Construction Physics
The Shape of Nuclear Policy
Book review: Nuclear Politics: Energy and the State in the United States, Sweden, and France
7 months ago
Book review: Nuclear Politics: Energy and the State in the United States, Sweden, and France
CONTEMPORIST
This Cafe In Austria Has a Cycling Inspired Design
Architecture and interior design studio Archisphere collaborated with Carbone & Kacerovsky to design...
a year ago
Architecture and interior design studio Archisphere collaborated with Carbone & Kacerovsky to design a ‘Cyclist’, a modern cafe at the Hotel Andaz am Belvedere Vienna. Archisphere drew inspiration from the movement, freedom, and enjoyment associated with cycling. In addition to...
Old Structures...
All In A Name
I mentioned yesterday that New York’s City Hall, because it is over 200 years old, is very much too...
3 weeks ago
I mentioned yesterday that New York’s City Hall, because it is over 200 years old, is very much too small to house a modern government. The first solution dreamed up in the late 1800s was to replace City Hall with a much larger building. For various reasons – including expense, a...
CONTEMPORIST
An Urban Tree House In New York City
NO ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of a home they completed inside a residential tower at the edge of...
a year ago
NO ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of a home they completed inside a residential tower at the edge of Manhattan’s West Village, that has the appearance of an urban tree house. The open-plan social areas of the interior are housed in a double-height space with 22-ft tall glass...
Common Edge
Architecture With Empathy In An Age of Division and Discord
Buildings can be designed to antagonize communities, or serve as welcoming presences.
3 weeks ago
Buildings can be designed to antagonize communities, or serve as welcoming presences.
The Architectural...
Architect Releases Academic Dissertation That Questions Architects’ Taste
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new...
9 months ago
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new houses made in a traditional style. But this is exactly what the average person appreciates. “Why do many architects dislike the very thing that residents often enjoy?” asks architect...
CONTEMPORIST
A Tree House That Feels Like It’s Floating Inside The Forest
INTEGRA STUDIO ARQUITETURA has shared photos of a modern Tree House project they completed for the...
a year ago
INTEGRA STUDIO ARQUITETURA has shared photos of a modern Tree House project they completed for the NaCarapina accommodation complex, that’s located in Brazil. The Tree House which has the feeling of ‘floating inside the forest’, is fully integrated with the imposing Araucaria...
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...
10 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...
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...
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...
a month ago
new jersey bonus post: 5 additional, wonderful rooms | McMansionHell
New on Patreon: New Jersey Bonus Post (5 additional, “wonderful” rooms!“
Old Structures...
Cartesian
I’ve written before about the Washington Bridge over the Harlem River – not to be confused with the...
3 months ago
I’ve written before about the Washington Bridge over the Harlem River – not to be confused with the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River about a mile away – with good reason. There’s an argument to be made that this small (for NYC) bridge is the most beautiful in the...
The Modern House
Peak Performance: what does a walk up a mountain sound like?
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A New Home Designed As Three Cascading Glass Boxes
Efficiency Lab for Architecture has designed a modern home nestled into the steep hillside of the...
10 months ago
Efficiency Lab for Architecture has designed a modern home nestled into the steep hillside of the Telluride Box Canyon in Colorado. The plan for the home focused on the architectural expression of three cantilevered glass boxes. Each glass box is positioned in a moment of...
The Modern House
Author Kat Hill on why we all yearn for the sanctuary of a modern bothy
7 months ago
Old Structures...
We Become Accustomed – Part 1
I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it...
a year ago
I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it illustrates an important phenomenon about change. When I talk about change in this blog, I most often mean technological change in the built environment, as new forms of construction...
Archinect - Features
Being Laid off in Architecture Is Tough; So Is Waiting To Be
Findings from our recent Archinect Business Survey suggest that many architecture employees do not...
4 months ago
Findings from our recent Archinect Business Survey suggest that many architecture employees do not feel secure in their current roles. For those facing the looming prospect of layoffs in the coming weeks or months, the emotional strain can be as taxing as that experienced by...
CONTEMPORIST
A Pier Foundation Allowed This Home To Be Built On A Steeply Sloped Property
LTD Architectural Design Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Auckland, New...
a year ago
LTD Architectural Design Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Auckland, New Zealand, that’s located on a steep site. This very steep site provided a challenge for the architects in terms of creating a suitable living platform. They wanted to minimize piling...
The Modern House
A beloved mid-century home built for a lifetime of colour and creation by two architects
8 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – Remodeled Kitchen And Bathrooms For A Mid-Century Modern Home
M Monroe Design has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel they recently completed for a...
a year ago
M Monroe Design has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel they recently completed for a mid-century modern home in Newport Beach, California, that includes a new kitchen as well as the main bathroom and a kids’ bathroom. Before – The KitchenThe original kitchen had a tiled...
Archinect - Features
The Brutalist Is a Cinematic Reflection of Brutalism
Brutalist architecture is raw, powerful, emotional, and unapologetically honest. It rejects...
2 weeks ago
Brutalist architecture is raw, powerful, emotional, and unapologetically honest. It rejects ornamentation and architectural devices designed to make its inhabitants feel comfortable, instead creating a visceral, primal experience. Brutalism is a feeling—a bold statement that...
Contemporist...
This Modern Mountain Home Was Designed With Distinctly Separate Wings
CLB Architects has sent us photos of a mountain retreat they designed in a densely forested area of...
a year ago
CLB Architects has sent us photos of a mountain retreat they designed in a densely forested area of Big Sky, Montana.
Old Structures...
Discussing Immigrants Elsewhere
That’s discussion elsewhere about immigrants here, not discussion here about immigrants somewhere...
6 months ago
That’s discussion elsewhere about immigrants here, not discussion here about immigrants somewhere else. I’m at the 8th International Congress on Construction History this week, where I hope to learn a lot about past design and construction practice. I have certainly learned much...
A Weekly Dose of...
Rereading the Nineties
Some of the references consulted during the research phase of my 2021 book Buildings in Print: 100...
a year ago
Some of the references consulted during the research phase of my 2021 book Buildings in Print: 100 Influential & Inspiring Illustrated Architecture Books, but not mentioned in the book's "selected bibliography," were old catalogs from the Prairie Avenue Bookshop, the beloved and...
99% Invisible
The White Castle System of Eating Houses [EPISODE]
White Castle has its own take on fast food hamburgers. For starters, the patties are square, with...
10 months ago
White Castle has its own take on fast food hamburgers. For starters, the patties are square, with five holes in each patty. And they’re small, too –- two-and-a-half inch sliders. Just big enough to fit into the palm of your hand. And since they’re steamed on a bed of onions,...
Old Structures...
Up, Down, and Up, Like Its Surroundings
I took these pictures on Mercer Street yesterday, of an oddly formal little building. Whatever...
11 months ago
I took these pictures on Mercer Street yesterday, of an oddly formal little building. Whatever “Firemen’s Hall” meant, I had never heard of it. The name and original use are linked and sort of obvious: when the building was constructed in 1855, New York’s fire-fighting needs were...
Old Structures...
The Big Day and We’re Two-Faced
Our new website is up and, as with all such changes, things are not going as smoothly as I might...
a year ago
Our new website is up and, as with all such changes, things are not going as smoothly as I might have hoped. There’s a minor glitch with the menu on the new website, which I expect will be fixed shortly. More importantly, we wanted to change to the new back-end in such a way that...
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.
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Top 20 A’ Design Award Winners From Past Years
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award &...
a year ago
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing winners from 114 countries in 139 different design disciplines. More than...
The Modern House
One couple on the pleasure of perfectly restoring their mid-century home in Essex
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Glamping Tents Designed By Architects
Architects Julio Cano and Barbara Bardin of Canobardin, have sent photos of the TipiTop Tents they...
4 months ago
Architects Julio Cano and Barbara Bardin of Canobardin, have sent photos of the TipiTop Tents they designed for the Costa del Sol Glamping Village in Spain. Each tent’s structure is made entirely of laminated pine wood, with a volume formed from three porticoes that support the...
The Modern House
Oscar Piccolo on the intriguing objects in his home in Hackney Wick
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Modern Home Is Suspended Over A Creek
Fougeron Architecture has shared photos of a home they remodeled that’s suspended between two...
4 months ago
Fougeron Architecture has shared photos of a home they remodeled that’s suspended between two California hills, and spans a creek, and boasts a waterfall in the backyard. The goal of the project was to reconnect this structure into the environment while best utilizing the...
The Modern House
Five bright things to do and see this July
July is here: the sun is shining and the air is hot – and so are our top picks of things to do and...
a year ago
July is here: the sun is shining and the air is hot – and so are our top picks of things to do and see this month, from an exhibition on an emerging artist exploring light and space to a food and art extravaganza celebrating […]
devonzuegel.com
Empathy for the Devil
I. Loan application
Before serving time for mortgage fraud, Toby Groves seemed like the last person...
over a year ago
I. Loan application
Before serving time for mortgage fraud, Toby Groves seemed like the last person who would get into that kind of trouble. His older brother had been sentenced for the same crime twenty years earlier, and Toby had seen how it destroyed his family. He swore he’d...
Construction Physics
How Washington DC Got Its Metro
There have been two main periods of subway (or “metro”) building in the US. The first was during the...
a year ago
There have been two main periods of subway (or “metro”) building in the US. The first was during the late 19th century and early 20th century, when Boston, New York, and Philadelphia all built subway systems
CONTEMPORIST
Traditional Materials And Forms Were Adapted To A Modern Language For This House
Melbourne-based architecture and interior design studio Splinter Society, has shared photos of...
a year ago
Melbourne-based architecture and interior design studio Splinter Society, has shared photos of modern rear addition they recently completed for a home in Australia. The designers retained the existing floor plan, roofing tiles, gable forms, small brick garage, simple...
Old Structures...
Credit Where Due
I was in the meatpacking district last week and noticed this building at 837 Washington Street. It’s...
