The Modern House
The feel-good studio of Office S&M in Dalston, east London
a year ago
Old Structures...
Ancient Sensationalism
Sometimes you learn a little historical nugget and you don’t think about it. It sits in the back of...
a month ago
Sometimes you learn a little historical nugget and you don’t think about it. It sits in the back of your head for years – decades, actually, in this case – until you’re reminded of it. The murder of Gulielma Sands in 1799 is a good example. It was a tragedy for Ms. Sands and a...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Sunken Cities
Foundation
Contributing an original map to GC’s newest Shelter: An Atlas was very appealing to me...
over a year ago
Foundation
Contributing an original map to GC’s newest Shelter: An Atlas was very appealing to me for a couple of reasons: One, as an independent map illustrator, it would give my work wide exposure. Two, it would put me in good company with other talented mapmakers. Suggestions...
CONTEMPORIST
Vertical Fins Surround The Exterior Of This House Giving It A Distinct Appearance
Architecture and design studio MDAMMM, has recently completed the remodel of a home that had a...
a year ago
Architecture and design studio MDAMMM, has recently completed the remodel of a home that had a nondescript appearance and little aesthetic appeal. The original home had an exposed brick facade in ochre tones and all other elements featured different grey tones and finishes. The...
McMansion Hell
bonus mcmansion hell: terrible things are happening in McLean, VA
Read the bonus post on Patreon!
over a year ago
Read the bonus post on Patreon!
Old Structures...
New Year’s 1909
According to Puck, a trip to New York is the safety valve that keeps Brother Straightlace, leading...
11 months ago
According to Puck, a trip to New York is the safety valve that keeps Brother Straightlace, leading the simple life, from blowing up. Opinions vary.
Old Structures...
Tiny and Cute, But Purposeful
This is the lighthouse at the northern tip of Roosevelt Island. The island is two miles long and a...
6 months ago
This is the lighthouse at the northern tip of Roosevelt Island. The island is two miles long and a tenth of a mile wide, cutting the East River into two roughly-equal half-channels. That alone makes the need for lighthouses at its tip reasonably clear, but the conditions are...
Common Edge
Developers Are Dangerously in Control of New York City
Urbanist Roberta Brandes Gratz’s remarks on receiving the Preservation Leadership Award.
8 months ago
Urbanist Roberta Brandes Gratz’s remarks on receiving the Preservation Leadership Award.
Contemporist...
Green Metal Siding Allows This Small Cottage To Blend In With Its Surroundings
Daymark Design Incorporated has shared photos of a cabin they completed in Robert’s Island Honey...
a month ago
Daymark Design Incorporated has shared photos of a cabin they completed in Robert’s Island Honey Harbour in Ontario, Canada, that's clad in sage green standing seam metal siding.
99% Invisible
Autism Pleasantville [EPISODE]
A few years back, journalist Lauren Ober was diagnosed with autism. She then made a podcast about...
9 months ago
A few years back, journalist Lauren Ober was diagnosed with autism. She then made a podcast about her experience called The Loudest Girl in the World. And she found herself imagining a fantasy world where everything is tailored to Lauren’s very specific autistic needs. And she...
CONTEMPORIST
Overhanging Plants Wrap Around The Second Floor Of This Home
Strang Design has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Miami, Florida, that’s designed...
a year ago
Strang Design has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Miami, Florida, that’s designed to wrap around a swimming pool. The home has been organized into an “H-shape,” allowing the interiors to be flooded with natural light and to showcase views of the natural...
Archinect - Features
Exhibit Columbus’ University Design Research Fellows Showcase Proposals That Activate the...
How do you activate invisible spaces, and what does it mean to design for the public? These were the...
a year ago
How do you activate invisible spaces, and what does it mean to design for the public? These were the themes that sparked important conversations at Exhibit Columbus’ 2023 Design Presentations organized by the Landmark Columbus Foundation. Each Exhibit Columbus cycle focuses on a...
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 2
The illustration above, from the May 1883 issue of Harper’s Magazine, courtesy of the New York...
a year ago
The illustration above, from the May 1883 issue of Harper’s Magazine, courtesy of the New York Public Library, gives a better sense of the Brooklyn Bridge caissons than yesterday’s working drawing (repeated below) even if it’s got less technical information. Note that May 1883...
The Modern House
Listing of the Week: the best inter-war home in Britain?
a year ago
Cartogrammar
Beyond the sea
In the northern reaches of Newfoundland, near the town of St. Anthony, is the Fox Point Lighthouse....
over a year ago
In the northern reaches of Newfoundland, near the town of St. Anthony, is the Fox Point Lighthouse. I’ve never been there, but I know it has one of the most impressive ocean views in the world. If you face perpendicular to the right bit of rocky coastline there and gaze straight...
Contemporist...
A Lot Of Plants Have Been Integrated Into The Design Of This Home In Singapore
Wallflower Architecture + Design has sent us photos of a home they recently completed in Singapore,...
11 months ago
Wallflower Architecture + Design has sent us photos of a home they recently completed in Singapore, that features an exterior covered in plants.
Old Structures...
On The Spectrum Between Solid and Hole
For study, two photos of the elevated structure supporting the 2 and 5 trains in the Bronx. This...
11 months ago
For study, two photos of the elevated structure supporting the 2 and 5 trains in the Bronx. This piece of the subway system has a slightly odd history. The portion south of and up to 180th Street, at the south end of Bronx Park, was planned as part of the original IRT subway, but...
Old Structures...
Reality Is Better Looking
Above, another hotel appointment card, this time from the Gilsey House. The hotel was completed in...
a year ago
Above, another hotel appointment card, this time from the Gilsey House. The hotel was completed in 1871, with that incredible cast-iron facade constructed by Daniel Badger. It’s still there, over 150 years later, now apartments. The engraving on the card really doesn’t do the...
The Modern House
A radical rural development in Herefordshire with community at its core
a year ago
Old Structures...
Raking Sunlight
Pro tip, as computer manuals said back when (a) everyone was not yet comfortable using a computer...
a year ago
Pro tip, as computer manuals said back when (a) everyone was not yet comfortable using a computer and (b) computer manuals still existed: environmental conditions can help in building investigation. For example, I like conducting facade inspections on very cold days because you...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Remodeled 1950s Ranch Home
Photography by Studio Robert Jamieson (before photos), August Haeuser (exterior), Sam Orberter...
a year ago
Photography by Studio Robert Jamieson (before photos), August Haeuser (exterior), Sam Orberter (kitchen) Studio Robert Jamieson has shared photos of a 1950s ranch home remodel they completed in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. When the owners purchased this home outside of...
Archinect - Features
Storytelling, Bias, and Exploitation in Digital Realms; A Conversation with Miriam Hillawi...
For Miriam Hillawi Abraham, the digital realm is one fraught with both opportunities and dangers....
a year ago
For Miriam Hillawi Abraham, the digital realm is one fraught with both opportunities and dangers. The Ethiopian designer and researcher sees digital media as an impactful, playful, and unrestrained way of shaping immersive stories that challenge Western narratives and power...
Common Edge
What Primitive Huts Teach Us About Architecture
An enduring ‘origin myth’ continues to inspire contemporary designers.
a year ago
An enduring ‘origin myth’ continues to inspire contemporary designers.
The Modern House
MRTN Architects’ garden studios in Melbourne are a place to work – or not to work
8 months ago
There are two types...
Location, Location, Location: Affordable Housing and Urban Form in Manhattan
NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To...
a year ago
NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To Great Cities and Towns, where it will appear in a shorter version. This version still needs a little editing for its new context. Part … Continue reading →
The post Location,...
Benny Kuriakose
Abdul Rahman Sahib Museum: The Freedom Fighter’s Home
The Muziris Heritage Project narrates the stories from different timelines. From the first mosque in...
a year ago
The Muziris Heritage Project narrates the stories from different timelines. From the first mosque in India to the Study Centre for the...
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...
5 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...
Common Edge
Havana’s Evolving Public-Private Landscape
Can Cuba’s creative class become agents for political change?
10 months ago
Can Cuba’s creative class become agents for political change?
Contemporist...
The Black Exterior Of This Barn-Inspired Home Is Contrasted With A White Interior
Architecture and interior design studio Laney LA has shared photos of a modern home they designed in...
a year ago
Architecture and interior design studio Laney LA has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Culver City, California, that has a dark black exterior.
Archinect - Features
UK Architectural Licensure Had Not Changed in 50 Years. Until Now.
Having previously examined architecture licensure systems in the United States and across mainland...
4 months ago
Having previously examined architecture licensure systems in the United States and across mainland Europe, this edition of the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series profiles changes underway in the United Kingdom's licensing system, which is currently undergoing a “fundamental...
Old Structures...
Colorful and Accurate
The map above, from 1884, shows the planned line of the new Croton Aqueduct from the reservoir on...
12 months ago
The map above, from 1884, shows the planned line of the new Croton Aqueduct from the reservoir on the right (to the north) to New York City on the left. The new aqueduct runs on a much straighter line than the old, which required more tunneling, and therefore reflects the more...
Common Edge
Buildings Are Not Sacred, but We Can Find Beauty Through Them
There’s no design recipe for it.
5 months ago
There’s no design recipe for it.
Common Edge
Contemporary Architecture and the Modern City
Americans don’t like modern buildings because they don’t like the modern city.
3 months ago
Americans don’t like modern buildings because they don’t like the modern city.
CONTEMPORIST
A Curved Accent Wall Wraps Around From The Fireplace To The Ceiling Inside This Home
MAKHNO Studio has designed a home in Kiev, Ukraine, that includes a contemporary living room with a...
a year ago
MAKHNO Studio has designed a home in Kiev, Ukraine, that includes a contemporary living room with a large curved statement piece. The living room has a sunken couch that neatly fits into the step-down, and faces the fireplace, while the focal point of the room is a curved section...
The Modern House
James Lohan: the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith on how his first experience of home shaped an...
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the...
7 months ago
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the potential for turning a profit on a stack of cheese toasties. A series of successful business ventures followed suit, but it was in 2003 that James and his […]
CONTEMPORIST
A Distinct Dining Area Was Created In This Home By Surrounding It With Cabinetry
Toronto-based architecture and design practice Great Lake Studio has shared photos of a home they...
a year ago
Toronto-based architecture and design practice Great Lake Studio has shared photos of a home they designed, that’s clad in custom charred cedar and has a pitched roof. Inside, the main level of the home is the gathering place, with the living room, dining area, and kitchen all...
