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Construction Physics
The Evolution of Tunnel Boring Machines Tunneling is an important technology for modern civilization, as a tunnel is often the only...
a year ago
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a year ago
Tunneling is an important technology for modern civilization, as a tunnel is often the only reasonable way to create a direct path between two points. When the Hoosac tunnel was completed in 1875, it turned a difficult, 20-mile railroad route along “
McMansion Hell
this house may or may not be real on grayness in real estate Allegedly, somewhere in Wake Forest, North Carolina, a 4 bed, 5.5...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
on grayness in real estate Allegedly, somewhere in Wake Forest, North Carolina, a 4 bed, 5.5 bathroom house totaling more than 6,600 square feet is for sale at a price of 2.37 million dollars. The house, allegedly, was built in 2021. Allegedly, it looks like this: A McMansion...
Common Edge
The Sacking of America’s Librarian and America’s Library The Thomas Jefferson Building, Project 2025, and the unbuilding of Jefferson’s democracy.
a month ago
Contemporist...
A Curved Corner Softens The Space Inside This Home Extension Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a run-down home in Victoria, that includes a new contemporary addition with a curved wall.
CONTEMPORIST
This House Was Built Around A 100-Year-Old Oak Tree Architecture Studio AtelierM has shared photos of a home they completed in Martinez, Argentina, that...
a year ago
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a year ago
Architecture Studio AtelierM has shared photos of a home they completed in Martinez, Argentina, that wraps around an imposing hundred-year-old oak tree. The homeowners wanted to maximize privacy, protect the old tree that was central to the lot, and take advantage of natural...
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
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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...
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 4 To catch up, here are links for part 1, part 2, and part 3. The Brooklyn Bridge caissons were much...
a year ago
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a year ago
To catch up, here are links for part 1, part 2, and part 3. The Brooklyn Bridge caissons were much bigger than the similar pneumatic caissons that had been used earlier. Their timber construction was based on a few ideas, all subject to engineering design or review. First, the...
Contemporist...
A Muted Palette Unifies The Interior Of This Remodeled Mid-Century Modern Home Gast Architects has sent us photos of a remodel they completed for an Eichler home in the San...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Gast Architects has sent us photos of a remodel they completed for an Eichler home in the San Francisco Bay Area, that hadn’t been updated since it was built in 1955.
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #11: Brennan Lee Mulligan This is the eleventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
7 months ago
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7 months ago
This is the eleventh 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 Mars and Elliott Kalan sit down with Brennan Lee Mulligan, a comedian and host with Dropout TV, where he’s...
Common Edge
After the Ashes in LA: “The Future Is Right in Front of You” Rebuilding doesn’t have to mean sterile development. Just look at the innovative and resilient ways...
2 months ago
27
2 months ago
Rebuilding doesn’t have to mean sterile development. Just look at the innovative and resilient ways people are already doing it.
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Landscape Was Designed For This Californian Backyard SUBU Design Architecture has shared photos of a landscape design they completed for a home in...
a year ago
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a year ago
SUBU Design Architecture has shared photos of a landscape design they completed for a home in California. The client asked the designers to create a kitchen garden and an outdoor gathering space for her large family to celebrate birthdays and holidays. One area of the yard was...
Common Edge
Building Emissions Are Falling, Now the Real Work Begins There has been a significant drop this year. The path toward net-zero intensifies.
a year ago
Archinect - Features
Archinect's 2023 Mental Health Survey Results To create a space that discusses and shares insights on mental health within the industry, Archinect...
a year ago
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a year ago
To create a space that discusses and shares insights on mental health within the industry, Archinect recently conducted our latest Mental Health survey to better understand how our community has navigated the stressors inherent to the architecture industry. On this October 10th,...
Construction Physics
The Rise and Fall of the Mail-Order Home In the early 20th century, a new business model appeared: the mail-order home. Companies would mail...
a year ago
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a year ago
In the early 20th century, a new business model appeared: the mail-order home. Companies would mail out catalogs containing several dozen different home options, buyers would send in their orders, and the company would send the necessary materials – pre-cut lumber, roofing,...
Contemporist...
This Home's Courtyard Uses a Circular Cut-Out to Invite Light and Sky In Tucked into a prominent corner lot in Melbourne’s leafy suburb of Armadale, this reimagined 1882...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
Tucked into a prominent corner lot in Melbourne’s leafy suburb of Armadale, this reimagined 1882 Victorian-era home has been sensitively adapted into a contemporary retreat for a modern family of six. Designed by Australian firm Taylor Knights, the project balances history with...
Old Structures...
Personal History Revisited A few years ago I pointed out all the differences 170 years had made in Flushing, where I grew up. I...
a year ago
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a year ago
A few years ago I pointed out all the differences 170 years had made in Flushing, where I grew up. I recently came a cross a more recent map, titled “Map of the village of Flushing, Queens County, New York”, from 1894. This was four years before the western half of Queens County...
Contemporist...
19-Foot-High Wooden Bookshelves And A DJ Booth For A New Streetwear Store Design studio El Departamento, has shared photos of 'Nude Library', Nude Project's new flagship...
5 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Covers The Interior And Exterior Of This Modern Canadian Cottage Akb Architects has designed a modern cottage in Canada that’s clad in rough-sawn cedar boards and...
a year ago
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a year ago
Akb Architects has designed a modern cottage in Canada that’s clad in rough-sawn cedar boards and western red cedar shakes. The residence is hidden among trees with carefully sited openings providing views of a freshwater lake. Each volume is nested above and within the existing...
Old Structures...
Not Quite What It Seems First up, from one of those New York Public Library scrapbooks, “Looking down upon a forest of...
11 months ago
55
11 months ago
First up, from one of those New York Public Library scrapbooks, “Looking down upon a forest of skyscrapers: New York City.” It’s listed as having been issued between 1850 and 1945, and my response to that is “oh, come on.” The Park Row and St. Paul buildings, and the intersection...
Old Structures...
Delaying The Obvious Solution The idea behind Columbus Circle was a good one. The corner of a large park (Central Park, in this...
a year ago
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a year ago
The idea behind Columbus Circle was a good one. The corner of a large park (Central Park, in this case) is a good place to have a monumental space. The only problem was reality: the southwest corner of Central Park is the intersection of Central Park West (AKA Eight Avenue),...
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
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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...
The Exposed Wood Ceiling Of This Home Shows Off Its Structure Eva Hinds Arquitectura has shared photos of a modern home they have completed in La Libertad, El...
a year ago
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a year ago
Eva Hinds Arquitectura has shared photos of a modern home they have completed in La Libertad, El Salvador, that has exposed structural elements.
Old Structures...
The Right Angle I’m not working on any of the buildings in this photo, but if I were… Raking sunlight is a fantastic...
a year ago
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a year ago
I’m not working on any of the buildings in this photo, but if I were… Raking sunlight is a fantastic way to get information about a facade. Any out-of-plane geometry is immediately visible as a shadow. You can see the natural irregularity of a brick wall: and a bulge that might...
A Weekly Dose of...
Book Briefs #35 Revisited Last week I cobbled together eight books, some of which publishers had sent me more than a year ago,...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Last week I cobbled together eight books, some of which publishers had sent me more than a year ago, in an effort to write a "Better Late Than Never" installment of "Book Briefs,"  something I had done back in April 2018 with Book Briefs #35. But, sensing I would not be able to...
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
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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...
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...
6 months ago
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6 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,...
Old Structures...
Multiple Generations That picture of a cold, gray day in the Bronx was taken from the Burnside Avenue Station on the 4...
a year ago
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a year ago
That picture of a cold, gray day in the Bronx was taken from the Burnside Avenue Station on the 4 train. (A side note: when I was at Rensselaer, some courses could be taken “self paced,” meaning that you studied on your own and took a test for each week’s less to show your...
Archinect - Features
Architects and Clients Downbeat About Economy: Archinect's Business Survey Results... Throughout May and June 2024, we invited our community to offer us insights and feedback on how you...
a year ago
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a year ago
Throughout May and June 2024, we invited our community to offer us insights and feedback on how you were feeling about the economic outlook of your firm and sector. As we explained at the time, this project was motivated by several observations from economists within and beyond...
Contemporist...
This Sculptural Home Turns Minimalism Into a Statement Brighton Sands is a four-storey family home in Melbourne designed by mckimm, blending inspiration...
10 hours ago
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10 hours ago
Brighton Sands is a four-storey family home in Melbourne designed by mckimm, blending inspiration from the LA hills with a distinctly Australian sense of place. Defined by sculptural architecture, natural materials, and a seamless connection to the outdoors, the residence offers...
99% Invisible
Spirit Halloween [EPISODE] Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the...
8 months ago
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8 months ago
Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the signature yellow, orange and black signage of Spirit Halloween. The seasonal retailer sells Halloween masks, Halloween costumes, Halloween costumes for dogs, Halloween decorations,...
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
devonzuegel.com
No Kings: How Do You Make Good Decisions Efficiently in a Flat Organization? At Doist we believe that open and sincere communication improves our decision-making process. That’s...
over a year ago
23
over a year ago
At Doist we believe that open and sincere communication improves our decision-making process. That’s why we’ve built a culture that encourages feedback at all levels of decision-making: from purely technical solutions to team and product management. We built our team...
devonzuegel.com
Tutorial: Telegram → Logseq quick notes I've long wanted a notes app with an optional chat style interface for append-only notes. The idea...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
I've long wanted a notes app with an optional chat style interface for append-only notes. The idea is that I'll use the simpler append-only interface while on the go, and then use full-featured interface to review, edit, and organize those notes when I'm back at my computer. I...
Old Structures...
Split Personality Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the...
7 months ago
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7 months ago
Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the building’s architectural merit – and there is a great deal – I find this kind of church interesting structurally. We have at least three very different types of structure here. There’s...
Archinect - Features
Archinect City Guide: Dive Into Miami With Germane Barnes of Studio Barnes Traveling to Miami soon, but not sure what's really worth exploring? Today's Archinect City Guide is...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
Traveling to Miami soon, but not sure what's really worth exploring? Today's Archinect City Guide is hosted by Germane Barnes, award-winning founder of research and design practice Studio Barnes. Besides receiving Harvard GSD's 2021 Wheelwright Prize, a 2021-22 Rome Prize, a 2022...
Common Edge
The Brutalist: A Cinematic Architect’s Dream—and Nightmare The film’s portrayal of its architect protagonist is entirely predictable, but carries a note of...
5 months ago
99% Invisible
Fishing In The Night The Divided Dial is a podcast series about the history of radio from WNYC’s On the Media and...
a month ago
18
a month ago
The Divided Dial is a podcast series about the history of radio from WNYC’s On the Media and longtime 99PI contributor, Katie Thornton. In season 1, Katie explored the rise of right wing talk radio in the United States. The newest season of The Divided Dial is all about...
