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Old Structures...
Pro Tip, As They Say A slightly-redacted photo from a Brooklyn site visit, showing a diagram on the wall in a maintenance...
a month ago
17
a month ago
A slightly-redacted photo from a Brooklyn site visit, showing a diagram on the wall in a maintenance room: No one I spoke to had floor plans of any kind for the building. I knew it had a steel frame but not where the interior columns were. And then, during a site visit, a handy...
Old Structures...
Examples Illustrated I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was,...
10 months ago
8
10 months ago
I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was, as expected, informative and interesting. Obviously, that’s not what I’m going to write about here. The conference was at Convene (a place where you can rent space for conferences)...
The Modern House
An apartment with star quality in a converted recording studio in west London
a year ago
The Modern House
Green note: six energy-efficient homes with impressive EPC ratings  Until a few years ago, casting your eye over a home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) was...
2 months ago
23
2 months ago
Until a few years ago, casting your eye over a home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) was little more than a slightly boring formality. But, with the mounting energy crisis, these somewhat obtuse, multi-coloured charts have started to come into their own. (In fact, we have...
The Modern House
Getting the most out of the least in a peaceful, strokable flat in north London
5 months ago
Old Structures...
Land Engineering This map shows the proposed street layout in Manhattan from the original northern boundary at 155th...
12 months ago
6
12 months ago
This map shows the proposed street layout in Manhattan from the original northern boundary at 155th Street (on the left, where the blocks are shown as featureless white rectangles) to the northern tip of the island (on the right). I mentioned two days ago that the street layout...
Old Structures...
Reuse, Well Done From Carol Highsmith’s archive, a Target store in Brooklyn in 2018. If you’re going to reuse an old...
4 months ago
24
4 months ago
From Carol Highsmith’s archive, a Target store in Brooklyn in 2018. If you’re going to reuse an old theater for your big-box store, why not reuse the marquee and vertical knife sign for advertising?
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
7
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...
Construction Physics
How the Car Came to LA Since at least the 1960s, urbanists have bemoaned the car-centric nature of US transportation. In...
a year ago
5
a year ago
Since at least the 1960s, urbanists have bemoaned the car-centric nature of US transportation. In her 1961 “The Death and Life of Great American Cities," Jane Jacobs notes that “everyone who values cities is disturbed by automobiles”: Traffic arteries, along with parking lots,...
99% Invisible
Mr. Yuk [EPISODE] Some of you may be familiar with a figure called Mr. Yuk, depending on your age and where you grew...
7 months ago
38
7 months ago
Some of you may be familiar with a figure called Mr. Yuk, depending on your age and where you grew up, but for rest of you: Mr. Yuk is a neon green circular sticker with a cartoon face on it. His face is scrunched up with his eyes squeezed tight and his tongue is sticking The...
Old Structures...
Happy Presidents’ Day The cover of the dinner menu for Washington’s Birthday from the SS Columbia of the Hamburg-Amerika...
10 months ago
26
10 months ago
The cover of the dinner menu for Washington’s Birthday from the SS Columbia of the Hamburg-Amerika Line. That’s a portrati of the Columbia on the right, apparently about to run down a sailboat. Columbia had a weird history, having served as a liner between Germany and the US,...
The Modern House
A beloved mid-century home built for a lifetime of colour and creation by two architects
7 months ago
The Solarchitecture...
Solarchitect's book recommendations I. “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” - Cicero
over a year ago
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
18
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 […]
Construction Physics
Why Is It So Hard to Build an Airport? Airports are a critical piece of modern infrastructure. Aviation contributes an estimated 8% to...
9 months ago
30
9 months ago
Airports are a critical piece of modern infrastructure. Aviation contributes an estimated 8% to global GDP through direct and indirect effects (ie: the businesses and commerce that it enables), and an estimated 25% of companies’ sales rely on air transport. In 2022, civil...
Contemporist...
This Australian Terrace House Was Modernized For Today's Living Chan Architecture has shared photos of a project they recently completed in Clifton Hill, Australia,...
a year ago
10
a year ago
Chan Architecture has shared photos of a project they recently completed in Clifton Hill, Australia, that included transforming the interior of a terrace house into a modern home.
There are two types...
Traffic Flow and the Status Quo: There are better ways to spend $10 billion than rebuilding the BQE New York City plans to spend more than $10 billion on a project that will speed up climate change...
a year ago
22
a year ago
New York City plans to spend more than $10 billion on a project that will speed up climate change and increase the number of New Yorkers killed by traffic and pollution. The good news is that the city will hold … Continue reading → The post Traffic Flow and the Status Quo: There...
Blog - Guerrilla...
From Our Southern Border to a Cottonwood Tree I am an artist and not a trained cartographer. Because my work or message is often about the...
over a year ago
20
over a year ago
I am an artist and not a trained cartographer. Because my work or message is often about the environment, geopolitical issues, water, animal and human rights, I look for how I might highlight particular issues, and then draw a word picture to go with the visual message of the...
A Weekly Dose of...
Book Briefs #49 The most recent numbered installment of "Book Briefs," the series of occasional posts featuring...
a year ago
35
a year ago
The most recent numbered installment of "Book Briefs," the series of occasional posts featuring short first-hand descriptions of some of the numerous books that publishers send to me for consideration on this blog, was #48, back in December. I wasn't planning on continuing the...
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
40
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Small Elevated Cabin Inspired By A Bird’s Nest Architect Jan Tyrpekl, has shared photos of a small elevated cabin that was designed in Hainburg an...
11 months ago
10
11 months ago
Architect Jan Tyrpekl, has shared photos of a small elevated cabin that was designed in Hainburg an der Donau, Austria, for a client who owned a farm and wanted somewhere to relax. Located on the border of a young orchard and mature trees. It has an archetypal house shape, but it...
Common Edge
In Warsaw, a Student-Designed Architectural Response to Dark Times The Freedom Pavilion offers a beautiful way to contemplate peace, freedom, and solidarity with...
a year ago
Old Structures...
Uncluttered From 1946, a view from 501 Madison Avenue looking southwest past St. Patrick’s Cathedral to...
4 months ago
27
4 months ago
From 1946, a view from 501 Madison Avenue looking southwest past St. Patrick’s Cathedral to Rockefeller Center. The International Building on the right partially blocks the view of the taller RCA Building, with the (old) Time-Life building off to the left. The construction site...
Common Edge
Making the Economic Case for Biophilic Design Green building pioneer Bill Browning on why designing with nature is good business.
a year ago
Blog - Guerrilla...
Love Letter Back Home Mapped October 5th, written December 2019: As I noted in my last Guerrilla Cartography Cartographer...
over a year ago
17
over a year ago
Mapped October 5th, written December 2019: As I noted in my last Guerrilla Cartography Cartographer Spotlight (May 2019), my career has been a diverse mix of my two professional passions, cartography and participatory mapping. Cartography is about the place; it’s top-down, it’s...
Common Edge
How FEMA’s New “Resilience Zone” Program Works “The goal is to ensure that the most at-risk...communities have the support, resources, and...
a year ago
9
a year ago
“The goal is to ensure that the most at-risk...communities have the support, resources, and opportunities they need.”
CONTEMPORIST
A Desk Designed To Hide Inside The Wall Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they renovated in Queens, New York, that includes an interesting design detail. As working from home has become much more popular, especially over the last few years, the designers...
Old Structures...
A Moment Captured This sketch is labelled ‘Architectural drawing for a customs house (“United States Custom House”),...
11 months ago
7
11 months ago
This sketch is labelled ‘Architectural drawing for a customs house (“United States Custom House”), New York, New York’ on the Library of Congress website. It’s not clear if that title was somehow written on the sketch or is a librarian’s interpretation of the content. It’s...
99% Invisible
Train Set: Track Three [EPISODE] Happy National Train Day, everyone – for those of you who missed it: that was May 13th this year. A...
a year ago
54
a year ago
Happy National Train Day, everyone – for those of you who missed it: that was May 13th this year. A year ago, we started down this path with Train Set: Track One, which gave way to Track Two …and now, here we are for the final part of our train-fecta. First Stop: Shining Time...
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
2
a year ago
The remaining structures are a testament to the rich cultural and historical heritage of a society. They include architectural styles,...
CONTEMPORIST
A House Designed Like Two Barns Beside Each Other Exterio Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in the Kujawy region of Poland, that...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Exterio Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in the Kujawy region of Poland, that has a layout similar to two barns positioned side-by-side. The home has been designed to take advantage of the long and narrow lot, with the layout divided into two interconnected...
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on nature With the arrival of April, its showers and – hopefully – some flowers, comes a new theme for the...
8 months ago
27
8 months ago
With the arrival of April, its showers and – hopefully – some flowers, comes a new theme for the Journal’s content. As we did with space in January, light in February and materials in March, for the coming weeks we’ll be looking at all the […]
The Wandering...
Mapping Gottfried Merzbacher I’m wrapping up my work on Gottfried Merzbacher—a sort of back-burner project that’s been active and...
over a year ago
39
over a year ago
I’m wrapping up my work on Gottfried Merzbacher—a sort of back-burner project that’s been active and then dormant, on and off, for about seven years. It’s been a pleasure to learn about places like the Bayumkol valley, the relationship between the Saryzhaz and Kum-erik Rivers,...
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
48
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...
Old Structures...
New And Improved Graphics! Seven years ago [!] I spent some time looking at the Pearl Street overpass portion of the Manhattan...
2 months ago
23
2 months ago
Seven years ago [!] I spent some time looking at the Pearl Street overpass portion of the Manhattan approach of the Brooklyn Bridge. The short version is that it’s an 1880s steel truss reinforced in the mid-1900s with a steel arch below. The long discussion is: here and here and...
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
7
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...
Contemporist...
A Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation Updates This Home With New Ideas Australian-based Studio Minosa has shared photos of a kitchen and bathroom renovation they completed...
a year ago
5
a year ago
Australian-based Studio Minosa has shared photos of a kitchen and bathroom renovation they completed for a Sydney suburban home owned by a design-conscious couple.
Common Edge
On Winning—and Not Winning—Design Competitions It’s the Competition Conundrum: You Can’t Lose If You Don’t Play.
a year ago
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
17
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...
