devonzuegel.com
Field notes: Miami
Update 5-Dec-2021: Read the updated version of these notes here.
These field notes are a bit...
over a year ago
Update 5-Dec-2021: Read the updated version of these notes here.
These field notes are a bit different from previous cities I've explored, because unlike those, Miami is my home! So this post partially serves as a life update—I moved to Miami Beach from California a few months...
Construction Physics
Supersonic air travel recommended reading
Aviation has a huge number of enthusiasts, which is why essentially every aircraft model ever...
9 months ago
Aviation has a huge number of enthusiasts, which is why essentially every aircraft model ever produced has a book written about it. Supersonic aircraft are no exception. There’s a large number of books written about the Concorde, the Tu-144, and the American SST project. Many of...
Common Edge
The Uneven—but Important—Legacy of Prince Charles, Architecture Critic
While his design prescriptions were too narrow, his critique of modern planning principles still...
a year ago
While his design prescriptions were too narrow, his critique of modern planning principles still holds resonance.
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 4
After old teams, old Brooklyn ballparks, and old Manhattan ballparks, it’s time for ballparks in...
2 months ago
After old teams, old Brooklyn ballparks, and old Manhattan ballparks, it’s time for ballparks in Queens. Despite the modern use of a numbered street system, Queens has street naming that drives outsiders mad, so it is fitting that three of the four old ballparks in the borough...
The Modern House
Hannah Carter Owers on selling the family home in two days in pursuit of the perfect 1970s retrofit...
11 months ago
Blog - Guerrilla...
From Our Southern Border to a Cottonwood Tree
I am an artist and not a trained cartographer. Because my work or message is often about the...
over a year ago
I am an artist and not a trained cartographer. Because my work or message is often about the environment, geopolitical issues, water, animal and human rights, I look for how I might highlight particular issues, and then draw a word picture to go with the visual message of the...
Archinect - Features
Delivering Projects on Time Is a Challenge. Here’s How Architects Do It
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “plans are nothing; planning is everything.” This...
2 months ago
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “plans are nothing; planning is everything.” This sentiment rings true in architecture, where architects are required to establish project timelines potentially spanning several years for schemes potentially costing millions of...
The Modern House
Inside two carbon-negative zero-waste homes in Walthamstow
a year ago
Old Structures...
Reuse, Well Done
From Carol Highsmith’s archive, a Target store in Brooklyn in 2018. If you’re going to reuse an old...
4 months ago
From Carol Highsmith’s archive, a Target store in Brooklyn in 2018. If you’re going to reuse an old theater for your big-box store, why not reuse the marquee and vertical knife sign for advertising?
Archinect - Features
Where Are All The Affordable Housing Startups?
Despite the general consensus that the United States is in need of more affordable housing, funding...
6 months ago
Despite the general consensus that the United States is in need of more affordable housing, funding to startups focused on affordable housing and more efficient construction technologies is lower in 2024 than in recent years. In the meantime, a series of high-profile...
CONTEMPORIST
A Seamless Terrazzo Flows From The Wall To The Countertop In This Kitchen
Studio Modijefsky has shared photos of a project where they transformed a 17th-century inn into a...
a year ago
Studio Modijefsky has shared photos of a project where they transformed a 17th-century inn into a modern family home in Nieuwersluis, The Netherlands. As part of the renovation, they designed a new inviting, and open-plan kitchen with a cooking island and a terrazzo countertop....
Contemporist...
A’ Design Awards & Competition – Last Call for Entries
A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts...
10 months ago
A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing 18,000 award winners from 139 different design disciplines.
Old Structures...
Residential Conversion and a Mirror
Office-to-residential conversion is a hot topic lately, the result of a tight housing market and the...
a year ago
Office-to-residential conversion is a hot topic lately, the result of a tight housing market and the remote-work depression in commercial office space. The following is, at best, anecdata but gives a minor sense of that process for older buildings. I recently stayed in the Rand...
The Modern House
A fossil-shaped eco home in the rolling countryside of Devon
a year ago
Common Edge
To Address Climate Change, Architects Must Tackle Decarbonization
Focusing only on energy performance is insufficient to the mounting crisis.
a year ago
Focusing only on energy performance is insufficient to the mounting crisis.
Common Edge
Architecture With Empathy In An Age of Division and Discord
Buildings can be designed to antagonize communities, or serve as welcoming presences.
a week ago
Buildings can be designed to antagonize communities, or serve as welcoming presences.
Common Edge
As Brooklyn Nets’ Value Booms, a Missed Opportunity With the Arena
A $688 million Koch family (!) investment shows the enormous upside for NBA team owners.
6 months ago
A $688 million Koch family (!) investment shows the enormous upside for NBA team owners.
The Modern House
Philippe Malouin: the experimental designer on creating with integrity – and the art of upcycling
Philippe Malouin, it’s said, doesn’t read design magazines. That might surprise you. But it also...
8 months ago
Philippe Malouin, it’s said, doesn’t read design magazines. That might surprise you. But it also might be what keeps the Canadian’s own conceptions – form-driven, material-focused, out-the-box – feeling so fresh. In many ways, it makes sense. If the ideas of others were...
Old Structures...
A Moment Captured
This sketch is labelled ‘Architectural drawing for a customs house (“United States Custom House”),...
11 months ago
This sketch is labelled ‘Architectural drawing for a customs house (“United States Custom House”), New York, New York’ on the Library of Congress website. It’s not clear if that title was somehow written on the sketch or is a librarian’s interpretation of the content. It’s...
Contemporist...
A Rejuvenated 1980s Home Updated With Scandinavian Influences
SMPL Design Studio has shared photos of an updated home they completed in Niagara On The Lake,...
8 months ago
SMPL Design Studio has shared photos of an updated home they completed in Niagara On The Lake, Canada, that's located on a landscaped corner lot.
Old Structures...
The Function of Color
It’s a matter of personal taste, but I find the 74-year-old illustrations in The Function Of Colour...
2 months ago
It’s a matter of personal taste, but I find the 74-year-old illustrations in The Function Of Colour In Factories, Schools & Hospitals, as scanned by the design and stationary mavens at Present & Correct, to be astonishing. Here’s one example: and the rest are: here. And there’s a...
Archinect - Features
Archinect's 2023 Summer Reading List
Summer is here, and whether you're on vacation or preparing for one or looking to lay low at home, a...
a year ago
Summer is here, and whether you're on vacation or preparing for one or looking to lay low at home, a summer must is a good book. The Archinect team has curated a list of reading essentials to explore.
Below is a collection of books organized into five categories – New Releases,...
Old Structures...
It Is Sorely Missed
Conceptions of leisure activities have changed over the years. The fact that people now sun...
11 months ago
Conceptions of leisure activities have changed over the years. The fact that people now sun themselves lying on towels in Central Park while wearing quite brief bathing suits would seem as weird to people in the 1870s, when the park was new, as the presence of sheep in the Sheep...
devonzuegel.com
Property values should be normalized by acre
In the US, it's common for local governments to focus on tax revenue produced by a property, without...
5 months ago
In the US, it's common for local governments to focus on tax revenue produced by a property, without considering the costs it adds to the city's budget. This is like measuring how far a car can drive without considering how much gas it uses to get there.
Different properties...
Common Edge
Turning Point: The Three Climate-Planning Scenarios Available to Us
Continued inaction could leave us with fewer, and far riskier, options for mitigating a warming...
3 weeks ago
Continued inaction could leave us with fewer, and far riskier, options for mitigating a warming Earth.
CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – An Apartment Remodel In Milan
Creative studio Lascia la Scia, has shared photos of a modern apartment renovation in Milan, Italy,...
5 months ago
Creative studio Lascia la Scia, has shared photos of a modern apartment renovation in Milan, Italy, they completed that included reworking the layout to include a main open-plan living space as well as a home office and second bedroom. Before we see the renovated space, here’s a...
Construction Physics
Welding and the Automation Frontier
The big question about Artificial Intelligence, other than whether it will destroy human...
a year ago
The big question about Artificial Intelligence, other than whether it will destroy human civilization, is the effect it will have on employment. Large language models already seem poised to automate large fractions of the work in certain industries, and the technology is only...
Old Structures...
Wider
I’ve talked about some of the weirdness of Park Avenue before, but there’s a basic problem with the...
3 months ago
I’ve talked about some of the weirdness of Park Avenue before, but there’s a basic problem with the street’s name: there’s no park. There are planted medians, but they’re not accessible to foot traffic and narrow enough that even if you could get out onto them, you’d be...
The Modern House
How an architect couple transformed an old shop in Walthamstow into a restful wooden home
a year ago
Construction Physics
The grid part II - the golden age of the power industry
Welcome to Part II of our history of the electric power industry. For Part I, see here. By 1930, the...
a year ago
Welcome to Part II of our history of the electric power industry. For Part I, see here. By 1930, the US was using 114 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, generated by more than 4000 power plants. Most electricity was generated by coal (56%) and hydroelectric (34%)...
99% Invisible
Model Village [EPISODE]
For decades, society has dealt with people with dementia and other forms of cognitive decline by...
a year ago
For decades, society has dealt with people with dementia and other forms of cognitive decline by storing them away in unstimulating, medicalized environments. But around the world, a new architectural movement is starting to challenge that old paradigm. Designing environments...
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Details Are Found Throughout This Apartment’s Interior
Architecture and Design Studio Cuaik CDS has sent us photos of an apartment they have recently...
a year ago
Architecture and Design Studio Cuaik CDS has sent us photos of an apartment they have recently completed in Madrid, Spain, that includes wood details throughout its interior. In the living room, a wall-mounted TV is disguised as art, while illuminated wooden shelves on either...
McMansion Hell
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book!
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book!
If you ever wanted to read a book about...
10 months ago
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book!
If you ever wanted to read a book about McMansions, 5-over-1s, the ignoble toil of architects, ridiculous baubles for rich people, hostile architecture, private equity, shopping (rip), offices (rip), loud restaurants, and...
A Weekly Dose of...
The Past and Future of Architecture Books
The recent receipt of two review books got me thinking about the past and the future of architecture...
a year ago
The recent receipt of two review books got me thinking about the past and the future of architecture books. The first one is This is Architecture: Writing on Buildings, a collection of excerpted texts about buildings, spanning from the mid-1800s to the 2010s.
This is...
99% Invisible
Goodnight Nobody [EPISODE]
To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the New York Public Library, a list was published of the ten...
a year ago
To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the New York Public Library, a list was published of the ten books that had been checked out the most in the history of the library — and most of these were children’s books, like The Cat in the Hat and Where the Wild Things Are. Curiously...
99% Invisible
The Frankfurt Kitchen [EPISODE]
After World War I, in Frankfurt, Germany, the city government was taking on a big project. A lot of...
a year ago
After World War I, in Frankfurt, Germany, the city government was taking on a big project. A lot of residents were in dire straits, and in the second half of the 1920s, the city built over 10,000 public housing units. It was some of the earliest modern architecture — simple,...
Archinect - Features
Quilian Riano at Pratt: 'Believing in the Power of an Architectural Education' for the Next...
Archinect's Deans List series offers readers an exclusive glimpse into the minds shaping the future...
a year ago
Archinect's Deans List series offers readers an exclusive glimpse into the minds shaping the future of architectural education. This series not only delves into the unique programming of each school but also uncovers the philosophies and approaches that define their educational...
CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – A New Garden Studio For A Writer
MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old...
9 months ago
MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old derelict wash house, that was in danger of slipping down a steep slope and existed at the back of an overgrown garden. Here’s what it looked like originally. The new studio, which has...
Archinect - Features
NYIT School of Architecture & Design's M.Arch Graduate Studio Explores 'Designing...