BLDGBLOG
Institute for Controlled Speleogenesis Recently, I’ve been looking back at a collaborative project with John Becker of WROT Studio. The...
a year ago
7
a year ago
Recently, I’ve been looking back at a collaborative project with John Becker of WROT Studio. The “Institute for Controlled Speleogenesis” (2014) was a fictional design project we originally set in the vast limestone province of Australia’s Nullarbor Plain. [Image: A rock-acid...
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
Old Structures...
Head In The Clouds One of my favorite views of tall buildings, again: in the fog. New York Bay has more than it’s fair...
a year ago
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a year ago
One of my favorite views of tall buildings, again: in the fog. New York Bay has more than it’s fair share of fog, and sometimes it creeps back up into the city. We had one of those days last week.
99% Invisible
The Country of the Blind [EPISODE] We meet Andrew Leland as he’s suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he’s midway...
a year ago
26
a year ago
We meet Andrew Leland as he’s suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he’s midway through his life with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that ushers those who live with it from sightedness to blindness over years, even decades. He grew up with full vision, but...
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow Part IV: Construction of the World Trade Center This is Part IV in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
This is Part IV in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. Part I covers the design and construction of the Empire State Building, Part II covers the initial development of the World Trade Center, and Part III covers the
99% Invisible
Anything’s Pastable: Eat Sauté Love [EPISODE] This week we’re featuring an episode from The Sporkful’s series on the creation of “Anything’s...
a year ago
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a year ago
This week we’re featuring an episode from The Sporkful’s series on the creation of “Anything’s Pastable,” Dan Pashman’s new pasta cookbook. In part two of “Anything’s Pastable,” Dan embarks on an epic trip across Italy in search of lesser-known pasta dishes — and to learn about...
Old Structures...
Perspective Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about...
6 months ago
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6 months ago
Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about something just because it seems cool. Or looks cool. In this case, “cool” is two photos from Carol Highsmith, a professional photographer who was generous enough to donate her archive to...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Myopia: Observing Communities in Chiang Mai, Thailand The genesis for “My Parallel Communities of Chiang Mai (ชุมขนคู่ขนานที่เชียงใหม่)” likely began on a...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
The genesis for “My Parallel Communities of Chiang Mai (ชุมขนคู่ขนานที่เชียงใหม่)” likely began on a calm, wet-season night after the rains had subsided at One Nimman, my group of friends — portrait artists from Chiang Mai University — shooting the breeze and hustling what money...
There are two types...
Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated… A friend and colleague turned me onto AI obituaries. Think of them as interesting and amusing rather...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
A friend and colleague turned me onto AI obituaries. Think of them as interesting and amusing rather than morbid or morose. This one is from AI Copilot. John Massengale AIA CNU Celebrating a Visionary Mind in Urban Design and Architecture … Continue reading → The post Reports of...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar – They’re Just Messing With Us Daredevil – Matt Murdock- is blind. He’s got radar, but that doesn’t allow him to read what’s...
7 months ago
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7 months ago
Daredevil – Matt Murdock- is blind. He’s got radar, but that doesn’t allow him to read what’s printed on a flat surface. So why would he have a poster of the NYC subway map in his kitchen?
Archinect - Features
How Do We Teach AI? In Florida, One Architecture School Offers a Precedent As our recent Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series demonstrated, AI will inevitably...
11 months ago
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11 months ago
As our recent Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series demonstrated, AI will inevitably play a sizeable role in the future of the architectural profession. For architecture schools tasked with equipping students for the future of practice, the advent of AI poses...
McMansion Hell
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from... The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from farmhouse chic to imminent environmental collapse. If you’ve been seeing an inordinate number of big ugly houses pop up in your...
Old Structures...
Expertise In the course of doing research on old buildings, I’ve looked at some non-traditional sources. For...
a year ago
33
a year ago
In the course of doing research on old buildings, I’ve looked at some non-traditional sources. For example, in trying to find original images of demolished and non-famous buildings, I’ve had some success with magazine ads from tenants. It used to be popular to put a picture of...
Contemporist...
This Renovated Home Opens Up to Light and a Terraced Garden Designed by architecture firm DROO, The Cascade is a contemporary renovation of a Victorian home...
a month ago
13
a month ago
Designed by architecture firm DROO, The Cascade is a contemporary renovation of a Victorian home that rethinks how everyday spaces are used. Through a series of stepped platforms, the house connects cooking, dining, entertaining, and outdoor living into one flowing sequence. The...
devonzuegel.com
Independence for whom? I recently spent a day at Sea Ranch, a strange and beautiful place. Sea Ranch is a planned community...
over a year ago
26
over a year ago
I recently spent a day at Sea Ranch, a strange and beautiful place. Sea Ranch is a planned community with a distinctive architectural style: simple timber-frame structures clad in wooden siding, and gardens all planted with native flora. The Sea Ranch Design Committee enforces...
CONTEMPORIST
Steel Fins Create A Sculptural Facade For This Home Photography by KIE Arch Realrich Architecture Workshop has shared photos of a modern home they...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Photography by KIE Arch Realrich Architecture Workshop has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Jakarta, Indonesia, that features operable steel fins on the western and southern facades. Photography by KIE Arch To fins were included in the design of the house to...
SOCKS
A Building to Tell the Time: The Toghrol Tower in Rey, Iran (1063) The Toghrol Tower is a 20 meters high tower located in the city of Rey in Iran made of bricks and...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
The Toghrol Tower is a 20 meters high tower located in the city of Rey in Iran made of bricks and Sarooj, a water-resistant mortar. It was erected in 1063, and according to some sources, it was conceived as the tomb of Tuğrul Beg, the founder of the Seljuk dynasty. Other scholars...
CONTEMPORIST
This 1950s California Ranch Home Was Updated With A Black And White Palette ANACAPA Architecture has sent us photos of a home renovation they completed for a young family of...
a year ago
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a year ago
ANACAPA Architecture has sent us photos of a home renovation they completed for a young family of four who sought to update their 1952 California Ranch home nestled in the San Roque neighborhood of Santa Barbara. The original home had an awkward layout that chopped up the...
Common Edge
Don’t Buy the Fossil Fuel Hype: There Is No “National Energy Emergency” The data for U.S. energy production show a very different picture than the one painted by Big Oil...
4 months ago
99% Invisible
The Known Unknown [EPISODE] How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans...
a year ago
69
a year ago
How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. After the Civil War, the Union buried 2,111 soldiers in a mass grave in Arlington that they purposely built in the middle of...
The Solarchitecture...
Create homes that are havens for health and vitality Life is too short to spend it in bad buildings.
over a year ago
devonzuegel.com
Cities reading list Many people have reached out asking what books have been most impactful in shaping my views on...
over a year ago
25
over a year ago
Many people have reached out asking what books have been most impactful in shaping my views on cities. I've written and rewritten answers enough times that I figured it's most efficient if I just write it up one time here and share the link. 🙂 ~ Order Without Design by Alain...
99% Invisible
De Fiets is Niets [EPISODE] Today the Netherlands has a reputation as a kind of bicycling paradise. Dutch people own more...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Today the Netherlands has a reputation as a kind of bicycling paradise. Dutch people own more bicycles per capita than any other place in the world. The country has more than 20,000 miles of dedicated cycling paths. International policymakers make pilgrimages to the Netherlands...
Old Structures...
Originality Is Not Easy, Part 3 The first two parts of this series looked at patents that involved odd details that were not really...
9 months ago
59
9 months ago
The first two parts of this series looked at patents that involved odd details that were not really part of the metal-frame revolution that was taking place in the 1890s but rather adjacent to it. Neither of those patents reflected actual structure that I’ve ever seen in an old...
The Modern House
The Green Series #2: how to control heat and draught-proof your home Triple glazing and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems come as standard in a...
7 months ago
19
7 months ago
Triple glazing and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems come as standard in a Passivhaus home, sealing the interior against the elements and radically reducing your reliance on conventional heating. For the second in our series of Passivhaus hacks, Kate Jacobs...
Old Structures...
An Incredibly Bad Idea I could have sworn that I wrote about this before, but I’m not finding it in the blog archive. Maybe...
a year ago
17
a year ago
I could have sworn that I wrote about this before, but I’m not finding it in the blog archive. Maybe I’m just remembering the bad aftertaste this whole idea gives me. Hey, why not destroy New York’s harbor – the reason that a city was built here in the first place – to create...
CONTEMPORIST
Before And After – A Respectful Remodel For A Mid-Century Modern Home Interior design firm Wise Design, together with General Contractor and Architect Owen Gabbert...
a year ago
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a year ago
Interior design firm Wise Design, together with General Contractor and Architect Owen Gabbert (formerly Clarkbuilt), has transformed a dated 1954 mid-century modern home in Portland, Oregon. Before – The ExteriorThe original home has a brown exterior with original windows and...
The Beauty of...
Tubular Belle (Køge Nord station, Køge, Denmark) Stuck on the E20 motorway heading for Copenhagen? Køge Nord station very much hopes you are...
over a year ago
Archinect - Features
2025 Summer Architecture Programs for Adults and High School Graduates Archinect’s 2025 roundup of summer architecture programs continues with Part 2, focusing on...
4 months ago
41
4 months ago
Archinect’s 2025 roundup of summer architecture programs continues with Part 2, focusing on opportunities for high school graduates, college students, and adults of all experience levels. Whether you're exploring architecture for the first time or seeking to deepen your knowledge...
Common Edge
People, Places, Cities: Making the Case for Placemaking Why it’s the solution to livable cities.
4 months ago
Construction Physics
Robot Dexterity Still Seems Hard You can’t throw a rock these days without hitting someone trying to build humanoid robots.
2 months ago
Contemporist...
An Undulating Wood Ceiling Inspired By Ocean Waves And Nearby Mountains ARRCC has shared photos of a remodel they recently completed for a home in Cape Town, South Africa,...
8 months ago
70
8 months ago
ARRCC has shared photos of a remodel they recently completed for a home in Cape Town, South Africa, that retained the original footprint, and received a contemporary update with a new undulating cast in-place concrete roof lined with wood on the inside.
devonzuegel.com
Remote work will break the US monopoly on global talent Remote work is creating a new economic niche, and countries that put in the work to fill it will...
over a year ago
22
over a year ago
Remote work is creating a new economic niche, and countries that put in the work to fill it will finally be able to compete with the US to attract talent. This is the once-in-a-generation opportunity for small, stable countries to grow, diversify, and up-skill their...
Common Edge
Sharon Egretta Sutton on the Democratic Power of “Place-Based Activism” A talk with the self-proclaimed activist scholar.
a year ago
Old Structures...