SOCKS
Database, Network, Interface : The Architecture of Information. An exhibition at Archizoom (EPFL),... We are pleased to announce that we are curating an exhibition that will open in September at the...
over a year ago
12
over a year ago
We are pleased to announce that we are curating an exhibition that will open in September at the Archizoom Gallery (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland.  In an age characterised by the increasing dematerialisation of cultural production and transmission, Database, Network, Interface...
Old Structures...
Social Commentary In A Map Above, David Burr’s 1834 map of New York. I guess 190 years make a bit of a difference. This is, in...
5 months ago
39
5 months ago
Above, David Burr’s 1834 map of New York. I guess 190 years make a bit of a difference. This is, in some ways, more of a map-like graphic than an actual map. The shaded areas are not the only places where there were buildings, but rather the areas that were solidly built up....
CONTEMPORIST
A Pair Of Wellness Cabins Perched Among The Trees Thirtyone Design + Management has shared photos of a pair of green wellness cabins that they have...
a year ago
19
a year ago
Thirtyone Design + Management has shared photos of a pair of green wellness cabins that they have completed for the Grand Hotel Timeo in Taormina, Italy. Designed as part of the hotel’s celebration of the iconic property’s 150-year anniversary, the cabins unveil a partnership...
CONTEMPORIST
A Pier Foundation Allowed This Home To Be Built On A Steeply Sloped Property LTD Architectural Design Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Auckland, New...
a year ago
46
a year ago
LTD Architectural Design Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Auckland, New Zealand, that’s located on a steep site. This very steep site provided a challenge for the architects in terms of creating a suitable living platform. They wanted to minimize piling...
Common Edge
Who Is Using Who? The Architect-Patron Fame Game The co-mingling of famous client and famous designer has a long history.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Distillery-Inspired Materials Are Featured Throughout The Interior Of This Gin Bar Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent...
11 months ago
31
11 months ago
Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent us photos of the Moretti Gin Bar that they have recently completed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The design of the bar incorporates elements that have been inspired by the gin...
Construction Physics
How I Write Posts I sometimes get asked what my process is for researching and writing Substack posts. I always enjoy...
10 months ago
49
10 months ago
I sometimes get asked what my process is for researching and writing Substack posts. I always enjoy reading other people’s discussions of their writing process, so I thought it would be worthwhile to explain mine. First, some background. In school I was a competent but...
The Solarchitecture...
Circadian rhythm and solar home design If our body is not tuned to our circadian rhythm, we can hardly be in flow with Life.
over a year ago
99% Invisible
The Fever Tree Hunt [EPISODE] “Most heists target gold, jewels or cash. This one targeted illegal seeds. As the British...
a year ago
103
a year ago
“Most heists target gold, jewels or cash. This one targeted illegal seeds. As the British established their sprawling empire across the subcontinent and beyond, they encountered a formidable adversary — malaria. There was a cure — the bark of the Andean cinchona tree. The only...
A Weekly Dose of...
From Slow House to Blue Dream Blue Dream is a house designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro for Julia "Julie" Reyes Taubman and her...
a year ago
20
a year ago
Blue Dream is a house designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro for Julia "Julie" Reyes Taubman and her husband Robert "Bobby" Taubman. The house, located in East Hampton, on the South Fork of Long Island, was completed in 2017, nearly 30 years after the architects were commissioned...
The Architectural...
Architect Releases Academic Dissertation That Questions Architects’ Taste Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new...
8 months ago
19
8 months ago
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new houses made in a traditional style. But this is exactly what the average person appreciates. “Why do many architects dislike the very thing that residents often enjoy?” asks architect...
Common Edge
The Art and Angst of Architecture in Southern California An excerpt from An Urban Odyssey: A Critic’s Search for the Soul of Cities and Self.
3 weeks ago
Old Structures...
The Easy Route On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much...
4 months ago
34
4 months ago
On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much as there is a southwest Queens (that corner isn’t very big because most of where it might have been is Brooklyn) used to have service on the Long Island Railroad and now don’t. I...
The Modern House
A mid-century renovation project overlooking the water in south Cornwall
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Scalloped Ceilings Are The Elegance Overhead In This New York Apartment Frederick Tang Architecture has designed the interior of an apartment on the Upper West Side of...
4 months ago
32
4 months ago
Frederick Tang Architecture has designed the interior of an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for a couple and their three children. Inspired by their Indian heritage, the family wanted to incorporate stone into their home, and they were also drawn toward color and...
The Modern House
Architects Mariia Pashenko and Koen Schaballie on the radical reinvention of their Victorian home in...
a year ago
Old Structures...
Solving A Non-Existent Problem This drawing by William Barclay Parsons, from 1887, is quite something. It shows a 12-span viaduct...
11 months ago
5
11 months ago
This drawing by William Barclay Parsons, from 1887, is quite something. It shows a 12-span viaduct with two bridges to carry a street from the top of a hill gradually down to the lower grade over a mile to the north. This is the same northern portion of Manhattan of which I said...
Old Structures...
A Metaphor When I was maybe ten years old, visiting the observation deck of the Empire State Building, I heard...
7 months ago
32
7 months ago
When I was maybe ten years old, visiting the observation deck of the Empire State Building, I heard someone describe the view as being like the buildings were a beard and Central Park a shaved strip. In 1952, there were far fewer high-rises on the Upper East and Upper West Sides,...
A Weekly Dose of...
Ten Pairs of Books for Christmas This year's roundup of books to give to discerning architects for the holidays is presented in...
a year ago
18
a year ago
This year's roundup of books to give to discerning architects for the holidays is presented in pairs. While at least one book in each pair is new, the other one isn't necessarily so — new, old, or not-so-old, it is related to the first in some manner, as explained in my...
CONTEMPORIST
A Calming Interior Was Designed For This Home In Spain Susanna Cots Interior Design has shared a project they recently completed in Spain, that includes a...
a year ago
53
a year ago
Susanna Cots Interior Design has shared a project they recently completed in Spain, that includes a calm material palette. Large windows were integrated into the homes’ design so that the surrounding nature and the gardens could be seen from within the home. In the garden,...
The Modern House
Shifted into a different place: landscape designer Darren Hawkes describes the transformative...
5 months ago
Common Edge
Architecture With Empathy In An Age of Division and Discord Buildings can be designed to antagonize communities, or serve as welcoming presences.
a week ago
The Modern House
Designer James Shaw’s self-built sunken house in east London
a year ago
Construction Physics
Which Construction Tasks Have Gotten Cheaper? We spend a lot of time around here looking at construction costs, and whenever we do the same story...
a year ago
9
a year ago
We spend a lot of time around here looking at construction costs, and whenever we do the same story emerges: construction never gets cheaper. Construction costs tend to rise at or above the level of overall inflation. A square foot of building costs as much or more to build today...
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
6
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...
A Weekly Dose of...
Favorite Books of 2022 For this last post of 2022 I looked back at the dozens of books I reviewed or featured as "Book...
over a year ago
23
over a year ago
For this last post of 2022 I looked back at the dozens of books I reviewed or featured as "Book Briefs" on this blog, and the ones I reviewed on World-Architects. From those books I gathered just over a dozen favorites, grouping them into some common themes that happened to come...
Old Structures...
Peeking Ahead The picture above – an aquatint according to the New York Public Library – was created in 1834, and...
a year ago
10
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...
devonzuegel.com
What are startup cities for? While the startup cities industry is still small, it is already quite heterogeneous. Each project...
over a year ago
6
over a year ago
While the startup cities industry is still small, it is already quite heterogeneous. Each project has its own distinct set of goals, motivations, and scope. However, this diversity isn’t fully captured by the vocabulary we use right now. To help myself create a mental map of the...
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
12
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,...
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
18
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 […]
Old Structures...
Gaudy This scrapbook clipping is listed as 1895 to 1945. The presence of the entrance kiosk for the City...
a week ago
9
a week ago
This scrapbook clipping is listed as 1895 to 1945. The presence of the entrance kiosk for the City Hall subway stop means it’s after 1904. I’m not sure if the Municipal Building (built 1909 to 1914) would be visible from this angle or would be off the left side of the frame; the...
SOCKS
The Hidden Territory: USGS’s 1950’s to 1970’s Isometric Geological Diagrams The online archive of the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey is a valuable...
a year ago
59
a year ago
The online archive of the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey is a valuable resource filled with detailed three-dimensional territorial maps employing various representational techniques. Thanks to the work of artist, designer, and developer Jill Hubleys...
CONTEMPORIST
Bamboo And Traditional Craftsmanship Weave Nature Into The Design Of This Retail And Exhibition... Design firm llLab., has shared photos of a sculptural bamboo installation they recently completed as...
2 months ago
31
2 months ago
Design firm llLab., has shared photos of a sculptural bamboo installation they recently completed as part of the Element pop-up store at HKRI Taikoo Hui in Shanghai, China. Aligned with Element’s sustainable branding philosophy, this project embraces bamboo to explore a spatial...
Archinect - Features
An Industry Pins Its Hopes on Interest Rate Cuts: Archinect’s State of AEC July 2024 Welcome to the second installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
4 months ago
28
4 months ago
Welcome to the second installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically. As we reflect back on June and...
Old Structures...
He Is, After All, A Boy From Queens
2 months ago
Old Structures...
The Skull Beneath The Feathers I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a...
4 weeks ago
11
4 weeks ago
I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a structural engineer who likes birds.
CONTEMPORIST
The Neutral Palette Of This Home’s Interior Evokes The Tranquility Of A Spa Developer Comma Projects, together with interior designer Kate Richards and building designer Jayson...
9 months ago
26
9 months ago
Developer Comma Projects, together with interior designer Kate Richards and building designer Jayson Pate Design, has completed a duplex in Queensland, Australia, with a distinctly neutral interior. Let’s take a look inside one of the villas where the design objective was to...
McMansion Hell
mojo dojo casa house Howdy folks! Sorry for the delay, I was, uhhhh covering the Tour de France. Anyway, I’m back in...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Howdy folks! Sorry for the delay, I was, uhhhh covering the Tour de France. Anyway, I’m back in Chicago which means this blog has returned to the Chicago suburbs. I’m sure you’ve all seen Barbie at this point so this 2019 not-so-dream house will come as a pleasant (?)...
The Architectural...
Architects vs. the Public: A Surprising Study Sheds Light on Aesthetic Preferences Do architects have a different taste in buildings compared to the rest of us? A recent Swedish study...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Do architects have a different taste in buildings compared to the rest of us? A recent Swedish study delves into this question, and the findings are intriguing. In the study “Green City Branding – How People Respond to the Built Environment“, people were asked to rate five...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Project Jessica Drew, in her Spider-Woman gear, visits Belvedere Castle. It’s reasonably clear that in the...
