Full Width [alt+shift+f] Shortcuts [alt+shift+k]
Sign Up [alt+shift+s] Log In [alt+shift+l]
Top Categories > architecture
#all #programming #history #technology #startups #science #life #literature #architecture #travel #creative #design #comics #finance #cartography #AI #indiehacker Muted Categories [alt+←][alt+→]
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...
8 months ago
72
8 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.
Construction Physics
How to Build 300,000 Airplanes in Five Years It’s no secret that the Allies won World War II on the back of the U.S.’s enormous industrial...
7 months ago
72
7 months ago
It’s no secret that the Allies won World War II on the back of the U.S.’s enormous industrial output. Even before the U.S. entered the war, the Americans provided hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of equipment to the Allies, and between 1938 and 1943 U.S. manufacturing...
Old Structures...
Variations On A Theme It turns out that I didn’t exhaust the topic of The Tombs yesterday. Possibly because of its social...
a month ago
25
a month ago
It turns out that I didn’t exhaust the topic of The Tombs yesterday. Possibly because of its social meaning in the mid-1800s, possibly because of its bizarre appearance, drawings and photos of it seem to have turned up a lot in various publications. Here’s a photo in 1898, near...
Old Structures...
It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time Some current news: various books from the nineteenth century are being taken off library shelves...
4 months ago
44
4 months ago
Some current news: various books from the nineteenth century are being taken off library shelves because their covers and/or page edges contain poisonous dyes, as described in “That book is poison: Even more Victorian covers found to contain toxic dyes” by Jennifer Ouellette. The...
Old Structures...
What’s Not Stated This newspaper clipping in one of the New York Public Library’s scrapbooks has no explanation, but...
2 months ago
28
2 months ago
This newspaper clipping in one of the New York Public Library’s scrapbooks has no explanation, but I’m pretty sure I know what it’s about. The somewhat ominous caption “Park Avenue Tunnel Choked With the Debris” is probably describing the aftermath of the January 1902 crash...
Construction Physics
Contribute to the US Megaprojects Database! The US Megaprojects Database Very large construction or technology development projects are...
a year ago
60
a year ago
The US Megaprojects Database Very large construction or technology development projects are sometimes called “megaprojects." By directing thousands of workers and billions of dollars towards the achievement of a single goal, great things can be achieved. The output of...
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
30
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...
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
27
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...
Common Edge
To Address Climate Change, Architects Must Tackle Decarbonization Focusing only on energy performance is insufficient to the mounting crisis.
a year ago
Old Structures...
Genteel That’s the Hotel Marlborough at 36th Street and Broadway, shortly after 1900. The hotel opened in...
2 weeks ago
24
2 weeks ago
That’s the Hotel Marlborough at 36th Street and Broadway, shortly after 1900. The hotel opened in 1888 when the entertainment district on Broadway was further south; by the time it was demolished in 1922, that district had moved to Times Square, a few blocks to the north. It’s a...
Contemporist...
Rough And Rugged Materials Are Combined With Modern Forms On This Home Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, has shared photos of a...
11 months ago
14
11 months ago
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, has shared photos of a new home they designed in Gorssel, The Netherlands.
Old Structures...
The More Things Stay The Same Above, an article from the Real Estate Record and Guide of October 15, 1910. It speaks for itself to...
a year ago
10
a year ago
Above, an article from the Real Estate Record and Guide of October 15, 1910. It speaks for itself to some degree, and, based on the general topic, could have been written pretty much any decade from the 1880s to today. The good news (paragraph three): the case was apparently...
Old Structures...
The Easy Route On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much...
5 months ago
40
5 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...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Remodeled 1950s Ranch Home Photography by Studio Robert Jamieson (before photos), August Haeuser (exterior), Sam Orberter...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Photography by Studio Robert Jamieson (before photos), August Haeuser (exterior), Sam Orberter (kitchen) Studio Robert Jamieson has shared photos of a 1950s ranch home remodel they completed in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. When the owners purchased this home outside of...
Old Structures...
Future Site An 1890 view of the south side of the intersection of 23rd Street, Broadway and Fifth Avenue, the...
5 months ago
33
5 months ago
An 1890 view of the south side of the intersection of 23rd Street, Broadway and Fifth Avenue, the narrow triangular block that would, a dozen years later, be the site of the construction of the Flatiron Buidling. My first thought was “would you really want a dentist who...
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
53
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...
The Modern House
Furnishing Futures: the charity improving the lives of domestic abuse survivors – one piece of... When a domestic abuse victim is given the keys to their new home, many will find that it comes...
a month ago
27
a month ago
When a domestic abuse victim is given the keys to their new home, many will find that it comes unfurnished, often without even carpets on the floors. It can be the cause of much stress for these women, who have recently fled an abusive home […]
Coffee with an...
Architect Valentines 2024 It’s that time of year again. The time of year when an architect’s thoughts turn to Love. Well, not...
11 months ago
59
11 months ago
It’s that time of year again. The time of year when an architect’s thoughts turn to Love. Well, not really. We’re working on a deadline right now. But, we promise, as soon as we’re finished with these details, our thoughts will totally turn to love. In the meantime, here are a...
Old Structures...
New York Without Height Today’s pictures all date from 1860, when the tallest building in New York was the spire of Trinity...
11 months ago
14
11 months ago
Today’s pictures all date from 1860, when the tallest building in New York was the spire of Trinity Church. I can’t readily tell you what the second-tallest building was, as people weren’t really thinking about tall buildings that way yet. It was probably another church spire....
The Modern House
Take a Dip: London’s best swimming spots – from lakes to lidos
a year ago
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.
5 months ago
The Modern House
Curator Priya Khanchandani on postmodernism and palette at her home in Archway, north London
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
8
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...
Construction Physics
What makes housing so expensive? Buying a home is by far the largest purchase most of us will make, and paying the rent or mortgage...
9 months ago
56
9 months ago
Buying a home is by far the largest purchase most of us will make, and paying the rent or mortgage will be our largest monthly expense. In the post-pandemic home-buying boom, the median sale price of a new home peaked at almost $500,000 dollars, just under
Archinect - Features
Sound and Place: Archinect's Summer Music Playlist to Keep You Moving “The interference patterns of visual, sonic, and kinetic waveform transmissions that flooded the...
a year ago
13
a year ago
“The interference patterns of visual, sonic, and kinetic waveform transmissions that flooded the dance floor and enveloped me were deeply transformative. Along the perimeter, bass-bins sent out shock waves that rattled your ribcage and tweeter horns above them fired a percussive...
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
11
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...
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
9
a year ago
For the fifteenth and last time on this blog, I'm highlighting my favorite books of the year, selected from the many books I reviewed or featured as "Book Briefs" on this blog, and the few titles that I reviewed at World-Architects. From the 86 books I featured in 2023, 15 (or...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Courthouses Galore Foley Square, northeast of City Hall Park, has a collection of very large courthouses. Here’s Matt...
4 months ago
41
4 months ago
Foley Square, northeast of City Hall Park, has a collection of very large courthouses. Here’s Matt Murdoch, otherwise known as Daredevil, on the steps of a courthouse having just finished a case: Here’s a view looking north with the New York State Supreme Court and its large...
The Modern House
Architects Mariia Pashenko and Koen Schaballie on the radical reinvention of their Victorian home in...
a year ago
Old Structures...
Fun With Framing From a recent trip to Staten Island, a view looking north across the harbor to Manhattan and...
2 months ago
22
2 months ago
From a recent trip to Staten Island, a view looking north across the harbor to Manhattan and Brooklyn: New York looks, unfortunately, much like a chain-link fence. The catenaries that we see are some nearby power lines, not far-off suspension bridges. Cropping helps but not...
Contemporist...
Dark Vertical Wood Siding Was Chosen As The Primary Exterior Cladding To “Camouflage” This Cabin Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a house they designed in...
11 months ago
28
11 months ago
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a house they designed in Wawona, California, for a couple with grown children and their families.
Old Structures...
Infrastructure Not all infrastructure is hidden – some, like elevated railroads, is more visible and audible than...
8 months ago
30
8 months ago
Not all infrastructure is hidden – some, like elevated railroads, is more visible and audible than most people would prefer – but it often is and that can make it easy to forget. “The Cloud Under the Sea” by John Dzieza, with visuals by Kristen Radtke and Go Takayana, is an...
The Modern House
A flexible family home with flair in Clapton
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Tree-like Columns Show The Craftsmanship Inside This Riverside Pavilion Design practice firm JK-AR has shared photos of a riverside pavilion in Gyeongsangnam-do, South...
a year ago
26
a year ago
Design practice firm JK-AR has shared photos of a riverside pavilion in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, which they recently completed that aims to reinvent East Asian timber architecture. Before the city was urbanized, the riverside was surrounded by bamboo forests. Inspired by...
CONTEMPORIST
Weathered Steel Covers The Exterior Of This Modern Home In Texas Photography by Casey Dunn Miró Rivera Architects has shared photos of a home they completed in...
7 months ago
48
7 months ago
Photography by Casey Dunn Miró Rivera Architects has shared photos of a home they completed in Austin, Texas, which overlooks a sweeping lawn shaded by towering native pecan and bald cypress trees. Photography by Casey Dunn The house is comprised of two wings flanking a central...
Old Structures...
A Modern and Maybe Over Building Type “Death of the Department Store” by Rosemary Hill is a short review of an exhibition at the Musée des...
3 months ago
37
3 months ago
“Death of the Department Store” by Rosemary Hill is a short review of an exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. As best as I can tell, having not seen the exhibit, it is not so much about the state of department stores today as it is about their entire history from...
Old Structures...
One Pitfall Avoided I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department...
6 months ago
31
6 months ago
I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department of Buildings will be examined to identify which buildings are considered to be high risk, and the usual DoB actions – violations, etc. – will start from there. It all depends on...
Archinect - Features
Interest Rates Were Cut, but Growth Takes Time: Archinect’s State of AEC October 2024 Welcome to the fifth installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
2 months ago
32
2 months ago
Welcome to the fifth installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically. Throughout the last month,...