Not So Picturesque From 1849, “New York from the steeple of St. Paul’s Church, looking east, south and west.” In other...
a year ago
29
a year ago
From 1849, “New York from the steeple of St. Paul’s Church, looking east, south and west.” In other words, looking into the heart of the downtown commercial district from its northern edge. My first thought in looking at this picture was that in 1849, before industrial technology...
Old Structures...
Just Because I Like It A view of 99 Prince Street: It’s a little hard to believe it today, but this was built simply an...
8 months ago
45
8 months ago
A view of 99 Prince Street: It’s a little hard to believe it today, but this was built simply an ordinary commercial building with retail and office space. It was completed in 1888 by architect William Schickel working for “J. J. Astor.” That was either John Jacob Astor III near...
99% Invisible
Christiania [EPISODE] In the year 1623, Christian IV, king of Denmark and Norway, built a long series of moats and...
9 months ago
92
9 months ago
In the year 1623, Christian IV, king of Denmark and Norway, built a long series of moats and ramparts just across from central Copenhagen, on the eastern edge of the city’s harbor, to protect the city from Swedish invasion. In the early 19th century, the Danish government added...
A Weekly Dose of...
Three Monographs Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in...
a year ago
50
a year ago
Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in my earlier holiday gift books post, two of the three monographs featured here were also on that list. As happened when I wrote this post, each book begins with a rhetorical question...
Common Edge
New York City Is Losing Affordable Housing at an Alarming Rate The problem is that City of Yes was an open call to build with no requirements that lost affordable...
4 months ago
Common Edge
Election 2024: Revisiting the Duck and the Decorated Shed How the Statue of Liberty and the Hollywood Sign frame the nation’s inherent tensions.
10 months ago
Archinect - Features
What To Do If You Hate Your Architecture Job Every architecture worker will, at some point, endure a period of stress or anxiety in the...
a year ago
63
a year ago
Every architecture worker will, at some point, endure a period of stress or anxiety in the workplace. Sometimes, these feelings can be fleeting, caused by an exceptionally short project deadline, a difficult client, or even a legal dispute. If you find yourself actively hating...
A Weekly Dose of...
Eight Decades of Modern Japanese Houses A review of a new book released this week: The Japanese House Since 1945 by Naomi Pollock, published...
a year ago
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a year ago
A review of a new book released this week: The Japanese House Since 1945 by Naomi Pollock, published by Thames & Hudson, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) What makes modern and contemporary Japanese houses so appealing? Much of it stems from the novelty of residential designs,...
CONTEMPORIST
Cantilevered Boxes Are Juxtaposed With Gabled Forms On This Modern Home This modern home designed by LaRue Architects and recently remodeled by Kelle Contine Interior...
a year ago
35
a year ago
This modern home designed by LaRue Architects and recently remodeled by Kelle Contine Interior Design, has an H-shape that’s composed of cantilevered boxes and gabled forms. The residence, located in Austin, Texas, is made with vernacular charcoal gray Lueders limestone, smooth...
Old Structures...
Some Same, Some Different In the same vein as yesterday’s post, here’s an 1865 photo of Leonard Street: We’ve got a bunch of...
a year ago
28
a year ago
In the same vein as yesterday’s post, here’s an 1865 photo of Leonard Street: We’ve got a bunch of loft buildings with the employees of Van Volkenburgh Brothers and Ladewig & Haydter (the nearer building), Wright & Ketchum and S. E. Halle (the middle building), and two firms...
Contemporist...
The most unique holiday stay in Tulum, and it's hidden in the jungle Welcome to Babel, not your average hotel, and definitely not your typical tourist trap. Nestled in...
a month ago
11
a month ago
Welcome to Babel, not your average hotel, and definitely not your typical tourist trap. Nestled in the jungly heart of Tulum, this striking pink-toned structure is a game-changer for architecture, sustainability, and how we think about living with nature instead of just on top of...
Old Structures...
Part Of A Wave I’m speaking today at the “Office To Residential Summit” a two-day conference on the various...
a year ago
56
a year ago
I’m speaking today at the “Office To Residential Summit” a two-day conference on the various architectural, legal, engineering, and logistics aspects of converting office buildings (of which there are currently more than needed) to apartments (not so much). My talk is about some...
Old Structures...
Half Of A Grand Commercial Palace 380 Broadway has architecture above its station. It was built in 1860 with retail space at the base...
a year ago
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a year ago
380 Broadway has architecture above its station. It was built in 1860 with retail space at the base and loft space above, but it’s got that grand marble-veneer facade on the upper floors and some very nice cast iron by Daniel Badger at the first floor. It’s fortunes have followed...
McMansion Hell
BONUS MCMANSION HELL: liminal edition bonus mcmansion: liminal edition | Patreon BONUS MCMANSION HELL: liminal edition
over a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Collection Of Off-Grid Cabins Hidden Deep In The Jungle Architect Daniel Cota has shared photos of Glass 20.87, an off-grid project of 8 separate glass...
a year ago
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a year ago
Architect Daniel Cota has shared photos of Glass 20.87, an off-grid project of 8 separate glass houses in Mexico. Each house is spaced 20 to 25 meters apart, allowing for total privacy due to the dense jungle. The construction at Glass 20.87 was entirely artisanal (no machinery...
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Renovation Made More Use Of The Basement And Outdoor Space Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary home renovation they completed in...
a year ago
25
a year ago
Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary home renovation they completed in Seattle, Washington. Before – The Exterior The single-story, mid-century home had two doors at the front of the home, with steps leading to each one. After – The Exterior The updated...
CONTEMPORIST
A White Concrete Exterior Protects This Seaside Mediterranean House Ramón Esteve Estudio has shared images of a new home they designed in an urbanized area of a small...
10 months ago
67
10 months ago
Ramón Esteve Estudio has shared images of a new home they designed in an urbanized area of a small seaside town in Valencia, Spain. The house has a white concrete envelope that generates a large protective shell for a harmonious and delicate interior. Large overhangs and a system...
The Modern House
Inside architect Ben Allen’s modernist ‘cottage in the sky’
4 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
This New Home Addition Opens To The Garden Levitate Architects has shared photos of a modern rear home extension they completed for a home in...
a year ago
60
a year ago
Levitate Architects has shared photos of a modern rear home extension they completed for a home in England, that has folding doors, connecting the interior spaces to the garden. The architects removed the floor of a second rear sitting room and lowered it to the level of the...
99% Invisible
Fishing In The Night The Divided Dial is a podcast series about the history of radio from WNYC’s On the Media and...
a month ago
25
a month ago
The Divided Dial is a podcast series about the history of radio from WNYC’s On the Media and longtime 99PI contributor, Katie Thornton. In season 1, Katie explored the rise of right wing talk radio in the United States. The newest season of The Divided Dial is all about...
BLDGBLOG
World Store There was an article last year in the New York Times about a California start-up called Inversion...
over a year ago
5
over a year ago
There was an article last year in the New York Times about a California start-up called Inversion that wants to “speed delivery of important items by storing them in orbit.” Their goal is to build “earth-orbiting capsules”—“hundreds or thousands of containers”—that could “deliver...
Archinect - Features
‘We Have To Get Much Better at Speaking To Wider and Wider Audiences:’ A Conversation With... In February 2024, Brett Steele took up the position of Dean of the University of Southern California...
9 months ago
64
9 months ago
In February 2024, Brett Steele took up the position of Dean of the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Since then, Steele has been busy capitalizing on the opportunities and responsibilities that come with leading a Los Angeles design school in a city known...
Common Edge
What Would Jane Jacobs Do? Toward a New Model for Houses of Worship Cities need to prepare for a wave of declining churches.
over a year ago
Contemporist...
A Sky-Lit Blue-Tiled Shower Steals The Show Inside This Home Step into the Oxford Avenue residence by Workshop No.5, and you’ll immediately be drawn to the...
a month ago
10
a month ago
Step into the Oxford Avenue residence by Workshop No.5, and you’ll immediately be drawn to the blue-tiled shower. Tucked beneath an angled ceiling and surrounded by frameless glass, this expansive shower reads more like a serene spa retreat than a standard bathroom.
Contemporist...
A Prefab Home With A Courtyard Designed to Embrace the Landscape In the wild landscape of Mungo Brush, New South Wales, Courtyard House offers a compelling rethink...
a month ago
14
a month ago
In the wild landscape of Mungo Brush, New South Wales, Courtyard House offers a compelling rethink of the traditional Australian rural home. Designed by CHROFI in collaboration with FABPREFAB, this prefabricated off-grid home combines traditional rural cues with a modern design...
CONTEMPORIST
A Slightly Different Angled Ridge Line Was Given To Each Home In This Passive House Development RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House...
a year ago
24
a year ago
RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House Construction LLC, has shared photos of Brucewood Homes, a collection of internationally certified Passive House single-family homes. The Brucewood Homes project is a series of...
Old Structures...
Specialization From 2018, a photo by Carol Highsmith taken from the Empire State Building and showing the variety...
a year ago
43
a year ago
From 2018, a photo by Carol Highsmith taken from the Empire State Building and showing the variety of buildings on the east side of midtown south. I think most people will agree that this is a very New Yorky view of New York. The discussion at the “Office To Residential Summit”...
CONTEMPORIST
The Reinterpretation Of A Gabled Roof Is On Display At This New House Architecture firm Studio KUNZ has shared photos of a home they completed in a small town in the...
a year ago
64
a year ago
Architecture firm Studio KUNZ has shared photos of a home they completed in a small town in the south of Brazil. The home sits on a high plateau, surrounded by an idyllic landscape formed by araucaria trees, which was key for a young couple who have a close relationship with life...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A 1960s Split-Level Turned Three-Story Home In Seattle Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a remodel project they completed in Seattle,...
a year ago
34
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a remodel project they completed in Seattle, Washington, that transformed a 1960s split-level home into an updated design for a family of five. The project’s goals were to modernize the space, add a third floor, relocate the...
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
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a year ago
The Perelman Performing Arts Center is a pricey bauble, but its over mechanized interiors suggest the building’s hype is unwarranted.
Contemporist...
A Seaside Home Where Limestone, Wood, and Glass Unite Perched along the rugged Cantabrian coastline, Casa Loredo reinterprets local building traditions...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
Perched along the rugged Cantabrian coastline, Casa Loredo reinterprets local building traditions through a contemporary lens. Designed by ZOOCO ESTUDIO, the home embraces its dramatic setting with expansive sea views and a layout that responds to both the landscape and modern...
devonzuegel.com
OSS lazy-loads governance A special characteristic of open source software (OSS) is that you don't need institutional support...
over a year ago
24
over a year ago
A special characteristic of open source software (OSS) is that you don't need institutional support to get started. It's interesting to compare this to physical infrastructure, like dams or railroads. Before you can begin those projects, you need upfront capital, permits,...
