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A new tri-national Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) has been signed by the three largest North American groups representing professional architects in their respective countries. The updated agreement between the Regulatory Organizations of Architecture in Canada (ROAC), Mexico’s Comité... View full entry
Product standardisation—or the lack thereof—is a major obstacle to mass timber adoption, especially in the lower-rise and mid-rise “sweet spots.” It comes as Europe is miles ahead of North America (Asia-Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand) in developing mainstream mass timber systems. — Wood Central
“They [North America] have a mature market where woodworkers and integration shops work alongside billet producers to service the market,” Adrian Mitchell told the outlet. “It is not about whose panel size got designed by the engineer into a project from the start, giving that manufacturer... View full entry
One major consequence of this difference in design is that the North American double-loaded corridor buildings are much worse at providing family-sized units. To illustrate the point, we’ll go through the different sized apartments one by one, and compare the floor area and design. You’ll notice that the American plans have significantly more floor area for the same number of bedrooms, and have much more lightless interior space up against the common corridor to fill. — Center for Building in North America
Stephen Smith is a former journalist and the Executive Director of the Brooklyn-based Center for Building in North America. His analysis of spatial challenges created by multifamily apartments and zoning conditions was featured recently in Bloomberg's Odd Lots podcast. This is an adroit relaying... View full entry
Rider Levett Bucknall’s (RLB) latest crane count index report, a key indicator of economic activity in major sectors, has shown a marked decrease in the overall count from its previous edition. Calgary, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles have seen an increase in crane counts, with the majority (73%)... View full entry
According to Rider Levett Bucknall’s (RLB) latest crane index report, the total number of cranes on commercial projects in North American cities has decreased by 10%, or by 51 cranes, from the first quarter to the third quarter of 2023. Out of the fourteen cities surveyed, six experienced... View full entry
The number of cranes in North America's major cities increased 4.74% from Q3 2021 to Q1 2022, recovering from the identical decrease from the previous Rider Levett Bucknall crane index report. — Construction Dive
Rider Levett Bucknall’s (RLB) index measured five cities with an increase in the number of cranes, six that yielded little change, and three that saw significant decreases, dropping by more than 20%. In total, North American cities added 22 cranes in the first quarter of 2022, in which more than... View full entry
This post is brought to you by Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition *Update: Competition deadline has been extended to January 31st.* Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Agency have just announced the official call for entries for... View full entry
This post is brought to you by Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition In its 26th year, the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition challenges architects and designers to create outstanding works through the use of Italian ceramics and porcelain tile. A well known building material, ceramic and tile... View full entry
This post is brought to you by Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition. Each year, the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition – hosted by Confindustria Ceramica and the Italian Trade Agency – recognizes the outstanding work of North American architects, designers and students who create imaginative... View full entry
Europe will soon have more physical barriers on its national borders than it did during the Cold War. This year’s refugee crisis, combined with Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia, has seen governments plan and construct border walls and security fences across Mediterranean and eastern Europe... Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, 40 countries around the world have built fences against 64 of their neighbours. — the Economist
The Economist takes a look at the world's borders, (mostly) new and old. Of the 40 countries that have built physical border walls since the fall of the Berlin Wall, 30 of those happened after 9/11, and 15 this year alone. Check it out the interactive graphic here.Related coverage:Passage: an... View full entry