Continuing with our Archinect Studio Pin-Ups series, we connect with Archinect Partner School New...
a year ago
Continuing with our Archinect Studio Pin-Ups series, we connect with Archinect Partner School New York Institute of Technology to learn more about its Fall/Spring semester M.Arch studio led by Marcella Del Signore, the school's Associate Professor and Director of the Master of...
Contemporist...
This Cape Town Home Was Given An Updated Interior And A New Garden Pavilion
Interior design firm ARRCC has shared photos of a project they recently completed in Cape Town,...
a year ago
Interior design firm ARRCC has shared photos of a project they recently completed in Cape Town, South Africa, that included the updating of the interior and the addition of a new garden pavilion.
devonzuegel.com
A Big Little Idea Called Legibility
July 26, 2010 By Venkatesh Rao
James C. Scott’s fascinating and seminal book, Seeing Like a...
over a year ago
July 26, 2010 By Venkatesh Rao
James C. Scott’s fascinating and seminal book, Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed, examines how, across dozens of domains, ranging from agriculture and forestry, to urban planning and...
The Modern House
How designer Alison Lloyd’s Hackney home and garden caters to her collecting
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Different Definition of Speed
I’ve mentioned the “Speedway” a few times in passing. It was a pleasure drive along the Harlem...
2 months ago
I’ve mentioned the “Speedway” a few times in passing. It was a pleasure drive along the Harlem River, meant to provide a place for people with horses and horse carriages – i.e., the upper middle class and the wealthy – to have fun. There was nothing inherently terrible about...
Common Edge
What Would a Code of Ethics Look Like for Architecture Schools?
Some simple guidelines would help clarify issues.
a year ago
Some simple guidelines would help clarify issues.
99% Invisible
Devil in the Details [EPISODE]
In 1994, an independent producer made a short, earnest video featuring an eccentric cast of...
a year ago
In 1994, an independent producer made a short, earnest video featuring an eccentric cast of characters who were focused on a very specific paranoia. The tape was made to look like a TV news special. It opens with a cheap, Jerry Springer-era computer graphic of a gold pentagram...
Old Structures...
Heat Wave
Unlike a lot of other weather conditions, heat waves are easy to see coming. Modern weather...
6 months ago
Unlike a lot of other weather conditions, heat waves are easy to see coming. Modern weather forecasting is quite good and I’m writing this on Sunday knowing that it will be getting steadily hotter through Friday and that even after the high-temperature peak passes, the lows will...
Old Structures...
Originality Is Not Easy, Part 3
The first two parts of this series looked at patents that involved odd details that were not really...
3 months ago
The first two parts of this series looked at patents that involved odd details that were not really part of the metal-frame revolution that was taking place in the 1890s but rather adjacent to it. Neither of those patents reflected actual structure that I’ve ever seen in an old...
Old Structures...
More Blatant Fakery
First, a 1908 postcard, issued when the Singer Building was brand new: Second, a photo from about...
10 months ago
First, a 1908 postcard, issued when the Singer Building was brand new: Second, a photo from about the same time: It’s standard practice in New York real-estate glamor pictures to pretend that the buildings between you and the subject don’t exist. Narrow streets and big buildings...
devonzuegel.com
Part 4: Success is tied to benefiting existing Solano residents
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
9 months ago
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the future of my home state in my lifetime. This post is part of a series I’m writing about this bold proposal.
California Forever’s proposal includes 10 Voter Guarantees that go far...
The Modern House
House Style with gallerist Oyinkansola Dada in Pimlico
a year ago
Contemporist...
Large Wood Arches Dramatically Elevate The Roof Of This Charging Station
Research-based design studio EFFEKT has shared photos of a contemporary charging park designed to...
9 months ago
Research-based design studio EFFEKT has shared photos of a contemporary charging park designed to signal the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Common Edge
Away From Old Architecture: What Corbu Really Meant
Rethinking the meaning of Le Corbusier’s groundbreaking manifesto.
a year ago
Rethinking the meaning of Le Corbusier’s groundbreaking manifesto.
Old Structures...
Detailing Reveled By Details
Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught...
3 months ago
Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught almost nothing about the topic in school – I barely heard the word in school – and I’ve taught it to a lot of younger engineers who did not learn it in school. Detailing is the...
Old Structures...
Roadtrip
I’m in Montreal for the annual APT so this week’s blog posts will be shallower less serious more...
a month ago
I’m in Montreal for the annual APT so this week’s blog posts will be shallower less serious more entertaining than usual. I hope to work in some touristing photos, but that may not happen until next week. It’s worth noting that my train from New York to Montreal has a scheduled...
McMansion Hell
we’ve found it folks: mcmansion heaven
Hello everyone. It is my pleasure to bring you the greatest house I have ever seen. The house of a...
10 months ago
Hello everyone. It is my pleasure to bring you the greatest house I have ever seen. The house of a true visionary. A real ad-hocist. A genuine pioneer of fenestration. This house is in Alabama. It was built in 1980 and costs around $5 million. It is worth every penny. Perhaps...
Archinect - Features
Five Big Factors Behind the Architecture Industry’s Economic Slowdown
Earlier this week, we released Part One of our findings from the Archinect Business Survey, which...
5 months ago
Earlier this week, we released Part One of our findings from the Archinect Business Survey, which invited you to share how you were feeling about the economic outlook of your firm and sector. Our analysis found that across the United States, architects have seen business...
Old Structures...
Unhidden
From 1900, a photo of the future site of the New York Public Library and the past site of the Croton...
10 months ago
From 1900, a photo of the future site of the New York Public Library and the past site of the Croton Distributing Reservoir. The photo is labelled at the NYPL as “The Croton Reservoir ruins, looking north,” which means the photographer was on or near 40th Street and Fifth Avenue...
CONTEMPORIST
Green Roofs With Native Plants Enhance This Home Built Into A Rocky Hillside
Photography by Ana Santl Athens-based architecture studio Block722, has shared photos of a modern...
a year ago
Photography by Ana Santl Athens-based architecture studio Block722, has shared photos of a modern home they have completed that’s perched on the rocky slopes above the Mediterranean Sea on the Cycladic Island of Syros. Photography by George Pappas The client’s brief outlined a...
Old Structures...
Nothing New
For the end of the year, we’ve been doing some file reorganization – all digital, as our paper files...
3 days ago
For the end of the year, we’ve been doing some file reorganization – all digital, as our paper files are only a memory – and it’s worth remembering that issues of logisitics and organization are nothing new. One of the sources for our filing system is the 1917 file classification...
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Lines The Length Of The Gable Vaulted Ceiling In This Home
Architecture firm The Ranch Mine, has designed a new home in Flagstaff, Arizona, that’s inspired by...
a year ago
Architecture firm The Ranch Mine, has designed a new home in Flagstaff, Arizona, that’s inspired by the landscape of the surrounding San Francisco Volcanic Field. The surrounding landscape is reflected in the decision to choose a black exterior for the home, while the interiors...
Blog - Guerrilla...
White Elephants in the State of Vermont
This map, which originally appeared in the Community atlas, has been revised. The typeface has been...
over a year ago
This map, which originally appeared in the Community atlas, has been revised. The typeface has been changed to Cornerstone, which is used in the logo for the Black Lives Matter movement.
How did you decide to map what you mapped for the Community atlas?
That was the question...
Old Structures...
History From Afar
This is a fantastic, if weirdly inaccurate, map from 1840. It was, according to the text at the...
9 months ago
This is a fantastic, if weirdly inaccurate, map from 1840. It was, according to the text at the bottom, “Published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge”, located in London. I am all for the diffusion of useful knowledge, but the problem with this map is that its...
devonzuegel.com
Unconventional strategies for practicing Spanish
Language skills are highly multi-dimensional*, so while learning a language, it's important to come...
over a year ago
Language skills are highly multi-dimensional*, so while learning a language, it's important to come at it from lots of different directions. Here are some of the tricks I've used to practice Spanish that I haven't heard so many other people use. (They're likely useful for other...
The Modern House
The low-key, light-infused renewal of a long-neglected Victorian cottage in Walthamstow
10 months ago
McMansion Hell
ode to a faux grecian urn
Howdy everyone,
Today’s house, built in 2001, comes to you from, you guessed it, the Chicago...
8 months ago
Howdy everyone,
Today’s house, built in 2001, comes to you from, you guessed it, the Chicago suburbs. The house is a testimony to traditional craftsmanship and traditional values (having lots of money.) The cost of painting this house greige is approximately the GDP of Slovenia...
Common Edge
Why Gardening Should Be Our Metaphor for Local Development
If your town isn’t cultivating its own economic growth, then it’s being mined for someone else’s...
2 weeks ago
If your town isn’t cultivating its own economic growth, then it’s being mined for someone else’s profit.
99% Invisible
Train Set: Track Three [EPISODE]
Happy National Train Day, everyone – for those of you who missed it: that was May 13th this year. A...
a year ago
Happy National Train Day, everyone – for those of you who missed it: that was May 13th this year. A year ago, we started down this path with Train Set: Track One, which gave way to Track Two …and now, here we are for the final part of our train-fecta. First Stop: Shining Time...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Popular
The City Hall Station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line – a station that’s been abandoned since 1945...
8 months ago
The City Hall Station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line – a station that’s been abandoned since 1945 – is probably more popular to use as a backdrop in movies (and comic books) than any other. It’s really not a typical station: it’s much more ornate than most, it only has one...
Cartogrammar
Beyond the Sea, flowing and exploding edition
Last year I took a whack at mapping what you’d “see” if you looked straight across the ocean from...
over a year ago
Last year I took a whack at mapping what you’d “see” if you looked straight across the ocean from coastlines around the world. Since then, an interactive version of that has been a back-burner idea. Well, finally, here we go. To recap, these arcs represent straight-line paths out...
CONTEMPORIST
Reflecting Ponds And Concrete Lily Pads Help Create Tranquility At This Modern Home
Kor Architects have shared photos of a home they completed in Indian Wells, California, for their...
6 months ago
Kor Architects have shared photos of a home they completed in Indian Wells, California, for their clients who desired a contemporary residence with a thoughtfully designed entrance that seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor areas. Upon arrival at the home, there’s a carefully...
CONTEMPORIST
The Design Of This Shingle-Clad Hotel Lobby Was Inspired By A Coconut
Architecture firm Onion, has shared photos of a hotel lobby they completed for Holiday Inn Samui in...
a year ago
Architecture firm Onion, has shared photos of a hotel lobby they completed for Holiday Inn Samui in Thailand, whose design is inspired by the coconut shell after its meat has been grated to make Thai dessert. The curved building exterior is clad with wooden shingles, with...
Contemporist...
This Tall And Skinny House Also Has A Rooftop Pool
Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi...
9 months ago
Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for a family of four with two sons.
There are two types...
Why GoDaddy’s Microsoft Exchange Email for Mac Users S*cks
After three years of unreliable, expensive email service from GoDaddy and Microsoft, I’ve...
over a year ago
After three years of unreliable, expensive email service from GoDaddy and Microsoft, I’ve reluctantly concluded that I have to find a new service for my domain name email. For reasons I won’t go into here, that’s a problem. GoDaddy is … Continue reading →
The post Why GoDaddy’s...
Common Edge
Contemporary Architecture and the Modern City
Americans don’t like modern buildings because they don’t like the modern city.
3 months ago
Americans don’t like modern buildings because they don’t like the modern city.
Old Structures...
The Easy Route
On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much...
4 months ago
On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much as there is a southwest Queens (that corner isn’t very big because most of where it might have been is Brooklyn) used to have service on the Long Island Railroad and now don’t. I...
A Weekly Dose of...