10 months ago
I was in the meatpacking district last week and noticed this building at 837 Washington Street. It’s been around for a while, but I guess I never looked up: the facades of the first two floors are an old building, while the upper floors (and, I assume, the interiors) are new....
99% Invisible
Imitation Nation [EPISODE]
29 Palms, California, is home to the world’s largest Marine Corps Training Base. It’s an elaborately...
11 months ago
29 Palms, California, is home to the world’s largest Marine Corps Training Base. It’s an elaborately built facility with lego-like buildings, a bazaar, a mosque, and people role-playing as civilians, spies, or enemies, complete with costumes and props. It’s all part of an effort...
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 1
With both the Mets and Yankees playing league championship games yesterday, this seems like a good...
2 months ago
With both the Mets and Yankees playing league championship games yesterday, this seems like a good time to discuss some of the oddities of New York’s relationship to the game of baseball. And the best place to start is just how many professional teams there have been here. Most...
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...
Construction Physics
The Katerra Team Rides Again: ONX Homes
Regular readers of Construction Physics know that I formerly worked for the construction startup...
8 months ago
Regular readers of Construction Physics know that I formerly worked for the construction startup Katerra, which raised several billion dollars in venture capital in the hopes of revolutionizing the construction industry, and then went bankrupt. In fact, it was my experiences at...
CONTEMPORIST
A Garage Transformed Into An Apartment With A Home Office
YR Architecture + Design has shared photos of a modern 575 square foot (53 sqm) live/work studio in...
a year ago
YR Architecture + Design has shared photos of a modern 575 square foot (53 sqm) live/work studio in Columbus, OH, that was once a 2-car garage. The homeowners were determined for their two-car garage to be an asset, with the couple seeking to maximize their property, and at the...
The Modern House
A mix of materials results in fun, family-friendly flexibility in a Hove warehouse conversion
9 months ago
Coffee with an...
Architect Christmas Cards 2023
It’s that time of year again when a grinches, I mean an architect’s, heart grows 3 sizes and they...
a year ago
It’s that time of year again when a grinches, I mean an architect’s, heart grows 3 sizes and they realize the true meaning of Christmas. Ignoring heat gain coefficients and just using all glass on the new design for Santa’s experimental workshop/atelier anyway. It’s a Christmas...
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – An Old Warehouse Was Turned Into A Contemporary Home
Brengues Le Pavec architects have shared photos of a modern warehouse conversion they completed in...
9 months ago
Brengues Le Pavec architects have shared photos of a modern warehouse conversion they completed in the south of France, between Montpellier and the sea. The ‘Before’…the run-down warehouse, which was still being used to store products, was dark and filled with shelves. The...
The Modern House
Why deli and wine bar Lulu’s is winning the hearts of locals in Herne Hill
a year ago
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...
The Modern House
The Classics: Valley Spring by Peter Womersley
a year ago
Common Edge
Jay-Z’s Unseemly Takeover of Brooklyn’s Central Library
Crowds love “The Book of HOV,” but the library has ceded public space for a self-produced tribute...
a year ago
Crowds love “The Book of HOV,” but the library has ceded public space for a self-produced tribute from his company, Roc Nation.
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...
Archinect - Features
Many Architecture Firms Don’t Know How To Pursue International Work; We Spoke With Some That...
Over the past year, the number of U.S. architecture firms working on international projects has...
4 months ago
Over the past year, the number of U.S. architecture firms working on international projects has gently increased. However, a recent AIA survey found that many firms do not know how to pursue international work. In search of insights and advice on the topic, we spoke with three...
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.
The Modern House
‘The girl from elsewhere’: designer India Mahdavi on her struggle for acceptance, and how a rented...
Our guest on this episode of Homing In – our podcast on which our co-founder Matt Gibberd asks...
a year ago
Our guest on this episode of Homing In – our podcast on which our co-founder Matt Gibberd asks cultural tastemakers about a home from their past, present and future – is the French-Iranian architect India Mahdavi. Known as the Queen of Colour, she has designed […]
The Modern House
Nice Slice: the best pizza in London
a year ago
Blog - Guerrilla...
TRANSitar Lima
THE RIGHT TO THE CITY: Who has the right to move freely through the city and who doesn’t?
Map of...
a year ago
THE RIGHT TO THE CITY: Who has the right to move freely through the city and who doesn’t?
Map of Lima, Peru
About the project
TRANSitar Lima is a project that seeks to create a visual record of transphobic violence, based on collective mapping sessions. Trans, transvestites, and...
Common Edge
Social Housing in America: Architects Must Answer the Call
They have a responsibility to the public to visualize the potential of social housing in America.
9 months ago
They have a responsibility to the public to visualize the potential of social housing in America.
Old Structures...
Non-Demolished
When the West Side Highway – the limited access, elevated highway that was demolished in the 1970s...
6 months ago
When the West Side Highway – the limited access, elevated highway that was demolished in the 1970s and 80s – was planned in the 1920s, it made sense. From a viewpoint any later than about 1940 it was a terrible mistake. Bad planning and little maintenance doomed the old highway,...
The Modern House
Skye Gyngell: the chef on how she eats and entertains at home
Skye Gyngell is an Australian-born chef who has spent much of her career shaping the British...
a year ago
Skye Gyngell is an Australian-born chef who has spent much of her career shaping the British culinary scene. Her distinctively pared-back plates first won renown in the early noughties at Petersham Nurseries in Richmond; nowadays she runs her own beautiful restaurant, Spring, at...
The Modern House
Architect Anaïs Bléhaut of Daab Design on restoring the balance of a Battersea terraced house
a year ago
Construction Physics
How to Build a 50,000 Ton Forging Press
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a revolution took place in American military aircraft design.
4 months ago
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a revolution took place in American military aircraft design.
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...
devonzuegel.com
OWD #2: Vanished in Guadalajara
Alain and Marie-Agnes raised three children while living their nomadic lifestyle. So in this...
over a year ago
Alain and Marie-Agnes raised three children while living their nomadic lifestyle. So in this episode, we dug into how their role as parents shaped how they experience cities. Join us as we roam Bangkok, Guadalajara, Sana'a, Paris, Port-au-Prince, NYC and beyond!
RSS · Apple...
Old Structures...
Reflections
That’s 21 (left) and 20 West Street, with 17 Battery Place off to the right. This was taken early in...
6 months ago
That’s 21 (left) and 20 West Street, with 17 Battery Place off to the right. This was taken early in the morning and the facades facing me are the west facades of the buildings. Across West Street, to my right, is a modern apartment house with a mostly-glass facade. It doesn’t...
The Modern House
Life and love in a 1960s townhouse in north London
10 months ago
Old Structures...
Gotcha!
There are times I feel sorry for the people who run the huge online archives that we use for...
a year ago
There are times I feel sorry for the people who run the huge online archives that we use for research. They have to deal with thousands (or tens of thousands, or more) resources – usually individual files in multiple formats – on hundreds or thousands of topics. And if they make...
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.
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Extension Made Space For A New Kitchen And Dining Area
AR Design Studio has shared photos of a project they completed that included a new contemporary...
5 months ago
AR Design Studio has shared photos of a project they completed that included a new contemporary single-storey extension for a private residence. Mature trees surround the site to the north and east, and tall lush hedges to the south and west perimeter of the property that provide...
Contemporist...
The Large Arch Window In Front Of This Cafe Offers A Glimpse Of The Creative Interior
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand,...
a year ago
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand, that incorporates a collection of windows to create a welcoming arch shape on its facade.
Old Structures...
An Incredibly Bad Idea
I could have sworn that I wrote about this before, but I’m not finding it in the blog archive. Maybe...
a year ago
I could have sworn that I wrote about this before, but I’m not finding it in the blog archive. Maybe I’m just remembering the bad aftertaste this whole idea gives me. Hey, why not destroy New York’s harbor – the reason that a city was built here in the first place – to create...
Old Structures...
Odd One Out
Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an...
6 months ago
Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an early 1900s edition of King’s Views of New York, showing a rendering of the bridge before it was completed (on top), paired with a photo of the just-completed Williamsburg Bridge...
Old Structures...
Unhidden
From 1900, a photo of the future site of the New York Public Library and the past site of the Croton...
11 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...
Old Structures...
An Exotic Foreign Land
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, what appears to be a page of illustrations from a...
a month ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, what appears to be a page of illustrations from a European tourist guide to New York: Let’s start with the non-controversial item in the lower left: That is a decent engraving of Das Stadhaus / The City Hall / La maison de Ville as...
Old Structures...
Scant Evidence
A piece of a single sentence in the 1893 Baedeker description of New York sent me down a rabbit...
3 weeks ago
A piece of a single sentence in the 1893 Baedeker description of New York sent me down a rabbit hole. In a proper library I believe that I’d find a hard answer but playing around on the internet from hime, I’m left with a partial guess. The phrase, under the heading of Theaters...
CONTEMPORIST
The Post And Beam Structure Is On Display Around This Home
Magarao + Lindenberg Arquitetura has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Rio De...
a year ago
Magarao + Lindenberg Arquitetura has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, that has its post and beam structure on display throughout the interior. The clients wanted a house with personality and practicality, which would be spacious but without...
CONTEMPORIST
A Rock Inspired Exterior Was Designed For This Skincare Boutique
Architecture firm LMTLS has shared photos of SKIN1004, a new skincare boutique in Seoul, South...
11 months ago
Architecture firm LMTLS has shared photos of SKIN1004, a new skincare boutique in Seoul, South Korea, that has a rock-inspired facade. As the first offline flagship store in Myeongdong, the location embraces the concept of “untouched nature”, with rich brown and beige tones...
Old Structures...
Partial Success
I’ve been trying to decipher this item from a New York Public Library scrapbook: The title on the...
3 months ago
I’ve been trying to decipher this item from a New York Public Library scrapbook: The title on the NYPL website is “Grand base ball match for the championship, between the Exclusive and Atlantic Clubs, of Brooklyn…” and the date is given as 1900-1945. (It’s also listed as a...