Old Structures...
Travelog: Damage and Weirdness
Just because a building is cute, doesn’t mean it won’t have damage. Someone has done a pretty...
9 months ago
Just because a building is cute, doesn’t mean it won’t have damage. Someone has done a pretty thorough job of strapping the corners of this small building in Bath, as well as installing some kind of pinning at the middle of the side wall. It’s not clear which way the floor spans...
Old Structures...
“Pre”
Residential construction in New York can be broken into groups in a number of ways, but the most...
7 months ago
Residential construction in New York can be broken into groups in a number of ways, but the most straightforward is not known to the general public, and that’s by era of regulation. For just under a hundred years, multiple dwellings – AKA apartment houses – have been governed by...
Construction Physics
How to Build an AI Data Center
This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in...
6 months ago
This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in America: Building the Next Generation of AI Infrastructure at Home. In this series, we examine the challenges of accelerating the American AI data center buildout. Future pieces will...
The Modern House
Introducing our Hackney team
8 months ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Wha?
From a 25-years-old Avengers story: a man sees some news on televsion: The Verrazano Narrows Bridge,...
2 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…
Common Edge
Notre Dame Cathedral and the Rebirth of Artisanship
The miraculous rebuild was enabled by the century-old French system of trade guilds and education.
5 days ago
The miraculous rebuild was enabled by the century-old French system of trade guilds and education.
The Modern House
The best of Kensal Rise and Queen’s Park, north-west London
a year ago
Old Structures...
Onec You See It
The current round of repair work on the Manhattan Bridge has reached the stage of painting the...
8 months ago
The current round of repair work on the Manhattan Bridge has reached the stage of painting the towers. It has, to my eye, the unfortunate effect of making the bridge look like it’s wearing shorts.
Archinect - Features
Debates Surrounding Architectural Competitions Are Nothing New
In the US architectural profession of the 2020s, and newfound scrutiny over workplace conditions...
6 months ago
In the US architectural profession of the 2020s, and newfound scrutiny over workplace conditions from unpaid overtime to a poor work-life balance, architecture competitions have become the subject of debate over how the profession values itself and is valued by wider society...
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
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...
There are two types...
With Rhetoric: The New York Apartment House
WHEN I was in graduate school, I was one of the editors of VIA IV: “Culture and the Social Vision.”...
2 weeks ago
WHEN I was in graduate school, I was one of the editors of VIA IV: “Culture and the Social Vision.” I helped Robert A.M. Stern write New York 1900, Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism 1890-1915. My summer job turned into a … Continue reading →
The post With Rhetoric: The New...
Contemporist...
A 1930s Brick Farmhouse Gets A Contemporary Remodel
SHED Architecture has sent us photos of a 1930s brick farmhouse in Washington State that has been...
a year ago
SHED Architecture has sent us photos of a 1930s brick farmhouse in Washington State that has been redesigned and renovated for today's living standards.
CONTEMPORIST
LED Lighting Illuminates Shelving Throughout This Home’s Interior
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and...
a year ago
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and Daniel Persson, has debuted a residential project called Casa Bosques de Olivos in Mexico City. The exterior of the house features concrete, wood, and metal, as well as landscaped...
Construction Physics
Mass Timber is Great, but It Will Not Solve the Housing Shortage
A short policy memo recently posted on the Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) website argues...
9 months ago
A short policy memo recently posted on the Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) website argues that “mass timber can help solve the housing shortage.” It was posted as part of the Housing Ideas Challenge, a collaboration between FAS, Matt Yglesias and a few other...
The Modern House
Furniture designer James Stickley’s cleverly zoned live/work loft in east London
a year ago
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...
5 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...
The Modern House
Knock on Wood: five homes making the best of nature’s most versatile material
Abundant, strong, durable – not to mention beautiful – wood has been used to build our homes for...
a year ago
Abundant, strong, durable – not to mention beautiful – wood has been used to build our homes for millennia. It’s not surprising, really, when you think how easy it is to access and work with, to say nothing of the ways in which it provides […]
Coffee with an...
A simple description
The structural exploration reflects the dichotomy of the diametrically opposed forces creating...
7 months ago
The structural exploration reflects the dichotomy of the diametrically opposed forces creating intrinsic tension within the interstitial forms which have been bifurcated and articulated throughout the design exploration phases resulting from the pedological rigor employed...
The Modern House
Nice Slice: the best pizza in London
a year ago
Common Edge
Awesome and Affordable: Making the Case for Great Housing
A new project in Los Angeles highlights the challenges—and the opportunities.
10 months ago
A new project in Los Angeles highlights the challenges—and the opportunities.
Common Edge
When Is Architectural Symbolism Hypocrisy?
Like or loathe it, symbolism over substance has a long tradition.
7 months ago
Like or loathe it, symbolism over substance has a long tradition.
Coffee with an...
Design explained using venn diagrams
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple venn diagrams. Unfortunately,...
8 months ago
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple venn diagrams. Unfortunately, this isn’t that: More Design in charts – HERE, and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE
Coffee with an...
If movies were about Architecture
“Apocalypse Now”: an architect goes grossly over budget. Another architect is sent out to find him...
7 months ago
“Apocalypse Now”: an architect goes grossly over budget. Another architect is sent out to find him and value-engineer the project, in the jungle, during a war. “It’s a wonderful life”: An architect mishandles his finances. Jumps off a bridge. Is saved by his guardian angel /...
CONTEMPORIST
A Pool House And Loggia Enhance This Lush Backyard Experience
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a modern addition of a pool house and loggia they...
4 months ago
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a modern addition of a pool house and loggia they designed for an existing primary residence in Florida. The pool house and loggia are sleek yet thoughtful and seamless extensions of the home, with the design blending comfort,...
Common Edge
What Happened to New York City Public Housing, and How Can We Fix It?
The former chief architect for NYCHA on what ails the the system.
8 months ago
The former chief architect for NYCHA on what ails the the system.
devonzuegel.com
OWD #0: Welcome to Order Without Design
I'm starting a new podcast called Order Without Design with the most interesting couple I know:...
over a year ago
I'm starting a new podcast called Order Without Design with the most interesting couple I know: Alain & Marie-Agnes Bertaud.
This project is an extension of their book, Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities. With its focus on economic theory, you might not realize that...
99% Invisible
The Country of the Blind [EPISODE]
We meet Andrew Leland as he’s suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he’s midway...
a year ago
We meet Andrew Leland as he’s suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he’s midway through his life with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that ushers those who live with it from sightedness to blindness over years, even decades. He grew up with full vision, but...
Common Edge
Consider the 15 mph City
It’s time to expand our vision to include slower, more human-scaled speeds of transportation.
a year ago
It’s time to expand our vision to include slower, more human-scaled speeds of transportation.
Contemporist...
The Dining Table Becomes Part Of The Stairs Inside This Eclectic House
Mag Arquitectes together with Clara Lleal INTERIORISTA has shared photos of a home they designed in...
a year ago
Mag Arquitectes together with Clara Lleal INTERIORISTA has shared photos of a home they designed in Catalunya, Spain, that showcases a unique dining area.
CONTEMPORIST
A White Palette Helps Connect This Heritage Home With Its New Addition
Dalecki Design has shared photos of a home they remodeled in Subiaco, Australia, which includes a...
a year ago
Dalecki Design has shared photos of a home they remodeled in Subiaco, Australia, which includes a contemporary rear addition and a white color palette throughout. The heritage character of the original house and the bright but calm feeling of the new addition are harmoniously...
Old Structures...
Bones Beneath The Skin
A peek behind the surface at the 68th Street station on the Lexington Avenue (6) train. This station...
4 months ago
A peek behind the surface at the 68th Street station on the Lexington Avenue (6) train. This station was part of the Dual Contracts expansion of the subway system, and opened in 1918. I’m pretty sure the platforms were lengthened at some point after that, probably in the 1950s or...
The Modern House
Surman Weston’s light-led creation of a family home in south London
9 months ago
Common Edge
Light and Color: The Spirit-Led Work of James Turrell
The artist is driven not just by curiosity or ambition, but by the precepts of his Quakerism.
a month ago
The artist is driven not just by curiosity or ambition, but by the precepts of his Quakerism.
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Office Was Hidden Behind A Wall That Folds Open
BENT Architecture has sent us photos of a renovation and extension they completed for a house in...
11 months ago
BENT Architecture has sent us photos of a renovation and extension they completed for a house in Hawthorn, Australia. One design detail that caught our attention is the home office hidden in plain sight in the dining room behind a wood accent wall. The floor-to-ceiling wood...
CONTEMPORIST
A Wood-Lined Office That Used To Be A Parking Lot
Ujigawa Ohzono Architects has shared photos of a small wood-lined office they designed in Kyoto,...
7 months ago
Ujigawa Ohzono Architects has shared photos of a small wood-lined office they designed in Kyoto, Japan, that was once a parking lot. The owner of the land, who had been running a construction company in the local area for a long time, decided to create a place where dialogue can...
Archinect - Features
'AI Is Built on Datasets That Are Already Biased'; A Conversation with Felecia Davis
Ever since her childhood summers sewing patterns at the family dining table, Felecia Davis has...
a year ago
Ever since her childhood summers sewing patterns at the family dining table, Felecia Davis has understood the power of textiles to be a vehicle for communication, connection, and understanding. As her career in architecture unfolded in parallel with wider advances in...
CONTEMPORIST
Elevated Elegance: A Unique Home In The Forest With A Trio Of Tile-Clad Gables
Exterio Architectural Studio, together with interior design firm Hola Design, has shared photos of a...
8 months ago
Exterio Architectural Studio, together with interior design firm Hola Design, has shared photos of a contemporary home they have completed near Warsaw, Poland, that’s surrounded by a pine forest. The home is designed to bring a large family together, with the form taking shape...
Contemporist...
Wood Houses Appear Through The Tops Of The Trees At This Nature-Focused Resort
Stilt Studios has shared photos of a newly completed project called the Treehouse Villa, which is...
a year ago
Stilt Studios has shared photos of a newly completed project called the Treehouse Villa, which is located in Grün Resort Uluwatu, a family-run nature-focused luxury boutique resort in Bali.
99% Invisible
You Are What You Watch [EPISODE]
What we see on screen has this way of influencing our perception of the world, which makes sense...
