CONTEMPORIST
This Builders-Grade Kitchen Transformed Using Rift-Sawn White Oak Cabinets
LTB Architecture together with interior design firm State., has shared photos of an interior...
a year ago
LTB Architecture together with interior design firm State., has shared photos of an interior transformation they completed for an early 2000s home in Golden, Colorado. The renovation focused on the kitchen and dining room, as well as the living room. The original kitchen was a...
The Modern House
Book Preview: celebrating the architectural wonderland of London's suburbia
I ❤️ Suburbia is the first book by Simon Pollock, based on his successful Instagram account,...
3 months ago
I ❤️ Suburbia is the first book by Simon Pollock, based on his successful Instagram account, @londonsuburbia. The book celebrates the lives of people living on the outskirts of London and explores some of the often-overlooked architectural treasures of the ‘burbs, from houses to...
Common Edge
NYC’s ‘City of Yes’ Proposal Is a Free Pass for Big Real Estate
It won’t create affordable housing, but instead lead to continued gentrification and displacement.
3 months ago
It won’t create affordable housing, but instead lead to continued gentrification and displacement.
The Modern House
Bright Sparks: five light-filled homes for sale
The magic of natural light is not to be underestimated: it can lift our spirits, improve our...
a year ago
The magic of natural light is not to be underestimated: it can lift our spirits, improve our circadian rhythms, inspire us to learn and make our plants happy. But that’s not all: when it comes to our homes, it can transform a space entirely, elevating […]
CONTEMPORIST
Handmade Turquoise Tiles Line The Entrance To This Spanish Restaurant
Photography by Adria Goula EL EQUIPO CREATIVO has designed Txalupa Gastroleku, a restaurant in San...
10 months ago
Photography by Adria Goula EL EQUIPO CREATIVO has designed Txalupa Gastroleku, a restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain, that draws inspiration from the nearby old port and the small and colorful fishing boats. Photography by Txalupa Gastroleku Stepping inside, you’re immediately...
Old Structures...
Head In The Clouds
One of my favorite views of tall buildings, again: in the fog. New York Bay has more than it’s fair...
8 months ago
One of my favorite views of tall buildings, again: in the fog. New York Bay has more than it’s fair share of fog, and sometimes it creeps back up into the city. We had one of those days last week.
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...
99% Invisible
The Little Levee That Could [EPISODE]
Most of the stories in this series have been about places that are ill-prepared for the extreme...
4 months ago
Most of the stories in this series have been about places that are ill-prepared for the extreme weather that is coming their way. But this story is about a place that managed to get the kind of infrastructure that will actually help it survive climate change. How after more than...
The Modern House
How an architect couple transformed an old shop in Walthamstow into a restful wooden home
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern L-Shaped Home Surrounded By A Pine Tree Forest
Design build firm MAFCOhouse, has shared photos of a contemporary home they completed in Haliburton,...
a year ago
Design build firm MAFCOhouse, has shared photos of a contemporary home they completed in Haliburton, Ontario, for a family that wanted a place in cottage country with a cozy vibe. Working with the family, MAFCOhouse searched hard and found a four-acre lot with southern and...
Cartogrammar
A guide to not being a sidewalk jerk
Hello friends. It has become apparent that you are all terrible at being pedestrians. I feel...
over a year ago
Hello friends. It has become apparent that you are all terrible at being pedestrians. I feel confident saying that despite some good eggs and battle-tested walkers such as New Yorkers, most Americans are obliviously selfish, inconsiderate users of sidewalk space. It’s true even...
Archinect - Features
When California Tried to Abolish Architectural Licensure
Throughout the 20th century, every state and territory across the U.S. passed laws establishing a...
4 months ago
Throughout the 20th century, every state and territory across the U.S. passed laws establishing a requirement to license architects. Since then, no jurisdiction has successfully repealed such a requirement. In the late 1970s, however, California almost became a notable...
Common Edge
Condocide: Death of a Building Type
The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos...
a year ago
The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos nationwide is dire.
Old Structures...
Imagine Standing There
Every so often, I mention New York’s industrial past. Compared to a truly industrial city like...
10 months ago
Every so often, I mention New York’s industrial past. Compared to a truly industrial city like Philadelphia or Chicago, it’s small-scale stuff, but compared to the present it’s astonishing. Looking at one of the parts of the city devoted to industry before 1920, it’s hard to...
The Modern House
Mark Lebon, the man inside the house that makes people smile
9 months ago
Contemporist...
This Small Apartment Has A Yoga Wall And A Coffee Bar
LITTLEMORE INTERIOR DESIGN has shared photos of a small 380-square-foot (35 sqm) apartment in Hong...
a year ago
LITTLEMORE INTERIOR DESIGN has shared photos of a small 380-square-foot (35 sqm) apartment in Hong Kong, that includes both a custom yoga wall and a coffee bar.
The Modern House
The 'sculptural experience' of designer Ashley Law’s uniquely tactile cottage in Whitechapel
8 months ago
Common Edge
It’s Hard for Architects to Be Transparent About Fees
If the profession is to survive, however, we have no choice.
a month ago
If the profession is to survive, however, we have no choice.
The Modern House
A hotel with staying power overlooking the Atlantic in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
Part 6: Is the proposed new city in California climate resilient?
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
8 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.
One of the biggest questions I had when I first learned about this...
Old Structures...
Getting Repetative
The heat wave is back. Technically it left for a few days, but given that I hate hot weather, it...
5 months ago
The heat wave is back. Technically it left for a few days, but given that I hate hot weather, it didn’t seem like that to me. As bad as it is, even people without a/c can cool off in various public places. The most amusing is the subway, which, when I was commuting to school […]
The Modern House
For itinerant chef and musical therapist Marie Cassis, home is where the feast is
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Thomas Nast Holiday – 3 of 3
In my opinion, this is genius.
a year ago
In my opinion, this is genius.
Old Structures...
Fun With Telephoto Lenses
A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was...
8 months ago
A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was standing when he or she took the shot. It matters to understand exactly what you’re seeing, and figuring it out is usually not that difficult if you know some of the quirks of Manhattan...
A Weekly Dose of...
On the Future of Cities
The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of...
a year ago
The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of them together:
Implementing Urban Design: Green, Civic, and Community Strategies by Jonathan Barnett, published by Routledge, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop)
Renewing the Dream: The...
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...
Common Edge
How Madagascar Is Confronting Climate Change
The island nation is grappling with unique and formidable environmental challenges.
a year ago
The island nation is grappling with unique and formidable environmental challenges.
The Modern House
Designer James Shaw’s self-built sunken house in east London
a year ago
99% Invisible
Category 6 [EPISODE]
On the campus of Florida International University, in Miami, there’s a place ominously named “The...
6 months ago
On the campus of Florida International University, in Miami, there’s a place ominously named “The Extreme Events Institute.” They map the risk of storm surge for the whole Caribbean, and study how the public perceives the threats from natural disasters. They’re also home to the...
devonzuegel.com
Part 2: Cluster development preserves California’s landscape
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.
One of the most essential parts of California Forever’s proposal to...
CONTEMPORIST
A Slightly Different Angled Ridge Line Was Given To Each Home In This Passive House Development
RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House...
a year ago
RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House Construction LLC, has shared photos of Brucewood Homes, a collection of internationally certified Passive House single-family homes. The Brucewood Homes project is a series of...
The Modern House
Nature's way: Botanical stylist Yasuyo Harvey’s stunning transformation of a standard suburban semi
4 months ago
SOCKS
Fragments of an Unknown Civilization: Works by James Lipnickas
James Lipnickas is a New Haven-based artist and graphic designer. He creates highly evocative scenes...
over a year ago
James Lipnickas is a New Haven-based artist and graphic designer. He creates highly evocative scenes representing small architectural stages in axonometric projection. Suspended stairwells, excavated blocks, and plinths separated, or all combined are located in deserted...
Common Edge
The Time-Defying Nature of Living Architectural Traditions
Mere repetition is lifeless, a focus on design exploration creates nothing lasting, but living...
8 months ago
Mere repetition is lifeless, a focus on design exploration creates nothing lasting, but living tradition balances both.
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).
A Weekly Dose of...
On Hiatus
Monday is when I would normally post a new book review, but instead, this blog and its related...
a year ago
Monday is when I would normally post a new book review, but instead, this blog and its related newsletter are going on hiatus indefinitely due to a family emergency.
There are two types...
Take Back The City
On a recent episode of Billions, the New York Attorney General stands on the roof a car in the...
over a year ago
On a recent episode of Billions, the New York Attorney General stands on the roof a car in the middle of a New York City street with a bullhorn. Why? Vecause he’s positioned himself near a meeting on the Highline … Continue reading →
The post Take Back The City appeared first on...
CONTEMPORIST
A Curved Accent Wall Wraps Around From The Fireplace To The Ceiling Inside This Home
MAKHNO Studio has designed a home in Kiev, Ukraine, that includes a contemporary living room with a...
a year ago
MAKHNO Studio has designed a home in Kiev, Ukraine, that includes a contemporary living room with a large curved statement piece. The living room has a sunken couch that neatly fits into the step-down, and faces the fireplace, while the focal point of the room is a curved section...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Bangalore's Disappearing Lakes
In an area of pronounced water scarcity high on the Deccan plateau, at an altitude removed from...
over a year ago
In an area of pronounced water scarcity high on the Deccan plateau, at an altitude removed from river-water and of water extraction from the ground, despite being historically nourished by monsoons, Bangalore's current population faces deep inequities of access to water which are...
Old Structures...
Me And My Shadow
One nice thing about fire escapes: they let you get photos from a position that is effectively...
a year ago
One nice thing about fire escapes: they let you get photos from a position that is effectively floating in midair a few feet away from the building.
