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Old Structures...
Familiar Yet Not I’ve been playing around with 1940s.nyc. That site is a really nice front-end interface for the...
11 months ago
85
11 months ago
I’ve been playing around with 1940s.nyc. That site is a really nice front-end interface for the 1940s tax photos of every building in the city that can be found with a much less nice interface at the city archive website. My way of testing a site like this is to look at locations...
CONTEMPORIST
This Japanese Restaurant Uses Washi-Inspired Acrylic Panels To Create A Cozy Atmosphere odd design has shared photos of a Japanese restaurant they recently completed in Beijing, China,...
9 months ago
69
9 months ago
odd design has shared photos of a Japanese restaurant they recently completed in Beijing, China, that uses textural materials to create a quiet, relaxing, and cozy atmosphere. The open entrance consists of a light box and two sets of low-wall partitions, allowing the space to be...
Contemporist...
A Small Cabin-Like Structure That Can Be Compressed When Not In Use Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small cabin-like room that expands when needed.
Coffee with an...
Notes on being an Architect
over a year ago
Archinect - Features
2025 Summer Architecture Programs for Kids and High School Students Looking for an engaging way to introduce your child to architecture this summer? Or are you a high...
4 months ago
47
4 months ago
Looking for an engaging way to introduce your child to architecture this summer? Or are you a high school student eager to explore design and gain pre-college experience? Archinect’s 2025 roundup of summer architecture programs offers a curated selection of courses, workshops,...
Common Edge
Living in the Face of Fear: The Heterotopic Hope of the Maggie’s Centers The UK cancer centers are an incredible legacy for its co-founder, Maggie Keswick Jencks.
a year ago
Old Structures...
Why People Cared This is remarkable, in a way: in a city full of apartment houses, the New York Sun newspaper felt...
10 months ago
51
10 months ago
This is remarkable, in a way: in a city full of apartment houses, the New York Sun newspaper felt that a complex of mid-rise buildings in Queens was worthy of note: I can think of two reasons off the top of my head, one related to housing and the other related to general...
99% Invisible
The Memory Palace…Book! Back in 2008, Nate DiMeo started a podcast called The Memory Palace. Each episode of the show...
7 months ago
64
7 months 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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Green Roof Covers This Riverside Home Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof that’s located on the bank of the Vistula River. The home has been designed to subtly integrate into the natural shape of the land and allows for a usable green roof. A sloped ramp...
Archinect - Features
How Computing Transformed Architectural Visualization Over the past seven decades, the invention and evolution of computing technology have had a profound...
6 months ago
66
6 months ago
Over the past seven decades, the invention and evolution of computing technology have had a profound and transformative impact on the field of architectural visualization. From early computer-aided design (CAD) software to today's photorealistic 3D rendering, virtual reality, and...
CONTEMPORIST
A Laneway House With A Rotated Brick Facade Architecture firm Williamson Williamson has shared photos of a laneway home they completed in...
a year ago
126
a year ago
Architecture firm Williamson Williamson has shared photos of a laneway home they completed in Toronto, Canada, that features a distinct rotated brick facade. Usually, laneway houses are small, however, this one is a four-bedroom home, designed for a family of five, providing...
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...
over a year ago
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over 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,...
CONTEMPORIST
Contemporary Japanese Design Blends Seamlessly With Tropical Modernism In This New Home Architecture firm Alexis Dornier Makings has shared photos of a private residence in Berawa, Bali,...
a year ago
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a year ago
Architecture firm Alexis Dornier Makings has shared photos of a private residence in Berawa, Bali, that they completed which seamlessly blends contemporary Japanese design with tropical modernism. The centerpiece of ‘The Free Bird Project’ is a living room positioned above the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Multi-Functional Brass Clad Pod Is A Unique Feature In This Small Apartment tsai Design has sent us photos of a micro-apartment they renovated in St. Kilda, Australia, that...
12 months ago
65
12 months ago
tsai Design has sent us photos of a micro-apartment they renovated in St. Kilda, Australia, that measures in at just 269 square feet (25m2), and features a unique and unexpected brass design element. Named ‘St Kilda Micro Sanctuary’, the small apartment has been designed for a...
A Weekly Dose of...
Ando and Le Corbusier Ando and Le Corbusier is a two-volume project that shows how the works of two pioneers of modern...
over a year ago
37
over a year ago
Ando and Le Corbusier is a two-volume project that shows how the works of two pioneers of modern architecture – Le Corbusier and Tadao Ando – connect human experience to the basic givens of existence: interactions among human beings and personal encounters with nature, including...
A Weekly Dose of...
Four Monographs Of the numerous books publishers send me for review — be they requested by me, pitched by them, or...
a year ago
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a year ago
Of the numerous books publishers send me for review — be they requested by me, pitched by them, or arriving at my doorstep unsolicited — the highest percentage of them are monographs. This fact goes against the occasional sirens over the irrelevance and anachronistic nature of...
99% Invisible
Single Handed (3 of 6): Inclusive Left-Sided Apparel Embodies “Found Fashion” Ethos Last year, I found myself working my way through my wardrobe, considering what I could and couldn’t...
3 months ago
33
3 months ago
Last year, I found myself working my way through my wardrobe, considering what I could and couldn’t wear comfortably with a newly disabled right arm. Among other concerns, I knew a lot of my clothes would be harder to put on and take off for the foreseeable future. But in the...
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
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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...
Old Structures...
A Difficult Design Issue I’m in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for a project I’ll discuss in the future, someday, and came across...
11 months ago
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11 months ago
I’m in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for a project I’ll discuss in the future, someday, and came across the National Register listed Toole Building yesterday. The bottom three floors were built in 1892; the top two in 1922. My compliments to the architect and mason in 1922: that’s an...
BLDGBLOG
Numbers Pool [Image: “Solomon’s Pools & ancient aqueducts…,” via Library of Congress.] There’s a beautiful...
over a year ago
5
over a year ago
[Image: “Solomon’s Pools & ancient aqueducts…,” via Library of Congress.] There’s a beautiful description over at New Scientist of a hypothetical new form of computing device, a “liquid crystal computer” in which calculations would move “like ripples through the liquid.”...
Old Structures...
A Survivor From a New York Public Library scrapbook, “Small apartment buildings”, dated 1915: The address is...
9 months ago
67
9 months ago
From a New York Public Library scrapbook, “Small apartment buildings”, dated 1915: The address is given as 1763-1769 Townsend Avenue, in the Bronx, which is good because it’s not like I could ever have identified this just from the photo. The site is less isolated than the photo...
Old Structures...
Happy Presidents’ Day The cover of the dinner menu for Washington’s Birthday from the SS Columbia of the Hamburg-Amerika...
a year ago
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a year ago
The cover of the dinner menu for Washington’s Birthday from the SS Columbia of the Hamburg-Amerika Line. That’s a portrati of the Columbia on the right, apparently about to run down a sailboat. Columbia had a weird history, having served as a liner between Germany and the US,...
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
Architects call for a crisis meeting after politicians demand more traditional architecture After enduring decades of failed modernism, the residents and politicians of Sweden’s second-largest...
a year ago
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a year ago
After enduring decades of failed modernism, the residents and politicians of Sweden’s second-largest city, Gothenburg, want to see more new traditional architecture. This has led architects and officials to call for a crisis meeting. During the 1960s and 1970s, Gothenburg...
CONTEMPORIST
A White Material Palette Creates A Peaceful Coastal Living Feeling For This Home Habitat Studio Architects has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Queensland,...
a year ago
33
a year ago
Habitat Studio Architects has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Queensland, Australia, that’s located right on Currumbin Beach. Inspired by coastal living, the home features an exterior of stone, white weatherboards that reflect the sun, and white battens that...
Old Structures...
A Primer Worth Reading For people who don’t work on facades in New York, “Here’s why NYC sidewalks are (still) covered with...
10 months ago
61
10 months ago
For people who don’t work on facades in New York, “Here’s why NYC sidewalks are (still) covered with 400 miles of scaffolding” by David Brand is worth a look. It’s a good introduction to the tangled issues around sidewalk sheds. A very short summary: the response, for decades, to...
Old Structures...
Two Anachronisms I avoid the use of the word “holdout” in discussing older buildings now surrounded by newer ones. It...
9 months ago
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9 months ago
I avoid the use of the word “holdout” in discussing older buildings now surrounded by newer ones. It implies a drama that may never have existed. In this case, the west block-front of Trinity Place between Edgar and Rector Streets provides a nice contrast of building ages. From...
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...
a year ago
Old Structures...
The Same But Different This is an 1884 photograph of Broadway looking north from just south of Houston Street. Broadway...
a year ago
21
a year ago
This is an 1884 photograph of Broadway looking north from just south of Houston Street. Broadway runs straight from here until the bend at 10th Street where Grace Church is, and the church is just barely visible at the end of the street. Unlike most photos of Manhattan from the...
Common Edge
Rice University Builds an Opera Theater It’s time to appreciate one of Allan Greenberg’s best works of architecture.
over a year ago
Contemporist...
These Designs Turn Wood Walls Into Vertical Art Stile, a longstanding leader in high-quality wood flooring from Umbria, has introduced a new way to...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Stile, a longstanding leader in high-quality wood flooring from Umbria, has introduced a new way to experience wood surfaces: Stilart Wall – Vertical Wood Design. This concept brings together advanced laser engraving and traditional craftsmanship to create visually expressive...
Contemporist...
Modern meets nature in this home that opens to a meadow in the trees Set in a sunny meadow and framed by tall evergreens, this Washington State home designed by Prentiss...
a month ago
16
a month ago
Set in a sunny meadow and framed by tall evergreens, this Washington State home designed by Prentiss + Balance + Wickline Architects feels like a peaceful escape into nature. The architects recently shared a look inside the completed project, and it’s every bit as serene as its...
Coffee with an...
GENERAL NOTES: *feel free to add these to your construction documents
over a year ago
Contemporist...
11 Outdoor dining areas that will make you want to eat outside every day Tired of eating indoors when the weather’s perfect outside? Whether you have a small patio, a...
a month ago
19
a month ago
Tired of eating indoors when the weather’s perfect outside? Whether you have a small patio, a sprawling backyard, or a cozy balcony, the right outdoor dining setup can completely transform how you relax, entertain, and enjoy your space. From simple modern spaces to resort-style...
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
I’d rather live in a nostalgic Disneyland than a modernist wasteland Critics often dismiss traditional or historicizing architecture as mere “Disneyland” — a fake,...
3 weeks ago
15
3 weeks ago
Critics often dismiss traditional or historicizing architecture as mere “Disneyland” — a fake, nostalgic fantasy out of step with modern life. But millions visit Disney’s Main Street every year, drawn to something they rarely find in real cities: beautiful, human-scaled streets...
Benny Kuriakose
Hiring Experienced Engineers and Architects at Benny Kuriakose and Associates Benny Kuriakose and Associates is now inviting applications, which offer an opportunity for...
6 months ago
Common Edge
People, Places, Cities: Making the Case for Placemaking Why it’s the solution to livable cities.
