CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – A New Garden Studio For A Writer
MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old...
9 months ago
MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old derelict wash house, that was in danger of slipping down a steep slope and existed at the back of an overgrown garden. Here’s what it looked like originally. The new studio, which has...
CONTEMPORIST
The Woody Palette Of The Exterior Is Brought Through To The Inside Of This Home In New Zealand
First Light Studio has shared photos of a new home they designed that’s nestled into the Port Hills...
a year ago
First Light Studio has shared photos of a new home they designed that’s nestled into the Port Hills in Governors Bay, New Zealand. The design brief for the house was to create a small home that was well crafted out of nice materials, which resulted in a gable form with a wood...
99% Invisible
Rocket Man [EPISODE]
In the twentieth century, the jetpack became synonymous with the idea of a ‘futuristic society.’...
7 months ago
In the twentieth century, the jetpack became synonymous with the idea of a ‘futuristic society.’ Appearing in cartoons and magazines, it felt like a matter of time before people could ride a jetpack to work. But jetpacks never became a mainstream technology, leaving many to...
The Modern House
Cabin Fever: the transformation of a damp, dark apartment into a rich, atmospheric hideaway
a month ago
devonzuegel.com
To rent or to sell, that is the question
As a real estate developer, one of the big decisions you need to make is whether you will rent or...
a year ago
As a real estate developer, one of the big decisions you need to make is whether you will rent or sell the buildings you've built.
Income from rentals flows in steadily over years, while income from sales hits all at once. This essential difference is simple but has many...
Old Structures...
Also From The Train, Again
I was going through some old photos and found this, and was gong to use it for a blog post until I...
2 months ago
I was going through some old photos and found this, and was gong to use it for a blog post until I looked and realized that I already had. So here it is again: That’s the West Shore railroad, as seen from the Hudson line (AKA the New York Central main line), and from across […]
Benny Kuriakose
Abdul Rahman Sahib Museum: The Freedom Fighter’s Home
The Muziris Heritage Project narrates the stories from different timelines. From the first mosque in...
a year ago
The Muziris Heritage Project narrates the stories from different timelines. From the first mosque in India to the Study Centre for the...
CONTEMPORIST
This Small Shingle Clad Cabin Has An Organic Shape
Photography by Peter Markos Markos Design Workshop has shared photos of a small organically shaped...
8 months ago
Photography by Peter Markos Markos Design Workshop has shared photos of a small organically shaped cabin clad in wood shingles they designed, that began as a project during the pandemic, however, they didn’t have any money or land for the project. Peter Markos explains, “My...
Common Edge
Technology’s Siren Song
How to lure an architect onto the rocks.
2 months ago
How to lure an architect onto the rocks.
Old Structures...
An Original Or An Imitation Of An Imitation
The Leonard Street facade of 249 Church Street: For this discussion, ignore the stone ground-floor...
6 months ago
The Leonard Street facade of 249 Church Street: For this discussion, ignore the stone ground-floor storefront, which was a 1920s alteration of this 1867 loft building, probably replacing cast iron columns and lintels. The rest of the facade is, per the Landmarks designation...
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
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...
CONTEMPORIST
This Modern Home Is Suspended Over A Creek
Fougeron Architecture has shared photos of a home they remodeled that’s suspended between two...
4 months ago
Fougeron Architecture has shared photos of a home they remodeled that’s suspended between two California hills, and spans a creek, and boasts a waterfall in the backyard. The goal of the project was to reconnect this structure into the environment while best utilizing the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Small Elevated Cabin Inspired By A Bird’s Nest
Architect Jan Tyrpekl, has shared photos of a small elevated cabin that was designed in Hainburg an...
11 months ago
Architect Jan Tyrpekl, has shared photos of a small elevated cabin that was designed in Hainburg an der Donau, Austria, for a client who owned a farm and wanted somewhere to relax. Located on the border of a young orchard and mature trees. It has an archetypal house shape, but it...
99% Invisible
The Monster Under the Sink [EPISODE]
In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other...
9 months ago
In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other city had done before: they made garbage illegal. The city would still collect some things, like soup cans and plastics, but yucky junk, like food waste, wouldn’t get picked up. This...
Old Structures...
Detailing Reveled By Details
Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught...
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...
The Modern House
Food system researchers Alon Schwabe and Daniel Fernández Pascual on their explorative approach to a...
a year ago
Common Edge
Will Mayor Eric Adams’ “City of Yes” Be a City for All?
New York’s massive zoning overhaul has passed. What now?
6 days ago
New York’s massive zoning overhaul has passed. What now?
The Modern House
Quiet yet quirky – the family home of architect Will Burges serves as both inspiration and sanctuary
5 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Addition Is Perched Above This Home In Texas
Architect Nicole Blair has shared photos of a modern addition that was built above an existing...
6 months ago
Architect Nicole Blair has shared photos of a modern addition that was built above an existing bungalow in Austin, Texas. Owners Dylan and Annie, a landscape designer and a hairstylist, wanted to keep their backyard intact, and not move during construction nor disrupt the mature...
Archinect - Features
USC Students Try a ‘Bottom-Up’ Approach To Sustainable Housing Delivery in the School of...
Our latest Archinect Studio Pin-Ups takes a look at three studios at Archinect Partner School USC...
2 days ago
Our latest Archinect Studio Pin-Ups takes a look at three studios at Archinect Partner School USC School of Architecture, offered as part of their one-year Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies (M.AARS) postgraduate program.
Led by instructors Julia Sulzer and Sascha...
Common Edge
NCARB’s Michael Armstrong on Pathways to Architectural Practice
“If we are really serious in promoting inclusion and opportunities to practice, we need to take a...
2 months ago
“If we are really serious in promoting inclusion and opportunities to practice, we need to take a fresh look at everything.”
The Modern House
Four at the Fore: London’s most innovative creatives on pushing things forward
a year ago
The Modern House
Claire Ptak, founder of Violet bakery, on seasonal cakes and the community spirit of Hackney
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A 1960s House Transformed Into A Modern Home For A Growing Family
Floisand Studio Architects has designed the remodel of a 1960s home in Seattle, Washington, and...