CONTEMPORIST
Red-Pigmented Concrete Screens Surround This New Home In Cape Town
Architecture firm SAOTA, together with interior design firm ARRCC, has recently completed a modern...
a year ago
Architecture firm SAOTA, together with interior design firm ARRCC, has recently completed a modern house in Cape Town, South Africa. The home was designed by Philip Olmesdahl, principal of SAOTA, for himself and his family, with him sharing, “When architects design their own...
Old Structures...
Sic Transit
This photo by Angelo Rizzuto, from October 1952, is listed at the Library of Congress as “Bird’s eye...
8 months ago
This photo by Angelo Rizzuto, from October 1952, is listed at the Library of Congress as “Bird’s eye view of a building in New York City.” It’s the old Metropolitan Opera House at 40th Street and Broadway, the one that the Met left in 1966 to move to Lincoln Center. The Met had...
Common Edge
The Enduring Legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright
Why we still care, almost seven decades after his death.
3 months ago
Why we still care, almost seven decades after his death.
Construction Physics
Why do we need infrastructure policy?
My title at IFP is "Senior Infrastructure Fellow," which means that in addition to publishing this...
a year ago
My title at IFP is "Senior Infrastructure Fellow," which means that in addition to publishing this newsletter, I do work related to infrastructure policy. At a high level, that work is figuring out which things we should be building, and how we can make building those things...
Archinect - Features
2024 Summer Architecture Programs for Adults and High School Graduates
Archinect's 2024 highlight of summer architecture programs continues with Part 2, where we focus on...
9 months ago
Archinect's 2024 highlight of summer architecture programs continues with Part 2, where we focus on courses and workshops for adults, high school graduates, and current college students.
Take a look below at our curated selection of educational events at academic institutions and...
Contemporist...
A Round Design And Open Arches Give This Concrete Home A Unique Look
Architecture firm Estudio Carroll has shared photos of a new concrete home they completed in Puerto...
5 months ago
Architecture firm Estudio Carroll has shared photos of a new concrete home they completed in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, that has a unique shape.
CONTEMPORIST
A Collection Of Off-Grid Cabins Hidden Deep In The Jungle
Architect Daniel Cota has shared photos of Glass 20.87, an off-grid project of 8 separate glass...
8 months ago
Architect Daniel Cota has shared photos of Glass 20.87, an off-grid project of 8 separate glass houses in Mexico. Each house is spaced 20 to 25 meters apart, allowing for total privacy due to the dense jungle. The construction at Glass 20.87 was entirely artisanal (no machinery...
McMansion Hell
In my latest column for The Nation, I take on the specter of AI and the idea that it is coming...
No, AI Is Not “Disrupting” Architecture
In my latest column for The Nation, I take on the specter of...
a year ago
No, AI Is Not “Disrupting” Architecture
In my latest column for The Nation, I take on the specter of AI and the idea that it is coming for architects’ jobs.
Archinect - Features
Architect: Whose Title Is It Anyway?
When is an architect not an ‘architect?’ In the fourth part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we...
6 months ago
When is an architect not an ‘architect?’ In the fourth part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we explore the proliferation of the title 'architect' in cases beyond the built environment, most notably in the technology sector through terms such as 'software architect' or 'IT...
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 4
To catch up, here are links for part 1, part 2, and part 3. The Brooklyn Bridge caissons were much...
a year ago
To catch up, here are links for part 1, part 2, and part 3. The Brooklyn Bridge caissons were much bigger than the similar pneumatic caissons that had been used earlier. Their timber construction was based on a few ideas, all subject to engineering design or review. First, the...
The Modern House
A Day Well Spent with Rahel Stephanie
a year ago
Old Structures...
Very Urban
Angelo Rizzuto’s title for this photo is “Cityscape – New York City”. Don’t feel embarrassed if you...
6 months ago
Angelo Rizzuto’s title for this photo is “Cityscape – New York City”. Don’t feel embarrassed if you can’t recognize anything New Yorkish in it – it took me a minute. The arch bridge in the background is the Henry Hudson Bridge, carrying the Henry Hudson Parkway (the northern...
Archinect - Features
Some of the World’s Most Beautiful Coffee Shops
Happy International Coffee Day! To celebrate this culturally significant October 1st holiday, we...
3 months ago
Happy International Coffee Day! To celebrate this culturally significant October 1st holiday, we have picked a few of our favorite examples of coffee and architecture existing in blissful harmony.
So pour yourself another cup of your favorite roast (how about Archinect's very...
99% Invisible
The Memory Palace…Book!
Back in 2008, Nate DiMeo started a podcast called The Memory Palace. Each episode of the show...
a month ago
Back in 2008, Nate DiMeo started a podcast called The Memory Palace. Each episode of the show wrapped a little known piece of history inside one of Nate’s poetic essays. His stories have a remarkable way of combining facts with insight to call to mind forgotten moments from the...
Old Structures...
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...
Construction Physics
Semiconductor fab reading list
Like with most types of construction, there's no one source that explains how a semiconductor fab is...
8 months ago
Like with most types of construction, there's no one source that explains how a semiconductor fab is built and operates. But there's an enormous amount written about semiconductors and the technology used to manufacture them, much of it excellent and informative, which makes it...
Contemporist...
A 1930s Brick Farmhouse Gets A Contemporary Remodel
SHED Architecture has sent us photos of a 1930s brick farmhouse in Washington State that has been...
a year ago
SHED Architecture has sent us photos of a 1930s brick farmhouse in Washington State that has been redesigned and renovated for today's living standards.
99% Invisible
Anything’s Pastable: Eat Sauté Love [EPISODE]
This week we’re featuring an episode from The Sporkful’s series on the creation of “Anything’s...
8 months ago
This week we’re featuring an episode from The Sporkful’s series on the creation of “Anything’s Pastable,” Dan Pashman’s new pasta cookbook. In part two of “Anything’s Pastable,” Dan embarks on an epic trip across Italy in search of lesser-known pasta dishes — and to learn about...
Common Edge
The Making of Ponchartrain Park in New Orleans
How a pair of wealthy outsiders, Edith and Edgar Stern, helped inspire the first neighborhood...
10 months ago
How a pair of wealthy outsiders, Edith and Edgar Stern, helped inspire the first neighborhood development exclusively available to Black middle-class families.
Contemporist...
A Small Laneway House Designed For A Narrow Property In Toronto
Lanescape Architecture has shared photos of a laneway home they completed for a narrow 17-foot wide...
9 months ago
Lanescape Architecture has shared photos of a laneway home they completed for a narrow 17-foot wide lot in Toronto's Junction neighborhood.
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...
devonzuegel.com
A libertarian just won Argentina's presidency... what's going on?
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential...
a year ago
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential election, here's some background.
First, a key fact is that the government is printing money at an accelerating rate, resulting in 143% annual inflation as of the most recent count. The...
SOCKS
The Hidden Territory: USGS’s 1950’s to 1970’s Isometric Geological Diagrams
The online archive of the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey is a valuable...
a year ago
The online archive of the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey is a valuable resource filled with detailed three-dimensional territorial maps employing various representational techniques. Thanks to the work of artist, designer, and developer Jill Hubleys...
CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – A Garage Transformed Into A Pool House
Nathan Fell Architecture has shared photos of a garage they transformed into a pool house with...
10 months ago
Nathan Fell Architecture has shared photos of a garage they transformed into a pool house with plenty of space for entertaining. Here’s what the pool house looked like before… The design of the pool house was conceived as an addition to the garage that more appropriately capped...
CONTEMPORIST
Handmade Elongated Bricks Cover The Exterior Of This Home
Photography ©Paolo Abate MoDusArchitects has sent us photos of a modern home they recently completed...
a year ago
Photography ©Paolo Abate MoDusArchitects has sent us photos of a modern home they recently completed in South Tyrol, Italy, that’s faced in handmade bricks. Photography ©Gustav Willeit The home, located in a small town and surrounded by vineyards, appears as a single-family...
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....
Common Edge
On the Value of Miniatures and Scale Models
Thinking small can help us answer the challenges of our time.
2 weeks ago
Thinking small can help us answer the challenges of our time.
The Modern House
Cover Stories: five new architecture, art and design books for your shelf
Inspiration may come in many forms but it’s flighty and hard to find. That said, one place you can...
10 months ago
Inspiration may come in many forms but it’s flighty and hard to find. That said, one place you can be quite sure to pin it down it is on a bookshelf. And while those at TMH HQ are already groaning, we can’t resist the allure […]
The Modern House
Views From Above: five homes that celebrate London’s skyline
Seen from on high, London’s shifting cityscape never ceases to fascinate – a patchwork of man-made...
9 months ago
Seen from on high, London’s shifting cityscape never ceases to fascinate – a patchwork of man-made shapes interrupted by so many pockets of green. No matter the weather, a view from above brings out the distinct colour and characteristics of each neighbourhood, encouraging you to...
CONTEMPORIST
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...
Contemporist...
Dark Vertical Wood Siding Was Chosen As The Primary Exterior Cladding To “Camouflage” This Cabin
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a house they designed in...
11 months ago
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a house they designed in Wawona, California, for a couple with grown children and their families.
Construction Physics
How Fast Can a City Grow?
In the last post, we noted Los Angeles was the fastest-growing city in the US at the end of the 19th...
a year ago
In the last post, we noted Los Angeles was the fastest-growing city in the US at the end of the 19th century, growing nearly 10% yearly between 1880 and 1930. This made me wonder what the landscape of city growth rates looks like. How fast were other US cities growing at the same...
Contemporist...
This Tall And Skinny House Also Has A Rooftop Pool
Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi...
10 months ago
Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for a family of four with two sons.
CONTEMPORIST
The Design Of This Shingle-Clad Hotel Lobby Was Inspired By A Coconut
Architecture firm Onion, has shared photos of a hotel lobby they completed for Holiday Inn Samui in...
a year ago
Architecture firm Onion, has shared photos of a hotel lobby they completed for Holiday Inn Samui in Thailand, whose design is inspired by the coconut shell after its meat has been grated to make Thai dessert. The curved building exterior is clad with wooden shingles, with...