CONTEMPORIST
Cork Was Used As The Exterior Siding On This Home Extension Mitchell + Corti Architects has designed a new rear ground floor extension for a home in England,...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Mitchell + Corti Architects has designed a new rear ground floor extension for a home in England, that’s clad in cork. The architect mentions, “We chose to clad the extension in something a little different a dark patterned cork, in order to use a sustainable material and test...
CONTEMPORIST
A Design Award Announces Their Annual World Design Rankings This article has been brought to you by A’Design Awards. A’Design Award and Competition have...
a year ago
27
a year ago
This article has been brought to you by A’Design Awards. A’Design Award and Competition have released their World Design Rankings (WDR) in Arts, Architecture and Design, with China taking first place, followed by the USA, and Japan. The World Design Rankings ranks all the...
99% Invisible
Power Broker #01: Robert Caro [EPISODE] In our first official episode of this year’s epic mini-series breaking down The Power Broker, the...
a year ago
56
a year ago
In our first official episode of this year’s epic mini-series breaking down The Power Broker, the author himself, Robert Caro, joins to talk about his book, process, and the problematic man himself: Robert Moses. On today’s show, Elliott Kalan and Roman Mars will cover the...
CONTEMPORIST
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...
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
VR Study Shows People Prefer Traditional Architecture Over Modernist Designs Traditional architecture has been found to contribute more to people’s well-being than modernist...
a year ago
25
a year ago
Traditional architecture has been found to contribute more to people’s well-being than modernist glass and steel buildings, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in Oslo. Using virtual reality (VR) technology, the team...
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.
CONTEMPORIST
This Little Laneway House In Toronto Has An Upstairs Bedroom Overlooking The Street Creative Union Network Inc. has designed a small laneway house in Toronto, Canada, that was...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Creative Union Network Inc. has designed a small laneway house in Toronto, Canada, that was originally built as a garage. The building occupied a prominent location on the corner of the lane and main street. The original structure, although rundown, was a well-loved structure...
BLDGBLOG
The Reaction Area “Enigmatic chemical reactions” have broken out underground inside two Los Angeles-area landfills,...
a year ago
6
a year ago
“Enigmatic chemical reactions” have broken out underground inside two Los Angeles-area landfills, according to the L.A. Times. These “highly unusual reactions at Los Angeles County’s two largest landfills have raised serious questions about the region’s long-standing approach to...
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Tree House With Two Rooms Architecture firm Studio MEMM has designed a tree house for their clients that could be used by both...
over a year ago
50
over a year ago
Architecture firm Studio MEMM has designed a tree house for their clients that could be used by both children and adults. Located in the middle of the Brazilian forest, the design of the treehouse was inspired by the geometries of the surrounding sycamore leaf structures...
The Modern House
The house that art built: Paul Huxley and Susie Allen invite us into their west London home and...
6 months ago
Common Edge
Let’s Stop Using the Terms ‘Traditional’ and ‘Modern’ By now, the terms are arbitrary and confusing.
over a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Under One of the most formal elements in Central Park is the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, just south of...
9 months ago
40
9 months ago
One of the most formal elements in Central Park is the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, just south of The Lake. The terrace overlooks the fountain from the elevation of the 72nd Street crosstown drive, and has three sets of stairs leading down; the undercroft of the terrace is a...
Old Structures...
Reuse, Well Done From Carol Highsmith’s archive, a Target store in Brooklyn in 2018. If you’re going to reuse an old...
10 months ago
48
10 months ago
From Carol Highsmith’s archive, a Target store in Brooklyn in 2018. If you’re going to reuse an old theater for your big-box store, why not reuse the marquee and vertical knife sign for advertising?
Contemporist...
Large Folding Glass Walls Open This Home To A Courtyard Narch Arquitectes has shared photos of a home they designed in Barcelona, Spain, that has large...
a year ago
84
a year ago
Narch Arquitectes has shared photos of a home they designed in Barcelona, Spain, that has large folding windows that connect the interior to the inner courtyard and garden.
Old Structures...
A Story With A Happy Ending There’s a moral at the end of this story – a story which has nothing to do with engineering,...
a year ago
39
a year ago
There’s a moral at the end of this story – a story which has nothing to do with engineering, architecture, construction, or NYC history – that has something to do with engineering, architecture, and construction, and maybe NYC history as well. I like mechanical keyboards, with a...
Contemporist...
A' Design Awards & Competition - Early Call for Entries The A’ Design Award & Competition is recognized as the world’s premier design award, engaging design...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
The A’ Design Award & Competition is recognized as the world’s premier design award, engaging design enthusiasts globally and celebrating more than 1800 winners across over 150 design disciplines.
Common Edge
Four Decades in a House of Your Own Design Reflections on the project that launched a career.
10 months ago
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home With A Curved Roof Inspired By The Land Around It Architecture and interiors firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a villa they completed in...
3 months ago
40
3 months ago
Architecture and interiors firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a villa they completed in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, that has an umbrella-like roof that echoes the land’s undulations. The design process commenced with the creation of a robust curved silhouette, with pavilion-like...
Old Structures...
A Blast From The Past, In The Past My mental image of hand-drawn, colored engineering renderings is that they were a nineteenth-century...
a year ago
20
a year ago
My mental image of hand-drawn, colored engineering renderings is that they were a nineteenth-century phenomenon. These drawings prove me wrong: they’re a 1922 description of the lower-Manhattan tunnel under the Hudson River, then in the early stages of construction. The second...
Contemporist...
A Small Laneway House Designed For A Narrow Property In Toronto Lanescape Architecture has shared photos of a laneway home they completed for a narrow 17-foot wide...
a year ago
52
a year ago
Lanescape Architecture has shared photos of a laneway home they completed for a narrow 17-foot wide lot in Toronto's Junction neighborhood.
Archinect - Features
'Beauty Is a Measure of Ecological Intelligence'; A Conversation with ecoLogicStudio Founders... Against the backdrop of a frenzied AI discourse dominated by end-product tools such as ChatGPT and...
a year ago
20
a year ago
Against the backdrop of a frenzied AI discourse dominated by end-product tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto articulate a refreshing call to adventure. The two ecoLogicStudio founders have built their professional and academic careers at the...
The Modern House
Picture perfect: an ingenious creative sanctuary in the leafy heart of London Fields
7 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Wood-Framed Glass Box Is The Ultimate Backyard Office Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of a backyard office they designed for their...
a year ago
65
a year ago
Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of a backyard office they designed for their clients in Dry Creek Valley, California. The wood-framed glass box hovers above the rugged terrain, it’s placed west of the main house, is partially above a narrow level pad, and...
Contemporist...
This Sculptural Home Is Full Of Curves And Surrounded By Landscaping Niko Architect has shared photos of a sculptural home with curves they designed that's been built...
a year ago
Old Structures...
Building, Blocks I looked up a bit more than usual today on a street that I’m on three or four times per week, and...
7 months ago
41
7 months ago
I looked up a bit more than usual today on a street that I’m on three or four times per week, and got this nice rear view of 75 Broad Street. The upper setbacks and tower are aligned with the overall cityscape; the lower base is aligned with ther curve of South William Street....
Old Structures...
You Are There Early on in the movie Bull Durham, a character going to a baseball game walks from the dark...
9 months ago
47
9 months ago
Early on in the movie Bull Durham, a character going to a baseball game walks from the dark underside of the stadium – where the stairs, bathrooms, and food concessions are – through one of the tunnels to the seats. The camera follows and, if you’ve ever been to stadium, the...
Construction Physics
Reading List 03/29/25 US bridges at risk of ship collisions, Airbus testing an unducted fan, an earthquake in Myanmar,...
3 months ago
41
3 months ago
US bridges at risk of ship collisions, Airbus testing an unducted fan, an earthquake in Myanmar, China’s undersea cable cutter, and more.
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...
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...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Edward Hopper From the comic “Powers”, Christian Walker sits by himself in a diner: Hopper’s 1942 painting...
7 months ago
60
7 months ago
From the comic “Powers”, Christian Walker sits by himself in a diner: Hopper’s 1942 painting “Nighthawks”: I’m a fan of Hopper, but this is his most famous work, so it’s not like it was all that difficult to place the reference. In his words, it’s a simplified version of reality...
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...
99% Invisible
Mr. Yuk [EPISODE] Some of you may be familiar with a figure called Mr. Yuk, depending on your age and where you grew...
a year ago
63
a year ago
Some of you may be familiar with a figure called Mr. Yuk, depending on your age and where you grew up, but for rest of you: Mr. Yuk is a neon green circular sticker with a cartoon face on it. His face is scrunched up with his eyes squeezed tight and his tongue is sticking The...
Common Edge
A Radical (and Totally Practical) Rethinking of U.S. Housing Construction Vienna and Paris demonstrate that there are easier, less-expensive ways to build homes.
6 months ago
Common Edge
“Boston Is A Red City” Construction rooted in local materials is what has provided cities with distinctive identities—and...
over a year ago
69
over a year ago
Construction rooted in local materials is what has provided cities with distinctive identities—and colors.
Common Edge
Why Nearly Every City in the U.S. Needs a Walkability Study A talk with urban planner Jeff Speck and his new business partner, Chris Dempsey.
a year ago
SOCKS
Poetics of the Greenhouse: Works by Bernard Moninot Bernard Moninot is a French multimedia artist. Over the 1970s and the 1980s, he produced a series of...
over a year ago
42
over a year ago
Bernard Moninot is a French multimedia artist. Over the 1970s and the 1980s, he produced a series of drawings, (inks, crayons and acrylics) of greenhouses based on various modes of representation, from axonometric projections, to outside central perspective or interiors views....
Common Edge
Technology’s Siren Song How to lure an architect onto the rocks.
8 months ago
Old Structures...
Four Views For Advertising From 1909, we’ve got some amazing sketches of the view from the Singer Building, created to show how...
a year ago
23
a year ago
From 1909, we’ve got some amazing sketches of the view from the Singer Building, created to show how wonderful it would be to have an office there. South: West: North: East: I’m not going to go into detail about all the buildings you can see, as I’ve done so many times before....
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...
CONTEMPORIST
3D Printed Sculptural Walls Surround The Interior Of This New Retail Store Barcelona-based architecture firm External Reference, led by Italian architect Carmelo Zappulla, has...
11 months ago
72
11 months ago
Barcelona-based architecture firm External Reference, led by Italian architect Carmelo Zappulla, has shared photos of a retail store design they completed for fashion brand PINKO, which includes an interior lined with 3D printed design elements. Based on the history of the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Cantilever At One End Allows This Home To Project Over The Land Leah Martin, partner and founder of Allied8 Architects in Seattle, Washington, has shared photos of...
12 months ago
62
12 months ago
Leah Martin, partner and founder of Allied8 Architects in Seattle, Washington, has shared photos of a modern Orcas Island home she designed for herself and her family. This small home, which cantilevers at one end, sits on the top of a ridge and is anchored to the bedrock in six...