Common Edge
AI, Architecture, and the Uncanny Valley Technology can design, but it can’t understand the “why” of buildings—yet.
4 months ago
Coffee with an...
Design Paths 2 Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there...
10 months ago
20
10 months ago
Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there were another handful of clear diagrams to explain the process. This still isn’t that: More Design Paths HERE
CONTEMPORIST
A New Extension Adds A Home Office And Bedroom To This Miami Bungalow Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a 900 sqft addition in South Miami, Florida, for...
5 months ago
38
5 months ago
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a 900 sqft addition in South Miami, Florida, for owners who were looking for a little extra room in their traditional home, that was open to the outdoors, and allowed for a private primary bedroom and studio apart from the main...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #07: Sec. Pete Buttigieg [EPISODE] This is the seventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
5 months ago
46
5 months ago
This is the seventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott sit down with Pete Buttigieg, the US Secretary of Transportation. One of his major...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – An Old Warehouse Was Turned Into A Contemporary Home Brengues Le Pavec architects have shared photos of a modern warehouse conversion they completed in...
9 months ago
36
9 months ago
Brengues Le Pavec architects have shared photos of a modern warehouse conversion they completed in the south of France, between Montpellier and the sea. The ‘Before’…the run-down warehouse, which was still being used to store products, was dark and filled with shelves. The...
Contemporist...
The Exposed Wood Ceiling Of This Home Shows Off Its Structure Eva Hinds Arquitectura has shared photos of a modern home they have completed in La Libertad, El...
10 months ago
40
10 months ago
Eva Hinds Arquitectura has shared photos of a modern home they have completed in La Libertad, El Salvador, that has exposed structural elements.
Old Structures...
New Ringing The Old Here’s a terrible photo I took through the window of a ferry: There’s a weird concentric-circle...
3 months ago
39
3 months ago
Here’s a terrible photo I took through the window of a ferry: There’s a weird concentric-circle effect to the buildings in much of lower Manhattan that you can see clearly here, that the buildings on the waterfront are new and bigger than the ones behind them. It’s a simple...
99% Invisible
The Infernal Machine [EPISODE] For most of history there was only one way to blow things up. You could pack a bunch of gunpowder in...
3 months ago
44
3 months ago
For most of history there was only one way to blow things up. You could pack a bunch of gunpowder in one place and set it on fire. But then in the 1800s one scientist named Alfred Nobel dedicated himself to taming the incredibly volatile substance that was nitroglycerine.  After...
CONTEMPORIST
A Contemporary Makeover For A Home Built In 1907 Best Practice Architecture has designed the contemporary remodel of a 1907 home in Seattle,...
a year ago
28
a year ago
Best Practice Architecture has designed the contemporary remodel of a 1907 home in Seattle, Washington, that measures just 16-and-a-half feet wide. Surrounded by old-growth trees in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood, the cozy gambrel roof dwelling is dubbed “Phinney Mini” for...
Old Structures...
The Function of Color It’s a matter of personal taste, but I find the 74-year-old illustrations in The Function Of Colour...
3 months ago
27
3 months ago
It’s a matter of personal taste, but I find the 74-year-old illustrations in The Function Of Colour In Factories, Schools & Hospitals, as scanned by the design and stationary mavens at Present & Correct, to be astonishing. Here’s one example: and the rest are: here. And there’s a...
The Modern House
Our Guide to Oxford: cinnamon buns, honey-hued domes and small plates in the 'city of dreaming...
7 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Arched Geometry Adds Personality To This Office Building Lobby Architect and interior design firm Atelier Cho Thompson, has shared photos of the lobby in a...
a year ago
22
a year ago
Architect and interior design firm Atelier Cho Thompson, has shared photos of the lobby in a building in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally constructed as a shoe factory, the exterior of the building has an ornate stone facade, decorated with imagery depicting shoe manufacturing,...
Archinect - Features
2024 Summer Architecture Programs for Adults and High School Graduates Archinect's 2024 highlight of summer architecture programs continues with Part 2, where we focus on...
9 months ago
26
9 months ago
Archinect's 2024 highlight of summer architecture programs continues with Part 2, where we focus on courses and workshops for adults, high school graduates, and current college students. Take a look below at our curated selection of educational events at academic institutions and...
Contemporist...
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...
7 months ago
77
7 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 Los Angeles Leaf Blower Wars [EPISODE] The leaf blower is one of the most hated objects in the modern world. They’re loud, they pollute,...
7 months ago
56
7 months ago
The leaf blower is one of the most hated objects in the modern world. They’re loud, they pollute, and… how important is a leafless lawn anyway? In a lot of towns and cities, the gas-powered leaf blower has been banned. In others, there are strict guidelines on where and when they...
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
20
a year ago
In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture & Urban Planning (SARUP) to unpack its Mellows Graduate Research Positions (formerly called the Mellowes Master’s Research Assistantships).  For the 2024-2025 school year, SARUP is...
Construction Physics
We Need More Research on how CO2 Affects Cognition A growing body of research indicates there are potentially large health benefits to improving indoor...
a year ago
11
a year ago
A growing body of research indicates there are potentially large health benefits to improving indoor air quality. Indoor spaces are often poorly ventilated and expose occupants to high levels of contaminants, such as pathogens, particulates, and other pollutants. Because people...
Archinect - Features
Archinect's Guide to the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale: Part I — The National... With the opening week of the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale now passed, there has been much...
a year ago
12
a year ago
With the opening week of the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale now passed, there has been much discussion and media coverage of the anticipated international exhibition. It's safe to imply that the high-profile event aims to highlight, unveil, celebrate, and at times, provoke new...
CONTEMPORIST
A Slightly Different Angled Ridge Line Was Given To Each Home In This Passive House Development RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House...
a year ago
10
a year ago
RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House Construction LLC, has shared photos of Brucewood Homes, a collection of internationally certified Passive House single-family homes. The Brucewood Homes project is a series of...
CONTEMPORIST
Exterior Lighting Shows Off The Post And Beam Structure Of This Home Ward + Blake Architects has shared photos of a modern post and beam home they completed in Wyoming,...
a year ago
11
a year ago
Ward + Blake Architects has shared photos of a modern post and beam home they completed in Wyoming, that’s been placed on a hillside, just above a farmable portion of the site to preserve the ongoing agricultural use of the property. The home has generous roof overhangs that...
CONTEMPORIST
A Slide Connects The Main Floor With The Kids Bedrooms On The Lower Floor Of This Home Reflect Architecture has remodeled a duplex that had an additional two small basement units, and...
a year ago
58
a year ago
Reflect Architecture has remodeled a duplex that had an additional two small basement units, and turned it into one unit on the second floor for income purposes, as well as combined the ground floor and lower-level into a single dwelling for a young family of five. One unexpected...
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
Blog - Guerrilla...
Vermont's Great Retreat To begin the process of creating this map, I asked questions. Devoured books. Consumed articles....
over a year ago
26
over a year ago
To begin the process of creating this map, I asked questions. Devoured books. Consumed articles. Talked to historians and librarians. And read maps. Lots of maps. As I did, I wondered if there was something in the landscape, the communities, the culture that made Vermont...
CONTEMPORIST
Exposed Wood Beams Create A Rustic Yet Modern Aesthetic For This Accessory Dwelling Unit Obreval together with Catch Architecture, has recently completed a modern ADU (accessory dwelling...
a year ago
9
a year ago
Obreval together with Catch Architecture, has recently completed a modern ADU (accessory dwelling unit) in Carpenteria, California, whose design curves around a circular patio. The semicircular cutout that envelops the dwelling, invites an abundance of natural light into every...
99% Invisible
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
47
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....
The Modern House
Hannah Carter Owers on selling the family home in two days in pursuit of the perfect 1970s retrofit...
11 months ago
Common Edge
The Architecture of “Thin Places” and How to Design Them Places that are “thin” offer experiences outside of the everyday.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Exposed Wood Posts & Beams Add A Warm Rustic Touch To This Small Cabin Still Architects has shared photos of a small contemporary cabin they completed in the Muskoka...
2 weeks ago
36
2 weeks ago
Still Architects has shared photos of a small contemporary cabin they completed in the Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada, where the Rosseau River flows into the lake. The 800-square-foot (74-sqm) cabin has a wood exterior with black accents. Its wood deck, with steps down to the...
devonzuegel.com
Uncharted waters: what startups can learn from pirates about compensation Pirate crews developed a surprisingly similar approach to compensation in the 17th century. Just...
over a year ago
8
over a year ago
Pirate crews developed a surprisingly similar approach to compensation in the 17th century. Just like many startups, they also balanced equity incentives with other mechanisms that would be familiar to a startup employee today, such as bonuses. These surprising similarities...
CONTEMPORIST
A Material Palette Of Pale Brick, Concrete, And Timber Echoes This Home’s Coastal Site Architecture firm studioplusthree has shared photos of a project in Sydney, Australia, that included...
6 months ago
47
6 months ago
Architecture firm studioplusthree has shared photos of a project in Sydney, Australia, that included the alterations and additions to an existing house. The home features a material palette of pale brick, concrete, and timber evoking the project’s coastal location and echoing the...
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
12
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...
Common Edge
Election 2024: Revisiting the Duck and the Decorated Shed How the Statue of Liberty and the Hollywood Sign frame the nation’s inherent tensions.
4 months ago
Construction Physics
Boeing Reading List Unlike most topics that I write about, the aircraft industry is an industry that has enthusiasts:...
11 months ago
26
11 months ago
Unlike most topics that I write about, the aircraft industry is an industry that has enthusiasts: lots and lots of people are interested in following various aspects of the commercial aircraft world for fun (example: not only are there extremely accurate flight simulators, but...
Common Edge
Climate Lessons From the Floating Villages of Cambodia Social and cultural values may be as important as hard (and expensive) infrastructure.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Tiny Public Library With A Roof Inspired By A Sheet Of Paper Ninja Stuudio has shared photos of “White Sheet”, a tiny public library and reading pavilion they...