McMansion Hell
the motel room, or: on datedness
I.
Often I find myself nostalgic for things that haven’t disappeared yet. This feeling is enhanced...
6 months ago
I.
Often I find myself nostalgic for things that haven’t disappeared yet. This feeling is enhanced by the strange conviction that once I stop looking at these things, I will never see them again, that I am living in the last moment of looking. This is sense is strongest for me in...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Boom
One of the problems with electing Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, as mayor of New York, is that he has a...
6 months ago
One of the problems with electing Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, as mayor of New York, is that he has a lot of enemies who will try to kill him by, say, blowing him up in his sleep. This is a preservation problem because the mayor’s residence is Gracie Mansion, a 1799 wood-frame...
Contemporist...
Before & After - The Complete Renovation Of A Small Loft Apartment
New York City-based design studio beda (Brad Engelsman Design Architecture), has shared photos of a...
a month ago
New York City-based design studio beda (Brad Engelsman Design Architecture), has shared photos of a renovation project they completed of a small 500-square-foot (46 sqm) loft apartment.
Construction Physics
How the Car Came to LA
Since at least the 1960s, urbanists have bemoaned the car-centric nature of US transportation. In...
a year ago
Since at least the 1960s, urbanists have bemoaned the car-centric nature of US transportation. In her 1961 “The Death and Life of Great American Cities," Jane Jacobs notes that “everyone who values cities is disturbed by automobiles”: Traffic arteries, along with parking lots,...
99% Invisible
Cue the Sun! [EPISODE]
Back in 2003, Emily Nussbaum developed a covert guilty pleasure: she started watching the streaming...
3 months ago
Back in 2003, Emily Nussbaum developed a covert guilty pleasure: she started watching the streaming 24-hour feeds of the first season of Big Brother in the U.S. Big Brother is a reality television show that debuted in the US in the year 2000. If you’ve never seen it, the show is...
Benny Kuriakose
Kanadukathan - A journey Through This Hidden Gem
On a splendid morning, I got down from the bus, greeted by the enchanting allure of Nemathanpetti...
11 months ago
On a splendid morning, I got down from the bus, greeted by the enchanting allure of Nemathanpetti near Karaikudi. Gopichettan was waiting...
CONTEMPORIST
A Green Roof Covers The Pool House At This New Home
Robert Young Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Hither Hills, a rolling...
a year ago
Robert Young Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Hither Hills, a rolling topography of dunes between Montauk and Amagansett, New York, for a family that wanted a year-round retreat. Located on a steep site, the home features multiple levels, a swimming pool,...
A Weekly Dose of...
Self-Published Books by BNIM and KPF
Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and...
a year ago
Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and KPF:
ALL - The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center by BNIM
Design in Detail by Kohn Pedersen Fox
The "Found" feature also includes responses to a few questions on why the firms opted to...
The Beauty of...
Cover Story (Workington Bus Station, Workington, Cumbria, UK)
Sometimes you seek out transport architecture, at others transport architecture is thrust upon you,...
over a year ago
Sometimes you seek out transport architecture, at others transport architecture is thrust upon you, just as it was when I accidentally ended up in Workington a couple of months ago. With poor weather forecast on one of the days of a trip to the Lake District, I spent the day...
CONTEMPORIST
Exterior Lighting Shows Off The Post And Beam Structure Of This Home
Ward + Blake Architects has shared photos of a modern post and beam home they completed in Wyoming,...
a year ago
Ward + Blake Architects has shared photos of a modern post and beam home they completed in Wyoming, that’s been placed on a hillside, just above a farmable portion of the site to preserve the ongoing agricultural use of the property. The home has generous roof overhangs that...
Old Structures...
An APT Webinar
I’m giving a webinar on February 27 for the Association for Preservation Technology on our analysis...
11 months ago
I’m giving a webinar on February 27 for the Association for Preservation Technology on our analysis of a somewhat weird building with concrete and masonry structure, and the implications for investigation and analysis of buildings with old concrete structure. More information...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Bonus Geekiness
For the end-of-summer holiday weekend, an extra. Daredevil makes a new friend: That’s one of the...
4 months ago
For the end-of-summer holiday weekend, an extra. Daredevil makes a new friend: That’s one of the eagle hood-ornament sculptures at the 61st floor of the Chrysler Building. They’ve been fascinating people since Chrysler was first built. There’s a very big but not famous building...
Archinect - Features
Sound and Place: Archinect's Summer Music Playlist to Keep You Moving
“The interference patterns of visual, sonic, and kinetic waveform transmissions that flooded the...
a year ago
“The interference patterns of visual, sonic, and kinetic waveform transmissions that flooded the dance floor and enveloped me were deeply transformative. Along the perimeter, bass-bins sent out shock waves that rattled your ribcage and tweeter horns above them fired a percussive...
The Modern House
How to better the design of your bathroom for a brighter future
a year ago
Contemporist...
This Prefab Home Was Installed On The Property In Just One Day
BIO-architects together with DublDom, have sent us photos of their latest project, DUB, a modular...
a year ago
BIO-architects together with DublDom, have sent us photos of their latest project, DUB, a modular single-family home in Russia.
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
An artist-curator couple on their surprising choice to leave the walls of their mid-century marvel...
11 months ago
The Modern House
The Green Series #1: an insiders' guide to insulation
The first instalment of our mini Green Series is all about insulation. Insulation is a key feature...
a month ago
The first instalment of our mini Green Series is all about insulation. Insulation is a key feature of passivhaus design as it reduces the amount of heat lost through the building fabric to a very low level, reducing the heat requirement of the building. Kate Jacobs […]
Old Structures...
Got Very Big, Very Fast
Yesterday, I mentioned two department stores in New York, the 1846 A. T. Stewart Store at Broadway...
3 months ago
Yesterday, I mentioned two department stores in New York, the 1846 A. T. Stewart Store at Broadway and Chambers Street that was the first real department store in the US, and the 1896 Siegel-Cooper Store at Sixth Avenue and 18th Street that was for a time the largest store in the...
Old Structures...
An Advanced Method Of Doing Something Simple
This detail takes some explanation. This is from a late-1800s factory building. It’s a bearing-wall...
8 months ago
This detail takes some explanation. This is from a late-1800s factory building. It’s a bearing-wall building with heavy-timber floors, and it appears to have been constructed to code for that type and era. There were a number of almost-modern code requirements that end up being...
99% Invisible
Mini-Stories: Volume 19
It’s that time again—mini-stories are back! Get ready for a whirlwind tour of short, surprising, and...
2 weeks ago
It’s that time again—mini-stories are back! Get ready for a whirlwind tour of short, surprising, and fascinating tales. This week we have punny highway signs, a PAC funded by exercise, the explosive history behind the Nobel Prize, and some long toes. Let’s get into it! Slow Down,...
The Modern House
A look inside Issue No.6 of our magazine
The new issue of our print magazine has just landed in our shop – and it’s filled with stories that...
a year ago
The new issue of our print magazine has just landed in our shop – and it’s filled with stories that look at the journeys we go on with our homes, from the emotional paths they take us on, to the very real process of renovating […]
McMansion Hell
Howdy everyone! Some exciting news: I’m doing a stint at The Nation this month writing...
Liberating Our Homes From the Real Estate–Industrial Complex
Howdy everyone! Some exciting news: I’m...
a year ago
Liberating Our Homes From the Real Estate–Industrial Complex
Howdy everyone! Some exciting news: I’m doing a stint at The Nation this month writing biweekly design columns. In this first one, I’ve done my best to expand on an earlier McMansion Hell post in order to answer the...
Old Structures...
Three Dimentionality
I was in Minneapolis a few months ago and took some pictures of the Lumber Exchange, one of the...
10 months ago
I was in Minneapolis a few months ago and took some pictures of the Lumber Exchange, one of the first tall buildings constructed there. Here’s an overall view of the original wing (the building is L shaped, with the wings constructed at different times): It’s not deserted – the...
The Beauty of...
R.I.P. W.C. (1930s Southern Railway toilets, Havant station, Hampshire, UK)
So farewell then, Havant station’s 1930s railway toilets. It is doubtful whether many passengers...
a year ago
So farewell then, Havant station’s 1930s railway toilets. It is doubtful whether many passengers will mourn their loss, but they are another piece of railway heritage that has slipped beyond grasp. If you care about the story of our railways, expressed through their built...
Archinect - Features
'Everything in Design Is Extremely Collaborative': A Conversation with Emerging Architecture...
Starting your own practice comes with a mixture of excitement, collaboration, stressors, and endless...
a year ago
Starting your own practice comes with a mixture of excitement, collaboration, stressors, and endless problem-solving. As a new firm, architects Neda Kakhsaz and Zabie Mustafa are developing their approach to architectural design and how they would like to make their mark within...
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....
The Modern House
Good Fellow: Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill join the RIBA as Honorary Fellows
a year ago
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.
Old Structures...
Fame, Compressed
From 2018, a Carol Highsmith photo titled “View of the Manhattan skyline from the Empire State...
3 months ago
From 2018, a Carol Highsmith photo titled “View of the Manhattan skyline from the Empire State Building in New York, New York.” We’re looking northeast across part of midtown to the Queensboro Bridge, Queens and the Bronx, and suburban Long Island and Westchester beyond. What’s...
Old Structures...
Modern Perception
First, the Carson, Pirie, Scott Store in Chicago, as it appeared in the past: In my opinion – and...
7 months ago
First, the Carson, Pirie, Scott Store in Chicago, as it appeared in the past: In my opinion – and many other people’s opinions – it’s one of Louis Sullian’s most amazing designs. Here’s a close-up of the corner entrance as it appears today (actually yesterday, after I finished my...
99% Invisible
Top Billing [EPISODE]
There’s a rumor about the 1987 film Outrageous Fortune, a rumor that has dogged producer Jacob Reed...