9 months ago
10
9 months ago
Jessica Drew, in her Spider-Woman gear, visits Belvedere Castle. It’s reasonably clear that in the frame on the right she’s standing in the pavillion looking across to the main tower.
CONTEMPORIST
A Fireplace Divides This Long Living Room Creating A Separate Home Office Area Toronto-based interior design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a living room that they...
a year ago
38
a year ago
Toronto-based interior design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a living room that they transformed to include a dedicated area for a home office. The long and narrow design of the living room enabled them to divide the space into two separate defined areas, the living room,...
The Modern House
The delightful details of an Art Deco apartment in Shepherd’s Bush, west London
a year 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
41
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...
Old Structures...
Originality Is Not Easy, Part 2 A piece of a patent – number 612,365 to Willard Sears, applied for March 16, 1898, and awarded...
3 months ago
18
3 months ago
A piece of a patent – number 612,365 to Willard Sears, applied for March 16, 1898, and awarded October 11, 1898 – titled “Construction of Buildings”: Like yesterday’s patent, this is a riff on the then-new concepts of skeleton-frame buildings, with the exterior walls supported on...
CONTEMPORIST
A Weathered Corrugated Metal Exterior Protects This Home On A Ranch Prentiss + Balance + Wickline Architects has shared photos of a home they completed on 20 acres of...
a month ago
30
a month ago
Prentiss + Balance + Wickline Architects has shared photos of a home they completed on 20 acres of working ranch property. The house layout consists of two roughly equivalent rectangular volumes. One accommodates a couple’s day to day life with kitchen/living/dining spaces and a...
The Modern House
Surman Weston’s light-led creation of a family home in south London
9 months ago
McMansion Hell
2007-core nostalgia extravaganza Quick PSA: someone on Facebook is apparently impersonating me using an account called “McMansion...
3 months ago
37
3 months ago
Quick PSA: someone on Facebook is apparently impersonating me using an account called “McMansion Hell 2.0” – If you see it, please report! Thanks! Howdy folks! I hope if you were born between 1995 and 2001 you’re ready for some indelible pre-recession vibes because I think this...
Old Structures...
Notre Dame, Again In April 2019, it was not clear what would happen. Given the importance of the cathedral to the city...
a week ago
21
a week ago
In April 2019, it was not clear what would happen. Given the importance of the cathedral to the city of Paris, the nation of France, and the cultural heritage of Europe, it was clear that it would be rebuilt after the fire, but in what form and on what schedule were open...
CONTEMPORIST
A White Concrete Exterior Protects This Seaside Mediterranean House Ramón Esteve Estudio has shared images of a new home they designed in an urbanized area of a small...
3 months ago
25
3 months ago
Ramón Esteve Estudio has shared images of a new home they designed in an urbanized area of a small seaside town in Valencia, Spain. The house has a white concrete envelope that generates a large protective shell for a harmonious and delicate interior. Large overhangs and a system...
99% Invisible
Roman, Elliott, and Robert Caro: Live in Conversation For 50 years, The Power Broker has remained a landmark biography, transforming how people see former...
a month ago
21
a month ago
For 50 years, The Power Broker has remained a landmark biography, transforming how people see former New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. If you’ve been listening to 99% Invisible’sPower Broker Breakdown, you’re familiar with the story.  The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The...
Old Structures...
Doodling In A Hotel A remarkable sketch by Cass Gilbert from July 1933: From left to right, the Dom Tower in Utrecht...
9 months ago
37
9 months ago
A remarkable sketch by Cass Gilbert from July 1933: From left to right, the Dom Tower in Utrecht (fourteenth-century, 368 feet high): St Mark’s Campanile in Venice (ninth century, rebuilt in the early twentieth century after it collapsed, 323 feet high): and Gilbert’s own...
Construction Physics
Machine Tool Reading List For those interested in reading more about the machine tool industry, the sources I found useful are...
11 months ago
10
11 months ago
For those interested in reading more about the machine tool industry, the sources I found useful are listed below. The machine tool industry has been studied quite extensively, if sporadically (lots of sources talk about its decline in the 1980s, fewer ones talk about its...
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
14
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
Common Edge
Mary Landrieu on Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and a Solution for the Rising Cost of Flood... A talk with the former senator about the plan and the crisis of insurance affordability.
4 months ago
Archinect - Features
How Architectural Licensure Helps and Hurts the Profession Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series concludes with a look back on a four-month journey through...
3 months ago
42
3 months ago
Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series concludes with a look back on a four-month journey through the U.S. architectural licensure system. Reflecting on the challenges and opportunities in the current system highlighted by readers and commentators, we offer final thoughts on...
CONTEMPORIST
An Observation Tower That Looks Like Twisted Wood Rises Above The Swedish Landscape White Arkitekter has shared photos of Observation Tower Kärven on the Swedish west coast, which they...
3 months ago
31
3 months ago
White Arkitekter has shared photos of Observation Tower Kärven on the Swedish west coast, which they completed after winning Varberg Municipality’s architectural competition. Recently opened, the tower in Getterön nature reserve north of Varberg, measures 39 feet (12m) high and...
The Wandering...
Constructing the Pattern on the Sala de la Barca Ceiling I was flipping through Owen Jones’s Grammar of Ornament a couple months ago, and my eye was caught...
8 months ago
56
8 months ago
I was flipping through Owen Jones’s Grammar of Ornament a couple months ago, and my eye was caught by this handsome pattern I had not noticed before. This is Jones’s Plate XLII, in the chapter on designs from the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. He calls it, “Part of the ceiling of...
SOCKS
Michelangelo Caetani’s Six Topographic Maps of the Divine Comedy As a follow up to the latest post on Norman Bel Geddes’s stage set design for Dante Alighieri’s...
over a year ago
17
over a year ago
As a follow up to the latest post on Norman Bel Geddes’s stage set design for Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, here we feature the six maps drawn by Michelangelo Caetani in a book titled La materia della Divina Commedia di Dante Alighieri dichiarata in VI tavole, Roma (1855). A...
Old Structures...
Look Closely For A Surprise This 1900 map of Manhattan looks, at first glance to be simply another detailed map with building...
9 months ago
19
9 months ago
This 1900 map of Manhattan looks, at first glance to be simply another detailed map with building outlines shown: But there’s a surprise when you zoom in: The buildings are little isometric drawings rather than just outlines. They’re not particularly accurate drawings – I...
Archinect - Features
Architecture's Interest Rate Prayers Answered: Archinect’s State of AEC August 2024 Welcome to the third installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
3 months ago
33
3 months ago
Welcome to the third installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically. In our previous edition of the...
99% Invisible
The Monster Under the Sink [EPISODE] In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other...
9 months ago
37
9 months ago
In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other city had done before: they made garbage illegal. The city would still collect some things, like soup cans and plastics, but yucky junk, like food waste, wouldn’t get picked up. This...
Contemporist...
This Home's Addition Is Designed To Feel Like You've Stepped Into The Garden BENT Architecture has shared photos of a project they designed in Victoria, Australia, that included...
a year ago
29
a year ago
BENT Architecture has shared photos of a project they designed in Victoria, Australia, that included the design of a rear extension that answers the statement, "Imagine if your home could feel like living in a garden pavilion".
devonzuegel.com
America's hidden urban laboratory: the South America hasn't built many walkable places in the last few decades, but there are a few exceptions....
a year ago
7
a year ago
America hasn't built many walkable places in the last few decades, but there are a few exceptions. While collecting a list of these special places, I was shocked to discover that most are in the Southeast. My mental image of contemporary southern development did not include an...
Common Edge
Zoning, Preservation, Climate Change: Connecting the Dots What can the law teach architecture, and vice-versa? Sara Bronin, head of the U.S. Advisory Council...
a year ago
36
a year ago
What can the law teach architecture, and vice-versa? Sara Bronin, head of the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, knows.
99% Invisible
The 2024 Olympics Spectacular [EPISODE] From TV commercials and branded soda cans to Emily in Paris spon-con, the Olympics are once again...
5 months ago
38
5 months ago
From TV commercials and branded soda cans to Emily in Paris spon-con, the Olympics are once again everywhere. In the Olympic spirit, we’re bringing you four stories about the games in all their international, theatrical glory. In the first story, Christopher Johnson introduces...
Old Structures...
Steel And Hemp From the 1880s, a view of South Street and the East River with the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge in the...
2 months ago
32
2 months ago
From the 1880s, a view of South Street and the East River with the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge in the background. The bridge was the first suspension bridge with steel wires in its main cables. Steel rope had been used in ships for some time, but these sailing ships were mostly...
Old Structures...
A Thomas Nast Holiday – 2 of 3 Santa looks a bit like Horace Greeley in this one.
12 months ago
Old Structures...
A Year Later, Maybe Yesterday, I was pondering the purpose of some of the strange steel framing near the top of the...
a month ago
27
a month ago
Yesterday, I was pondering the purpose of some of the strange steel framing near the top of the Singer Building. Here’s another stereoscopic view of the building, after it was completed: We’ve got two men standing on a tiny setback roof – not a terrace or official observation...
99% Invisible
Blood in the Machine [EPISODE] Brian Merchant is a tech reporter, and he’d been covering the industry for years when he started to...
a year ago
7
a year ago
Brian Merchant is a tech reporter, and he’d been covering the industry for years when he started to notice a term that kept coming up. Especially when he wrote a story that was critical of tech, he’d be accused of being a “Luddite.” Like most people, Brian knew at least vaguely...
Archinect - Features
Six Views on the Future of Architectural Licensure Throughout the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, our explorations into U.S. architectural...
3 months ago
46
3 months ago
Throughout the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, our explorations into U.S. architectural licensure have included a variety of views beyond our editorial team, including ten views on licensure from Archinect readers shared at the midpoint of our series.  Beyond reader...
Contemporist...
Before + After - A Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Renovation Blaine Architects together with Marshall Interiors, have completed the renovation of a mid-century...
yesterday
7
yesterday
Blaine Architects together with Marshall Interiors, have completed the renovation of a mid-century modern home in San Mateo, California, for a young couple who wanted to update the kitchen, living room, dining room, and family room.
devonzuegel.com
Part 2: Cluster development preserves California’s landscape A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
10 months ago
25
10 months ago
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the future of my home state in my lifetime. This post is part of a series I’m writing about this bold proposal. One of the most essential parts of California Forever’s proposal to...