4 months ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: My Past Haunts Me Marvel Comics gives us a very blocky, stylized view of a skyscraper: It’s still recognizable as the...
a year ago
19
a year ago
Marvel Comics gives us a very blocky, stylized view of a skyscraper: It’s still recognizable as the Irving Trust Building at One Wall Street, seen here in one of Irving (no relation) Underhill’s more artistic photos. In 1988, I was helping on facade repairs triggered by the...
Common Edge
Making the Economic Case for Biophilic Design Green building pioneer Bill Browning on why designing with nature is good business.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Planter Boxes Were Designed To Help This House To Blend Into Its Tropical Setting Architecture firm Studio Saxe has designed a new home for their clients from Canada, who were...
over a year ago
99
over a year ago
Architecture firm Studio Saxe has designed a new home for their clients from Canada, who were looking to get away from the winter season and enjoy the tropical weather of Costa Rica. The home is surrounded by a tropical landscape, with the seasonal creek and wildlife of the...
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
17
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...
99% Invisible
Blood in the Machine [EPISODE] Brian Merchant is a tech reporter, and he’d been covering the industry for years when he started to...
a year ago
35
a year ago
Brian Merchant is a tech reporter, and he’d been covering the industry for years when he started to notice a term that kept coming up. Especially when he wrote a story that was critical of tech, he’d be accused of being a “Luddite.” Like most people, Brian knew at least vaguely...
Old Structures...
The Function of Color It’s a matter of personal taste, but I find the 74-year-old illustrations in The Function Of Colour...
9 months ago
49
9 months ago
It’s a matter of personal taste, but I find the 74-year-old illustrations in The Function Of Colour In Factories, Schools & Hospitals, as scanned by the design and stationary mavens at Present & Correct, to be astonishing. Here’s one example: and the rest are: here. And there’s a...
devonzuegel.com
Contemplating calendars My friends say that my calendaring practice is atypical (and mock me incessantly for it). They're...
over a year ago
23
over a year ago
My friends say that my calendaring practice is atypical (and mock me incessantly for it). They're not wrong, but I'll contend that most people underutilize this ubiquitous tool. A calendar is not just a reminder device for keeping track of external events. Used right, a calendar...
Old Structures...
Gaudy This scrapbook clipping is listed as 1895 to 1945. The presence of the entrance kiosk for the City...
7 months ago
55
7 months 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...
Old Structures...
Martin Luther King Jr. Day A few comments about today’s holiday. First, if you’re so inclined, the city Parks Department has...
a year ago
33
a year ago
A few comments about today’s holiday. First, if you’re so inclined, the city Parks Department has opportunities for public service: here. Otherwise, memorials and celebrations: here. Some of the permanent memorials to King in New York: here. Some of his relationship to New York...
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...
over a year ago
97
over 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.
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...
over a year ago
76
over 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...
Construction Physics
How Japan Invented Modern Shipbuilding And conquered the shipbuilding industry in the process
a month ago
Contemporist...
This café is a beautiful place to do nothing In the heart of Valencia’s El Carmen neighbourhood, OFF LINE Café is a quiet revelation—a space...
a month ago
13
a month ago
In the heart of Valencia’s El Carmen neighbourhood, OFF LINE Café is a quiet revelation—a space where the ritual of coffee takes center stage, thoughtfully designed by Ramón Esteve Estudio. At a time when every corner café chases spectacle, OFF LINE does the opposite. It invites...
99% Invisible
What We’re Reading After we finished up The Power Broker, a bunch of people were asking us what other books we’d been...
4 months ago
34
4 months ago
After we finished up The Power Broker, a bunch of people were asking us what other books we’d been reading. A group of us got together and presented some of our recent favorites, and the choices were so good and surprising and charming, we’re now sharing it widely. To hear new...
CONTEMPORIST
A Plaid-Inspired Wood Kitchen Is A Unique Design Feature Inside This Office BHDM Design has recently completed a workplace in New York for private equity consulting firm...
over a year ago
69
over a year ago
BHDM Design has recently completed a workplace in New York for private equity consulting firm Accordion, whose interior was inspired by motifs of menswear fabrics. An interesting design element in the workplace is the kitchen, which includes a unique plaid design. The plaid...
Old Structures...
Infrastructure Not all infrastructure is hidden – some, like elevated railroads, is more visible and audible than...
a year ago
46
a year ago
Not all infrastructure is hidden – some, like elevated railroads, is more visible and audible than most people would prefer – but it often is and that can make it easy to forget. “The Cloud Under the Sea” by John Dzieza, with visuals by Kristen Radtke and Go Takayana, is an...
Common Edge
On the Value of Miniatures and Scale Models Thinking small can help us answer the challenges of our time.
6 months ago
Archinect - Features
'AI Is a Dangerous Distraction From the Pressing Issues Defining Our Generation'; A... Liam Young was once described by the BBC as “the man designing our future.” In 2023, with open...
a year ago
19
a year ago
Liam Young was once described by the BBC as “the man designing our future.” In 2023, with open letters penned on the risks of extinction posed by artificial intelligence, such a role should be in high demand. Young’s speculations on the future take the form of fictional stories...
Contemporist...
Art Deco Was Reinterpreted Into This Futuristic Gelato Parlor Multidisciplinary design studio Masquespacio has shared photos of Amiko Gelato, a new retail...
11 months ago
96
11 months ago
Multidisciplinary design studio Masquespacio has shared photos of Amiko Gelato, a new retail destination in Barcelona that blends futuristic design with art deco elements.
Old Structures...
Sort-Of Round This is the 3333rd blog post published on the Old Structures web site. People are attracted to round...
a year ago
64
a year ago
This is the 3333rd blog post published on the Old Structures web site. People are attracted to round numbers, and I could just as easily have waited for the 4000th post to say something, but I like the “third of ten-thousand” aspect of the current number. Some housekeeping: some...
Old Structures...
Masonry Against The Sky Specifically the art-deco brickwork of 21 (striped and shorter) and 20 (solid and taller) West...
a year ago
14
a year ago
Specifically the art-deco brickwork of 21 (striped and shorter) and 20 (solid and taller) West Street, with the turn-of-the-century (and somewhat scarred) brick and terra cotta of 17 Battery Place in the background, and with some cumulus clouds (I think…the naming system always...
Archinect - Features
Echoes and Requiems: Reflecting on the Legacy of Woodbury University School of Architecture... In the summer of 2006, I received a call from my friend and colleague Catherine Herbst, who had...
a year ago
62
a year ago
In the summer of 2006, I received a call from my friend and colleague Catherine Herbst, who had recently become the head of Woodbury University School of Architecture in San Diego (WUSD) following the departure of the previous chair, Geraldine Forbes, to New Mexico. During our...
Old Structures...
Wider I’ve talked about some of the weirdness of Park Avenue before, but there’s a basic problem with the...
10 months ago
60
10 months ago
I’ve talked about some of the weirdness of Park Avenue before, but there’s a basic problem with the street’s name: there’s no park. There are planted medians, but they’re not accessible to foot traffic and narrow enough that even if you could get out onto them, you’d be...
Old Structures...
Fireworks The various amusement parks at Coney Island used to have spectacles as well as rides and ordinary...
a year ago
53
a year ago
The various amusement parks at Coney Island used to have spectacles as well as rides and ordinary shows. From 1885, a fireworks show at Manhattan beach called The Last Days of Pompeii: Happy Independence Day.
Construction Physics
We Need More Research on how CO2 Affects Cognition A growing body of research indicates there are potentially large health benefits to improving indoor...
a year ago
26
a year ago
A growing body of research indicates there are potentially large health benefits to improving indoor air quality. Indoor spaces are often poorly ventilated and expose occupants to high levels of contaminants, such as pathogens, particulates, and other pollutants. Because people...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Designed As One Long Curve FRARI – architecture network has designed a new house in Vagos, Portugal, that has a single arcing...
over a year ago
53
over a year ago
FRARI – architecture network has designed a new house in Vagos, Portugal, that has a single arcing curved design. Through its shape and arrangement, the curved home protects itself from the busy road, while also opening up the interior to the outdoor spaces, like the yard and...
Contemporist...
A Large Operational Screen Invites The Forest Views Into This Modern Home Architectural studio KRES Architekci, has shared photos of a home they completed in Warsaw, Poland,...
2 months ago
12
2 months ago
Architectural studio KRES Architekci, has shared photos of a home they completed in Warsaw, Poland, that has a sleek gabled roof and a large operational shutter at one end.
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Office Hides Behind A Sliding Wall In This House Blue Truck Studio collaborated with a new homeowner with DIY construction experience, to renovate a...
over a year ago
39
over a year ago
Blue Truck Studio collaborated with a new homeowner with DIY construction experience, to renovate a home for the owner’s family. The interior, contemporary yet comfortable in its design, includes a living room that has a large empty wall. However, this wall isn’t stationary but...
Archinect - Features
When Form Follows Meanings: AI’s Semantic Turn in Architecture In the wake of artificial intelligence’s recently popularized presence in the architectural field...
over a year ago
23
over a year ago
In the wake of artificial intelligence’s recently popularized presence in the architectural field and beyond, many are pondering what changes may be on the horizon in the discipline, if any. For Stanislas Chaillou, AI’s dissemination in architecture may refocus the profession’s...
Old Structures...
Outlived Its Welcome But Not The Need I’ve been trawling in the HABS index and came across a survey from 1974 of the Bronx portion of the...
a year ago
56
a year ago
I’ve been trawling in the HABS index and came across a survey from 1974 of the Bronx portion of the Third Avenue elevated. After the rest of the line (in Manhattan and the very southernmost bit of the Bronx) was closed and demolished in the early 1950s, the portion from 149th...
Old Structures...
A Moment Captured This sketch is labelled ‘Architectural drawing for a customs house (“United States Custom House”),...
a year ago
16
a year ago
This sketch is labelled ‘Architectural drawing for a customs house (“United States Custom House”), New York, New York’ on the Library of Congress website. It’s not clear if that title was somehow written on the sketch or is a librarian’s interpretation of the content. It’s...
CONTEMPORIST
A 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...
11 months ago
129
11 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...
Common Edge
An AI Experiment: Why Do Lawyers Make More Than Architects? We asked ChatGPT a question that has plagued the profession for decades.
a year ago
Common Edge
What Does Midcentury Modern Even Mean These Days? When a style becomes historical, its meaning becomes slippery.
a year ago
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...
a year ago
37
a year 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...
Contemporist...
A Circular Off-Grid Home In Costa Rica Studio Saxe has shared photos of a secluded circular home they designed that's located deep within...
7 months ago
62
7 months ago
Studio Saxe has shared photos of a secluded circular home they designed that's located deep within Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula.
Old Structures...
Four, Maybe Five, Maybe Six Bridges Walking along South Street, which is to say along the East River waterfront. First up, the view from...
a year ago
89
a year ago
Walking along South Street, which is to say along the East River waterfront. First up, the view from Rutgers Street and South Street: We’ve got a pseudo-dramatic, badly framed view of the Manhattan tower of the Manhattan Bridge, with the elevated FDR Drive blocking most of it....