A Modernist Reads About Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, the English architect who was born in 1869 and died in 1944, that is....
a year ago
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, the English architect who was born in 1869 and died in 1944, that is. Although a famous name, Lutyens was not an architect I had much familiarity with before I received a review copy of the first volume of The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens....
A Weekly Dose of...
Archidose, 1999–2024
After 25 years of running this blog under various names — all of which can be lumped under the...
11 months ago
After 25 years of running this blog under various names — all of which can be lumped under the "Archidose" monicker — I've decided to shut it down, moving this hobby, this labor of love, to Substack, which I have used since mid-2021 and where I will continue to send out weekly...
Common Edge
Let’s Stop Using the Terms ‘Traditional’ and ‘Modern’
By now, the terms are arbitrary and confusing.
a year ago
By now, the terms are arbitrary and confusing.
Old Structures...
A Less Obvious Canyon
A few months ago I wrote about the appearance of streets lined with old, pre-zoning skyscrapers. I...
7 months ago
A few months ago I wrote about the appearance of streets lined with old, pre-zoning skyscrapers. I mentioned my two favorite examples: Thames Street between Broadway and Trinity Place, and Pine Street between Broadway and Nassau Street. I skipped the obvious example, Broadway, as...
The Modern House
Carefully composed: the bright reimagining of a Victorian garden apartment
2 months ago
The Modern House
The feel-good studio of Office S&M in Dalston, east London
a year ago
Old Structures...
The Downside of Going Topless
The picture above shows two photos of the same building in Chelsea, where we finished a repair...
a month ago
The picture above shows two photos of the same building in Chelsea, where we finished a repair project about a year ago. The left side is a tax photo from the 1940s; the right photo was taken after we were done with our work. The viaduct in the back is the Highline. This 1902...
CONTEMPORIST
Stairs With Built-In Planters Lead To The Back Garden At This Home
Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects has shared photos of a recently completed renovation project in...
a year ago
Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects has shared photos of a recently completed renovation project in Greater London, England, that included new outdoor stairs with built-in planters. The client contacted the architects to renovate the lower ground floor of the house due to severe damp...
99% Invisible
Raccoon Resistance
After Toronto unveiled its “raccoon-resistant” compost bins in 2016, some people feared the animals...
3 weeks ago
After Toronto unveiled its “raccoon-resistant” compost bins in 2016, some people feared the animals would be starved but many more celebrated the innovative design. Rolling out this novel locked bin opened a new battlefront in city’s ongoing “war on raccoons.” Toronto’s new...
Archinect - Features
How the Business of Architecture and Construction Fared in May 2024: Introducing Archinect's...
Welcome to the first of Archinect's new monthly series, 'State of AEC.' At the end of each month, we...
6 months ago
Welcome to the first of Archinect's new monthly series, 'State of AEC.' At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically.
As we approach the midway point of...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Migration Away From Flooded Land in Seattle
How did you decide on your map subject for the Migration atlas?
Deciding what to map was the...
over a year ago
How did you decide on your map subject for the Migration atlas?
Deciding what to map was the hardest part of the Atlas in a Day experience. The first night, we developed a number of interesting concepts but nothing felt quite right. Were data available? What interesting story...
Archinect - Features
Architecture's Interest Rate Prayers Answered: Archinect’s State of AEC August 2024
Welcome to the third installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
3 months ago
Welcome to the third installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically.
In our previous edition of the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Plaid-Inspired Wood Kitchen Is A Unique Design Feature Inside This Office
BHDM Design has recently completed a workplace in New York for private equity consulting firm...
a year ago
BHDM Design has recently completed a workplace in New York for private equity consulting firm Accordion, whose interior was inspired by motifs of menswear fabrics. An interesting design element in the workplace is the kitchen, which includes a unique plaid design. The plaid...
Archinect - Features
UK Architectural Licensure Had Not Changed in 50 Years. Until Now.
Having previously examined architecture licensure systems in the United States and across mainland...
4 months ago
Having previously examined architecture licensure systems in the United States and across mainland Europe, this edition of the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series profiles changes underway in the United Kingdom's licensing system, which is currently undergoing a “fundamental...
Common Edge
Peter Calthorpe Has a Plan for More Housing in California
Through a state-mandated use of form-based codes and a focus on “grand boulevards” of underutilized...
a year ago
Through a state-mandated use of form-based codes and a focus on “grand boulevards” of underutilized commercial strips, the number of potential units expands by orders of magnitude.
Common Edge
The Sphere in Las Vegas: A Placeless Object in a Placeless City
The latest Sin City spectacle is just that—spectacle. Pure, crystalline spectacle.
11 months ago
The latest Sin City spectacle is just that—spectacle. Pure, crystalline spectacle.
The Beauty of...
Chemical Attraction (Hackney Wick station, London, UK)
It is hard to overstate the impact Hackney Wick station makes on a visitor, as well as the...
a year ago
It is hard to overstate the impact Hackney Wick station makes on a visitor, as well as the unexpectedness of it doing so. Reopened in 2018 after a complete rebuild, it is one of the most photogenic small stations on the British rail network. Yet somehow, it seems to have slipped...
CONTEMPORIST
A New Extension And A Garden Studio For This Heritage-Listed Home
Paul Archer Design has sent us photos of a rear addition they completed for a Grade II Listed Town...
a year ago
Paul Archer Design has sent us photos of a rear addition they completed for a Grade II Listed Town House in Greater London, England. Not only did they design the addition, but they also created a small garden studio that provides a workspace for the musician owner. A large...
SOCKS
Claude Bragdon: Drawings of the Fourth Dimension (1913-1915)
American architect Claude Fayette Bragdon (1866-1946) was also an artist, writer and stage designer....
over a year ago
American architect Claude Fayette Bragdon (1866-1946) was also an artist, writer and stage designer. He was based in Rochester, NY where he built his masterpiece, the New York Central Railroad Station in 1909. His design work and philosophy were influenced mainly by theosophy, a...
Old Structures...
An Engineer For Dinner
The picture above is the front page of the menu and program from a dinner held in 1941, when...
11 months ago
The picture above is the front page of the menu and program from a dinner held in 1941, when “…engineers and patriots are needed!” I wrote about John Ericsson five years ago, and I still walk by his statue in Battery Park almost every day. I feel like the menu picture – which...
devonzuegel.com
Field notes: Panamá, SEZs, & biotech
I just spent a week in Panamá City, and figured I'd share my observations in case they're useful to...
over a year ago
I just spent a week in Panamá City, and figured I'd share my observations in case they're useful to anyone else interested in similar questions.
The purpose of the trip was to research locations for a gene therapy/stem cell clinic that my friend is planning to start. I also...
Common Edge
Havana’s Evolving Public-Private Landscape
Can Cuba’s creative class become agents for political change?
10 months ago
Can Cuba’s creative class become agents for political change?
Old Structures...
New And Improved Graphics!
Seven years ago [!] I spent some time looking at the Pearl Street overpass portion of the Manhattan...
2 months ago
Seven years ago [!] I spent some time looking at the Pearl Street overpass portion of the Manhattan approach of the Brooklyn Bridge. The short version is that it’s an 1880s steel truss reinforced in the mid-1900s with a steel arch below. The long discussion is: here and here and...
Old Structures...
Building, Blocks
I looked up a bit more than usual today on a street that I’m on three or four times per week, and...
3 weeks ago
I looked up a bit more than usual today on a street that I’m on three or four times per week, and got this nice rear view of 75 Broad Street. The upper setbacks and tower are aligned with the overall cityscape; the lower base is aligned with ther curve of South William Street....
Old Structures...
Tracing The Load Path
Yet another view of the roof trusses at Moynihan Station, built when it was a mail-handling facility...
4 months ago
Yet another view of the roof trusses at Moynihan Station, built when it was a mail-handling facility to allow for a big open floor for sorting machinery. The roof truss is at the upper right; one of the main columns is below it, two side trusses, supporting the edges of the...
Old Structures...
The Skull Beneath The Feathers
I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a...
4 weeks ago
I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a structural engineer who likes birds.
CONTEMPORIST
Two Spiral Staircases Help Create This Unique Home Design
Architect Alexis Dornier together with interior designer Silvia Fairman, have completed a new home...
a year ago
Architect Alexis Dornier together with interior designer Silvia Fairman, have completed a new home in the Balinese jungle, that features a unique design centered around a pair of spiral staircases. Drawing inspiration from the beauty of nature and a desire to challenge...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Fancy Digs
Hawkeye chases some bad guys in New York: Looking north up Central Park West from a bit below 71st...
3 months ago
Hawkeye chases some bad guys in New York: Looking north up Central Park West from a bit below 71st Street: The relatively-low brown building two blocks up is the Dakota Apartments, but the drawing in the comic isn’t accurate enough to recognize it. The building at the first...
CONTEMPORIST
Fluted Concrete Walls Cut By Continuous Window Openings Define This Villa
NOMO STUDIO has shared photos of a modern home they’ve designed in Menorca, Spain, that features a...
a year ago
NOMO STUDIO has shared photos of a modern home they’ve designed in Menorca, Spain, that features a textured facade of fluted concrete walls. The fluted concrete walls are sliced by continuous window openings creating a combination of horizontal stripes that alternate between...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Sunken Cities
Foundation
Contributing an original map to GC’s newest Shelter: An Atlas was very appealing to me...
over a year ago
Foundation
Contributing an original map to GC’s newest Shelter: An Atlas was very appealing to me for a couple of reasons: One, as an independent map illustrator, it would give my work wide exposure. Two, it would put me in good company with other talented mapmakers. Suggestions...
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Renovation Made More Use Of The Basement And Outdoor Space
Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary home renovation they completed in...
a year ago
Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary home renovation they completed in Seattle, Washington. Before – The Exterior The single-story, mid-century home had two doors at the front of the home, with steps leading to each one. After – The Exterior The updated...
devonzuegel.com
Vacuum tube nostalgia
Music enthusiasts will tell you there's nothing quite like "tube sound", the warm, rich sound...
over a year ago
Music enthusiasts will tell you there's nothing quite like "tube sound", the warm, rich sound quality that old vacuum tube amplifiers bring to the music played through them. And they'll pay top dollar for it! Once considered obsolete, vintage vacuum tube amps now sell at a...
The Modern House
Shine Bright: five light-filled homes currently for sale
“The sun never knew how wonderful it was until it fell on the wall of a building.” So said the great...
10 months ago
“The sun never knew how wonderful it was until it fell on the wall of a building.” So said the great American modernist architect Louis Kahn. And what wise words they are, for a home with good natural light is a special one. Light can […]
The Modern House
A Day Well Spent with Isabella Burley
a year ago
The Modern House
Jacqueline Rabun: the jewellery designer on leaving home aged 17 to chart her own course through...
It was 1989 when a 17-year-old Jacqueline Rabun left home in California to seek her fortune in...
a year ago
It was 1989 when a 17-year-old Jacqueline Rabun left home in California to seek her fortune in London. It didn’t take long: the following year, she’d opened a jewellery studio (having taught herself how to make) and had debuted her first collection of sculptural pieces. […]
CONTEMPORIST
A White Material Palette Creates A Peaceful Coastal Living Feeling For This Home
Habitat Studio Architects has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Queensland,...
a year ago
Habitat Studio Architects has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Queensland, Australia, that’s located right on Currumbin Beach. Inspired by coastal living, the home features an exterior of stone, white weatherboards that reflect the sun, and white battens that...
The Modern House
Living well, together: a breathtaking mews house that is a calm, creative sanctuary for four
a month ago
Old Structures...