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has designed the remodel of a 1960s home in Seattle, Washington, and transformed it into a modern house for a growing family. This remodel sits on the same basement and foundation as its predecessor, but that’s where the similarities end. Here’s what...
Old Structures...
Scant Evidence
A piece of a single sentence in the 1893 Baedeker description of New York sent me down a rabbit...
a week ago
A piece of a single sentence in the 1893 Baedeker description of New York sent me down a rabbit hole. In a proper library I believe that I’d find a hard answer but playing around on the internet from hime, I’m left with a partial guess. The phrase, under the heading of Theaters...
Common Edge
Developers Are Dangerously in Control of New York City
Urbanist Roberta Brandes Gratz’s remarks on receiving the Preservation Leadership Award.
8 months ago
Urbanist Roberta Brandes Gratz’s remarks on receiving the Preservation Leadership Award.
CONTEMPORIST
LED Lighting Illuminates Shelving Throughout This Home’s Interior
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and...
a year ago
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and Daniel Persson, has debuted a residential project called Casa Bosques de Olivos in Mexico City. The exterior of the house features concrete, wood, and metal, as well as landscaped...
Common Edge
Why Mass Transit in America Disappeared
A talk with the author of The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric...
a year ago
A talk with the author of The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric Planning, and White Flight.
Blog - Guerrilla...
Love Letter Back Home
Mapped October 5th, written December 2019:
As I noted in my last Guerrilla Cartography Cartographer...
over a year ago
Mapped October 5th, written December 2019:
As I noted in my last Guerrilla Cartography Cartographer Spotlight (May 2019), my career has been a diverse mix of my two professional passions, cartography and participatory mapping. Cartography is about the place; it’s top-down, it’s...
Construction Physics
When did New York start building slowly?
(Note: the analysis below of floor plate size vs construction speed is incorrect due to...
a year ago
(Note: the analysis below of floor plate size vs construction speed is incorrect due to autocorrelation effects. For a correct analysis, see the subsequent post here) It’s good to be able to build things quickly. The faster you build something, the quicker the benefits from it...
Construction Physics
Will We Ever Get Fusion Power?
“Every one of the stars in the sky uses fusion to generate enormous amounts of energy. Why shouldn’t...
5 months ago
“Every one of the stars in the sky uses fusion to generate enormous amounts of energy. Why shouldn’t we?”
The Modern House
Love at First Sight: homes with spectacular views for sale
Is there anything quite like waking up to a breathtaking view? We’re particularly partial to...
a year ago
Is there anything quite like waking up to a breathtaking view? We’re particularly partial to panoramas of rolling fields, big blue waves and slick cityscapes – all of which appear in this story. From a flat in St Leonards overlooking the sea to a Limehouse […]
There are two types...
Mariaplaats, Utrecht
The post Mariaplaats, Utrecht appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good...
over a year ago
The post Mariaplaats, Utrecht appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good architecture, and the other kind.
CONTEMPORIST
Bi-Fold Windows Connect The Inside And Outside Spaces Of This Home Extension
Ben Callery Architects has shared photos of a rear home extension they completed in Victoria,...
a year ago
Ben Callery Architects has shared photos of a rear home extension they completed in Victoria, Australia, that includes a deck for indoor/outdoor living. The deck has been designed with a shaded area that’s home to built-in seating and a couch. The other end of the deck has...
CONTEMPORIST
A House Designed Like Two Barns Beside Each Other
Exterio Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in the Kujawy region of Poland, that...
a year ago
Exterio Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in the Kujawy region of Poland, that has a layout similar to two barns positioned side-by-side. The home has been designed to take advantage of the long and narrow lot, with the layout divided into two interconnected...
Coffee with an...
Design explained with pie charts
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple pie charts. Unfortunately, this...
9 months ago
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple pie charts. Unfortunately, this isn’t that: More Design in charts – HERE, and HERE and HERE
Old Structures...
Three Dimentionality
I was in Minneapolis a few months ago and took some pictures of the Lumber Exchange, one of the...
9 months ago
I was in Minneapolis a few months ago and took some pictures of the Lumber Exchange, one of the first tall buildings constructed there. Here’s an overall view of the original wing (the building is L shaped, with the wings constructed at different times): It’s not deserted – the...
Old Structures...
A Similar Feeling
First, looking east on 14th Street from First Avenue, last week. The endless repetitive buildings on...
9 months ago
First, looking east on 14th Street from First Avenue, last week. The endless repetitive buildings on the left are Stuyvesant Town, a 1940s middle-class housing development that replaced the Gashouse District with a whole bunch of mid-rise red-brick apartment houses. The ornate...
The Modern House
Interior designer Sam Buckley on life in full colour at his apartment in Edinburgh
a year ago
Old Structures...
Gaudy
This scrapbook clipping is listed as 1895 to 1945. The presence of the entrance kiosk for the City...
a week ago
This scrapbook clipping is listed as 1895 to 1945. The presence of the entrance kiosk for the City Hall subway stop means it’s after 1904. I’m not sure if the Municipal Building (built 1909 to 1914) would be visible from this angle or would be off the left side of the frame; the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Brightly Coloured Shelving Unit Helps To Define Areas In This Renovated Apartment
Architecture and design office Dia Uno has shared photos of a refurbished apartment they completed...
6 months ago
Architecture and design office Dia Uno has shared photos of a refurbished apartment they completed in a 1960s suburban neighborhood of Madrid, Spain. One of the key features of the renovated apartment is the inclusion of a metal shelving unit that’s been painted in a bright...
The Beauty of...
Tubular Belle (Køge Nord station, Køge, Denmark)
Stuck on the E20 motorway heading for Copenhagen? Køge Nord station very much hopes you are...
over a year ago
Stuck on the E20 motorway heading for Copenhagen? Køge Nord station very much hopes you are...