5 months ago
There’s a rumor about the 1987 film Outrageous Fortune, a rumor that has dogged producer Jacob Reed since his days in film school. The comedy, starring Bette Midler and Shelley Long, is mostly forgotten. But a feud between the two stars was legendary, a fact referenced on TV by...
The Modern House
Getting the most out of the least in a peaceful, strokable flat in north London
5 months ago
Contemporist...
A Home Filled With Rustic Italian Charm Was The Client's Request For This Renovation
Architecture and interior design studio Bradley VanDerStraeten has shared photos of a Victorian...
a year ago
Architecture and interior design studio Bradley VanDerStraeten has shared photos of a Victorian terrace house renovation in London, England, that was designed with Italian charm, and centered around a sociable kitchen and its pantry.
Old Structures...
Probably Not Realistic
The “Vue de la Nouvelle Yorck” is listed at the New York Public Libarry as being probably from 1775....
a year ago
The “Vue de la Nouvelle Yorck” is listed at the New York Public Libarry as being probably from 1775. It’s definitely from that era, just based on the ships, which are far more accurately drawn than the buildings are. A lot of these illustrations appear to have been made by...
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...
SOCKS
“I called them Ghosts”. Visual Poems and Sequences by George Wylesol
George Wylesol is a Baltimore-based artist who primarily produces illustrations and comic-like...
8 months ago
George Wylesol is a Baltimore-based artist who primarily produces illustrations and comic-like sequences of drawings, often accompanied by written text in the form of short poems. His works blend mundane objects and settings with surreal plots and visual associations, resulting...
Old Structures...
Big
I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of...
5 months ago
I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of elevated portions of the subway system when I was kid. Under the M train in Glenwood:
Contemporist...
A Grid Of Large Windows Maximizes The Water Views At This Modern Home
Architecture firm Worrell Yeung has shared photos of a modern home they completed that's a study on...
a month ago
Architecture firm Worrell Yeung has shared photos of a modern home they completed that's a study on a 2x2x7 grid structure in three dimensions.
CONTEMPORIST
A Curvy Concrete Cube With Cut Outs For Windows Is The Form Of This New Home
Cadence Architects has sent us photos of a new modern home they completed in Krishnagiri, India,...
3 months ago
Cadence Architects has sent us photos of a new modern home they completed in Krishnagiri, India, that features a cube design with cut-outs. The K-Home, located in a busy residential neighborhood, has strategically scooped-out segments that create dynamic openings that frame the...
Common Edge
‘My Photographs Are a Celebration of the Making of Things’
A talk with Christopher Payne about his recent book, Made in America.
12 months ago
A talk with Christopher Payne about his recent book, Made in America.
Old Structures...
Fireworks
The various amusement parks at Coney Island used to have spectacles as well as rides and ordinary...
6 months ago
The various amusement parks at Coney Island used to have spectacles as well as rides and ordinary shows. From 1885, a fireworks show at Manhattan beach called The Last Days of Pompeii: Happy Independence Day.
Archinect - Features
AI, Complexity, and Ecological Futures: A Conversation with Alisa Andrasek
For Alisa Andrasek, a career in architecture represents a point of convergence for her dual passions...
a year ago
For Alisa Andrasek, a career in architecture represents a point of convergence for her dual passions for art and science. For the past two decades, a respect for both the mathematic and emotional, the computational and the creative, has propelled Andrasek's enthralling...
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...
Construction Physics
The Rise and Fall of the Mail-Order Home
In the early 20th century, a new business model appeared: the mail-order home. Companies would mail...
a year ago
In the early 20th century, a new business model appeared: the mail-order home. Companies would mail out catalogs containing several dozen different home options, buyers would send in their orders, and the company would send the necessary materials – pre-cut lumber, roofing,...
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...
Coffee with an...
Buildings are important
People are born in themGrow up in them Fall in love in them Get married in them Raise kids in them...
a year ago
People are born in themGrow up in them Fall in love in them Get married in them Raise kids in them Grow old in them Die in them Buildings are important. People decide big things here Decide on small things too Draw conclusions inside Make plans Change plans Change our minds Make...
McMansion Hell
every small city has that one dictator chic house
I don’t know why, but every city, no matter how big, has some insanely stacked dictator-looking...
a year ago
I don’t know why, but every city, no matter how big, has some insanely stacked dictator-looking McMansion somewhere outside the city limits. If you sort your Zillow results as Price: High - Low, this house will pop up first. It costs something like $5,000,000. It is 10,000 square...
Archinect - Features
'The Relationship Between AI and Architecture Is Old Enough to Receive Social Security'; A...
Molly Wright Steenson's introduction to the world of computing came when she was ten years old. From...
a year ago
Molly Wright Steenson's introduction to the world of computing came when she was ten years old. From there, her career as a writer, designer, historian, and professor has taken her on a journey of understanding the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence and its...
A Weekly Dose of...
My Biennale Haul
Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture...
a year ago
Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture Exhibition curated by Lesley Lokko for World-Architects. It was my first trip back to Venice since the 2018 Biennale, which was the 16th edition and was curated by Yvonne Farrell and...
The Modern House
A lower-ground floor flat that glows from within
9 months ago
The Modern House
A Californian-inspired 1970s home hidden under the trees in Kent
a year ago
Archinect - Features
10 Tips for Architects To Survive Downturns by Former HOK CEO Patrick MacLeamy
“I spent 50 years at HOK, working my way up from junior designer to CEO,” Patrick MacLeamy wrote in...
2 months ago
“I spent 50 years at HOK, working my way up from junior designer to CEO,” Patrick MacLeamy wrote in his 2020 book Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm: The People, Stories, and Strategies Behind HOK. “Where else can you do that?”
During his time as HOK CEO and Chairman from...
Old Structures...
Shrinkage
I took this photo last summer while eating dinner in a brew-pub in Utica, New York. I’m looking up...
12 months ago
I took this photo last summer while eating dinner in a brew-pub in Utica, New York. I’m looking up at the second-floor framing from below, in an old industrial building near the train tracks (the former main line of the New York Central Railroad). The building structure consists...
A Weekly Dose of...
The Minimal Intervention
The Material Imagination
Birkhäuser, October 2022
Paperback | 5 x 7-1/4 inches | 166 pages | 13...
over a year ago
The Material Imagination
Birkhäuser, October 2022
Paperback | 5 x 7-1/4 inches | 166 pages | 13 illustrations | English (translated from German by Jill Denton) | ISBN: 9783035625301 | $26.99
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
Lucius Burckhardt (1925–2003) outlined his theory of the...
The Architectural...
New academic dissertation questions architects’ taste
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new...
9 months ago
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new houses made in a traditional style. But this is exactly what the average person appreciates. “Why do many architects dislike the very thing that residents often enjoy?” asks architect...
A Weekly Dose of...
Book Briefs #49
The most recent numbered installment of "Book Briefs," the series of occasional posts featuring...
a year ago
The most recent numbered installment of "Book Briefs," the series of occasional posts featuring short first-hand descriptions of some of the numerous books that publishers send to me for consideration on this blog, was #48, back in December. I wasn't planning on continuing the...
The Modern House
Time-honoured materials and 21st-century sensibilities meet in a bothy on Mull
10 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A New Home Overhanging The Water’s Edge In Alaska
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a home they completed in...
2 months ago
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a home they completed in Alaska, that overlooks inlet waters and is balanced on the edge of a rock wall. The home’s geometry is defined by two tall shed roof structures with a connector between them. Along the...
Old Structures...
A Stylistic Joke As A Name
There’s a large, somewhat ominous, vaguely art deco building in lower Manhattan commonly called the...
a month ago
There’s a large, somewhat ominous, vaguely art deco building in lower Manhattan commonly called the Tombs. The main portion of it is a courthouse with a lot of court-related office space, the northern wing – see below – is a short-term prison, mostly used to hold people awaiting...
CONTEMPORIST
Neutral Tones And Soft Curves Create A Relaxing Vibe For This Boutique Hotel
Architecture and interior design firm Onion, has shared photos of Sala Khao Yai, a collection of...
2 months ago
Architecture and interior design firm Onion, has shared photos of Sala Khao Yai, a collection of boutique hotel villas in Thailand. The various building designs are inspired by the silhouette of surrounding mountains, the contours of the landscape, and the site’s organic...
Coffee with an...
How to be a better architect
Ask yourself, “Is this needed?” Remove everything that isn’t. Study the function of the building...
a year ago
Ask yourself, “Is this needed?” Remove everything that isn’t. Study the function of the building well, but don’t let it drive the design. Connect the spaces with nature. Master the use of natural light. Create a balance between public and private spaces. Organize the Floorplan....
The Modern House
Good as New: the best contemporary homes for sale
Historically speaking, period houses are seen as the ones with personality – and while we won’t...
a year ago
Historically speaking, period houses are seen as the ones with personality – and while we won’t argue with the fact they’ve got charisma (who doesn’t love pleasing Victorian details or grand Georgian proportions?), we will also make a strong case for those created in recent […]
devonzuegel.com
The road to hell is paved with asphalt
Most roads are paved with asphalt. Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with asphalt. Bricks,...
11 months ago
Most roads are paved with asphalt. Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with asphalt. Bricks, cobblestones, and pavers are often much better options, because:
1. Asphalt degrades fast, so once you account for maintenance, it's more expensive it first appears
Asphalt...
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...
Construction Physics
How to Build a $20 Billion Semiconductor Fab
For the last several decades, one avenue of technological progress has towered over nearly...
8 months ago
For the last several decades, one avenue of technological progress has towered over nearly everything else: semiconductors. Semiconductors are materials that can have their conductivity varied by many orders of magnitude, which makes it possible to selectively block and allow the...
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...
Common Edge
MoMA’s Woefully Incomplete Look at Architecture’s Environmental Arc
A new exhibition is at best a limited glimpse at a critical movement.
a year ago
A new exhibition is at best a limited glimpse at a critical movement.