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #04: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [EPISODE] This is the fourth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
a year ago
94
a year ago
This is the fourth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott also sit down with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the U.S. representative for New York’s 14th...
99% Invisible
The Big Dig [EPISODE] Over its more than 40 year journey from conception to completion, Boston’s Big Dig massive...
a year ago
130
a year ago
Over its more than 40 year journey from conception to completion, Boston’s Big Dig massive infrastructure project, which rerouted the central highway in the heart of the city, encountered every hurdle imaginable: ruthless politics, engineering challenges, secretive contractors,...
Contemporist...
A Stepped Design For This Renovated Century-Old Edwardian House In San Francisco Andrew Mann Architecture has shared photos of a century-old Edwardian house they renovated in a...
a year ago
There are two types...
MSG Two MSG quotes: “In animal studies, injecting high doses of MSG into the brains of rats made them...
over a year ago
39
over a year ago
Two MSG quotes: “In animal studies, injecting high doses of MSG into the brains of rats made them fat.” – Wikipedia “Through Pennsylvania Station one entered the city like a god…. One scuttles in now like a rat” [under Madison … Continue reading → The post MSG appeared first on...
Old Structures...
Someone Else’s Entertainment Not everything you find on a rooftop is of much interest.
6 months ago
Construction Physics
Book Review: Healthy Buildings Healthy Buildings, written by John Macomber and Joseph Allen is, as the title suggests, a book about...
over a year ago
75
over a year ago
Healthy Buildings, written by John Macomber and Joseph Allen is, as the title suggests, a book about how buildings affect health. Allen is a former environmental consultant, professor of public health, and director of Harvard’s “Healthy Buildings” program. Macomber is a lecturer...
Contemporist...
An Extension To This 1933 Home Creates A New Kitchen And Outdoor Terrace Heliotrope Architects has shared photos of a contemporary extension they completed for a home in...
11 months ago
66
11 months ago
Heliotrope Architects has shared photos of a contemporary extension they completed for a home in Seattle, Washington, that was originally designed and built in 1933 by Norwegian boat captain Ole E. Nelson.
CONTEMPORIST
A Home That Delivers A Rustic Symphony Of Exposed Wood Beams FINNE Architects has shared photos of a Pacific Northwest house they designed on Bainbridge Island,...
a year ago
57
a year ago
FINNE Architects has shared photos of a Pacific Northwest house they designed on Bainbridge Island, Washington. A 500-ft driveway winds through the woods up to the house, located in a clearing at the top of a gentle hill. The house was designed to be sustainable from the start,...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Kitchen And Bathroom Remodel For This 1970s Home SHED Architecture & Design has shared their latest project, the contemporary interior remodel of a...
over a year ago
86
over a year ago
SHED Architecture & Design has shared their latest project, the contemporary interior remodel of a 1970s home on Seattle’s Mercer Island that was originally designed by William Rutledge. The house met the functional needs of its new owners but did not quite suit their...
Old Structures...
One Event, Two Views On July 9, 1776, a bunch of New Yorkers – who maybe or maybe were not part of an organized group...
a year ago
18
a year ago
On July 9, 1776, a bunch of New Yorkers – who maybe or maybe were not part of an organized group called the Sons of Freedom – celebrated the publication of the Declaration of Independence by pulling down a six-year-old equestrian statue of King George III at Bowling Green and...
Contemporist...
Before and After: A Gloomy Lake House Becomes a Bright, Livable Family Home When a pair of New York doctors moved to Coral Gables with their 5-year-old son, they wanted a fresh...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
When a pair of New York doctors moved to Coral Gables with their 5-year-old son, they wanted a fresh start, but without letting go of the sophistication they loved up north. The answer? A complete gut renovation of a lakefront home, transformed by boutique design studio Andreea...
Old Structures...
We Become Accustomed – Part 1 I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it...
a year ago
20
a year ago
I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it illustrates an important phenomenon about change. When I talk about change in this blog, I most often mean technological change in the built environment, as new forms of construction...
Common Edge
NYC Finally Has Congestion Pricing—Now, the Free Parking Must Go Giving away public space for automobiles makes little sense.
6 months ago
Construction Physics
The Shape of Nuclear Policy Book review: Nuclear Politics: Energy and the State in the United States, Sweden, and France
a year ago
99% Invisible
Broken Plexus (2 of 3): Adapting Off-the-Shelf Orthoses for Long-Haul Limb Support I’ve worn a lot of orthoses over the past year, the designs of which have varied more widely than I...
2 months ago
23
2 months ago
I’ve worn a lot of orthoses over the past year, the designs of which have varied more widely than I would have anticipated, considering that each one addresses aspects of the same injury. There are soft slings made mostly of cloth and hard braces that incorporate metal and...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A 1970s Home Received A Contemporary Renovation Floisand Studio Architects has shared photos of a contemporary renovation project they did for a...
a year ago
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a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has shared photos of a contemporary renovation project they did for a home in Seattle, Washington. The original 1970s Seattle rambler had a typical boxy layout, while the exterior featured brick with blue and red accents. The new exterior includes new...
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
17
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...
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...
over a year ago
25
over 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...
This house collects rainwater, grows trees indoors, and runs on solar power Located near the growing tech and innovation hub of FPT City in Da Nang, Vietnam, this house by 85...
a month ago
13
a month ago
Located near the growing tech and innovation hub of FPT City in Da Nang, Vietnam, this house by 85 Design is a fresh example of how architecture can respond to both lifestyle and environmental needs. Designed as a flexible home-office hybrid, the project combines solar energy,...
99% Invisible
Foreign in a Domestic Sense On a recent trip to Puerto Rico, producer Jeyca Medina-Gleason discovered a piece of her family...
a month ago
21
a month ago
On a recent trip to Puerto Rico, producer Jeyca Medina-Gleason discovered a piece of her family history: a manila folder with her grandfather Tomás Velez Lopez’s photo attached to the front. Across the top in bold letters, it read “Division of Special Investigations” followed by...
Common Edge
Why Time Is a Problem for Architects For many, it’s a lurch between copying the past or pretending that time doesn’t exist.
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
The Latest from MoMA: Emerging Ecologies Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books...
a year ago
38
a year ago
Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books with keywords to better filter and find them. The tags I use move from general terms like "architecture" (the most) and "fiction" (the least) to specific terms that reflect a high...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: One Accurate, One Not First, from a 1940s Sunday newspaper strip of Miss Fury, a realistic view down the facade of a fancy...
10 months ago
57
10 months ago
First, from a 1940s Sunday newspaper strip of Miss Fury, a realistic view down the facade of a fancy New York apartment house to the street: Second, from a modern Captain America comic, “the City of Manhattan”. Where’s that, Kansas? It’s been “New York” since 1664, “Nieuw...
BLDGBLOG
Numbers Pool [Image: “Solomon’s Pools & ancient aqueducts…,” via Library of Congress.] There’s a beautiful...
over a year ago
6
over a year ago
[Image: “Solomon’s Pools & ancient aqueducts…,” via Library of Congress.] There’s a beautiful description over at New Scientist of a hypothetical new form of computing device, a “liquid crystal computer” in which calculations would move “like ripples through the liquid.”...
Contemporist...
The Black Exterior Of This Home Leads To A Pink Kitchen Inside Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they completed in Wivenhoe, England, for an artist...
a year ago
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a year ago
Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they completed in Wivenhoe, England, for an artist who wanted a light-filled interior with room to work and to entertain.
Blog - Guerrilla...
Love Letter Back Home Mapped October 5th, written December 2019: As I noted in my last Guerrilla Cartography Cartographer...
over a year ago
37
over a year ago
Mapped October 5th, written December 2019: As I noted in my last Guerrilla Cartography Cartographer Spotlight (May 2019), my career has been a diverse mix of my two professional passions, cartography and participatory mapping. Cartography is about the place; it’s top-down, it’s...
Old Structures...
Between Demolition and Redevelopment Angelo Rizzuto, in 1959, was going for the same feeling as Berenice Abbott in her Changing New York...
a year ago
55
a year 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,...
Common Edge
Near Ground Zero, Joshua Ramus Fails His Audition for Starchitect Status The Perelman Performing Arts Center is a pricey bauble, but its over mechanized interiors suggest...
a year ago
55
a year ago
The Perelman Performing Arts Center is a pricey bauble, but its over mechanized interiors suggest the building’s hype is unwarranted.
Old Structures...
 A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 2 The illustration above, from the May 1883 issue of Harper’s Magazine, courtesy of the New York...
a year ago
20
a year ago
The illustration above, from the May 1883 issue of Harper’s Magazine, courtesy of the New York Public Library, gives a better sense of the Brooklyn Bridge caissons than yesterday’s working drawing (repeated below) even if it’s got less technical information. Note that May 1883...
CONTEMPORIST
A Complete Renovation Was Given To This 1980s Plaster Clad House Michael Cooper Architects has shared photos of a 1980s plaster-clad home in Auckland, New Zealand,...
a year ago
23
a year ago
Michael Cooper Architects has shared photos of a 1980s plaster-clad home in Auckland, New Zealand, that they renovated to bring it up to today’s standards. The house needed a re-design inside and out, with the clients requesting a contemporary design. The clients also wanted a...
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
19
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.
Common Edge
L.A.’s Cultural Crescent and the Land That Draws People to It The City of Angels is that rare metropolis where landscape shapes ways of being.
5 months ago
Common Edge
The Deceptive Grandeur of City Skylines Empty office towers are likely to remain that way for years.
11 months 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...
7 months ago
19
7 months 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 […]
CONTEMPORIST
A’ Design Awards & Competition – Early Call for Entries This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award &...
a year ago
68
a year ago
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing more than 1600 winners in over 150 different design disciplines. Hone Shelf...
The Beauty of...
Never(?) Decreasing Circles (Railtrack/Network Rail major station logos, UK (continued)) One of the most enduringly popular articles on this website (at least in terms of clicks and...
7 months ago
91
7 months ago
One of the most enduringly popular articles on this website (at least in terms of clicks and re-posts) is a very early one, from 2013. It concerns the graphic identities created for Railtrack’s major stations by Citigate Lloyd Northover. These ones… Firstly – have I really been...
Construction Physics
How to Build an AI Data Center This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in...
a year ago
93
a year ago
This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in America: Building the Next Generation of AI Infrastructure at Home. In this series, we examine the challenges of accelerating the American AI data center buildout. Future pieces will...
Contemporist...
Peek Inside This Apartment Building With Cloud-Shaped Windows ROOM+ Design & Build has unveiled a striking modern apartment built on a slender urban lot in Ho Chi...
a month ago
16
a month ago
ROOM+ Design & Build has unveiled a striking modern apartment built on a slender urban lot in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where playful cloud-shaped openings turn the compact structure into a standout architectural statement.
Common Edge
What Los Angeles Transit Could Learn From Charlotte On accidentally discovering the Queen City’s wonderful light rail system.
over a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Distillery-Inspired Materials Are Featured Throughout The Interior Of This Gin Bar Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent...
a year ago
49
a year ago
Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent us photos of the Moretti Gin Bar that they have recently completed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The design of the bar incorporates elements that have been inspired by the gin...