99% Invisible
Mini Stories: Volume 18 [EPISODE]
Here it is: our second and final set of mini-stories for the season, cooked up in advance of the...
11 months ago
Here it is: our second and final set of mini-stories for the season, cooked up in advance of the holidays with finishing touches added after the new year. We’ll be covering upside-down construction, the linguistics of filler and a fire that has been burning for decades. Top-Down...
99% Invisible
The Frankfurt Kitchen [EPISODE]
After World War I, in Frankfurt, Germany, the city government was taking on a big project. A lot of...
a year ago
After World War I, in Frankfurt, Germany, the city government was taking on a big project. A lot of residents were in dire straits, and in the second half of the 1920s, the city built over 10,000 public housing units. It was some of the earliest modern architecture — simple,...
Old Structures...
The Back Side
I’ve discussed the old Croton Distributing Reservoir several times before. It was the southernmost...
9 months ago
I’ve discussed the old Croton Distributing Reservoir several times before. It was the southernmost visible part of New York’s first really good water system, and occupied the same spot that the New York Public Library does today: 40th to 42nd Street, from Fifth Avenue to a little...
Old Structures...
Not Extremely Enough
The New York Times recently published “An Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods” and...
a year ago
The New York Times recently published “An Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods” and an accompanying “Extremely Detailed Guide to the Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods.” They are not information about the neighborhoods themselves, but rather...
The Beauty of...
High Speed at High Speed (Tianjin West station, China)
In scale and speed of construction, Tianjin West seems almost impossible – especially when viewed...
a year ago
In scale and speed of construction, Tianjin West seems almost impossible – especially when viewed from Britain. It is, therefore, the perfect embodiment of China’s high speed rail network, on which the station can be found. It is also, I am sorry to say, the antithesis of the...
Construction Physics
What Progress Has There Been In Industrial Robots?
Long-term, I’m optimistic about robots and automation solving construction’s stagnant cost and...
11 months ago
Long-term, I’m optimistic about robots and automation solving construction’s stagnant cost and productivity problem. Even if nothing else works, if you can build a cheap machine capable of doing everything a human can do, that would greatly reduce labor costs, which are a large...
CONTEMPORIST
A Stepped Brick Extension Makes Space For A Soft Warm Blush Kitchen
Architecture and interior design firm Bradley Van Der Straeten, has shared photos of a home in...
8 months ago
Architecture and interior design firm Bradley Van Der Straeten, has shared photos of a home in England that received a new stepped brick extension with views of the garden. When the front door is open, you can see all the way through to the rear garden. A stepped form took shape...
The Modern House
The delightful details of an Art Deco apartment in Shepherd’s Bush, west London
a year ago
Construction Physics
Mass Timber is Great, but It Will Not Solve the Housing Shortage
A short policy memo recently posted on the Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) website argues...
9 months ago
A short policy memo recently posted on the Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) website argues that “mass timber can help solve the housing shortage.” It was posted as part of the Housing Ideas Challenge, a collaboration between FAS, Matt Yglesias and a few other...
Old Structures...
Head In The Clouds
One of my favorite views of tall buildings, again: in the fog. New York Bay has more than it’s fair...
7 months ago
One of my favorite views of tall buildings, again: in the fog. New York Bay has more than it’s fair share of fog, and sometimes it creeps back up into the city. We had one of those days last week.
Common Edge
How Architects Deal With Demolished Designs
Buildings don’t belong to architects, but to the culture that created them.
a year ago
Buildings don’t belong to architects, but to the culture that created them.
Old Structures...
Specialty
If you look closely, that stereotypical New England mill building, photographed yesterday in...
4 months ago
If you look closely, that stereotypical New England mill building, photographed yesterday in Pawtucket, has a sign reading “H. A. Briggs & Co. Cotton Waste.” I’ve heard of a lot of things you can do with cotton, but “cotton waste” was a new one for me. It apparently means scraps...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #9: Majora Carter [EPISODE]
This is the ninth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
3 months ago
This is the ninth 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 Majora Carter, an urban revitalization strategist and real estate developer from...
Old Structures...
Born In The Bronx
The central dome of the US Capitol on May 9, 1861: There was a certain symbolism to its incomplete...
6 months ago
The central dome of the US Capitol on May 9, 1861: There was a certain symbolism to its incomplete state given that the Civil War had begun the previous month, but that was a coincidence. The replacement of the original wooden dome had been planned for some time. The old dome was...
CONTEMPORIST
A Kitchen Wrapped In Textured Wood Defines The Boundary Of The Workspace
Barker Associates Architecture Office has shared photos of their Sackett Street Townhouse, a project...
a year ago
Barker Associates Architecture Office has shared photos of their Sackett Street Townhouse, a project delivered for clients, recent empty-nesters with their own consulting company, who were looking to refresh their townhouse following the departure of their daughter for college....
Benny Kuriakose
Photographing the Exterior of a Historic Building: Part II
In the 1870s, architectural photographer Albert Levy began capturing old buildings, thus giving rise...
a year ago
In the 1870s, architectural photographer Albert Levy began capturing old buildings, thus giving rise to a new kind of photography called...
CONTEMPORIST
Large Windows Give This Home A Lantern-Like Appearance At Night
Swatt | Miers Architects has shared photos of a house they designed in the town of Atherton,...
a year ago
Swatt | Miers Architects has shared photos of a house they designed in the town of Atherton, California, that replaces an earlier mid-century structure that the family had owned for many years. The home, with its white exterior, has an abundance of windows, allowing the home to...
devonzuegel.com
Everything is Amazing, But Nothing is Ours
Back in 2015, I wrote a blog post called Dropbox: the First Dead Decacorn. At the time, it was the...
over a year ago
Back in 2015, I wrote a blog post called Dropbox: the First Dead Decacorn. At the time, it was the most widely shared take I’d ever written. I learned several things from writing this piece, and none of them had to do with Dropbox: I learned, for instance, that a great way to get...
Archinect - Features
'You Need to Use AI Much More Than You Think to Get Unique Results From It'; A Conversation...