8 months ago
53
8 months ago
Ninja Stuudio has shared photos of “White Sheet”, a tiny public library and reading pavilion they completed in Tallinn, Estonia. The design has been inspired by the image of a literary idea, with the pavilion’s roof hovering as a light sheet of paper in mid-air relying only on...
Old Structures...
Modern Perception First, the Carson, Pirie, Scott Store in Chicago, as it appeared in the past: In my opinion – and...
7 months ago
53
7 months ago
First, the Carson, Pirie, Scott Store in Chicago, as it appeared in the past: In my opinion – and many other people’s opinions – it’s one of Louis Sullian’s most amazing designs. Here’s a close-up of the corner entrance as it appears today (actually yesterday, after I finished my...
The Modern House
Life and love in a 1960s townhouse in north London
11 months ago
devonzuegel.com
My questions about Próspera, answered I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others...
over a year ago
10
over a year ago
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others might too, so I wrote an FAQ to share what I learned: Próspera FAQ This FAQ is intended as a reference, covering the basic facts and current status of the project. My hope is that...
The Modern House
How Robin and Bronwen Burgess created a haven overlooking Hampstead Heath
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Sense Of The Past The thing about spending a week discussing the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge is that it all feels...
a year ago
11
a year ago
The thing about spending a week discussing the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge is that it all feels almost like fiction. The caissons have been buried in the sand at the bottom of the East River for more than 150 years. I know they are there because I know how to read historical...
Common Edge
What I Learned From Six Recessions in Architecture Life is imperfect, and architects understand this better than most.
a month ago
Old Structures...
We Become Accustomed – Part 1 I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it...
a year ago
12
a year ago
I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it illustrates an important phenomenon about change. When I talk about change in this blog, I most often mean technological change in the built environment, as new forms of construction...
Common Edge
Design for Global Survival: The 2030 Palette Strategies for architects, planners, and policymakers as we adapt to a changing world.
a month ago
The Modern House
Dancing down the decades at Domus – a monument to mid-century modernism
4 months ago
Archinect - Features
Are Architectural Workers More Pessimistic About the Economy Than Firm Owners? In our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey published last month, we observed a distinct...
4 months ago
46
4 months ago
In our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey published last month, we observed a distinct divergence between how firm owners and workers were feeling about the business health of their firm, industry, and the wider U.S. economy. Across the board, our survey suggests...
Old Structures...
The Downside of Going Topless The picture above shows two photos of the same building in Chelsea, where we finished a repair...
a month ago
28
a month ago
The picture above shows two photos of the same building in Chelsea, where we finished a repair project about a year ago. The left side is a tax photo from the 1940s; the right photo was taken after we were done with our work. The viaduct in the back is the Highline. This 1902...
McMansion Hell
namesake mcmansion Howdy folks! Today’s McMansion is very special because a) we’re returning to Maryland after a long...
5 months ago
49
5 months ago
Howdy folks! Today’s McMansion is very special because a) we’re returning to Maryland after a long time and b) because the street this McMansion is on is the same as my name. (It was not named after me.) Hence, it is my personal McMansion, which I guess is somewhat like when...
Old Structures...
Possibly The title of this 1958 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is “Aerial view of street, possibly Park Avenue, with...
8 months ago
59
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...
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
28
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Daybed Nook Is A Great Place To Read Inside This Cabin Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a secluded home they designed in Methow Valley,...
4 months ago
53
4 months ago
Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a secluded home they designed in Methow Valley, Washington. One of the key interior elements is a built-in day bed. The open nook has various functions. There’s the day bed for relaxing, with storage drawers built in underneath. The...
CONTEMPORIST
Sculptural Walls Inspired By The Intricate Detailing Of Indian Temple Architecture Abin Design Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a gallery and store that...
2 months ago
30
2 months ago
Abin Design Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a gallery and store that displays Italian furniture in Kolkata, India. The striking interior seamlessly blends the finesse and elegance of Italian craftsmanship with the vibrancy of Indian design traditions....
Old Structures...
Bucolia First up, some very tame woods, with a picnic bench: About a mile away, a peaceful – if rainy and...
11 months ago
12
11 months ago
First up, some very tame woods, with a picnic bench: About a mile away, a peaceful – if rainy and foggy – stretch of water, as seen from a causeway: This is, against most people’s expectations, the Bronx. More specifically, it’s Pelham Bay Park, and Eastchester Bay, where the...
Common Edge
Consuming Provence: The Gentler Footprint of French Sprawl An expat goes shopping in the European burbs.
5 months ago
Archinect - Features
'Starting a Successful Woman-Owned Business in a Heavily Male-Dominated Industry Is No Joke':... In this episode of our Studio Snapshot series, Archinect connected with Allison Bryan, Founding...
3 months ago
40
3 months ago
In this episode of our Studio Snapshot series, Archinect connected with Allison Bryan, Founding Principal of multi-disciplinary design practice Open Studio Collective, based in Bozeman, Montana, and Ojai, California. Trained in both graphic design and architecture, Bryan talks...
Old Structures...
The Aftertaste of Technological Change I slept through the Daylight Savings change last week. More accurately, I didn’t realize it was...
a month ago
25
a month ago
I slept through the Daylight Savings change last week. More accurately, I didn’t realize it was occurring – I thought it was yesterday, not the Sunday a week ago – and I generally sleep late on the weekends anyway, so I got an extra hour of sleep without realizing, until...
Old Structures...
Overgrowth It’s worth taking a look at two pictures of Newspaper Row/Printing House Square. First, around 1900:...
9 months ago
24
9 months ago
It’s worth taking a look at two pictures of Newspaper Row/Printing House Square. First, around 1900: Second, 1936, from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project. We have the same line-up in both pictures, from left to right: The World Building, the Tribune Building, the New...
Common Edge
Can We Create a Secular and Spiritual Architecture? It’s not spirituality that’s in retreat, but face to face rituals and customs.
10 months ago
The Modern House
Heading out? Here’s how to do it with people and the planet in mind
a year ago
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,...
4 months ago
46
4 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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Monochrome Interior Design For This Home In Singapore Studio Metanoia has shared photos of a modern home interior they recently completed in Singapore,...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Studio Metanoia has shared photos of a modern home interior they recently completed in Singapore, that has a very strong monochromatic aesthetic. The interior strikes a balance of light and dark, which is evident throughout, like in the living room, where a white couch with a...
Old Structures...
Almost Unrecognizeable Most of the 1950s Angelo Rizzuto photos I’ve been discussing recently can be quickly located even if...
8 months ago
39
8 months ago
Most of the 1950s Angelo Rizzuto photos I’ve been discussing recently can be quickly located even if their descriptions don’t say were they were taken. The 1957 picture above threw me. We’re looking towards midtown – the Empire State Building makes that obvious – but from what...
Old Structures...
Three Generations With Little Resemblence From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, a page from 1918 showing the Hotel Marguery on the west...
a month ago
24
a month ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, a page from 1918 showing the Hotel Marguery on the west side of Park Avenue, between 47th and 49th Streets. The building’s address was 270 Park Avenue. That odd two-wing configuration is what happens when you plan a building around a...
The Wandering...
53° 30′ N So, there I am, driving along in Edmonton, Alberta. I come to a stop light on Fort Road, look to my...
over a year ago
21
over a year ago
So, there I am, driving along in Edmonton, Alberta. I come to a stop light on Fort Road, look to my right and I see this: Is that a building with longitudes written on the roof?!?! And what are these longitudes? 9° 49’ W—that’s nowhere near Edmonton! Nor is 123°30’ E. What’s …...
Archinect - Features
Exploring Coffee and Architecture With These Ten Mesmerizing Cafes October 1st marks International Coffee Day, and to celebrate, we explore exceptional projects that...
a year ago
17
a year ago
October 1st marks International Coffee Day, and to celebrate, we explore exceptional projects that exemplify the distinctive attributes and meticulous design considerations behind a diverse array of cafes across the globe.
devonzuegel.com
Podcasts & conferences I've spoken at I haven't done a great job of tracking these, so this list is non-comprehensive: Urbanism and the...
over a year ago
13
over a year ago
I haven't done a great job of tracking these, so this list is non-comprehensive: Urbanism and the Future of Cities (Jan 2023) – Narratives podcast Inflation, Argentina, and Crypto (Oct 2022) – EconTalk podcast Devon Zuegel on Startup Cities (June 2022) Devon Zuegel, creator...
Old Structures...
Lucy Moses Award: 486 Liberty Avenue You can read about the building in the awards program: here. The short version: this was a very...
8 months ago
75
8 months ago
You can read about the building in the awards program: here. The short version: this was a very ornate police precinct house constructed in 1892, when Brooklyn was still an inexpedient city, and abandoned for quite some time. Here’s what the interior looked like the first time we...
Old Structures...
Old Adventures In Photo-Bombing Someone occasionally notices that most of Manhattan has little open space to create picturesque...
11 months ago
19
11 months ago
Someone occasionally notices that most of Manhattan has little open space to create picturesque vistas. Or to put it another way, it’s difficult to get decent pictures of a lot of buildings here because there’s so much stuff in the way. There’s also stuff in the background, which...
The Modern House
Five bright things to do and see this July July is here: the sun is shining and the air is hot – and so are our top picks of things to do and...
a year ago
27
a year ago
July is here: the sun is shining and the air is hot – and so are our top picks of things to do and see this month, from an exhibition on an emerging artist exploring light and space to a food and art extravaganza celebrating […]
Common Edge
Consider the 15 mph City It’s time to expand our vision to include slower, more human-scaled speeds of transportation.
a year ago
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
11
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...
The Modern House
Harriet Verney on her camp interiors and life within a converted Bible factory in Dalston
a year ago
The Modern House
A concrete apartment with credentials by Regent’s Canal, north London
a year ago
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on light With January out the way, we’re moving on from our theme of ‘space’ to one of ’light’. As such, for...
11 months ago
28
11 months ago
With January out the way, we’re moving on from our theme of ‘space’ to one of ’light’. As such, for the whole of February, you can expect our usual offering of inspiring stories, only now they’ll be unified in their exploration of the importance of […]
devonzuegel.com
IVF egg retrieval notes I’ve now done two egg retrieval cycles. Given that I had a zillion questions before I started, I...