10 months ago
What we see on screen has this way of influencing our perception of the world, which makes sense because the average American spends 2 hours and 51 minutes watching movies and TV each day. That’s a whopping 19 percent of our waking hours. Walt Hickey is a data journalist and...
Common Edge
‘Not Having to Worry about Proportion, Harmony, and Beauty Is a Cop-Out’
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
9 months ago
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
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...
5 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...
The Solarchitecture...
Follow up to circadian rhythm post
Let's use the tools that Substack gave us!
over a year ago
Let's use the tools that Substack gave us!
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...
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Rusty Exterior For A Home In A Rustic Setting
CLB Architects has shared photos of the ‘Paintbrush Residence’, a modern home they designed in...
a year ago
CLB Architects has shared photos of the ‘Paintbrush Residence’, a modern home they designed in Jackson, Wyoming, that has a weathered steel exterior. Located in a dappled Aspen grove, the home incorporates slow-weathering materials such as oxidized steel and cedar, allowing it to...
The Modern House
The impeccably organised, grass-roofed, book-lined home of literary editor, Gail Pirkis
5 months ago
Blog - Guerrilla...
Can You Stay?
Can You Stay? examines one discrete variable among many complex and converging issues concerning...
over a year ago
Can You Stay? examines one discrete variable among many complex and converging issues concerning housing precarity, focusing on a part of the world with unique geography and social issues.
Project Background
This map is cut from the cloth of a capstone project I did in 2018 at...
Old Structures...
The Story Can Be Oversimplified
The title of this blog post is true of a lot of narrative history. Simple stories are more effective...
11 months ago
The title of this blog post is true of a lot of narrative history. Simple stories are more effective on an emotional level, and are easier to tell. So we often tell them. For example, Wikipedia (my go-to source for oversimplified explanations) states that the 1916 New York zoning...
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...
7 months ago
One of my favorite views of tall buildings, again: in the fog. New York Bay has more than it’s fair share of fog, and sometimes it creeps back up into the city. We had one of those days last week.
The Modern House
Views From Above: five homes that celebrate London’s skyline
Seen from on high, London’s shifting cityscape never ceases to fascinate – a patchwork of man-made...
9 months ago
Seen from on high, London’s shifting cityscape never ceases to fascinate – a patchwork of man-made shapes interrupted by so many pockets of green. No matter the weather, a view from above brings out the distinct colour and characteristics of each neighbourhood, encouraging you to...
Contemporist...
This Home Has A Living Room That Extends Over The Swimming Pool Below
Daniel Marshall Architect (DMA) has shared photos of a new home they designed in New Zealand, that...
a year ago
Daniel Marshall Architect (DMA) has shared photos of a new home they designed in New Zealand, that includes a cantilevered living room.
CONTEMPORIST
Hidden Lighting Creates A Warm Glow Throughout This Apartment Interior
Cuaik | CDS has shared photos of an apartment interior they designed in Ciudad De México, Mexico,...
5 months ago
Cuaik | CDS has shared photos of an apartment interior they designed in Ciudad De México, Mexico, that uses hidden lighting to create a warm atmosphere. Working together with Grupo Cuarit, the designers infused the space with bespoke wood carpentry and thoughtful illumination. In...
The Modern House
How this International Style-inspired house in Surrey makes a bigger splash
a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: One Accurate, One Not
First, from a 1940s Sunday newspaper strip of Miss Fury, a realistic view down the facade of a fancy...
4 months ago
First, from a 1940s Sunday newspaper strip of Miss Fury, a realistic view down the facade of a fancy New York apartment house to the street: Second, from a modern Captain America comic, “the City of Manhattan”. Where’s that, Kansas? It’s been “New York” since 1664, “Nieuw...
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
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 “
99% Invisible
The Wilderness Tool [EPISODE]
Imagine one of those old-timey lumberjack photos. The kind where two men in plaid are working away...
a year ago
Imagine one of those old-timey lumberjack photos. The kind where two men in plaid are working away at a tree, holding opposite ends of a huge, human-length saw. That is a vintage crosscut saw. Some avid crosscut seekers spend hours mining websites like eBay and Craigslist. But...
Old Structures...
He Is, After All, A Boy From Queens
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
One Thousand Plants Cover The Exterior Of The ‘Landmark by Lexus’ Pavilion
Koichi Takada Architects has sent us photos of ‘Landmark by Lexus’, a showroom/pavilion that was...
a year ago
Koichi Takada Architects has sent us photos of ‘Landmark by Lexus’, a showroom/pavilion that was presented to guests during the Melbourne Cup Carnival at the Flemington Racecourse in Australia. Drawing inspiration from the Australian landscape, Koichi Takada Architects designed a...
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
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...
Old Structures...
Peeking Ahead
The picture above – an aquatint according to the New York Public Library – was created in 1834, and...
a year ago
The picture above – an aquatint according to the New York Public Library – was created in 1834, and shows an active urban setting, with families, men talking business or politics, carriages, and dogs. If you didn’t know the date you’d probably guess the nineteenth century; if you...
Contemporist...
Rough And Rugged Materials Are Combined With Modern Forms On This Home
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, has shared photos of a...
10 months ago
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, has shared photos of a new home they designed in Gorssel, The Netherlands.
Old Structures...
A Hidden Surprise, But Not Really
The picture above shows the nearly-complete Astor Court Apartments, on Broadway between 89th and...
a year ago
The picture above shows the nearly-complete Astor Court Apartments, on Broadway between 89th and 90th Street, in 1915. (As a side note, we’ve got some heavy hitters involved: the architect was Charles Platt, the contractor was Marc Eidlitz & Son, and the photographer was Irving...
99% Invisible
Goodnight Nobody [EPISODE]
To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the New York Public Library, a list was published of the ten...
a year ago
To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the New York Public Library, a list was published of the ten books that had been checked out the most in the history of the library — and most of these were children’s books, like The Cat in the Hat and Where the Wild Things Are. Curiously...
CONTEMPORIST
Handmade Turquoise Tiles Line The Entrance To This Spanish Restaurant
Photography by Adria Goula EL EQUIPO CREATIVO has designed Txalupa Gastroleku, a restaurant in San...
9 months ago
Photography by Adria Goula EL EQUIPO CREATIVO has designed Txalupa Gastroleku, a restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain, that draws inspiration from the nearby old port and the small and colorful fishing boats. Photography by Txalupa Gastroleku Stepping inside, you’re immediately...
SOCKS
The Square and the Circle: The Palace of Charles V in Granada (1527)
The palace of Charles V in Granada was built starting in 1527 as a summer palace for the emperor....
over a year ago
The palace of Charles V in Granada was built starting in 1527 as a summer palace for the emperor. The Renaissance building is located inside the Alhambra, the former Nasrid complex on Sabika hill, a notable example of Islamic architecture. The structure is built in stone and is...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Hot Dogs In A Temple
Above, a somewhat pathetic villain threatens the people of Gotham City, while Batgirl muses. Below,...
a year ago
Above, a somewhat pathetic villain threatens the people of Gotham City, while Batgirl muses. Below, the stair connecting the train shed at the old Penn Station with the concourse: And zoomed in: And another angle:
The Modern House
Cover Stories: five new architecture, art and design books for your shelf
Inspiration may come in many forms but it’s flighty and hard to find. That said, one place you can...
9 months ago
Inspiration may come in many forms but it’s flighty and hard to find. That said, one place you can be quite sure to pin it down it is on a bookshelf. And while those at TMH HQ are already groaning, we can’t resist the allure […]
CONTEMPORIST
Neutral Tones And Soft Curves Create A Relaxing Vibe For This Boutique Hotel
Architecture and interior design firm Onion, has shared photos of Sala Khao Yai, a collection of...
a month ago
Architecture and interior design firm Onion, has shared photos of Sala Khao Yai, a collection of boutique hotel villas in Thailand. The various building designs are inspired by the silhouette of surrounding mountains, the contours of the landscape, and the site’s organic...
Archinect - Features
USC Students Try a ‘Bottom-Up’ Approach To Sustainable Housing Delivery in the School of...
Our latest Archinect Studio Pin-Ups takes a look at three studios at Archinect Partner School USC...
2 days ago
Our latest Archinect Studio Pin-Ups takes a look at three studios at Archinect Partner School USC School of Architecture, offered as part of their one-year Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies (M.AARS) postgraduate program.
Led by instructors Julia Sulzer and Sascha...
The Modern House
How to better the design of your bathroom for a brighter future
a year ago
Construction Physics
Roman vs Modern Concrete
There's a new paper out exploring some of the chemical mechanisms at work in Roman concrete. As per...
a year ago
There's a new paper out exploring some of the chemical mechanisms at work in Roman concrete. As per usual, it’s triggered a round of enthusiastic discussion of Roman concrete, and how its ability to last for millennia puts modern concrete (which often fails after a few decades)...
The Modern House
James Lohan: the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith on how his first experience of home shaped an...
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the...
7 months ago
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the potential for turning a profit on a stack of cheese toasties. A series of successful business ventures followed suit, but it was in 2003 that James and his […]
Common Edge
Why Mass Transit in America Disappeared
A talk with the author of The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric...
a year ago
A talk with the author of The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric Planning, and White Flight.
Benny Kuriakose
Mahabalipuram - The Seaside Art Hub
A triumphant center for sculptures just 57 kilometers south of Chennai city, is an art hub and...
a year ago
A triumphant center for sculptures just 57 kilometers south of Chennai city, is an art hub and famous travel destination called...
Old Structures...
Similar But Not
I was in Rockaway last week, and getting there is one of the weirder subway rides you can take. The...
6 days ago
I was in Rockaway last week, and getting there is one of the weirder subway rides you can take. The A train is going along normally underground, then it becomes an el, and then you’re on a causeway over Jamaica Bay headed to the Rockaway peninsula. In any case, here’s what the...
Coffee with an...
Design explained with pie charts
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple pie charts. Unfortunately, this...
9 months ago
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple pie charts. Unfortunately, this isn’t that: More Design in charts – HERE, and HERE and HERE
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 1
With both the Mets and Yankees playing league championship games yesterday, this seems like a good...
2 months ago
With both the Mets and Yankees playing league championship games yesterday, this seems like a good time to discuss some of the oddities of New York’s relationship to the game of baseball. And the best place to start is just how many professional teams there have been here. Most...
The Modern House
How architect Charlie Luxton built a hidden home into a hillside in Oxfordfordshire
a year ago
99% Invisible
Maximum Temperature [EPISODE]
The impacts of climate disasters are often measured in terms of property damage. But in places like...