Studying Alexis Christodoulou’s work, including his highly popular Instagram portfolio, one would...
a year ago
Studying Alexis Christodoulou’s work, including his highly popular Instagram portfolio, one would expect his images to be the product of decades of education, training, and practice at the top of the field. The fact that Christodoulou is a self-taught artist of ten years,...
Old Structures...
Skyscrapers at the IStructE
A reminder: On Thursday I’ll be talking about the technological origins of skyscrapers and the New...
9 months ago
A reminder: On Thursday I’ll be talking about the technological origins of skyscrapers and the New York contribution to that history, at the Institution of Structural Engineers. If you’re in London – as most of you are not – come in person; otherwise, the talk will be available...
The Modern House
Book Preview: celebrating the architectural wonderland of London's suburbia
I ❤️ Suburbia is the first book by Simon Pollock, based on his successful Instagram account,...
3 months ago
I ❤️ Suburbia is the first book by Simon Pollock, based on his successful Instagram account, @londonsuburbia. The book celebrates the lives of people living on the outskirts of London and explores some of the often-overlooked architectural treasures of the ‘burbs, from houses to...
Old Structures...
Double
Part of the Construction History Congress last week was a day of tours, and I went on the iron- and...
5 months ago
Part of the Construction History Congress last week was a day of tours, and I went on the iron- and steel-truss bridge tour. I’m going to show my pictures every two or three days, spread over the next couple of weeks. First up: the rail bridge at Eglisau: Built 1895-1897 by the...
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Details Are Found Throughout This Apartment’s Interior
Architecture and Design Studio Cuaik CDS has sent us photos of an apartment they have recently...
a year ago
Architecture and Design Studio Cuaik CDS has sent us photos of an apartment they have recently completed in Madrid, Spain, that includes wood details throughout its interior. In the living room, a wall-mounted TV is disguised as art, while illuminated wooden shelves on either...
99% Invisible
The Flop House: Megalopolis, with Roman Mars
This episode is from our friends at The Flop House, a comedy podcast devoted to the worst in recent...
a week ago
This episode is from our friends at The Flop House, a comedy podcast devoted to the worst in recent film. Roman joins Dan McCoy, Stuart Wellington, and Power Broker co-host Elliott Kalan, to discuss Megalopolis, the recent bankrupting disaster from Francis Ford Coppola. Subscribe...
A Weekly Dose of...
Book Briefs #48
This latest installment of "Book Briefs" — the series of occasional posts featuring short first-hand...
over a year ago
This latest installment of "Book Briefs" — the series of occasional posts featuring short first-hand descriptions of some of the numerous books that publishers send to me for consideration on this blog — features six books in three pairs. Obviously, these briefs are not...
Old Structures...
A Sometimes Disagreeable Foreign Land, Part 2
Continuing my stroll the 1893 Baedeker description of New York, pages 12 and 13 are a list of “chief...
2 weeks ago
Continuing my stroll the 1893 Baedeker description of New York, pages 12 and 13 are a list of “chief lines” of streetcars in Manhattan. There’s a parenthetical note that there are three streetcar lines that cross the Harlem River in “The ‘Annexed District’”. That’s the west...
The Modern House
‘I go to bed thinking about it’: why Tate Modern director Frances Morris returns to her childhood...
Where does our spirit go when we die? Frances Morris has this question figured out: she will return...
a year ago
Where does our spirit go when we die? Frances Morris has this question figured out: she will return to the home in which she was born, a Georgian house abreast the Meridian Line in Greenwich. Listen to this deeply personal conversation on our podcast, Homing […]
The Wandering...
Constructing Bourgoin’s Figure 171 – Part 2
Now that we know our way around the pattern (go back to Part 1), it should be fairly straightforward...
over a year ago
Now that we know our way around the pattern (go back to Part 1), it should be fairly straightforward to construct with a compass and straightedge. But be aware: any pattern that requires you to construct a pentagon is an advanced challenge. They are trickier to make than squares...
There are two types...
Take Back The City
On a recent episode of Billions, the New York Attorney General stands on the roof a car in the...
over a year ago
On a recent episode of Billions, the New York Attorney General stands on the roof a car in the middle of a New York City street with a bullhorn. Why? Vecause he’s positioned himself near a meeting on the Highline … Continue reading →
The post Take Back The City appeared first on...
Common Edge
Aesthetics Alone Do Not Give Sacred Space Its Meaning
The key to finding a new relevance for “the holy” lies in architectural humility.
2 months ago
The key to finding a new relevance for “the holy” lies in architectural humility.
Construction Physics
Does construction ever get cheaper?
I've mentioned a few times that I generally prefer looking at construction progress through the lens...
a year ago
I've mentioned a few times that I generally prefer looking at construction progress through the lens of cost indexes rather than productivity indexes. Whereas productivity indexes try to track changes in the amount of construction we get for a given amount of labor (for labor...
Old Structures...
It Can Go Either Way
Much like the photo from Monday, this April 1959 photo by Angelo Rizzuto could be either demolition...
8 months ago
Much like the photo from Monday, this April 1959 photo by Angelo Rizzuto could be either demolition or construction. The steel frame on the left is on the site of 350 Park Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets on the west side of Park Avenue. The ornate masonry box just north of...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: My Past Haunts Me
Marvel Comics gives us a very blocky, stylized view of a skyscraper: It’s still recognizable as the...
10 months ago
Marvel Comics gives us a very blocky, stylized view of a skyscraper: It’s still recognizable as the Irving Trust Building at One Wall Street, seen here in one of Irving (no relation) Underhill’s more artistic photos. In 1988, I was helping on facade repairs triggered by the...
The Modern House
The brilliant reimagining of Sunny Side Up, a family home in Clapton
10 months ago
Old Structures...
A Last Remnant
I’ve mentioned before the way that the numbered street grid was literally cut though the once-hilly...