Archinect - Features
A Guide to Salary Transparency Laws Across the United States
At present, there is no federal pay transparency law in the United States. However, as Archinect...
9 months ago
At present, there is no federal pay transparency law in the United States. However, as Archinect frequently reports on, several states and cities across the United States have enacted their own requirements for employers seeking to hire or promote within their...
CONTEMPORIST
A Material Palette Of Pale Brick, Concrete, And Timber Echoes This Home’s Coastal Site
Architecture firm studioplusthree has shared photos of a project in Sydney, Australia, that included...
6 months ago
Architecture firm studioplusthree has shared photos of a project in Sydney, Australia, that included the alterations and additions to an existing house. The home features a material palette of pale brick, concrete, and timber evoking the project’s coastal location and echoing the...
Common Edge
“What Would Jane Jacobs Do?” Is the Wrong Question
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
3 months ago
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
Construction Physics
The Long, Sad History of American Attempts to Build High-Speed Rail, Part II
Last week, we looked at the early history of high-speed rail in the US. Though the US attempted to...
a year ago
Last week, we looked at the early history of high-speed rail in the US. Though the US attempted to build its own high-speed rail routes soon after they debuted in Japan in 1964, these efforts were unsuccessful, outside of the popular-but-troubled Metroliner
CONTEMPORIST
A Sheet Metal Skin Of Oiled Steel Was Selected For The Siding Of This Mountain Home
James Merrell Architects together with interior design firm Ellen Hanson Designs, completed a modern...
3 months ago
James Merrell Architects together with interior design firm Ellen Hanson Designs, completed a modern mountain home in Sun Valley, Idaho, that features an exterior of oiled steel, concrete, and glass. The sheet metal skin of oiled steel was selected for the siding to bring in the...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Guerrillas in the Midst: Crowdsourcing Cartography
When I think about what Guerrilla Cartography does, I think of building and creating something new...
4 months ago
When I think about what Guerrilla Cartography does, I think of building and creating something new from many different pieces, like a puzzle that only makes sense once it’s put together. But unlike a puzzle, there is no single correct way to put the pieces together, as they can...
Archinect - Features
'AI Is Both Incredible and Terrifying'; A Conversation with Neil Leach
Neil Leach is a British professor and licensed architect currently based in California. He has...
a year ago
Neil Leach is a British professor and licensed architect currently based in California. He has worked for NASA developing a 3D printer for the Moon and Mars, and is co-founder of DigitalFUTURES. Having authored over 40 books on architecture and digital design, and taught at some...
Old Structures...
Dry-Goods Palace
This is a newspaper ad circa 1883, advertising that the store Wechsler & Abraham had moved about two...
4 months ago
This is a newspaper ad circa 1883, advertising that the store Wechsler & Abraham had moved about two blocks down Fulton Street to a new building that was something like five times the size of its old home. That name doesn’t mean much today, but in 1893, a change in ownership...
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...
99% Invisible
Shade Redux [EPISODE]
This past May, the city of Los Angeles rolled out a brand new, state-of-the art feature for bus...
a year ago
This past May, the city of Los Angeles rolled out a brand new, state-of-the art feature for bus shelters. It’s called La Sombrita. La Sombrita is a metal screen that’s intended to provide shade for the thousands of people who ride the bus every day. The shade screen is about two...
Common Edge
Technology’s Siren Song
How to lure an architect onto the rocks.
2 months ago
How to lure an architect onto the rocks.
CONTEMPORIST
A New Extension Adds A Home Office And Bedroom To This Miami Bungalow
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a 900 sqft addition in South Miami, Florida, for...
5 months ago
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a 900 sqft addition in South Miami, Florida, for owners who were looking for a little extra room in their traditional home, that was open to the outdoors, and allowed for a private primary bedroom and studio apart from the main...
The Modern House
A mid-century renovation project overlooking the water in south Cornwall
a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Yup
Sometimes, this game is not much of a challenge. Above, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in...
a year ago
Sometimes, this game is not much of a challenge. Above, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in Daredevil. Below, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in Apple Look Around.
Contemporist...
A' Design Awards & Competition - Early Call for Entries
A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts...
a year ago
A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing 1844 winners in 139 different design disciplines.
Old Structures...
Being Stalked From The Past
Once again, one of Angel Rizzuto’s photos, this one from 1954, gets very close to us. This is the...
8 months ago
Once again, one of Angel Rizzuto’s photos, this one from 1954, gets very close to us. This is the intersection of Whitehall and Stone Street looking east. (For once, the logic of the street grid and the actual cardinal points align exactly.) Almost every building in this view has...
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
Banquette Seating Separates The Kitchen From The Living Room Inside This Apartment
Interior design firm Melling Studio, has shared photos of a one-bedroom apartment they completed in...
4 months ago
Interior design firm Melling Studio, has shared photos of a one-bedroom apartment they completed in Vancouver, Canada. The apartment has been designed as a serene, open-plan environment with a crisp, minimal finish palette, locally sourced furniture, and elevated fixtures. One...
Contemporist...
This Library Is Almost Entirely Built Into The Land Around It
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP has recently completed a new library in Kisarazu, Japan, that has been built...
a year ago
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP has recently completed a new library in Kisarazu, Japan, that has been built into the earth.
Old Structures...
Evolved To Fit The Conditions
If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk...
7 months ago
If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk through construction sites all the time, intentionally so on the part of the builders and with the blessing of the Department of Buildings. It looks something like this: Like so many of...
CONTEMPORIST
Dramatic Wood Ceilings Are Found Throughout This House
Carlos Castanheira of CC&CB Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Porto, Portugal,...
a year ago
Carlos Castanheira of CC&CB Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Porto, Portugal, that uses wood and copper throughout its design. The home’s exterior has a copper-clad roof and matching copper siding, while the exposed timber structure connects with the rest...
The Modern House
Portal of change: the gentle evolution of Harfield Gardens – the family home behind the orange door
2 months ago
The Modern House
The Modern House: a potted history
Twenty years ago, The Modern House was a mere kernel of an idea; today, it is widely recognised as...
8 months ago
Twenty years ago, The Modern House was a mere kernel of an idea; today, it is widely recognised as the UK’s leading design-led estate agency. How did we get here? Today, co-founders Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill were asked this very question on BBC Radio 4’s Gap […]
CONTEMPORIST
A Contemporary Gable Roof Runs The Length Of This Home
Architecture firm JURY!, has shared photos of a renovation project they completed for a home in...
5 months ago
Architecture firm JURY!, has shared photos of a renovation project they completed for a home in Maasland, The Netherlands, that enhanced an existing dike house with a modern barn-inspired design. The original dike house includes a basement partially built into the dike, which is...
The Modern House
Inside two carbon-negative zero-waste homes in Walthamstow
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
IVF egg retrieval notes
I’ve now done two egg retrieval cycles. Given that I had a zillion questions before I started, I...
9 months ago
I’ve now done two egg retrieval cycles. Given that I had a zillion questions before I started, I thought I’d share my notes for others who might have similar questions.
Things I would’ve loved to know beforehand
Overall the process was way easier and less intense than I...
99% Invisible
The Art of the Olympics [EPISODE]
The 2024 Paris Olympics are currently under way, and we thought we’d play two stories from the 99%...
5 months ago
The 2024 Paris Olympics are currently under way, and we thought we’d play two stories from the 99% Invisible archives about the art of the Olympics. Mexico 68 The 1968 Olympics took place in Mexico City, Mexico. It was the first Games ever hosted in a Latin American country. And...
CONTEMPORIST
This Modern Home Was Designed Around A Split-Trunk Oak Tree
A Parallel Architecture has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Austin, Texas, that’s...
a month ago
A Parallel Architecture has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Austin, Texas, that’s designed around a split-trunk live oak, which has stood guard over the center of the tight lot for decades. The home’s exterior features concrete, wood, and large windows, with some...
Old Structures...
A First Attempt
If you’re familiar with a final product, looking at the early ideas can be disconcerting. Things...
10 months ago
If you’re familiar with a final product, looking at the early ideas can be disconcerting. Things seem familiar but wrong, as can be seen in this 1870s map with a proposal for Morningside Park. The Upper West Side was pretty sparsely populated at that time because of 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...
99% Invisible
Christiania [EPISODE]
In the year 1623, Christian IV, king of Denmark and Norway, built a long series of moats and...
2 months ago
In the year 1623, Christian IV, king of Denmark and Norway, built a long series of moats and ramparts just across from central Copenhagen, on the eastern edge of the city’s harbor, to protect the city from Swedish invasion. In the early 19th century, the Danish government added...
The Modern House
Plate in the Sun: London’s best restaurants for alfresco dining
a year ago
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?
Contemporist...
A Stepped Design For This Renovated Century-Old Edwardian House In San Francisco
Andrew Mann Architecture has shared photos of a century-old Edwardian house they renovated in a...
8 months ago
Andrew Mann Architecture has shared photos of a century-old Edwardian house they renovated in a bustling San Francisco neighborhood.
The Modern House
Nick Knight on being a skinhead, why he’s hopeful about AI and how well-designed spaces make life...
In our new podcast, Homing In, our co-founder Matt Gibberd invites guests to discuss their childhood...
a year ago
In our new podcast, Homing In, our co-founder Matt Gibberd invites guests to discuss their childhood home, where they live now and their thoughts on future living. (If you missed episode one, with Ruth Rogers, be sure to listen here.) Our guest on this episode […]
Old Structures...
Close To Home
From Angelo Rizzuto in 1950, “Broad Street.” It doesn’t instantly look familiar because we’re all...
8 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...
The Modern House
Our guide to Forest Gate: community spirit and small businesses in east London
a year ago
The Modern House
‘I go to bed thinking about it’: why Tate Modern director Frances Morris returns to her childhood...