99% Invisible
Single Handed (5 of 6): E-Ink Devices & Peripherals Render Reading More Accessible A severe arm injury can leave you with a lot of time on your hands, while simultaneously limiting...
2 months ago
32
2 months ago
A severe arm injury can leave you with a lot of time on your hands, while simultaneously limiting your recreational options. For me, two-handed video games were out, at least until I had the time and patience to research and learn to use accessible gaming controllers. At the same...
Archinect - Features
10 Ghost Towns With Unique Architecture Cities are like living bodies, each one animated by the pulse of human life. People give a city...
8 months ago
63
8 months ago
Cities are like living bodies, each one animated by the pulse of human life. People give a city purpose, identity, and movement. When a city is abandoned, its soul departs, leaving behind only the silent architecture, a skeletal remnant of what once was.  While such environments...
Old Structures...
Not Quite Qualifying One of the points that I felt has to be made in discussing early skyscrapers in The Structure of...
a year ago
16
a year ago
One of the points that I felt has to be made in discussing early skyscrapers in The Structure of Skyscrapers in America was that the issues discussed apply to buildings outside the specific boundaries of my research. My research was specifically on buildings ten stories and...
CONTEMPORIST
Stone Snakes Around The Curved Exterior Of This Modern Home Adrian James Architects has shared photos of a contemporary home they completed in Oxfordshire,...
a year ago
27
a year ago
Adrian James Architects has shared photos of a contemporary home they completed in Oxfordshire, England, that has a sculptural form which sprouts organically from its hillside setting. The home’s design is inspired by the crinkle-crankle Cotswold stone wall, with ribbons of cast...
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
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...
devonzuegel.com
Topographic theory of flaking Natan Gesher sent me the following email after reading my post about why flaking is so widespread in...
over a year ago
29
over a year ago
Natan Gesher sent me the following email after reading my post about why flaking is so widespread in San Francisco, and I thought you all might find it interesting too: I saw your blog posts about flaking and wanted to share something I've observed from moving around a bit (four...
Archinect - Features
How to Get a Job at Richärd Kennedy Architects Richärd Kennedy Architects is a Phoenix-based architecture and interior design firm known for its...
a month ago
18
a month ago
Richärd Kennedy Architects is a Phoenix-based architecture and interior design firm known for its impressive portfolio of exquisite public-facing projects that elevate design standards across higher education and civic architecture. Originally founded in 1996 as richärd+bauer...
Old Structures...
Non-Demolished When the West Side Highway – the limited access, elevated highway that was demolished in the 1970s...
a year ago
49
a year ago
When the West Side Highway – the limited access, elevated highway that was demolished in the 1970s and 80s – was planned in the 1920s, it made sense. From a viewpoint any later than about 1940 it was a terrible mistake. Bad planning and little maintenance doomed the old highway,...
Old Structures...
Begging The Question The title refers to one of the classic logistical fallacies, where an argument is made that assumes...
a year ago
62
a year ago
The title refers to one of the classic logistical fallacies, where an argument is made that assumes its conclusion. The specific instance of this fallacy that often bothers me concerns code updates and existing buildings. Every time a code – for example, the New York City...
Old Structures...
I’m Fairly Sure The Library of Congress calls this 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto “View of children playing on sand...
a year ago
94
a year ago
The Library of Congress calls this 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto “View of children playing on sand and dirt mound near stone structure and construction materials” which is nice and descriptive. They use that kind of title when no one was certain what the subject of the photo is....
Common Edge
Architects Must Resist the AI “Revolution” No technological advance can match the power, memory, and creativity of the human brain.
over a year ago
Contemporist...
Dark Meets Light in This Moody, Skylit Toronto Home Nestled on a corner lot in Toronto’s leafy High Park neighborhood, Westminster Residence by...
a month ago
18
a month ago
Nestled on a corner lot in Toronto’s leafy High Park neighborhood, Westminster Residence by Batay-Csorba Architects is a striking reinterpretation of the traditional Edwardian gable house.
Archinect - Features
What a Renaissance Painting Tells Us About the Future of Architectural Visualization In the closing chapter of Archinect In-Depth: Visualization, we return to one Renaissance painting...
5 months ago
51
5 months ago
In the closing chapter of Archinect In-Depth: Visualization, we return to one Renaissance painting referenced in an earlier article from the series. What does this painting, and our wider series, teach us about the relationship between technology and visualization? What do they...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Nostalgia A piece of a 1987 Daredevil comic, with some thugs attacking pieple on the subway. The route map (on...
a year ago
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a year ago
A piece of a 1987 Daredevil comic, with some thugs attacking pieple on the subway. The route map (on the left, abive the man in a blue jacket, blue pants, and badly-outdated boots) is clearly the Vignelli Map, in use from 1972 to 1979. The cars with the big central cicular fans...
McMansion Hell
Bonus McMansion Hell: Ye Olde Barrington In which I am in my castle era.
a year ago
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
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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...
A Depressing Follow-Up Seven years ago, I said of the SS United States “Without a use and without a lot of money, it will...
a year ago
64
a year ago
Seven years ago, I said of the SS United States “Without a use and without a lot of money, it will be gone forever. And if that happens, the world won’t end but it will be poorer for the loss.” Neither a use nor the money was found and as of September 12 this coming fall, the […]
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...
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
The bigotry of Modernism We know that history tends to repeat itself, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse....
a year ago
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a year ago
We know that history tends to repeat itself, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Unfortunately, the architecture world, including academics and practitioners, is often unaware that it perpetuates backward and bigoted attitudes, stifling the creativity of architects and...
Archinect - Features
A Conversation with SCI-Arc's Undergraduate Chairs Kristy Balliet and Marcelyn Gow Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and...
a year ago
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a year ago
Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and chairs) to learn more about their pedagogical stances, academic perspectives, and what they envision for the school during their tenure.  SCI-Arc is an institution known for its...
Old Structures...
A Holdout In January 1958, Angelo Rizzuto took this photo from the east side of Lexington Avenue, between 53rd...
a year ago
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a year ago
In January 1958, Angelo Rizzuto took this photo from the east side of Lexington Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets, looking west toward Park Avenue. The block bounded by those four streets was at that time entirely empty except for this old rowhouse at 620 Lexington. It was...
CONTEMPORIST
A Mid-Century Modern Inspired Extension For An 1890s Sandstone Cottage Glasshouse Projects, an architecture, interior design, and building firm, has shared photos of a...
a year ago
64
a year ago
Glasshouse Projects, an architecture, interior design, and building firm, has shared photos of a mid-century modern inspired extension and renovation they completed for an original 1890 sandstone cottage in Prospect, South Australia. The extension can be accessed through the...
Old Structures...
It Is Sorely Missed Conceptions of leisure activities have changed over the years. The fact that people now sun...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Conceptions of leisure activities have changed over the years. The fact that people now sun themselves lying on towels in Central Park while wearing quite brief bathing suits would seem as weird to people in the 1870s, when the park was new, as the presence of sheep in the Sheep...
Benny Kuriakose
Kanadukathan - A journey Through This Hidden Gem On a splendid morning, I got down from the bus, greeted by the enchanting allure of Nemathanpetti...
a year ago
57
a year ago
On a splendid morning, I got down from the bus, greeted by the enchanting allure of Nemathanpetti near Karaikudi. Gopichettan was waiting...
SOCKS
Preserving Common Food as a Defensive Strategy: the Ghorfas of Southern Tunisia The ghorfas (in arab غرفة [ghurfa], meaning “room”) are common granary chambers found mostly in...
3 months ago
37
3 months ago
The ghorfas (in arab غرفة [ghurfa], meaning “room”) are common granary chambers found mostly in southern Tunisia and certain areas of Libya and associated with Berber populations. In more recent times, they have also been used as dwellings. They consist of barrel-vaulted rooms...
Common Edge
Picturing an Exhibition: Closing the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
a year ago
99% Invisible
Office Space [EPISODE] Right now, in Manhattan, 18% of office space is vacant. At the same time, the city of New York has a...
a year ago
32
a year ago
Right now, in Manhattan, 18% of office space is vacant. At the same time, the city of New York has a major housing problem, with more than 100,000 people using the municipal shelter system. So Eric Adams and city officials are talking a lot about taking those empty offices, and...
Old Structures...
Shrinkage I took this photo last summer while eating dinner in a brew-pub in Utica, New York. I’m looking up...
a year ago
16
a year ago
I took this photo last summer while eating dinner in a brew-pub in Utica, New York. I’m looking up at the second-floor framing from below, in an old industrial building near the train tracks (the former main line of the New York Central Railroad). The building structure consists...
CONTEMPORIST
Custom Bunk Beds Were Designed For This Jungle-Themed Kid’s Bedroom Interior design firm Britt White Studio has shared photos of a jungle-themed kid’s bedroom they...
over a year ago
49
over a year ago
Interior design firm Britt White Studio has shared photos of a jungle-themed kid’s bedroom they designed as part of an overall penthouse project. The room was designed for two brothers, aged 7 and 9, who worked directly with the designers for the creation of their shared room,...
Old Structures...
A Working Drawing Above, an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the masonry of the Brooklyn tower of the...
a year ago
21
a year ago
Above, an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the masonry of the Brooklyn tower of the Brooklyn Bridge. I guess it doesn’t quite qualify as art, although I’d certainly hang it on a wall. The lettering at the top and the 3D-effect frame around the image suggest that this...
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Crafting Connection: A Contemporary Addition to a Historic Bungalow Carter Williamson Architects has shared photos of a new home extension that they designed for an...
a year ago
57
a year ago
Carter Williamson Architects has shared photos of a new home extension that they designed for an Australian house in a heritage conservation area. The designers’ brief asked for an open, warm home in which a family could truly gather, one that respected the home’s history while...
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
36
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...
Common Edge
From Venice to Detroit: Laboratories of the Future, Reconsidered Optimism and action trump didactic scolding every time.
over a year ago
Blog - Guerrilla...
Counter-mapping: Sitio San Roque, Philippines This counter-map was the product of a collaboration between the Junior Philippine Geographical...
over a year ago
46
over a year ago
This counter-map was the product of a collaboration between the Junior Philippine Geographical Society – University of the Philippines Diliman (JPGS-UPD), the Save San Roque Alliance, Kadamay – San Roque, and most especially the urban poor residents of San Roque. The...
Contemporist...
This Artist’s Treehouse Is Changing How We See Tiny Homes In an episode from Tiny House Giant Journey, a YouTube channel dedicated to unique home tours, host...
4 days ago
5
4 days ago
In an episode from Tiny House Giant Journey, a YouTube channel dedicated to unique home tours, host Jenna visits the Black Crane Treehouse, a striking, mid century-inspired retreat perched in the treetops above Mission Lake in Washington State. Designed as an artist residency,...