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Black Brick Exterior Is Consistent With The Dark Forest Surrounding This Modern Home
Architecture and interior design firm GO’C has shared photos of a home they recently completed...
a year ago
Architecture and interior design firm GO’C has shared photos of a home they recently completed northwest of Seattle on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington. Located on a secluded wooded site, near a small beach town, the home has been designed with dark black brick walls with...
Common Edge
How the Global Business Class Has Transformed the Home
They’re bringing the aesthetics and lifestyle expectations of the hospitality industry into their...
2 months ago
They’re bringing the aesthetics and lifestyle expectations of the hospitality industry into their domiciles.
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...
Old Structures...
The Pause Was About To End
Another great photo from Angel Rizzuto, from August 1952. He was almost certainly looking from the...
8 months ago
Another great photo from Angel Rizzuto, from August 1952. He was almost certainly looking from the Empire State Building; this is a view north past midtown, Central Park and the Upper East Side, and with Harlem and the Bronx in the distance. The east side of the park is Fifth...
The Modern House
Plot Twist: seven plots of land with planning permission for sale
If, like us, you take pleasure in seeing a project built from scratch, this round-up of listings...
a year ago
If, like us, you take pleasure in seeing a project built from scratch, this round-up of listings might be just the thing for you. Here we’re highlighting the best plots of land for sale that come with plans for cutting-edge contemporary builds or conversions. From […]
Archinect - Features
Archinect Celebrates Canada Day by Highlighting 15 Architecture Firms That Are Defining the...
July 1, also known as Canada Day, is a time when Canadians come together to commemorate the union of...
a year ago
July 1, also known as Canada Day, is a time when Canadians come together to commemorate the union of what were once three separate colonies — New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Canada (contemporary Ontario and Quebec).
Canada isn't just one of the largest countries in the world, but...
Old Structures...
Waste Not, Something Something
I was passing through Tribeca last week and came across this little building. Very, very little....
10 months ago
I was passing through Tribeca last week and came across this little building. Very, very little. Three stories tall, maybe 40 feet wide, and about four feet deep on the left and maybe a luxurious ten or fifteen feet deep on the right. You know you’re in a city where real estate...
CONTEMPORIST
A House Extension With A Curved Window Makes Room For A New Kitchen At This Home In London
Architecture and ideas studio CAN, has shared photos of a recently completed home extension they...
a month ago
Architecture and ideas studio CAN, has shared photos of a recently completed home extension they completed for a terrace house in Stoke Newington, London. With an emphasis on natural materials and a unique approach to design, this renovation turns the once disconnected ground...
Archinect - Features
Happy National Volunteer Week! Here's a resource guide for architects and designers looking...
This week, from April 21–27, is officially National Volunteer Week in the United States. To...
8 months ago
This week, from April 21–27, is officially National Volunteer Week in the United States. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Archinect has curated a handy guide of resources for architects looking to donate their time and skills to various causes that will ultimately lead to...
Common Edge
Wonder and Awe in a James Turrell Skyspace
The artist’s latest work, in Manhattan, is both an engineering and a visual marvel that moves the...
a month ago
The artist’s latest work, in Manhattan, is both an engineering and a visual marvel that moves the spirit.
Old Structures...
It Can Go Either Way
Much like the photo from Monday, this April 1959 photo by Angelo Rizzuto could be either demolition...
8 months ago
Much like the photo from Monday, this April 1959 photo by Angelo Rizzuto could be either demolition or construction. The steel frame on the left is on the site of 350 Park Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets on the west side of Park Avenue. The ornate masonry box just north of...
The Modern House
Opportunity Knocks: seven homes with earning potential
We know not everyone coming to our site is in search of a new place to live – or at least not all...
a year ago
We know not everyone coming to our site is in search of a new place to live – or at least not all the time. And catering to your desires – always with good design at the front of our minds – is what we’re […]
Archinect - Features
Organizing and Reforming Architectural Education: A Conversation With Tessa Forde
In recent years, the word 'organizing' has taken on a heightened power in architectural discourse,...
a month ago
In recent years, the word 'organizing' has taken on a heightened power in architectural discourse, most notably through grassroots efforts by architectural workers across the United States to organize for better workplace conditions.
For Tessa Forde, organizing centers on a vast...
The Modern House
TV presenter Will Best's space-smart Hackney home for three
7 months ago
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...
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...
The Architectural...
The 10 Most Common Arguments of Modernists – and Why They Don’t Hold Up
After discussing architecture with modernists for years, it is clear that the way modernists argue...
a year ago
After discussing architecture with modernists for years, it is clear that the way modernists argue is based on a dogmatic worldview. Despite their assumptions rarely being based on empirical studies and scientific investigations, they find it hard to imagine anything other than...
Common Edge
How Might We Talk About the Shoreline of San Francisco?
Bay Lexicon continues Jane Wolff’s exploration of landscapes and how finding a common language can...
11 months ago
Bay Lexicon continues Jane Wolff’s exploration of landscapes and how finding a common language can enable better conversations about them.
McMansion Hell
namesake mcmansion
Howdy folks! Today’s McMansion is very special because a) we’re returning to Maryland after a long...
5 months ago
Howdy folks! Today’s McMansion is very special because a) we’re returning to Maryland after a long time and b) because the street this McMansion is on is the same as my name. (It was not named after me.) Hence, it is my personal McMansion, which I guess is somewhat like when...
Common Edge
Design for Global Survival: The 2030 Palette
Strategies for architects, planners, and policymakers as we adapt to a changing world.
a month ago
Strategies for architects, planners, and policymakers as we adapt to a changing world.
CONTEMPORIST
6,000 Pieces Of Discarded Whiskey Barrels Were Used In The Design Of This Bar
Roomoo Design Studio has shared photos of their latest project, the Laizhou Bar in Shanghai, China,...
a year ago
Roomoo Design Studio has shared photos of their latest project, the Laizhou Bar in Shanghai, China, which features recycled whiskey barrels throughout its design. The designers used around 6,000 pieces of discarded wooden barrels dismantled from the whiskey barrels of a...
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...
It Looked Familiar: Artistic
From a stand-alone comic about the Penguin, a museum in Gotham City: From the Look Around feature in...
7 months ago
From a stand-alone comic about the Penguin, a museum in Gotham City: From the Look Around feature in Apple Maps, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Fifth Avenue facade: From 1900, when the main facade of the center block was complete, but the wings not yet constructed: The rough...
There are two types...
With Rhetoric: The New York Apartment House
WHEN I was in graduate school, I was one of the editors of VIA IV: “Culture and the Social Vision.”...
a year ago
WHEN I was in graduate school, I was one of the editors of VIA IV: “Culture and the Social Vision.” I helped Robert A.M. Stern write New York 1900, Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism 1890-1915. My summer job turned into a … Continue reading →
The post With Rhetoric: The New...
Construction Physics
What Would It Take to Recreate Bell Labs?
For most of the 20th century, AT&T was almost entirely responsible for building and operating...
5 months ago
For most of the 20th century, AT&T was almost entirely responsible for building and operating America’s telephone infrastructure. It manufactured the phones and electrical equipment, laid hundreds of millions of miles of wire across the country, and built and operated the...
McMansion Hell
mojo dojo casa house
Howdy folks! Sorry for the delay, I was, uhhhh covering the Tour de France. Anyway, I’m back in...
a year ago
Howdy folks! Sorry for the delay, I was, uhhhh covering the Tour de France. Anyway, I’m back in Chicago which means this blog has returned to the Chicago suburbs. I’m sure you’ve all seen Barbie at this point so this 2019 not-so-dream house will come as a pleasant (?)...
Contemporist...
A Contemporary Reimagination Of A Classic New York Pizza Parlor
Architecture firm MRDK has recently completed North of Brooklyn Pizzeria in Toronto, Canada, that...
a year ago
Architecture firm MRDK has recently completed North of Brooklyn Pizzeria in Toronto, Canada, that balances nostalgia and modernity.
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...
Gaudy
This scrapbook clipping is listed as 1895 to 1945. The presence of the entrance kiosk for the City...
3 weeks ago
This scrapbook clipping is listed as 1895 to 1945. The presence of the entrance kiosk for the City Hall subway stop means it’s after 1904. I’m not sure if the Municipal Building (built 1909 to 1914) would be visible from this angle or would be off the left side of the frame; the...
Contemporist...
An Old Stone Ruin Was Given New Life As A Contemporary Off-Grid Home
Architect Dario Castellino has transformed an abandoned stone ruin that was once overgrown with...
9 months ago
Architect Dario Castellino has transformed an abandoned stone ruin that was once overgrown with brambles, into a small off-grid home.
CONTEMPORIST
The Design Of This Modern White Patisserie Stands Out From Its Neighbors
LUKSTUDIO has shared photos of Aimé Pâtisserie, which is located in Shanghai, China, and is flanked...
10 months ago
LUKSTUDIO has shared photos of Aimé Pâtisserie, which is located in Shanghai, China, and is flanked by familiar coffee and donut franchises. The designers explained, ‘that the challenge of the store is to stand out from its immediate chaos and appeal to the clientele from the...
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Hidden In The Forest Appears Like A Stack Of Illuminated Boxes
William / Kaven Architecture has sent us photos of a home they completed in Portland, Oregon, that’s...
a year ago
William / Kaven Architecture has sent us photos of a home they completed in Portland, Oregon, that’s part of a collection of private residences perched on several steeply sloped sites within Forest Park, a 5,000-acre woodland. A simple material palette of dark steel, concrete,...
SOCKS
Stage Design as a Narrative Device: Norman Bel Geddes’ Stage Set for The Divine Comedy (1921)
American stage and industrial designer, director and producer Norman Bel Geddes (1893-1958) worked...
over a year ago
American stage and industrial designer, director and producer Norman Bel Geddes (1893-1958) worked on a theatrical staging of Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy to be performed in Madison Square Garden in 1921 on the sexcentenary of Dante’s death. Geddes planned the...