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
35
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...
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...
a year ago
23
a year 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...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: An Impossible View Above, Iron Man flies past the Chrysler Building. I was trying to figure out if the buildings in the...
a year ago
16
a year ago
Above, Iron Man flies past the Chrysler Building. I was trying to figure out if the buildings in the background were realistic, and got part of the way there. The gray building on the right looks like a simplified version of the Socony-Mobil Building at the southeast corner of...
Old Structures...
Some Good News To Start The Year From Ars Technica, “40% of US electricity is now emissions-free” by John Timmer has a pretty...
a year ago
43
a year ago
From Ars Technica, “40% of US electricity is now emissions-free” by John Timmer has a pretty self-explanatory headline. The short version: wind and solar have advanced quickly because of decreases in their cost, coal use has dropped, and there’s more storage coming on line to...
99% Invisible
Food Deserts Woonsocket, Rhode Island was once home to many locally owned and regional grocers. There were small...
2 days ago
2
2 days ago
Woonsocket, Rhode Island was once home to many locally owned and regional grocers. There were small stores such as Fernandes Produce and Big D’s. The city also had supermarkets from classic New England chains like Star Market and Almacs. Over the years, however, the city’s...
Contemporist...
Wallpaper as Art: Inside Zambaiti’s Latest Nature-Inspired Collection In a world where interior design increasingly leans on narrative and emotion, Zambaiti Contract’s...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
In a world where interior design increasingly leans on narrative and emotion, Zambaiti Contract’s Project – Chapter 2 offers more than just wallpaper, it delivers an immersive visual journey. This second edition of the brand’s signature collection blurs the line between art,...
CONTEMPORIST
A Sunken Living Room Was Made Possible By A New Extension To This Home Mulroy Architects has shared photos of a project they recently completed that included modernizing...
a year ago
30
a year ago
Mulroy Architects has shared photos of a project they recently completed that included modernizing the interior of a 1920s home in Greater London, England, that also included the addition of a rear extension. The brief was to refurbish and extend the upper floors of the house to...
CONTEMPORIST
A’ Design Awards & Competition – Call for Submissions This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award &...
9 months ago
81
9 months 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 thousands of award winners from 114 different design disciplines. Red House...
Old Structures...
Housekeeping The two-site business is done. Oldstructures.nyc now redirects to Oldstructyres.com, so everyone is...
a year ago
40
a year ago
The two-site business is done. Oldstructures.nyc now redirects to Oldstructyres.com, so everyone is seeing the same, new website. We’re still working some kinks out. If you have an email or WordPress subscription to the website, I think you’ll have to update it. Or maybe not, who...
There are two types...
A Short Discussion of Residential Building Heights in New York City NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To...
over a year ago
21
over a year ago
NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To Great Cities and Towns, where it will appear in a shorter version. This version still needs a little editing for its new context. Part … Continue reading → The post A Short...
Cartogrammar
The rain on terrain If you poured water over the terrain somewhere in the world, where would it go? That’s perhaps one...
over a year ago
29
over a year ago
If you poured water over the terrain somewhere in the world, where would it go? That’s perhaps one way to think of the thing that distracted me in the evenings this week. [Edit: an interactive map should appear here, but there are some unresolved issues. Check out the...
CONTEMPORIST
Chairs For Sitting On Stairs ARTA Architects has designed the Tai Kwun Chairs for The Hong Kong Jockey Club, allowing a more...
7 months ago
98
7 months ago
ARTA Architects has designed the Tai Kwun Chairs for The Hong Kong Jockey Club, allowing a more comfortable and modular seating solution for these stairs. The chairs complement the distinctive design languages of the Tai Kwun arts and cultural centre’s ancient and contemporary...
Common Edge
Andrés Duany and Others on the Legacy of Léon Krier With tributes from Witold Rybczynski, Gerhard W. Mayer, James Howard Kuntsler, and Jeff Speck.
a week ago
The Wandering...
Mapping Gottfried Merzbacher I’m wrapping up my work on Gottfried Merzbacher—a sort of back-burner project that’s been active and...
over a year ago
69
over a year ago
I’m wrapping up my work on Gottfried Merzbacher—a sort of back-burner project that’s been active and then dormant, on and off, for about seven years. It’s been a pleasure to learn about places like the Bayumkol valley, the relationship between the Saryzhaz and Kum-erik Rivers,...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Bonus Geekiness For the end-of-summer holiday weekend, an extra. Daredevil makes a new friend: That’s one of the...
10 months ago
37
10 months ago
For the end-of-summer holiday weekend, an extra. Daredevil makes a new friend: That’s one of the eagle hood-ornament sculptures at the 61st floor of the Chrysler Building. They’ve been fascinating people since Chrysler was first built. There’s a very big but not famous building...
Contemporist...
Outdoor Seating You’d Actually Want to Visit: Where Nature Is Wrapped in a Whimsical Birdcage At the heart of San Francisco’s Mission Rock development, The Garden Party by Min Design transforms...
a week ago
7
a week ago
At the heart of San Francisco’s Mission Rock development, The Garden Party by Min Design transforms a bustling pedestrian path into something softer, slower, and more inviting.
Archinect - Features
Meet NYIT School of Architecture & Design's New Faculty Members The School of Architecture and Design at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), with campuses in...
7 months ago
80
7 months ago
The School of Architecture and Design at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), with campuses in New York City and Old Westbury, Long Island, delivers a technology-driven, design-focused education across its Architecture, Interior Design, and Digital Art & Design programs.  As...
Old Structures...
Twelve Years Undemolished This photo from 1954 was taken from the top level of the Queensboro Plaza Station, looking west to...
11 months ago
51
11 months ago
This photo from 1954 was taken from the top level of the Queensboro Plaza Station, looking west to Manhattan. That’s the Queensboro Bridge on the right. If you take the 7 train to Flushing, as I used to, the odds are not bad that you’ll change trains at this station, as it’s...
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...
9 months ago
65
9 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
A Modern Addition For An 1830s Brick Farm House Hollaway Studio has shared photos of a modern home addition they have completed for a former...
over a year ago
81
over a year ago
Hollaway Studio has shared photos of a modern home addition they have completed for a former farmhouse in Kent, England, that dates back to the 1830s. The original home comprises of formal brick walls, a slate roof, white sash windows with views across the landscape, an original...
Construction Physics
Reading List for 06/07/2025 Risks to US battery storage, un-affordable affordable housing, a major Supreme Court NEPA ruling,...
a month ago
16
a month ago
Risks to US battery storage, un-affordable affordable housing, a major Supreme Court NEPA ruling, making chip materials in space, and more.
Old Structures...
Location and Purpose From 1932, “The Kips Bay Station, with a capacity of 2,450,000 pounds of steam an hour, is the...
10 months ago
75
10 months ago
From 1932, “The Kips Bay Station, with a capacity of 2,450,000 pounds of steam an hour, is the largest and most modern central station steam generating plant in the world.” The station was a steam-generating plant, located on the East River at 36th Street, decommissioned and...
Common Edge
Finding Inspiration in Histories of Indian Families With Powerful Architectural Legacies The stories found in Architectural Inheritance and Evolution in India rekindled the fire for the...
a year ago
Common Edge
Is AI Really the Next Big Thing in Architecture? There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
over a year ago
Old Structures...
Against Expectations Last Friday, I was walking through a neighborhood with quite a few of these handsome bow-fronted...
11 months ago
45
11 months ago
Last Friday, I was walking through a neighborhood with quite a few of these handsome bow-fronted rowhouses. It was not in upper Manhattan, the south Bronx, Brooklyn, or Hoboken, as you might expect. It was in Queens. More specifically near the Ridgewood/Glendale border, a...
SOCKS
Carlos Morago. Across the Ordinary Interior Contemporary Spanish painter Carlos Morago depicts realistic interior scenes that are mostly reduced...
over a year ago
33
over a year ago
Contemporary Spanish painter Carlos Morago depicts realistic interior scenes that are mostly reduced to the bare minimum: light floors and walls and sporadical furniture. Empty corridors and rooms are framed through opened doors and walls while opening on uneventful exteriors...
Construction Physics
Reading List 05/03/25 Blackout in Spain and Portugal, Chinese robot adoption, energy maneuverability theory, the Florida...
2 months ago
17
2 months ago
Blackout in Spain and Portugal, Chinese robot adoption, energy maneuverability theory, the Florida real estate market, battery manufacturing cancellations, and more.
CONTEMPORIST
A Playroom Inside This Hotel Was Designed With A Desert Theme Sarit Shani Hay Design Studio has shared photos of a modern playroom they designed for a boutique...
a year ago
38
a year ago
Sarit Shani Hay Design Studio has shared photos of a modern playroom they designed for a boutique hotel in Israel. Inspired by the unique topography of the desert landscape, the ‘Grow with Six Senses’ playroom emulates the natural features of the surrounding scenery, transforming...
Old Structures...
We Become Accustomed – Part 3 Having discussed the steel framing and the basic curtain wall of an incredibly-average 1926 office...
a year ago
22
a year ago
Having discussed the steel framing and the basic curtain wall of an incredibly-average 1926 office building, I want to take a look at the end of the work. The picture above shows the building, just about on completion: a middle-of-the-road, mid-sized office building, with its...
devonzuegel.com
Unconventional strategies for practicing Spanish Language skills are highly multi-dimensional*, so while learning a language, it's important to come...
over a year ago
23
over a year ago
Language skills are highly multi-dimensional*, so while learning a language, it's important to come at it from lots of different directions. Here are some of the tricks I've used to practice Spanish that I haven't heard so many other people use. (They're likely useful for other...
Coffee with an...
Architect Christmas Cards 2023 It’s that time of year again when a grinches, I mean an architect’s, heart grows 3 sizes and they...
a year ago
50
a year ago
It’s that time of year again when a grinches, I mean an architect’s, heart grows 3 sizes and they realize the true meaning of Christmas. Ignoring heat gain coefficients and just using all glass on the new design for Santa’s experimental workshop/atelier anyway. It’s a Christmas...
Common Edge
The American Paradox: Bigger Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Better In the U.S., interior and exterior spaces are outsize because they can be. In France, high density...
a week ago
13
a week ago
In the U.S., interior and exterior spaces are outsize because they can be. In France, high density means less individual space—so design matters even more.
Old Structures...
Very Local Requirements Below, a construction fence of typical New York design. Such fences here have had windows of some...
a year ago
49
a year ago
Below, a construction fence of typical New York design. Such fences here have had windows of some kind going back at least to the mid-1900s. Per the current NYC building code, section 3307.7.3, “Viewing panels shall be provided in solid fences erected on or after July 1, 2013, at...
99% Invisible
Category 6 [EPISODE] On the campus of Florida International University, in Miami, there’s a place ominously named “The...
a year ago
94
a year 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...
Common Edge
AI, Architecture, and the Uncanny Valley Technology can design, but it can’t understand the “why” of buildings—yet.