7 months ago
I’ve mentioned before the way that the numbered street grid was literally cut though the once-hilly topography of Manhattan Island. It’s hard to find visible evidence of that process today. The Dyckman Farmhouse, near the north end of the island and dating to 1784, is on a hill...
devonzuegel.com
OWD #0: Welcome to Order Without Design
I'm starting a new podcast called Order Without Design with the most interesting couple I know:...
over a year ago
I'm starting a new podcast called Order Without Design with the most interesting couple I know: Alain & Marie-Agnes Bertaud.
This project is an extension of their book, Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities. With its focus on economic theory, you might not realize that...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Newsy
A dying world from a horror comic called “Epitaphs from the Abyss”: What’s that on the right? The...
3 weeks ago
A dying world from a horror comic called “Epitaphs from the Abyss”: What’s that on the right? The New York Times Building as seen from Times Square (from the north) in 1908:
99% Invisible
Autism Pleasantville [EPISODE]
A few years back, journalist Lauren Ober was diagnosed with autism. She then made a podcast about...
9 months ago
A few years back, journalist Lauren Ober was diagnosed with autism. She then made a podcast about her experience called The Loudest Girl in the World. And she found herself imagining a fantasy world where everything is tailored to Lauren’s very specific autistic needs. And she...
Old Structures...
Old Adventures In Photo-Bombing
Someone occasionally notices that most of Manhattan has little open space to create picturesque...
10 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
From Bath bakery and restaurant to Bruton mill: the evolution of Landrace in Somerset
a year ago
Common Edge
Is Santa Clara—the Heart of Silicon Valley—Soulless and Banal By Intent?
The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
a year ago
The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Green Roof Covers This Riverside Home
Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof...
a year ago
Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof that’s located on the bank of the Vistula River. The home has been designed to subtly integrate into the natural shape of the land and allows for a usable green roof. A sloped ramp...
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Hidden In The Forest Appears Like A Stack Of Illuminated Boxes
William / Kaven Architecture has sent us photos of a home they completed in Portland, Oregon, that’s...
a year ago
William / Kaven Architecture has sent us photos of a home they completed in Portland, Oregon, that’s part of a collection of private residences perched on several steeply sloped sites within Forest Park, a 5,000-acre woodland. A simple material palette of dark steel, concrete,...
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
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...
Benny Kuriakose
The Kerala Mosques That Have Been Restored To Their Past Glory
The remaining structures are a testament to the rich cultural and historical heritage of a society....
a year ago
The remaining structures are a testament to the rich cultural and historical heritage of a society. They include architectural styles,...
Old Structures...
Adaptability
The building types that have had the most success in new York are the ones that are most-readily...
2 months ago
The building types that have had the most success in new York are the ones that are most-readily adaptable. Rowhouses have been turned into apartment houses, churches, schools, museums, and offices; tenements have been upgraded to better apartments again and again and again. If...
Old Structures...
Pareidolia
He’s a happy little gas-powered guy.
5 months ago
He’s a happy little gas-powered guy.
Old Structures...
Too Perfect
Yet another view of lower Broadway, this time from 1908. It’s low resolution and artificially...
9 months ago
Yet another view of lower Broadway, this time from 1908. It’s low resolution and artificially colored, so it’s really more of an illustration than a photo, but good enough for a postcard. This picture bothers me and it took me a while to realize why. The issue exists for a lot of...
Common Edge
The Brilliant, Unhinged Spectacle of Megalopolis
A rare film that celebrates design and urban planning, Coppola’s latest epic is a mishmash of...
2 months ago
A rare film that celebrates design and urban planning, Coppola’s latest epic is a mishmash of architectural, cinematic, and literary history.
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Renovation Made More Use Of The Basement And Outdoor Space
Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary home renovation they completed in...
a year ago
Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary home renovation they completed in Seattle, Washington. Before – The Exterior The single-story, mid-century home had two doors at the front of the home, with steps leading to each one. After – The Exterior The updated...
Archinect - Features
2024 Summer Architecture Programs for Kids and High School Students
If you are a parent looking for engaging architecture-focused programs for kids, or a high school...
9 months ago
If you are a parent looking for engaging architecture-focused programs for kids, or a high school student interested in gaining valuable pre-college experience, take a look below at Archinect's latest highlight of summer architecture programs.
For the 2024 season, we have...
SOCKS
Poetics of the Greenhouse: Works by Bernard Moninot
Bernard Moninot is a French multimedia artist. Over the 1970s and the 1980s, he produced a series of...
over a year ago
Bernard Moninot is a French multimedia artist. Over the 1970s and the 1980s, he produced a series of drawings, (inks, crayons and acrylics) of greenhouses based on various modes of representation, from axonometric projections, to outside central perspective or interiors views....
A Weekly Dose of...
Conceiving the Plan
Conceiving the Plan: Nuance and Intimacy in Civic Space
Edited by Yael Hameiri Sainsaux
Skira,...
over a year ago
Conceiving the Plan: Nuance and Intimacy in Civic Space
Edited by Yael Hameiri Sainsaux
Skira, August 2022
Hardcover | 12-1/4 x 12-1/4 inches | 240 pages | 170 illustrations | English | ISBN: 9788857246543 | $45.00
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
In Honor of Diane Lewis...
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
Strategies for architects, planners, and policymakers as we adapt to a changing world.
Contemporist...
Dyed Cement Shingles Cover The Counter Inside This Bakery
Grizzo Studio has shared photos of MALAU, a new bakery in Pilar Centro, Argentina, that includes...
2 months ago
Grizzo Studio has shared photos of MALAU, a new bakery in Pilar Centro, Argentina, that includes handcrafted pieces of dyed cement in its design.
The Modern House
The Green Series #3: how to make your home airtight
Passivhaus buildings are designed to be almost completely airtight, with no unsealed gaps in the...
3 weeks ago
Passivhaus buildings are designed to be almost completely airtight, with no unsealed gaps in the exterior of the building. While a typical home might struggle to achieve that, there are ways to reduce unwanted draughts and heat loss. Continuing our series of Passivhaus hacks,...