The Modern House
How Emile Jones built a functional and fluid home in a 1950s block in Peckham
a year ago
The Modern House
Best Buds: the most beautiful garden centres in London
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
From the Mouths of Architects
I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I went from disliking interviews — preferring texts...
a year ago
I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I went from disliking interviews — preferring texts written by architects, much of it in the vein of theory — to gravitating to them. Now I find myself opting to read interviews, be they online or in printed matter, over other...
Archinect - Features
Interest Rates Were Cut, but Growth Takes Time: Archinect’s State of AEC October 2024
Welcome to the fifth installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
2 months ago
Welcome to the fifth installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically.
Throughout the last month,...
Old Structures...
Iconic
The Third Avenue elevated, looking north from 23rd Street or so. (The street sign at the lower right...
5 months ago
The Third Avenue elevated, looking north from 23rd Street or so. (The street sign at the lower right reads East 24th Street.) My guess is that the photographer was standing at the north end of the northbound platform of the 23rd Street station. Off in the distance, we’ve got 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 […]
CONTEMPORIST
A White Palette Helps Connect This Heritage Home With Its New Addition
Dalecki Design has shared photos of a home they remodeled in Subiaco, Australia, which includes a...
a year ago
Dalecki Design has shared photos of a home they remodeled in Subiaco, Australia, which includes a contemporary rear addition and a white color palette throughout. The heritage character of the original house and the bright but calm feeling of the new addition are harmoniously...
The Beauty of...
Tubular Belle (Køge Nord station, Køge, Denmark)
Stuck on the E20 motorway heading for Copenhagen? Køge Nord station very much hopes you are...
over a year ago
Stuck on the E20 motorway heading for Copenhagen? Køge Nord station very much hopes you are...
The Modern House
Water's Edge: five homes that take in Britain’s rugged coastline
In the UK, you’re never more than 70 miles from the sea, but why put any distance between your home...
8 months ago
In the UK, you’re never more than 70 miles from the sea, but why put any distance between your home and the shifting shoreline? The pull of our luminous and varied coastline is undeniable, which is why we’ve found five homes a stone’s throw from […]
Old Structures...
Changes and Not
I almost missed this 1938 entry in Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, because it’s...
10 months ago
I almost missed this 1938 entry in Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, because it’s mislabelled at the New York Public Library web site as “Vista, Thomas Street”. We all make mistakes, and whomever confused Thames and Thomas hid the location of this photo by accident....
CONTEMPORIST
A Small Elevated Cabin Inspired By A Bird’s Nest
Architect Jan Tyrpekl, has shared photos of a small elevated cabin that was designed in Hainburg an...
11 months ago
Architect Jan Tyrpekl, has shared photos of a small elevated cabin that was designed in Hainburg an der Donau, Austria, for a client who owned a farm and wanted somewhere to relax. Located on the border of a young orchard and mature trees. It has an archetypal house shape, but it...
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 1
Continuing from yesterday’s dive, we have an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the...
a year ago
Continuing from yesterday’s dive, we have an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the relationship of the Brooklyn tower of the Brooklyn Bridge to the caisson that serves as its foundation. There’s a lot going on in this line drawing and it’s worth the time to describe it...
Old Structures...
Amusing Until It’s Not
This story turns ugly rather quickly. From the New York Public Library scrapbook, The Hippotheatron...
4 months ago
This story turns ugly rather quickly. From the New York Public Library scrapbook, The Hippotheatron and New York Cirque: That’s 14th Street between Irving Place and Third Avenue, with an out-chapel of Grace Church next door. As the name suggests, that weird building was a theater...
Old Structures...
You Are There
Early on in the movie Bull Durham, a character going to a baseball game walks from the dark...
3 months ago
Early on in the movie Bull Durham, a character going to a baseball game walks from the dark underside of the stadium – where the stairs, bathrooms, and food concessions are – through one of the tunnels to the seats. The camera follows and, if you’ve ever been to stadium, the...
CONTEMPORIST
A 1970s Four Bedroom Home Renovated For A Couple That Loves To Entertain
Architecture firm Side Angle Side, has shared photos of a 1970s ranch home they renovated in Austin,...
2 months ago
Architecture firm Side Angle Side, has shared photos of a 1970s ranch home they renovated in Austin, Texas, for their clients that wanted a home for entertaining. The transformation involved converting a four-bedroom floor plan into a spacious, open, one bedroom home. A long...
Common Edge
When Is Architectural Symbolism Hypocrisy?
Like or loathe it, symbolism over substance has a long tradition.
8 months ago
Like or loathe it, symbolism over substance has a long tradition.
The Modern House
How two lifelong friends built a space-savvy home to share on an awkward site in Homerton
a year ago
The Modern House
Crocadon in Cornwall is a farm and restaurant with organic agriculture, good cooking and great...
a year ago
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.
CONTEMPORIST
Lofty Timber Vaulted Ceilings And Sandstone Details For This Sydney Building
Photography by Brett Boardman Multidisciplinary architectural practice fjcstudio, has completed a...
3 weeks ago
Photography by Brett Boardman Multidisciplinary architectural practice fjcstudio, has completed a building in Sydney, Australia, that includes colonial stone masonry, lofty geometric forms, and a layered tapestry of handcrafted materials. Photography by Brett Boardman Photography...
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...
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,...
SOCKS
Michelangelo Caetani’s Six Topographic Maps of the Divine Comedy
As a follow up to the latest post on Norman Bel Geddes’s stage set design for Dante Alighieri’s...
over a year ago
As a follow up to the latest post on Norman Bel Geddes’s stage set design for Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, here we feature the six maps drawn by Michelangelo Caetani in a book titled La materia della Divina Commedia di Dante Alighieri dichiarata in VI tavole, Roma (1855). A...
Common Edge
Inga Saffron on the Philadelphia 76ers’ Push for a New Downtown Arena
A talk with the Pulitzer Prize winning architecture critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
3 weeks ago
A talk with the Pulitzer Prize winning architecture critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Modern House
A hidden warehouse apartment in the heart of east London
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
The 'As Found'
Over at World-Architects I reviewed As Found: Experiments in Preservation (Flanders Architecture...
a year ago
Over at World-Architects I reviewed As Found: Experiments in Preservation (Flanders Architecture Institute, 2023) edited by Sofie De Caigny, Hülya Ertas and Bie Plevoets, the companion to the exhibition of the same name at the Flanders Architecture Institute.
Read my review...
The Modern House
Rest, relaxation and refuge at a ryokan-inspired home in Hackney
a year ago
Old Structures...
The Personal Connection Times Three
It’s hard to overstate the importance of personal links in discussing how people feel about the...
7 months ago
It’s hard to overstate the importance of personal links in discussing how people feel about the built environment. This 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto looks east past St. Paul’s Chapel to the St. Paul and Park Row buildings: I’ve worked on St. Paul’s and the Park Row building. As a...
CONTEMPORIST
Exposed Wood Beams Create A Rustic Yet Modern Aesthetic For This Accessory Dwelling Unit
Obreval together with Catch Architecture, has recently completed a modern ADU (accessory dwelling...
a year ago
Obreval together with Catch Architecture, has recently completed a modern ADU (accessory dwelling unit) in Carpenteria, California, whose design curves around a circular patio. The semicircular cutout that envelops the dwelling, invites an abundance of natural light into every...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #12: Robert Caro
This is the twelfth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
2 weeks ago
This is the twelfth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. We’ve waited until the evening to see how splendid the day has been, and for this final installment, there was only one guest...
Contemporist...
This New House Was Designed To Fit Into A Protected Historic Neighborhood
Architecture firm FLOWER, together with interior design studio Saltwolf, has completed a new home in...
8 months ago
Architecture firm FLOWER, together with interior design studio Saltwolf, has completed a new home in Boulder, Colorado, whose design was inspired by the nearby historic houses in the neighborhood.
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...
99% Invisible
New Year, New Neighborhood
Every year, millions of eyes turn to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The ball drops, confetti flies,...
a week ago
Every year, millions of eyes turn to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The ball drops, confetti flies, and people around the world celebrate as one of the most iconic urban spaces transforms into a glowing, glittering symbol of hope and renewal. But this carefully orchestrated...
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...
Old Structures...
An Avatar Of Steel
Another short trip: I was in Philadelphia last week, and I walked the not-quite two miles from my...
2 weeks ago
Another short trip: I was in Philadelphia last week, and I walked the not-quite two miles from my meeting to the train station on my way home. I took the two unimpressive pictures below on the way: That’s the rear, Arch Street side, of the Reading Terminal Market, which is, as...
The Modern House
Good Start: the best breakfasts in London
a year ago
The Modern House
A new chapter: seven creatively converted homes
It takes an especially skilled eye to see the potential of somewhere to call home in a space not...
a month ago
It takes an especially skilled eye to see the potential of somewhere to call home in a space not designed with that in mind. But in this country, with its architectural tapestry of period buildings and premium on space, we have become adept at repackaging […]
Archinect - Features
Uncovering the Untold Histories of American Campus Expansions with Boghosian Fellow Leen...
Archinect's Fellow Fellows series showcases individuals who are currently in, or have recently...
a year ago
Archinect's Fellow Fellows series showcases individuals who are currently in, or have recently finished, an architecture fellowship. During our conversations, we discuss their architectural journey, areas of research, and their overall experience as academic fellows.
For our...
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...
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...
The Modern House
Knock on Wood: five homes making the best of nature’s most versatile material
Abundant, strong, durable – not to mention beautiful – wood has been used to build our homes for...
a year ago
Abundant, strong, durable – not to mention beautiful – wood has been used to build our homes for millennia. It’s not surprising, really, when you think how easy it is to access and work with, to say nothing of the ways in which it provides […]
The Modern House
The Green Series #3: how to make your home airtight
Passivhaus buildings are designed to be almost completely airtight, with no unsealed gaps in the...
a month ago
Passivhaus buildings are designed to be almost completely airtight, with no unsealed gaps in the exterior of the building. While a typical home might struggle to achieve that, there are ways to reduce unwanted draughts and heat loss. Continuing our series of Passivhaus hacks,...