9 months ago
68
9 months ago
I’ve now done two egg retrieval cycles. Given that I had a zillion questions before I started, I thought I’d share my notes for others who might have similar questions. Things I would’ve loved to know beforehand Overall the process was way easier and less intense than I...
The Modern House
Living well, together: a breathtaking mews house that is a calm, creative sanctuary for four
2 months ago
Contemporist...
A Lot Of Plants Have Been Integrated Into The Design Of This Home In Singapore Wallflower Architecture + Design has sent us photos of a home they recently completed in Singapore,...
11 months ago
52
11 months ago
Wallflower Architecture + Design has sent us photos of a home they recently completed in Singapore, that features an exterior covered in plants.
99% Invisible
Brilliantly Boring [EPISODE] If you’ve been paying attention to our Power Broker series, then you know that bad infrastructure...
3 months ago
30
3 months ago
If you’ve been paying attention to our Power Broker series, then you know that bad infrastructure can cause harm. That makes it all the more important to recognize the thought and care that goes into the objects we use and see everyday. Nothing embodies that spirit of recognition...
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
14
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 Home That Delivers A Rustic Symphony Of Exposed Wood Beams FINNE Architects has shared photos of a Pacific Northwest house they designed on Bainbridge Island,...
9 months ago
30
9 months ago
FINNE Architects has shared photos of a Pacific Northwest house they designed on Bainbridge Island, Washington. A 500-ft driveway winds through the woods up to the house, located in a clearing at the top of a gentle hill. The house was designed to be sustainable from the start,...
A Weekly Dose of...
On the Future of Cities The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of...
a year ago
26
a year ago
The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of them together: Implementing Urban Design: Green, Civic, and Community Strategies by Jonathan Barnett, published by Routledge, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Renewing the Dream: The...
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...
3 months ago
44
3 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...
The Grenfell Report The “phase 2” report on the Grenfell has recently been published by the official inquiry panel:...
4 months ago
43
4 months ago
The “phase 2” report on the Grenfell has recently been published by the official inquiry panel: here. The New Civil Engineer has a good short summary here: “Grenfell disaster: ‘culmination of decades of failure by government and construction industry’” In one sense there are few...
Archinect - Features
When Form Follows Meanings: AI’s Semantic Turn in Architecture In the wake of artificial intelligence’s recently popularized presence in the architectural field...
a year ago
9
a year ago
In the wake of artificial intelligence’s recently popularized presence in the architectural field and beyond, many are pondering what changes may be on the horizon in the discipline, if any. For Stanislas Chaillou, AI’s dissemination in architecture may refocus the profession’s...
CONTEMPORIST
Curved Windows Allow This Home To Have Unobstructed Water Views The Wiseman Group has updated a 90’s home in Sausalito, California, that was originally designed by...
10 months ago
40
10 months ago
The Wiseman Group has updated a 90’s home in Sausalito, California, that was originally designed by the late architect Donald Olsen. Located on a hillside with waterfront views, the home has been thoughtfully modernized as an elegant family living space that still honors the...
The Modern House
How to reduce carbon emissions at home
a year ago
Old Structures...
The Public Realm This is the 1895 firehouse constructed for Engine Company 31 and Battalion 2 of the Fire Department...
4 months ago
23
4 months ago
This is the 1895 firehouse constructed for Engine Company 31 and Battalion 2 of the Fire Department of New York, at Lafayette and White Streets. The fire department facilities were moved elsewhere over 50 years ago, but the building is landmarked and reusable, so it has been...
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Landscape Was Designed For This Californian Backyard SUBU Design Architecture has shared photos of a landscape design they completed for a home in...
a year ago
11
a year ago
SUBU Design Architecture has shared photos of a landscape design they completed for a home in California. The client asked the designers to create a kitchen garden and an outdoor gathering space for her large family to celebrate birthdays and holidays. One area of the yard was...
Old Structures...
Obvious In Restrospect The first real commuter rail in New York was the New York and Harlem Railroad, which eventually...
11 months ago
14
11 months ago
The first real commuter rail in New York was the New York and Harlem Railroad, which eventually served, through a combination of horse-drawn street cars and heavy rail, from lower Manhattan to Chatham, New York, not far south of Albany. The portion in Manhattan south of 23rd...
Old Structures...
Examples Illustrated I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was,...
11 months ago
11
11 months ago
I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was, as expected, informative and interesting. Obviously, that’s not what I’m going to write about here. The conference was at Convene (a place where you can rent space for conferences)...
Contemporist...
Brick Is The Material Of Choice For This New Home Architecture and interiors firm Enter Projects Asia, has shared photos of a home they completed in...
3 months ago
51
3 months ago
Architecture and interiors firm Enter Projects Asia, has shared photos of a home they completed in Phuket, Thailand, that blends design and traditional artisanal craftsmanship.
99% Invisible
Long Strange Tape [EPISODE] The Cassette tape was great in so many ways, but let’s be honest, they never really sounded great....
a year ago
9
a year ago
The Cassette tape was great in so many ways, but let’s be honest, they never really sounded great.  But because the cassette was so much cheaper and easier to use and portable, a lot of people didn’t care so much about the audio quality. They just wanted to be able to use...
SOCKS
This Is A Record Cover: Text-based & conceptual album covers. A project by Socks Studio The second album by British new wave band XTC did not feature any images. Instead, a written essay...
over a year ago
20
over a year ago
The second album by British new wave band XTC did not feature any images. Instead, a written essay about how buyers are attracted by album covers to buy records was used. The paragraph, which begins with: “This is a record cover.” occupies the whole 12″x12″ of Go2 (1978) in a way...
Common Edge
What’s the Point of Lower-Density Urbanism? We need new models for fixing existing sprawl and growing small towns.
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
Visualizing the World, Visualizing Change In 1939, Otto Neurath's Modern Man in the Making was released by Alfred A. Knopf. Neurath was...
a year ago
54
a year ago
In 1939, Otto Neurath's Modern Man in the Making was released by Alfred A. Knopf. Neurath was director of the International Foundation of Visual Information and used the Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education) system to "teach through the eye." A recent...
Old Structures...
Adelaide House, Part 2 – Structure Continuing my discussion (part 1 is here) of London’s maybe-first skyscraper, the Adelaide House,...
9 months ago
30
9 months ago
Continuing my discussion (part 1 is here) of London’s maybe-first skyscraper, the Adelaide House, let’s talk about structure. There’s a big difference between trying to build the first skyscraper in your city in the 1870s or 80s or 90s (depending on how you want to define...
CONTEMPORIST
This Builders-Grade Kitchen Transformed Using Rift-Sawn White Oak Cabinets LTB Architecture together with interior design firm State., has shared photos of an interior...
a year ago
58
a year ago
LTB Architecture together with interior design firm State., has shared photos of an interior transformation they completed for an early 2000s home in Golden, Colorado. The renovation focused on the kitchen and dining room, as well as the living room. The original kitchen was a...
The Modern House
Water's Edge: five homes that take in Britain’s rugged coastline  In the UK, you’re never more than 70 miles from the sea, but why put any distance between your home...
8 months ago
63
8 months ago
In the UK, you’re never more than 70 miles from the sea, but why put any distance between your home and the shifting shoreline? The pull of our luminous and varied coastline is undeniable, which is why we’ve found five homes a stone’s throw from […]
Old Structures...
Close To Home From Angelo Rizzuto in 1950, “Broad Street.” It doesn’t instantly look familiar because we’re all...
8 months ago
39
8 months ago
From Angelo Rizzuto in 1950, “Broad Street.” It doesn’t instantly look familiar because we’re all used to seeing the north end of Broad Street, where the Stock Exchange and Federal Hall are, or views looking up the street to the north. This is the sound end of Broad, as it runs...
99% Invisible
How the World Ran Out of Everything There’s an image that’s stuck with many of us from the early pandemic: dozens of cargo ships...
2 months ago
34
2 months ago
There’s an image that’s stuck with many of us from the early pandemic: dozens of cargo ships anchored off the coasts of US ports, stacked high with hundreds of thousands of containers filled with goods, just sitting there in a traffic jam. At the same time, grocery store shelves...
Common Edge
Bill McKibben on COP28, Maintaining Hope, and Walking in the Woods The activist and author offers some perspective on the recently concluded UN Climate summit.
a year ago
99% Invisible
You Ain’t Nothin But a Postmark [EPISODE] Over a decade after Elvis Presley’s death, the king of rock & roll took over headlines once again as...
a year ago
9
a year ago
Over a decade after Elvis Presley’s death, the king of rock & roll took over headlines once again as Americans weighed in on which portrait of Elvis would be forever immortalized on a 29 cent US postage stamp. It was put to a popular vote: should the stamp feature an image of...
Archinect - Features
Archinect's 2023 Summer Reading List Summer is here, and whether you're on vacation or preparing for one or looking to lay low at home, a...
a year ago
11
a year ago
Summer is here, and whether you're on vacation or preparing for one or looking to lay low at home, a summer must is a good book. The Archinect team has curated a list of reading essentials to explore.  Below is a collection of books organized into five categories – New Releases,...
The Modern House
An apartment with star quality in a converted recording studio in west London
a year ago
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
34
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".
Old Structures...
A Very Specific Moment I wrote before about the destruction of St. John’s Park, but I had not seen the photo below. The...
10 months ago
23
10 months ago
I wrote before about the destruction of St. John’s Park, but I had not seen the photo below. The photo shows St. John’s Chapel, an out-chapel of Trinity Church, which was constructed in 1807 and which eventually gave the park its name. This was originally an almost suburban...
Common Edge
Architects Must Resist the AI “Revolution” No technological advance can match the power, memory, and creativity of the human brain.
a year ago
The Modern House
Five contemporary family homes with green living and community at their core
a year ago
Benny Kuriakose
Activity Spaces and Play Areas in a School Activity spaces in schools can encourage students to learn from the outdoor environment. Sports...
a year ago
11
a year ago
Activity spaces in schools can encourage students to learn from the outdoor environment. Sports activities such as athletics, volleyball,...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Migration Away From Flooded Land in Seattle How did you decide on your map subject for the Migration atlas?  Deciding what to map was the...
over a year ago
23
over a year ago
How did you decide on your map subject for the Migration atlas?  Deciding what to map was the hardest part of the Atlas in a Day experience. The first night, we developed a number of interesting concepts but nothing felt quite right. Were data available? What interesting story...