10 months ago
Common Edge
Does Spirituality Have a Role in Educating Architects? What might appear to some as an “off-limits” realm might actually be at its heart.
over a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Lakehouse Hovers Above The Natural Sloped Terrain Building Arts Architects has shared photos of a contemporary home they recently completed in Dorset,...
a year ago
48
a year ago
Building Arts Architects has shared photos of a contemporary home they recently completed in Dorset, Ontario, that hovers above the natural sloped terrain close to the water’s edge of Kawagama Lake. The building, which sits lightly on the rugged site, invites expansive sky and...
Common Edge
Technology’s Siren Song How to lure an architect onto the rocks.
8 months ago
Old Structures...
The Black Tower For all you Lord of the Rings fans, remember: Brooklyn is not Mordor. No matter what similarities...
a year ago
45
a year ago
For all you Lord of the Rings fans, remember: Brooklyn is not Mordor. No matter what similarities may exist.
Old Structures...
Nearby Also from the Greenport Railroad Station: the 1890s freight house on the right with a...
11 months ago
48
11 months ago
Also from the Greenport Railroad Station: the 1890s freight house on the right with a apparently-retired snowplow engine named Jaws III, a Pennsylvania Railroad boxcar, and a caboose, probably also Pennsy. The Pennsylvania bought the LIRR in 1900 as part of its grand plan for the...
Coffee with an...
Design explained using venn diagrams Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple venn diagrams. Unfortunately,...
a year ago
108
a year ago
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple venn diagrams. Unfortunately, this isn’t that: More Design in charts – HERE, and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Oldey-Timey From a 1944 newspaper comic strip called Miss Fury – the title character is about two-thirds...
12 months ago
58
12 months ago
From a 1944 newspaper comic strip called Miss Fury – the title character is about two-thirds Catwoman and one-third Batman – a taxi trip through Manhattan, past Washington Square, and to a Greenwich Village rowhouse: The car speeding through below the arch is not a mistake:...
Old Structures...
More Over-Thinking This photograph, taken in May 1959 by Angelo Rizzuto, is titled “View of building construction” on...
a year ago
88
a year ago
This photograph, taken in May 1959 by Angelo Rizzuto, is titled “View of building construction” on the Library of Congress website. I’m not entirely convinced, although I have to admit that my doubts are based on squinting at the photo and nothing stronger. First, even for a...
Common Edge
What Is Sacred Architecture in an Increasingly Secular Time? Is it space or the people who animate it?
a year ago
Old Structures...
Ephemeral Elephant I mentioned the Colossus of Coney Island once before, but it’s time to expand on that a bit. (The...
a year ago
39
a year ago
I mentioned the Colossus of Coney Island once before, but it’s time to expand on that a bit. (The fact that I mentioned this building three and a half years ago and did not remember having done so until I searched for it makes me wonder if I’ve written too many blog posts.)...
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Lines The Length Of The Gable Vaulted Ceiling In This Home Architecture firm The Ranch Mine, has designed a new home in Flagstaff, Arizona, that’s inspired by...
a year ago
33
a year ago
Architecture firm The Ranch Mine, has designed a new home in Flagstaff, Arizona, that’s inspired by the landscape of the surrounding San Francisco Volcanic Field. The surrounding landscape is reflected in the decision to choose a black exterior for the home, while the interiors...
Common Edge
It’s Hard for Architects to Be Transparent About Fees If the profession is to survive, however, we have no choice.
7 months ago
Contemporist...
Before & After - A Contemporary Renovation For This Home In California Feldman Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary renovation they completed for a home in San...
2 months ago
Old Structures...
Peeking Ahead The picture above – an aquatint according to the New York Public Library – was created in 1834, and...
a year ago
25
a year ago
The picture above – an aquatint according to the New York Public Library – was created in 1834, and shows an active urban setting, with families, men talking business or politics, carriages, and dogs. If you didn’t know the date you’d probably guess the nineteenth century; if you...
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow Part II - The World Trade Center Part II in our series comparing the construction of two Tallest Building in the World projects - the...
over a year ago
35
over a year ago
Part II in our series comparing the construction of two Tallest Building in the World projects - the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. See here for Part I. Unless otherwise noted, information and quotes are from “City in the Sky: The Rise and Fall of the World...
Contemporist...
An Art Deco-Inspired Renovation with a Dual-Ended Kitchen Island Elwood House is a reimagining of a 1920s beachside residence that speaks to both history and the...
a month ago
10
a month ago
Elwood House is a reimagining of a 1920s beachside residence that speaks to both history and the rhythm of modern life. Set just moments from the bay, this luxurious renovation by Bryant Alsop blends the graceful lines of Art Deco architecture with a thoughtful approach to...
The Beauty of...
Riding the Steel Breeze (Port Talbot Parkway, Neath Port Talbot, UK) Some stations are born parkways, some achieve parkway status, while yet others have parkway status...
a year ago
29
a year ago
Some stations are born parkways, some achieve parkway status, while yet others have parkway status thrust upon them. Such is the explanation for an arrival at Port Talbot Parkway being such a strange experience. As passengers step out of their trains they find themselves...
Old Structures...
Fuzzy Structural steel and composite steel deck used with concrete slabs need to be fireproofed. Ducts,...
7 months ago
55
7 months ago
Structural steel and composite steel deck used with concrete slabs need to be fireproofed. Ducts, pipes, lights, and electrical conduits do not.
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...
a year ago
50
a year 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.
Old Structures...
Different Views From 1910, stereoscopic views from an upper floor of the Singer Building looking south and north The...
8 months ago
62
8 months ago
From 1910, stereoscopic views from an upper floor of the Singer Building looking south and north The view south is showing the largest concentration of tall buildings in the world at that time and, given that many of those buildings exceeded the height limit in Chicago, the...
Common Edge
In Warsaw, a Student-Designed Architectural Response to Dark Times The Freedom Pavilion offers a beautiful way to contemplate peace, freedom, and solidarity with...
a year ago
Archinect - Features
How Architecture Can Tell the Stories We’ve Tried to Forget Archinect's Fellow Fellows series showcases individuals who are currently in, or have recently...
2 months ago
23
2 months 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...
Construction Physics
Who Wins Nobel Prizes? The most prestigious scientific achievement is likely the Nobel Prize, which is awarded every year...
3 months ago
47
3 months ago
The most prestigious scientific achievement is likely the Nobel Prize, which is awarded every year to “those who confer the greatest benefit to mankind” in the fields of physics, medicine, and chemistry (of course, there are also Nobel Prizes for literature and peace, as well as...
SOCKS
Man Ray, Mathematical Objects (1934-36) The collection of 19th-century three-dimensional models of algebraic and differential equations at...
a year ago
54
a year ago
The collection of 19th-century three-dimensional models of algebraic and differential equations at the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris made a great impression on Surrealist artists. Allegedly, after Max Ernst brought these wood, metal, wire, and plaster forms to Man Ray’s...
Contemporist...
A Contemporary Home Inspired By The Fachwerk-Style Houses Of Germany Interior designer Tamara Strugova, together with her husband, has completed a contemporary home...
a year ago
60
a year ago
Interior designer Tamara Strugova, together with her husband, has completed a contemporary home whose design was inspired by the Fachwerk-style houses found in Hamburg, Germany, with their prominently exposed posts and beams.
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
45
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...
CONTEMPORIST
The New Addition On This Home Includes A Pass-Through Window To The Kitchen Building firm Demardi, together with design firm Mesh Design & Projects, have recently completed the...
over a year ago
51
over a year ago
Building firm Demardi, together with design firm Mesh Design & Projects, have recently completed the renovation and new rear extension of a home in Thornbury, Australia, for a young family. The original facade of the home was restored, weatherboards were replaced, and new...
Contemporist...
Step Inside a Spa That Feels Like It Was Carved by Nature Located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, SIAM SPA is a three-story wellness destination designed by the...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
Located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, SIAM SPA is a three-story wellness destination designed by the architectural bureau HAAST. With 3,240 square meters of serene space, the project is a carefully orchestrated experience that blends architecture, nature, and ritual, conceived as a...
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,...
8 months ago
71
8 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...
CONTEMPORIST
This Alley Between Buildings Was Transformed With A Series Of Arches Photography by Robin Hill Daniel Toole Architecture in collaboration with SB Architects, has...
a year ago
91
a year ago
Photography by Robin Hill Daniel Toole Architecture in collaboration with SB Architects, has transformed a nondescript alley in Miami, Florida, with a series of concrete arches. Photography by Heywood Chan This alley was originally surrounded by trash rooms, dumpsters, mechanical...
The Modern House
Seeking sea spray: a collection of nine covetable coastal homes Taking the Boxing Day Dip as inspiration for this week’s collection, we have gathered nine beachside...
6 months ago
20
6 months ago
Taking the Boxing Day Dip as inspiration for this week’s collection, we have gathered nine beachside homes that would easily facilitate this bracing, peculiarly British tradition. Here, we’ve collected some of our most far-flung fantasies, from Cornwall to Norfolk and all the way...
Old Structures...
More Bragging But Usefully So In two weeks, I’ll be giving a talk in Philadelphia for the Delaware Valley Association of...
7 months ago
61
7 months ago
In two weeks, I’ll be giving a talk in Philadelphia for the Delaware Valley Association of Structural Engineers, which is the eastern-Pennsylvania chapter of the Structural Engineers Association of Pennsylvania. The topic is “Engineers’ Guidelines for Historic Buildings” and I’m...
Archinect - Features
Where You Should and Should Not Use AI When Hiring As artificial intelligence begins to play a more prominent role in how firms hire, we break down...
a month ago
15
a month ago
As artificial intelligence begins to play a more prominent role in how firms hire, we break down where AI can improve efficiency in the way architects create job ads, manage communication, and understand regulations. In contrast, we also detail areas of the hiring process where...
99% Invisible
The Art of the Olympics [EPISODE] The 2024 Paris Olympics are currently under way, and we thought we’d play two stories from the 99%...
11 months ago
90
11 months ago
The 2024 Paris Olympics are currently under way, and we thought we’d play two stories from the 99% Invisible archives about the art of the Olympics. Mexico 68 The 1968 Olympics took place in Mexico City, Mexico. It was the first Games ever hosted in a Latin American country. And...
Common Edge
Bill McKibben on COP28, Maintaining Hope, and Walking in the Woods The activist and author offers some perspective on the recently concluded UN Climate summit.
a year ago
SOCKS
From Videogame Landscapes to Embrodery Canvas: La Sentinelle by Marine Beaufils (2022-24) Marine Beaufils is a French embroidery artist whose meticulous work draws on the analogy between...
7 months ago
73
7 months ago
Marine Beaufils is a French embroidery artist whose meticulous work draws on the analogy between pixels and needlepoints, as she translates scenes from her favorite video games, movies, or scientific imagery from screen to embroidery canvas. This process freezes a fragment of a...
Old Structures...
The Personal Connection Times Three It’s hard to overstate the importance of personal links in discussing how people feel about the...
a year ago
70
a year 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...