Old Structures...
Doodling In A Hotel
A remarkable sketch by Cass Gilbert from July 1933: From left to right, the Dom Tower in Utrecht...
9 months ago
A remarkable sketch by Cass Gilbert from July 1933: From left to right, the Dom Tower in Utrecht (fourteenth-century, 368 feet high): St Mark’s Campanile in Venice (ninth century, rebuilt in the early twentieth century after it collapsed, 323 feet high): and Gilbert’s own...
Benny Kuriakose
Mahabalipuram - The Seaside Art Hub
A triumphant center for sculptures just 57 kilometers south of Chennai city, is an art hub and...
a year ago
A triumphant center for sculptures just 57 kilometers south of Chennai city, is an art hub and famous travel destination called...
Contemporist...
A New Home Inspired By The Long, Horizontal Lines Of The Classic California Bungalow
Design and build company Alloy Homes Incorporated has shared photos of a new home they completed in...
4 months ago
Design and build company Alloy Homes Incorporated has shared photos of a new home they completed in one of Calgary’s original upscale mid-century neighborhoods.
devonzuegel.com
Buenos Aires recommendations
I wrote a Buenos Aires guide with recommendations and tips for a group of friends I was traveling...
over a year ago
I wrote a Buenos Aires guide with recommendations and tips for a group of friends I was traveling with in December 2021, and I figured it might be useful to other people too. I adore Buenos Aires and spend about a month each year there, so I'm always thrilled to hear when friends...
The Modern House
Contrast is king at this Camberwell townhouse
a year ago
The Modern House
Architecture Fan Buys House She's Dreamed Of For 50 Years
a year ago
McMansion Hell
here are some things i like
Often people say to me, “Kate, you’re an architecture critic! You must have an impeccably designed...
a year ago
Often people say to me, “Kate, you’re an architecture critic! You must have an impeccably designed home full of wonderful design.” Haha, NO! However, I do think it’s entirely possible to collect design and live an aesthetically satisfying life on, like, a normal salary. Last...
The Modern House
How chef Johnnie Collins makes the most of his compact kitchen in Dalston
a year ago
The Modern House
The magic of life on the Manygate Lane Estate in Shepperton, Surrey
a year ago
The Modern House
House Music: pianist Simeon Walker performs at Domus – a modernist masterpiece, currently for sale
2 months ago
Common Edge
Notre Dame Cathedral and the Rebirth of Artisanship
The miraculous rebuild was enabled by the century-old French system of trade guilds and education.
2 weeks ago
The miraculous rebuild was enabled by the century-old French system of trade guilds and education.
Old Structures...
Another Tool
Our inspections tend to be very close up – one of my first, in 1988, had me lying on the floor in an...
a year ago
Our inspections tend to be very close up – one of my first, in 1988, had me lying on the floor in an abandoned building with my arm, up to the shoulder, inside a hole in the wall, trying to get the sense of a beam-to-column connection by touch – but sometimes long-distance tools...
There are two types...
“Big Real Estate’s Continuing Stranglehold Over New York City”
Recently, the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times about the causes of...
over a year ago
Recently, the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times about the causes of unaffordable housing in New York City. He blamed the crisis on a few things, including a powerful financial “monoculture” in the city, NIMBYs, … Continue reading →
The post “Big...
Old Structures...
A Desperately-Needed Addendum
My intention with the last blog post, The More Things Stay The Same was not to leave everyone with a...
a year ago
My intention with the last blog post, The More Things Stay The Same was not to leave everyone with a cliff-hanger. Dan Eschenasy asked the obvious question: did the building in question fall down? The answer is no, it did not. 428 West 29th Street shows up on the land use maps in...
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.
Old Structures...
Examples Illustrated
I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was,...
11 months ago
I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was, as expected, informative and interesting. Obviously, that’s not what I’m going to write about here. The conference was at Convene (a place where you can rent space for conferences)...
CONTEMPORIST
How Photorealistic Rendering Made A Difference For This Small Home Office Design
This article has been brought to you by RenderDave. Hey everyone, RenderDave here to show you how...
10 months ago
This article has been brought to you by RenderDave. Hey everyone, RenderDave here to show you how photorealistic rendering made a difference for this small home office design. When architects and interior designers work on a project in programs like Sketchup, Revit, or AutoCAD,...
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.
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.
Common Edge
The Creative Power Produced by Embracing Paradox
There is a keen sense of insight that comes from being in the in-between spaces of a largely binary...
a year ago
There is a keen sense of insight that comes from being in the in-between spaces of a largely binary culture.
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
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...
Old Structures...
A Generational Change
A view of Park Avenue by Angelo Rizzuto from June 1959m looking south. The big tower on the left is...
8 months ago
A view of Park Avenue by Angelo Rizzuto from June 1959m looking south. The big tower on the left is the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, with St. Bart’s in front of it; the ornate tower that seemingly ends the avenue is the New York Central Building, not yet sold by the railroad and...
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...
Complaining For The Sake Of Complaining
I’ve been getting ready for the upcoming construction history congress (more on that to follow in a...
6 months ago
I’ve been getting ready for the upcoming construction history congress (more on that to follow in a few days) and part of that is searching for good images to use for presentation of my paper (ditto). One of the people I’m speaking about is Ole Singstad, who had a fantastic...
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...
The Modern House
An artist and architect’s 1960s courtyard house among the trees in Kentish Town
a year ago
There are two types...
Car Free Brooklyn Bridge – photos and drawings
A Car-Free Brooklyn Bridge Is Possible Images and Illustratons AFTER: Aerial view looking east...
over a year ago
A Car-Free Brooklyn Bridge Is Possible Images and Illustratons AFTER: Aerial view looking east towards a car-free Brooklyn Bridge. Centre Street and Park Row next to the Brooklyn Bridge are reimagined as an extension of City Hall Park. © 2020 … Continue reading →
The post Car...
Benny Kuriakose
Athangudi Palace : The Chettinad Architecture Marvel
The Nattukottai Chettiars were traders since the time of the Chola Empire in the 12th century and...
a year ago
The Nattukottai Chettiars were traders since the time of the Chola Empire in the 12th century and were the trading and banking group in...
Common Edge
Everything Is (Not) Architecture: Environmental Design and Architecture’s Slippery Slope
Does it exist, distinct from buildings and bodies?
a year ago
Does it exist, distinct from buildings and bodies?
Old Structures...
A Similar Feeling
First, looking east on 14th Street from First Avenue, last week. The endless repetitive buildings on...
10 months ago
First, looking east on 14th Street from First Avenue, last week. The endless repetitive buildings on the left are Stuyvesant Town, a 1940s middle-class housing development that replaced the Gashouse District with a whole bunch of mid-rise red-brick apartment houses. The ornate...
Old Structures...
The Slab
Every sizable city has one or more locally-specific building types, based on the culture and...
5 months ago
Every sizable city has one or more locally-specific building types, based on the culture and economics of real estate there. Some of the causes are rational, like the size of rowhouses being related to the wealth of a neighborhood; some are not, like the high stoops used in New...
devonzuegel.com
Argentina On Two Steaks A Day (Idle Words)
04.13.2006
Argentina On Two Steaks A Day
The classic beginner's mistake in Argentina is...
over a year ago
04.13.2006
Argentina On Two Steaks A Day
The classic beginner's mistake in Argentina is to neglect the first steak of the day. You will be tempted to just peck at it or even skip it altogether, rationalizing that you need to save yourself for the much larger steak...
Construction Physics
Does construction ever get cheaper?
I've mentioned a few times that I generally prefer looking at construction progress through the lens...
a year ago
I've mentioned a few times that I generally prefer looking at construction progress through the lens of cost indexes rather than productivity indexes. Whereas productivity indexes try to track changes in the amount of construction we get for a given amount of labor (for labor...
The Modern House
Hannah Carter Owers on selling the family home in two days in pursuit of the perfect 1970s retrofit...
11 months ago
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Clad In Stone, Wood, Steel, And Glass, This House Nestles Quietly Within The Natural Surroundings
CCY Architects has designed a contemporary home in Aspen, Colorado, that’s nestled into a gently...
a year ago
CCY Architects has designed a contemporary home in Aspen, Colorado, that’s nestled into a gently sloping site amidst a grove of aspen trees on the edge of a large, open meadow with views out to the Elk Mountain Range. Clad in stone, wood, steel, and glass, the house complements...
The Modern House
The Classics: Valley Spring by Peter Womersley
a year ago
The Modern House
Spotlight on South-East London: listings for £500,000 and under to set your sights on
From the waterside delights of Deptford to the local-first feel of Dulwich, Crystal Palace’s...
a year ago
From the waterside delights of Deptford to the local-first feel of Dulwich, Crystal Palace’s community spirit to Camberwell’s gorgeous Georgian architecture – by way of Brockley, Blackheath and Borough, in all their vibrant variation – there isn’t much South-East London doesn’t...
Old Structures...
Between Demolition and Redevelopment
Angelo Rizzuto, in 1959, was going for the same feeling as Berenice Abbott in her Changing New York...
7 months ago
Angelo Rizzuto, in 1959, was going for the same feeling as Berenice Abbott in her Changing New York photos twenty years earlier: contrast the new and the old. In this case we’ve got three eras represented: the mid- to late-1800s in the rowhouses and tenements along Third Avenue,...
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on nature
With the arrival of April, its showers and – hopefully – some flowers, comes a new theme for the...
9 months ago
With the arrival of April, its showers and – hopefully – some flowers, comes a new theme for the Journal’s content. As we did with space in January, light in February and materials in March, for the coming weeks we’ll be looking at all the […]
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
Inside gallerist Peter Ibsen’s 1950s summer house in Rørvig, rural Denmark
a year ago
Archinect - Features
Archinect's 2023 Summer Reading List
Summer is here, and whether you're on vacation or preparing for one or looking to lay low at home, a...
a year ago
Summer is here, and whether you're on vacation or preparing for one or looking to lay low at home, a summer must is a good book. The Archinect team has curated a list of reading essentials to explore.