3 months ago
The impacts of climate disasters are often measured in terms of property damage. But in places like Phoenix, Arizona, and in hot places all over the world, climate change is wreaking a very different kind of havoc – on living things. In the final episode of Not Built for This, we...
CONTEMPORIST
Yellow Granite Is On Display Throughout This Contemporary Home In Sardinia
Photography ©Marco Cappelletti Architecture firm Alvisi Kirimoto has shared photos of a villa they...
9 months ago
Photography ©Marco Cappelletti Architecture firm Alvisi Kirimoto has shared photos of a villa they completed in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia, that showcases local granite throughout its design. Drone photography ©Mattia Caprara and Flavio Pescatori San Giacomo yellow granite winds...
The Modern House
Nice Modernism: introducing the friendly face of modernist architecture
After almost a hundred years of modernist architecture, the writer and critic Alan Powers argues...
4 months ago
After almost a hundred years of modernist architecture, the writer and critic Alan Powers argues that the canon is ripe for reappraisal. Here, he makes the case for “Nice Modernism” – an altogether gentler strand of architecture that emerged in the 1930s and is typified […]
Old Structures...
180 Years
I found myself in Greenport NY for a project and was pleasantly surprised by the presence of the old...
4 months ago
I found myself in Greenport NY for a project and was pleasantly surprised by the presence of the old train station there. It’s not the current station, which is a bare concrete platform off to the right of the picture, and it’s not the original station, but that’s okay. As you...
Old Structures...
Happy Thanksgiving
And the menu above provides a goal for dinner.
a year ago
And the menu above provides a goal for dinner.
Old Structures...
Possibly A Bad Idea
John Zukowksy, a retired but still active historian, recently sent me a bizarre clipping from the...
5 months ago
John Zukowksy, a retired but still active historian, recently sent me a bizarre clipping from the Chicago Tribune about a plane semi-faking bombing lower Manhattan in 1916. The short version of the story: DeLloyd Thompson, an early aviator of some note, took off from the airfield...
The Modern House
How Cobbie Yates and Joseph Hyland maximised space in their compact Deptford apartment
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
Adjaye: Works 2007-2015
Adjaye: Works 2007-2015: Houses, Pavilions, Installations, Buildings
Edited by Peter Allison
Thames...
over a year ago
Adjaye: Works 2007-2015: Houses, Pavilions, Installations, Buildings
Edited by Peter Allison
Thames & Hudson, October 2022
Hardcover | 10-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches | 300 pages | 500 illustrations | English | ISBN: 9780500343807 | $90
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
Following Adjaye: Works...
Old Structures...
108 Years
First up, “A view of the Federal Hall of the City of New York, as appeared in the year 1797, with...
10 months ago
First up, “A view of the Federal Hall of the City of New York, as appeared in the year 1797, with the adjacent buildings thereto” as engraved in 1850. This is looking north up Broad Street, with the old Federal Hall at the intersection of Broad and Wall streets. Next, “Broad...
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...
5 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...
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
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Green Roof Covers The Pool House At This New Home
Robert Young Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Hither Hills, a rolling...
a year ago
Robert Young Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Hither Hills, a rolling topography of dunes between Montauk and Amagansett, New York, for a family that wanted a year-round retreat. Located on a steep site, the home features multiple levels, a swimming pool,...
Archinect - Features
Archinect's Guide to the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale: Part I — The National...
With the opening week of the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale now passed, there has been much...
a year ago
With the opening week of the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale now passed, there has been much discussion and media coverage of the anticipated international exhibition. It's safe to imply that the high-profile event aims to highlight, unveil, celebrate, and at times, provoke new...
Old Structures...
Boosterism
I don’t have an exact date for this photo, but the Temple Bar Building, the three-turreted...
8 months ago
I don’t have an exact date for this photo, but the Temple Bar Building, the three-turreted skyscraper in the center, was constructed 1899 to 1901, so 1900 to 1910 is my guess. (As for how difficult discussing timelines can be, the New York Times article on the building I discuss...
The Modern House
Jewellery designer Anna Jewsbury on turning a former pub into a treasured family home in Marylebone
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
Favorite Books of 2023
For the fifteenth and last time on this blog, I'm highlighting my favorite books of the year,...
a year ago
For the fifteenth and last time on this blog, I'm highlighting my favorite books of the year, selected from the many books I reviewed or featured as "Book Briefs" on this blog, and the few titles that I reviewed at World-Architects. From the 86 books I featured in 2023, 15 (or...
The Modern House
Rosh Mahtani: the Alighieri founder’s inspiring journey from school outcast to acclaimed...
Journal readers will know the name Rosh Mahtani – partly because we’ve visited her in the past, but...
a year ago
Journal readers will know the name Rosh Mahtani – partly because we’ve visited her in the past, but partly because she’s very, very good at what she does. Despite the joy it brings, Rosh started her cult jewellery brand, Alighieri, when she was in an […]
CONTEMPORIST
Operable Screens Cover The Exterior Of This Hawaiian Home
Architecture firm OLSON KUNDIG has shared photos of a home they completed in Hanalei, Hawaii, that...
a year ago
Architecture firm OLSON KUNDIG has shared photos of a home they completed in Hanalei, Hawaii, that blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living with the inclusion of a series of operable shutter screens that wrap most of the building facade. The custom shutter system,...
Old Structures...
Adelaide House, Part 1 – Overall
When I was in London a few weeks ago, David Kelly and Chris Tucker of Fortis Facades were kind...
8 months ago
When I was in London a few weeks ago, David Kelly and Chris Tucker of Fortis Facades were kind enough to give me a thorough tour of Adelaide House, a 1925 landmark building currently in renovation. They’re working on the facade, but the tour included both the facade and the...
99% Invisible
The Containment Plan [EPISODE]
It’s hard to overstate the vastness of the Skid Row neighborhood in Los Angeles. It spans roughly 50...
5 months ago
It’s hard to overstate the vastness of the Skid Row neighborhood in Los Angeles. It spans roughly 50 blocks, occupying a significant portion of the downtown Los Angeles area. In some ways, it looks a lot like other neighborhoods with its corner stores and street vendors, old...
Common Edge
Architecture Always Reflects the Values of Its Current Culture
What we build is who we are.
a year ago
What we build is who we are.
Old Structures...
So It Begins
LEGO Notre Dame de Paris, 4383 pieces. Fortunately, I have a 13-year-old assistant mason brick-layer...
6 months ago
LEGO Notre Dame de Paris, 4383 pieces. Fortunately, I have a 13-year-old assistant mason brick-layer helper. I approve of the reinforced seams in the flat-plane base: Building the stone-tile floor before we’ve completed the base. Very edgy. Clever foundation for the apse. LEGO...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Somber Location
One of the less-well-known memorials in Manhattan is the African Burial Ground National Monument at...
4 months ago
One of the less-well-known memorials in Manhattan is the African Burial Ground National Monument at Duane and Elk Streets, where free Blacks excluded from New York’s general cemetery in the seventeenth cenutry buried their dead. Here’s a photo of the memorial, a stone circle...
Contemporist...
An Extension To This 1933 Home Creates A New Kitchen And Outdoor Terrace
Heliotrope Architects has shared photos of a contemporary extension they completed for a home in...
4 months ago
Heliotrope Architects has shared photos of a contemporary extension they completed for a home in Seattle, Washington, that was originally designed and built in 1933 by Norwegian boat captain Ole E. Nelson.
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...
9 months 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...
Construction Physics
What Happened to the US Machine Tool Industry?
Machine tools – machines that cut or form metal – are the heart of industrial civilization....
11 months 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...
The Modern House
Best Buds: the most beautiful garden centres in London
a year ago
Benny Kuriakose
Job Opportunities at Benny Kuriakose and Associates in 2024
Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of...
7 months ago
Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of them sent the application three or more...
McMansion Hell
pre-recession, post-taste
Hello, everyone. I hope this blog can bring some well-needed laughs in really trying times. That’s...
a year ago
Hello, everyone. I hope this blog can bring some well-needed laughs in really trying times. That’s why I’ve gone back into the archives of that precipitous year 2007, a year where the McMansion was sleepwalking into being a symbol of the financial calamity to follow. We return to...
Old Structures...
Messy
First I apologize for the reflections and glare artifacts in the picture: trying to get a decent...
a week ago
First I apologize for the reflections and glare artifacts in the picture: trying to get a decent photo through a clean and polished storefront window on a sunny day is a frustrating endeavor. But at least that gives a second meaning to the post title. Second – but really first –...
CONTEMPORIST
272 Wood Slats Were Used To Create A Sculptural Element Inside This New Coffee Bar
Design firm jones | haydu has shared photos of The Caffé by Mr. Espresso, a new coffee bar in...
8 months ago
Design firm jones | haydu has shared photos of The Caffé by Mr. Espresso, a new coffee bar in Oakland, California, that features curved birch slats. The design of the cafe is heavily inspired by Italian culture, using minimalism and contrast, with the designers explaining, “The...
The Modern House
Designer Sue Minter’s colourful country house in the Cotswolds
a year ago
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
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...
CONTEMPORIST
This Building With A Split Roof Makes Space For A Rooftop Park
Architecture firm RAD+ar has shared photos of a building they’ve completed in Jakarta, Indonesia,...
6 months ago
Architecture firm RAD+ar has shared photos of a building they’ve completed in Jakarta, Indonesia, that has a split roof held together by a skylight. The split design allowed half of the building to have a regular roof, while the other, is dedicated to outdoor space and a garden....
Old Structures...
Happy Thanksgiving
‘Nuff said.
3 weeks ago
Old Structures...
Not Quite What It Seems
First up, from one of those New York Public Library scrapbooks, “Looking down upon a forest of...
4 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...
Odd One Out
Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an...
6 months ago
Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an early 1900s edition of King’s Views of New York, showing a rendering of the bridge before it was completed (on top), paired with a photo of the just-completed Williamsburg Bridge...
Old Structures...
Not Quite Before, Not Quite After
A building that was discussed at great length at last week’s Office To Residential Summit was 25...
6 months ago
A building that was discussed at great length at last week’s Office To Residential Summit was 25 Water Street. Old Structures has no connection to that project, but it’s a block from our office, so I’ve been watching the progress. Here’s what it looked like last December: It was...
Archinect - Features
Freelancing and Architecture: A Complicated Relationship
For many salaried workers, freelancing and contracting may once have been a scary proposition,...