The Modern House
Designer and creative director Walé Adeyemi MBE on the London locations that have shaped his life,...
2 months ago
Construction Physics
How Fast Can a City Grow? In the last post, we noted Los Angeles was the fastest-growing city in the US at the end of the 19th...
a year ago
13
a year ago
In the last post, we noted Los Angeles was the fastest-growing city in the US at the end of the 19th century, growing nearly 10% yearly between 1880 and 1930. This made me wonder what the landscape of city growth rates looks like. How fast were other US cities growing at the same...
99% Invisible
The Chinatown Punk Wars [EPISODE] The most recognizable feature of LA’s Chinatown is its Central Plaza. It’s an outdoor pedestrian...
a year ago
26
a year ago
The most recognizable feature of LA’s Chinatown is its Central Plaza. It’s an outdoor pedestrian mall that is almost overwhelmingly colorful.  Brightly painted buildings are topped with sweeping pagoda style roofs, and then accented with fluorescent neon lacing. For decades...
99% Invisible
Dear John and Roman [EPISODE] Last year, Roman Mars teamed up with Hank Green to guest host Dear Hank & John — this year he’s back...
a year ago
30
a year ago
Last year, Roman Mars teamed up with Hank Green to guest host Dear Hank & John — this year he’s back on the Greens’ show once again, but this time with Hank’s brother John. In their podcast Dear Hank & John, “hosts John and Hank Green (who are also authors and YouTubers) offer...
99% Invisible
Orange Alternative [EPISODE] In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across...
a year ago
40
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Cork Was Used As The Exterior Siding On This Home Extension Mitchell + Corti Architects has designed a new rear ground floor extension for a home in England,...
a year ago
63
a year ago
Mitchell + Corti Architects has designed a new rear ground floor extension for a home in England, that’s clad in cork. The architect mentions, “We chose to clad the extension in something a little different a dark patterned cork, in order to use a sustainable material and test...
The Modern House
Inside the light-filled rural hideaway of legendary artists Langlands & Bell
7 months ago
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
14
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.
Archinect - Features
'AI Is Both Incredible and Terrifying'; A Conversation with Neil Leach Neil Leach is a British professor and licensed architect currently based in California. He has...
a year ago
9
a year ago
Neil Leach is a British professor and licensed architect currently based in California. He has worked for NASA developing a 3D printer for the Moon and Mars, and is co-founder of DigitalFUTURES. Having authored over 40 books on architecture and digital design, and taught at some...
Common Edge
The Creative Power Produced by Embracing Paradox There is a keen sense of insight that comes from being in the in-between spaces of a largely binary...
a year ago
Archinect - Features
Just Finished Architecture School? Here's Some Advice As the 2023/2024 academic year draws to a close, architecture graduates across the United States are...
7 months ago
71
7 months ago
As the 2023/2024 academic year draws to a close, architecture graduates across the United States are preparing for the next stage in their design career, be it through employment, further education, journeys into adjacent fields, and beyond. If you are one of the many graduates...
CONTEMPORIST
This Cat Cafe In New York Was Designed With Whimsy And Playfulness Architect Sonya Lee has shared photos of the new location of Meow Parlour, a cat cafe in New York...
5 months ago
42
5 months ago
Architect Sonya Lee has shared photos of the new location of Meow Parlour, a cat cafe in New York that had outgrown its previous space. The storefront has a 10’ wall of white oak shelves that spell out M E O W, which also function as signage, a playspace for the cats to snuggle...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: War and Art First, a view of an army building from “Miss Fury” an exceedingly weird comic involving World War II...
11 months ago
10
11 months ago
First, a view of an army building from “Miss Fury” an exceedingly weird comic involving World War II and time travel. Second, a view of the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue. The 69th was in a lot of famous battles in the Civil War and some notable ones in World War I....
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: One Accurate, One Not First, from a 1940s Sunday newspaper strip of Miss Fury, a realistic view down the facade of a fancy...
4 months ago
33
4 months ago
First, from a 1940s Sunday newspaper strip of Miss Fury, a realistic view down the facade of a fancy New York apartment house to the street: Second, from a modern Captain America comic, “the City of Manhattan”. Where’s that, Kansas? It’s been “New York” since 1664, “Nieuw...
devonzuegel.com
OWD #3: Disney World & other underworlds Every place has some dirty secrets, even Disney World. We all have to get rid of waste somehow! In...
over a year ago
10
over a year ago
Every place has some dirty secrets, even Disney World. We all have to get rid of waste somehow! In this episode, the Bertauds and I discuss methods of sanitation and waste management from around the world, and how these hidden systems shape our cities. RSS · Apple Podcasts ·...
McMansion Hell
Bonus McMansion Hell: Ye Olde Barrington In which I am in my castle era.
a year ago
SOCKS
From Videogame Landscapes to Embrodery Canvas: La Sentinelle by Marine Beaufils (2022-24) Marine Beaufils is a French embroidery artist whose meticulous work draws on the analogy between...
a month ago
35
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...
Bragging Combined With Public Service I highly recommend the soon-to-be-released book The Elements of Construction: N. Clifford Ricker,...
a month ago
15
a month ago
I highly recommend the soon-to-be-released book The Elements of Construction: N. Clifford Ricker, Architecture, and the University of Illinois and not just because I wrote on chapter of it. Marci Uihlein, the editor, an architect and engineer, and a professor of architecture at...
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
17
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...
The Modern House
A Day in the Life of a Listing: photographer Freya Najade captures Hackney 'letting its hair down' While we are most at home photographing homes, we are sometimes left wondering what the streets...
5 months ago
52
5 months ago
While we are most at home photographing homes, we are sometimes left wondering what the streets surrounding our listings might look like through a different lens. This is why we have asked photographer Freya Najade to take her cameras out in Hackney. Using the area […]
The Modern House
Mark Bonskek and Sabba Khan’s playful Maryland home is a masterclass in materiality
a year ago
Old Structures...
Split Personality Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the...
a month ago
27
a month ago
Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the building’s architectural merit – and there is a great deal – I find this kind of church interesting structurally. We have at least three very different types of structure here. There’s...
Common Edge
O.J. and L.A. What the iconic car chase revealed about Southern California’s landscape.
8 months ago
Old Structures...
A Survivor From a New York Public Library scrapbook, “Small apartment buildings”, dated 1915: The address is...
3 months ago
39
3 months ago
From a New York Public Library scrapbook, “Small apartment buildings”, dated 1915: The address is given as 1763-1769 Townsend Avenue, in the Bronx, which is good because it’s not like I could ever have identified this just from the photo. The site is less isolated than the photo...
99% Invisible
The Society of Ambiance Makers and Elegant Persons [EPISODE] Hailing from central African cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, sapeurs have become increasingly...
9 months ago
44
9 months ago
Hailing from central African cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, sapeurs have become increasingly recognizable around the world. Since the 1970s, sapeurs (from: le sape, short for “Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes”) have been known for donning technicolored...
Old Structures...
Old-Fashioned Spelling From 1907, an article called “New Sky-scrapers for New York” in the Metropolitan magazine gives us...
11 months ago
15
11 months ago
From 1907, an article called “New Sky-scrapers for New York” in the Metropolitan magazine gives us “The Willams [sic] Street Cañon”. The drawing seems pretty accurate. Here’s a similar view in a photo from 1928: I am a little suspicious of an article that misspells a street name...
Common Edge
Condocide: Death of a Building Type The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos...
a year ago
57
a year ago
The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos nationwide is dire.
CONTEMPORIST
An Exterior Of Vertical Wood Siding Helps This House Blend Into The Surrounding Forest 77 Architecture Studio has shared photos of a home they designed on the edge of a housing estate...
11 months ago
11
11 months ago
77 Architecture Studio has shared photos of a home they designed on the edge of a housing estate near the forest in central Poland, near Warsaw. The house with its vertical wood facade, gives way to the natural beauty of its surroundings, discreetly immersing its architecture...
The Modern House
The lavish restoration of a Lisbon townhouse
a year ago
The Solarchitecture...
Case study #1: The Solar Saltbox house A passive house for cold climates.
over a year ago
Common Edge
Mass Timber Construction Is Evolving Rapidly With owners and developers warming up to plyscrapers, wood-based projects are on an upward...
9 months ago
The Modern House
Contrast is king at this Camberwell townhouse
a year ago
Benny Kuriakose
Job Opportunities at Benny Kuriakose and Associates in 2024 Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of...
7 months ago
4
7 months ago
Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of them sent the application three or more...
devonzuegel.com
OSS lazy-loads governance A special characteristic of open source software (OSS) is that you don't need institutional support...
over a year ago
11
over a year ago
A special characteristic of open source software (OSS) is that you don't need institutional support to get started. It's interesting to compare this to physical infrastructure, like dams or railroads. Before you can begin those projects, you need upfront capital, permits,...
Old Structures...
The Slab Every sizable city has one or more locally-specific building types, based on the culture and...
5 months ago
45
5 months ago
Every sizable city has one or more locally-specific building types, based on the culture and economics of real estate there. Some of the causes are rational, like the size of rowhouses being related to the wealth of a neighborhood; some are not, like the high stoops used in New...
Contemporist...
This Park Design Was Inspired By A Volcano And Its Lava Flow 100 Architects has shared photos of one of their latest projects, a stimulating urban park in a...
a year ago
62
a year ago
100 Architects has shared photos of one of their latest projects, a stimulating urban park in a newly built commercial and residential area in the port city of Ningbo, the second-most populous city in Zhejiang Province, China.
devonzuegel.com
Israel's water miracle The saga of Israeli water management is one of the most inspiring stories of the last 75 years....
a year ago
15
a year ago
The saga of Israeli water management is one of the most inspiring stories of the last 75 years. Israel went from having a serious water problem to being a net water exporter to neighboring countries. Meanwhile, the population grew from ~1 million to well over 9 million. With...