Below is a collection of books organized into five categories – New Releases,...
CONTEMPORIST
Brass-Lined Arches Connect The Kitchen With The Dining Room Inside This Home
Architecture and art studio Svima has shared photos of a kitchen and living room they updated, with...
9 months ago
Architecture and art studio Svima has shared photos of a kitchen and living room they updated, with the kitchen featuring brass design accents. Their clients, a Toronto couple, has opposite tastes: he is an enthusiast of tenebrous minimalism, and she is a lover of bright French...
The Architectural...
The bigotry of Modernism
We know that history tends to repeat itself, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse....
8 months ago
We know that history tends to repeat itself, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Unfortunately, the architecture world, including academics and practitioners, is often unaware that it perpetuates backward and bigoted attitudes, stifling the creativity of architects and...
The Modern House
Henry Thorold and Jess Ayers’ remarkable railway cottage conversion in north London
a year ago
Contemporist...
A Rejuvenated 1980s Home Updated With Scandinavian Influences
SMPL Design Studio has shared photos of an updated home they completed in Niagara On The Lake,...
8 months ago
SMPL Design Studio has shared photos of an updated home they completed in Niagara On The Lake, Canada, that's located on a landscaped corner lot.
CONTEMPORIST
A House That Blends Into The Color Palette Of The Surrounding Desert
Design and development office Industry of All Nations has recently completed ‘The Landing House’, a...
a year ago
Design and development office Industry of All Nations has recently completed ‘The Landing House’, a new modern home that’s integrated into the rugged natural landscape of the Mojave Desert, With a backdrop of California’s Joshua Tree National Park, the home has been designed as a...
99% Invisible
The Bottom of the Bowl [EPISODE]
Reporter Emmett Fitzgerald was used to hearing people call his home state of Vermont a “climate...
4 months ago
Reporter Emmett Fitzgerald was used to hearing people call his home state of Vermont a “climate haven.” But last summer, he got a wake up call in the form of a devastating flood. All throughout the United States, people are watching the places they love change in unpredictable...
Old Structures...
Always Something New
No matter how many buildings you’ve seen, you can always find something that will surprise you. The...
8 months ago
No matter how many buildings you’ve seen, you can always find something that will surprise you. The picture above is not an underwater shot from the Titanic, it’s the cellar of a circa-1900 rowhouse. This was a house of some pretension when first built. As in most wider...
Archinect - Features
A Conversation with SCI-Arc's Undergraduate Chairs Kristy Balliet and Marcelyn Gow
Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and...
a year ago
Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and chairs) to learn more about their pedagogical stances, academic perspectives, and what they envision for the school during their tenure.
SCI-Arc is an institution known for its...
Old Structures...
New York Without Height
Today’s pictures all date from 1860, when the tallest building in New York was the spire of Trinity...
11 months ago
Today’s pictures all date from 1860, when the tallest building in New York was the spire of Trinity Church. I can’t readily tell you what the second-tallest building was, as people weren’t really thinking about tall buildings that way yet. It was probably another church spire....
Old Structures...
Adelaide House, Part 4 – The Context
Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. Part 3, Facades: here. Skyscrapers only make sense...
9 months ago
Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. Part 3, Facades: here. Skyscrapers only make sense as an urban phenomenon. (Keep in mind that a lot of inner-ring US suburbs are at urban density.) Putting aside the obvious economic argument that land is cheap in rural areas so...
The Modern House
An architect's dream: four architect-owned homes for sale
A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an...
3 months ago
A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an architect would find bringing their work home – in the most literal of senses – a bit of a drag. But as this collection of architect-owned homes […]
CONTEMPORIST
A Living Room That Floats Above The Forest Floor Is A Remarkable Feature Of This Home
DeForest Architects has shared photos of a home they designed that follows the topography of the...
9 months ago
DeForest Architects has shared photos of a home they designed that follows the topography of the site, with some rooms tucked into the land and others floating above it. Located in a waterfront neighborhood just south of Seattle, the one-acre wooded site sits atop a bluff...
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...
Coffee with an...
Design Paths 2
Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there...
10 months ago
Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there were another handful of clear diagrams to explain the process. This still isn’t that: More Design Paths HERE
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.
Old Structures...
An Obvious Issue
“The Battle for the Streets of New York” by Dodai Stewart and illustrated by Leon Edler, in Monday’s...
7 months ago
“The Battle for the Streets of New York” by Dodai Stewart and illustrated by Leon Edler, in Monday’s New York Times, is a reasonable discussion of congestion on Manhattan’s streets. Not just car congestion – delivery truck, bus, bicycle, and pedestrian congestion are discussed as...
devonzuegel.com
Book notes: Against the Grain, by James C. Scott
Here are some notes and quotes that particularly stood out to me from each chapter of Against the...
over a year ago
Here are some notes and quotes that particularly stood out to me from each chapter of Against the Grain. This isn't a summary of the book. It's mostly for my future self to refer back to (and thus probably missing a lot for someone who hasn't read it), but the tidbits are so...
Common Edge
Vivian Maier: Nanny With a Rolleiflex
Fotografiska bids adieu to its current digs with a tribute to the great street photographer.
5 months ago
Fotografiska bids adieu to its current digs with a tribute to the great street photographer.
Old Structures...
Photographic Tricks
That’s a 1911 panorama, taken from the east side of Fifth Avenue and 8th Street, looking south (on...
11 months ago
That’s a 1911 panorama, taken from the east side of Fifth Avenue and 8th Street, looking south (on the left), west (in the middle) and not-quite-north (on the right). I’m not sure how the photographer, Burton Welles, managed this, but it’s an impressive shot. On the left, we have...
A Weekly Dose of...
Ten Pairs of Books for Christmas
This year's roundup of books to give to discerning architects for the holidays is presented in...
a year ago
This year's roundup of books to give to discerning architects for the holidays is presented in pairs. While at least one book in each pair is new, the other one isn't necessarily so — new, old, or not-so-old, it is related to the first in some manner, as explained in my...
CONTEMPORIST
Operable Screens Cover The Exterior Of This Hawaiian Home
Architecture firm OLSON KUNDIG has shared photos of a home they completed in Hanalei, Hawaii, that...
a year ago
Architecture firm OLSON KUNDIG has shared photos of a home they completed in Hanalei, Hawaii, that blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living with the inclusion of a series of operable shutter screens that wrap most of the building facade. The custom shutter system,...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Interior That Blends Japandi And Australian Design Inspiration
NAKO Design has designed a home in Edmonton, Canada, that’s influenced by both Japandi and...
a year ago
NAKO Design has designed a home in Edmonton, Canada, that’s influenced by both Japandi and Australian design styles. With a modern palette of black and white warmed with soft silver elm wood accents and texture, the home shows sophistication with a continuity of texture and tone...
devonzuegel.com
Greater Los Angeles
I got back from Los Angeles last night and my head is still spinning. I’d move there again in a...
over a year ago
I got back from Los Angeles last night and my head is still spinning. I’d move there again in a heartbeat.
There are three great cities in the United States: there’s Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York – in that order.
I love Boston; I even love Denver; I like Miami; I think...
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Tropical Living: This Modern Home Embraces The Steep Terrain Of The Costa Rican Jungle
SARCO Architects has shared photos of a home they completed in Costa Rica, designed to focus on...
6 months ago
SARCO Architects has shared photos of a home they completed in Costa Rica, designed to focus on transparency, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. The steep terrain posed the biggest challenge of the design, and as a result, the home was broken up into...
CONTEMPORIST
An Exterior Of Vertical Wood Siding Helps This House Blend Into The Surrounding Forest
77 Architecture Studio has shared photos of a home they designed on the edge of a housing estate...
11 months ago
77 Architecture Studio has shared photos of a home they designed on the edge of a housing estate near the forest in central Poland, near Warsaw. The house with its vertical wood facade, gives way to the natural beauty of its surroundings, discreetly immersing its architecture...
Common Edge
The Brilliant, Unhinged Spectacle of Megalopolis
A rare film that celebrates design and urban planning, Coppola’s latest epic is a mishmash of...
3 months ago
A rare film that celebrates design and urban planning, Coppola’s latest epic is a mishmash of architectural, cinematic, and literary history.
McMansion Hell
pre-recession, post-taste
Hello, everyone. I hope this blog can bring some well-needed laughs in really trying times. That’s...
a year ago
Hello, everyone. I hope this blog can bring some well-needed laughs in really trying times. That’s why I’ve gone back into the archives of that precipitous year 2007, a year where the McMansion was sleepwalking into being a symbol of the financial calamity to follow. We return to...
99% Invisible
Breaking Down The Power Broker [EPISODE]
In 1974, two very significant things happened, if you are a fan of 99% invisible. Number one is that...
a year ago
In 1974, two very significant things happened, if you are a fan of 99% invisible. Number one is that 99pi host Roman Mars was born. And number two, The Power Broker by Robert Caro was published. Roman learned about the power broker when he first started to cover cities and...
Old Structures...
Begging The Question
The title refers to one of the classic logistical fallacies, where an argument is made that assumes...
6 months ago
The title refers to one of the classic logistical fallacies, where an argument is made that assumes its conclusion. The specific instance of this fallacy that often bothers me concerns code updates and existing buildings. Every time a code – for example, the New York City...
McMansion Hell
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from...
The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on...
a year ago
The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from farmhouse chic to imminent environmental collapse. If you’ve been seeing an inordinate number of big ugly houses pop up in your...
99% Invisible
One Year: The Day the Music Stopped [EPISODE]
On Aug. 1, 1942, the nation’s recording studios went silent. Musicians were fed up with the new...
a year ago
On Aug. 1, 1942, the nation’s recording studios went silent. Musicians were fed up with the new technologies threatening their livelihoods, so they refused to record until they got their fair share. Evan Chung explores one of the most consequential labor actions of the 20th...