Where does our spirit go when we die? Frances Morris has this question figured out: she will return...
a year ago
Where does our spirit go when we die? Frances Morris has this question figured out: she will return to the home in which she was born, a Georgian house abreast the Meridian Line in Greenwich. Listen to this deeply personal conversation on our podcast, Homing […]
CONTEMPORIST
A Curved Green Roof Allows This Winery To Blend Into The Landscape
Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech...
a year ago
Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech Republic, which includes a unique curved green roof. The building’s location in the open countryside naturally brought with it high demands for architectural and landscape integration....
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...
3 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
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...
CONTEMPORIST
272 Wood Slats Were Used To Create A Sculptural Element Inside This New Coffee Bar
Design firm jones | haydu has shared photos of The Caffé by Mr. Espresso, a new coffee bar in...
8 months ago
Design firm jones | haydu has shared photos of The Caffé by Mr. Espresso, a new coffee bar in Oakland, California, that features curved birch slats. The design of the cafe is heavily inspired by Italian culture, using minimalism and contrast, with the designers explaining, “The...
The Modern House
A mid-century gem among the treetops on the Dulwich Estate in Crystal Palace
a year ago
Old Structures...
The Aftertaste of Technological Change
I slept through the Daylight Savings change last week. More accurately, I didn’t realize it was...
a month ago
I slept through the Daylight Savings change last week. More accurately, I didn’t realize it was occurring – I thought it was yesterday, not the Sunday a week ago – and I generally sleep late on the weekends anyway, so I got an extra hour of sleep without realizing, until...
The Modern House
Rich Pickings: four homes for sale in Kent
Fruit may be Kent’s greatest export, but as regular explorers of our listings will know, there are...
a year ago
Fruit may be Kent’s greatest export, but as regular explorers of our listings will know, there are other sweet surprises to be found here – albeit of a more architectural streak. And while there’s plenty of history to be found in this corner of the […]
Contemporist...
Western Red Cedar Gives This Home A Warm Feeling Inside And Out
Swatt | Miers Architects has sent us photos of their project, the 'Happy Valley Residence' in...
a year ago
Swatt | Miers Architects has sent us photos of their project, the 'Happy Valley Residence' in Lafayette, California.
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Green Roof Covers This Riverside Home
Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof...
a year ago
Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof that’s located on the bank of the Vistula River. The home has been designed to subtly integrate into the natural shape of the land and allows for a usable green roof. A sloped ramp...
McMansion Hell
texas gothic revival
Sometimes I just want to get on my hobbyhorse, which for about a year now has been the middle ages...
7 months ago
Sometimes I just want to get on my hobbyhorse, which for about a year now has been the middle ages but surely will soon be something else. (Please hyperfixation gods, make it financial literacy.) Anyway, I meandered around the nation (online) in search of another opportunity to...
Old Structures...
Reality Is Better Looking
Above, another hotel appointment card, this time from the Gilsey House. The hotel was completed in...
a year ago
Above, another hotel appointment card, this time from the Gilsey House. The hotel was completed in 1871, with that incredible cast-iron facade constructed by Daniel Badger. It’s still there, over 150 years later, now apartments. The engraving on the card really doesn’t do the...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Under
One of the most formal elements in Central Park is the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, just south of...
3 months ago
One of the most formal elements in Central Park is the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, just south of The Lake. The terrace overlooks the fountain from the elevation of the 72nd Street crosstown drive, and has three sets of stairs leading down; the undercroft of the terrace is a...
CONTEMPORIST
This Cat Cafe In New York Was Designed With Whimsy And Playfulness
Architect Sonya Lee has shared photos of the new location of Meow Parlour, a cat cafe in New York...
4 months ago
Architect Sonya Lee has shared photos of the new location of Meow Parlour, a cat cafe in New York that had outgrown its previous space. The storefront has a 10’ wall of white oak shelves that spell out M E O W, which also function as signage, a playspace for the cats to snuggle...
The Modern House
The big blue: a striking sculptural staircase forms the focus of this converted coach house in...
2 months ago
Old Structures...
Not Saved
I vaguely know Fort Tilden – a former army base near the west end of the Rockaway peninsula – but...
4 months ago
I vaguely know Fort Tilden – a former army base near the west end of the Rockaway peninsula – but its remote location and the lack of anything there that really interests me mean that I don’t know it particularly well. So the headline “Time to pay last respects to the abandoned...
CONTEMPORIST
A’ Design Awards & Competition – Early Call for Entries
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award &...
6 months ago
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing more than 1600 winners in over 150 different design disciplines. Hone Shelf...
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.
The Modern House
A Day Well Spent with filmmaker Akinola Davies
a year ago
The Modern House
Textile designer Pauline Caulfield’s art-filled home and studio in Primrose Hill
a year ago
Archinect - Features
'What Is Truly Good About AI, Nobody Has Probably Thought of Yet'; A Conversation with...
To many, Richard Saul Wurman is inevitably introduced as "the man who created TED." Since Wurman...
a year ago
To many, Richard Saul Wurman is inevitably introduced as "the man who created TED." Since Wurman organized the first TED conference in 1984, the organization's library has expanded to over 4,300 publicly available videos from some of the world's greatest minds about some of...
The Modern House
Claudia Donaldson: in residence with the pioneering editor and creative director
Claudia Donaldson was the photography director at Wallpaper magazine, before becoming...
8 months ago
Claudia Donaldson was the photography director at Wallpaper magazine, before becoming editor-in-chief of Nowness, the video platform that revolutionised the way we consume arts and culture. Under her stewardship, it is now considered a go-to source of inspiration and influence,...
The Modern House
How boutique hotels and the Balearic Islands came to inspire this craft-led Hackney home
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Stone Covers The Exterior And Interior Of This Harbourfront Hideaway
SAOTA, TKD Architects, and interior architects ARRCC have shared photos of a new home they completed...
7 months ago
SAOTA, TKD Architects, and interior architects ARRCC have shared photos of a new home they completed that fronts Sydney Harbour in Australia. Partially hidden from view from the street, the home, which is located in a historical suburb, sits behind a row of plants and a fence...
Construction Physics
Book Review: Healthy Buildings
Healthy Buildings, written by John Macomber and Joseph Allen is, as the title suggests, a book about...
a year ago
Healthy Buildings, written by John Macomber and Joseph Allen is, as the title suggests, a book about how buildings affect health. Allen is a former environmental consultant, professor of public health, and director of Harvard’s “Healthy Buildings” program. Macomber is a lecturer...
Old Structures...
Two Anachronisms
I avoid the use of the word “holdout” in discussing older buildings now surrounded by newer ones. It...
3 months ago
I avoid the use of the word “holdout” in discussing older buildings now surrounded by newer ones. It implies a drama that may never have existed. In this case, the west block-front of Trinity Place between Edgar and Rector Streets provides a nice contrast of building ages. From...
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!
The Modern House
Scene Stealers: seven rural homes with spectacular surroundings
We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild...
a year ago
We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild swimming, enjoying a glass of red by a cosy log fire… But if that’s never been quite enough to inspire you to take the plunge, the homes […]
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...
Common Edge
Building Emissions Are Falling, Now the Real Work Begins
There has been a significant drop this year. The path toward net-zero intensifies.
a year ago
There has been a significant drop this year. The path toward net-zero intensifies.
Old Structures...
Less Than The Original
Construction on LEGO Notre Dame has moved ahead but will pause while I’m out of town. We’ve got the...
6 months ago
Construction on LEGO Notre Dame has moved ahead but will pause while I’m out of town. We’ve got the apse built up to the vault level and the beginning of the crossing: I’ve been playing around to see if I can do a fly-through style photo, to give a sense of what the building...
devonzuegel.com
Travel photos are underrated
I snapped many photos while wandering Haifa last week, as I always do whenever I see something new...
over a year ago
I snapped many photos while wandering Haifa last week, as I always do whenever I see something new or interesting while exploring a city. I was with my friend Tyler, who conspicuously does not take photos while exploring a new place. I asked him why, and his answer was, "It's a...
Old Structures...
Old Adventures In Photo-Bombing
Someone occasionally notices that most of Manhattan has little open space to create picturesque...
10 months ago
Someone occasionally notices that most of Manhattan has little open space to create picturesque vistas. Or to put it another way, it’s difficult to get decent pictures of a lot of buildings here because there’s so much stuff in the way. There’s also stuff in the background, which...
devonzuegel.com
My questions about Próspera, answered
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others...
over a year ago
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others might too, so I wrote an FAQ to share what I learned:
Próspera FAQ
This FAQ is intended as a reference, covering the basic facts and current status of the project. My hope is that...
The Modern House
Four flawless apartments provide surprising sanctuary in Peckham Rye
7 months ago
Contemporist...
The Black Exterior Of This Home Leads To A Pink Kitchen Inside
Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they completed in Wivenhoe, England, for an artist...
6 months ago
Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they completed in Wivenhoe, England, for an artist who wanted a light-filled interior with room to work and to entertain.
Old Structures...
Not Quite Added
I could have sworn I’d written about this building before, but I can’t find it, so here goes: when...
5 months ago
I could have sworn I’d written about this building before, but I can’t find it, so here goes: when is adding a floor not adding a floor? This is 935 Broadway/159 Fifth Avenue. The trapezoidal site is south across 22nd Street from the wide end of the Flatiron building (on the...
Old Structures...
Quite Far
I was at a project site in Rockaway this week. As the crow flies, about 13 or 14 miles from the...
3 weeks ago
I was at a project site in Rockaway this week. As the crow flies, about 13 or 14 miles from the office; by subway about 18 miles and a little over an hour. (It would have been less, but the lift bridge on the train causeway was open for a boat to pass.) Apple Maps […]
Common Edge
How the YIMBY-NIMBY Debate Worsened the Housing Crisis
And how to change things for better results.
a year ago
And how to change things for better results.
CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – An Apartment Transformed With A New Interior
FCstudio has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that...
4 months ago
FCstudio has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that transformed the space into a contemporary and open interior. The design plan included removing walls and creating integrated spaces, like in the living room, which was once a smaller...
Old Structures...