Old Structures...
Land Engineering This map shows the proposed street layout in Manhattan from the original northern boundary at 155th...
a year ago
10
a year 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...
Common Edge
How AI Can Help Us End Design Education Anachronisms Let’s use the power of technology to actually improve architectural learning.
9 months ago
Old Structures...
The Story Can Be Oversimplified The title of this blog post is true of a lot of narrative history. Simple stories are more effective...
11 months ago
13
11 months ago
The title of this blog post is true of a lot of narrative history. Simple stories are more effective on an emotional level, and are easier to tell. So we often tell them. For example, Wikipedia (my go-to source for oversimplified explanations) states that the 1916 New York zoning...
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
11
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...
Old Structures...
New And Improved Graphics! Seven years ago [!] I spent some time looking at the Pearl Street overpass portion of the Manhattan...
3 months ago
33
3 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...
The Modern House
For itinerant chef and musical therapist Marie Cassis, home is where the feast is
a year ago
Archinect - Features
The Pandemic Is History, but for Architects, Its Impact on Office Design Remains Our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey highlighted concerns among architects that...
4 months ago
33
4 months ago
Our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey highlighted concerns among architects that their business health has been impacted by the ongoing adoption of remote and hybrid working patterns across the U.S. in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore in more detail...
The Modern House
At home with our favourite interiors influencer, Akilah Cohen
3 weeks ago
The Modern House
How a love of Japan and the 1970s shaped Sherrill Smith’s Hackney home
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Cafe In Austria Has a Cycling Inspired Design Architecture and interior design studio Archisphere collaborated with Carbone & Kacerovsky to design...
a year ago
131
a year ago
Architecture and interior design studio Archisphere collaborated with Carbone & Kacerovsky to design a ‘Cyclist’, a modern cafe at the Hotel Andaz am Belvedere Vienna. Archisphere drew inspiration from the movement, freedom, and enjoyment associated with cycling. In addition to...
A Weekly Dose of...
Places in Time I Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is...
a year ago
26
a year ago
Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is architectural surveys: books that usually collect buildings of a certain typology, but also ones spanning a particular timeframe or through some other theme. I've written a few of them...
Archinect - Features
Design, Computation, and Humans: Exploring the Intersection with Onur Yüce Gün For Onur Yüce Gün, the study of computation is the study of the human condition itself. A mission to...
a year ago
14
a year ago
For Onur Yüce Gün, the study of computation is the study of the human condition itself. A mission to anchor humans at the center of AI and computational design brought Gün on an educational journey from Middle East Technical University in his native Turkey to the MIT Design and...
Common Edge
What Would a Code of Ethics Look Like for Architecture Schools? Some simple guidelines would help clarify issues.
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Few Changes That map is from 1879 and it feels not quite right, like an alternate-history version of New York....
12 months ago
14
12 months ago
That map is from 1879 and it feels not quite right, like an alternate-history version of New York. The Upper West Side is referred to as the West End, Twelfth Avenue is shown along with Riverside Drive, and Columbia’s Campus at Broadway and 116th Street is shown as a park with a...
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...
3 months ago
32
3 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...
Old Structures...
Mystery Work From 1908, a stereograph of the construction of the tower of the Singer Building: The title is...
2 months ago
31
2 months ago
From 1908, a stereograph of the construction of the tower of the Singer Building: The title is accurate – “Four hundred ft. above the street – iron worker on the Singer Tower, New York, U.S.A.” but it doesn’t tell us what we’re actually looking at. For example, the steel we’re...
Construction Physics
A Cycle of Misery: The Business of Building Commercial Aircraft "There are no historic precedents or current parallels for the magnitude of financial exposure...
11 months ago
66
11 months ago
"There are no historic precedents or current parallels for the magnitude of financial exposure risked by an American airframe company" – George Ball, managing director at Lehman Brothers, 1982 "You can't win, you can't break even, and you can't quit" – Jean Pierson, former CEO of...
Benny Kuriakose
Importance of Landscape in School Design Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only...
a year ago
4
a year ago
Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only comprises of the buildings in a school,...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Unmistakable Ms. Marvel is set largely in Jersey City. Despite being the second-largest city in New Jersey,...
a year ago
12
a year ago
Ms. Marvel is set largely in Jersey City. Despite being the second-largest city in New Jersey, Jersey City does not have much of a visual image. If you asked the average person in the New York metropolitan area to name a physical landmark there, it’s likely they would draw a...
Contemporist...
A Round Design And Open Arches Give This Concrete Home A Unique Look Architecture firm Estudio Carroll has shared photos of a new concrete home they completed in Puerto...
6 months ago
35
6 months ago
Architecture firm Estudio Carroll has shared photos of a new concrete home they completed in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, that has a unique shape.
Common Edge
MoMA’s Woefully Incomplete Look at Architecture’s Environmental Arc A new exhibition is at best a limited glimpse at a critical movement.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Cascading Plants Cover This Home In Vietnam X11 Design Studio has shared photos of a home they completed in Quang Ninh, Vietnam, that includes a...
a year ago
15
a year ago
X11 Design Studio has shared photos of a home they completed in Quang Ninh, Vietnam, that includes a facade of cascading plants. The home has been designed for a three-generation family, who wanted optimal functionality and a connection between nature and people. To integrate...
Old Structures...
Changes and Not I almost missed this 1938 entry in Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, because it’s...
10 months ago
32
10 months ago
I almost missed this 1938 entry in Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, because it’s mislabelled at the New York Public Library web site as “Vista, Thomas Street”. We all make mistakes, and whomever confused Thames and Thomas hid the location of this photo by accident....
The Architectural...
Fake Views – The Contrast Between Renderings and Reality A shining sun, playful children, overwhelming greenery and new neighborhoods with a richer wildlife...
a year ago
14
a year ago
A shining sun, playful children, overwhelming greenery and new neighborhoods with a richer wildlife than a Zoo. We have all seen them, the vision images that promise an idyll but result in a visual nightmare. Here‘s a few examples. Renderings are a visual representation of a...
The Modern House
Photographer Finn Beales and arts director Clare Purcell on how light and the landscape inspired...
a year ago
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap part II (note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to...
a year ago
27
a year ago
(note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to Part II of “How did Solar Power Get Cheap?” To recap Part I, the modern solar photovoltaic (PV) cell was invented at Bell Labs in 1954. Early markets were almost entirely...
Old Structures...
Boarding Sometimes the degree to which the past was simultaneously similar to the present and different...
9 months ago
18
9 months ago
Sometimes the degree to which the past was simultaneously similar to the present and different catches me by suprise. I was in the far west Village a few days ago and this building caught my eye. It’s a nice 1890s semi-industrial building turned into apartments There’s a sign...
Common Edge
Light and Color: The Spirit-Led Work of James Turrell The artist is driven not just by curiosity or ambition, but by the precepts of his Quakerism.
2 months ago
99% Invisible
Uptown Squirrel [EPISODE] This past fall, hundreds of people gathered at The Explorer’s Club in New York City. The building...
7 months ago
61
7 months ago
This past fall, hundreds of people gathered at The Explorer’s Club in New York City. The building was once a clubhouse for famed naturalists and explorers. Now it’s an archive of ephemera and rarities from pioneering expeditions including treks to the North Pole, the moon, and...
Archinect - Features
How Moshe Safdie’s Iconic Habitat 67 Was Reborn in a Virtual World When Habitat 67 was first unveiled to the world almost six decades ago, it changed the landscape not...
2 days ago
7
2 days ago
When Habitat 67 was first unveiled to the world almost six decades ago, it changed the landscape not only of Montreal, Canada, but of architectural discourse on how modern buildings could be designed, constructed, and lived in. The structure also catapulted its young architect,...
The Modern House
Green Series #4: how to make your home breathable and thermal-bridge free For the final instalment in our mini-series of Passivhaus hacks, Kate Jacobs has asked our panel of...
a month ago
26
a month ago
For the final instalment in our mini-series of Passivhaus hacks, Kate Jacobs has asked our panel of experts how to make our homes breathable – and to explain thermal bridging … Because the Passivhaus ideal is all about incredible insulation and airtight construction,...
Construction Physics
Which city builds skyscrapers the fastest? Last week we looked at trends in skyscraper construction speed for New York and Chicago, finding...
a year ago
23
a year ago
Last week we looked at trends in skyscraper construction speed for New York and Chicago, finding that New York has gotten significantly slower at building skyscrapers over time. Chicago, on the other hand, has declined in speed less steadily, and currently builds skyscrapers much...
There are two types...
What’s good for General Motors is good for America On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system...
a year ago
27
a year ago
On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system based on individuals in private cars driving everywhere for everything, climate change would be a very different—and smaller—problem than it is.” I posted the … Continue reading → The...
The Architectural...
Study Reveals: 84% Favor Traditional Architecture A British study reveals what people really want in their cities to look like. The authors themselves...
a year ago
13
a year ago
A British study reveals what people really want in their cities to look like. The authors themselves state that the result is remarkably clear. People want to see classic streets and neighborhoods with buildings in a traditional style. The British research institute Create...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #10: Clara Jeffery [EPISODE] This is the tenth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
2 months ago
35
2 months ago
This is the tenth 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 Clara Jeffery, the editor-in-chief of Mother Jones and the Center for...
Old Structures...
Four Months Later, I Finish The Thought I wrote a blog post in April about the grotesques in the lobby of the Woolworth Building. As I...
4 months ago
41
4 months ago
I wrote a blog post in April about the grotesques in the lobby of the Woolworth Building. As I mentioned then, they are grotesques because they are purely decorative figures; gargoyles are decorative figures that are generally water spouts and are part of a roof drainage system....
The Modern House
How architect Alex Nikjoo lifted a lower-ground floor flat with a lightness of touch
4 months ago
Common Edge
The Sphere in Las Vegas: A Placeless Object in a Placeless City The latest Sin City spectacle is just that—spectacle. Pure, crystalline spectacle.