There are two types...
My Meals With Bob: My Mini Memoir in Common Edge A photo of New York 1900. showing two of the four images of the Colonial Club in the book. We...
over a year ago
15
over a year ago
A photo of New York 1900. showing two of the four images of the Colonial Club in the book. We included so many images of the pleasant but unremarkable building because that was where we wrote the book, in Robert A.M. … Continue reading → The post My Meals With Bob: My Mini Memoir...
Construction Physics
Supersonic air travel recommended reading Aviation has a huge number of enthusiasts, which is why essentially every aircraft model ever...
9 months ago
33
9 months ago
Aviation has a huge number of enthusiasts, which is why essentially every aircraft model ever produced has a book written about it. Supersonic aircraft are no exception. There’s a large number of books written about the Concorde, the Tu-144, and the American SST project. Many of...
CONTEMPORIST
Exposed Wood Beams Create A Rustic Yet Modern Aesthetic For This Accessory Dwelling Unit Obreval together with Catch Architecture, has recently completed a modern ADU (accessory dwelling...
12 months ago
6
12 months ago
Obreval together with Catch Architecture, has recently completed a modern ADU (accessory dwelling unit) in Carpenteria, California, whose design curves around a circular patio. The semicircular cutout that envelops the dwelling, invites an abundance of natural light into every...
Old Structures...
Some Same, Some Different In the same vein as yesterday’s post, here’s an 1865 photo of Leonard Street: We’ve got a bunch of...
11 months ago
12
11 months ago
In the same vein as yesterday’s post, here’s an 1865 photo of Leonard Street: We’ve got a bunch of loft buildings with the employees of Van Volkenburgh Brothers and Ladewig & Haydter (the nearer building), Wright & Ketchum and S. E. Halle (the middle building), and two firms...
Old Structures...
Always Something New No matter how many buildings you’ve seen, you can always find something that will surprise you. The...
7 months ago
55
7 months ago
No matter how many buildings you’ve seen, you can always find something that will surprise you. The picture above is not an underwater shot from the Titanic, it’s the cellar of a circa-1900 rowhouse. This was a house of some pretension when first built. As in most wider...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Aerial The Red Skull – boo, hiss – contemplates life from a high tower in Manhattan. Specifically, one with...
4 months ago
32
4 months ago
The Red Skull – boo, hiss – contemplates life from a high tower in Manhattan. Specifically, one with a view of the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge. If that tiny bit of the bridge tower isn’t recognizable, Murry Bergtraum High School and the adjacent Verizon Office Building surely...
Old Structures...
Happy Thanksgiving ‘Nuff said.
3 weeks ago
Construction Physics
How to Build a 50,000 Ton Forging Press In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a revolution took place in American military aircraft design.
4 months ago
The Beauty of...
Silver Machine (Stoke-on-Trent Bus Station, Hanley, Staffordshire, UK) With a horrid shock of recognition, I suddenly realised what Stoke-on-Trent Bus Station reminded me...
over a year ago
16
over a year ago
With a horrid shock of recognition, I suddenly realised what Stoke-on-Trent Bus Station reminded me of. As a one-time public transport officer in a local authority I, like most others, often experienced the depressing feeling of being unable to source enough funding to keep an...
Construction Physics
How Valuable Are Building Methods That Use Fewer Materials? Materials make up a substantial fraction of the costs of new construction. When we previously looked...
10 months ago
16
10 months ago
Materials make up a substantial fraction of the costs of new construction. When we previously looked at a collection of 40 different construction tasks, on average materials made up 62% of the cost of the task. And for an average new house, materials make up roughly 50% of direct...
The Modern House
The trials and triumphs of a tropical-inspired new-build in Bristol
a year ago
99% Invisible
Side Projects [EPISODE] This week we’re highlighting a couple of series that live inside the 99pi production tent. We’ve got...
4 months ago
41
4 months ago
This week we’re highlighting a couple of series that live inside the 99pi production tent. We’ve got a preview of a new miniseries for you called Not Built for This, created and hosted by Emmett FitzGerald. It’s a show about climate change, but not in the way you might think....
Archinect - Features
‘We Have To Get Much Better at Speaking To Wider and Wider Audiences:’ A Conversation With... In February 2024, Brett Steele took up the position of Dean of the University of Southern California...
2 months ago
25
2 months ago
In February 2024, Brett Steele took up the position of Dean of the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Since then, Steele has been busy capitalizing on the opportunities and responsibilities that come with leading a Los Angeles design school in a city known...
McMansion Hell
this house may or may not be real on grayness in real estate Allegedly, somewhere in Wake Forest, North Carolina, a 4 bed, 5.5...
over a year ago
4
over a year ago
on grayness in real estate Allegedly, somewhere in Wake Forest, North Carolina, a 4 bed, 5.5 bathroom house totaling more than 6,600 square feet is for sale at a price of 2.37 million dollars. The house, allegedly, was built in 2021. Allegedly, it looks like this: A McMansion...
99% Invisible
The Six-Week Cure [EPISODE] In the mid-1900s, people flocked to Reno, Nevada — not for frontier gold or loose slots, but to get...
a year ago
9
a year ago
In the mid-1900s, people flocked to Reno, Nevada — not for frontier gold or loose slots, but to get out of bad marries.  The city became known as the “Divorce Capital of the World.” For much of modern history, it has been relatively easy to get married, and extremely difficult to...
devonzuegel.com
Traveling neighborhoods: a different kind of group trip I've discovered a group trip format that I really love, and I wanted to share it with others because...
8 months ago
23
8 months ago
I've discovered a group trip format that I really love, and I wanted to share it with others because (a) you might find it fun to host or join something like this in the future and (b) selfishly, I would like more people to organize trips like this so that I can join them! The...
Common Edge
When Is Architectural Symbolism Hypocrisy? Like or loathe it, symbolism over substance has a long tradition.
7 months ago
Common Edge
How the Global Business Class Has Transformed the Home They’re bringing the aesthetics and lifestyle expectations of the hospitality industry into their...
2 months ago
99% Invisible
Power Broker #01: Robert Caro [EPISODE] In our first official episode of this year’s epic mini-series breaking down The Power Broker, the...
11 months ago
10
11 months ago
In our first official episode of this year’s epic mini-series breaking down The Power Broker, the author himself, Robert Caro, joins to talk about his book, process, and the problematic man himself: Robert Moses. On today’s show, Elliott Kalan and Roman Mars will cover the...
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 3 Following up on part 1 and part 2, I want to talk about how the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge were...
a year ago
9
a year ago
Following up on part 1 and part 2, I want to talk about how the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge were built, installed, and used. Unlike the 1883 image from part 1 (below), the image above is from 1870, while the work was still going on. I’ve played with the contrast to make the...
Cartogrammar
Hachures and sketchy relief maps I’ve never been a terrain representation expert, but occasionally I get briefly super interested in...
over a year ago
3
over a year ago
I’ve never been a terrain representation expert, but occasionally I get briefly super interested in some DIY technique for relief mapping, not using typical GIS tools or rendering software. Tom Patterson’s old (but still applicable) Photoshop tutorials were my introduction to the...
Old Structures...
Location and Purpose From 1932, “The Kips Bay Station, with a capacity of 2,450,000 pounds of steam an hour, is the...
3 months ago
37
3 months ago
From 1932, “The Kips Bay Station, with a capacity of 2,450,000 pounds of steam an hour, is the largest and most modern central station steam generating plant in the world.” The station was a steam-generating plant, located on the East River at 36th Street, decommissioned and...
Common Edge
Does Spirituality Have a Role in Educating Architects? What might appear to some as an “off-limits” realm might actually be at its heart.
a year ago
Contemporist...
A Glass Wall Separates A Bedroom From The Living Spaces In This Apartment MIKOLAJSKAstudio has shared photos of an apartment in Krakow, Poland, that includes a main living...
10 months ago
25
10 months ago
MIKOLAJSKAstudio has shared photos of an apartment in Krakow, Poland, that includes a main living level with a bedroom enclosed behind a glass wall.
Old Structures...
Caught In The Act This October 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Aerial view of Manhattan” but it most obviously...
8 months ago
27
8 months ago
This October 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Aerial view of Manhattan” but it most obviously shows the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. Like a lot of Rizzuto’s photos, it catches the East River waterfront and adjacent areas in the process of changing, even if it was not...
Old Structures...
Changes and Not I almost missed this 1938 entry in Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, because it’s...
9 months ago
30
9 months ago
I almost missed this 1938 entry in Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, because it’s mislabelled at the New York Public Library web site as “Vista, Thomas Street”. We all make mistakes, and whomever confused Thames and Thomas hid the location of this photo by accident....
CONTEMPORIST
A Black Interior Gives This Apartment A Dark And Dramatic Appearance Architecture and interior design firm RA!, has shared photos of an apartment they recently completed...
11 months ago
9
11 months ago
Architecture and interior design firm RA!, has shared photos of an apartment they recently completed in Mexico that features a monochromatic interior. The 861 square foot (80m2) apartment heavily features black and grey throughout its interior, with the walls showcasing a mixture...
CONTEMPORIST
The Design Of This Modern White Patisserie Stands Out From Its Neighbors LUKSTUDIO has shared photos of Aimé Pâtisserie, which is located in Shanghai, China, and is flanked...
9 months ago
20
9 months ago
LUKSTUDIO has shared photos of Aimé Pâtisserie, which is located in Shanghai, China, and is flanked by familiar coffee and donut franchises. The designers explained, ‘that the challenge of the store is to stand out from its immediate chaos and appeal to the clientele from the...
The Modern House
Hot on the heels of modernity: how our heritage buildings are catching up with us This summer, Sphinx Hill in Oxfordshire became Britain’s youngest listed building. Built in the late...
4 months ago
36
4 months ago
This summer, Sphinx Hill in Oxfordshire became Britain’s youngest listed building. Built in the late 90s, the listing was was the result of a successful application by the Twentieth Century Society. Its chairman Hugh Pearman suggests that it stands as a youthful reminder of where...
Old Structures...
Different Conceptions of Structure I somehow missed this 1937 photo when I was working my way through Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New...