Construction Physics
Reading List 07/05/2025 A microscopic electric motor, California’s CEQA rollback, a US shipbuilding startup, Chinese map...
5 days ago
9
5 days ago
A microscopic electric motor, California’s CEQA rollback, a US shipbuilding startup, Chinese map obfuscation, and more.
Construction Physics
What Progress Has There Been In Industrial Robots? Long-term, I’m optimistic about robots and automation solving construction’s stagnant cost and...
a year ago
27
a year ago
Long-term, I’m optimistic about robots and automation solving construction’s stagnant cost and productivity problem. Even if nothing else works, if you can build a cheap machine capable of doing everything a human can do, that would greatly reduce labor costs, which are a large...
Common Edge
Jay-Z’s Unseemly Takeover of Brooklyn’s Central Library Crowds love “The Book of HOV,” but the library has ceded public space for a self-produced tribute...
a year ago
50
a year ago
Crowds love “The Book of HOV,” but the library has ceded public space for a self-produced tribute from his company, Roc Nation.
Common Edge
The Art and Angst of Architecture in Southern California An excerpt from An Urban Odyssey: A Critic’s Search for the Soul of Cities and Self.
7 months ago
Old Structures...
One Pitfall Avoided I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department...
a year ago
45
a year ago
I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department of Buildings will be examined to identify which buildings are considered to be high risk, and the usual DoB actions – violations, etc. – will start from there. It all depends on...
Old Structures...
Uncluttered From 1946, a view from 501 Madison Avenue looking southwest past St. Patrick’s Cathedral to...
11 months ago
43
11 months ago
From 1946, a view from 501 Madison Avenue looking southwest past St. Patrick’s Cathedral to Rockefeller Center. The International Building on the right partially blocks the view of the taller RCA Building, with the (old) Time-Life building off to the left. The construction site...
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
16
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.
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #07: Sec. Pete Buttigieg [EPISODE] This is the seventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
11 months ago
68
11 months ago
This is the seventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott sit down with Pete Buttigieg, the US Secretary of Transportation. One of his major...
Benny Kuriakose
Paliam Nalukettu: A Glimpse into a Matrilineal Society In the small town of Chendamangalam in Paravur, Kerala, is the Paliam Nalukettu, which is located...
over a year ago
67
over a year ago
In the small town of Chendamangalam in Paravur, Kerala, is the Paliam Nalukettu, which is located within the Paliam complex. Benny...
Construction Physics
Reading List 05/24/25 Tulsa’s remote worker incentives, the “stolen iPhone building”, the Trump administration’s...
a month ago
19
a month ago
Tulsa’s remote worker incentives, the “stolen iPhone building”, the Trump administration’s shipbuilding struggles, falling traffic law enforcement, and more.
Archinect - Features
Architectural Visualization Was Rather Flat: Then We Invented Perspective Before the invention of architectural perspective, architects and artists faced significant...
8 months ago
63
8 months ago
Before the invention of architectural perspective, architects and artists faced significant challenges in visualizing and communicating architectural space. Without a systematic way to represent depth and spatial relationships, architectural drawings were often symbolic,...
Archinect - Features
Discussing Paid Research Opportunities for M.Arch Students at UW-Milwaukee SARUP In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture &...
a year ago
34
a year ago
In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture & Urban Planning (SARUP) to unpack its Mellows Graduate Research Positions (formerly called the Mellowes Master’s Research Assistantships).  For the 2024-2025 school year, SARUP is...
Construction Physics
How Valuable Are Building Methods That Use Fewer Materials? Materials make up a substantial fraction of the costs of new construction. When we previously looked...
a year ago
36
a year ago
Materials make up a substantial fraction of the costs of new construction. When we previously looked at a collection of 40 different construction tasks, on average materials made up 62% of the cost of the task. And for an average new house, materials make up roughly 50% of direct...
Archinect - Features
FireCity | FireLAnd: New Models of Resilience and Community with UCLA's Hitoshi Abe and... As wildfires continue to devastate Los Angeles, with thousands of residents displaced and entire...
5 months ago
74
5 months ago
As wildfires continue to devastate Los Angeles, with thousands of residents displaced and entire communities struggling to recover, the urgency of addressing fire resilience in urban landscapes has never been greater. In light of the ongoing crisis, we are republishing our 2021...
Construction Physics
The Rise of Steel Part II Welcome to the Rise of Steel part II. We previously looked at the early stages of industrialization...
over a year ago
47
over a year ago
Welcome to the Rise of Steel part II. We previously looked at the early stages of industrialization of iron and steelmaking, between roughly 1200 and 1850. To briefly recap, making steel was an involved, multistep process. Iron would first be smelted from iron ore in a blast...
Archinect - Features
An Industry Pins Its Hopes on Interest Rate Cuts: Archinect’s State of AEC July 2024 Welcome to the second installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
11 months ago
48
11 months ago
Welcome to the second 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. As we reflect back on June and...
99% Invisible
WARNING: This Podcast Contains Chemicals Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer or Other... WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause...
a year ago
44
a year ago
WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm, including Benzene, a chemical used in urinal cleaners and Toluene, a chemical used in common household cleaning products. For...
Contemporist...
This Grass-Roofed Home With Stone Walls Feels Like It Grew From the Mountain Perched on the slopes of East Gros Ventre Butte, Ridge 52 Residence by Ward + Blake Architects is a...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
Perched on the slopes of East Gros Ventre Butte, Ridge 52 Residence by Ward + Blake Architects is a modern mountain home that doesn’t just sit in its surroundings, it appears to grow out of them.
Old Structures...
Travelog: Damage and Weirdness Just because a building is cute, doesn’t mean it won’t have damage. Someone has done a pretty...
a year ago
38
a year ago
Just because a building is cute, doesn’t mean it won’t have damage. Someone has done a pretty thorough job of strapping the corners of this small building in Bath, as well as installing some kind of pinning at the middle of the side wall. It’s not clear which way the floor spans...
Coffee with an...
Design Paths Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there...
a year ago
88
a year 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
Trump’s Economic Policies Will Likely Make the Housing Crisis Worse Stock market turmoil, tariffs, and high interest rates are some of the factors that will continue to...
2 months ago
13
2 months ago
Stock market turmoil, tariffs, and high interest rates are some of the factors that will continue to constrain production and affordability.
Contemporist...
This Once-Dark Home Was Transformed Into a Light-Filled Sanctuary For Le Borgne Rizk Architecture, transforming a dark, compartmentalized house into a light-filled...
4 weeks ago
10
4 weeks ago
For Le Borgne Rizk Architecture, transforming a dark, compartmentalized house into a light-filled family home meant more than just knocking down walls. Located on Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine in the Outremont neighborhood of Quebec, this two-storey residence was reimagined...
Common Edge
Mary Landrieu on Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and a Solution for the Rising Cost of Flood... A talk with the former senator about the plan and the crisis of insurance affordability.
11 months ago
Common Edge
The Challenge of Creating a Women-Friendly Architecture School in Afghanistan Years of effort have been undone by political strife, while earthquakes have further destroyed...
a year ago
Common Edge
What Would It Mean to Be An “AI First” Architecture Firm? It’s not about applying the technology to established processes, but creating entirely new paths...
3 months ago
The Solarchitecture...
7-Stage Solar Design Review - launched! Together we make your home healthier, full of sunlight & abound with natural energy
over a year ago
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,...
8 months ago
63
8 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,...
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...
a year ago
43
a year 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...
Archinect - Features
An Architect's Case for Tariffs Every architect knows there is no project without constraints. Whether it’s a challenging...
a month ago
19
a month ago
Every architect knows there is no project without constraints. Whether it’s a challenging site, limited budget, or complex program requirements — obstacles are the reality of construction projects. However, with experience, we learn that constraints rarely result in compromised...
Archinect - Features
The Illusion of Space: Can Artificial Intelligence Understand the Third Dimension? Popular text-to-image generators like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion have introduced what...
over a year ago
25
over a year ago
Popular text-to-image generators like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion have introduced what some believe to be a new creative frontier in the architectural design process. However, they also encourage us to reflect on a series of relationships at the heart of design,...
Old Structures...
A Variety Pack I haven’t done one of these for a while and it’s too hot to think, so here goes: the view east on...
12 months ago
59
12 months ago
I haven’t done one of these for a while and it’s too hot to think, so here goes: the view east on Bridge Street from Whitehall Street gives a nice selection of lower Manhattan building types. A: One Whitehall Street. 1962, 23-story office building with a glass and metal-panel...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Kitchen And Dining Area Remodel To Open Up The Space And Create More Seating Floisand Studio Architects has shared photos of a kitchen and dining area renovation they completed...
a year ago
31
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has shared photos of a kitchen and dining area renovation they completed for a home in Seattle, Washington. The homeowners, both small business owners in Seattle, worked with Floisand Studio for over a decade designing a number of popular cafes and a...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Migration Away From Flooded Land in Seattle How did you decide on your map subject for the Migration atlas?  Deciding what to map was the...
over a year ago
42
over a year ago
How did you decide on your map subject for the Migration atlas?  Deciding what to map was the hardest part of the Atlas in a Day experience. The first night, we developed a number of interesting concepts but nothing felt quite right. Were data available? What interesting story...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Hot Dogs In A Temple Above, a somewhat pathetic villain threatens the people of Gotham City, while Batgirl muses. Below,...
a year ago
21
a year ago
Above, a somewhat pathetic villain threatens the people of Gotham City, while Batgirl muses. Below, the stair connecting the train shed at the old Penn Station with the concourse: And zoomed in: And another angle:
Old Structures...
Travelog: Cleveland Bridge While I was in England last week, I briefly visited the city of Bath. There’s a lot to look at...
a year ago
48
a year ago
While I was in England last week, I briefly visited the city of Bath. There’s a lot to look at there, but let me start with the Cleveland Bridge over the River Avon. The top view is a little boring except for the non-structural toll houses, little Greek temples over the walkways,...
CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – A New Garden Studio For A Writer MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old...
a year ago
42
a year ago
MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old derelict wash house, that was in danger of slipping down a steep slope and existed at the back of an overgrown garden. Here’s what it looked like originally. The new studio, which has...
Archinect - Features
Debates Surrounding Architectural Competitions Are Nothing New In the US architectural profession of the 2020s, and newfound scrutiny over workplace conditions...
a year ago
46
a year ago
In the US architectural profession of the 2020s, and newfound scrutiny over workplace conditions from unpaid overtime to a poor work-life balance, architecture competitions have become the subject of debate over how the profession values itself and is valued by wider society...
Old Structures...
History From Afar This is a fantastic, if weirdly inaccurate, map from 1840. It was, according to the text at the...
a year ago
37
a year ago
This is a fantastic, if weirdly inaccurate, map from 1840. It was, according to the text at the bottom, “Published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge”, located in London. I am all for the diffusion of useful knowledge, but the problem with this map is that its...
Old Structures...