What’s Not Stated
This newspaper clipping in one of the New York Public Library’s scrapbooks has no explanation, but...
a month ago
This newspaper clipping in one of the New York Public Library’s scrapbooks has no explanation, but I’m pretty sure I know what it’s about. The somewhat ominous caption “Park Avenue Tunnel Choked With the Debris” is probably describing the aftermath of the January 1902 crash...
The Modern House
How a love of Japan and the 1970s shaped Sherrill Smith’s Hackney home
a year ago
Common Edge
Buildings Are Not Sacred, but We Can Find Beauty Through Them
There’s no design recipe for it.
5 months ago
There’s no design recipe for it.
There are two types...
Take Back The City
On a recent episode of Billions, the New York Attorney General stands on the roof a car in the...
over a year ago
On a recent episode of Billions, the New York Attorney General stands on the roof a car in the middle of a New York City street with a bullhorn. Why? Vecause he’s positioned himself near a meeting on the Highline … Continue reading →
The post Take Back The City appeared first on...
CONTEMPORIST
A White Palette Helps Connect This Heritage Home With Its New Addition
Dalecki Design has shared photos of a home they remodeled in Subiaco, Australia, which includes a...
a year ago
Dalecki Design has shared photos of a home they remodeled in Subiaco, Australia, which includes a contemporary rear addition and a white color palette throughout. The heritage character of the original house and the bright but calm feeling of the new addition are harmoniously...
Archinect - Features
Get To Know Tulane School of Architecture’s Newest Faculty Cohort
With the new 2024/25 academic year in full swing, we are taking a moment to introduce fifteen newly...
a month ago
With the new 2024/25 academic year in full swing, we are taking a moment to introduce fifteen newly appointed permanent faculty members at the Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA), one of Archinect’s School Partners.
The new tenure and tenure-track faculty bring expertise...
There are two types...
A Short Discussion of Residential Building Heights in New York City
NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To...
a year ago
NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To Great Cities and Towns, where it will appear in a shorter version. This version still needs a little editing for its new context. Part … Continue reading →
The post A Short...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Mid-Century Modern Renovation In Oregon
Originally designed by prominent Pacific Northwest architect Saul Zaik, this 1963 mid-century modern...
a week ago
Originally designed by prominent Pacific Northwest architect Saul Zaik, this 1963 mid-century modern house has been remodeled by SHED Architecture & Design for a young, minimalist family. The Mori House sits on a gently sloped, forested site off a quiet road in the west end of...
99% Invisible
Power Broker #01: Robert Caro [EPISODE]
In our first official episode of this year’s epic mini-series breaking down The Power Broker, the...
11 months ago
In our first official episode of this year’s epic mini-series breaking down The Power Broker, the author himself, Robert Caro, joins to talk about his book, process, and the problematic man himself: Robert Moses. On today’s show, Elliott Kalan and Roman Mars will cover the...
CONTEMPORIST
The Black Exterior Of This Home In The Forest Covers A White Minimalist Interior
Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a...
a year ago
Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a striking black exterior surrounded by the forest. The house’s design emphasizes its connection with a nearby stream by incorporating strategic window placements and a layout that...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Double Height Ceiling Allows The Social Areas Of This Home To Open Completely To The Outside
Padovani Arquitetos has sent us photos of a project they designed in Campinas, Brazil, that takes...
a year ago
Padovani Arquitetos has sent us photos of a project they designed in Campinas, Brazil, that takes advantage of the topography to create a modern home with a horizontal design and lower garage. The home has been designed in such a way that the interior is hidden from the street....
CONTEMPORIST
Wall-To-Wall Built-In Wood Cabinetry Create A Warm Interior For This Renovated Home
Design firm Atelier SUN has completed the renovation of a home near Toronto, Canada. The house was...
a year ago
Design firm Atelier SUN has completed the renovation of a home near Toronto, Canada. The house was built in the 1980s during an era of mass-produced developments, which resulted in excessive structural elements such as columns and beams throughout the space. The updated design...
The Modern House
A slender space-savvy home in Clerkenwell, inspired by the City’s skyscrapers
a year ago
Archinect - Features
At Tyler’s Urban Workshop, Architecture Students Build With, and For, Underserved...
On November 8th, the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University will host the...
a month ago
On November 8th, the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University will host the Urban Workshop Symposium, the latest iteration of the Urban Workshop's engagements in community-based design and education. The event brings to the fore questions, conversations, and...
99% Invisible
The Memory Palace…Book!
Back in 2008, Nate DiMeo started a podcast called The Memory Palace. Each episode of the show...
a month ago
Back in 2008, Nate DiMeo started a podcast called The Memory Palace. Each episode of the show wrapped a little known piece of history inside one of Nate’s poetic essays. His stories have a remarkable way of combining facts with insight to call to mind forgotten moments from the...
Old Structures...
Look Closely For A Surprise
This 1900 map of Manhattan looks, at first glance to be simply another detailed map with building...
9 months ago
This 1900 map of Manhattan looks, at first glance to be simply another detailed map with building outlines shown: But there’s a surprise when you zoom in: The buildings are little isometric drawings rather than just outlines. They’re not particularly accurate drawings – I...
Benny Kuriakose
Paliam Nalukettu: A Glimpse into a Matrilineal Society
In the small town of Chendamangalam in Paravur, Kerala, is the Paliam Nalukettu, which is located...
a year ago
In the small town of Chendamangalam in Paravur, Kerala, is the Paliam Nalukettu, which is located within the Paliam complex. Benny...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Famous and Less So
On the left, Steve Rogers jogs off the Brooklyn Brige onto a walkway that doesn’t actually exist at...
10 months ago
On the left, Steve Rogers jogs off the Brooklyn Brige onto a walkway that doesn’t actually exist at the foot of the bridge. The S-curved pickets in the handrail above a stone base look very much like the walkway along the Hudson River in Battery Park City, on the other side of...
99% Invisible
RoboUmp [EPISODE]
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind...
a year ago
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind home plate, who has arguably the most important job, calling balls and strikes. A strike is basically any hittable pitch — something over the plate, between the batter’s chest and his...
Contemporist...
A Circular Off-Grid Home In Costa Rica
Studio Saxe has shared photos of a secluded circular home they designed that's located deep within...
a month ago
Studio Saxe has shared photos of a secluded circular home they designed that's located deep within Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula.
Construction Physics
Roman vs Modern Concrete
There's a new paper out exploring some of the chemical mechanisms at work in Roman concrete. As per...
a year ago
There's a new paper out exploring some of the chemical mechanisms at work in Roman concrete. As per usual, it’s triggered a round of enthusiastic discussion of Roman concrete, and how its ability to last for millennia puts modern concrete (which often fails after a few decades)...
Old Structures...
The Name Lost Meaning
From the great archive of her photographs that Carol Highsmith donated to the Library of Congress,...
3 months ago
From the great archive of her photographs that Carol Highsmith donated to the Library of Congress, “View of a Manhattan street from New York City’s High Line, a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail.” Except that you can’t see the High Line because she was...
Old Structures...
Ins And Outs Of Development
In 1891, Corydon Purdy published a four-piece article in the Engineering News on “The Steel Skeleton...
a year ago
In 1891, Corydon Purdy published a four-piece article in the Engineering News on “The Steel Skeleton Type of High Buildings.” Skeleton framing, as we understand it today, was about a year old; using some of the older and looser definitions floating around in the 1880s and 90s, it...
CONTEMPORIST
These A-Frame Cabins Were Built To Create An Eco-Hotel In Italy
Atelier LAVIT has sent us images of their latest project LILELO / Little Leisure Lodge, which is an...
a year ago
Atelier LAVIT has sent us images of their latest project LILELO / Little Leisure Lodge, which is an eco-hotel made up of four independent cabins. Three of the cabins are dedicated to housing suites, with the fourth cabin acting as a common area with a generous outdoor space and a...
99% Invisible
The Los Angeles Leaf Blower Wars [EPISODE]
The leaf blower is one of the most hated objects in the modern world. They’re loud, they pollute,...
6 months ago
The leaf blower is one of the most hated objects in the modern world. They’re loud, they pollute, and… how important is a leafless lawn anyway? In a lot of towns and cities, the gas-powered leaf blower has been banned. In others, there are strict guidelines on where and when they...
Common Edge
What Happened to New York City Public Housing, and How Can We Fix It?
The former chief architect for NYCHA on what ails the the system.
8 months ago
The former chief architect for NYCHA on what ails the the system.
The Modern House
The Modern House guide to Christmas gifts that give back
The festive sprint comes with ample occasions for gift giving, from Secret Santa to stocking...
2 weeks ago
The festive sprint comes with ample occasions for gift giving, from Secret Santa to stocking fillers. Where to start? This year, we’ve decided to focus on gifting with an altruistic inclination and present an edit of design-led festive finds that support the work of charities […]
Old Structures...
Other People’s Perception
Every once in a while, something slightly out of the ordinary reminds me of how our work looks to...
5 months ago
Every once in a while, something slightly out of the ordinary reminds me of how our work looks to people not in the AEC world. Yesterday morning I was walking up Thames Street from Trinity to Broadway and took this photo: That block of Thames is a great illustration of why the...
McMansion Hell
bonus mcmansion hell: terrible things are happening in McLean, VA
Read the bonus post on Patreon!
over a year ago
Read the bonus post on Patreon!
Construction Physics
The dream of deregulation - the grid part III
For most of the industry’s history, electric power in the US had largely been provided by vertically...
a year ago
For most of the industry’s history, electric power in the US had largely been provided by vertically integrated utility companies that handled every part of the electricity supply: generating it, transmitting it, distributing it to customers, and managing the overall system....
Old Structures...
Fun With Telephoto Lenses
A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was...
8 months ago
A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was standing when he or she took the shot. It matters to understand exactly what you’re seeing, and figuring it out is usually not that difficult if you know some of the quirks of Manhattan...
99% Invisible
The Monster Under the Sink [EPISODE]
In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other...
9 months ago
In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other city had done before: they made garbage illegal. The city would still collect some things, like soup cans and plastics, but yucky junk, like food waste, wouldn’t get picked up. This...
The Modern House
Living in a boxy, brown-brick terrace – enhanced by Danish design sensibilities
3 months ago
A Weekly Dose of...
G. E. Kidder Smith Builds
G. E. Kidder Smith Builds: The Travel of Architectural Photography
AR+D Publishing, August...
over a year ago
G. E. Kidder Smith Builds: The Travel of Architectural Photography
AR+D Publishing, August 2022
Hardcover | 8 x 11 inches | 272 pages | English | ISBN: 9781954081536 | $60.00
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
George Everard Kidder Smith (1913–1997) was a multidimensional figure within...
There are two types...
“My Open Letter to NYC DOT Commissioner Rodriquez”
Dear Commissioner Rodriquez, I’m writing to you because I just signed up for a workshop to improve...
over a year ago
Dear Commissioner Rodriquez, I’m writing to you because I just signed up for a workshop to improve Canal Street that your department is running tonight. I met you when you were a Councilman. I know you care deeply about making … Continue reading →
The post “My Open Letter to NYC...
The Modern House
Listing of the Week: a Norfolk beauty that ushers the natural world in
8 months ago
The Modern House
How to be more mindful when working from home
a year ago
99% Invisible
A Whale-Oiled Machine [EPISODE]
In the 1800s, whaling was a vast and brutal industry–sometimes as deadly for the sailors involved as...
a year ago
In the 1800s, whaling was a vast and brutal industry–sometimes as deadly for the sailors involved as it was for the whales. And the global epicenter of whaling could be found in New Bedford, MA. All this slaughter wasn’t to feed hungry people with whale meat. It was about all the...
Old Structures...