11 months ago
10
11 months ago
I somehow missed this 1937 photo when I was working my way through Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project last year. It shows the short and isolated stretch of Twelfth Avenue below the Riverside Drive viaduct, between 125th Street and 135th Street. (Because the west end of...
Old Structures...
A Stylistic Joke As A Name There’s a large, somewhat ominous, vaguely art deco building in lower Manhattan commonly called the...
2 weeks ago
12
2 weeks ago
There’s a large, somewhat ominous, vaguely art deco building in lower Manhattan commonly called the Tombs. The main portion of it is a courthouse with a lot of court-related office space, the northern wing – see below – is a short-term prison, mostly used to hold people awaiting...
Construction Physics
Will We Ever Get Fusion Power? “Every one of the stars in the sky uses fusion to generate enormous amounts of energy. Why shouldn’t...
5 months ago
48
5 months ago
“Every one of the stars in the sky uses fusion to generate enormous amounts of energy. Why shouldn’t we?”
Common Edge
Letter From Ljubljana, Slovenia: The Human-Centered Urbanism of Jože Plečnik The architect created interventions small and large, all informed by his love of walking the city’s...
a year ago
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
25
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...
Old Structures...
Perspective Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about...
5 days ago
12
5 days ago
Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about something just because it seems cool. Or looks cool. In this case, “cool” is two photos from Carol Highsmith, a professional photographer who was generous enough to donate her archive to...
Old Structures...
Structural Logic In An Older Form From an 1880s building in Tribeca: the double beam supporting the front facade (sidewalk vault on...
4 months ago
35
4 months ago
From an 1880s building in Tribeca: the double beam supporting the front facade (sidewalk vault on the left, cellar on the right) where it meets the side wall at a pier. That’s a granite block directly below the beams, which can be a little hard to tell because of the paint on all...
The Modern House
Angus and Sarah Shepherd on putting down roots and reviving a 1960s home in Dulwich
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
The Latest from MoMA: Emerging Ecologies Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books...
a year ago
20
a year ago
Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books with keywords to better filter and find them. The tags I use move from general terms like "architecture" (the most) and "fiction" (the least) to specific terms that reflect a high...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Fancy Digs Hawkeye chases some bad guys in New York: Looking north up Central Park West from a bit below 71st...
3 months ago
32
3 months ago
Hawkeye chases some bad guys in New York: Looking north up Central Park West from a bit below 71st Street: The relatively-low brown building two blocks up is the Dakota Apartments, but the drawing in the comic isn’t accurate enough to recognize it. The building at the first...
The Solarchitecture...
Case study #1: The Solar Saltbox house A passive house for cold climates.
over a year ago
The Modern House
New Wave: seven coastal homes for sale in Kent and Sussex In the middle of the 19th century, well-meaning Victorian doctors would advise their patients to...
a year ago
48
a year ago
In the middle of the 19th century, well-meaning Victorian doctors would advise their patients to take ‘the sea cure’. Dutifully, they would go to the coast – particularly in the south – bathe in the waters and draw in lungfuls of salty air. Smart promenades, […]
99% Invisible
The Double Kick [EPISODE] Watch a skate video today, and you’ll notice how similarly shaped the boards are. It’s called the...
11 months ago
61
11 months ago
Watch a skate video today, and you’ll notice how similarly shaped the boards are. It’s called the “popsicle” design, because the deck is narrow in the middle and rounded off at both ends, like a popsicle stick. This may seem stupid simple, but that basic, clean popsicle shape is...
devonzuegel.com
Markets in everything at the Duomo You're not allowed inside the Duomo with your shoulders uncovered. We learned this the hard way. I...
over a year ago
6
over a year ago
You're not allowed inside the Duomo with your shoulders uncovered. We learned this the hard way. I was wearing a spaghetti strap dress (it's 92℉/33℃ and humid here in Milan), so they stopped my little group at the entrance, after we'd already purchased 3 tickets. Luckily, we...
Archinect - Features
Discussing Paid Research Opportunities for M.Arch Students at UW-Milwaukee SARUP In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture &...
a year ago
18
a year ago
In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture & Urban Planning (SARUP) to unpack its Mellows Graduate Research Positions (formerly called the Mellowes Master’s Research Assistantships).  For the 2024-2025 school year, SARUP is...
Benny Kuriakose
Paliam Nalukettu: A Glimpse into a Matrilineal Society In the small town of Chendamangalam in Paravur, Kerala, is the Paliam Nalukettu, which is located...
a year ago
3
a year ago
In the small town of Chendamangalam in Paravur, Kerala, is the Paliam Nalukettu, which is located within the Paliam complex. Benny...
99% Invisible
Breaking Down The Power Broker [EPISODE] In 1974, two very significant things happened, if you are a fan of 99% invisible. Number one is that...
a year ago
99
a year ago
In 1974, two very significant things happened, if you are a fan of 99% invisible. Number one is that 99pi host Roman Mars was born. And number two, The Power Broker by Robert Caro was published. Roman learned about the power broker when he first started to cover cities and...
Common Edge
Mass Timber Construction Is Evolving Rapidly With owners and developers warming up to plyscrapers, wood-based projects are on an upward...
8 months ago
Construction Physics
Construction Productivity - Structural Steel This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We...
a year ago
21
a year ago
This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We previously looked at single family home construction, and noted that the number of hours required to construct 100 square feet of single family home has slightly increased over the past 50...
CONTEMPORIST
The Remodeling Of This Home’s Rear Addition Created A Light-Filled Interior Cox Architects has sent us photos of a project they completed that included the re-modeling of a 775...
a year ago
31
a year ago
Cox Architects has sent us photos of a project they completed that included the re-modeling of a 775 square foot (72 sqm) brick addition. BeforeThe original Edwardian house, located in a leafy South London Conservation Area, already had a rear brick addition, however, it was not...
Common Edge
Vishaan Chakrabarti: Looking for a Home, Aiming Risky Zingers The architect’s latest book displays his talent for analytic precision and provocation.
a week ago
McMansion Hell
Bonus McMansion Hell: Ye Olde Barrington In which I am in my castle era.
a year ago
The Modern House
With the rolling South Downs on its doorstep, the award-winning Black Timber House by HAPA...
8 months ago
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
46
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 […]
Construction Physics
Airport Reading List The major sources I found helpful for learning about airports and their construction are listed...
9 months ago
51
9 months ago
The major sources I found helpful for learning about airports and their construction are listed below. As usual, these are listed roughly in order of how useful I found them. And because “useful” isn’t the same as “actually interesting to read” I’ve marked the books that are...
Old Structures...
The Same But Different This is an 1884 photograph of Broadway looking north from just south of Houston Street. Broadway...
11 months ago
8
11 months ago
This is an 1884 photograph of Broadway looking north from just south of Houston Street. Broadway runs straight from here until the bend at 10th Street where Grace Church is, and the church is just barely visible at the end of the street. Unlike most photos of Manhattan from the...
The Architectural...
Can We Afford More Modernist Buildings? A common myth suggests that the unattractiveness of new buildings over the last century is due to...
a year ago
8
a year ago
A common myth suggests that the unattractiveness of new buildings over the last century is due to rational or economic reasons, implying that building beautifully is too costly. In this article, I’ll debunk this idea and uncover the real reason behind the prevalence of...
Common Edge
Urban Farming: A Sustainable Pathway Out of Nigeria’s Unfolding Food Crisis Havana, Tokyo, and Paris offer successful examples of how it might work.
5 months ago
The Modern House
Musicians Csilla Pogány and Alastair Blayden on fine-tuning their school conversion in Kentish Town
a year ago
Common Edge
What’s to Become of the Mess That Is Penn Station? A talk with architecture critic Justin Davidson about the thorny knot of issues involved at New...
a year ago
95
a year ago
A talk with architecture critic Justin Davidson about the thorny knot of issues involved at New York’s most conflicted transportation-entertainment site.
Old Structures...
A For Effort I’ve shown a few old train stations with curved steel in their canopies. The picture above, taken...
a year ago
8
a year ago
I’ve shown a few old train stations with curved steel in their canopies. The picture above, taken yesterday at the Peekskill station on the MTA Hudson Line – AKA, a local station on the former main line of the New York Central – shows a modern version. I’m not sure when this...
CONTEMPORIST
A Round Window Is Nestled Into A Stone Wall On The Front Of This Home OON ARCHITECTURE has designed a modern home in Benavidez, Argentina, that features a stone, wood,...
a year ago
27
a year ago
OON ARCHITECTURE has designed a modern home in Benavidez, Argentina, that features a stone, wood, and concrete facade, that also includes a round window. The round window is recessed into the stone wall and is an eye-catching design element that can be seen as one walks along the...
Old Structures...
Elsewhere in the Archipelago After more than 30 years, it will soon be possible for the public to again visit Hart Island, at...
a year ago
21
a year ago
After more than 30 years, it will soon be possible for the public to again visit Hart Island, at least on some days and as part of guided tours. Given the nature of the island – it’s been the potter’s field for New York City for over 150 years – it’s a slightly weird place to go,...
Contemporist...
An Exposed Structure Shows Off This House Design That Wraps Around A Pool Architecture firm Apiacas Arquitetos, has shared photos of a home they completed in Sao Paulo,...
4 months ago
41
4 months ago
Architecture firm Apiacas Arquitetos, has shared photos of a home they completed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that was designed with a single-story layout that wraps around a swimming pool.
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
8
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...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: But Unfamiliar The Black Widow thinks deep thoughts while standing on a rooftop: To be clear about what we’re...
2 months ago
31
2 months ago
The Black Widow thinks deep thoughts while standing on a rooftop: To be clear about what we’re seeing, A is the Empire State Building, B is the Chrysler Building, C is Silver Towers at Lafayette Place and Bleecker Street, and D is the Widow: So we’re looking north from SoHo. The...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Counter-mapping: Sitio San Roque, Philippines This counter-map was the product of a collaboration between the Junior Philippine Geographical...
over a year ago
21
over a year ago
This counter-map was the product of a collaboration between the Junior Philippine Geographical Society – University of the Philippines Diliman (JPGS-UPD), the Save San Roque Alliance, Kadamay – San Roque, and most especially the urban poor residents of San Roque. The...
99% Invisible
It’s Howdy Doody Time! [EPISODE] If your parents or grandparents grew up in the United States in the 1950s, there’s a decent chance...