An IStructE Talk I’m giving an in-person and online talk on March 7 for the UK Institution of Structural Engineers on...
a year ago
29
a year ago
I’m giving an in-person and online talk on March 7 for the UK Institution of Structural Engineers on the connections between the development of fire-resistant construction technology, New York social history, and the origins of skyscrapers. More information here: New York’s...
Old Structures...
Reuse, Not Really Adaptive From an elevated subway station in Queens: two generations of roof. Or, if you prefer, a palimpsest...
11 months ago
57
11 months ago
From an elevated subway station in Queens: two generations of roof. Or, if you prefer, a palimpsest in steel. The roof over the rather wide platform is supported by two lines of columns. That’s a column in the lower left, with the curves of the lower flange of the built-up main...
99% Invisible
The Society of Ambiance Makers and Elegant Persons [EPISODE] Hailing from central African cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, sapeurs have become increasingly...
a year ago
77
a year ago
Hailing from central African cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, sapeurs have become increasingly recognizable around the world. Since the 1970s, sapeurs (from: le sape, short for “Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes”) have been known for donning technicolored...
McMansion Hell
New on Patreon: New Jersey Bonus Post (5 additional, “wonderful” rooms!“ new jersey bonus post: 5 additional, wonderful rooms | McMansionHell New on Patreon: New Jersey...
7 months ago
66
7 months ago
new jersey bonus post: 5 additional, wonderful rooms | McMansionHell New on Patreon: New Jersey Bonus Post (5 additional, “wonderful” rooms!“
Old Structures...
Recognizing Reality A hundred years ago, jaywalking was a made-up offense. In 1926, a study of traffic included the...
8 months ago
56
8 months ago
A hundred years ago, jaywalking was a made-up offense. In 1926, a study of traffic included the statement “all persons have an equal right in the highway, and that in exercising the right each shall take due care not to injure other users of the way.” Old pictures of even a...
Construction Physics
Understanding US Power Outages Modern civilization relies on electric power for almost everything, and even small disruptions to...
3 months ago
40
3 months ago
Modern civilization relies on electric power for almost everything, and even small disruptions to electric service are incredibly disruptive.
Common Edge
Style Is Not Beauty, Just As Religion Is Not Faith Why the executive Order on federal buildings is doomed to failure.
4 months ago
Old Structures...
A Different Definition of Speed I’ve mentioned the “Speedway” a few times in passing. It was a pleasure drive along the Harlem...
8 months ago
65
8 months ago
I’ve mentioned the “Speedway” a few times in passing. It was a pleasure drive along the Harlem River, meant to provide a place for people with horses and horse carriages – i.e., the upper middle class and the wealthy – to have fun. There was nothing inherently terrible about...
CONTEMPORIST
A Desk Designed To Hide Inside The Wall Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they renovated in Queens, New York, that includes an interesting design detail. As working from home has become much more popular, especially over the last few years, the designers...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Archetypical From a graphic novel about art called Naked City: how do you capture the spirit of New York? A...
6 months ago
62
6 months ago
From a graphic novel about art called Naked City: how do you capture the spirit of New York? A relentless grid and Old-Law tenements.
Contemporist...
An Elevated Room Surrounded By Trees In The Jungle Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura has shared photos of a room they designed and built in the jungle in...
9 months ago
70
9 months ago
Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura has shared photos of a room they designed and built in the jungle in Ecuador, that features a sleeping area and bathroom.
A Weekly Dose of...
G. E. Kidder Smith Builds G. E. Kidder Smith Builds: The Travel of Architectural Photography AR+D Publishing, August...
over a year ago
47
over a year ago
G. E. Kidder Smith Builds: The Travel of Architectural Photography AR+D Publishing, August 2022 Hardcover | 8 x 11 inches | 272 pages | English | ISBN: 9781954081536 | $60.00 PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION: George Everard Kidder Smith (1913–1997) was a multidimensional figure within...
Contemporist...
Inside a Quietly Modern Home Inspired by Rural Sheds Tucked into the sloping terrain of Ballybrew, a quiet townland in County Wicklow, Ireland, this...
a month ago
11
a month ago
Tucked into the sloping terrain of Ballybrew, a quiet townland in County Wicklow, Ireland, this contemporary home by DUA (Design Urbanism Architecture) doesn’t shout for attention, it listens.
Common Edge
What New Orleans Taught Me Lessons from a decade in the Crescent City.
2 months ago
devonzuegel.com
Part 4: Success is tied to benefiting existing Solano residents A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
a year ago
37
a year ago
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the future of my home state in my lifetime. This post is part of a series I’m writing about this bold proposal. California Forever’s proposal includes 10 Voter Guarantees that go far...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker Breakdown Wrap-Up Join Roman and Elliott one last time as they reflect on their journey with you all through The Power...
4 months ago
43
4 months ago
Join Roman and Elliott one last time as they reflect on their journey with you all through The Power Broker, exploring their favorite moments and answering listener questions in this bonus episode. If you finished The Power Broker with us (or know someone who did), get the 99PI...
Old Structures...
A Sense Of The Past The thing about spending a week discussing the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge is that it all feels...
a year ago
18
a year ago
The thing about spending a week discussing the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge is that it all feels almost like fiction. The caissons have been buried in the sand at the bottom of the East River for more than 150 years. I know they are there because I know how to read historical...
Old Structures...
Other People’s Perception Every once in a while, something slightly out of the ordinary reminds me of how our work looks to...
12 months ago
58
12 months ago
Every once in a while, something slightly out of the ordinary reminds me of how our work looks to people not in the AEC world. Yesterday morning I was walking up Thames Street from Trinity to Broadway and took this photo: That block of Thames is a great illustration of why the...
Coffee with an...
Christmas Cards from the Architects 2024 It’s that time again. It is the time of year when the architects turn their attention from their...
7 months ago
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7 months ago
It’s that time again. It is the time of year when the architects turn their attention from their Dec. 25th deadline to thoughts of Christmas. Here we are, sitting by the floor-to-ceiling glass storefronts in our offices, staring out at the rolling hills covered with snow,...
A Weekly Dose of...
Places in Time I Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is...
a year ago
41
a year ago
Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is architectural surveys: books that usually collect buildings of a certain typology, but also ones spanning a particular timeframe or through some other theme. I've written a few of them...
Construction Physics
Reading List 05/10/2025 Amazon’s Vulcan robot, magnetohydrodynamic ship propulsion, Waymo’s manufacturing scale up, Boom...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Amazon’s Vulcan robot, magnetohydrodynamic ship propulsion, Waymo’s manufacturing scale up, Boom Supersonic’s new super alloy, and more.
CONTEMPORIST
Bamboo And Traditional Craftsmanship Weave Nature Into The Design Of This Retail And Exhibition... Design firm llLab., has shared photos of a sculptural bamboo installation they recently completed as...
8 months ago
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8 months ago
Design firm llLab., has shared photos of a sculptural bamboo installation they recently completed as part of the Element pop-up store at HKRI Taikoo Hui in Shanghai, China. Aligned with Element’s sustainable branding philosophy, this project embraces bamboo to explore a spatial...
A Weekly Dose of...
My Biennale Haul Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture Exhibition curated by Lesley Lokko for World-Architects. It was my first trip back to Venice since the 2018 Biennale, which was the 16th edition and was curated by Yvonne Farrell and...
Benny Kuriakose
General Points on Photographing Historic Buildings - Part IV The photographic recording should be done for posterity. Photographing a historic building must aim...
over a year ago
19
over a year ago
The photographic recording should be done for posterity. Photographing a historic building must aim to convey information about it. It...
Common Edge
Urban Farming: A Sustainable Pathway Out of Nigeria’s Unfolding Food Crisis Havana, Tokyo, and Paris offer successful examples of how it might work.
11 months ago
Contemporist...
A' Design Awards & Competition - Early Call for Entries A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts...
over a year ago
38
over a year ago
A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing 1844 winners in 139 different design disciplines.
The Modern House
A frame for living: inside the lively family home that doubles as a private gallery space
5 months ago
Old Structures...
The Grenfell Report The “phase 2” report on the Grenfell has recently been published by the official inquiry panel:...
10 months ago
65
10 months ago
The “phase 2” report on the Grenfell has recently been published by the official inquiry panel: here. The New Civil Engineer has a good short summary here: “Grenfell disaster: ‘culmination of decades of failure by government and construction industry’” In one sense there are few...
Common Edge
Why Does America Provide More Space for Storing Cars Than Housing People? Paved Paradise recounts parking’s pivotal history, exposing its environmental, economic, and social...
over a year ago
devonzuegel.com
Inside Argentina's currency exchange black markets In Argentina, your money is worth double if you skip the airport currency exchange and instead go to...
over a year ago
25
over a year ago
In Argentina, your money is worth double if you skip the airport currency exchange and instead go to one of the many black market exchanges hidden throughout Buenos Aires. These illegal exchanges are called "cuevas" (the word for "cave" in Spanish), and they are a crucial part of...
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...
over a year ago
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over 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...
Old Structures...
More Blatant Fakery First, a 1908 postcard, issued when the Singer Building was brand new: Second, a photo from about...
a year ago
23
a year ago
First, a 1908 postcard, issued when the Singer Building was brand new: Second, a photo from about the same time: It’s standard practice in New York real-estate glamor pictures to pretend that the buildings between you and the subject don’t exist. Narrow streets and big buildings...
Contemporist...
Large Wood Arches Dramatically Elevate The Roof Of This Charging Station Research-based design studio EFFEKT has shared photos of a contemporary charging park designed to...
a year ago
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a year ago
Research-based design studio EFFEKT has shared photos of a contemporary charging park designed to signal the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
CONTEMPORIST
Tree-like Columns Show The Craftsmanship Inside This Riverside Pavilion Design practice firm JK-AR has shared photos of a riverside pavilion in Gyeongsangnam-do, South...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Design practice firm JK-AR has shared photos of a riverside pavilion in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, which they recently completed that aims to reinvent East Asian timber architecture. Before the city was urbanized, the riverside was surrounded by bamboo forests. Inspired by...
Old Structures...
Bones Beneath The Skin A peek behind the surface at the 68th Street station on the Lexington Avenue (6) train. This station...
10 months ago
65
10 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...
The Solarchitecture...
Regenerative Architecture Shifting our time horizon.
4 months ago
Archinect - Features
Let's Talk About Architectural Licensure Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Licensure. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the journey...
a year ago
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a year ago
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Licensure. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the journey undertaken by those in the United States seeking to practice as a licensed architect, including reflections on the history of licensure, comparisons to other countries, the cost...
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
33
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’ Design Awards And Competition – The Winners A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts in...
over a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Courthouses Galore Foley Square, northeast of City Hall Park, has a collection of very large courthouses. Here’s Matt...
10 months ago
61
10 months ago
Foley Square, northeast of City Hall Park, has a collection of very large courthouses. Here’s Matt Murdoch, otherwise known as Daredevil, on the steps of a courthouse having just finished a case: Here’s a view looking north with the New York State Supreme Court and its large...