Sort-Of Round
This is the 3333rd blog post published on the Old Structures web site. People are attracted to round...
6 months ago
This is the 3333rd blog post published on the Old Structures web site. People are attracted to round numbers, and I could just as easily have waited for the 4000th post to say something, but I like the “third of ten-thousand” aspect of the current number. Some housekeeping: some...
CONTEMPORIST
Bi-Fold Windows Connect The Inside And Outside Spaces Of This Home Extension
Ben Callery Architects has shared photos of a rear home extension they completed in Victoria,...
a year ago
Ben Callery Architects has shared photos of a rear home extension they completed in Victoria, Australia, that includes a deck for indoor/outdoor living. The deck has been designed with a shaded area that’s home to built-in seating and a couch. The other end of the deck has...
Contemporist...
Dark Vertical Wood Siding Was Chosen As The Primary Exterior Cladding To “Camouflage” This Cabin
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a house they designed in...
10 months ago
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a house they designed in Wawona, California, for a couple with grown children and their families.
Archinect - Features
How Architectural Licensure Helps and Hurts the Profession
Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series concludes with a look back on a four-month journey through...
3 months ago
Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series concludes with a look back on a four-month journey through the U.S. architectural licensure system. Reflecting on the challenges and opportunities in the current system highlighted by readers and commentators, we offer final thoughts on...
99% Invisible
For Amusement Only (Free Replay) [EPISODE]
Everyone has tried it at some point. The authorities started turning a blind eye years ago, but it...
a year ago
Everyone has tried it at some point. The authorities started turning a blind eye years ago, but it wasn’t officially legalized until the summer of 2014. Finally, after more than 80 years of illegitimacy, the City of Oakland has legalized…pinball machines. Today, we travel back to...
CONTEMPORIST
Plants Are Encouraged To Grow Over The Exterior Of This New House
Giles Miller Studio has shared photos of their first completed residential property in Kent,...
a year ago
Giles Miller Studio has shared photos of their first completed residential property in Kent, England, that features a sculptural black facade. The house breaks down barriers between the building’s internal spaces and the glade of natural planting and trees that surround it. By...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Anachronistic
The Falcon and Black Widow above the streets of Manhattan…he’s flying and she’s doing gymnastics in...
a month ago
The Falcon and Black Widow above the streets of Manhattan…he’s flying and she’s doing gymnastics in mid-air, I guess: The location is instantly recognizable: the building on the far left with the single dormer is the Washington Life Insurance Building at 141 Broadway, the...
Archinect - Features
Happy National Volunteer Week! Here's a resource guide for architects and designers looking...
This week, from April 21–27, is officially National Volunteer Week in the United States. To...
8 months ago
This week, from April 21–27, is officially National Volunteer Week in the United States. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Archinect has curated a handy guide of resources for architects looking to donate their time and skills to various causes that will ultimately lead to...
Old Structures...
Split Personality
Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the...
a month ago
Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the building’s architectural merit – and there is a great deal – I find this kind of church interesting structurally. We have at least three very different types of structure here. There’s...
CONTEMPORIST
A Multi-Functional Brass Clad Pod Is A Unique Feature In This Small Apartment
tsai Design has sent us photos of a micro-apartment they renovated in St. Kilda, Australia, that...
5 months ago
tsai Design has sent us photos of a micro-apartment they renovated in St. Kilda, Australia, that measures in at just 269 square feet (25m2), and features a unique and unexpected brass design element. Named ‘St Kilda Micro Sanctuary’, the small apartment has been designed for a...
SOCKS
Architectural Narrative: “New York City: The Edge of Enigma” by Francisco Javier Rencoret (1991)
In 1991, Francisco Javier Rencoret, a Chilean architect and then Fulbright scholar at Cornell...
a year ago
In 1991, Francisco Javier Rencoret, a Chilean architect and then Fulbright scholar at Cornell University, published New York City: The Edge of Enigma, (Princeton Architectural Press), a visual essay that retraces the myth of the foundation and development of New York City....
Old Structures...
A For Effort
I’ve shown a few old train stations with curved steel in their canopies. The picture above, taken...
a year ago
I’ve shown a few old train stations with curved steel in their canopies. The picture above, taken yesterday at the Peekskill station on the MTA Hudson Line – AKA, a local station on the former main line of the New York Central – shows a modern version. I’m not sure when this...
Archinect - Features
10 helpful tips for architecture students going back to school
School is officially back in session as new and returning students begin another academic term....
a year ago
School is officially back in session as new and returning students begin another academic term. Whether you're a fresh undergraduate student embarking on your first year of architecture school or you're a returning student about to continue another rigorous year of learning,...
Old Structures...
Complaining For The Sake Of Complaining
I’ve been getting ready for the upcoming construction history congress (more on that to follow in a...
6 months ago
I’ve been getting ready for the upcoming construction history congress (more on that to follow in a few days) and part of that is searching for good images to use for presentation of my paper (ditto). One of the people I’m speaking about is Ole Singstad, who had a fantastic...
The Modern House
How to better the design of your bathroom for a brighter future
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
Learning from the 2023 Book Fair
This year's New York International Antiquarian Book Fair is my third, following the 2022 book...
a year ago
This year's New York International Antiquarian Book Fair is my third, following the 2022 book fair and, just days before lockdown, the 2020 book fair. Three hardly makes me an expert, even in my specialization of architecture books, but it does help with gauging the value given...
The Modern House
Crocadon in Cornwall is a farm and restaurant with organic agriculture, good cooking and great...
a year ago
Old Structures...
The User Interface
A piece of technology that many people comment on after a trip to Japan is the combination...
a year ago
A piece of technology that many people comment on after a trip to Japan is the combination toilet/bidet, and I guess I’m no different. The photo above shows the control panel at my hotel: the silver button the right is the flush valve and all the other buttons refer to the bidet...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Can You Stay?
Can You Stay? examines one discrete variable among many complex and converging issues concerning...
over a year ago
Can You Stay? examines one discrete variable among many complex and converging issues concerning housing precarity, focusing on a part of the world with unique geography and social issues.
Project Background
This map is cut from the cloth of a capstone project I did in 2018 at...
Archinect - Features
Six Views on the Future of Architectural Licensure
Throughout the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, our explorations into U.S. architectural...
3 months ago
Throughout the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, our explorations into U.S. architectural licensure have included a variety of views beyond our editorial team, including ten views on licensure from Archinect readers shared at the midpoint of our series.
Beyond reader...
Old Structures...
The Inspiration
The 14th Street station on the Eighth Avenue subway has an art installation by Tom Otterness called...
7 months ago
The 14th Street station on the Eighth Avenue subway has an art installation by Tom Otterness called “Life Underground” It consists of a series of brass figures, both human and animal, engaged in various pursuits. Everyone always focuses on the alligator climbing out of a sewer to...
Common Edge
The ‘Social Landscapes’ of Lee Friedlander
For six decades, the photographer’s ability to offer a complex narrative about America in a single...
8 months ago
For six decades, the photographer’s ability to offer a complex narrative about America in a single image was always unique.
Common Edge
The Making of Ponchartrain Park in New Orleans
How a pair of wealthy outsiders, Edith and Edgar Stern, helped inspire the first neighborhood...
9 months ago
How a pair of wealthy outsiders, Edith and Edgar Stern, helped inspire the first neighborhood development exclusively available to Black middle-class families.
Common Edge
Worshiping the Old Isn’t Historic Preservation
To keep buildings alive and relevant, some flexibility is required.
a month ago
To keep buildings alive and relevant, some flexibility is required.
Old Structures...
Straight and Curved
I first started reading architectural theory and criticism when I was still an engineering undergrad...
6 months ago
I first started reading architectural theory and criticism when I was still an engineering undergrad student. It gave me a perspective on buildings that was notably different than that I was learning in my design and analysis classes, but because I was an outsider it took me a...
CONTEMPORIST
The Reinterpretation Of A Gabled Roof Is On Display At This New House
Architecture firm Studio KUNZ has shared photos of a home they completed in a small town in the...
9 months ago
Architecture firm Studio KUNZ has shared photos of a home they completed in a small town in the south of Brazil. The home sits on a high plateau, surrounded by an idyllic landscape formed by araucaria trees, which was key for a young couple who have a close relationship with life...
CONTEMPORIST
The Woody Palette Of The Exterior Is Brought Through To The Inside Of This Home In New Zealand
First Light Studio has shared photos of a new home they designed that’s nestled into the Port Hills...
a year ago
First Light Studio has shared photos of a new home they designed that’s nestled into the Port Hills in Governors Bay, New Zealand. The design brief for the house was to create a small home that was well crafted out of nice materials, which resulted in a gable form with a wood...
The Modern House
Four at the Fore: London’s most innovative creatives on pushing things forward
a year ago
The Modern House
Kevin McCloud: the Grand Designs presenter takes us behind the scenes of his own life
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of building their own home has probably watched an episode of Grand...
a year ago
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of building their own home has probably watched an episode of Grand Designs. In fact, quite a few people have – the programme has been on our screens since 1999, during which time Kevin McCloud has cemented his reputation as a […]
Old Structures...
So It Begins
LEGO Notre Dame de Paris, 4383 pieces. Fortunately, I have a 13-year-old assistant mason brick-layer...
6 months ago
LEGO Notre Dame de Paris, 4383 pieces. Fortunately, I have a 13-year-old assistant mason brick-layer helper. I approve of the reinforced seams in the flat-plane base: Building the stone-tile floor before we’ve completed the base. Very edgy. Clever foundation for the apse. LEGO...
Old Structures...
Complicated History, Nice Backdrop
From February 1946, a view of the East River waterfront in Brooklyn, with lower Manhattan in the...
4 months ago
From February 1946, a view of the East River waterfront in Brooklyn, with lower Manhattan in the background. It was a cold month: note the ice in the river past the train storage to the right of pier 15. This is the old pier 15, which was close to the foot of Montague Street. It...
A Weekly Dose of...
Visualizing the World, Visualizing Change
In 1939, Otto Neurath's Modern Man in the Making was released by Alfred A. Knopf. Neurath was...
a year ago
In 1939, Otto Neurath's Modern Man in the Making was released by Alfred A. Knopf. Neurath was director of the International Foundation of Visual Information and used the Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education) system to "teach through the eye." A recent...
A Weekly Dose of...
A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books is on Substack
I'm breaking my blogging silence to do two things:
Alert readers to the fact I am still writing...
2 months ago
I'm breaking my blogging silence to do two things:
Alert readers to the fact I am still writing reviews of architecture books under the title A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books, but over at Substack, not Blogger.
Put a new post at the top of this blog so I don't have to look...
The Modern House
Hot Spots: six homes that come alive in summer
Summer has arrived – and so too has that familiar desire to escape, decamp and generally disappear...
a year ago
Summer has arrived – and so too has that familiar desire to escape, decamp and generally disappear somewhere (anywhere) that isn’t inside the same four walls. In reality, however, so many of our most cherished hot-weather memories are of time spent at home, stealing moments […]
The Solarchitecture...
The Solar Manifesto - Part 2.
...or how hard it is to name the foundations of a healthy home?
over a year ago
...or how hard it is to name the foundations of a healthy home?
The Modern House
For itinerant chef and musical therapist Marie Cassis, home is where the feast is
a year ago
Common Edge
Why Would You Want to Teach Architecture?
Opening minds and defining a way of working is the ultimate payoff.
11 months ago
Opening minds and defining a way of working is the ultimate payoff.
CONTEMPORIST
The Remodeling Of This Home’s Rear Addition Created A Light-Filled Interior
Cox Architects has sent us photos of a project they completed that included the re-modeling of a 775...
a year ago
Cox Architects has sent us photos of a project they completed that included the re-modeling of a 775 square foot (72 sqm) brick addition. BeforeThe original Edwardian house, located in a leafy South London Conservation Area, already had a rear brick addition, however, it was not...
