In LA, Trump bragged he was going to spend a billion dollars on what he claimed would become the world’s tallest building. His architect Bill Fain delivered a gilded 125-storey office tower etched in a diamond-patterned exoskeleton...David Martin also devised a skyscraper: ‘When I told Ivana [Trump] the basis of the idea was to put two diamonds together, she lit up,’ Martin said. ‘I think they were divorced a week later.’ — The Guardian
Whether you've been following the tumultuous life of proposed architecture projects in Los Angeles or not (a stretch of Grand Avenue, for example, has been undergoing elaborate proposals designed in part by Frank Gehry for almost forty years) "Never Built Los Angeles," a book by architectural... View full entry
If you didn't get a degree from a NAAB-accredited program, but have spent years accumulating Architectural Experience Program-worthy hours, you may now receive an official NCARB certification. How? Well, the details are spelled out in the press release below, but think of it as a potential reward... View full entry
Drawing from an international roster of architects who meet the five objects of nomination (including ensuring "the advancement of the living standards of people through their improved environment") the AIA has announced this year's honorary fellowships. The fellowship, which doesn't have a set... View full entry
The Olympics are a costly venture. In fact, they’re more like a high-stakes gamble. Countries pour money into the festivities, often going far over budget, with the hope that they’ll receive a return—either through tourist dollars or else through raising the city’s profile internationally... View full entry
In the town of Marly-le-Roi, just outside of Paris, a new residential project by Karawitz Architects gives new meaning to the idea of curb appeal. Set on a leafy street lined with fenced-in houses, the Marly House strives to open up to the street through a series of innovative strategies. It still... View full entry
“With a click of the button, someone could order a custom-cut, flat-packed home online, and construct it by hand with the help of their friends and neighbors in a matter of days,” states Kate Schwennsen, professor and director of the School of Architecture at Clemson University. Students at... View full entry
In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect... View full entry
Suppose there were a way to pump up the economy, reduce inequality and put an end to destructive housing bubbles like the one that contributed to the Great Recession. The idea would be simple, but not easy, requiring a wholesale reframing of the United States economy and housing market.
The solution: Americans, together and all at once, would have to stop thinking about their homes as an investment.
— New York Times
For the last few weeks, California has been pummeled with heavy rainstorms — a rare, and (for some) appreciated relief from the dry conditions that have plagued the state for the past few years. But those of us who were hoping the storms might have signified an end to the state’s serious... View full entry
The Fallingwater Institute, which is located on the High Meadow farm next to the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright home, is adding four new "modest wood portals" to its 1960s era teaching facilities. The new dwellings, designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, are created both to extend from the existing High... View full entry
This week on the podcast we are joined by Emily Hunt Turner. Emily gives us an update on her restaurant/non-profit startup All Square, as we previously featured in her Working Out of the Box feature. We also talk about her time working as a lawyer for the Department of Housing and Urban... View full entry
Following a spate of terror attacks including a machete attack last September, Parisian officials are making moves to protect the city’s many monuments. Most recently, they’ve announced that they’ll enclose the base of the Eiffel Tower with a glass wall. Currently, the area is cordoned off... View full entry
Combine cross laminated timber, glue laminated timber, and the desire to connect with nature while providing ample creative working space, and you have the 5 King Tower, a 52-meter timber structure with the strength of concrete and steel (but a much smaller carbon footprint).The 5 King tower... View full entry
One of the most vexing features was the doorways, which Apple wanted to be perfectly flat, with no threshold. The construction team pushed back, but Apple held firm. The rationale? If engineers had to adjust their gait while entering the building, they risked distraction from their work, according to a former construction manager.
“We spent months trying not to do that because that’s time, money and stuff that’s never been done before,” the former construction manager said.
— Reuters
Although detail-obsessed architects can often find working with broad-strokes contractors to be challenging, there's one group of designers with perhaps even more rigorous attention to detail: the team at Apple. According to this article in Reuters, the actual building of the "spaceship" Apple... View full entry
The last project famed architect Mies van der Rohe worked on would have also been his only building in the UK. Made of amber glass and steel, the office tower almost graced Mansion House Square in the City of London. Instead, James Stirling’s recently-landmarked, Postmodernist No 1 Poultry... View full entry