7 months ago
For many salaried workers, freelancing and contracting may once have been a scary proposition, little more than placeholder labels as one moved between secure, salaried positions. However, the past decade has seen a notable increase in skilled workers and professionals becoming...
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...
5 months 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...
McMansion Hell
namesake mcmansion
Howdy folks! Today’s McMansion is very special because a) we’re returning to Maryland after a long...
4 months ago
Howdy folks! Today’s McMansion is very special because a) we’re returning to Maryland after a long time and b) because the street this McMansion is on is the same as my name. (It was not named after me.) Hence, it is my personal McMansion, which I guess is somewhat like when...
The Modern House
Textile designer Pauline Caulfield’s art-filled home and studio in Primrose Hill
a year ago
Old Structures...
So Very Random
Hidden among the vast holdings of the New York Public Library is a set of 52 images of playing cards...
a year ago
Hidden among the vast holdings of the New York Public Library is a set of 52 images of playing cards donated by William Barclay Parsons, arguably most famous for being the chief engineer of the Interborough Rapid Transit system, New York’s oldest subway. Each card has an...
99% Invisible
A Whale-Oiled Machine [EPISODE]
In the 1800s, whaling was a vast and brutal industry–sometimes as deadly for the sailors involved as...
a year ago
In the 1800s, whaling was a vast and brutal industry–sometimes as deadly for the sailors involved as it was for the whales. And the global epicenter of whaling could be found in New Bedford, MA. All this slaughter wasn’t to feed hungry people with whale meat. It was about all the...
Old Structures...
Less Than The Original
Construction on LEGO Notre Dame has moved ahead but will pause while I’m out of town. We’ve got the...
6 months ago
Construction on LEGO Notre Dame has moved ahead but will pause while I’m out of town. We’ve got the apse built up to the vault level and the beginning of the crossing: I’ve been playing around to see if I can do a fly-through style photo, to give a sense of what the building...
The Modern House
Mia Castenskjold and Stefan Zschernitz’s self-built sanctuary in Hackney
a year ago
Contemporist...
The Large Arch Window In Front Of This Cafe Offers A Glimpse Of The Creative Interior
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand,...
a year ago
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand, that incorporates a collection of windows to create a welcoming arch shape on its facade.
Contemporist...
A Grid Of Large Windows Maximizes The Water Views At This Modern Home
Architecture firm Worrell Yeung has shared photos of a modern home they completed that's a study on...
a month ago
Architecture firm Worrell Yeung has shared photos of a modern home they completed that's a study on a 2x2x7 grid structure in three dimensions.
The Solarchitecture...
7 key principles of solar passive design - Part 2.
Balance it all with local climate and a holistic energy calculation.
over a year ago
Balance it all with local climate and a holistic energy calculation.
Common Edge
San Francisco’s Love Affair With the Ferry Building
John King, urban design critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, talks about his new book, Portal.
a year ago
John King, urban design critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, talks about his new book, Portal.
99% Invisible
The Flop House: Megalopolis, with Roman Mars
This episode is from our friends at The Flop House, a comedy podcast devoted to the worst in recent...
a week ago
This episode is from our friends at The Flop House, a comedy podcast devoted to the worst in recent film. Roman joins Dan McCoy, Stuart Wellington, and Power Broker co-host Elliott Kalan, to discuss Megalopolis, the recent bankrupting disaster from Francis Ford Coppola. Subscribe...
A Weekly Dose of...
Self-Published Books by BNIM and KPF
Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and...
a year ago
Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and KPF:
ALL - The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center by BNIM
Design in Detail by Kohn Pedersen Fox
The "Found" feature also includes responses to a few questions on why the firms opted to...
Archinect - Features
Happy National Volunteer Week! Here's a resource guide for architects and designers looking...
This week, from April 21–27, is officially National Volunteer Week in the United States. To...
8 months ago
This week, from April 21–27, is officially National Volunteer Week in the United States. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Archinect has curated a handy guide of resources for architects looking to donate their time and skills to various causes that will ultimately lead to...
Old Structures...
Fun With Telephoto Lenses
A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was...
8 months ago
A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was standing when he or she took the shot. It matters to understand exactly what you’re seeing, and figuring it out is usually not that difficult if you know some of the quirks of Manhattan...
The Modern House
Five standout things to see and do this May
Is there a more delightful time of year than wisteria-filled May? As we get set for summer, we’re in...
a year ago
Is there a more delightful time of year than wisteria-filled May? As we get set for summer, we’re in high spirits, not least because of the inspiring happenings in our diaries. From a series of workshops at a London bakery’s new homeware space to a […]
Old Structures...
A Thomas Nast Holiday – 2 of 3
Santa looks a bit like Horace Greeley in this one.
12 months ago
Santa looks a bit like Horace Greeley in this one.
The Modern House
Five things to do and see this September
September might spell the end of summer but, as this edition of The TMH Edit proves, there are...
a year ago
September might spell the end of summer but, as this edition of The TMH Edit proves, there are plenty of happenings to keep spirits high – even if the days are slowly getting shorter. Read on for our top tips for the month ahead, including […]
devonzuegel.com
Making is Show Business now – alexdanco.com
Nadia Eghbal’s new book, Working In Public: the Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software, may...
over a year ago
Nadia Eghbal’s new book, Working In Public: the Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software, may not have been on your short list of books to read this year. It’s admittedly a nerdy topic: it’s about open source projects, roles and responsibilities; the rise of GitHub as a...
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.
a year ago
Not all civil portent is writ as large. It sometimes comes in small places, hidden in plain sight.
CONTEMPORIST
This Small Home Has Glass Walls And A Glass Ceiling
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, have shared photos of a...
a year ago
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, have shared photos of a tiny house in The Netherlands that they completed that’s almost entirely made out of glass to fully enjoy the surrounding forest. The allowed footprint of the new build was 21...
The Architectural...
Why Ugly Architecture Is Bad for Your Health
In a world where we spend the majority of our lives surrounded by buildings, the impact of...
a year ago
In a world where we spend the majority of our lives surrounded by buildings, the impact of architecture on our well-being often goes unnoticed. But what if I told you that the buildings you encounter every day could be affecting your health, both physically and mentally? This...
Old Structures...
Not Quite Qualifying
One of the points that I felt has to be made in discussing early skyscrapers in The Structure of...
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...
The Modern House
Why deli and wine bar Lulu’s is winning the hearts of locals in Herne Hill
a year ago
The Modern House
Time-honoured materials and 21st-century sensibilities meet in a bothy on Mull
9 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Thatched Roof And Charred Wood Siding Were Used To Create This Modern Home
PAX Architects has completed a modern summer house in Skagen, Denmark, whose design pays tribute to...
a year ago
PAX Architects has completed a modern summer house in Skagen, Denmark, whose design pays tribute to the local architecture and history of the town it’s located in. The materials chosen for the home were inspired by the houses built in Skagen’s Black Period, when charred wood from...
Common Edge
Braids by Jade: L.A. Street Art Through Two Lenses
Artist Lauren Halsey's visual chronicles of her changing neighborhood.
a year ago
Artist Lauren Halsey's visual chronicles of her changing neighborhood.
Benny Kuriakose
Courtyard – The Beauty and Functionality
Courtyards are an ancient building technique used throughout the ages in Indian houses of all eras....
a year ago
Courtyards are an ancient building technique used throughout the ages in Indian houses of all eras. With the rise in modernity, the use...
The Modern House
An artist-curator couple on their surprising choice to leave the walls of their mid-century marvel...
10 months ago
Old Structures...
A First Attempt
If you’re familiar with a final product, looking at the early ideas can be disconcerting. Things...
10 months ago
If you’re familiar with a final product, looking at the early ideas can be disconcerting. Things seem familiar but wrong, as can be seen in this 1870s map with a proposal for Morningside Park. The Upper West Side was pretty sparsely populated at that time because of the...
Common Edge
The ‘Social Landscapes’ of Lee Friedlander
For six decades, the photographer’s ability to offer a complex narrative about America in a single...
8 months ago
For six decades, the photographer’s ability to offer a complex narrative about America in a single image was always unique.
devonzuegel.com
Numbers for understanding cities
Whenever I think about physical places, I find myself coming back to a few types of numbers again...
over a year ago
Whenever I think about physical places, I find myself coming back to a few types of numbers again and again.
I've collected these into spreadsheets so that I can reference them more easily, and I figured they might be useful to others too:
Urban densities – Population density...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – An Extension Adds New Living Space For This Home In London
Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects has designed the contemporary renovation and addition for a...
a year ago
Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects has designed the contemporary renovation and addition for a Grade II listed terrace home in the London borough of Islington. The original house, which is spread over three floors, was in poor condition and had lost its charm and original...
Archinect - Features
Are Architectural Workers More Pessimistic About the Economy Than Firm Owners?
In our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey published last month, we observed a distinct...
4 months ago
In our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey published last month, we observed a distinct divergence between how firm owners and workers were feeling about the business health of their firm, industry, and the wider U.S. economy. Across the board, our survey suggests...
CONTEMPORIST
Painted Drop Shadows Around The Windows Create An Interesting Effect On This Building
Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has unveiled its own new office that’s located within a century-old,...
a year ago
Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has unveiled its own new office that’s located within a century-old, three-storey brick building in Toronto’s Corso Italia neighborhood. A unique design feature not often seen on the exterior of a building, are the painted drop shadows surrounding...
Old Structures...
Faking It
A pet peeve of more than one of us at Old Structures is seeing buildings that are “faking” something...
a month ago
A pet peeve of more than one of us at Old Structures is seeing buildings that are “faking” something that makes no sense. Examples abound, like weep holes in solid masonry walls. I noticed this building while on the train recently, with the star anchors that one often sees on...
The Modern House
Kevin McCloud: the Grand Designs presenter takes us behind the scenes of his own life
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of building their own home has probably watched an episode of Grand...
a year ago
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of building their own home has probably watched an episode of Grand Designs. In fact, quite a few people have – the programme has been on our screens since 1999, during which time Kevin McCloud has cemented his reputation as a […]
Construction Physics
How the Gas Turbine Conquered the Electric Power Industry
A prophecy expressed frequently in engineering circles at the present day is that turbines actuated...
a year ago
A prophecy expressed frequently in engineering circles at the present day is that turbines actuated by hot gases, other than steam, will eventually come to the front as prime movers. — A Scientific Investigation Into the Possibilities of Gas-Turbines,
Old Structures...