99% Invisible
Roman Mars Describes Athens GA As It Is [EPISODE]
This is the third and final episode in a three-part series of Roman Mars recording on-location...
8 months ago
This is the third and final episode in a three-part series of Roman Mars recording on-location guides to the design features and interesting spots in cities he loves. Roman moved to Athens, Georgia, to pursue a PhD in plant genetics, but dropped out and got into the local music...
Archinect - Features
'Instead of Living in Fear of AI, Designers Should Engage With It'; A Conversation with...
Amanda Talbot did not come from a technological background. Her career path through architecture,...
a year ago
Amanda Talbot did not come from a technological background. Her career path through architecture, interiors, journalism, and fashion nonetheless instilled in her a commitment to heart-centric design, which she believes is crucial to conversations on the relationship between...
The Solarchitecture...
The Solar Manifesto - Part 1.
for even after the deepest night, the sun always rises.
over a year ago
for even after the deepest night, the sun always rises.
99% Invisible
Toyetic [EPISODE]
This year marks the 40th anniversary of a lot of landmarks in pop culture, especially sci-fi and...
9 months ago
This year marks the 40th anniversary of a lot of landmarks in pop culture, especially sci-fi and fantasy. So many franchises were born in 1984. Some came to define the genre or invent new genres. The great podcast Imaginary Worlds noticed this and produced a three-part series...
CONTEMPORIST
A Complete Renovation Was Given To This 1980s Plaster Clad House
Michael Cooper Architects has shared photos of a 1980s plaster-clad home in Auckland, New Zealand,...
a year ago
Michael Cooper Architects has shared photos of a 1980s plaster-clad home in Auckland, New Zealand, that they renovated to bring it up to today’s standards. The house needed a re-design inside and out, with the clients requesting a contemporary design. The clients also wanted a...
The Modern House
Quiet yet quirky – the family home of architect Will Burges serves as both inspiration and sanctuary
5 months ago
Common Edge
How the Global Business Class Has Transformed the Home
They’re bringing the aesthetics and lifestyle expectations of the hospitality industry into their...
2 months ago
They’re bringing the aesthetics and lifestyle expectations of the hospitality industry into their domiciles.
The Architectural...
Study Reveals: 84% Favor Traditional Architecture
A British study reveals what people really want in their cities to look like. The authors themselves...
a year ago
A British study reveals what people really want in their cities to look like. The authors themselves state that the result is remarkably clear. People want to see classic streets and neighborhoods with buildings in a traditional style. The British research institute Create...
99% Invisible
Cooking with Gas [EPISODE]
Back in January, Bloomberg News published a story quoting an obscure government official named...
a year ago
Back in January, Bloomberg News published a story quoting an obscure government official named Richard Trumka Jr. He works with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulates stuff like furniture and electronics and household appliances. Basically, the agency is supposed...
Old Structures...
The Same But Different
This is an 1884 photograph of Broadway looking north from just south of Houston Street. Broadway...
11 months ago
This is an 1884 photograph of Broadway looking north from just south of Houston Street. Broadway runs straight from here until the bend at 10th Street where Grace Church is, and the church is just barely visible at the end of the street. Unlike most photos of Manhattan from the...
Contemporist...
A Contemporary Interior Was Given To This Victorian Era Home
Richard Beard Architects and The Wiseman Group has sent us photos of a project they recently...
a year ago
Richard Beard Architects and The Wiseman Group has sent us photos of a project they recently completed in San Francisco, California, that involved updating a historic Victorian-era home.
Common Edge
Making the Case for Sustainable Housing: It’s Time for a New Argument
How to undo the tension between affordability and sustainability.
a year ago
How to undo the tension between affordability and sustainability.
McMansion Hell
in which i take on the argument that windowless bedrooms will somehow solve the housing crisis (lol)
We Cannot Countenance Windowless Bedrooms
in which i take on the argument that windowless bedrooms...
a year ago
We Cannot Countenance Windowless Bedrooms
in which i take on the argument that windowless bedrooms will somehow solve the housing crisis (lol)
Old Structures...
Close To Home
From Angelo Rizzuto in 1950, “Broad Street.” It doesn’t instantly look familiar because we’re all...
7 months ago
From Angelo Rizzuto in 1950, “Broad Street.” It doesn’t instantly look familiar because we’re all used to seeing the north end of Broad Street, where the Stock Exchange and Federal Hall are, or views looking up the street to the north. This is the sound end of Broad, as it runs...
Contemporist...
This Wood Watchtower Is Also A Home For Bats
NEXT Architects has shared photos of Watchtower Einderheide, a lookout in The Netherlands, that also...
2 months ago
NEXT Architects has shared photos of Watchtower Einderheide, a lookout in The Netherlands, that also doubles as a shelter for bats.
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on materials
When it was first published in 2021, we ran some excerpts from our co-founder Matt Gibberd’s book, A...
9 months ago
When it was first published in 2021, we ran some excerpts from our co-founder Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live, which looked at the five principles that best-designed homes tend to pay attention to and which make for happier, healthier living environments: space, […]
Old Structures...
A Story With A Happy Ending
There’s a moral at the end of this story – a story which has nothing to do with engineering,...
10 months ago
There’s a moral at the end of this story – a story which has nothing to do with engineering, architecture, construction, or NYC history – that has something to do with engineering, architecture, and construction, and maybe NYC history as well. I like mechanical keyboards, with a...
Coffee with an...
Christmas Cards from the Architects 2024
It’s that time again. It is the time of year when the architects turn their attention from their...
a week ago
It’s that time again. It is the time of year when the architects turn their attention from their Dec. 25th deadline to thoughts of Christmas. Here we are, sitting by the floor-to-ceiling glass storefronts in our offices, staring out at the rolling hills covered with snow,...
Old Structures...
First-Mover Status
The Empire State Building gave up its title of “tallest” more than fifty years ago, but that’s not...
7 months ago
The Empire State Building gave up its title of “tallest” more than fifty years ago, but that’s not particularly important. It’s still a beautiful building and still loved by tourists and natives alike. The biggest change in its status over that period if time is the gradual...
99% Invisible
WARNING: This Podcast Contains Chemicals Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer or Other...
WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause...
9 months ago
WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm, including Benzene, a chemical used in urinal cleaners and Toluene, a chemical used in common household cleaning products. For...
A Weekly Dose of...
Three Lessons from Three Monographs
Writing a blog devoted to architecture books means featuring monographs — lots of monographs. Not...
a year ago
Writing a blog devoted to architecture books means featuring monographs — lots of monographs. Not exclusively, of course; but before this blog transitioned to its current weekly format, one of the thematic days of the week was appropriately devoted to monographs: Monograph...
Old Structures...
One Pitfall Avoided
I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department...
5 months ago
I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department of Buildings will be examined to identify which buildings are considered to be high risk, and the usual DoB actions – violations, etc. – will start from there. It all depends on...
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Hidden In The Forest Appears Like A Stack Of Illuminated Boxes
William / Kaven Architecture has sent us photos of a home they completed in Portland, Oregon, that’s...
a year ago
William / Kaven Architecture has sent us photos of a home they completed in Portland, Oregon, that’s part of a collection of private residences perched on several steeply sloped sites within Forest Park, a 5,000-acre woodland. A simple material palette of dark steel, concrete,...
CONTEMPORIST
The Surrounding Desert Was Blended Into This Modern Home
Photography by Stetson Ybarra Multi-disciplinary design studio Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd. has shared...
a year ago
Photography by Stetson Ybarra Multi-disciplinary design studio Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd. has shared photos of a modern home they completed on the edge of the Las Vegas Valley that has views of Red Rock Canyon. Photography by Stetson Ybarra Commissioned for a family embracing an...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A 1960s Split-Level Turned Three-Story Home In Seattle
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a remodel project they completed in Seattle,...
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a remodel project they completed in Seattle, Washington, that transformed a 1960s split-level home into an updated design for a family of five. The project’s goals were to modernize the space, add a third floor, relocate the...
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 3
After Tuesday’s description of teams, and yesterday’s discussion of some of the ball fields in...
2 months ago
After Tuesday’s description of teams, and yesterday’s discussion of some of the ball fields in Brooklyn, it’s time for stadiums in Manhattan. Like yesterday, this is not an exhaustive list, just some of the interesting highlights…excluding the more famous major league fields. All...
McMansion Hell
New on Patreon: New Jersey Bonus Post (5 additional, “wonderful” rooms!“
new jersey bonus post: 5 additional, wonderful rooms | McMansionHell
New on Patreon: New Jersey...
3 weeks ago
new jersey bonus post: 5 additional, wonderful rooms | McMansionHell
New on Patreon: New Jersey Bonus Post (5 additional, “wonderful” rooms!“
The Modern House
An architect's dream: four architect-owned homes for sale
A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an...
2 months ago
A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an architect would find bringing their work home – in the most literal of senses – a bit of a drag. But as this collection of architect-owned homes […]
A Weekly Dose of...
Adjaye: Works 2007-2015
Adjaye: Works 2007-2015: Houses, Pavilions, Installations, Buildings
Edited by Peter Allison
Thames...
over a year ago
Adjaye: Works 2007-2015: Houses, Pavilions, Installations, Buildings
Edited by Peter Allison
Thames & Hudson, October 2022
Hardcover | 10-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches | 300 pages | 500 illustrations | English | ISBN: 9780500343807 | $90
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
Following Adjaye: Works...
The Modern House
A television producer on transforming an old student house into a fine family home in Queen’s Park
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A White Concrete Exterior Protects This Seaside Mediterranean House
Ramón Esteve Estudio has shared images of a new home they designed in an urbanized area of a small...
3 months ago
Ramón Esteve Estudio has shared images of a new home they designed in an urbanized area of a small seaside town in Valencia, Spain. The house has a white concrete envelope that generates a large protective shell for a harmonious and delicate interior. Large overhangs and a system...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home In The Trees With A Living Room Suspended Over The Forest Floor
DeForest Architects has sent us images of a home they completed in Burien, Washington, that has a...
a year ago
DeForest Architects has sent us images of a home they completed in Burien, Washington, that has a living room suspended above the forest floor. The home sits on a one-acre wooded parcel at the top of a bluff overlooking Puget Sound, with the clients wanting a tranquil and...
The Modern House
Outside chance: six homes with spectacular gardens
“Gardening is a promise,” said Piet Oudolf in Thomas Piper’s meditative documentary about the...
4 months ago
“Gardening is a promise,” said Piet Oudolf in Thomas Piper’s meditative documentary about the pioneering Dutch garden designer. “It doesn’t have to be there. You’re looking for what will be there.” From a particularly pastoral front garden in Brixton, to a transportive Cornish...
The Modern House
Our guide to Camden Town and Primrose Hill: from panoramic views to a community ceramics space
a year ago
Common Edge
The Brilliant, Unhinged Spectacle of Megalopolis
A rare film that celebrates design and urban planning, Coppola’s latest epic is a mishmash of...
2 months ago
A rare film that celebrates design and urban planning, Coppola’s latest epic is a mishmash of architectural, cinematic, and literary history.
Old Structures...
A Striking Row
I was in the Upper East Side a couple of weeks ago, and the row of houses on the left caught my eye....
11 months ago
I was in the Upper East Side a couple of weeks ago, and the row of houses on the left caught my eye. That’s 690 to 700 Madison Avenue, just north of 62nd Street. While there’s an obvious alteration – the facade of the first two floors of each house was replaced at some point […]
Common Edge
Can We Create a Secular and Spiritual Architecture?