CONTEMPORIST
This Small Home With A Green Roof Curves Around A Pond Architect office Hello Wood has sent us photos of a small modern house they completed tucked away in...
a year ago
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a year ago
Architect office Hello Wood has sent us photos of a small modern house they completed tucked away in Hungary’s lush rural landscapes. Situated next to a fishing pond, the home is a retreat for the owners and is dug into a mound, peeking out just enough to blend with the horizon....
Construction Physics
The Rise of Steel - Part I One of the defining characteristics of the modern world is the ubiquity of steel. Nearly every...
over a year ago
35
over a year ago
One of the defining characteristics of the modern world is the ubiquity of steel. Nearly every product of industrial civilization relies on steel, either as a component or as part of the equipment used to produce it. Without it, Vaclav Smil notes in “Still the Iron Age”, modern...
Common Edge
Why Would You Want to Teach Architecture? Opening minds and defining a way of working is the ultimate payoff.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
The Rugged Materials On This Home Reflect The Desert That Surrounds It Imbue Design has completed a desert home where the owners could put up their feet and relax in the...
a year ago
22
a year ago
Imbue Design has completed a desert home where the owners could put up their feet and relax in the natural desert landscape of Grand Staircase-Escalante, Utah. The home was designed in such a way as to disrupt the land as little as possible. With that in mind, the designers...
Common Edge
How to Be a Better Architect Than Me My recent talk to high school seniors.
a year ago
Old Structures...
Amazing Detail I recently put up a map put up an 1884 planning map for the expansion of the Croton water system...
a year ago
13
a year ago
I recently put up a map put up an 1884 planning map for the expansion of the Croton water system north of New York. It turns out that was just an appetizer. Today’s map, from 1899, has much more detail and is amazing proof of what could be done with hand drafting: no GIS...
There are two types...
My Comments at the Midtown South Social Equity and Music Festival Fifty-one years ago, the Pennsylvania Railroad tragically tore down Pennsylvania Station. Not only...
9 months ago
91
9 months ago
Fifty-one years ago, the Pennsylvania Railroad tragically tore down Pennsylvania Station. Not only is it the best building ever torn down in New York, but in the combined Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, we got the worst building in … Continue reading → The post My...
Old Structures...
It’s Not Blue That’s a drawing from 1837 of the new Customs House – now Federal Hall – being constructed at the...
a year ago
20
a year ago
That’s a drawing from 1837 of the new Customs House – now Federal Hall – being constructed at the northeast corner of Wall and Nassau Streets. John Frazee is listed as the architect and superintendent, which is not quite accurate: he was working from an architectural design by...
Common Edge
Are For-Profit Developments Consistent With the Values of a Public University? These public-private partnerships may not dovetail with the schools’ values or mission.
a year ago
Old Structures...
What’s Not Stated This newspaper clipping in one of the New York Public Library’s scrapbooks has no explanation, but...
8 months ago
61
8 months ago
This newspaper clipping in one of the New York Public Library’s scrapbooks has no explanation, but I’m pretty sure I know what it’s about. The somewhat ominous caption “Park Avenue Tunnel Choked With the Debris” is probably describing the aftermath of the January 1902 crash...
Archinect - Features
How Architectural Licensure Helps and Hurts the Profession Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series concludes with a look back on a four-month journey through...
9 months ago
83
9 months ago
Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series concludes with a look back on a four-month journey through the U.S. architectural licensure system. Reflecting on the challenges and opportunities in the current system highlighted by readers and commentators, we offer final thoughts on...
The Modern House
The Secret Life of Reggie Yates | A House Tour with the Writer and Director
6 months ago
Archinect - Features
Just Finished Architecture School? Here's Some Advice As the 2023/2024 academic year draws to a close, architecture graduates across the United States are...
a year ago
100
a year ago
As the 2023/2024 academic year draws to a close, architecture graduates across the United States are preparing for the next stage in their design career, be it through employment, further education, journeys into adjacent fields, and beyond. If you are one of the many graduates...
devonzuegel.com
Uncharted waters: what startups can learn from pirates about compensation Pirate crews developed a surprisingly similar approach to compensation in the 17th century. Just...
over a year ago
20
over a year ago
Pirate crews developed a surprisingly similar approach to compensation in the 17th century. Just like many startups, they also balanced equity incentives with other mechanisms that would be familiar to a startup employee today, such as bonuses. These surprising similarities...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Like A Movie Set First, a panel from “The Bat-Man – First Knight,” an alternate telling of the Batman story, set in...
a year ago
46
a year ago
First, a panel from “The Bat-Man – First Knight,” an alternate telling of the Batman story, set in 1939: Second, a photo of Staple Street in lower Manhattan, from Unsplash: Note that the comic-book artist has flipped the image left-right – visible at the asymmetry in the bridge....
Common Edge
Can We Create a Secular and Spiritual Architecture? It’s not spirituality that’s in retreat, but face to face rituals and customs.
a year ago
99% Invisible
The Brutalists From Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men to Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle, from Charles Bronson in Death...
4 months ago
47
4 months ago
From Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men to Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle, from Charles Bronson in Death Wish to Luke Wilson in My Super Ex-Girlfriend, there have been countless architect characters onscreen. It’s not that watching someone design a building is particularly cinematic....
Common Edge
Richard Florida Wants to Talk About the “Creator Economy” The urbanist and educator thinks cities still don’t understand the importance of what the digital...
4 months ago
Common Edge
Our Buildings, Our Selves: Humanity in Architecture, a New Monthly Podcast Episode 1: Witold Rybcynzki and Kurt Andersen explore the age-old question, “What is ugly?”
4 months 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...
a year ago
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a year 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...
99% Invisible
In Proximity: Roman Mars and Ryan Coogler [EPISODE] In Proximity is a podcast from Proximity Media about craft, career, and creativity. Proximity...
over a year ago
48
over a year ago
In Proximity is a podcast from Proximity Media about craft, career, and creativity. Proximity founder Ryan Coogler talks all about podcasts with Roman Mars, host and creator of 99% Invisible, a sound-rich narrative podcast about architecture and design. They discuss holding...
Contemporist...
An Exposed Structure Shows Off This House Design That Wraps Around A Pool Architecture firm Apiacas Arquitetos, has shared photos of a home they completed in Sao Paulo,...
10 months ago
73
10 months ago
Architecture firm Apiacas Arquitetos, has shared photos of a home they completed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that was designed with a single-story layout that wraps around a swimming pool.
CONTEMPORIST
A Tree House That Feels Like It’s Floating Inside The Forest INTEGRA STUDIO ARQUITETURA has shared photos of a modern Tree House project they completed for the...
a year ago
67
a year ago
INTEGRA STUDIO ARQUITETURA has shared photos of a modern Tree House project they completed for the NaCarapina accommodation complex, that’s located in Brazil. The Tree House which has the feeling of ‘floating inside the forest’, is fully integrated with the imposing Araucaria...
CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – An New Addition And Updated Garden For This Brick Home Locus Design has shared photos of a renovation project they completed for a brick home in Greater...
4 months ago
37
4 months ago
Locus Design has shared photos of a renovation project they completed for a brick home in Greater London, England, that added space at the rear of the house for an updated living room, dining room, and kitchen, as well as a landscaped yard. At the rear of the home, a new brick...
Common Edge
20 Life Lessons in Architecture (and Beyond) Some suggestions on living a life in design with meaning and purpose.
10 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Sheltered Space Beneath The Sloping Roof Of This Home Makes Space For A Hot Tub Batay-Csorba Architects has designed a home in Toronto, Canada, that takes advantage of the small...
a year ago
55
a year ago
Batay-Csorba Architects has designed a home in Toronto, Canada, that takes advantage of the small 65’x20’ pie-shaped corner lot, and includes a sheltered outdoor balcony. The sloping roof partially covers the balcony, with an opening above the Japanese soaking tub. The home’s...
Old Structures...
Before and After Electricity A while back, I put up a photo of the Bowery as seen in 1894, with the Third Avenue elevated tracks...
a year ago
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a year ago
A while back, I put up a photo of the Bowery as seen in 1894, with the Third Avenue elevated tracks above. Here’s the picture: Here’s a 1909 postcard of a similar view: The third, express track wasn’t added to the el until 1917 and the Bowery is a wide street, so the tracks have...
SOCKS
The Square and the Circle: The Palace of Charles V in Granada (1527) The palace of Charles V in Granada was built starting in 1527 as a summer palace for the emperor....
over a year ago
67
over a year ago
The palace of Charles V in Granada was built starting in 1527 as a summer palace for the emperor. The Renaissance building is located inside the Alhambra, the former Nasrid complex on Sabika hill, a notable example of Islamic architecture.  The structure is built in stone and is...
Common Edge
Is Santa Clara—the Heart of Silicon Valley—Soulless and Banal By Intent? The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
over a year ago
Common Edge
Great American Cities That Teach Architecture Learning about urban planning and design outside the studio.
a year ago
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
20
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...
Construction Physics
Will Stone Replace Steel and Concrete? A recent viral tweet by Micah Springut, founder of stone-carving startup Monumental Labs, argued...
a year ago
107
a year ago
A recent viral tweet by Micah Springut, founder of stone-carving startup Monumental Labs, argued that it will be cheaper to build buildings with stone than with steel or concrete within the next 10 years. Stone has of course been used for thousands of years as a construction...
Contemporist...
Pitched Roofs Cover This Dark And Moody Farmhouse Atlas Architects has shared photos of a modern house on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia, that...
over a year ago
85
over a year ago
Atlas Architects has shared photos of a modern house on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia, that was once a brown-brick, pitched-roof farmhouse built in the 1980s.
A Weekly Dose of...
Favorite Books of 2023 For the fifteenth and last time on this blog, I'm highlighting my favorite books of the year,...
a year ago
32
a year ago
For the fifteenth and last time on this blog, I'm highlighting my favorite books of the year, selected from the many books I reviewed or featured as "Book Briefs" on this blog, and the few titles that I reviewed at World-Architects. From the 86 books I featured in 2023, 15 (or...
Old Structures...
Probably Not What The Artist Intended 75 Broad Street, diagonally across the street from our office, was built in 1928 and almost...
10 months ago
58
10 months ago
75 Broad Street, diagonally across the street from our office, was built in 1928 and almost immediately bought by the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation for use as the company headquarters. Like a lot of New York Telephone buildings of that era, the interior was a...
A Weekly Dose of...
Conceiving the Plan Conceiving the Plan: Nuance and Intimacy in Civic Space Edited by Yael Hameiri Sainsaux Skira,...
over a year ago
34
over a year ago
Conceiving the Plan: Nuance and Intimacy in Civic Space Edited by Yael Hameiri Sainsaux Skira, August 2022 Hardcover | 12-1/4 x 12-1/4 inches | 240 pages | 170 illustrations | English | ISBN: 9788857246543 | $45.00 PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION: In Honor of Diane Lewis...
CONTEMPORIST
The Black Exterior Of This Home In The Forest Covers A White Minimalist Interior Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a...
over a year ago
57
over a year ago
Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a striking black exterior surrounded by the forest. The house’s design emphasizes its connection with a nearby stream by incorporating strategic window placements and a layout that...