Lucy Moses Award: 486 Liberty Avenue
You can read about the building in the awards program: here. The short version: this was a very...
8 months ago
You can read about the building in the awards program: here. The short version: this was a very ornate police precinct house constructed in 1892, when Brooklyn was still an inexpedient city, and abandoned for quite some time. Here’s what the interior looked like the first time we...
devonzuegel.com
Part 1: The story so far of California Forever
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
10 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 was founded by Jan Sramek in 2017 as a way to create...
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Black Accents Contrast The Wood And White Material Palette Of This Home
Design and interior architecture firm EntreQuatreMurs (EQM) has completed the contemporary interiors...
a year ago
Design and interior architecture firm EntreQuatreMurs (EQM) has completed the contemporary interiors of a home in Quebec, Canada, that was originally built in 1959. The house had not been renovated for several decades and featured typical enclosed rooms and small, narrow, dark...
CONTEMPORIST
Sculptural Walls Inspired By The Intricate Detailing Of Indian Temple Architecture
Abin Design Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a gallery and store that...
2 months ago
Abin Design Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a gallery and store that displays Italian furniture in Kolkata, India. The striking interior seamlessly blends the finesse and elegance of Italian craftsmanship with the vibrancy of Indian design traditions....
CONTEMPORIST
A Contemporary Desert Home With Mid-Century Modern Design Elements
Architecture firm The Ranch Mine has shared photos of a mid-century modern-inspired home they...
a year ago
Architecture firm The Ranch Mine has shared photos of a mid-century modern-inspired home they completed in Phoenix, Arizona. The entry of the house is highlighted by a singular date palm tree growing through a triangular aperture to the sky. The interior palette is restrained to...
Construction Physics
We Need More Research on how CO2 Affects Cognition
A growing body of research indicates there are potentially large health benefits to improving indoor...
a year ago
A growing body of research indicates there are potentially large health benefits to improving indoor air quality. Indoor spaces are often poorly ventilated and expose occupants to high levels of contaminants, such as pathogens, particulates, and other pollutants. Because people...
Old Structures...
The Public Realm
This is the 1895 firehouse constructed for Engine Company 31 and Battalion 2 of the Fire Department...
4 months ago
This is the 1895 firehouse constructed for Engine Company 31 and Battalion 2 of the Fire Department of New York, at Lafayette and White Streets. The fire department facilities were moved elsewhere over 50 years ago, but the building is landmarked and reusable, so it has been...
Construction Physics
Fusion Power Reading List
The challenge with reading about a topic like fusion is balancing the tradeoff between technical...
6 months ago
The challenge with reading about a topic like fusion is balancing the tradeoff between technical detail and readability. A book or article should give enough detail to provide some understanding of what’s actually going on, what progress has been made, what the challenges are,...
Old Structures...
Boosterism
I don’t have an exact date for this photo, but the Temple Bar Building, the three-turreted...
8 months ago
I don’t have an exact date for this photo, but the Temple Bar Building, the three-turreted skyscraper in the center, was constructed 1899 to 1901, so 1900 to 1910 is my guess. (As for how difficult discussing timelines can be, the New York Times article on the building I discuss...
Old Structures...
Tracing The Load Path
Yet another view of the roof trusses at Moynihan Station, built when it was a mail-handling facility...
5 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...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Kitchen And Bathroom Remodel For This 1970s Home
SHED Architecture & Design has shared their latest project, the contemporary interior remodel of a...
a year ago
SHED Architecture & Design has shared their latest project, the contemporary interior remodel of a 1970s home on Seattle’s Mercer Island that was originally designed by William Rutledge. The house met the functional needs of its new owners but did not quite suit their...
CONTEMPORIST
A Calming Interior Was Designed For This Home In Spain
Susanna Cots Interior Design has shared a project they recently completed in Spain, that includes a...
a year ago
Susanna Cots Interior Design has shared a project they recently completed in Spain, that includes a calm material palette. Large windows were integrated into the homes’ design so that the surrounding nature and the gardens could be seen from within the home. In the garden,...
Old Structures...
New Ringing The Old
Here’s a terrible photo I took through the window of a ferry: There’s a weird concentric-circle...
3 months ago
Here’s a terrible photo I took through the window of a ferry: There’s a weird concentric-circle effect to the buildings in much of lower Manhattan that you can see clearly here, that the buildings on the waterfront are new and bigger than the ones behind them. It’s a simple...
99% Invisible
Orange Alternative [EPISODE]
In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across...
a year ago
In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across Russia. People started writing out the phrase “no war” using asterisks instead of the various letters in order to disguise the meaning of the message. Then back in September, a...
The Architectural...
The Classic Planning Herald International: A Window into the Global New Traditional Architecture...
The Classic Planning Herald International is a new quarterly magazine from the Classic Planning...
2 weeks ago
The Classic Planning Herald International is a new quarterly magazine from the Classic Planning Institute. The project offers insights into what is happening in the New Traditional Architecture community and aims to challenge the modernist dogma. In this article, Michelle Sofge...
99% Invisible
The Society of Ambiance Makers and Elegant Persons [EPISODE]
Hailing from central African cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, sapeurs have become increasingly...
9 months ago
Hailing from central African cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, sapeurs have become increasingly recognizable around the world. Since the 1970s, sapeurs (from: le sape, short for “Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes”) have been known for donning technicolored...
The Modern House
James Lohan: the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith on how his first experience of home shaped an...
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the...
7 months ago
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the potential for turning a profit on a stack of cheese toasties. A series of successful business ventures followed suit, but it was in 2003 that James and his […]
The Modern House
How Mabel Law and Andrew Tam transformed a modest flat into a space-maximising maisonette in...
a year ago
Old Structures...
The Skull Beneath The Feathers
I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a...
a month ago
I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a structural engineer who likes birds.
McMansion Hell
In my latest for The Nation I make the uncontroversial claim that bike lanes are good, actually.
Bicyclists Deserve the Right to Free Movement
In my latest for The Nation I make the uncontroversial...
a year ago
Bicyclists Deserve the Right to Free Movement
In my latest for The Nation I make the uncontroversial claim that bike lanes are good, actually.
99% Invisible
The Chinatown Punk Wars [EPISODE]
The most recognizable feature of LA’s Chinatown is its Central Plaza. It’s an outdoor pedestrian...
a year ago
The most recognizable feature of LA’s Chinatown is its Central Plaza. It’s an outdoor pedestrian mall that is almost overwhelmingly colorful. Brightly painted buildings are topped with sweeping pagoda style roofs, and then accented with fluorescent neon lacing. For decades...
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...
Old Structures...
On The Spectrum Between Solid and Hole
For study, two photos of the elevated structure supporting the 2 and 5 trains in the Bronx. This...
11 months ago
For study, two photos of the elevated structure supporting the 2 and 5 trains in the Bronx. This piece of the subway system has a slightly odd history. The portion south of and up to 180th Street, at the south end of Bronx Park, was planned as part of the original IRT subway, but...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #06: Mike Schur [EPISODE]
This is the sixth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
6 months ago
This is the sixth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott sit down with Mike Schur, who created the critically acclaimed NBC comedy The Good Place, and...
The Modern House
The masterful resculpting of an urban cottage in Cambridge
4 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Covers The Interior And Exterior Of This Modern Canadian Cottage
Akb Architects has designed a modern cottage in Canada that’s clad in rough-sawn cedar boards and...
a year ago
Akb Architects has designed a modern cottage in Canada that’s clad in rough-sawn cedar boards and western red cedar shakes. The residence is hidden among trees with carefully sited openings providing views of a freshwater lake. Each volume is nested above and within the existing...
Old Structures...
The Queen Anne Style Is Rare In New York
I was on the Upper East Side and saw two houses that don’t quite fit in on Park Avenue north of 69th...
11 months ago
I was on the Upper East Side and saw two houses that don’t quite fit in on Park Avenue north of 69th Street. Those two rowhouses are listed in the records of the Upper East Side Historic District as having been built between 1882 and 1885 as part of a larger row, with the other...
Contemporist...
A New Home In Costa Rica Designed To Highlight Its Surroundings
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a new home they completed in Costa Rica, that's...
5 months ago
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a new home they completed in Costa Rica, that's designed to progressively highlight the wondrous ecological and topographical surroundings.
The Modern House
Contrast is king at this Camberwell townhouse
a year ago
Old Structures...
For The Encouragement Of Thrift
When you spend as much time looking at buildings as I do, it takes something out of the ordinary to...
a year ago
When you spend as much time looking at buildings as I do, it takes something out of the ordinary to stand out. In this case, I was on Sutphin Boulevard in Queens, on its northernmost leg. That’s the part of Sutphin that most people who have heard of it know: between its northern...
The Modern House
Photographer Finn Beales and arts director Clare Purcell on how light and the landscape inspired...
a year ago
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.
Common Edge
Mass Timber Construction Is Evolving Rapidly
With owners and developers warming up to plyscrapers, wood-based projects are on an upward...
9 months ago
With owners and developers warming up to plyscrapers, wood-based projects are on an upward trajectory.
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...
Benny Kuriakose
Importance of Landscape in School Design
Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only...
a year ago
Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only comprises of the buildings in a school,...
Old Structures...
Fake History For Real People
Most people don’t properly understand the built environment of their childhood until they grow up,...
4 months ago
Most people don’t properly understand the built environment of their childhood until they grow up, and even then maybe not until they’ve lived somewhere else and come home. Growing up in Queens, I didn’t question some of the styles around me that are not unique to the borough but...
CONTEMPORIST
A Bed That Can Slide To Be Outside
Okno Modhomes has shared photos of a small and modern cabin they completed that was designed as a...
6 months ago
Okno Modhomes has shared photos of a small and modern cabin they completed that was designed as a space where humans and nature coexist in perfect harmony. Nestled within a lush canopy of existing and newly planted trees in India, the cabin features a mirrored glass exterior that...