7 months ago
40
7 months ago
If your parents or grandparents grew up in the United States in the 1950s, there’s a decent chance that they know the theme song to The Howdy Doody Show. The Howdy Doody Show is one of those pieces of 1950s ephemera that has come to symbolize mid-century American childhood. For...
Archinect - Features
'Architect' is a Protected Title. What About 'Architectural?' Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series continues with an examination of exceptions and nuances...
4 months ago
36
4 months ago
Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series continues with an examination of exceptions and nuances related to the protection of the title 'architect' in the United States. In particular, we ask how architect-adjacent titles such as 'architectural designer,' 'architectural intern,'...
Old Structures...
A Bit Alien From a recent trip to Governors Island, a big thing in the water near the piers on the east side of...
2 months ago
15
2 months ago
From a recent trip to Governors Island, a big thing in the water near the piers on the east side of the island: It’s the mid-length air shaft for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and, constructed circa 1950, it’s a relative newcomer to the island’s landscape. The diagram below,...
A Weekly Dose of...
Rereading the Nineties Some of the references consulted during the research phase of my 2021 book Buildings in Print: 100...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Some of the references consulted during the research phase of my 2021 book Buildings in Print: 100 Influential & Inspiring Illustrated Architecture Books, but not mentioned in the book's "selected bibliography," were old catalogs from the Prairie Avenue Bookshop, the beloved and...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Remodeled 1970s Home In Seattle Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel of a 1970s home they...
a year ago
28
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel of a 1970s home they completed that was originally designed by prominent Seattle Architect, Ralph Anderson. The 3-story home on Seattle’s Mercer Island was renovated and modernized, preserving what the...
Old Structures...
The Big Time We’re working on the Gothic Bridge in Central Park, seen above. Tim went to the night-before prep...
a year ago
17
a year ago
We’re working on the Gothic Bridge in Central Park, seen above. Tim went to the night-before prep for the Thanksgiving parade and found this float: And then he watched the parade on TV and found it again, second from the end:
devonzuegel.com
Part 4: Success is tied to benefiting existing Solano residents A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
9 months ago
18
9 months ago
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the future of my home state in my lifetime. This post is part of a series I’m writing about this bold proposal. California Forever’s proposal includes 10 Voter Guarantees that go far...
Old Structures...
Originality Is Not Easy, Part 1 A piece of a patent – Number 574,434 to Herbert Keithley, applied for June 29, 1896 and awarded...
3 months ago
35
3 months ago
A piece of a patent – Number 574,434 to Herbert Keithley, applied for June 29, 1896 and awarded January 5, 1897 – titled “Building Construction”: The important context for US construction: the first skeleton-frame buildings, where the exterior walls were supported on a metal...
99% Invisible
The Known Unknown [EPISODE] How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans...
a year ago
42
a year ago
How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. After the Civil War, the Union buried 2,111 soldiers in a mass grave in Arlington that they purposely built in the middle of...
Old Structures...
Twelve Years Undemolished This photo from 1954 was taken from the top level of the Queensboro Plaza Station, looking west to...
4 months ago
27
4 months ago
This photo from 1954 was taken from the top level of the Queensboro Plaza Station, looking west to Manhattan. That’s the Queensboro Bridge on the right. If you take the 7 train to Flushing, as I used to, the odds are not bad that you’ll change trains at this station, as it’s...
The Modern House
Portal of change: the gentle evolution of Harfield Gardens – the family home behind the orange door
2 months ago
Old Structures...
What’s In A Name? Apartment houses everywhere often have names seemingly disconnected from their surroundings. I grew...
2 months ago
21
2 months ago
Apartment houses everywhere often have names seemingly disconnected from their surroundings. I grew up in a building that was for no apparent reason called the Westgate, although at least the building immediately to its east was called the Eastgate. (There was no gate between...
devonzuegel.com
The unconference toolbox by Jason Benn & Devon Zuegel So, you’ve been invited to an unconference! Maybe you’re not entirely...
a year ago
10
a year ago
by Jason Benn & Devon Zuegel So, you’ve been invited to an unconference! Maybe you’re not entirely sure what that means (did the organizers misspell "conference"?), or maybe you’ve been to dozens of these before and you’re looking for some ideas for how to run an awesome...
SOCKS
From Videogame Landscapes to Embrodery Canvas: La Sentinelle by Marine Beaufils (2022-24) Marine Beaufils is a French embroidery artist whose meticulous work draws on the analogy between...
a month ago
25
a month ago
Marine Beaufils is a French embroidery artist whose meticulous work draws on the analogy between pixels and needlepoints, as she translates scenes from her favorite video games, movies, or scientific imagery from screen to embroidery canvas. This process freezes a fragment of a...
Old Structures...
A Depressing Follow-Up Seven years ago, I said of the SS United States “Without a use and without a lot of money, it will...
5 months ago
41
5 months ago
Seven years ago, I said of the SS United States “Without a use and without a lot of money, it will be gone forever. And if that happens, the world won’t end but it will be poorer for the loss.” Neither a use nor the money was found and as of September 12 this coming fall, the […]
Old Structures...
It Can Go Either Way Much like the photo from Monday, this April 1959 photo by Angelo Rizzuto could be either demolition...
8 months ago
27
8 months ago
Much like the photo from Monday, this April 1959 photo by Angelo Rizzuto could be either demolition or construction. The steel frame on the left is on the site of 350 Park Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets on the west side of Park Avenue. The ornate masonry box just north of...
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
3
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...
Big I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of...
4 months ago
20
4 months ago
I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of elevated portions of the subway system when I was kid. Under the M train in Glenwood:
The Modern House
Nick Knight on being a skinhead, why he’s hopeful about AI and how well-designed spaces make life... In our new podcast, Homing In, our co-founder Matt Gibberd invites guests to discuss their childhood...
a year ago
59
a year ago
In our new podcast, Homing In, our co-founder Matt Gibberd invites guests to discuss their childhood home, where they live now and their thoughts on future living. (If you missed episode one, with Ruth Rogers, be sure to listen here.) Our guest on this episode […]
CONTEMPORIST
A Living Room That Floats Above The Forest Floor Is A Remarkable Feature Of This Home DeForest Architects has shared photos of a home they designed that follows the topography of the...
9 months ago
23
9 months ago
DeForest Architects has shared photos of a home they designed that follows the topography of the site, with some rooms tucked into the land and others floating above it. Located in a waterfront neighborhood just south of Seattle, the one-acre wooded site sits atop a bluff...
Construction Physics
Why Can't the U.S. Build Ships? This post is cross-posted at Noahpinion.
3 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Dramatic Wood Ceilings Are Found Throughout This House Carlos Castanheira of CC&CB Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Porto, Portugal,...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Carlos Castanheira of CC&CB Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Porto, Portugal, that uses wood and copper throughout its design. The home’s exterior has a copper-clad roof and matching copper siding, while the exposed timber structure connects with the rest...
CONTEMPORIST
Glamping Tents Designed By Architects Architects Julio Cano and Barbara Bardin of Canobardin, have sent photos of the TipiTop Tents they...
4 months ago
30
4 months ago
Architects Julio Cano and Barbara Bardin of Canobardin, have sent photos of the TipiTop Tents they designed for the Costa del Sol Glamping Village in Spain. Each tent’s structure is made entirely of laminated pine wood, with a volume formed from three porticoes that support the...
Old Structures...
Like Looking Down A Well Trinity Church and its yard are surrounded on all four sides by tall buildings. In 1952, when Angelo...
7 months ago
30
7 months ago
Trinity Church and its yard are surrounded on all four sides by tall buildings. In 1952, when Angelo Rizzuto took this picture looking down from the roof of one of them, they were all of about 1900-1920 vintage. It’s a striking shot, but I’d guess not to everyone’s taste.
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow Part IV: Construction of the World Trade Center This is Part IV in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World...
over a year ago
18
over a year ago
This is Part IV in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. Part I covers the design and construction of the Empire State Building, Part II covers the initial development of the World Trade Center, and Part III covers the
99% Invisible
Orange Alternative [EPISODE] In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across...
a year ago
35
a year ago
In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across Russia. People started writing out the phrase “no war” using asterisks instead of the various letters in order to disguise the meaning of the message. Then back in September, a...
The Modern House
Good Fortune: the best Chinese restaurants in London
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Wall-To-Wall Built-In Wood Cabinetry Create A Warm Interior For This Renovated Home Design firm Atelier SUN has completed the renovation of a home near Toronto, Canada. The house was...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Design firm Atelier SUN has completed the renovation of a home near Toronto, Canada. The house was built in the 1980s during an era of mass-produced developments, which resulted in excessive structural elements such as columns and beams throughout the space. The updated design...
The Modern House
Architect Laura Dewe Mathews shares the secret ingredients of her 'gingerbread house'
5 months ago
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
37
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...
Common Edge
Warlords in Our Midst Why Elon Musk is worse than science fiction.
4 months ago
The Modern House
Listing of the Week: the best inter-war home in Britain?
a year ago
The Modern House
Author Kat Hill on why we all yearn for the sanctuary of a modern bothy
6 months ago
Old Structures...
Four, Maybe Five, Maybe Six Bridges Walking along South Street, which is to say along the East River waterfront. First up, the view from...
7 months ago
54
7 months ago
Walking along South Street, which is to say along the East River waterfront. First up, the view from Rutgers Street and South Street: We’ve got a pseudo-dramatic, badly framed view of the Manhattan tower of the Manhattan Bridge, with the elevated FDR Drive blocking most of it....
The Modern House
How Mabel Law and Andrew Tam transformed a modest flat into a space-maximising maisonette in...
a year ago
99% Invisible
Spirit Halloween [EPISODE] Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the...
2 months ago
31
2 months ago
Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the signature yellow, orange and black signage of Spirit Halloween. The seasonal retailer sells Halloween masks, Halloween costumes, Halloween costumes for dogs, Halloween decorations,...
The Modern House
Mark Lebon, the man inside the house that makes people smile
8 months ago
The Modern House
Philippe Malouin: the experimental designer on creating with integrity – and the art of upcycling Philippe Malouin, it’s said, doesn’t read design magazines. That might surprise you. But it also...
8 months ago
24
8 months ago
Philippe Malouin, it’s said, doesn’t read design magazines. That might surprise you. But it also might be what keeps the Canadian’s own conceptions – form-driven, material-focused, out-the-box – feeling so fresh. In many ways, it makes sense. If the ideas of others were...
Old Structures...
