President Obama gave his final State of the Union speech last night, which prompted the AIA to issue a statement outlining policies it feels President Obama and Republicans in Congress should enact this year in order to bolster the health of the architectural profession. These include: •... View full entry
The Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena has been named Pritzker Prize Laureate for 2016. The 48-year old is known for his socially-minded work at various scales in Chile, produced under two forms of practice – principal of his private firm, Alejandro Aravena Architects, and executive... View full entry
This case study looks at the origins of, and factors that led to, the “death” of the best-known humanitarian architecture organization in the world.
However, it will also reveal that AFH is regenerating via its worldwide network of chapters, which it had begun developing around 2004, and which gathered more formally under the name Architecture for Humanity Chapter Network upon AFH’s closure.
— nonprofitquarterly.org
To get caught up on Architecture for Humanity's history as a non-profit:Architecture for Humanity begins crowdsourced rebranding campaignArchitecture for Humanity to file for bankruptcyArchitecture for Humanity to shut downCameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr, co-founders of Architecture for Humanity... View full entry
L.A. has always been a place of experimentation, but now it appears to be in an architectural arms race, a competition to build the tallest, shiniest, and weirdest buildings. Adding to some Angelenos’ trepidation is how many of the projects popping up around the city are museums—built to last for 40 years or more, which is an eternity in a city known for knocking things down. — LA Magazine
Related:Is Zumthor's inkblot the right size for LACMA's art?Urban blight: a review of the Petersen Automotive MuseumThe Broad Museum opens its doors for a look beyond the veilTurn the 2 into housing (or a park or a solar array): Christopher Hawthorne's pitch for one of LA's most awkward freeways View full entry
Mumbai’s gigantic slums are one of the city’s most prominent—and problematic—features. Dharavi, located in the heart of Mumbai, is home to upwards of 1.5 million people, giving it the distinction of being one of the largest slums in all of Asia. [...] it will also be home to what organizers are calling the first slum museum. [...]
The museum itself will be a small, flexible mobile structure, which will make it easy for it to be pulled through the slum’s streets on a bike or small vehicle.
— smithsonianmag.com
Related stories in the Archinect news:Mumbai's Dharavi 'slum': Opportunities & challengesThe Slumdog Millionaire ArchitectSteven Holl Architects wins star-studded competition to design Mumbai City Museum North Wing View full entry
Unlike Lego bricks, which are plastic, Tsumiki pieces are made of Japanese cedar (and manufactured using wood certified by the Forest Stewardship). And unlike the brick-shaped Lego blocks, each Tsumiki block is shaped like an inverted “V.” Triangular notches in the legs let the Tsumiki blocks wedge together, making them versatile like Lego bricks, albeit not as sturdy; some of the assembly models shown in Kuma’s Tsumiki brochure look about as solid as a house of cards. — wired.com
More related news:Kengo Kuma selected for new Tokyo Olympic StadiumLego to ditch oil-based plasticKengo Kuma: "Architecture can initiate communication among people."Could Lego Architecture Studio actually be useful for architects?Knowing Kuma View full entry
According to celebrity gossip juggernaut TMZ, the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles is soon to go up for sale and the owner — Playboy Enterprises and not Hugh Hefner — hopes for a brazenly quixotic and international publicity assuring sale price “somewhere north of $200 million.”
[...] should someone sign on the dotted line they will be required to accept a lifetime tenancy by Mister Hefner, now 89 years old and married since 2012 to 29-year-old former Playmate of the Month Crystal Harris.
— variety.com
Better call the carpet cleaner first.Related stories in the Archinect news:Un-haunting a house: the art of selling a building with a grisly pastLos Angeles to declare homelessness in the city an 'emergency' and pledge $100 millionLow-income housing in Los Angeles: A look at the past, present and... View full entry
Holidaymakers may soon be able to experience life under the sea by booking a stay at a futuristic hotel on the ocean floor.
The Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel has received USA Patent and Trademark approval as the world's first underwater hotel - with Egypt, Malaysia, Hawaii and the Bahamas revealed as some of the designers' preferred locations.
Guests would be treated to a one-of-a-kind panoramic view of sea life at a staggering 28ft (8.5 metres) below the surface.
— Daily Mail
Technically the hotel is a vessel, as the Daily Mail rightly points out, since it can navigate underwater and seek shelter if there's a hurricane. So basically, think of it as a cruise ship where you can't step out for a bit of fresh air."Rates will range between $3,000 to $6,000 for two... View full entry
Next Wednesday, January 13, the 2016 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize will be announced. The winner will receive the Pritzker's bronze medal, $100,000, and an avalanche of "what does this mean for architecture" media attention. Check back here for the winner announcement first thing... View full entry
Mall of America’s ability to so zealously suppress the December 23 [Black Lives Matter] protest there highlights how, in a nation where more and more public life takes place in privatized spaces, the ability to exercise First Amendment rights has become increasingly contingent...
Legal arguments that free political speech should be allowed at malls center around the idea that the shopping center has replaced the town square as a place where opinions can be heard and exchanged.
— the Intercept
Related:Taking a stand against privately-owned public spacesFor in that death of malls, what dreams may come? Archinect Sessions #32, featuring special guest co-host, Nam Henderson!NY Mayor de Blasio's Times Square overhaul runs into massive opposition View full entry
A group of six amateur artists living in the heart of Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp, host to nearly 80,000 Syrians, has worked together to recreate famous landmarks, which once stood proudly in the western Asian country, in dedication to its long and rich history. [...]
“There are lots of kids living here who have never seen Syria or who have no memory of it. They know more about Jordan than about their own country.”
— Newsweek
Related stories in the Archinect news:The new Monument Men: with 3D cameras and GPS data against cultural annihilation in Syria and beyond3D printing will recreate destroyed Palmyra archISIS militants have reportedly blown up Palmyra's Arch of Triumph View full entry
Whereas residents were once all long-term tenants, in the 35 years since Margaret Thatcher encouraged people to buy – and therefore sell – their council flats and houses, the population of places like this has become ever more transient.
In particular, homes that were once council properties are now often owned by buy-to-let landlords who rent them out on a short-term basis.
— The Guardian
The second-biggest Italian city is offering a monthly payment of 350 euros ($376) to every resident willing to host a refugee, or an asylum seeker, in their home.
The city of Milan announced Monday with a post on its Facebook page that soon local residents will be paid for giving shelter to one or more refugees.
— Vice
Related:Architectures of the DisasterHow Architects Can Help Nepal (And Learn From Past Disastrous Mistakes/Successes)Ai Weiwei documents life in Greek refugee camp on social mediaThe vast majority of Syrian refugees are seeking refuge in cities, not campsViennese student dorms may Passively House... View full entry
Met with "unequivocal success", as described by Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Architecture Biennial will be back in fall 2017. The Chicago Cultural Center had a bustling three months serving as the venue of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, "The State of the Art of... View full entry
“People involved in building stadiums are usually very reliant on the firms who have demonstrated a strong record in understanding sports sites,” [Christopher S.] Dunlavey said. “BIG is known very well for very innovative architecture and design, but they haven’t been known for that kind of expertise.” — Washington Post
National Football League sports stadium design isn't usually a province of the starchitect, but in typical convention-defying style, the Bjarke Ingels Group isn't letting that deter them. In other parts of the world, starchitects have had mixed success with stadium design; Herzog & de Meuron's... View full entry