Christopher Hawthorne, in keeping with his exploration of the ever evolving urban identity of Los Angeles, reached out via the L.A. Times to Michael Maltzan to see if the architect had any ideas about transforming L.A.'s freeways from noisy polluting agents into civic amenities. Maltzan has... View full entry
Very few people have a neutral reaction to Eric Owen Moss: in his conversation and his work, he can be abrasive, challenging, enlightening, and inspirational. For its part, Austria awarded him with its Decoration of Honor for Science and Art on June 21st, celebrating five decades of practice that... View full entry
To most people, zoning and land-use regulations might conjure up little more than images of late-night City Council meetings full of gadflies and minutiae. But these laws go a long way toward determining some fundamental aspects of life: what American neighborhoods look like, who gets to live where and what schools their children attend.
And when zoning laws get out of hand, economists say, the damage to the American economy and society can be profound.
— the New York Times
"Studies have shown that laws aimed at things like “maintaining neighborhood character” or limiting how many unrelated people can live together in the same house contribute to racial segregation and deeper class disparities. They also exacerbate inequality by restricting the... View full entry
Kew Gardens has been home to many notable sculptures and architectural pieces such as Henry Moore’s “Reclining Mother and Child” and Marks Barfield Architect’s “Tree Top Walkway”. So it was no surprise when it was chosen to showcase “The Hive”.The Hive is the award-wining pavilion... View full entry
Less depressing than construction, not nearly as happy-making as arts, design, entertainment, sports and media: according to the CDC, architects are the fifth most likely to commit suicide in comparison with members of other professions, especially if you're a male architect (data for female... View full entry
Walk into the Great Hall of Washington D.C.'s National Building Museum right now and you'll find a glacial landscape of geometric "icebergs" floating before you. Landscape architect James Corner worked alongside the NBM to design the chilling scene, as part of the museum's 2016 Summer Block Party... View full entry
Sorry, I’m not able to send this directly through SnapFace since your iPhone 6 doesn’t support neural chat. Old-fashioned text pixels will have to do. Remember the movie “Her”? That’s what Los Angeles is like in 2056. L.A. is the densest city in the U.S., with a population that’s about a third larger than it was in 2016. Taller buildings are everywhere, including New DTLA — a corridor of super-talls that runs the length of Wilshire all the way to Santa Monica. — Los Angeles Times
The speculative fiction details a "utopian" city primarily characterized by efficient, far-reaching public transport and fewer cars. There's no longer a drought, and buildings are wrapped in "solar skins" designed by Elon Musk.For more speculative visions of a future California, check out these... View full entry
Ole Scheeren wanted to meet his client's request for a skyscraper that would stand out in the already hyperbolic architecture of Bangkok primarily by designing something that wasn't trying so hard. Instead of going for a wild, crazy shape, Scheeren started by vertically extruding an abstract... View full entry
Walking around London it is impossible not to be in awe of the city. Time and time again people have mentioned the energy the city seems to radiate, not just the buildings but the people as well. It is truly my favourite place in the world. The city is steeped in history which can be read through... View full entry
In an exchange with The Times following his sentencing Wednesday, real estate heir Robert Durst reflected on his health, politics in America and the 16-year-old murder case that’s expected to bring him back to Los Angeles this summer.
[...]
Were there places in L.A. that he liked best? “SCI-Arc,” he replied.
— the Los Angeles Times
Of course. For more news from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, check out these links: Modern Scientist: SCI-Arc founder Ray Kappe on Archinect Sessions One-to-One #18A Liberal Education: Tom Wiscombe on Archinect Sessions One-to-One #14Philosopher Graham Harman to join SCI-Arc... View full entry
David Scheer penned his first essay for Archinect, a review of a new federal courthouse in Salt Lake City, designed by Thomas Phifer & Partners. His conclusion? "As a piece of construction, it is beautifully detailed and executed—a virtuosic performance of modern building technology. It... View full entry
Bjarke Ingels Group designed an inflatable beer pavilion for the Roskilde Music Festival in Denmark. The 120 square meter, portable pavilion can be inflated in seven minutes and is equipped with purple LED lights.Nicknamed FOAM, the pavilion will travel to a series of festivals around Denmark over... View full entry
Heatherwick who founded Heatherwick Studio in 1994 has been recognised for his 'innovative' contribution to the architecture and design field. Writer and Goldsmiths lecturer Adam Mars-Jones, who will introduce Goldsmiths’ new Honorands to the stage over four graduation ceremonies this July... View full entry
I’m no longer a boater, and when I took a walk around the canal recently, I discovered that London’s canals have hundreds more boats than before, many in temporary moorings – constant cruisers that have to move every two weeks. Twenty years ago, you could walk from Little Venice to the Sainsbury’s at Kensal Green and barely see a moored boat. Now, they are two abreast almost the entire way, on both sides of the canal. — citymetric.com
Find out more about how the housing crisis is affecting London:Brexit will put even more strain on towns already pressed for housingHow elevators could fix the affordable housing crisisLondon revives co-housingTo live in London you can't be a Londoner View full entry
Post-Brexit, the British government has turned into a real hot mess. The pound dropped to its lowest value against the dollar in 30 years ($1.31), and after Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation, Parliament is in turmoil and has yet to name a reliably likely successor. All this... View full entry