CONTEMPORIST
A’ Design Awards & Competition – Last Call for Entries This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award &...
4 months ago
31
4 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 award winners from 139 different design disciplines. A’ Design Award-winning...
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.”...
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...
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...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 3 Following up on part 1 and part 2, I want to talk about how the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge were...
a year ago
22
a year ago
Following up on part 1 and part 2, I want to talk about how the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge were built, installed, and used. Unlike the 1883 image from part 1 (below), the image above is from 1870, while the work was still going on. I’ve played with the contrast to make the...
99% Invisible
Courtroom Sketch [EPISODE] Earlier this year, the city of New York closed off several blocks around the Manhattan Criminal...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Earlier this year, the city of New York closed off several blocks around the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. Instead of early morning commuters, the sidewalks around the building were flooded with reporters, photographers, and camera people. They were there to capture the...
Construction Physics
The Long, Sad History of American Attempts to Build High-Speed Rail, Part II Last week, we looked at the early history of high-speed rail in the US. Though the US attempted to...
a year ago
87
a year ago
Last week, we looked at the early history of high-speed rail in the US. Though the US attempted to build its own high-speed rail routes soon after they debuted in Japan in 1964, these efforts were unsuccessful, outside of the popular-but-troubled Metroliner
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
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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...
Contemporist...
This Home's Addition Is Designed To Feel Like You've Stepped Into The Garden BENT Architecture has shared photos of a project they designed in Victoria, Australia, that included...
a year ago
52
a year ago
BENT Architecture has shared photos of a project they designed in Victoria, Australia, that included the design of a rear extension that answers the statement, "Imagine if your home could feel like living in a garden pavilion".
Common Edge
Is Mass Timber the Key Element in a Low Carbon Future? A new book highlights the promise—and lingering challenges—of this important material.
a year ago
Contemporist...
A New Bunkhouse Provides Additional Accommodation For A Family's Cabin On An Island SHED Architecture & Design has shared photos of a two-story bunkhouse on Guemes Island in Washington...
a year ago
43
a year ago
SHED Architecture & Design has shared photos of a two-story bunkhouse on Guemes Island in Washington State, that provides additional sleeping accommodations for a family's cabin.
CONTEMPORIST
Reflecting Ponds And Concrete Lily Pads Help Create Tranquility At This Modern Home Kor Architects have shared photos of a home they completed in Indian Wells, California, for their...
a year ago
62
a year ago
Kor Architects have shared photos of a home they completed in Indian Wells, California, for their clients who desired a contemporary residence with a thoughtfully designed entrance that seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor areas. Upon arrival at the home, there’s a carefully...
Archinect - Features
The Longevity & Legacy of the 'Vanilla Architect': How a Monoculture Yields Cycles of... This Op-Ed explores how unconscious bias of mentors, tokenism, and resultant patterns of system...
10 months ago
65
10 months ago
This Op-Ed explores how unconscious bias of mentors, tokenism, and resultant patterns of system justification reinforce a status quo that marginalizes women and people of color. These complex and long-lived dynamics are unpacked through personal anecdotes, historical analysis,...
Common Edge
Confronting the Leviathan in Vietnam An architect’s search for clarity in a far-off land.
6 months ago
Old Structures...
Possibly The title of this 1958 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is “Aerial view of street, possibly Park Avenue, with...
a year ago
85
a year ago
The title of this 1958 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is “Aerial view of street, possibly Park Avenue, with raised medians separating traffic in each direction, high-rise buildings lining both sides of the street.” That’s definitely Park Avenue looking north from approximately 89th...
Old Structures...
A Good Idea But Not Enough Via Core77, some excerpts of Clara Mu He’s masters thesis, which propose a way to make wood-frame...
12 months ago
55
12 months ago
Via Core77, some excerpts of Clara Mu He’s masters thesis, which propose a way to make wood-frame construction much more amenable to recycling and reuse of materials: here. In short, if you use strapped and ganged lumber sticks rather than special sizes and penetrative...
BLDGBLOG
Lost Animals I don’t normally link to my short stories here, but I’m proud of a new one called “Lost Animals”...
over a year ago
7
over a year ago
I don’t normally link to my short stories here, but I’m proud of a new one called “Lost Animals” that went up earlier this week. It’s about a man hired by private clients to clear houses of ghosts, not using supernatural equipment but a baseball bat. He’s been storming into...
Construction Physics
Reading List 04/5/2025 China’s sulfur emissions, Japan’s new semiconductor effort, declining sunbelt housing construction,...
3 months ago
37
3 months ago
China’s sulfur emissions, Japan’s new semiconductor effort, declining sunbelt housing construction, water competition in Texas, and more.
CONTEMPORIST
A Sheet Metal Skin Of Oiled Steel Was Selected For The Siding Of This Mountain Home James Merrell Architects together with interior design firm Ellen Hanson Designs, completed a modern...
9 months ago
77
9 months ago
James Merrell Architects together with interior design firm Ellen Hanson Designs, completed a modern mountain home in Sun Valley, Idaho, that features an exterior of oiled steel, concrete, and glass. The sheet metal skin of oiled steel was selected for the siding to bring in the...
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...
99% Invisible
Trail Mix: Track Two [EPISODE] Welcome to our second episode of short stories all about what may be the original designed object:...
a year ago
33
a year ago
Welcome to our second episode of short stories all about what may be the original designed object: the trail. If you haven’t heard the first episode yet you should totally go back and listen. It’s a lot of fun. Trail Mix We’re going to kick this second episode once again starting...
99% Invisible
Roman, Elliott, and Robert Caro: Live in Conversation For 50 years, The Power Broker has remained a landmark biography, transforming how people see former...
7 months ago
77
7 months ago
For 50 years, The Power Broker has remained a landmark biography, transforming how people see former New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. If you’ve been listening to 99% Invisible’sPower Broker Breakdown, you’re familiar with the story.  The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The...
CONTEMPORIST
Steel, Wood, And Stone Are On Display Inside This Hillside Home Bjella Architecture has sent us photos of a contemporary home they completed in Los Angeles,...
a year ago
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a year ago
Bjella Architecture has sent us photos of a contemporary home they completed in Los Angeles, California, that’s nestled on a hillside overlooking the sprawling city. Due to the home being in an area prone to earthquakes, the structural elements are bigger and bolder. There are...
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...
Travelog: A Building Type Speaking only for myself, it’s easy to mentally categorize subways (i.e., electric mass transit,...
a year ago
45
a year ago
Speaking only for myself, it’s easy to mentally categorize subways (i.e., electric mass transit, mostly underground) as something different than railroads. Different lengths of routes, different spacing of stations, different rolling stock, and so on. The differences are often...
Old Structures...
Minor Errors From a New York Public Library scrapbook, an 1880 view of Union Square. The title on the web page...
9 months ago
60
9 months ago
From a New York Public Library scrapbook, an 1880 view of Union Square. The title on the web page says “South side Union Square B’way” except that this is definitely (see below) the north side of the Square, AKA East 17th Street. Is the first word written in pencil “South”? If I...
Old Structures...
Understanding The Underbelly Hardcore bridge geeks will immediately recognize this photo. Everyone else, and hardcore bridge...
a year ago
64
a year ago
Hardcore bridge geeks will immediately recognize this photo. Everyone else, and hardcore bridge geeks with a sense of modesty, will ask “what is it?” It’s the underside of the deck of the Brooklyn Bridge, on the side span between the Manhattan tower and anchorage. Starting with...
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...
Common Edge
O.J. and L.A. What the iconic car chase revealed about Southern California’s landscape.
a year ago
The Modern House
Inside a Danish Architect's Mid-Century House | Timeless Nordic Design on a London Terrace
5 months ago
Common Edge
It’s Time to Blur the Boundaries Between Town and Gown University campus planning should look outward to the surrounding city.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Metal Roof Wraps Around This Off-Grid Cabin To Protect It From The Elements Cameron Anderson Architects has shared photos of a small off-grid cabin they designed as part of a...
a year ago
64
a year ago
Cameron Anderson Architects has shared photos of a small off-grid cabin they designed as part of a luxury farm stay in Australia. The building is situated on a gently undulating site with its elevated position offering uninterrupted views of the surrounding farmland. A wrapping...
Common Edge
Letter From Los Angeles: The Unsettling Silence of Construction Sites What happens when the people who will rebuild burned-out L.A. are afraid to come to work?
3 weeks ago
devonzuegel.com
On [there being more than] liberty Recently, Ayaz Matin sent me an email asking the following question: When I was looking at your...
over a year ago
24
over a year ago
Recently, Ayaz Matin sent me an email asking the following question: When I was looking at your website I came across these words: Individual liberty is the single most important value that society should uphold. I’m more utilitarian and communitarian now. I still believe we...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Renovation Where The Walls Were Removed So The Interior Connects With the Exterior Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they renovated in London, that included opening up...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they renovated in London, that included opening up the walls to connect the interior spaces with the garden. The designers removed the whole ground floor, including the external walls to the rear, the stairs, most of the interior,...
Old Structures...
Travelog: Listed When I’m traveling and therefore don’t know anything about most of the structures around, I simply...
a year ago
46
a year ago
When I’m traveling and therefore don’t know anything about most of the structures around, I simply take pictures and hope that I’ll be able to identify them later. Sometimes it’s quite easy. I came across this little Victorian masterpiece last week and it turns out it’s listed,...
Old Structures...
Two Ridiculous Snippets First, Batman at the plate as a bat man: Second, the National League standings:
8 months ago
Common Edge
Why Gardening Should Be Our Metaphor for Local Development If your town isn’t cultivating its own economic growth, then it’s being mined for someone else’s...
7 months ago
Common Edge
The Importance of Cultivating Empathy in Design Education Grounding studio assignments in historical and current cultural issues is the best way to foster...
4 months ago
Old Structures...
Old Adventures In Photo-Bombing Someone occasionally notices that most of Manhattan has little open space to create picturesque...
a year ago
34
a year ago
Someone occasionally notices that most of Manhattan has little open space to create picturesque vistas. Or to put it another way, it’s difficult to get decent pictures of a lot of buildings here because there’s so much stuff in the way. There’s also stuff in the background, which...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Wha? From a 25-years-old Avengers story: a man sees some news on televsion: The Verrazano Narrows Bridge,...
9 months ago
42
9 months ago
From a 25-years-old Avengers story: a man sees some news on televsion: The Verrazano Narrows Bridge, huh? It sure looks like something else…
devonzuegel.com
Part 5: Relationship with Travis Air Force Base A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
a year ago
85
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. Up until recently, the new city’s potential impact on Travis Air Force...
Old Structures...