11 months ago
The Modern House
Introducing our Hackney team
9 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Curved Green Roof Allows This Winery To Blend Into The Landscape Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech...
a year ago
40
a year ago
Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech Republic, which includes a unique curved green roof. The building’s location in the open countryside naturally brought with it high demands for architectural and landscape integration....
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Archetypical From a graphic novel about art called Naked City: how do you capture the spirit of New York? A...
2 weeks ago
21
2 weeks ago
From a graphic novel about art called Naked City: how do you capture the spirit of New York? A relentless grid and Old-Law tenements.
Old Structures...
Looking Closely The picture above shows the top end of a ten-story column, where it’s embedded just below a parapet....
a year ago
10
a year ago
The picture above shows the top end of a ten-story column, where it’s embedded just below a parapet. My first thought, when seeing something like this, is that I sometimes have trouble getting people to understand the nature of steel embedment in masonry between 1900 and 1940....
The Architectural...
Join the Architectural Competition to Reimagine Gran Vía’s Iconic Façade We invite all readers to contribute to an architectural competition to reimagine the façade of a...
6 months ago
41
6 months ago
We invite all readers to contribute to an architectural competition to reimagine the façade of a significant building on Madrid’s famous Gran Vía. This competition focuses on number 19, the Court of Contentious-Administrative No. 10 headquarters, originally built in 1921 and...
CONTEMPORIST
This Renovated 1970s Home Now Has Concrete Floors That Flow Between The Interior And Exterior Spaces ANACAPA Architecture has shared photos of a 1970’s-era residence and combination guesthouse/home...
8 months ago
73
8 months ago
ANACAPA Architecture has shared photos of a 1970’s-era residence and combination guesthouse/home office they updated in the hills of Montecito, California. Collaborating with the client, the designers reworked the home to bring it up to date. They did this by maintaining the...
There are two types...
Notes on Beyond Architecture: The New New York The post Notes on <i>Beyond Architecture: The New New York</i> appeared first on There are two types...
3 weeks ago
Common Edge
Architecture Always Reflects the Values of Its Current Culture What we build is who we are.
a year ago
Old Structures...
Pareidolia He’s a happy little gas-powered guy.
5 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
50
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...
The Modern House
Six things not to miss this March The daffodils and crocuses are popping up through the grass, the long-awaited transition of coat to...
a year ago
28
a year ago
The daffodils and crocuses are popping up through the grass, the long-awaited transition of coat to jacket is nigh (we hope) and we’re all swooning over that extra hour of light: yes, spring is here. This March, we’re welcoming in the brighter days with six […]
Old Structures...
More Blatant Fakery First, a 1908 postcard, issued when the Singer Building was brand new: Second, a photo from about...
11 months ago
15
11 months ago
First, a 1908 postcard, issued when the Singer Building was brand new: Second, a photo from about the same time: It’s standard practice in New York real-estate glamor pictures to pretend that the buildings between you and the subject don’t exist. Narrow streets and big buildings...
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...
2 months ago
22
2 months 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...
Archinect - Features
'Everything in Design Is Extremely Collaborative': A Conversation with Emerging Architecture... Starting your own practice comes with a mixture of excitement, collaboration, stressors, and endless...
a year ago
11
a year ago
Starting your own practice comes with a mixture of excitement, collaboration, stressors, and endless problem-solving. As a new firm, architects Neda Kakhsaz and Zabie Mustafa are developing their approach to architectural design and how they would like to make their mark within...
Old Structures...
Detailing Reveled By Details Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught...
3 months ago
41
3 months ago
Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught almost nothing about the topic in school – I barely heard the word in school – and I’ve taught it to a lot of younger engineers who did not learn it in school. Detailing is the...
Archinect - Features
10 Controversial Buildings That Became Iconic Landmarks Architectural landmarks often become beloved symbols of their cities, but many were not always...
3 months ago
43
3 months ago
Architectural landmarks often become beloved symbols of their cities, but many were not always welcomed with open arms. Throughout history, some of our most acclaimed structures have in fact provoked heated debates, divided public opinion, sparked fierce controversy, and in one...
The Modern House
How a love of Japan and the 1970s shaped Sherrill Smith’s Hackney home
a year ago
The Modern House
Hot Spots: six homes that come alive in summer Summer has arrived – and so too has that familiar desire to escape, decamp and generally disappear...
a year ago
21
a year ago
Summer has arrived – and so too has that familiar desire to escape, decamp and generally disappear somewhere (anywhere) that isn’t inside the same four walls. In reality, however, so many of our most cherished hot-weather memories are of time spent at home, stealing moments […]
Archinect - Features
A Conversation with SCI-Arc's Undergraduate Chairs Kristy Balliet and Marcelyn Gow Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and...
a year ago
60
a year ago
Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and chairs) to learn more about their pedagogical stances, academic perspectives, and what they envision for the school during their tenure.  SCI-Arc is an institution known for its...
Old Structures...
Not Quite What It Seems First up, from one of those New York Public Library scrapbooks, “Looking down upon a forest of...
5 months ago
35
5 months ago
First up, from one of those New York Public Library scrapbooks, “Looking down upon a forest of skyscrapers: New York City.” It’s listed as having been issued between 1850 and 1945, and my response to that is “oh, come on.” The Park Row and St. Paul buildings, and the intersection...
Archinect - Features
Archinect Celebrates Canada Day by Highlighting 15 Architecture Firms That Are Defining the... July 1, also known as Canada Day, is a time when Canadians come together to commemorate the union of...
a year ago
9
a year ago
July 1, also known as Canada Day, is a time when Canadians come together to commemorate the union of what were once three separate colonies — New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Canada (contemporary Ontario and Quebec). Canada isn't just one of the largest countries in the world, but...
CONTEMPORIST
A Multi-Functional Brass Clad Pod Is A Unique Feature In This Small Apartment tsai Design has sent us photos of a micro-apartment they renovated in St. Kilda, Australia, that...
6 months ago
42
6 months ago
tsai Design has sent us photos of a micro-apartment they renovated in St. Kilda, Australia, that measures in at just 269 square feet (25m2), and features a unique and unexpected brass design element. Named ‘St Kilda Micro Sanctuary’, the small apartment has been designed for a...
Common Edge
What Is Sacred Architecture in an Increasingly Secular Time? Is it space or the people who animate it?
11 months ago
Common Edge
What Makes a City Resilient? A talk with Sam Carter, a founding principal at the Resilient Cities Catalyst.
3 months ago
The Modern House
A Day Well Spent with Skye Corewijn
a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Oldey-Timey From a 1944 newspaper comic strip called Miss Fury – the title character is about two-thirds...
6 months ago
43
6 months ago
From a 1944 newspaper comic strip called Miss Fury – the title character is about two-thirds Catwoman and one-third Batman – a taxi trip through Manhattan, past Washington Square, and to a Greenwich Village rowhouse: The car speeding through below the arch is not a mistake:...
Archinect - Features
From the Editors: What We're Thankful for in 2024 As we bid farewell to 2024, the Archinect editorial team reflects on a year filled with pivotal...
a month ago
33
a month ago
As we bid farewell to 2024, the Archinect editorial team reflects on a year filled with pivotal moments, challenges, and milestones. Through it all, we've been privileged to observe, document, and engage with the ever-evolving world of architecture and design. The incredible...
Cartogrammar
Seasonal relief Just a map for fun, made without writing any code, which is a nice change of pace. I finally spent a...
over a year ago
7
over a year ago
Just a map for fun, made without writing any code, which is a nice change of pace. I finally spent a bit of time catching up with the great Daniel Huffman’s excellent tutorial on creating shaded relief maps with Blender. Do try it out if you haven’t; he’s written it up thoroughly...
CONTEMPORIST
This House Has A Thin Floating Roof That Extends Out 15 Feet Specht Architects has designed a new home in Mansfield, Massachusetts, for a retired couple that...
a year ago
51
a year ago
Specht Architects has designed a new home in Mansfield, Massachusetts, for a retired couple that wanted to simplify and downsize their lives. The new house embraces a minimalist, modern, aesthetic, and at the same time displays the priceless art, antiques, and found objects the...
Old Structures...
The Inspiration The 14th Street station on the Eighth Avenue subway has an art installation by Tom Otterness called...
7 months ago
29
7 months ago
The 14th Street station on the Eighth Avenue subway has an art installation by Tom Otterness called “Life Underground” It consists of a series of brass figures, both human and animal, engaged in various pursuits. Everyone always focuses on the alligator climbing out of a sewer to...
The Modern House
Our guide to Herne Hill and Tulse Hill: vibrant markets and outdoor swimming in south London
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
56
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, […]
CONTEMPORIST
Traditional Materials And Forms Were Adapted To A Modern Language For This House Mel­bourne-based archi­tec­ture and inte­ri­or design stu­dio Splinter Society, has shared photos of...
a year ago
8
a year ago
Mel­bourne-based archi­tec­ture and inte­ri­or design stu­dio Splinter Society, has shared photos of modern rear addition they recently completed for a home in Australia. The designers retained the existing floor plan, roofing tiles, gable forms, small brick garage, simple...
devonzuegel.com
Part 1: The story so far of California Forever A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
10 months ago
30
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. California Forever was founded by Jan Sramek in 2017 as a way to create...
Old Structures...
Less Than The Original Construction on LEGO Notre Dame has moved ahead but will pause while I’m out of town. We’ve got the...
6 months ago
40
6 months ago
Construction on LEGO Notre Dame has moved ahead but will pause while I’m out of town. We’ve got the apse built up to the vault level and the beginning of the crossing: I’ve been playing around to see if I can do a fly-through style photo, to give a sense of what the building...
Coffee with an...
Design explained with Bar Charts Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple bar charts. Right. This isn’t...
10 months ago
62
10 months ago
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple bar charts. Right. This isn’t that: More Design in charts – HERE, and HERE
CONTEMPORIST
A Colossal Curved Glass Window Shows Off The Biggest LULULEMON Flagship Store In The World AIM ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of the LULULEMON Flagship Store they designed in Shanghai, China,...