It’s not spirituality that’s in retreat, but face to face rituals and customs.
10 months ago
It’s not spirituality that’s in retreat, but face to face rituals and customs.
99% Invisible
Home on the Range [EPISODE]
In a lot of ways, Lincoln Heights, Ohio, sounds just like any other suburb. If you walk around town,...
a year ago
In a lot of ways, Lincoln Heights, Ohio, sounds just like any other suburb. If you walk around town, you’ll hear kids playing outside the local elementary school. You’ll hear the highway that takes commuters down to Cincinnati. At the woods on the edge of town, the birdsong is...
Archinect - Features
USC Students Try a ‘Bottom-Up’ Approach To Sustainable Housing Delivery in the School of...
Our latest Archinect Studio Pin-Ups takes a look at three studios at Archinect Partner School USC...
2 days ago
Our latest Archinect Studio Pin-Ups takes a look at three studios at Archinect Partner School USC School of Architecture, offered as part of their one-year Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies (M.AARS) postgraduate program.
Led by instructors Julia Sulzer and Sascha...
CONTEMPORIST
An Apartment Designed With Cats In Mind
AODA Interior Design Co. has shared photos of an apartment interior in Taiwan they recently...
2 months ago
AODA Interior Design Co. has shared photos of an apartment interior in Taiwan they recently completed, that includes a variety of design elements specifically for the home owners cats. The clients are a couple with four cats and two medium-to-large dogs. Previously, they lived in...
CONTEMPORIST
Distillery-Inspired Materials Are Featured Throughout The Interior Of This Gin Bar
Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent...
11 months ago
Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent us photos of the Moretti Gin Bar that they have recently completed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The design of the bar incorporates elements that have been inspired by the gin...
Old Structures...
Travelog: A Building Type
Speaking only for myself, it’s easy to mentally categorize subways (i.e., electric mass transit,...
9 months ago
Speaking only for myself, it’s easy to mentally categorize subways (i.e., electric mass transit, mostly underground) as something different than railroads. Different lengths of routes, different spacing of stations, different rolling stock, and so on. The differences are often...
The Modern House
Interior designer Sam Buckley on life in full colour at his apartment in Edinburgh
a year ago
Construction Physics
On Klein on Construction
In the New York Times, Ezra Klein investigated the recent Goolsbee and Syverson paper on...
a year ago
In the New York Times, Ezra Klein investigated the recent Goolsbee and Syverson paper on construction productivity we recently looked at. Klein suggests that the stagnation in construction productivity might be the result of organized special interests increasingly leveraging...
There are two types...
What’s good for General Motors is good for America
On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system...
a year ago
On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system based on individuals in private cars driving everywhere for everything, climate change would be a very different—and smaller—problem than it is.” I posted the … Continue reading →
The...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home That Delivers A Rustic Symphony Of Exposed Wood Beams
FINNE Architects has shared photos of a Pacific Northwest house they designed on Bainbridge Island,...
8 months ago
FINNE Architects has shared photos of a Pacific Northwest house they designed on Bainbridge Island, Washington. A 500-ft driveway winds through the woods up to the house, located in a clearing at the top of a gentle hill. The house was designed to be sustainable from the start,...
Common Edge
What Los Angeles Transit Could Learn From Charlotte
On accidentally discovering the Queen City’s wonderful light rail system.
a year ago
On accidentally discovering the Queen City’s wonderful light rail system.
Common Edge
Picturing an Exhibition: Closing the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
a year ago
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
Old Structures...
Some Peculiarities
This map was sponsored by the “Committee of ‘92” and created by Rand McNally as a guide to the city...
8 months ago
This map was sponsored by the “Committee of ‘92” and created by Rand McNally as a guide to the city for attendees of the Eleventh International Christian Endeavor Convention in 1892. About 40 percent of the index on the right is transportation related – railroads and ship lines –...
Common Edge
Architects Must Address the Issue of Toxic Building Materials
Ending the cycle of pollution within our buildings benefits worker health, community health, and...
a year ago
Ending the cycle of pollution within our buildings benefits worker health, community health, and planetary health.
Old Structures...
It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
Some current news: various books from the nineteenth century are being taken off library shelves...
4 months ago
Some current news: various books from the nineteenth century are being taken off library shelves because their covers and/or page edges contain poisonous dyes, as described in “That book is poison: Even more Victorian covers found to contain toxic dyes” by Jennifer Ouellette. The...
Old Structures...
A Difficult Design Issue
I’m in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for a project I’ll discuss in the future, someday, and came across...
5 months ago
I’m in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for a project I’ll discuss in the future, someday, and came across the National Register listed Toole Building yesterday. The bottom three floors were built in 1892; the top two in 1922. My compliments to the architect and mason in 1922: that’s an...
A Weekly Dose of...
Architectural Exhibitions and Their Books
Preparing for this post I counted roughly one hundred books in my library that are related to...
a year ago
Preparing for this post I counted roughly one hundred books in my library that are related to exhibitions. Surprisingly, given that I tend to buy catalogs and other companion books to exhibitions I visit, only a quarter of those hundred are exhibitions I have seen in person....
Archinect - Features
10 Views on Architectural Licensure From Archinect Readers
As we continue our ongoing Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, we highlight perspectives from...
4 months ago
As we continue our ongoing Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, we highlight perspectives from individuals with extensive research backgrounds on the topic, as well as those in positions to lead, guide, and evolve the licensure pathway. Additionally, we launched a survey among...
99% Invisible
Category 6 [EPISODE]
On the campus of Florida International University, in Miami, there’s a place ominously named “The...
6 months ago
On the campus of Florida International University, in Miami, there’s a place ominously named “The Extreme Events Institute.” They map the risk of storm surge for the whole Caribbean, and study how the public perceives the threats from natural disasters. They’re also home to the...
99% Invisible
The Panopticon Effect [EPISODE]
In the Netherlands, about an hour and a half south of Amsterdam, there’s a city called Breda. Like...
a year ago
In the Netherlands, about an hour and a half south of Amsterdam, there’s a city called Breda. Like many Dutch towns, it has cozy narrow streets, canals and plenty of bicycles. But there’s one historic building – right in the middle of town that really stands out from the rest....
CONTEMPORIST
The Post And Beam Structure Is On Display Inside This New Home
Studio VARA has shared photos of a new home they’ve completed for a couple and their three children,...
7 months ago
Studio VARA has shared photos of a new home they’ve completed for a couple and their three children, who wanted a highly energy-efficient house that is also fire-resistant. Tucked away, down a windy road outside of Healdsburg, California, the home is positioned to take advantage...
Old Structures...
Overgrowth
It’s worth taking a look at two pictures of Newspaper Row/Printing House Square. First, around 1900:...
9 months ago
It’s worth taking a look at two pictures of Newspaper Row/Printing House Square. First, around 1900: Second, 1936, from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project. We have the same line-up in both pictures, from left to right: The World Building, the Tribune Building, the New...
Old Structures...
Originality Is Not Easy, Part 2
A piece of a patent – number 612,365 to Willard Sears, applied for March 16, 1898, and awarded...
3 months ago
A piece of a patent – number 612,365 to Willard Sears, applied for March 16, 1898, and awarded October 11, 1898 – titled “Construction of Buildings”: Like yesterday’s patent, this is a riff on the then-new concepts of skeleton-frame buildings, with the exterior walls supported on...
The Modern House
Views From Above: five homes that celebrate London’s skyline
Seen from on high, London’s shifting cityscape never ceases to fascinate – a patchwork of man-made...
9 months ago
Seen from on high, London’s shifting cityscape never ceases to fascinate – a patchwork of man-made shapes interrupted by so many pockets of green. No matter the weather, a view from above brings out the distinct colour and characteristics of each neighbourhood, encouraging you to...
CONTEMPORIST
LED Lighting Illuminates Shelving Throughout This Home’s Interior
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and...
a year ago
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and Daniel Persson, has debuted a residential project called Casa Bosques de Olivos in Mexico City. The exterior of the house features concrete, wood, and metal, as well as landscaped...
Old Structures...
Not Gone – Not Yet There
From a 1924 aerial survey of New York City, a funny-looking blob: Looking down on a building is one...
4 weeks ago
From a 1924 aerial survey of New York City, a funny-looking blob: Looking down on a building is one of the most difficult ways to recognize it. Fortunately, the late-afternoon shadow helps: That’s the Woolworth Building’s silhouette. Our office building was constructed in 1932,...
Common Edge
‘Not Having to Worry about Proportion, Harmony, and Beauty Is a Cop-Out’
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
9 months ago
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
The Modern House
How Robin and Bronwen Burgess created a haven overlooking Hampstead Heath
a year ago
Old Structures...
Not Much Of A Mystery
There floors of apartments over two floors of commercial space: If you’ve spent enough time in...
5 months ago
There floors of apartments over two floors of commercial space: If you’ve spent enough time in Manhattan, the immediate thought is that this was a house with a stoop, and the extension to the front lot line is an alteration that removed the stoop and raised the basement to street...
Common Edge
Light, Empathy, and Silence: The Architecture of Marina Tabassum
A Q&A with the celebrated Bangladeshi designer.
6 months ago
A Q&A with the celebrated Bangladeshi designer.
Archinect - Features
Discussing Paid Research Opportunities for M.Arch Students at the UW-Milwaukee SARUP
In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture &...
a year ago
In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture & Urban Planning (SARUP) to unpack its Mellows Graduate Research Positions (formerly called the Mellowes Master’s Research Assistantships).
For the 2024-2025 school year, SARUP is...
Archinect - Features
AI is Good For Architects (For Now)
In the final chapter of Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence, Niall Patrick Walsh reflects on...
8 months ago
In the final chapter of Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence, Niall Patrick Walsh reflects on the historical relationship between architecture and technology, charting a trajectory for the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the future of the architectural...
CONTEMPORIST
Plants Were Integrated Into This Home’s Design To Give It The Feeling Of A Tropical Resort
Wallflower Architecture + Design has shared photos of a home they recently completed in Novena,...
a year ago
Wallflower Architecture + Design has shared photos of a home they recently completed in Novena, Singapore, that integrates plants into its design. Located in a residential area in the middle of the city, the house sits on a fan-shaped property and has been designed to reflect the...
The Solarchitecture...
Case study #1: The Solar Saltbox house
A passive house for cold climates.
over a year ago
A passive house for cold climates.
There are two types...
My Muck Rack
MUCK RACK automatically creates lists of articles written by individuals (like me). To this I’ve...
a year ago
MUCK RACK automatically creates lists of articles written by individuals (like me). To this I’ve added some articles about me, and reviews of books I’ve written. My Muck Rack
The post My Muck Rack appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good architecture, and the...
Contemporist...
A Warehouse-Inspired Home With A Spanish Twist
Multi-disciplinary design firm mcmahon and nerlich has shared photos of a warehouse-inspired...
a month ago
Multi-disciplinary design firm mcmahon and nerlich has shared photos of a warehouse-inspired townhouse with a Spanish twist inside.
Common Edge
“Architecture Schools Are Responsible for Educating the Whole Student”
A talk with ACSA’s executive director, Michael Monti.
3 months ago
A talk with ACSA’s executive director, Michael Monti.
Contemporist...
Lighting Is Used To Create A Warm Glowing Atmosphere For This Restaurant
FUNUN LAB has shared photos of a Japanese-inspired restaurant they designed in Beijing, China, that...
a year ago
FUNUN LAB has shared photos of a Japanese-inspired restaurant they designed in Beijing, China, that includes a variety of lighting that helps create a unique interior.
The Modern House
Tim Little: the owner of Grenson footwear on his journey from Adidas ad man to sole trader
For this week’s episode of Homing In, Matt Gibberd talks to Tim Little, who – after zigging and...