The Modern House
Living in a boxy, brown-brick terrace – enhanced by Danish design sensibilities
3 months ago
The Modern House
Our guide to Kentish Town: Technicolour townhouses, natural wine and nature in north London
a year ago
Construction Physics
What Would It Take to Recreate Bell Labs?
For most of the 20th century, AT&T was almost entirely responsible for building and operating...
5 months ago
For most of the 20th century, AT&T was almost entirely responsible for building and operating America’s telephone infrastructure. It manufactured the phones and electrical equipment, laid hundreds of millions of miles of wire across the country, and built and operated the...
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
Forget the “doom loops,” there are plenty of indicators that urban centers are recovering.
The Modern House
A Californian-inspired 1970s home hidden under the trees in Kent
a year ago
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
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
Jane Jacobs, Cyclist
We should have known the famed urbanist loved the bike.
7 months ago
We should have known the famed urbanist loved the bike.
The Modern House
The 'sculptural experience' of designer Ashley Law’s uniquely tactile cottage in Whitechapel
8 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Tropical Living: This Modern Home Embraces The Steep Terrain Of The Costa Rican Jungle
SARCO Architects has shared photos of a home they completed in Costa Rica, designed to focus on...
6 months ago
SARCO Architects has shared photos of a home they completed in Costa Rica, designed to focus on transparency, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. The steep terrain posed the biggest challenge of the design, and as a result, the home was broken up into...
Old Structures...
108 Years
First up, “A view of the Federal Hall of the City of New York, as appeared in the year 1797, with...
10 months ago
First up, “A view of the Federal Hall of the City of New York, as appeared in the year 1797, with the adjacent buildings thereto” as engraved in 1850. This is looking north up Broad Street, with the old Federal Hall at the intersection of Broad and Wall streets. Next, “Broad...
Contemporist...
The Large Arch Window In Front Of This Cafe Offers A Glimpse Of The Creative Interior
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand,...
a year ago
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand, that incorporates a collection of windows to create a welcoming arch shape on its facade.
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 4
To catch up, here are links for part 1, part 2, and part 3. The Brooklyn Bridge caissons were much...
a year ago
To catch up, here are links for part 1, part 2, and part 3. The Brooklyn Bridge caissons were much bigger than the similar pneumatic caissons that had been used earlier. Their timber construction was based on a few ideas, all subject to engineering design or review. First, the...
CONTEMPORIST
Creative Patterned Designs Cover The Facade Of This Brick House
Manoj Patel Design Studio has shared photos of a home they’ve completed in Vadodara, India, that...
a year ago
Manoj Patel Design Studio has shared photos of a home they’ve completed in Vadodara, India, that includes unique brick designs on its facade. Located in the middle of an urban area, the eye-catching facade showcases a brick accent section that has a variety of artistic patterns....
Old Structures...
Regular, Fast, Very Fast
Are you really an engineer if you don’t laugh out loud at this xkcd strip?
4 months ago
Are you really an engineer if you don’t laugh out loud at this xkcd strip?
A Weekly Dose of...
The Latest from MoMA: Emerging Ecologies
Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books...
a year ago
Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books with keywords to better filter and find them. The tags I use move from general terms like "architecture" (the most) and "fiction" (the least) to specific terms that reflect a high...
Archinect - Features
Exploring Architecture’s Uncertain Nature With Schidlowski Fellow François Sabourin
Academic fellowships provide unique opportunities for designers and researchers to explore specific...
a year ago
Academic fellowships provide unique opportunities for designers and researchers to explore specific topics of interest while teaching. Archinect's Fellow Fellows series showcases individuals who are currently in or have recently finished an architecture fellowship.
For our...
The Beauty of...
Cover Story (Workington Bus Station, Workington, Cumbria, UK)
Sometimes you seek out transport architecture, at others transport architecture is thrust upon you,...
over a year ago
Sometimes you seek out transport architecture, at others transport architecture is thrust upon you, just as it was when I accidentally ended up in Workington a couple of months ago. With poor weather forecast on one of the days of a trip to the Lake District, I spent the day...
99% Invisible
Raccoon Resistance
After Toronto unveiled its “raccoon-resistant” compost bins in 2016, some people feared the animals...
3 weeks ago
After Toronto unveiled its “raccoon-resistant” compost bins in 2016, some people feared the animals would be starved but many more celebrated the innovative design. Rolling out this novel locked bin opened a new battlefront in city’s ongoing “war on raccoons.” Toronto’s new...
CONTEMPORIST
One Thousand Plants Cover The Exterior Of The ‘Landmark by Lexus’ Pavilion
Koichi Takada Architects has sent us photos of ‘Landmark by Lexus’, a showroom/pavilion that was...
a year ago
Koichi Takada Architects has sent us photos of ‘Landmark by Lexus’, a showroom/pavilion that was presented to guests during the Melbourne Cup Carnival at the Flemington Racecourse in Australia. Drawing inspiration from the Australian landscape, Koichi Takada Architects designed a...
The Modern House
Coast and countryside at a contemporary home in Suffolk
a year ago
Archinect - Features
Architecture Business Metrics Begin To Turn Positive: Archinect’s State of AEC November...
Welcome to the sixth installment of Archinect's series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we...
2 weeks ago
Welcome to the sixth installment of Archinect's 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 past month, several...
The Modern House
Cath Kidston: the floral-obsessed entrepreneur on why life isn’t always a bed of roses
Cath Kidston needs little introduction. Her eponymous brand was something of a zeitgeist, becoming...
10 months ago
Cath Kidston needs little introduction. Her eponymous brand was something of a zeitgeist, becoming entirely synonymous with a certain strand of the shabby-chic look that so gripped the late 1990s and early 2000s. But there was life before the company – Cath worked first for […]
Old Structures...
Modern Perception
First, the Carson, Pirie, Scott Store in Chicago, as it appeared in the past: In my opinion – and...
6 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...
