A pair of landmark projects in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito is now complete, representing firsts for both BIG and Safdie Architects, respectively. QORNER, the 24-story Safdie-designed tower, is the firm’s first residential project on the continent and serves as an extension of its founder’s... View full entry
One of Los Angeles’ most significant cultural landmarks, Simon Rodia’s monumental Watts Towers sculpture, finally re-opened last month after a five-year multimillion-dollar restoration effort spearheaded by LACMA. The project was overseen by the museum’s Senior Conservation Scientist... View full entry
Ready for your next architectural career move? Check out our latest weekly highlight of featured employers with current openings in Brooklyn/New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, London, and remotely. For even more opportunities, visit Archinect Jobs and browse our active community of job seekers, firms... View full entry
An updated version of HKS and Hood Design Studio’s musically-inspired CMNTY Culture campus in Hollywood has been shared after the results of an initial study for the project were published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning recently. Urbanize LA has details on the promising... View full entry
This post is brought to you by Architecture at Zero. Architecture at Zero is a design competition for decarbonization, equity, and resilience, open to students and professionals worldwide. It serves to engage the fields of architecture, design, engineering, and planning in the pursuit of... View full entry
After decades of heating their homes with relatively cheap Russian natural gas, Germans are facing exorbitant prices for energy. The search is on for an alternative source of warmth that is climate-friendly and free from natural gas. Enter, the heat pump. — The New York Times
The prohibitive price of units and installation is being covered by the government up to €60,000 ($63,000 USD). Still, it lags behind the Netherlands and other European counterparts in terms of the total number currently used across the country. Most estimates place contemporary heat pumps in... View full entry
Adjaye Associates has designed a major master plan along the Cleveland riverfront in collaboration with real estate firm Bedrock. The Cuyahoga Riverfront development spans 35 acres and is described by its designers as a “15-to-20-year vision” that “prioritizes accessibility, equity... View full entry
Zaha Hadid Architects has published details of its proposed master plan for the Odesa Expo 2030 bid. In seeking to secure the Expo 2030 contract for the southern Ukrainian city, the design team has presented a scheme composed of “demountable” and “redeployable” pavilions after the event... View full entry
One of the more prominent modern German architects of his time is being mourned after news that von Gerkan, Marg + Partners co-founder Meinhard von Gerkan died last week at the age of 87. Born in Latvia in 1935, von Gerkan grew up in Hamburg after being orphaned in World War II. Following the... View full entry
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has shared project details for its new Science Centre in Singapore. According to a press announcement released today, the design includes five interconnected rectangular volumes defined by large "monocle" windows that offer views of neighboring Jurong Lake Gardens... View full entry
A long-awaited high-speed rail project connecting Las Vegas to Southern California is reportedly ready to proceed in 2023 as an $8 billion proposal from rail operator Brightline is nearing permitting permission from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). According to the International Railway... View full entry
A Los Angeles-based tiny house startup named Vika Living has unveiled a compact, semi-permanent housing unit that it says can be set up in an hour for just under $40,000. Called the Vika One, the fully prefabricated dwellings provide 144 square feet of living space, with a shared sleeping... View full entry
For many years, industrial hemp was illegal in the US due to hemp’s association with drug use, despite the fact that it does not contain more than 0.3 percent THC [...] Building residential homes with hempcrete was therefore effectively outlawed until 2018, when the Farm Bill distinguished between hemp and cannabis plants. Then, in September 2022, hemp building materials were added to the model US residential building code, paving the way for legal use in 2024. — Reasons to be Cheerful
The International Residential Code (IRC) accepted a modified appendix in September that some are hopeful could be a catalyst for further adaptation throughout the building industry. Builders for Climate Action spokesman Chris Magwood says its greatest potential lies in commercial... View full entry
New glass barriers have successfully prevented a high tide from flooding St Mark’s Basilica in Venice for the first time [...] The wall is intended as a temporary solution until work will be carried out to raise the pavement level of St Mark’s Square.
Writing on Twitter, tourism councillor Simone Venturini praised the structure and added, 'Now it’s time to accelerate the completion of the MOSE works for definite safety of the square.'
— Euronews
The barriers were enacted after emergency planning officials decided on not to raise the city’s brightly colored MOSE system for aqua alta events under 120cm, leaving the square and Basilica, technically the lowest point in Venice, out to dry at just 64cm (24 inches) above sea level. Mario... View full entry
The Pingtan Children's Library in Hunan, China has been named as 2022 INSIDE World Interior of the Year at the World Architecture Festival. Designed by Condition_Lab, the library was selected from a shortlist of eleven categories. View full entry