Common Edge
To Fund Housing, New York State Should Reinstate the Stock Transfer Tax
Doing so would raise $14 billion annually for the city.
a month ago
Doing so would raise $14 billion annually for the city.
99% Invisible
The 15 Minute City
In February 2023, over two thousand people took to the streets in Oxford, England to protest their...
a month ago
In February 2023, over two thousand people took to the streets in Oxford, England to protest their local government. They were wearing yellow vests and chanting slogans about the municipality’s new traffic policies. But most notably, many of them were vocally angry about a new...
Old Structures...
Metaphorical Significant Figures
Continuing a bit further with yesterday’s line of thinking…what happens if we use the wrong code?...
6 months ago
Continuing a bit further with yesterday’s line of thinking…what happens if we use the wrong code? (I’m going to say now, at the beginning of this post, and I’ll repeat at the end: we can and should use the current codes. I use current codes in analysis and design; I use old codes...
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 […]
CONTEMPORIST
3D Printed Sculptural Walls Surround The Interior Of This New Retail Store
Barcelona-based architecture firm External Reference, led by Italian architect Carmelo Zappulla, has...
5 months ago
Barcelona-based architecture firm External Reference, led by Italian architect Carmelo Zappulla, has shared photos of a retail store design they completed for fashion brand PINKO, which includes an interior lined with 3D printed design elements. Based on the history of the...
The Modern House
A hotel with staying power overlooking the Atlantic in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
Topographic theory of flaking
Natan Gesher sent me the following email after reading my post about why flaking is so widespread in...
over a year ago
Natan Gesher sent me the following email after reading my post about why flaking is so widespread in San Francisco, and I thought you all might find it interesting too:
I saw your blog posts about flaking and wanted to share something I've observed from moving around a bit (four...
CONTEMPORIST
Painted Drop Shadows Around The Windows Create An Interesting Effect On This Building
Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has unveiled its own new office that’s located within a century-old,...
a year ago
Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has unveiled its own new office that’s located within a century-old, three-storey brick building in Toronto’s Corso Italia neighborhood. A unique design feature not often seen on the exterior of a building, are the painted drop shadows surrounding...
Old Structures...
The Easy Route
On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much...
5 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...
Old Structures...
Previous Work
A minor point, but it never hurts to look at the details. The photo above shows repair work on a...
a year ago
A minor point, but it never hurts to look at the details. The photo above shows repair work on a 1920s steel-frame building. The black-painted iron is the top landing, at the roof level, of a fire-escape; there used to be (and will be again, soon) a parapet on either side of it,...
Old Structures...
A Change For Economy
The 1868 lithograph above shows the building that would soon after become known as the Tweed...
a year ago
The 1868 lithograph above shows the building that would soon after become known as the Tweed Courthouse. The Tweed Ring stole millions of dollars in the construction of the building, which is what it’s most often remembered for, rather than its architecture. The building was...
devonzuegel.com
The silence is deafening
Imagine you're at a dinner party, and you're getting into a heated argument. As you start yelling,...
over a year ago
Imagine you're at a dinner party, and you're getting into a heated argument. As you start yelling, the other people quickly hush their voices and start glaring at you. None of the onlookers have to take further action—it's clear from their facial expressions that you're being a...
The Modern House
Mary Portas: the queen of the high street’s inspiring journey from homeless orphan to a London...
Our guest on this episode of our podcast, Homing In, is Mary Portas. As a retail consultant and...
a year ago
Our guest on this episode of our podcast, Homing In, is Mary Portas. As a retail consultant and broadcaster, Mary is best known for presenting TV shows such as Mary Queen of Shops, in which she came to the rescue of the UK’s failing high […]
Archinect - Features
ChatGPT Interviews Matias del Campo: Architecture, Hallucinations, and other Exotic...
What is artificial intelligence? How can we maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks?...
a year ago
What is artificial intelligence? How can we maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks? Is the role of the architect safe from AI?
In any conversation about the impact of artificial intelligence on the architectural profession, such questions are at the forefront of...
Old Structures...
A Solution To An Intractable Problem
People usually like regular geometry, and I’d argue that architects like it more than the general...
a year ago
People usually like regular geometry, and I’d argue that architects like it more than the general public. That can create problems with buildings where the reality of construction and the reality of patterns can cause irregular geometry. The most famous example of the problem is...
SOCKS
Man Ray, Mathematical Objects (1934-36)
The collection of 19th-century three-dimensional models of algebraic and differential equations at...
11 months ago
The collection of 19th-century three-dimensional models of algebraic and differential equations at the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris made a great impression on Surrealist artists. Allegedly, after Max Ernst brought these wood, metal, wire, and plaster forms to Man Ray’s...
Benny Kuriakose
Courtyard – The Beauty and Functionality
Courtyards are an ancient building technique used throughout the ages in Indian houses of all eras....
a year ago
Courtyards are an ancient building technique used throughout the ages in Indian houses of all eras. With the rise in modernity, the use...
Common Edge
Is Mass Timber the Key Element in a Low Carbon Future?
A new book highlights the promise—and lingering challenges—of this important material.
9 months ago
A new book highlights the promise—and lingering challenges—of this important material.
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
8,000 Discs Were Suspended To Create This Artistic Installation
Canadian-based Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has shared photos of Binary Spectrum, a site-specific...
a year ago
Canadian-based Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has shared photos of Binary Spectrum, a site-specific art installation they created for a lobby atrium inside a building in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Comprised of 8,000 translucent discs, Binary Spectrum is a poetic expression of...
Common Edge
In Marseille’s Cours Julien, Street Art Creates Dynamic Context
Submitting to this area’s urban rhythm reveals the power of public art to define a place.
a month ago
Submitting to this area’s urban rhythm reveals the power of public art to define a place.
99% Invisible
Side Projects [EPISODE]
This week we’re highlighting a couple of series that live inside the 99pi production tent. We’ve got...
4 months ago
This week we’re highlighting a couple of series that live inside the 99pi production tent. We’ve got a preview of a new miniseries for you called Not Built for This, created and hosted by Emmett FitzGerald. It’s a show about climate change, but not in the way you might think....
CONTEMPORIST
Overhanging Plants Surround The Exterior Of This Home
Niraj Doshi Design Consultancy has sent us photos of a home they completed in the neighborhood of...
a year ago
Niraj Doshi Design Consultancy has sent us photos of a home they completed in the neighborhood of Pune, India that has abundant greenery. To complement the surrounding neighborhood, they designed the house to have planters that line the exterior. The planters help the home merge...
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...
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...
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.
Old Structures...
The Power of Drawing
Another Cass Gilbert sketch, “Looking west from corner 5th ave + 42nd St”, from June 1917. Based on...
9 months ago
Another Cass Gilbert sketch, “Looking west from corner 5th ave + 42nd St”, from June 1917. Based on the angle, he was standing on the northwestern corner of the intersection. The generally most interesting building nearby is the New York Public Library; the dark scribbles on the...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Remodeled 1950s Ranch Home
Photography by Studio Robert Jamieson (before photos), August Haeuser (exterior), Sam Orberter...
a year ago
Photography by Studio Robert Jamieson (before photos), August Haeuser (exterior), Sam Orberter (kitchen) Studio Robert Jamieson has shared photos of a 1950s ranch home remodel they completed in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. When the owners purchased this home outside of...
Blog - Guerrilla...
How Guerrilla Cartography’s Atlases Promote Diverse Perspectives
Guerrilla Cartography aims to promote the understanding that there are many views of the world, that...
a year ago
Guerrilla Cartography aims to promote the understanding that there are many views of the world, that how we understand space and place can vary, and that we should think critically about the maps and the graphics we make and consume. Our organization has designed processes for...
Old Structures...
Steel And Hemp
From the 1880s, a view of South Street and the East River with the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge in the...
3 months ago
From the 1880s, a view of South Street and the East River with the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge in the background. The bridge was the first suspension bridge with steel wires in its main cables. Steel rope had been used in ships for some time, but these sailing ships were mostly...
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...
devonzuegel.com
Misreading Milei: The American press can only see Argentina through a US lens
It's been frustrating to see the US coverage of Milei, Argentina's new president. The American press...
a year ago
It's been frustrating to see the US coverage of Milei, Argentina's new president. The American press seems to deeply misunderstand what's going on. It seems the US reporters can only understand Argentine politics through the lens of the US, when really it's just a totally...
Contemporist...
Pitched Roofs Cover This Dark And Moody Farmhouse
Atlas Architects has shared photos of a modern house on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia, that...
a year ago
Atlas Architects has shared photos of a modern house on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia, that was once a brown-brick, pitched-roof farmhouse built in the 1980s.
Old Structures...
Double
Part of the Construction History Congress last week was a day of tours, and I went on the iron- and...
6 months ago
Part of the Construction History Congress last week was a day of tours, and I went on the iron- and steel-truss bridge tour. I’m going to show my pictures every two or three days, spread over the next couple of weeks. First up: the rail bridge at Eglisau: Built 1895-1897 by the...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Atlas in a Day Challenge: A Global, Real-time Collaboration
On Saturday, October 5, 2019, more than 50 guerrilla cartographers gathered, in person and online,...
over a year ago
On Saturday, October 5, 2019, more than 50 guerrilla cartographers gathered, in person and online, to collaborate in producing an atlas in a single day on the theme of migration. While researching and designing an entire atlas on a complex theme in the span of 24 hours is indeed...
Common Edge
Why Nearly Every City in the U.S. Needs a Walkability Study
A talk with urban planner Jeff Speck and his new business partner, Chris Dempsey.
11 months ago
A talk with urban planner Jeff Speck and his new business partner, Chris Dempsey.
Archinect - Features
10 Views on Architectural Licensure From Archinect Readers
As we continue our ongoing Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, we highlight perspectives from...
5 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...
The Modern House
Claire Ptak, founder of Violet bakery, on seasonal cakes and the community spirit of Hackney
a year ago
The Modern House
House Style with gallerist Oyinkansola Dada in Pimlico
a year ago
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