6 months ago
38
6 months ago
AIM ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of the LULULEMON Flagship Store they designed in Shanghai, China, that uses curved glass to create an eye-catching retail destination. The facade with its curved glass window, allows people on the street to witness the movement of activity...
Old Structures...
A Working Drawing Above, an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the masonry of the Brooklyn tower of the...
a year ago
10
a year ago
Above, an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the masonry of the Brooklyn tower of the Brooklyn Bridge. I guess it doesn’t quite qualify as art, although I’d certainly hang it on a wall. The lettering at the top and the 3D-effect frame around the image suggest that this...
Old Structures...
An Avatar Of Steel Another short trip: I was in Philadelphia last week, and I walked the not-quite two miles from my...
3 weeks ago
21
3 weeks ago
Another short trip: I was in Philadelphia last week, and I walked the not-quite two miles from my meeting to the train station on my way home. I took the two unimpressive pictures below on the way: That’s the rear, Arch Street side, of the Reading Terminal Market, which is, as...
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
20
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...
Common Edge
The Challenge of Creating a Women-Friendly Architecture School in Afghanistan Years of effort have been undone by political strife, while earthquakes have further destroyed...
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
Three Monographs Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in...
a year ago
26
a year ago
Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in my earlier holiday gift books post, two of the three monographs featured here were also on that list. As happened when I wrote this post, each book begins with a rhetorical question...
The Modern House
The 'sculptural experience' of designer Ashley Law’s uniquely tactile cottage in Whitechapel
8 months ago
Benny Kuriakose
The Making of Unique Athangudi Tiles : An Unforgettable Experience Chettinad, the land of wealthy Chettiars in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, is famous not only for...
a year ago
5
a year ago
Chettinad, the land of wealthy Chettiars in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, is famous not only for its mouth-watering cuisine but also...
devonzuegel.com
On [there being more than] liberty Recently, Ayaz Matin sent me an email asking the following question: When I was looking at your...
over a year ago
10
over a year ago
Recently, Ayaz Matin sent me an email asking the following question: When I was looking at your website I came across these words: Individual liberty is the single most important value that society should uphold. I’m more utilitarian and communitarian now. I still believe we...
The Modern House
How the realities of self-building in the Outer Hebrides produced a new home distinctly reflective...
a year ago
Archinect - Features
How Do We Teach AI? In Florida, One Architecture School Offers a Precedent As our recent Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series demonstrated, AI will inevitably...
5 months ago
46
5 months ago
As our recent Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series demonstrated, AI will inevitably play a sizeable role in the future of the architectural profession. For architecture schools tasked with equipping students for the future of practice, the advent of AI poses...
Archinect - Features
Uncovering the Untold Histories of American Campus Expansions with Boghosian Fellow Leen... Archinect's Fellow Fellows series showcases individuals who are currently in, or have recently...
a year ago
8
a year ago
Archinect's Fellow Fellows series showcases individuals who are currently in, or have recently finished, an architecture fellowship. During our conversations, we discuss their architectural journey, areas of research, and their overall experience as academic fellows. For our...
devonzuegel.com
Part 3: The first walkable city in America in a century A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
10 months ago
54
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. As an urbanism nerd, the aspect of California Forever’s plan that I was...
Common Edge
Our Cities Aren’t Dead Yet! Forget the “doom loops,” there are plenty of indicators that urban centers are recovering.
a year ago
Common Edge
‘Even If a Project Fails, the Ideas Behind It Don’t Disappear’ A talk with Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, authors of Atlas of Never Built Architecture.
7 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Red-Pigmented Concrete Screens Surround This New Home In Cape Town Architecture firm SAOTA, together with interior design firm ARRCC, has recently completed a modern...
a year ago
8
a year ago
Architecture firm SAOTA, together with interior design firm ARRCC, has recently completed a modern house in Cape Town, South Africa. The home was designed by Philip Olmesdahl, principal of SAOTA, for himself and his family, with him sharing, “When architects design their own...
Common Edge
Revisiting Brooklyn’s Barclays Center—a Telling Landscape The arena and plaza have become notably more commercialized since 2012, while the towers lag in...
a year ago
7
a year ago
The arena and plaza have become notably more commercialized since 2012, while the towers lag in affordability and represent a modular failure.
The Modern House
The beauty of life in the heart of the Barbican
a year ago
99% Invisible
RoboUmp [EPISODE] In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind...
a year ago
21
a year ago
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind home plate, who has arguably the most important job, calling balls and strikes. A strike is basically any hittable pitch — something over the plate, between the batter’s chest and his...
CONTEMPORIST
A Playroom Inside This Hotel Was Designed With A Desert Theme Sarit Shani Hay Design Studio has shared photos of a modern playroom they designed for a boutique...
a year ago
16
a year ago
Sarit Shani Hay Design Studio has shared photos of a modern playroom they designed for a boutique hotel in Israel. Inspired by the unique topography of the desert landscape, the ‘Grow with Six Senses’ playroom emulates the natural features of the surrounding scenery, transforming...
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
11
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...
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
21
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,...
The Modern House
A fossil-shaped eco home on the border of Devon and Somerset
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Primer Worth Reading For people who don’t work on facades in New York, “Here’s why NYC sidewalks are (still) covered with...
4 months ago
39
4 months ago
For people who don’t work on facades in New York, “Here’s why NYC sidewalks are (still) covered with 400 miles of scaffolding” by David Brand is worth a look. It’s a good introduction to the tangled issues around sidewalk sheds. A very short summary: the response, for decades, to...
Old Structures...
Engineers at Ground Zero Next week, there will be a showing of the documentary Engineers at Ground Zero at the Angelika...
2 months ago
35
2 months ago
Next week, there will be a showing of the documentary Engineers at Ground Zero at the Angelika theater. The film was produced by the Structural Engineers Association of New York and created by Vacationland. As it happens, I will be out of town next week so I won’t see it now, but...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Project Tony Stark and Emma Frost – currently in a sham marriage – take a stroll: Bridge 28 in Central Park...
6 months ago
27
6 months ago
Tony Stark and Emma Frost – currently in a sham marriage – take a stroll: Bridge 28 in Central Park – currently in restoration – where we’re working: If you don’t see it, look at the iron handrail.
Old Structures...
Probably Not Realistic The “Vue de la Nouvelle Yorck” is listed at the New York Public Libarry as being probably from 1775....
a year ago
11
a year ago
The “Vue de la Nouvelle Yorck” is listed at the New York Public Libarry as being probably from 1775. It’s definitely from that era, just based on the ships, which are far more accurately drawn than the buildings are. A lot of these illustrations appear to have been made by...
The Modern House
TV presenter Will Best's space-smart Hackney home for three
7 months ago
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 1 Continuing from yesterday’s dive, we have an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the...
a year ago
12
a year ago
Continuing from yesterday’s dive, we have an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the relationship of the Brooklyn tower of the Brooklyn Bridge to the caisson that serves as its foundation. There’s a lot going on in this line drawing and it’s worth the time to describe it...
devonzuegel.com
Tutorial: Telegram → Logseq quick notes I've long wanted a notes app with an optional chat style interface for append-only notes. The idea...
over a year ago
9
over a year ago
I've long wanted a notes app with an optional chat style interface for append-only notes. The idea is that I'll use the simpler append-only interface while on the go, and then use full-featured interface to review, edit, and organize those notes when I'm back at my computer. I...
Old Structures...
Always Something New No matter how many buildings you’ve seen, you can always find something that will surprise you. The...
8 months ago
60
8 months ago
No matter how many buildings you’ve seen, you can always find something that will surprise you. The picture above is not an underwater shot from the Titanic, it’s the cellar of a circa-1900 rowhouse. This was a house of some pretension when first built. As in most wider...
The Modern House
How a love of Japan and the 1970s shaped Sherrill Smith’s Hackney home
a year ago
Archinect - Features
Creativity Won’t Protect Architects from Automation — But Labor Unions Might The proliferation of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT has undermined long-held...
10 months ago
32
10 months ago
The proliferation of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT has undermined long-held assumptions that artificial intelligence would not threaten creative disciplines. In an effort to balance the opportunities and limits of artificial intelligence in the architecture...
devonzuegel.com
Inflation propagates unevenly Inflation hits some parts of the economy harder and faster than others. It's obvious once you say...
over a year ago
12
over a year ago
Inflation hits some parts of the economy harder and faster than others. It's obvious once you say it, and yet the way pundits and academics talk about inflation glosses over this reality. As a result, most people who haven't had direct experience with high inflation have a flawed...
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
Old Structures...
Shorter From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, two pictures of St. George’s Episcopal Church at the...
3 months ago
24
3 months ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, two pictures of St. George’s Episcopal Church at the corner of 16th Street and Rutherford Place, on the west side of Stuyvesant Square: Something seems different…can’t quite put my finger on it… The spires were removed in 1889, 33...
99% Invisible
Melanie Speaks [EPISODE] Swan Real is in this week for Roman Mars, asking: “What makes you sound the way you do? Maybe you’ve...
a year ago
17
a year ago
Swan Real is in this week for Roman Mars, asking: “What makes you sound the way you do? Maybe you’ve been told that you speak like your mom, or that you laugh like your uncle. Maybe you sometimes slip back into an accent that reveals something about your past. Maybe you have a...
Coffee with an...
Design explained using pie charts again Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple pie charts again. Unfortunately,...
9 months ago
64
9 months ago
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple pie charts again. Unfortunately, this still isn’t that: More Design in charts – HERE, and HERE and HERE and HERE
devonzuegel.com
Cities reading list Many people have reached out asking what books have been most impactful in shaping my views on...
over a year ago
10
over a year ago
Many people have reached out asking what books have been most impactful in shaping my views on cities. I've written and rewritten answers enough times that I figured it's most efficient if I just write it up one time here and share the link. 🙂 ~ Order Without Design by Alain...
The Modern House
A blank canvas within one of London’s best brutalist buildings
a year ago
Common Edge
Warlords in Our Midst Why Elon Musk is worse than science fiction.
4 months ago
Common Edge
When Is Architectural Symbolism Hypocrisy? Like or loathe it, symbolism over substance has a long tradition.
8 months ago