Raking Sunlight Pro tip, as computer manuals said back when (a) everyone was not yet comfortable using a computer...
a year ago
7
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...
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
56
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.
Old Structures...
An Exotic Foreign Land From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, what appears to be a page of illustrations from a...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, what appears to be a page of illustrations from a European tourist guide to New York: Let’s start with the non-controversial item in the lower left: That is a decent engraving of Das Stadhaus / The City Hall / La maison de Ville as...
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
4
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...
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
Contemporist...
A Warehouse-Inspired Home With A Spanish Twist Multi-disciplinary design firm mcmahon and nerlich has shared photos of a warehouse-inspired...
a month ago
20
a month ago
Multi-disciplinary design firm mcmahon and nerlich has shared photos of a warehouse-inspired townhouse with a Spanish twist inside.
Construction Physics
Could we stop Yellowstone from erupting with a giant geothermal power plant? It’s become fairly common knowledge that Yellowstone National Park, in addition to being incredibly...
a year ago
42
a year ago
It’s become fairly common knowledge that Yellowstone National Park, in addition to being incredibly beautiful, is sitting on top of an enormous supervolcano that catastrophically erupts every few hundred thousand years. Unlike normal volcanoes, which tend to produce large...
Old Structures...
Not Quite Added I could have sworn I’d written about this building before, but I can’t find it, so here goes: when...
5 months ago
42
5 months ago
I could have sworn I’d written about this building before, but I can’t find it, so here goes: when is adding a floor not adding a floor? This is 935 Broadway/159 Fifth Avenue. The trapezoidal site is south across 22nd Street from the wide end of the Flatiron building (on the...
The Modern House
Five contemporary family homes with green living and community at their core
a year ago
Common Edge
Is Santa Clara—the Heart of Silicon Valley—Soulless and Banal By Intent? The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
a year ago
Construction Physics
Will Stone Replace Steel and Concrete? A recent viral tweet by Micah Springut, founder of stone-carving startup Monumental Labs, argued...
7 months ago
69
7 months ago
A recent viral tweet by Micah Springut, founder of stone-carving startup Monumental Labs, argued that it will be cheaper to build buildings with stone than with steel or concrete within the next 10 years. Stone has of course been used for thousands of years as a construction...
CONTEMPORIST
This Bread-Inspired Facade Was Designed For A Manufacturer Of Bakery Machines Romulo Neto Architects LDA has designed a modern building for a company that produces bakery and...
a year ago
20
a year ago
Romulo Neto Architects LDA has designed a modern building for a company that produces bakery and pastry machines. Inspired by the company’s principal activity of creating machines that produce dough for bread and pastries, the architects designed a facade that’s reminiscent of...
Archinect - Features
How to Understand Architecture Business Conditions Using the AIA's Architecture Billings... Since 1995, the American Institute of Architects has conducted a monthly index detailing trends in...
7 months ago
50
7 months ago
Since 1995, the American Institute of Architects has conducted a monthly index detailing trends in billings by architecture firms in the United States. Over time, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has become a valuable metric for charting the economic health of the...
Old Structures...
A Different Configuration I almost didn’t recognize this photograph, even though I’ve been involved with the building since...
6 months ago
45
6 months ago
I almost didn’t recognize this photograph, even though I’ve been involved with the building since 2011. The New York Public Library digital archive has this labelled as the “Onderdonk Mill, Roslyn” and if they hadn’t mentioned the town name I wold have gone right by it. We’ve...
The Modern House
The beauty of life in the heart of the Barbican
a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: An Impossible View Above, Iron Man flies past the Chrysler Building. I was trying to figure out if the buildings in the...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Above, Iron Man flies past the Chrysler Building. I was trying to figure out if the buildings in the background were realistic, and got part of the way there. The gray building on the right looks like a simplified version of the Socony-Mobil Building at the southeast corner of...
Common Edge
The Uneven—but Important—Legacy of Prince Charles, Architecture Critic While his design prescriptions were too narrow, his critique of modern planning principles still...
a year ago
Common Edge
What I Learned From Six Recessions in Architecture Life is imperfect, and architects understand this better than most.
a month ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Bed Headboard Was Designed With A Fold-Out Desk Laura Ortín Arquitectura has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Murcia,...
5 months ago
37
5 months ago
Laura Ortín Arquitectura has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Murcia, Spain that includes a unique design feature in the bedroom. The bedroom, located off of a curved hallway, has dual doorways providing a glimpse of the room inside. Once inside, the...
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
9
a year ago
Above, a somewhat pathetic villain threatens the people of Gotham City, while Batgirl muses. Below, the stair connecting the train shed at the old Penn Station with the concourse: And zoomed in: And another angle:
Old Structures...
Possibly The title of this 1958 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is “Aerial view of street, possibly Park Avenue, with...
8 months ago
52
8 months ago
The title of this 1958 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is “Aerial view of street, possibly Park Avenue, with raised medians separating traffic in each direction, high-rise buildings lining both sides of the street.” That’s definitely Park Avenue looking north from approximately 89th...
Common Edge
Living in the Face of Fear: The Heterotopic Hope of the Maggie’s Centers The UK cancer centers are an incredible legacy for its co-founder, Maggie Keswick Jencks.
a year ago
Contemporist...
This Tall And Skinny House Also Has A Rooftop Pool Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi...
9 months ago
51
9 months ago
Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for a family of four with two sons.
Old Structures...
How Far Is Far? I was up on a rooftop in the mid-Bronx (Belmont, to be somewhat more exact) last week and saw a...
11 months ago
9
11 months ago
I was up on a rooftop in the mid-Bronx (Belmont, to be somewhat more exact) last week and saw a familiar profile: That’s Billionaire’s Row, on the order of eight and a half miles away. It’s no surpise that you can see a big building from a distance – that’s the essence of all...
CONTEMPORIST
A Laneway House With A Rotated Brick Facade Architecture firm Williamson Williamson has shared photos of a laneway home they completed in...
6 months ago
64
6 months ago
Architecture firm Williamson Williamson has shared photos of a laneway home they completed in Toronto, Canada, that features a distinct rotated brick facade. Usually, laneway houses are small, however, this one is a four-bedroom home, designed for a family of five, providing...
Construction Physics
Building Apollo A review of Angle of Attack: Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon
a year ago
Contemporist...
Dyed Cement Shingles Cover The Counter Inside This Bakery Grizzo Studio has shared photos of MALAU, a new bakery in Pilar Centro, Argentina, that includes...
2 months ago
30
2 months ago
Grizzo Studio has shared photos of MALAU, a new bakery in Pilar Centro, Argentina, that includes handcrafted pieces of dyed cement in its design.
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
10
a year ago
Sometimes, this game is not much of a challenge. Above, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in Daredevil. Below, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in Apple Look Around.
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Office Hides Behind A Sliding Wall In This House Blue Truck Studio collaborated with a new homeowner with DIY construction experience, to renovate a...
a year ago
23
a year ago
Blue Truck Studio collaborated with a new homeowner with DIY construction experience, to renovate a home for the owner’s family. The interior, contemporary yet comfortable in its design, includes a living room that has a large empty wall. However, this wall isn’t stationary but...
The Modern House
Retro a go go: six homes that epitomise the day-to-day dynamism of mid-century design Over half a century later, our admiration for mid-century design shows no sign of slumping. As we...
7 months ago
58
7 months ago
Over half a century later, our admiration for mid-century design shows no sign of slumping. As we crave a closer connection to our surroundings and distinct, mood-matching spaces throughout our homes – time and again, mid-century modern seems to satisfy our exacting demands....
Old Structures...
Between Demolition and Redevelopment Angelo Rizzuto, in 1959, was going for the same feeling as Berenice Abbott in her Changing New York...
7 months ago
37
7 months ago
Angelo Rizzuto, in 1959, was going for the same feeling as Berenice Abbott in her Changing New York photos twenty years earlier: contrast the new and the old. In this case we’ve got three eras represented: the mid- to late-1800s in the rowhouses and tenements along Third Avenue,...
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
30
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...
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
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
55
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
Spotlight on South-East London: listings for £500,000 and under to set your sights on From the waterside delights of Deptford to the local-first feel of Dulwich, Crystal Palace’s...
a year ago
8
a year ago
From the waterside delights of Deptford to the local-first feel of Dulwich, Crystal Palace’s community spirit to Camberwell’s gorgeous Georgian architecture – by way of Brockley, Blackheath and Borough, in all their vibrant variation – there isn’t much South-East London doesn’t...
The Modern House
Tiny homes: six pocket-sized pads that prove good things come in small packages A stamp-sized floorplan demands hardworking design – and a finite footprint is a license to get...
6 months ago
21
6 months ago
A stamp-sized floorplan demands hardworking design – and a finite footprint is a license to get creative with space saving ideas, ingenious storage solutions and volume-accentuating trickery. Here, we’ve collated a selection of some of our punchiest petite offerings, all...
The Solarchitecture...
The effectiveness of solar passive principles Improving health, freedom one house at a time.
over a year ago
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
8
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.
The Wandering...
Constructing Bourgoin’s Figure 171 – Part 2 Now that we know our way around the pattern (go back to Part 1), it should be fairly straightforward...
over a year ago
26
over a year ago
Now that we know our way around the pattern (go back to Part 1), it should be fairly straightforward to construct with a compass and straightedge. But be aware: any pattern that requires you to construct a pentagon is an advanced challenge. They are trickier to make than squares...
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
9
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
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
34
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
A Model for a Healthier, Adaptive Approach to Community Development The Smiling Gecko project in Cambodia addresses a more complex and systemic view of community life.
11 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Overhanging Plants Surround The Exterior Of This Home Niraj Doshi Design Consultancy has sent us photos of a home they completed in the neighborhood of...
a year ago
32
a year ago
Niraj Doshi Design Consultancy has sent us photos of a home they completed in the neighborhood of Pune, India that has abundant greenery. To complement the surrounding neighborhood, they designed the house to have planters that line the exterior. The planters help the home merge...
The Modern House
Good Start: the best breakfasts in London
a year ago
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
48
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.
Contemporist...
A House Design Inspired By The Idea of Turning Boxes Architecture studio JMA has designed the Vistas House in Escobar, Buenos Aires, whose shape is based...
7 months ago
65
7 months ago
Architecture studio JMA has designed the Vistas House in Escobar, Buenos Aires, whose shape is based on the idea of turning boxes rotated to take advantage of the lake views and sun.