Discussing Immigrants Elsewhere
That’s discussion elsewhere about immigrants here, not discussion here about immigrants somewhere...
6 months ago
That’s discussion elsewhere about immigrants here, not discussion here about immigrants somewhere else. I’m at the 8th International Congress on Construction History this week, where I hope to learn a lot about past design and construction practice. I have certainly learned much...
Old Structures...
Well Duh
Another photo from Berniece Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, this one from 1936 and titled...
11 months ago
Another photo from Berniece Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, this one from 1936 and titled “Park Avenue and 39th Street.” As usual, Abbott was contrasting the big buildings in the background with the much older and smaller buildings in the foreground. Four of those big...
devonzuegel.com
Edge Esmeralda: A recap of June's popup village
This summer, I co-organized a month-long 1,300-person "popup village" in Healdsburg, CA called Edge...
3 months ago
This summer, I co-organized a month-long 1,300-person "popup village" in Healdsburg, CA called Edge Esmeralda. This gathering was incredibly fun and rewarding, and it was also a huge accelerant to the creation of the permanent village we are building, Esmeralda.
Edge Esmeralda...
CONTEMPORIST
A 1970s Four Bedroom Home Renovated For A Couple That Loves To Entertain
Architecture firm Side Angle Side, has shared photos of a 1970s ranch home they renovated in Austin,...
2 months ago
Architecture firm Side Angle Side, has shared photos of a 1970s ranch home they renovated in Austin, Texas, for their clients that wanted a home for entertaining. The transformation involved converting a four-bedroom floor plan into a spacious, open, one bedroom home. A long...
Archinect - Features
Archinect's Tips for Recent Graduates Navigating Architectural Employment
In 2023, navigating the job market for recent graduates can be daunting. Discussions surrounding...
a year ago
In 2023, navigating the job market for recent graduates can be daunting. Discussions surrounding portfolio advice, crafting an effective resume, and if one should follow their "dream job or a dream school" have been ongoing topics on Archinect and our forum. Within the last few...
Old Structures...
The Queen Anne Style Is Rare In New York
I was on the Upper East Side and saw two houses that don’t quite fit in on Park Avenue north of 69th...
10 months ago
I was on the Upper East Side and saw two houses that don’t quite fit in on Park Avenue north of 69th Street. Those two rowhouses are listed in the records of the Upper East Side Historic District as having been built between 1882 and 1885 as part of a larger row, with the other...
The Modern House
Architects Mariia Pashenko and Koen Schaballie on the radical reinvention of their Victorian home in...
a year ago
The Modern House
An apartment with star quality in a converted recording studio in west London
a year ago
Contemporist...
Reclaimed Weathered Wood Siding Covers This Home Inspired By Farm Buildings
Architecture and building company BIRDSEYE has shared photos of a home they completed in Sagaponack,...
a year ago
Architecture and building company BIRDSEYE has shared photos of a home they completed in Sagaponack, New York, that features an exterior clad in reclaimed weathered wood siding.
McMansion Hell
texas gothic revival
Sometimes I just want to get on my hobbyhorse, which for about a year now has been the middle ages...
6 months ago
Sometimes I just want to get on my hobbyhorse, which for about a year now has been the middle ages but surely will soon be something else. (Please hyperfixation gods, make it financial literacy.) Anyway, I meandered around the nation (online) in search of another opportunity to...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Sort Of Obvious
The fact that Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, is from Jersey City is integral to her character. As a teen,...
a month ago
The fact that Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, is from Jersey City is integral to her character. As a teen, she lives at home with her parents and most of the stories revolve around that location. So this view of the waterfront is not exactly hard to find
devonzuegel.com
My questions about Próspera, answered
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others...
over a year ago
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others might too, so I wrote an FAQ to share what I learned:
Próspera FAQ
This FAQ is intended as a reference, covering the basic facts and current status of the project. My hope is that...
McMansion Hell
Howdy everyone! Some exciting news: I’m doing a stint at The Nation this month writing...
Liberating Our Homes From the Real Estate–Industrial Complex
Howdy everyone! Some exciting news: I’m...
a year ago
Liberating Our Homes From the Real Estate–Industrial Complex
Howdy everyone! Some exciting news: I’m doing a stint at The Nation this month writing biweekly design columns. In this first one, I’ve done my best to expand on an earlier McMansion Hell post in order to answer the...
Old Structures...
Not What’s Expected
I’ve met a lot of people who have not been to New York who think that Central Park is like a London...
3 months ago
I’ve met a lot of people who have not been to New York who think that Central Park is like a London square, a block-sized oasis surrounded by buildings. The “surrounded by buildings” part is correct, but the size is a bit off. It’s 1.3 square miles (3.4 square kilometers for...
Old Structures...
Minor Errors
From a New York Public Library scrapbook, an 1880 view of Union Square. The title on the web page...
2 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...
Common Edge
Let’s Stop Using the Terms ‘Traditional’ and ‘Modern’
By now, the terms are arbitrary and confusing.
a year ago
By now, the terms are arbitrary and confusing.
The Modern House
Our guide to Twickenham: architectural splendour and riverside walks in south-west London
11 months ago
The Beauty of...
R.I.P. W.C. (1930s Southern Railway toilets, Havant station, Hampshire, UK)
So farewell then, Havant station’s 1930s railway toilets. It is doubtful whether many passengers...
a year ago
So farewell then, Havant station’s 1930s railway toilets. It is doubtful whether many passengers will mourn their loss, but they are another piece of railway heritage that has slipped beyond grasp. If you care about the story of our railways, expressed through their built...
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...
11 months 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
Towers of Silence [EPISODE]
Situated right in downtown Mumbai, India is an area of about 55 acres of dense, overgrown forest. In...
8 months ago
Situated right in downtown Mumbai, India is an area of about 55 acres of dense, overgrown forest. In one of the most populous cities in the world, this is a place where peacocks roam freely — a space out of time. This forest is protected by a religious community. It has survived...
Old Structures...
Loans
I’m not sure why “Is a Library-centric Economy the Answer to Sustainable Living” by Philip Vachon...
2 months ago
I’m not sure why “Is a Library-centric Economy the Answer to Sustainable Living” by Philip Vachon surprised me, but it did. The basic argument is that the ideas that govern good libraries – making as many books available to as many readers as possible, fairly and efficiently, and...
The Modern House
Living in a boxy, brown-brick terrace – enhanced by Danish design sensibilities
3 months ago
Construction Physics
Why Can't the U.S. Build Ships?
This post is cross-posted at Noahpinion.
3 months ago
This post is cross-posted at Noahpinion.
Construction Physics
The Long, Sad History of American Attempts to Build High-Speed Rail, Part I
California has received its fair share of criticism for the trajectory of its high-speed rail...
a year ago
California has received its fair share of criticism for the trajectory of its high-speed rail project. When voters first approved the $10 billion dollar bond issue for the project in 2008, it was projected to be completed by 2020 at a cost of $33 billion. Instead, its costs have
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,...
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...
Old Structures...
Buildings Are Not Static
It can’t be said often enough that buildings move in various ways, from the effect of environmental...
7 months ago
It can’t be said often enough that buildings move in various ways, from the effect of environmental conditions. You’ve got gross structural movement from gravity and lateral loads; up, down, and sideways movement from changes in soil volume from water movement; expansion and...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Renovation Where Adding A Yellow Accent Wall Was A Bright Idea
gon architects have recently completed a small apartment renovation inside a home in Madrid, Spain,...
a year ago
gon architects have recently completed a small apartment renovation inside a home in Madrid, Spain, that includes a bright yellow accent wall. The original apartment, which measures just over 500 square feet (47m2), included a wood ceiling and beams, as well as a separate bedroom...
Benny Kuriakose
The Kerala Mosques That Have Been Restored To Their Past Glory
The remaining structures are a testament to the rich cultural and historical heritage of a society....
a year ago
The remaining structures are a testament to the rich cultural and historical heritage of a society. They include architectural styles,...
Common Edge
Picturing an Exhibition: Closing the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
a year ago
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
Common Edge
Why Gardening Should Be Our Metaphor for Local Development
If your town isn’t cultivating its own economic growth, then it’s being mined for someone else’s...
2 weeks ago
If your town isn’t cultivating its own economic growth, then it’s being mined for someone else’s profit.
SOCKS
Madeleine de Boullogne and Louise-Magdeleine Hortemels, Abbey of Port-Royal-des-Champs: Paintings...
Madeleine de Boullogne, (1646-1710), was a baroque artist born and raised in a family of painters....
over a year ago
Madeleine de Boullogne, (1646-1710), was a baroque artist born and raised in a family of painters. Extremely pious, she remained unmarried and lived a semi-monastic life entirely dedicated to working and teaching. Among the most important commissions, she produced a set of four...
CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – A New Garden Studio For A Writer
MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old...
9 months ago
MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old derelict wash house, that was in danger of slipping down a steep slope and existed at the back of an overgrown garden. Here’s what it looked like originally. The new studio, which has...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Yup
Sometimes, this game is not much of a challenge. Above, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in...
a year ago
Sometimes, this game is not much of a challenge. Above, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in Daredevil. Below, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in Apple Look Around.
99% Invisible
The Little Levee That Could [EPISODE]
Most of the stories in this series have been about places that are ill-prepared for the extreme...
3 months ago
Most of the stories in this series have been about places that are ill-prepared for the extreme weather that is coming their way. But this story is about a place that managed to get the kind of infrastructure that will actually help it survive climate change. How after more than...
Common Edge
Can We Create a Secular and Spiritual Architecture?
It’s not spirituality that’s in retreat, but face to face rituals and customs.
10 months ago
It’s not spirituality that’s in retreat, but face to face rituals and customs.
Old Structures...
A Year Late…
…but who cares? Today is a de facto holiday for a lot of people, and that seems like a good time for...
5 months ago
…but who cares? Today is a de facto holiday for a lot of people, and that seems like a good time for a blog post I should have written last summer. Some of our projects are very big, involving hundreds of thousands of square feet of building. Some are not. The smallest structure...
The Modern House
Good Fortune: the best Chinese restaurants in London
a year ago
Old Structures...
Slow, But Faster Than Original
My in-home team for rebuilding Notre Dame – LEGO Notre Dame – has fallen behind schedule. As of...
4 months ago
My in-home team for rebuilding Notre Dame – LEGO Notre Dame – has fallen behind schedule. As of today, we’re about up to where the Parisians were in 1200 or so. From a month ago, construction of the nave walls: and the forest of nave columns: From yesterday, the nave walls and...