What “Structure First” Means I like “Why we need a ‘structure first’ approach to existing buildings” by Penny Gowler, which is...
a year ago
39
a year ago
I like “Why we need a ‘structure first’ approach to existing buildings” by Penny Gowler, which is perhaps not surprising since I’m a structural engineer. I’m going to argue here that Ms. Gowler’s article and my position are just slightly more nuanced than that. Architectural...
Common Edge
Our Buildings, Our Selves, Featuring Michael Kimmelman and Kate Wagner Episode 2 of the Common Edge podcast explores the question: The age of the starchitect is over,...
3 months ago
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...
The Stairwell That Changed Everything in This Victorian Home In Toronto’s creative Leslieville neighborhood, House Caroline redefines the classic Victorian home...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
In Toronto’s creative Leslieville neighborhood, House Caroline redefines the classic Victorian home through a striking modern renovation by REIGN Architects. Originally built in the 1850s, the once dim and divided interior has been completely reimagined to suit the rhythms of a...
Construction Physics
Construction Productivity - Structural Steel This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We...
over a year ago
47
over a year ago
This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We previously looked at single family home construction, and noted that the number of hours required to construct 100 square feet of single family home has slightly increased over the past 50...
CONTEMPORIST
An Apartment Designed With Cats In Mind AODA Interior Design Co. has shared photos of an apartment interior in Taiwan they recently...
9 months ago
65
9 months ago
AODA Interior Design Co. has shared photos of an apartment interior in Taiwan they recently completed, that includes a variety of design elements specifically for the home owners cats. The clients are a couple with four cats and two medium-to-large dogs. Previously, they lived in...
Construction Physics
What Happened to the US Machine Tool Industry? Machine tools – machines that cut or form metal – are the heart of industrial civilization....
a year ago
93
a year ago
Machine tools – machines that cut or form metal – are the heart of industrial civilization. Sometimes called “mother machines” (because they’re machines that make other machines), machine tools are required to make almost everything. Nearly every manufactured good is made using...
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.
Archinect - Features
10 helpful tips for architecture students going back to school School is officially back in session as new and returning students begin another academic term....
a year ago
21
a year ago
School is officially back in session as new and returning students begin another academic term. Whether you're a fresh undergraduate student embarking on your first year of architecture school or you're a returning student about to continue another rigorous year of learning,...
Archinect - Features
‘In the Climate Context, Architects Need to Push a New Frontier’; A Conversation with Mario... When TECLA was unveiled to the world at the beginning of 2021, it captured the attention of both the...
over a year ago
19
over a year ago
When TECLA was unveiled to the world at the beginning of 2021, it captured the attention of both the architectural community and the imagination of the mainstream media. The world's first 3D-printed house made from raw earth, TECLA was one of 17 projects showcased at COP26 in an...
CONTEMPORIST
Hempcrete Walls Are On Display Inside This Home’s New Extension Architecture studio Cairn, has shared photos of a house renovation and extension they completed for...
10 months ago
73
10 months ago
Architecture studio Cairn, has shared photos of a house renovation and extension they completed for a home in London, England, that uses a new low-carbon concrete. The ‘House made by many hands’ is the first building structure in the UK to specify a low-carbon limestone calcined...
Contemporist...
This New House Was Designed To Fit Into A Protected Historic Neighborhood Architecture firm FLOWER, together with interior design studio Saltwolf, has completed a new home in...
a year ago
108
a year ago
Architecture firm FLOWER, together with interior design studio Saltwolf, has completed a new home in Boulder, Colorado, whose design was inspired by the nearby historic houses in the neighborhood.
devonzuegel.com
On bounties Michael Kaminsky recently emailed me an interesting post he wrote about bounties in open source, and...
over a year ago
28
over a year ago
Michael Kaminsky recently emailed me an interesting post he wrote about bounties in open source, and I took the opportunity to write up some thoughts that had been swirling in my head for a while. You can find the (lightly edited) response I sent to him below. ~ Bounties are...
A Weekly Dose of...
Architectural Exhibitions and Their Books Preparing for this post I counted roughly one hundred books in my library that are related to...
over a year ago
38
over a year ago
Preparing for this post I counted roughly one hundred books in my library that are related to exhibitions. Surprisingly, given that I tend to buy catalogs and other companion books to exhibitions I visit, only a quarter of those hundred are exhibitions I have seen in person....
Benny Kuriakose
Importance of Landscape in School Design Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only...
a year ago
27
a year ago
Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only comprises of the buildings in a school,...
Old Structures...
An Unfortunate Comparison I’m not a big fan of mid-twentieth-century modernism, and I still agree that Bertrand Goldberg’s...
a year ago
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a year ago
I’m not a big fan of mid-twentieth-century modernism, and I still agree that Bertrand Goldberg’s Marina City is remarkable architecture. From the north: From the south: There’s just one little detail that got stuck in my head that partially ruins looking at it for me. Every...
99% Invisible
The Great American Pyramid Memphis, Tennessee is home to many historic landmarks. Like Graceland, and Beale Street. But one of...
3 months ago
34
3 months ago
Memphis, Tennessee is home to many historic landmarks. Like Graceland, and Beale Street. But one of their biggest tourist magnets is their Bass Pro Shops. Usually, Bass Pro is the place to buy hunting and fishing gear. But the one in Memphis, it’s less of a store, and more of a...
Archinect - Features
'Architect' is a Protected Title. What About 'Architectural?' Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series continues with an examination of exceptions and nuances...
11 months ago
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11 months ago
Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series continues with an examination of exceptions and nuances related to the protection of the title 'architect' in the United States. In particular, we ask how architect-adjacent titles such as 'architectural designer,' 'architectural intern,'...
Old Structures...
Different Views From 1910, stereoscopic views from an upper floor of the Singer Building looking south and north The...
8 months ago
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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...
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 5 This is the last of the collection of little-known ballfields, following Brooklyn, Manhattan, and...
8 months ago
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8 months ago
This is the last of the collection of little-known ballfields, following Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, and the little-known teams who played in those fields. It’s very difficult to find information about the only Bronx important ball field in the Bronx. While it’s sometimes...
devonzuegel.com
Book review: Against the Grain, by James C. Scott The book that etched the deepest grooves in my mind last year was Against the Grain by James C....
over a year ago
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over a year ago
The book that etched the deepest grooves in my mind last year was Against the Grain by James C. Scott. It explores how the unique characteristics of grain-based agriculture shaped the early history of states. While I did learn many interesting historical facts and trends from...
CONTEMPORIST
Two Shingle Covered Cottages Connected By A Living Room And Kitchen In Between Bates Masi + Architects has designed a house in Montauk, New York, that’s built on land that was...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Bates Masi + Architects has designed a house in Montauk, New York, that’s built on land that was once home to early settlers in the 17th century. Remnants of horse stables, barns, and workers’ cottages scatter the landscape, however, one such cottage, a late addition built in the...
Old Structures...
Metaphorical Significant Figures Continuing a bit further with yesterday’s line of thinking…what happens if we use the wrong code?...
a year ago
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a year ago
Continuing a bit further with yesterday’s line of thinking…what happens if we use the wrong code? (I’m going to say now, at the beginning of this post, and I’ll repeat at the end: we can and should use the current codes. I use current codes in analysis and design; I use old codes...
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,...
Contemporist...
From the street, it looks like a shed, inside, this home's a sanctuary You won’t find windows or fences here, just a bold idea for urban privacy. Designed by Specht Novak,...
a month ago
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a month ago
You won’t find windows or fences here, just a bold idea for urban privacy. Designed by Specht Novak, the Stealth House transforms a leftover lot into a hidden retreat of steel, silence, and sunlit courtyards. Every inch of its 1,100 square feet is a study in purpose,...
devonzuegel.com
Creating Passionate Users: Attenuation and the suck threshold Attenuation and the suck threshold How long do your users spend in the "I suck" (or "this product...
over a year ago
24
over a year ago
Attenuation and the suck threshold How long do your users spend in the "I suck" (or "this product sucks") zone? Once they've crossed the suck threshold, how long does it take before they start to feel like they kick ass? Both of those thresholds are key milestones on a users...
Contemporist...
This Wood Watchtower Is Also A Home For Bats NEXT Architects has shared photos of Watchtower Einderheide, a lookout in The Netherlands, that also...
8 months ago
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8 months ago
NEXT Architects has shared photos of Watchtower Einderheide, a lookout in The Netherlands, that also doubles as a shelter for bats.
McMansion Hell
mojo dojo casa house Howdy folks! Sorry for the delay, I was, uhhhh covering the Tour de France. Anyway, I’m back in...
a year ago
26
a year ago
Howdy folks! Sorry for the delay, I was, uhhhh covering the Tour de France. Anyway, I’m back in Chicago which means this blog has returned to the Chicago suburbs. I’m sure you’ve all seen Barbie at this point so this 2019 not-so-dream house will come as a pleasant (?)...
CONTEMPORIST
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
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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...
Old Structures...
The Power of Drawing Another Cass Gilbert sketch, “Looking west from corner 5th ave + 42nd St”, from June 1917. Based on...
a year ago
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a year ago
Another Cass Gilbert sketch, “Looking west from corner 5th ave + 42nd St”, from June 1917. Based on the angle, he was standing on the northwestern corner of the intersection. The generally most interesting building nearby is the New York Public Library; the dark scribbles on the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Interior That Blends Japandi And Australian Design Inspiration NAKO Design has designed a home in Edmonton, Canada, that’s influenced by both Japandi and...
over a year ago
50
over a year ago
NAKO Design has designed a home in Edmonton, Canada, that’s influenced by both Japandi and Australian design styles. With a modern palette of black and white warmed with soft silver elm wood accents and texture, the home shows sophistication with a continuity of texture and tone...
Old Structures...
What’s In A Name? Apartment houses everywhere often have names seemingly disconnected from their surroundings. I grew...
9 months ago
52
9 months ago
Apartment houses everywhere often have names seemingly disconnected from their surroundings. I grew up in a building that was for no apparent reason called the Westgate, although at least the building immediately to its east was called the Eastgate. (There was no gate between...
99% Invisible
The Monster Under the Sink [EPISODE] In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other...
a year ago
62
a year ago
In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other city had done before: they made garbage illegal. The city would still collect some things, like soup cans and plastics, but yucky junk, like food waste, wouldn’t get picked up. This...
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.)...
devonzuegel.com
OWD #1: Tea time in Yemen I'm starting a podcast with my friends, Marie-Agnes and Alain Bertaud, who also happen to be the...
over a year ago
20
over a year ago
I'm starting a podcast with my friends, Marie-Agnes and Alain Bertaud, who also happen to be the most interesting couple I know. Over the course of this first conversation, we traveled all around the globe for a whirlwind tour of the adventurous life they've led together. Audio ·...
