booking cancellations, some apartments are reportedly returning to the local... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA |LA) chapter has been asked by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to aid the city in its efforts to expand the growing #OperationPPE initiative that has taken root in the city. Initiated by a team led by University of Southern California... View full entry
For most architecture students, faculty, and staff around the world, working from home has become the new normal since campuses closed in response to the sweeping pandemic several weeks ago. Archinect wanted to find out how things had been going so far for the architectural academic community and... View full entry
Online courses, activities, and programming have increased as the globe adjusts to this "new normal" of social distancing measures and safety precautions amid the current pandemic. However, museums across the globe have shifted their efforts towards bringing art to the homes of millions of... View full entry
Toronto-based LuxMea Studio has combined artificial intelligence (AI), computational design, and 3D printing to develop the Nuo 3D Mask. The mask is custom tailored to each user with the help of AI to fit any head shape. On its Kickstarter page, the team writes: "[We] started to wonder, what if... View full entry
Across the globe, industries are doing the best they can to respond to the global COVID-19 pandemic that is affecting millions of people daily. The architecture and design industry has stepped into action by providing aid and continuous assistant through the PPE fabrication and collaboration with... View full entry
A planned Los Angeles County subway extension could see the light of day six months ahead of schedule, as the social and economic shutdown put in place to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus strain prompts authorities to consider consolidating construction activities. A recent... View full entry