The Modern House
Jeremy Lee: the much-loved chef who grew up in a wedge of cheddar If ever there was a corrective to the idea of the dour Scotsman, it could be found in Jeremy Lee....
9 months ago
28
9 months ago
If ever there was a corrective to the idea of the dour Scotsman, it could be found in Jeremy Lee. Glaswegian-born (and now London-based) Jeremy is chef proprietor of Quo Vadis, the historic Soho institution beloved of virtually everyone who’s ever had the privilege of […]
Common Edge
The Enduring Legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright Why we still care, almost seven decades after his death.
3 months 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
43
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...
The Modern House
Hannah Carter Owers on selling the family home in two days in pursuit of the perfect 1970s retrofit...
11 months ago
A Weekly Dose of...
Three Lessons from Three Monographs Writing a blog devoted to architecture books means featuring monographs — lots of monographs. Not...
a year ago
19
a year ago
Writing a blog devoted to architecture books means featuring monographs — lots of monographs. Not exclusively, of course; but before this blog transitioned to its current weekly format, one of the thematic days of the week was appropriately devoted to monographs: Monograph...
Construction Physics
How to Build a $20 Billion Semiconductor Fab For the last several decades, one avenue of technological progress has towered over nearly...
7 months ago
36
7 months ago
For the last several decades, one avenue of technological progress has towered over nearly everything else: semiconductors. Semiconductors are materials that can have their conductivity varied by many orders of magnitude, which makes it possible to selectively block and allow the...
Old Structures...
Waste Not, Something Something I was passing through Tribeca last week and came across this little building. Very, very little....
9 months ago
21
9 months ago
I was passing through Tribeca last week and came across this little building. Very, very little. Three stories tall, maybe 40 feet wide, and about four feet deep on the left and maybe a luxurious ten or fifteen feet deep on the right. You know you’re in a city where real estate...
McMansion Hell
the motel room, or: on datedness I. Often I find myself nostalgic for things that haven’t disappeared yet. This feeling is enhanced...
6 months ago
18
6 months ago
I. Often I find myself nostalgic for things that haven’t disappeared yet. This feeling is enhanced by the strange conviction that once I stop looking at these things, I will never see them again, that I am living in the last moment of looking. This is sense is strongest for me in...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Shelter: An Atlas Food, water, shelter. The tripartite of basic needs. Without these no living thing can survive. Not...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Food, water, shelter. The tripartite of basic needs. Without these no living thing can survive. Not a spider, not a badger, not a tree, not a human. The first two — food and water — are obvious; without them, sustenance is impossible. The food we eat gives us energy through...
Old Structures...
The Pause Was About To End Another great photo from Angel Rizzuto, from August 1952. He was almost certainly looking from the...
8 months ago
34
8 months ago
Another great photo from Angel Rizzuto, from August 1952. He was almost certainly looking from the Empire State Building; this is a view north past midtown, Central Park and the Upper East Side, and with Harlem and the Bronx in the distance. The east side of the park is Fifth...
Old Structures...
Another Tool Our inspections tend to be very close up – one of my first, in 1988, had me lying on the floor in an...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Our inspections tend to be very close up – one of my first, in 1988, had me lying on the floor in an abandoned building with my arm, up to the shoulder, inside a hole in the wall, trying to get the sense of a beam-to-column connection by touch – but sometimes long-distance tools...
Old Structures...
Understanding The Underbelly Hardcore bridge geeks will immediately recognize this photo. Everyone else, and hardcore bridge...
7 months ago
39
7 months ago
Hardcore bridge geeks will immediately recognize this photo. Everyone else, and hardcore bridge geeks with a sense of modesty, will ask “what is it?” It’s the underside of the deck of the Brooklyn Bridge, on the side span between the Manhattan tower and anchorage. Starting with...
CONTEMPORIST
A Sculptural Limestone Facade Was Designed For This Boutique Retail Store Photography by doublespace photography Architecture studio PARTISANS has shared photos of a boutique...
5 months ago
42
5 months ago
Photography by doublespace photography Architecture studio PARTISANS has shared photos of a boutique they completed that’s owned and operated by Royal de Versailles Jewellers in Toronto, Canada, and features a sculptural stone facade. Photography by doublespace photography...
devonzuegel.com
Chautauqua: an idea embedded in a place I want to tell you about the place I spent summers growing up. It's called Chautauqua Institution,...
over a year ago
7
over a year ago
I want to tell you about the place I spent summers growing up. It's called Chautauqua Institution, and it's one of the most special places in the world — and not just because I spent my childhood there. Chautauqua is special because it is an idea embedded in a place. The place...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #02: Jamelle Bouie [EPISODE] For those reading along at home: welcome back to our read-along series on The Power Broker, a...
10 months ago
17
10 months ago
For those reading along at home: welcome back to our read-along series on The Power Broker, a groundbreaking book by Robert Caro looking at one of the most infamous urban influencers in modern history: Robert Moses, who reshaped New York City. On today’s show, Elliott Kalan and...
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
20
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…
The Modern House
An architect's dream: four architect-owned homes for sale A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an...
2 months ago
14
2 months ago
A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an architect would find bringing their work home – in the most literal of senses – a bit of a drag. But as this collection of architect-owned homes […]
The Modern House
Scene Stealers: seven rural homes with spectacular surroundings We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild...
a year ago
54
a year ago
We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild swimming, enjoying a glass of red by a cosy log fire… But if that’s never been quite enough to inspire you to take the plunge, the homes […]
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
11
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Mural Adds Color To The Interior Of This Narrow Home Spaces Architects@KA has shared photos of a tall and narrow house they designed in New Dehli, India,...
9 months ago
19
9 months ago
Spaces Architects@KA has shared photos of a tall and narrow house they designed in New Dehli, India, that includes a large wall mural. The colorful mural, which spans multiple floors, depicts a tree with leaves, flowers, and birds. Interior walkways provide an unobstructed view...
The Solarchitecture...
The Solar Manifesto - Part 2. ...or how hard it is to name the foundations of a healthy home?
over a year ago
Construction Physics
Fusion Power Reading List The challenge with reading about a topic like fusion is balancing the tradeoff between technical...
5 months ago
51
5 months ago
The challenge with reading about a topic like fusion is balancing the tradeoff between technical detail and readability. A book or article should give enough detail to provide some understanding of what’s actually going on, what progress has been made, what the challenges are,...
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
6
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...
Archinect - Features
'Architecture Education as an Active Project': A Conversation with Mariana Ibañez, Chair of... Academic leaders have the demanding task of steering and shaping a school's culture and pedagogy....
a year ago
26
a year ago
Academic leaders have the demanding task of steering and shaping a school's culture and pedagogy. Not only are they responsible for overseeing an institution's administrative affairs, but they are also charged with fostering environments for students and faculty to thrive. Since...
Old Structures...
More Bragging But Usefully So In two weeks, I’ll be giving a talk in Philadelphia for the Delaware Valley Association of...
3 weeks ago
16
3 weeks ago
In two weeks, I’ll be giving a talk in Philadelphia for the Delaware Valley Association of Structural Engineers, which is the eastern-Pennsylvania chapter of the Structural Engineers Association of Pennsylvania. The topic is “Engineers’ Guidelines for Historic Buildings” and I’m...
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
CONTEMPORIST
A House That Rises From The Ground Forming A Three-Level Garden Architecture firm AtelierM, has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Pilar, Buenos...
a month ago
19
a month ago
Architecture firm AtelierM, has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Pilar, Buenos Aires, whose design is inspired by the terrain and surrounding area. The house is conceived as a living element in the landscape, with gentle curves and fluid lines that adapt to the...
Old Structures...
Moving Goalposts The image above, of the Grand Union Hotel on the east side of Park Avenue is labelled by the New...
a year ago
5
a year ago
The image above, of the Grand Union Hotel on the east side of Park Avenue is labelled by the New York Public Library as 1868 to 1900, but is likely from the late 1870s, or early 1880s. The hotel is the building on the right with three flags and with S-curved mansard roofs on its...
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
8
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 […]
Common Edge
“Boston Is A Red City” Construction rooted in local materials is what has provided cities with distinctive identities—and...
a year ago
25
a year ago
Construction rooted in local materials is what has provided cities with distinctive identities—and colors.
Construction Physics
Welding and the Automation Frontier The big question about Artificial Intelligence, other than whether it will destroy human...
a year ago
5
a year ago
The big question about Artificial Intelligence, other than whether it will destroy human civilization, is the effect it will have on employment. Large language models already seem poised to automate large fractions of the work in certain industries, and the technology is only...
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
22
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...
99% Invisible
The Ripple Effect [EPISODE] In disasters where a lot of people lose their homes, the impacts are not confined to a single city...
4 months ago
33
4 months ago
In disasters where a lot of people lose their homes, the impacts are not confined to a single city or town. They ripple outward, cascading into the surrounding area, as the survivors are forced to go looking for new places to live. This is the story of what happened after the...
Common Edge
Minoru Yamasaki: The Fragility of Architecture He designed two of the most famous landmarks of the late-20th-century. Why is he virtually unknown...
5 months ago
devonzuegel.com
Georgist land taxes balance community benefit & the efficiency of markets One thing I like about Georgist land taxes is they reflect a deep-seated intuition many people have...
5 months ago
41
5 months ago
One thing I like about Georgist land taxes is they reflect a deep-seated intuition many people have that land should be owned by the community, while still employing markets to ensure efficient use of this limited resource. People feel that land is special and should serve the...
Contemporist...
The Black Exterior Of This Home Leads To A Pink Kitchen Inside Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they completed in Wivenhoe, England, for an artist...
6 months ago
70
6 months ago
Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they completed in Wivenhoe, England, for an artist who wanted a light-filled interior with room to work and to entertain.
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
6
a year ago
We meet Andrew Leland as he’s suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he’s midway through his life with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that ushers those who live with it from sightedness to blindness over years, even decades. He grew up with full vision, but...
Construction Physics
Could We Boost Housing Construction by Permitting ADUs Under the HUD Code? To boost housing construction, some jurisdictions have adopted a new strategy: allowing the...
a year ago
39
a year ago
To boost housing construction, some jurisdictions have adopted a new strategy: allowing the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs. ADUs, sometimes called “granny flats,” are small, secondary housing units built on the lots of existing single family homes – things like...
Common Edge
“What Would Jane Jacobs Do?” Is the Wrong Question Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
3 months ago