Construction Physics
The grid part II - the golden age of the power industry
Welcome to Part II of our history of the electric power industry. For Part I, see here. By 1930, the...
a year ago
Welcome to Part II of our history of the electric power industry. For Part I, see here. By 1930, the US was using 114 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, generated by more than 4000 power plants. Most electricity was generated by coal (56%) and hydroelectric (34%)...
The Solarchitecture...
The effectiveness of solar passive principles
Improving health, freedom one house at a time.
over a year ago
Improving health, freedom one house at a time.
Common Edge
The Next New Thing
In architecture, the gulf between the traditional and the modern seems wider than ever before.
5 months ago
In architecture, the gulf between the traditional and the modern seems wider than ever before.
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow: The Empire State Building and the World Trade Center (Part I)
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931. At a height of 1250 feet [0], it was the world's...
over a year ago
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931. At a height of 1250 feet [0], it was the world's tallest building, exceeding the recently completed Chrysler building by 202 feet. It would hold that title for the next 39 years, until 1970 when it was surpassed in height by...
A Weekly Dose of...
The Past and Future of Architecture Books
The recent receipt of two review books got me thinking about the past and the future of architecture...
a year ago
The recent receipt of two review books got me thinking about the past and the future of architecture books. The first one is This is Architecture: Writing on Buildings, a collection of excerpted texts about buildings, spanning from the mid-1800s to the 2010s.
This is...
CONTEMPORIST
This Tall Black House Appears To Be Made From A Series Of Stacked Boxes
Studio for Architecture & Collaboration (StudioAC) has designed a modern single-family home with a...
11 months ago
Studio for Architecture & Collaboration (StudioAC) has designed a modern single-family home with a black exterior in Toronto, Canada. The home has a gable roof and appears as a series of stacked boxes, with different levels defining the various areas of the home. The rear of the...
The Modern House
Our guide to retrofitting: how to future-proof your older home
a year ago
Old Structures...
Yesterday and Today
There’s nothing that creates disorientation quite like having a single day that combes changing time...
9 months ago
There’s nothing that creates disorientation quite like having a single day that combes changing time zones by five hours with Dayight Savings. It’s nice to be back home, though. A small reminder that Daylight Savings was introdcued in the US in 1918 for less than a year and...
Old Structures...
Buildings Are Not Static
It can’t be said often enough that buildings move in various ways, from the effect of environmental...
7 months ago
It can’t be said often enough that buildings move in various ways, from the effect of environmental conditions. You’ve got gross structural movement from gravity and lateral loads; up, down, and sideways movement from changes in soil volume from water movement; expansion and...
Contemporist...
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
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.
Archinect - Features
Let's Talk About Architectural Licensure
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Licensure. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the journey...
7 months ago
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Licensure. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the journey undertaken by those in the United States seeking to practice as a licensed architect, including reflections on the history of licensure, comparisons to other countries, the cost...
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
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 […]
The Architectural...
Can We Afford More Modernist Buildings?
A common myth suggests that the unattractiveness of new buildings over the last century is due to...
a year ago
A common myth suggests that the unattractiveness of new buildings over the last century is due to rational or economic reasons, implying that building beautifully is too costly. In this article, I’ll debunk this idea and uncover the real reason behind the prevalence of...
The Modern House
Two sisters share the story of their remarkable Patrick Gwynne-designed family home
a year ago
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
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...
The Modern House
Nick Hill’s no frills approach to materials recasts a 1930s house in south-east London as a...
8 months ago
Old Structures...
Advertising Art
From 1922, preserved in a scrapbook at the New York Public Library, a romantic view of the Bankers...
2 months ago
From 1922, preserved in a scrapbook at the New York Public Library, a romantic view of the Bankers Trust Building at Wall and Nassau Streets. (The angle is a little funny – see below.) I cropped the image – at the lower right there was a little extension: This could be a...
Old Structures...
The Slab
Every sizable city has one or more locally-specific building types, based on the culture and...
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
A Home Designed As One Long Curve
FRARI – architecture network has designed a new house in Vagos, Portugal, that has a single arcing...
a year ago
FRARI – architecture network has designed a new house in Vagos, Portugal, that has a single arcing curved design. Through its shape and arrangement, the curved home protects itself from the busy road, while also opening up the interior to the outdoor spaces, like the yard and...
SOCKS
Database, Network, Interface : The Architecture of Information. An exhibition at Archizoom (EPFL),...
We are pleased to announce that we are curating an exhibition that will open in September at the...
over a year ago
We are pleased to announce that we are curating an exhibition that will open in September at the Archizoom Gallery (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland. In an age characterised by the increasing dematerialisation of cultural production and transmission, Database, Network, Interface...
Common Edge
To Address Climate Change, Architects Must Tackle Decarbonization
Focusing only on energy performance is insufficient to the mounting crisis.
a year ago
Focusing only on energy performance is insufficient to the mounting crisis.
A Weekly Dose of...
From Web to Print
Recently I was watching a news program, most likely PBS Newshour or an MSNBC show, and was struck by...
a year ago
Recently I was watching a news program, most likely PBS Newshour or an MSNBC show, and was struck by one of the talking heads speaking via Skype or Zoom being described as "a writer working on turning her blog into a book." I don't remember her name or even the subject, as the...
CONTEMPORIST
Clad In Stone, Wood, Steel, And Glass, This House Nestles Quietly Within The Natural Surroundings
CCY Architects has designed a contemporary home in Aspen, Colorado, that’s nestled into a gently...
a year ago
CCY Architects has designed a contemporary home in Aspen, Colorado, that’s nestled into a gently sloping site amidst a grove of aspen trees on the edge of a large, open meadow with views out to the Elk Mountain Range. Clad in stone, wood, steel, and glass, the house complements...
Coffee with an...
Design explained using venn diagrams
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple venn diagrams. Unfortunately,...
8 months ago
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple venn diagrams. Unfortunately, this isn’t that: More Design in charts – HERE, and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE
Old Structures...
An APT Webinar
I’m giving a webinar on February 27 for the Association for Preservation Technology on our analysis...