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...
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....
CONTEMPORIST
Rammed Earth Walls Surround This House In Australia
Luigi Rosselli Architects have shared photos of a home they renovated in Sydney, Australia, that had...
a year ago
Luigi Rosselli Architects have shared photos of a home they renovated in Sydney, Australia, that had rammed earth walls added. The original home, whose design was akin to that of a drilling platform, had two existing floors hovering above, and was entirely disconnected from its...
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Addition Is Perched Above This Home In Texas
Architect Nicole Blair has shared photos of a modern addition that was built above an existing...
7 months ago
Architect Nicole Blair has shared photos of a modern addition that was built above an existing bungalow in Austin, Texas. Owners Dylan and Annie, a landscape designer and a hairstylist, wanted to keep their backyard intact, and not move during construction nor disrupt the mature...
The Modern House
Why deli and wine bar Lulu’s is winning the hearts of locals in Herne Hill
a year ago
Old Structures...
Loans
I’m not sure why “Is a Library-centric Economy the Answer to Sustainable Living” by Philip Vachon...
3 months ago
I’m not sure why “Is a Library-centric Economy the Answer to Sustainable Living” by Philip Vachon surprised me, but it did. The basic argument is that the ideas that govern good libraries – making as many books available to as many readers as possible, fairly and efficiently, and...
99% Invisible
Toyetic [EPISODE]
This year marks the 40th anniversary of a lot of landmarks in pop culture, especially sci-fi and...
9 months ago
This year marks the 40th anniversary of a lot of landmarks in pop culture, especially sci-fi and fantasy. So many franchises were born in 1984. Some came to define the genre or invent new genres. The great podcast Imaginary Worlds noticed this and produced a three-part series...
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 […]
Old Structures...
Delaying The Obvious Solution
The idea behind Columbus Circle was a good one. The corner of a large park (Central Park, in this...
7 months ago
The idea behind Columbus Circle was a good one. The corner of a large park (Central Park, in this case) is a good place to have a monumental space. The only problem was reality: the southwest corner of Central Park is the intersection of Central Park West (AKA Eight Avenue),...
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...
180 Years
I found myself in Greenport NY for a project and was pleasantly surprised by the presence of the old...
4 months ago
I found myself in Greenport NY for a project and was pleasantly surprised by the presence of the old train station there. It’s not the current station, which is a bare concrete platform off to the right of the picture, and it’s not the original station, but that’s okay. As you...
Common Edge
Consuming Provence: The Gentler Footprint of French Sprawl
An expat goes shopping in the European burbs.
4 months ago
An expat goes shopping in the European burbs.
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Renovation Where Adding A Yellow Accent Wall Was A Bright Idea
gon architects have recently completed a small apartment renovation inside a home in Madrid, Spain,...
a year ago
gon architects have recently completed a small apartment renovation inside a home in Madrid, Spain, that includes a bright yellow accent wall. The original apartment, which measures just over 500 square feet (47m2), included a wood ceiling and beams, as well as a separate bedroom...
Old Structures...
Bones Beneath The Skin
A peek behind the surface at the 68th Street station on the Lexington Avenue (6) train. This station...
4 months ago
A peek behind the surface at the 68th Street station on the Lexington Avenue (6) train. This station was part of the Dual Contracts expansion of the subway system, and opened in 1918. I’m pretty sure the platforms were lengthened at some point after that, probably in the 1950s or...
Coffee with an...
Design Paths
Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there...
10 months ago
Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there were a handful of clear diagrams to explain the process. This isn’t that:
Common Edge
Is Santa Clara—the Heart of Silicon Valley—Soulless and Banal By Intent?
The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
a year ago
The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
Archinect - Features
Archinect's Tips for Recent Graduates Navigating Architectural Employment
In 2023, navigating the job market for recent graduates can be daunting. Discussions surrounding...
a year ago
In 2023, navigating the job market for recent graduates can be daunting. Discussions surrounding portfolio advice, crafting an effective resume, and if one should follow their "dream job or a dream school" have been ongoing topics on Archinect and our forum. Within the last few...
Common Edge
AI, Architecture, and the Uncanny Valley
Technology can design, but it can’t understand the “why” of buildings—yet.
3 months ago
Technology can design, but it can’t understand the “why” of buildings—yet.
The Architectural...
Why Ugly Architecture Is Bad for Your Health
In a world where we spend the majority of our lives surrounded by buildings, the impact of...
a year ago
In a world where we spend the majority of our lives surrounded by buildings, the impact of architecture on our well-being often goes unnoticed. But what if I told you that the buildings you encounter every day could be affecting your health, both physically and mentally? This...
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...
Common Edge
The 2003 Metropolis Cover Story That Changed Things for Sustainability
Edward Mazria on the industry-altering impact of “Architects Pollute!”
a year ago
Edward Mazria on the industry-altering impact of “Architects Pollute!”
Old Structures...
Embracing office-to-residential conversion in the ‘City of Yes’
A timely ‘Yes’ to converting older buildings is set to further fuel Manhattan’s current...
2 weeks ago
A timely ‘Yes’ to converting older buildings is set to further fuel Manhattan’s current office-to-residential boom. New York City Council recently passed Mayor Adams’ ‘City of Yes’ proposal to create over 80,000 new housing units across the city over 15 years. Among the historic...
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap part II
(note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to...
a year ago
(note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to Part II of “How did Solar Power Get Cheap?” To recap Part I, the modern solar photovoltaic (PV) cell was invented at Bell Labs in 1954. Early markets were almost entirely...
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
House Style with gallerist Oyinkansola Dada in Pimlico
a year ago
99% Invisible
Roman, Elliott, and Robert Caro: Live in Conversation
For 50 years, The Power Broker has remained a landmark biography, transforming how people see former...
a month ago
For 50 years, The Power Broker has remained a landmark biography, transforming how people see former New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. If you’ve been listening to 99% Invisible’sPower Broker Breakdown, you’re familiar with the story. The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The...
The Wandering...
Cartographic palettes and colour harmonies
This story begins one day when I was assembling a map of the city of Edmonton, Alberta from...
over a year ago
This story begins one day when I was assembling a map of the city of Edmonton, Alberta from OpenStreetMap data. It was going to be a big map, a 42″ (106 cm) wide poster for a wall. The data was good, but the standard OSM colours were not. They would work fine for a street …...
CONTEMPORIST
Large Travertine Slabs Were Used To Update This Home’s Design
Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of the Kojima House, a home that has been...
8 months ago
Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of the Kojima House, a home that has been updated with an additional and a remodel. Located in Kentfield, California, the home boasts unobstructed views of San Francisco Bay, Kent-Woodlands Valley, and surrounding mountains....
Archinect - Features
Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Set Designer
As we delve deeper into our exploration of key job titles within the intersection of architecture...
a year ago
As we delve deeper into our exploration of key job titles within the intersection of architecture and the broader world of design, we turn our attention to a role that plays a pivotal part in the realms of film, television, and theater: the Set Designer. This role, while...
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...
The Modern House
Five uplifting things to do this February
Well, we’ve made it through January. Spring is edging ever closer and the evenings are starting to...
a year ago
Well, we’ve made it through January. Spring is edging ever closer and the evenings are starting to get just that little bit lighter. If February’s Latin meaning – from the verb ‘to cleanse’ – is anything to go by, this is a month for nourishing […]
Archinect - Features
The Fed Just Cut Interest Rates. What Does It Mean for Architects?
In September 2024, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the target range of interest rates for the first...
3 months ago
In September 2024, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the target range of interest rates for the first time in four years. The move was long anticipated by AEC commentators, who hoped that the lower cost of borrowing would begin to pull the sector out of a two-year stagnation in...
The Modern House
Cath Kidston: the floral-obsessed entrepreneur on why life isn’t always a bed of roses
Cath Kidston needs little introduction. Her eponymous brand was something of a zeitgeist, becoming...
10 months ago
Cath Kidston needs little introduction. Her eponymous brand was something of a zeitgeist, becoming entirely synonymous with a certain strand of the shabby-chic look that so gripped the late 1990s and early 2000s. But there was life before the company – Cath worked first for […]
CONTEMPORIST
This Wood-Framed Glass Box Is The Ultimate Backyard Office
Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of a backyard office they designed for their...
8 months ago
Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of a backyard office they designed for their clients in Dry Creek Valley, California. The wood-framed glass box hovers above the rugged terrain, it’s placed west of the main house, is partially above a narrow level pad, and...
Archinect - Features
From the Editors: What We're Thankful for in 2024
As we bid farewell to 2024, the Archinect editorial team reflects on a year filled with pivotal...
a month ago
As we bid farewell to 2024, the Archinect editorial team reflects on a year filled with pivotal moments, challenges, and milestones. Through it all, we've been privileged to observe, document, and engage with the ever-evolving world of architecture and design. The incredible...
devonzuegel.com
On bounties
Michael Kaminsky recently emailed me an interesting post he wrote about bounties in open source, and...
over a year ago
Michael Kaminsky recently emailed me an interesting post he wrote about bounties in open source, and I took the opportunity to write up some thoughts that had been swirling in my head for a while. You can find the (lightly edited) response I sent to him below.
~
Bounties are...
Contemporist...
A Curved Corner Softens The Space Inside This Home Extension
Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a...
a year ago
Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a run-down home in Victoria, that includes a new contemporary addition with a curved wall.
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
This Tall Black House Appears To Be Made From A Series Of Stacked Boxes
Studio for Architecture & Collaboration (StudioAC) has designed a modern single-family home with a...
11 months ago
Studio for Architecture & Collaboration (StudioAC) has designed a modern single-family home with a black exterior in Toronto, Canada. The home has a gable roof and appears as a series of stacked boxes, with different levels defining the various areas of the home. The rear of the...
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.
SOCKS
Database, Network, Interface : The Architecture of Information. An exhibition at Archizoom (EPFL),...