CONTEMPORIST
A Round House Design Inspired By A Tree Trunk Mobius Architekci has sent us photos of a home they designed in Izabelin, Poland, that has a round...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Mobius Architekci has sent us photos of a home they designed in Izabelin, Poland, that has a round design. The vast, sandy plot densely covered with a pine forest created a unique setting for the house, with the architect drawing inspiration from a tree trunk. The home has been...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #05: Brandy Zadrozny [EPISODE] This is the fifth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
a year ago
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a year ago
This is the fifth 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 Brandy Zadrozny, a senior reporter for NBC News who covers misinformation,...
There are two types...
DONALD TRUMP & EVIL – A Post-Halloween / Election-Eve Story Almost forty years ago, I owned a small house in the Greenwich “backcountry” just a few miles from...
8 months ago
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8 months ago
Almost forty years ago, I owned a small house in the Greenwich “backcountry” just a few miles from the Westchester County Airport. One morning, I was talking on the phone with a friend whom I would see later in the … Continue reading → The post DONALD TRUMP & EVIL – A...
Cartogrammar
Seasonal relief Just a map for fun, made without writing any code, which is a nice change of pace. I finally spent a...
over a year ago
26
over a year ago
Just a map for fun, made without writing any code, which is a nice change of pace. I finally spent a bit of time catching up with the great Daniel Huffman’s excellent tutorial on creating shaded relief maps with Blender. Do try it out if you haven’t; he’s written it up thoroughly...
Old Structures...
Travelog: Minimal Observation How much can you determine about a building in a minute or two? The short answer is “not much” but...
a year ago
40
a year ago
How much can you determine about a building in a minute or two? The short answer is “not much” but sometimes you can get useful information about the structure from the street. It’s certainly easier if you know the history of the area – I am far more efficient at building...
Contemporist...
Vertical Panelled Cabinets Add Visual Interest To This Home's Interior Carter Williamson Architects has shared photos of a home they renovated that was once was used as a...
2 months ago
12
2 months ago
Carter Williamson Architects has shared photos of a home they renovated that was once was used as a Bed and Breakfast, and was purchased by a couple to be a family home.
Construction Physics
50 Things I’ve Learned Writing Construction Physics I’ve been writing Construction Physics since September of 2020.
2 months ago
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...
Common Edge
Letter from Tennessee: License for Civility in Uncivil Times Not all civil portent is writ as large. It sometimes comes in small places, hidden in plain sight.
over a year ago
McMansion Hell
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book! Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book! If you ever wanted to read a book about...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book! If you ever wanted to read a book about McMansions, 5-over-1s, the ignoble toil of architects, ridiculous baubles for rich people, hostile architecture, private equity, shopping (rip), offices (rip), loud restaurants, and...
SOCKS
The Permanence of Form from Vernacular to Rationalism: Giuseppe Pagano’s “Architettura Rurale... Giuseppe Pagano was a central figure in Italian architecture of the first part of the 20th century....
a year ago
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a year ago
Giuseppe Pagano was a central figure in Italian architecture of the first part of the 20th century. Along with his practice as a rationalist architect and his political engagement, which led him to leave the Fascist Party, join the Resistance, and later be deported to Mauthausen,...
Old Structures...
First-Mover Status The Empire State Building gave up its title of “tallest” more than fifty years ago, but that’s not...
a year ago
52
a year ago
The Empire State Building gave up its title of “tallest” more than fifty years ago, but that’s not particularly important. It’s still a beautiful building and still loved by tourists and natives alike. The biggest change in its status over that period if time is the gradual...
Old Structures...
Three Boxes, One Optional I’m going to talk briefly about theater design, but I don’t mean the topics that people think of...
a year ago
17
a year ago
I’m going to talk briefly about theater design, but I don’t mean the topics that people think of when you say that. I’m not going to talk about acoustics, or sight-lines, or architectural design of the auditorium. I want to talk about the physical requirements for a modern...
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow Part III: Design of the World Trade Center This is Part III in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World...
over a year ago
34
over a year ago
This is Part III in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. Part I covers the design and construction of the Empire State Building, and Part II covers the initial development of the World Trade Center
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Round Window Is Nestled Into A Stone Wall On The Front Of This Home OON ARCHITECTURE has designed a modern home in Benavidez, Argentina, that features a stone, wood,...
over a year ago
55
over a year ago
OON ARCHITECTURE has designed a modern home in Benavidez, Argentina, that features a stone, wood, and concrete facade, that also includes a round window. The round window is recessed into the stone wall and is an eye-catching design element that can be seen as one walks along the...
devonzuegel.com
Everything is Amazing, But Nothing is Ours Back in 2015, I wrote a blog post called Dropbox: the First Dead Decacorn. At the time, it was the...
over a year ago
25
over a year ago
Back in 2015, I wrote a blog post called Dropbox: the First Dead Decacorn. At the time, it was the most widely shared take I’d ever written. I learned several things from writing this piece, and none of them had to do with Dropbox: I learned, for instance, that a great way to get...
Common Edge
What Primitive Huts Teach Us About Architecture An enduring ‘origin myth’ continues to inspire contemporary designers.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Lofty Timber Vaulted Ceilings And Sandstone Details For This Sydney Building Photography by Brett Boardman Multidisciplinary architectural practice fjcstudio, has completed a...
6 months ago
72
6 months ago
Photography by Brett Boardman Multidisciplinary architectural practice fjcstudio, has completed a building in Sydney, Australia, that includes colonial stone masonry, lofty geometric forms, and a layered tapestry of handcrafted materials. Photography by Brett Boardman Photography...
devonzuegel.com
To rent or to sell, that is the question As a real estate developer, one of the big decisions you need to make is whether you will rent or...
a year ago
123
a year ago
As a real estate developer, one of the big decisions you need to make is whether you will rent or sell the buildings you've built. Income from rentals flows in steadily over years, while income from sales hits all at once. This essential difference is simple but has many...
The Wandering...
Constructing Bourgoin’s Figure 171 – Part 1 Just veering off into geometry here…. In November I was watching Eric Broug, an Islamic geometric...
over a year ago
41
over a year ago
Just veering off into geometry here…. In November I was watching Eric Broug, an Islamic geometric design guru, give a talk online at an Islamic art conference, and I noticed that behind him they were projecting an interesting pattern on the scrim. I froze the video and grabbed a...
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
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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
Large Windows Give This Home A Lantern-Like Appearance At Night Swatt | Miers Architects has shared photos of a house they designed in the town of Atherton,...
over a year ago
63
over a year ago
Swatt | Miers Architects has shared photos of a house they designed in the town of Atherton, California, that replaces an earlier mid-century structure that the family had owned for many years. The home, with its white exterior, has an abundance of windows, allowing the home to...
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...
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...
Old Structures...
Clogging Up Traffic Traffic in lower Manhattan is always bad, but is today impassable even for pedestrians. The New York...
8 months ago
57
8 months ago
Traffic in lower Manhattan is always bad, but is today impassable even for pedestrians. The New York Liberty are getting a ticker-tape parade for their WNBA championship. First, congrats to the Liberty and happy days to their fans. Second, there is something very New York about...
Cartogrammar
Cartographic Summit 2016 In the official Cartographic Summit photo above, I’m the robot on the right edge who doesn’t know...
over a year ago
19
over a year ago
In the official Cartographic Summit photo above, I’m the robot on the right edge who doesn’t know how to stand like a normal human. I’ve just returned from this unusual event, which was part traditional conference and part unconference, with people in attendance only by...
Common Edge
As Brooklyn Nets’ Value Booms, a Missed Opportunity With the Arena A $688 million Koch family (!) investment shows the enormous upside for NBA team owners.
a year ago
Construction Physics
The Grid, Part IV: The Hard and Soft Paths of Energy Strategy Today, the electrical grid has over 500,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 5 million...
over a year ago
89
over a year ago
Today, the electrical grid has over 500,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 5 million miles of lower voltage distribution lines, which supply power from nearly 6,000 large power plants. Together, this system supplies more than 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity...
Archinect - Features
Six Views on the Future of Architectural Licensure Throughout the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, our explorations into U.S. architectural...
10 months ago
84
10 months ago
Throughout the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, our explorations into U.S. architectural licensure have included a variety of views beyond our editorial team, including ten views on licensure from Archinect readers shared at the midpoint of our series.  Beyond reader...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Double Height Ceiling Allows The Social Areas Of This Home To Open Completely To The Outside Padovani Arquitetos has sent us photos of a project they designed in Campinas, Brazil, that takes...
over a year ago
44
over a year ago
Padovani Arquitetos has sent us photos of a project they designed in Campinas, Brazil, that takes advantage of the topography to create a modern home with a horizontal design and lower garage. The home has been designed in such a way that the interior is hidden from the street....
Archinect - Features
Let’s Talk About Architectural Visualization Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Visualization. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the...
8 months ago
66
8 months ago
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Visualization. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the process of visualizing architectural work and what challenges and opportunities the field presents for the architectural design process. Our journey will include not only tips and...
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...
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap? Part I Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate...
over a year ago
39
over a year ago
Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate of unsubsidized levelized cost of energy (LCOE)
CONTEMPORIST
This Modern House Was Made From Locally Sourced Stone Architecture firm ARGDL has shared photos of a home they completed in Tapalpa, Mexico, that’s built...
a year ago
42
a year ago
Architecture firm ARGDL has shared photos of a home they completed in Tapalpa, Mexico, that’s built using stone, wood, and glass. Local stone was used to generate the main volumes of the home, while the regional pine can be seen in the roof structure as well as the window and...
Common Edge
Space to Dream: Reflections and Projections from a New Generation of Designers A Common Edge–led workshop engages architecture students to consider where they want to take the...
5 months ago
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.
Benny Kuriakose
Hiring Experienced Office Manager at Benny Kuriakose and Associates We are looking for a highly capable Office Manager for ourChennai office. This person will provide...
6 months ago
77
6 months ago
We are looking for a highly capable Office Manager for ourChennai office. This person will provide office services with proactivity,...
Old Structures...
Visible Success, Invisibly A before and after photo of a recently completed facade stabilization and renovation project in the...
10 months ago
69
10 months ago
A before and after photo of a recently completed facade stabilization and renovation project in the West Village. The rowhouse was constructed in 1846, is now in a landmarked district, and has an operating restaurant on the first floor and in the basement. If you look closely at...
Common Edge
Unlocking the Mysteries of Zoning Sara Bronin’s new book, Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World, is a deep, accessible dive...
5 months ago
59
5 months ago
Sara Bronin’s new book, Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World, is a deep, accessible dive into the prosaic realms of urban planning.
Contemporist...
A Rejuvenated 1980s Home Updated With Scandinavian Influences SMPL Design Studio has shared photos of an updated home they completed in Niagara On The Lake,...
a year ago
61
a year ago
SMPL Design Studio has shared photos of an updated home they completed in Niagara On The Lake, Canada, that's located on a landscaped corner lot.