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...
7 months ago
Architect Daniel Cota has shared photos of Glass 20.87, an off-grid project of 8 separate glass houses in Mexico. Each house is spaced 20 to 25 meters apart, allowing for total privacy due to the dense jungle. The construction at Glass 20.87 was entirely artisanal (no machinery...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: An Alternate Past
Comic books are essentially a fantasy medium, which makes it easy for the writers to create...
a year ago
Comic books are essentially a fantasy medium, which makes it easy for the writers to create alternate pasts and futures. Above, a panel from “Gotham By Gaslight” in which a nineteenth-century version of Batman searches for Jack the Ripper. Note the building in the center...
Benny Kuriakose
The Making of Unique Athangudi Tiles : An Unforgettable Experience
Chettinad, the land of wealthy Chettiars in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, is famous not only for...
a year ago
Chettinad, the land of wealthy Chettiars in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, is famous not only for its mouth-watering cuisine but also...
Old Structures...
Shorter
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, two pictures of St. George’s Episcopal Church at the...
2 months ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, two pictures of St. George’s Episcopal Church at the corner of 16th Street and Rutherford Place, on the west side of Stuyvesant Square: Something seems different…can’t quite put my finger on it… The spires were removed in 1889, 33...
Old Structures...
One Pitfall Avoided
I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department...
5 months ago
I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department of Buildings will be examined to identify which buildings are considered to be high risk, and the usual DoB actions – violations, etc. – will start from there. It all depends on...
Blog - Guerrilla...
We are Survivors. We are Stardust.
STARLIGHT AND AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER
This map wouldn’t exist without an igniting spark from an...
over a year ago
STARLIGHT AND AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER
This map wouldn’t exist without an igniting spark from an aerospace engineer. I was visiting with a friend (said engineer) when the theme for the Atlas in a Day Challenge was announced. Upon hearing the theme of Community, she shared that 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...
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.
devonzuegel.com
Book notes: Against the Grain, by James C. Scott
Here are some notes and quotes that particularly stood out to me from each chapter of Against the...
over a year ago
Here are some notes and quotes that particularly stood out to me from each chapter of Against the Grain. This isn't a summary of the book. It's mostly for my future self to refer back to (and thus probably missing a lot for someone who hasn't read it), but the tidbits are so...
The Modern House
Two sisters share the story of their remarkable Patrick Gwynne-designed family home
a year ago
99% Invisible
As Slow As Possible [EPISODE]
In February, everyone who went to a concert in the old medieval town of Halberstadt, Germany, showed...
5 months ago
In February, everyone who went to a concert in the old medieval town of Halberstadt, Germany, showed up 23 years late. This is also concert from which everyone walks out early. The performance is of a piece called ORGAN2/ASLSP. ASLSP stands for “as slow as possible,” which is how...
Common Edge
Are For-Profit Developments Consistent With the Values of a Public University?
These public-private partnerships may not dovetail with the schools’ values or mission.
a year ago
These public-private partnerships may not dovetail with the schools’ values or mission.
The Modern House
Love at First Sight: homes with spectacular views for sale
Is there anything quite like waking up to a breathtaking view? We’re particularly partial to...
a year ago
Is there anything quite like waking up to a breathtaking view? We’re particularly partial to panoramas of rolling fields, big blue waves and slick cityscapes – all of which appear in this story. From a flat in St Leonards overlooking the sea to a Limehouse […]
devonzuegel.com
On bounties
Michael Kaminsky recently emailed me an interesting post he wrote about bounties in open source, and...
over a year ago
Michael Kaminsky recently emailed me an interesting post he wrote about bounties in open source, and I took the opportunity to write up some thoughts that had been swirling in my head for a while. You can find the (lightly edited) response I sent to him below.
~
Bounties are...
CONTEMPORIST
A Slightly Different Angled Ridge Line Was Given To Each Home In This Passive House Development
RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House...
a year ago
RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House Construction LLC, has shared photos of Brucewood Homes, a collection of internationally certified Passive House single-family homes. The Brucewood Homes project is a series of...
A Weekly Dose of...
42 Years of Critical Regionalism
(Covers of some of the books discussed in this post)
If your first reaction to the title of...
a year ago
(Covers of some of the books discussed in this post)
If your first reaction to the title of this post is something along the lines of, "Wait, isn't critical regionalism just 40 years old?," then everything you think know about critical regionalism is partial, in both senses...
McMansion Hell
dome sweet dome
As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to...
a year ago
As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to learn the world’s most widely spoken and useful language: Slovenian. At this point, my Slovenian is about as coherent as, well, a McMansion. In order to feel better about myself, I...
The Modern House
Jonny Gent: music, martinis and mayhem from the founder of Sessions Arts Club
The line between art and food is a fine one. Both are sensory, emotive and experiential; both are...
10 months ago
The line between art and food is a fine one. Both are sensory, emotive and experiential; both are fundamentally creative endeavours. But for Jonny Gent, painter and founder of Sessions Arts Club and Boath House, two new stars in the British hospitality firmament, the line […]
The Modern House
The Green Series: how to re-create the five principles of Passivhaus design on a budget
If The Modern House had a Word of the Year, then Passivhaus would probably be it. Passivhaus emerged...
a month ago
If The Modern House had a Word of the Year, then Passivhaus would probably be it. Passivhaus emerged as a set of design principles in the 1980s and has come to represent the world-leading standard in energy-efficient homes. It guarantees a happy balance of sustainability […]
Coffee with an...
GENERAL NOTES:
*feel free to add these to your construction documents
a year ago
*feel free to add these to your construction documents
The Modern House
How chef Johnnie Collins makes the most of his compact kitchen in Dalston
a year ago
Construction Physics
The Shape of Nuclear Policy
Book review: Nuclear Politics: Energy and the State in the United States, Sweden, and France
6 months ago
Book review: Nuclear Politics: Energy and the State in the United States, Sweden, and France
There are two types...
My Comments at the Midtown South Social Equity and Music Festival
Fifty-one years ago, the Pennsylvania Railroad tragically tore down Pennsylvania Station. Not only...
3 months ago
Fifty-one years ago, the Pennsylvania Railroad tragically tore down Pennsylvania Station. Not only is it the best building ever torn down in New York, but in the combined Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, we got the worst building in … Continue reading →
The post My...
99% Invisible
Cue the Sun! [EPISODE]
Back in 2003, Emily Nussbaum developed a covert guilty pleasure: she started watching the streaming...
2 months ago
Back in 2003, Emily Nussbaum developed a covert guilty pleasure: she started watching the streaming 24-hour feeds of the first season of Big Brother in the U.S. Big Brother is a reality television show that debuted in the US in the year 2000. If you’ve never seen it, the show is...
Archinect - Features
Being Laid off Is Tough; So Is Waiting To Be
Findings from our recent Archinect Business Survey suggest that many architecture employees do not...
3 months ago
Findings from our recent Archinect Business Survey suggest that many architecture employees do not feel secure in their current roles. For those facing the looming prospect of layoffs in the coming weeks or months, the emotional strain can be as taxing as that experienced by...
The Modern House
A fossil-shaped eco home on the border of Devon and Somerset
a year ago
The Modern House
How Robin and Bronwen Burgess created a haven overlooking Hampstead Heath
a year ago
The Modern House
A new chapter: seven creatively converted homes
It takes an especially skilled eye to see the potential of somewhere to call home in a space not...
a month ago
It takes an especially skilled eye to see the potential of somewhere to call home in a space not designed with that in mind. But in this country, with its architectural tapestry of period buildings and premium on space, we have become adept at repackaging […]
The Modern House
Sumayya Vally: the South African architect on how growing up in a township defined her sense of...
Sumayya Vally is a South African architect whose star is in the ascendant. At the age of 30, she...
8 months ago
Sumayya Vally is a South African architect whose star is in the ascendant. At the age of 30, she became the youngest architect to receive the prestigious annual summer pavilion commission at the Serpentine Gallery in London. A slew of accolades and honoraries followed and […]
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap part II
(note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to...
a year ago
(note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to Part II of “How did Solar Power Get Cheap?” To recap Part I, the modern solar photovoltaic (PV) cell was invented at Bell Labs in 1954. Early markets were almost entirely...
The Modern House
The beauty of life in the heart of the Barbican
a year ago
Archinect - Features
'What Is Truly Good About AI, Nobody Has Probably Thought of Yet'; A Conversation with...
To many, Richard Saul Wurman is inevitably introduced as "the man who created TED." Since Wurman...
a year ago
To many, Richard Saul Wurman is inevitably introduced as "the man who created TED." Since Wurman organized the first TED conference in 1984, the organization's library has expanded to over 4,300 publicly available videos from some of the world's greatest minds about some of...
Common Edge
Is AI Really the Next Big Thing in Architecture?
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
a year ago
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow: The Empire State Building and the World Trade Center (Part I)
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931. At a height of 1250 feet [0], it was the world's...
over a year ago
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931. At a height of 1250 feet [0], it was the world's tallest building, exceeding the recently completed Chrysler building by 202 feet. It would hold that title for the next 39 years, until 1970 when it was surpassed in height by...
Old Structures...
Best Commute Ever
The conference I am currently attending is at ETH, the famous engineering school in Zurich. My hotel...
5 months ago
The conference I am currently attending is at ETH, the famous engineering school in Zurich. My hotel is not far away in a two-dimensional sense. I picked it some months ago by looking at a map and thinking that it was a short walk from campus. It’s a short flight to campus if...
devonzuegel.com
A libertarian just won Argentina's presidency... what's going on?
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential...
a year ago
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential election, here's some background.
First, a key fact is that the government is printing money at an accelerating rate, resulting in 143% annual inflation as of the most recent count. The...
Old Structures...
Not Quite Changing
First, “Facade, 317 Broadway” from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York Project”, taken in 1936....
10 months ago
First, “Facade, 317 Broadway” from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York Project”, taken in 1936. Second, a street view photo of 319 Broadway, today. 317 Broadway is at the southwest corner of Thomas Street and Broadway; 319 at the northwest corner. So unless this building moved...
Archinect - Features
3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, and Space Habitats: A Conversation with ICON’s Melodie...
As a ‘Space Architect’ working on the design and delivery of 3D printed habitats on the Moon and...