We are pleased to announce that we are curating an exhibition that will open in September at the...
over a year ago
We are pleased to announce that we are curating an exhibition that will open in September at the Archizoom Gallery (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland. In an age characterised by the increasing dematerialisation of cultural production and transmission, Database, Network, Interface...
Old Structures...
Smooth
Still in Montreal, the roof of a now enclosed, formerly (I think) open areaway in front of a high...
a month ago
Still in Montreal, the roof of a now enclosed, formerly (I think) open areaway in front of a high rise: In case that’s difficult to make out, it’s a glass slab roof supported on laminated glass beams. The hand belongs to Will Teron, who was standing on the same stair landing I...
The Modern House
How designer Alison Lloyd’s Hackney home and garden caters to her collecting
a year ago
The Modern House
A contemporary gallery-like home with countless credentials in Hampstead
a year ago
Common Edge
How AI Can Help Us End Design Education Anachronisms
Let’s use the power of technology to actually improve architectural learning.
9 months ago
Let’s use the power of technology to actually improve architectural learning.
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...
CONTEMPORIST
This Hurricane Proof House Was Built On Top Of 12-Foot Concrete Piers To Protect It From Flooding
Studio PEEK|ANCONA has designed a hurricane-proof home in New Jersey, as a result of the homeowners...
a year ago
Studio PEEK|ANCONA has designed a hurricane-proof home in New Jersey, as a result of the homeowners losing their previous house to hurricanes Sandy and Irene. The architects mention that “the challenge was to build a high-strength home with an efficient construction schedule,...
CONTEMPORIST
Black Accents Are Ever Present Throughout This Apartment
Koshulynskyy & Mayer studio has sent us photos of an apartment interior they completed that includes...
6 months ago
Koshulynskyy & Mayer studio has sent us photos of an apartment interior they completed that includes matte black accents throughout its design. The apartment, designed for a family, includes a living room with a dark accent wall, and a large couch in front of a suspended cabinet...
Old Structures...
Straight and Curved
I first started reading architectural theory and criticism when I was still an engineering undergrad...
7 months ago
I first started reading architectural theory and criticism when I was still an engineering undergrad student. It gave me a perspective on buildings that was notably different than that I was learning in my design and analysis classes, but because I was an outsider it took me a...
devonzuegel.com
Field notes: Miami
Update 5-Dec-2021: Read the updated version of these notes here.
These field notes are a bit...
over a year ago
Update 5-Dec-2021: Read the updated version of these notes here.
These field notes are a bit different from previous cities I've explored, because unlike those, Miami is my home! So this post partially serves as a life update—I moved to Miami Beach from California a few months...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Unmistakable
Ms. Marvel is set largely in Jersey City. Despite being the second-largest city in New Jersey,...
a year ago
Ms. Marvel is set largely in Jersey City. Despite being the second-largest city in New Jersey, Jersey City does not have much of a visual image. If you asked the average person in the New York metropolitan area to name a physical landmark there, it’s likely they would draw a...
Old Structures...
A Year Late…
…but who cares? Today is a de facto holiday for a lot of people, and that seems like a good time for...
6 months ago
…but who cares? Today is a de facto holiday for a lot of people, and that seems like a good time for a blog post I should have written last summer. Some of our projects are very big, involving hundreds of thousands of square feet of building. Some are not. The smallest structure...
CONTEMPORIST
The Surrounding Desert Was Blended Into This Modern Home
Photography by Stetson Ybarra Multi-disciplinary design studio Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd. has shared...
a year ago
Photography by Stetson Ybarra Multi-disciplinary design studio Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd. has shared photos of a modern home they completed on the edge of the Las Vegas Valley that has views of Red Rock Canyon. Photography by Stetson Ybarra Commissioned for a family embracing an...
CONTEMPORIST
Large Windows Give This Home A Lantern-Like Appearance At Night
Swatt | Miers Architects has shared photos of a house they designed in the town of Atherton,...
a year ago
Swatt | Miers Architects has shared photos of a house they designed in the town of Atherton, California, that replaces an earlier mid-century structure that the family had owned for many years. The home, with its white exterior, has an abundance of windows, allowing the home to...
Archinect - Features
'Instead of Living in Fear of AI, Designers Should Engage With It'; A Conversation with...
Amanda Talbot did not come from a technological background. Her career path through architecture,...
a year ago
Amanda Talbot did not come from a technological background. Her career path through architecture, interiors, journalism, and fashion nonetheless instilled in her a commitment to heart-centric design, which she believes is crucial to conversations on the relationship between...
The Modern House
Outside chance: six homes with spectacular gardens
“Gardening is a promise,” said Piet Oudolf in Thomas Piper’s meditative documentary about the...
4 months ago
“Gardening is a promise,” said Piet Oudolf in Thomas Piper’s meditative documentary about the pioneering Dutch garden designer. “It doesn’t have to be there. You’re looking for what will be there.” From a particularly pastoral front garden in Brixton, to a transportive Cornish...
Contemporist...
An Undulating Wood Ceiling Inspired By Ocean Waves And Nearby Mountains
ARRCC has shared photos of a remodel they recently completed for a home in Cape Town, South Africa,...
2 months ago
ARRCC has shared photos of a remodel they recently completed for a home in Cape Town, South Africa, that retained the original footprint, and received a contemporary update with a new undulating cast in-place concrete roof lined with wood on the inside.
Old Structures...
Somehow, We’re Large-Small
When you look past the good-news headline, there’s some interesting discussion in “NYC’s Small...
6 months ago
When you look past the good-news headline, there’s some interesting discussion in “NYC’s Small Business Recovery: Patterns of Growth in a Changing Economy”, a report from the city’s Economic Development Corporation. The showy headline is that “Total small businesses in NYC...
The Solarchitecture...
Circadian rhythm and solar home design
If our body is not tuned to our circadian rhythm, we can hardly be in flow with Life.
over a year ago
If our body is not tuned to our circadian rhythm, we can hardly be in flow with Life.
Common Edge
Harvard Design Magazine #50: ChatGPT to the Rescue
An alumnus of the GSD takes a treacherous trek through the dense and glossy 50th anniversary issue.
a year ago
An alumnus of the GSD takes a treacherous trek through the dense and glossy 50th anniversary issue.
CONTEMPORIST
Built-In Furniture Makes The Most Of This Renovated Home’s Interior
Nook Architects has shared photos of a home interior they remodeled in Barcelona, Spain, that...
a year ago
Nook Architects has shared photos of a home interior they remodeled in Barcelona, Spain, that includes a lot of built-in elements. This home was originally designed by architect Joan Bosch Agustí in 1978 as a cooperative housingproject, with the units sharing a swimming pool,...
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.
Common Edge
Why Gardening Should Be Our Metaphor for Local Development
If your town isn’t cultivating its own economic growth, then it’s being mined for someone else’s...
a month ago
If your town isn’t cultivating its own economic growth, then it’s being mined for someone else’s profit.
Old Structures...
If You’re Interested
Sometimes a topic is so obvious that it’s easily missed. The conference I am currently at is the...
6 months ago
Sometimes a topic is so obvious that it’s easily missed. The conference I am currently at is the triennial International Construction History Congress. It’s a good place to learn about topics in how the built environment got built from many different nations, different times, and...
Common Edge
What Do You Say to a Naked Architect?
An architectural fiction.
a year ago
An architectural fiction.
Old Structures...
Sideways
One of our stranger projects… The pictures below show a sidewalk vault in Manhattan. The vault...
a month ago
One of our stranger projects… The pictures below show a sidewalk vault in Manhattan. The vault extends from the sidewalk (its roof) down two floors or about 25 feet, and was built around 1895. Since reinforced-concrete was still in its infancy then, it was not used for foundation...
Old Structures...
A Thomas Nast Holiday – 1 of 3
Nast is best known as a political cartoonist, but he largely created the popular US version of Santa...
a year ago
Nast is best known as a political cartoonist, but he largely created the popular US version of Santa Claus from his childhood memories of Christmas in Germany. For the next three days, examples of his work. Today 1863, with references to the Civil War in Santa’s costume.
devonzuegel.com
Why do home buyers look at price/sqft more than renters?
A question that's puzzled me for a while is why home buyers focus on price/sqft so much more than...
a year ago
A question that's puzzled me for a while is why home buyers focus on price/sqft so much more than renters. I asked around for what other people thought and got some interesting answers, so I decided to write up my takeaways.
I. Investments demand legibility
Homeownership is...
The Modern House
The Secret Life of Reggie Yates | A House Tour with the Writer and Director
3 weeks ago
Coffee with an...
If movies were about Architecture
“Apocalypse Now”: an architect goes grossly over budget. Another architect is sent out to find him...
8 months ago
“Apocalypse Now”: an architect goes grossly over budget. Another architect is sent out to find him and value-engineer the project, in the jungle, during a war. “It’s a wonderful life”: An architect mishandles his finances. Jumps off a bridge. Is saved by his guardian angel /...
Old Structures...
Close By
From Angelo Rizzuto, a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from June 1954. It was not taken from Woolworth,...
6 months ago
From Angelo Rizzuto, a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from June 1954. It was not taken from Woolworth, as the angle is slightly wrong. The bridge was in a transition period, with one major renovation just completed and another about to start. Between 1950 and 1954, the bridge...
Benny Kuriakose
Job Opportunities at Benny Kuriakose and Associates in 2024
Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of...
7 months ago
Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of them sent the application three or more...
Construction Physics
How I Write Posts
I sometimes get asked what my process is for researching and writing Substack posts. I always enjoy...
10 months ago
I sometimes get asked what my process is for researching and writing Substack posts. I always enjoy reading other people’s discussions of their writing process, so I thought it would be worthwhile to explain mine. First, some background. In school I was a competent but...
99% Invisible
The Country of the Blind [EPISODE]
We meet Andrew Leland as he’s suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he’s midway...
a year ago
We meet Andrew Leland as he’s suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he’s midway through his life with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that ushers those who live with it from sightedness to blindness over years, even decades. He grew up with full vision, but...
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