The Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) has issued a statement in support of the removal of Confederate monuments in American public spaces following a concerted effort to rid memorial sites of these installations. The statement comes as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and... View full entry
This is the final installment of Archinect Sessions' six-part series of conversations we've had with architects, designers, and others in the industry. The discussions address the challenges experienced navigating these uncertain times, from the stay-at-home orders due to the... View full entry
Recognized for its serene garden landscapes and eye-catching architectural approaches, Maggie's Centre facilities have become known the world over for the medical care and calming spaces these facilities offer individuals and their families affected by cancer. Following the... View full entry
In the weeks since nationwide protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement have erupted, dozens of monuments and statues celebrating the confederacy, Christopher Columbus, and other anti-Black and anti-Indigenous individuals and groups have been toppled across the country and around the... View full entry
The Architecture and Design Museum in Los Angeles (A+D) has announced an institutional restructuring initiative as well as a transformation focus on digital and traveling exhibitions and programming in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement published by the museum, Executive... View full entry
400 artists and 80 arts organizations have received $2.7 million in total grants as part of a broad-based COVID-19 relief effort for the visual arts in the Los Angeles region, the J. Paul Getty Trust and the California Community Foundation announced this week. "The arts are a source of expression... View full entry
For one gym in Redondo Beach, the novel coronavirus has inspired a unique way to keep its clients safe when they open Monday, June 15.
The owners of the aptly-named Inspire South Bay Fitness have constructed nine “workout pods” out of plastic pipes and shower curtains.
— The Beach Reporter
According to The Beach Reporter, there are a total of nine pods, each about six feet wide and roughly 10 feet tall, equipped with a benchand some dumbbells for client's use. "We think of our clients as family," Peet Sapsin told The Beach Reporter. "So we were thinking, 'How can we do it... View full entry
I think that, if anything, the quarantine experience that we’re having is the realization that large-scale, drastic changes are actually possible. — LA Forum/Delirious LA
LA Forum's publication Delirious LA interviews BLDGBLOG's Geoff Manaugh on the quarantine as a possible enabler to change in architecture and other conjectures it may bring to architecture and urban design. "For me, as someone who writes about architecture, it was the idea that there was a way of... View full entry
As investigations into the ways in which the coronavirus spreads continue, new research suggests once again that bathrooms, and particularly toilets, represent a potential vector for infection. Recently published research in the academic journal Physics of Fluids finds that toilet... View full entry
After a five-week lockdown, several conservation projects have begun in earnest in Mosul as part of a Unesco programme aimed at restoring the rich heritage of the war-ravaged Iraqi city’s old quarter. Restoration work funded by Germany has begun on the Al-Aghawat mosque, houses are being refurbished with the aid of the European Union, and the rehabilitation of the Dominican Al-Saa’a church is under way with funding from the United Arab Emirates. — The Art Newspaper
Rebuilding efforts are underway in Mosul, Iraq as part of UNESCO's Revive the Spirit of Mosul initiative launched in February 2018. The program aims to reconstruct not only the heavily war-damaged Old City but also foster social reconciliation and trust in the local population after years under... View full entry
This post is brought to you by Material Bank Material Bank is the world’s largest material marketplace, providing the fastest and most sustainable way to search and sample materials. It simplifies the complex process of material search and sampling by enabling architecture and design... View full entry
This week's featured virtual event happenings, from Archinect's Virtual Event Guide, address collaboration, manifestos, architectural media, Adolf Loos, games, female architects of color, public space post-pandemic, bamboo architecture, Syria, and more... Are you hosting a virtual lecture?... View full entry
Following advocacy efforts from the African American Student Union (AASU) and AfricaGSD at Harvard University, Harvard GSD Dean Sarah Whiting has unveiled a list of steps the school will take as it works to address institutional failures on issues of anti-racism and racial equality. In the... View full entry
With the reopening of Danish Architecture Center last week, Copenhagen welcomed a new art attraction: a 40-meter/130-foot-long tube slide spiraling down four stories inside DAC's boxy, OMA-designed BLOX home. Photo: Kontraframe Envisioned by German-Belgian artist Carsten Höller, famous for... View full entry
But death chambers and many solitary confinement cells — they’re officially called segregation units, not incidentally — are extreme cases. Architects should not contribute their expertise to the most egregious aspects of a system that commits exceptional violence against African-Americans and other minorities.
The least the American Institute of Architects can do now is agree.
— The New York Times
The New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman has penned a column highlighting the moral implications of having architects design solitary confinement and execution facilities. In the article, Kimmelman explores the American Institute of Architect's reluctance to take a positive stand... View full entry