9 months ago
As a ‘Space Architect’ working on the design and delivery of 3D printed habitats on the Moon and Mars, Melodie Yashar is aware that, even in space, 3D printing does not exist in a vacuum. Like any construction methodology, it requires a confluence of design intent, delivery...
CONTEMPORIST
A Green Roof Covers This Unique Vehicle Charging Station
Architecture firm ADEPT has shared photos of Norlys Charging Park Drejebaenken, a contemporary...
2 months ago
Architecture firm ADEPT has shared photos of Norlys Charging Park Drejebaenken, a contemporary charging station in Odense, Denmark. The charging park design consists of easily recognizable details and elements that can be adapted to different geographical locations and sizes. The...
Common Edge
The Challenge of Creating a Women-Friendly Architecture School in Afghanistan
Years of effort have been undone by political strife, while earthquakes have further destroyed...
a year ago
Years of effort have been undone by political strife, while earthquakes have further destroyed heritage structures.
Common Edge
As Brooklyn Nets’ Value Booms, a Missed Opportunity With the Arena
A $688 million Koch family (!) investment shows the enormous upside for NBA team owners.
6 months ago
A $688 million Koch family (!) investment shows the enormous upside for NBA team owners.
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...
10 months 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...
Archinect - Features
What Europe Can (and Can’t) Tell the US About Architectural Licensure
In the third part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we reflect on what the United States can learn...
6 months ago
In the third part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we reflect on what the United States can learn from the architecture licensure models of other nations. While doing so, we speak with Peggy Deamer, Professor Emerita of Yale University's School of Architecture, whose book...
The Modern House
Old meets new at a masterfully renovated 400-year-old farmhouse in the South Downs
a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Artistic
From a stand-alone comic about the Penguin, a museum in Gotham City: From the Look Around feature in...
7 months ago
From a stand-alone comic about the Penguin, a museum in Gotham City: From the Look Around feature in Apple Maps, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Fifth Avenue facade: From 1900, when the main facade of the center block was complete, but the wings not yet constructed: The rough...
There are two types...
Mariaplaats, Utrecht
The post Mariaplaats, Utrecht appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good...
over a year ago
The post Mariaplaats, Utrecht appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good architecture, and the other kind.
The Wandering...
53° 30′ N
So, there I am, driving along in Edmonton, Alberta. I come to a stop light on Fort Road, look to my...
over a year ago
So, there I am, driving along in Edmonton, Alberta. I come to a stop light on Fort Road, look to my right and I see this: Is that a building with longitudes written on the roof?!?! And what are these longitudes? 9° 49’ W—that’s nowhere near Edmonton! Nor is 123°30’ E. What’s …...
The Modern House
Plot Twist: seven plots of land with planning permission for sale
If, like us, you take pleasure in seeing a project built from scratch, this round-up of listings...
a year ago
If, like us, you take pleasure in seeing a project built from scratch, this round-up of listings might be just the thing for you. Here we’re highlighting the best plots of land for sale that come with plans for cutting-edge contemporary builds or conversions. From […]
Old Structures...
A Variety Pack
I haven’t done one of these for a while and it’s too hot to think, so here goes: the view east on...
5 months ago
I haven’t done one of these for a while and it’s too hot to think, so here goes: the view east on Bridge Street from Whitehall Street gives a nice selection of lower Manhattan building types. A: One Whitehall Street. 1962, 23-story office building with a glass and metal-panel...
Contemporist...
A Re-Imagined Side Extension With A Slatted Wood Design
YARD Architects has shared photos of a side extension they re-imagined for a home in Greater London,...
a year ago
YARD Architects has shared photos of a side extension they re-imagined for a home in Greater London, England, that creates an open and bright dining area and kitchen.
Old Structures...
Prefiguring The Future
I want to return to the 1834 map I showed a piece of yesterday. New York in 1834 was missing much of...
a year ago
I want to return to the 1834 map I showed a piece of yesterday. New York in 1834 was missing much of the built environment that we associate with it today – no skyscrapers, no subways, no els, no tunnels, no bridges except at the Harlem River, not much in the way of water supply...
The Modern House
How architect Alex Nikjoo lifted a lower-ground floor flat with a lightness of touch
4 months ago
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #08: Shiloh Frederick [EPISODE]
This is the eighth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
4 months ago
This is the eighth 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 Shiloh Frederick. Born and raised in New York City, Shiloh is a writer and...
Common Edge
It’s Time to Blur the Boundaries Between Town and Gown
University campus planning should look outward to the surrounding city.
6 months ago
University campus planning should look outward to the surrounding city.
Old Structures...
An Original Or An Imitation Of An Imitation
The Leonard Street facade of 249 Church Street: For this discussion, ignore the stone ground-floor...
6 months ago
The Leonard Street facade of 249 Church Street: For this discussion, ignore the stone ground-floor storefront, which was a 1920s alteration of this 1867 loft building, probably replacing cast iron columns and lintels. The rest of the facade is, per the Landmarks designation...
Construction Physics
The blast furnace - 800 years of technology improvement
The modern world uses shocking amounts of steel - in the US, we make roughly 575 pounds of steel per...
a year ago
The modern world uses shocking amounts of steel - in the US, we make roughly 575 pounds of steel per person per year. At the peak of US steelmaking in the late 1960s, it was closer to 1500 pounds per person, which is roughly how much China makes now.
Archinect - Features
The Illusion of Space: Can Artificial Intelligence Understand the Third Dimension?
Popular text-to-image generators like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion have introduced what...
a year ago
Popular text-to-image generators like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion have introduced what some believe to be a new creative frontier in the architectural design process. However, they also encourage us to reflect on a series of relationships at the heart of design,...
Common Edge
“What Would Jane Jacobs Do?” Is the Wrong Question
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
3 months ago
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
A Weekly Dose of...
2023 in Architecture Books, So Far
Life, they say, throws you curve balls, and that's just what happened last month, when a family...
a year ago
Life, they say, throws you curve balls, and that's just what happened last month, when a family emergency had me put this blog on hiatus. This post, appearing on a Friday instead of its regular Monday, does not mean regular weekly posts will resume, as I'll be dealing with said...
The Modern House
Mary Portas: the queen of the high street’s inspiring journey from homeless orphan to a London...
Our guest on this episode of our podcast, Homing In, is Mary Portas. As a retail consultant and...
a year ago
Our guest on this episode of our podcast, Homing In, is Mary Portas. As a retail consultant and broadcaster, Mary is best known for presenting TV shows such as Mary Queen of Shops, in which she came to the rescue of the UK’s failing high […]
The Modern House
Shifted into a different place: landscape designer Darren Hawkes describes the transformative...
5 months ago
Coffee with an...
How to be a better architect
Ask yourself, “Is this needed?” Remove everything that isn’t. Study the function of the building...
a year ago
Ask yourself, “Is this needed?” Remove everything that isn’t. Study the function of the building well, but don’t let it drive the design. Connect the spaces with nature. Master the use of natural light. Create a balance between public and private spaces. Organize the Floorplan....
The Modern House
Harriet Verney on her camp interiors and life within a converted Bible factory in Dalston
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Sometimes Disagreeable Foreign Land, Part 2
Continuing my stroll the 1893 Baedeker description of New York, pages 12 and 13 are a list of “chief...
2 weeks ago
Continuing my stroll the 1893 Baedeker description of New York, pages 12 and 13 are a list of “chief lines” of streetcars in Manhattan. There’s a parenthetical note that there are three streetcar lines that cross the Harlem River in “The ‘Annexed District’”. That’s the west...
The Modern House
Rich Pickings: four homes for sale in Kent
Fruit may be Kent’s greatest export, but as regular explorers of our listings will know, there are...
a year ago
Fruit may be Kent’s greatest export, but as regular explorers of our listings will know, there are other sweet surprises to be found here – albeit of a more architectural streak. And while there’s plenty of history to be found in this corner of the […]
99% Invisible
RoboUmp [EPISODE]
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind...
a year ago
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind home plate, who has arguably the most important job, calling balls and strikes. A strike is basically any hittable pitch — something over the plate, between the batter’s chest and his...
CONTEMPORIST
A Dark Exterior Helps To Hide This Modern Home In The Forest
Robert Young Architects has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Virginia, that’s...
a year ago
Robert Young Architects has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Virginia, that’s surrounded by a forest and features a dark exterior. The multi-storey home was designed from the inside out, with the architects allowing the function of the house to determine its form....
Contemporist...
Lighting Is Used To Create A Warm Glowing Atmosphere For This Restaurant
FUNUN LAB has shared photos of a Japanese-inspired restaurant they designed in Beijing, China, that...
a year ago
FUNUN LAB has shared photos of a Japanese-inspired restaurant they designed in Beijing, China, that includes a variety of lighting that helps create a unique interior.
Archinect - Features
Architectural Visualization Was Rather Flat: Then We Invented Perspective
Before the invention of architectural perspective, architects and artists faced significant...
2 months ago
Before the invention of architectural perspective, architects and artists faced significant challenges in visualizing and communicating architectural space. Without a systematic way to represent depth and spatial relationships, architectural drawings were often symbolic,...
The Modern House
Step Outside: six top-tier terraces in London homes for sale
With the sun hanging around until the early hours of the evening and the daffodils’ golden trumpets...
a year ago
With the sun hanging around until the early hours of the evening and the daffodils’ golden trumpets heralding that spring is in full swing, it finally feels like we’re properly coming out of hibernation. And where better to admire the return of the rays than […]
CONTEMPORIST
An Old Brick Home Received A Modern Wood-Clad Extension
ID Architecture has shared photos of a house extension they designed that has been thoughtfully...
a month ago
ID Architecture has shared photos of a house extension they designed that has been thoughtfully integrated into the existing property in the small village of South Kelsey, England. Originally built in the early 19th century, the property named ‘The Old Rectory’ has undergone...
Archinect - Features
Echoes and Requiems: Reflecting on the Legacy of Woodbury University School of Architecture...
In the summer of 2006, I received a call from my friend and colleague Catherine Herbst, who had...
6 months ago
In the summer of 2006, I received a call from my friend and colleague Catherine Herbst, who had recently become the head of Woodbury University School of Architecture in San Diego (WUSD) following the departure of the previous chair, Geraldine Forbes, to New Mexico. During our...
Construction Physics
How California Turned Against Growth
Even before it became a state, people migrated to California in search of a better life: for jobs,...
4 months ago
Even before it became a state, people migrated to California in search of a better life: for jobs, the chance to become rich and famous, or simply the comfortable climate and beautiful landscape.
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