9 months ago
For this week’s episode of Homing In, Matt Gibberd talks to Tim Little, who – after zigging and zagging his way through the worlds of marketing, advertising and, latterly, shoes – now sits at the head of Grenson, the traditional cordwainers that have been handcrafting […]
The Wandering...
The Mathematics of the Pattern on the Sala de la Barca Ceiling
(This is the math geek part about the Sala de la Barca ceiling. For instructions on constructing the...
8 months ago
(This is the math geek part about the Sala de la Barca ceiling. For instructions on constructing the pattern with compass and straightedge, go over to Part 1.) In the process of figuring out how to draw this pattern, I ran into a lot of questions, and had to do more than a little...
The Modern House
How to reduce carbon emissions at home
a year ago
Common Edge
‘My Photographs Are a Celebration of the Making of Things’
A talk with Christopher Payne about his recent book, Made in America.
11 months ago
A talk with Christopher Payne about his recent book, Made in America.
Archinect - Features
‘We Have To Get Much Better at Speaking To Wider and Wider Audiences:’ A Conversation With...
In February 2024, Brett Steele took up the position of Dean of the University of Southern California...
2 months ago
In February 2024, Brett Steele took up the position of Dean of the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Since then, Steele has been busy capitalizing on the opportunities and responsibilities that come with leading a Los Angeles design school in a city known...
Common Edge
The Time-Defying Nature of Living Architectural Traditions
Mere repetition is lifeless, a focus on design exploration creates nothing lasting, but living...
8 months ago
Mere repetition is lifeless, a focus on design exploration creates nothing lasting, but living tradition balances both.
The Architectural...
Can We Afford More Modernist Buildings?
A common myth suggests that the unattractiveness of new buildings over the last century is due to...
a year ago
A common myth suggests that the unattractiveness of new buildings over the last century is due to rational or economic reasons, implying that building beautifully is too costly. In this article, I’ll debunk this idea and uncover the real reason behind the prevalence of...
The Modern House
Tim Ross: the Australian broadcaster on the life-enhancing effect of modest, modernist buildings –...
Growing up in a 1960s house in the suburbs of Melbourne, the Australian broadcaster Tim Ross was...
6 months ago
Growing up in a 1960s house in the suburbs of Melbourne, the Australian broadcaster Tim Ross was often left to his own devices. A daydreamer with an eye for design, his passion for modernist buildings took root and caught up with him following his early […]
Common Edge
Aesthetics Alone Do Not Give Sacred Space Its Meaning
The key to finding a new relevance for “the holy” lies in architectural humility.
2 months ago
The key to finding a new relevance for “the holy” lies in architectural humility.
The Modern House
Mark Bonskek and Sabba Khan’s playful Maryland home is a masterclass in materiality
a year ago
Old Structures...
Pro Tip, As They Say
A slightly-redacted photo from a Brooklyn site visit, showing a diagram on the wall in a maintenance...
a month ago
A slightly-redacted photo from a Brooklyn site visit, showing a diagram on the wall in a maintenance room: No one I spoke to had floor plans of any kind for the building. I knew it had a steel frame but not where the interior columns were. And then, during a site visit, a handy...
Contemporist...
An Undulating Wood Ceiling Inspired By Ocean Waves And Nearby Mountains
ARRCC has shared photos of a remodel they recently completed for a home in Cape Town, South Africa,...
a month ago
ARRCC has shared photos of a remodel they recently completed for a home in Cape Town, South Africa, that retained the original footprint, and received a contemporary update with a new undulating cast in-place concrete roof lined with wood on the inside.
Archinect - Features
When Should Architecture Firms Start Hiring? Five Factors To Consider
With the U.S. Federal Reserve embarking on rounds of target interest rate cuts in late 2024, AEC...
a month ago
With the U.S. Federal Reserve embarking on rounds of target interest rate cuts in late 2024, AEC industry commentators are forecasting that architectural business conditions may improve in the coming months. Architecture firms experiencing an increased workload may, therefore,...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Iconic
There are all sorts of tricks – visual shorthand – for saying “you’re in New York” in movies, TV,...
3 months ago
There are all sorts of tricks – visual shorthand – for saying “you’re in New York” in movies, TV, and photos. One of them is to include some roof-top water tanks. Comics, too: The purpose of the tanks is very simple. They store water pumped up form the municipal main, and water...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Myopia: Observing Communities in Chiang Mai, Thailand
The genesis for “My Parallel Communities of Chiang Mai (ชุมขนคู่ขนานที่เชียงใหม่)” likely began on a...
over a year ago
The genesis for “My Parallel Communities of Chiang Mai (ชุมขนคู่ขนานที่เชียงใหม่)” likely began on a calm, wet-season night after the rains had subsided at One Nimman, my group of friends — portrait artists from Chiang Mai University — shooting the breeze and hustling what money...
Old Structures...
Different Conceptions of Structure
I somehow missed this 1937 photo when I was working my way through Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New...
11 months ago
I somehow missed this 1937 photo when I was working my way through Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project last year. It shows the short and isolated stretch of Twelfth Avenue below the Riverside Drive viaduct, between 125th Street and 135th Street. (Because the west end of...
Archinect - Features
Let’s Talk About Architectural Visualization
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Visualization. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the...
2 months ago
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Visualization. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the process of visualizing architectural work and what challenges and opportunities the field presents for the architectural design process. Our journey will include not only tips and...
Old Structures...
Housekeeping
The two-site business is done. Oldstructures.nyc now redirects to Oldstructyres.com, so everyone is...
a year ago
The two-site business is done. Oldstructures.nyc now redirects to Oldstructyres.com, so everyone is seeing the same, new website. We’re still working some kinks out. If you have an email or WordPress subscription to the website, I think you’ll have to update it. Or maybe not, who...
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on space
Since The Modern House launched in 2005, we’ve come to realise that beautifully designed homes share...
11 months ago
Since The Modern House launched in 2005, we’ve come to realise that beautifully designed homes share the same timeless principles: space, light, materials, nature and decoration. These five tenets are not only the subject of our co-founder Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to...
A Weekly Dose of...
Reading About Drawings
Instead of digesting a new book or diving into a novel, something others do often but I do rarely, I...
11 months ago
Instead of digesting a new book or diving into a novel, something others do often but I do rarely, I spent my holiday break reading a five-year-old book about a trio of intertwined topics I'm particularly fond of: drawings, exhibitions, and New York City.
Drawing on...
devonzuegel.com
Google Docs' sheet-of-paper metaphor
For ages, I've wondered why Google Docs still clings to the sheet-of-paper metaphor when lots of its...
over a year ago
For ages, I've wondered why Google Docs still clings to the sheet-of-paper metaphor when lots of its users never print out most of their documents.
Of course it does make sense for "Print layout" to be an option. Many people do print docs, and students make up a huge portion of...
devonzuegel.com
Argentina On Two Steaks A Day (Idle Words)
04.13.2006
Argentina On Two Steaks A Day
The classic beginner's mistake in Argentina is...
over a year ago
04.13.2006
Argentina On Two Steaks A Day
The classic beginner's mistake in Argentina is to neglect the first steak of the day. You will be tempted to just peck at it or even skip it altogether, rationalizing that you need to save yourself for the much larger steak...
McMansion Hell
dome sweet dome
As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to...
a year ago
As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to learn the world’s most widely spoken and useful language: Slovenian. At this point, my Slovenian is about as coherent as, well, a McMansion. In order to feel better about myself, I...
Old Structures...
Engineers at Ground Zero
Next week, there will be a showing of the documentary Engineers at Ground Zero at the Angelika...
a month ago
Next week, there will be a showing of the documentary Engineers at Ground Zero at the Angelika theater. The film was produced by the Structural Engineers Association of New York and created by Vacationland. As it happens, I will be out of town next week so I won’t see it now, but...
The Modern House
Jonny Gent: music, martinis and mayhem from the founder of Sessions Arts Club
The line between art and food is a fine one. Both are sensory, emotive and experiential; both are...
10 months ago
The line between art and food is a fine one. Both are sensory, emotive and experiential; both are fundamentally creative endeavours. But for Jonny Gent, painter and founder of Sessions Arts Club and Boath House, two new stars in the British hospitality firmament, the line […]
Contemporist...
A New Home Inspired By The Long, Horizontal Lines Of The Classic California Bungalow
Design and build company Alloy Homes Incorporated has shared photos of a new home they completed in...
4 months ago
Design and build company Alloy Homes Incorporated has shared photos of a new home they completed in one of Calgary’s original upscale mid-century neighborhoods.
99% Invisible
The Flop House: Megalopolis, with Roman Mars
This episode is from our friends at The Flop House, a comedy podcast devoted to the worst in recent...
a week ago
This episode is from our friends at The Flop House, a comedy podcast devoted to the worst in recent film. Roman joins Dan McCoy, Stuart Wellington, and Power Broker co-host Elliott Kalan, to discuss Megalopolis, the recent bankrupting disaster from Francis Ford Coppola. Subscribe...
Archinect - Features
Creativity Won’t Protect Architects from Automation — But Labor Unions Might
The proliferation of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT has undermined long-held...
9 months ago
The proliferation of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT has undermined long-held assumptions that artificial intelligence would not threaten creative disciplines. In an effort to balance the opportunities and limits of artificial intelligence in the architecture...
Common Edge
Finding Inspiration in Histories of Indian Families With Powerful Architectural Legacies
The stories found in Architectural Inheritance and Evolution in India rekindled the fire for the...
a year ago
The stories found in Architectural Inheritance and Evolution in India rekindled the fire for the profession in one young professional.
CONTEMPORIST
A Boldly Colored Pasta Shop Brightens Up The Street In Athens
Design firm Studio Materiality has shared photos of Macaroni, a pasta shop they completed that’s...
a year ago
Design firm Studio Materiality has shared photos of Macaroni, a pasta shop they completed that’s located in the heart of Athens, Greece. The designers drew inspiration from the 1970s, with a boldly colored design, complete with a font from that era to create the logo. The...
CONTEMPORIST
LED Lighting Is Hidden Throughout This Home To Create A Soft Warm Glow
Interior design studio, Pure AW’s Designers Ltd, has shared a modern apartment they completed in...
a year ago
Interior design studio, Pure AW’s Designers Ltd, has shared a modern apartment they completed in Kowloon, Hong Kong, that combines warm woods and soft lighting. Designed for a couple with two children, the apartment’s interior is influenced by traditional Nordic aesthetics and...
The Modern House
A home counties treasure by master of materials Michael Manser, now for sale
9 months ago
devonzuegel.com
America's hidden urban laboratory: the South
America hasn't built many walkable places in the last few decades, but there are a few exceptions....
a year ago
America hasn't built many walkable places in the last few decades, but there are a few exceptions. While collecting a list of these special places, I was shocked to discover that most are in the Southeast.
My mental image of contemporary southern development did not include an...
99% Invisible
Between the Blocks [EPISODE]
Seen from above, Sofia, Bulgaria, looks less like a city and more like a forest. Large “interblock...
10 months ago
Seen from above, Sofia, Bulgaria, looks less like a city and more like a forest. Large “interblock park” green spaces between big apartment structures are a defining characteristic of the city. They’re not so much “parks” in the formal sense, with fences and gates, just open...
The Modern House
How an unloved Eric Lyons house converted Shaun Betteridge from mid-century novice to modernist...
11 months ago
The Modern House
The big blue: a striking sculptural staircase forms the focus of this converted coach house in...
2 months ago
The Modern House
A couple’s self-renovated 1960s home built on to a 17th-century cottage in Somerset
a year ago
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