10 months ago
I’m giving a webinar on February 27 for the Association for Preservation Technology on our analysis of a somewhat weird building with concrete and masonry structure, and the implications for investigation and analysis of buildings with old concrete structure. More information...
CONTEMPORIST
The Rugged Materials On This Home Reflect The Desert That Surrounds It
Imbue Design has completed a desert home where the owners could put up their feet and relax in the...
a year ago
Imbue Design has completed a desert home where the owners could put up their feet and relax in the natural desert landscape of Grand Staircase-Escalante, Utah. The home was designed in such a way as to disrupt the land as little as possible. With that in mind, the designers...
Contemporist...
This Elevated Home Allows Plants To Be Grown Underneath
Bates Masi + Architects has sent us photos of a new home they recently completed in Bridgehampton,...
11 months ago
Bates Masi + Architects has sent us photos of a new home they recently completed in Bridgehampton, New York, that has its living spaces elevated above the ground.
The Modern House
Daniel Baer and Jassim Ahmad on minimal living at their courtyard house in East Dulwich
a year ago
Contemporist...
Lighting Is Used To Create A Warm Glowing Atmosphere For This Restaurant
FUNUN LAB has shared photos of a Japanese-inspired restaurant they designed in Beijing, China, that...
a year ago
FUNUN LAB has shared photos of a Japanese-inspired restaurant they designed in Beijing, China, that includes a variety of lighting that helps create a unique interior.
CONTEMPORIST
The Surrounding Desert Was Blended Into This Modern Home
Photography by Stetson Ybarra Multi-disciplinary design studio Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd. has shared...
a year ago
Photography by Stetson Ybarra Multi-disciplinary design studio Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd. has shared photos of a modern home they completed on the edge of the Las Vegas Valley that has views of Red Rock Canyon. Photography by Stetson Ybarra Commissioned for a family embracing an...
Old Structures...
For The Encouragement Of Thrift
When you spend as much time looking at buildings as I do, it takes something out of the ordinary to...
a year ago
When you spend as much time looking at buildings as I do, it takes something out of the ordinary to stand out. In this case, I was on Sutphin Boulevard in Queens, on its northernmost leg. That’s the part of Sutphin that most people who have heard of it know: between its northern...
Old Structures...
Location and Purpose
From 1932, “The Kips Bay Station, with a capacity of 2,450,000 pounds of steam an hour, is the...
3 months ago
From 1932, “The Kips Bay Station, with a capacity of 2,450,000 pounds of steam an hour, is the largest and most modern central station steam generating plant in the world.” The station was a steam-generating plant, located on the East River at 36th Street, decommissioned and...
CONTEMPORIST
Brass-Lined Arches Connect The Kitchen With The Dining Room Inside This Home
Architecture and art studio Svima has shared photos of a kitchen and living room they updated, with...
8 months ago
Architecture and art studio Svima has shared photos of a kitchen and living room they updated, with the kitchen featuring brass design accents. Their clients, a Toronto couple, has opposite tastes: he is an enthusiast of tenebrous minimalism, and she is a lover of bright French...
99% Invisible
Between the Blocks [EPISODE]
Seen from above, Sofia, Bulgaria, looks less like a city and more like a forest. Large “interblock...
10 months ago
Seen from above, Sofia, Bulgaria, looks less like a city and more like a forest. Large “interblock park” green spaces between big apartment structures are a defining characteristic of the city. They’re not so much “parks” in the formal sense, with fences and gates, just open...
A Weekly Dose of...
Places in Time III
This third and most likely last installment in the inadvertent "Places in Time" series looks closely...
a year ago
This third and most likely last installment in the inadvertent "Places in Time" series looks closely at three books: the first about Chicago from the Great Depression to the mid-1980s; the second one about the broader American built landscape over roughly the same period of time;...
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
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...
Old Structures...
Less Than Artistic
My originally-planned blog post for today has some issues and will show up next week; I was...
a year ago
My originally-planned blog post for today has some issues and will show up next week; I was traveling yesterday and couldn’t write another proper one in time. So, above, a failed attempt at taking a picture without adequate light. I didn’t think I moved but I obviously did. 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
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...
The Modern House
A Japanese-inspired solution unlocks light and space in this shape-shifting micro-flat
2 months ago
Contemporist...
This New House Was Designed To Fit Into A Protected Historic Neighborhood
Architecture firm FLOWER, together with interior design studio Saltwolf, has completed a new home in...
8 months ago
Architecture firm FLOWER, together with interior design studio Saltwolf, has completed a new home in Boulder, Colorado, whose design was inspired by the nearby historic houses in the neighborhood.
Construction Physics
Book Review: Healthy Buildings
Healthy Buildings, written by John Macomber and Joseph Allen is, as the title suggests, a book about...
a year ago
Healthy Buildings, written by John Macomber and Joseph Allen is, as the title suggests, a book about how buildings affect health. Allen is a former environmental consultant, professor of public health, and director of Harvard’s “Healthy Buildings” program. Macomber is a lecturer...
Archinect - Features
New Dog, New Tricks: Reflections on Construction, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence
What is the current relationship between humans, robotics, and construction? What is its future? To...
a year ago
What is the current relationship between humans, robotics, and construction? What is its future? To explore these questions in depth, Archinect speaks with both Boston Dynamics and the Applied Research + Development group at Foster + Partners for their experiences and...
CONTEMPORIST
This Bedroom With A Partial Glass Floor Looks Down To The Living Room Below
Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo,...
a year ago
Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that features a partial glass floor in the bedroom. The apartment has been designed with the living space on the lower floor, while the bedroom is located upstairs. One...
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
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...
A Weekly Dose of...
Olmsted Trees
Olmsted Trees
Photographs by Stanley Greenberg, with contributions by Tom Avermaete, Kevin Baker,...
over a year ago
Olmsted Trees
Photographs by Stanley Greenberg, with contributions by Tom Avermaete, Kevin Baker, Mindy Thompson Fullilove
Hirmer Publishers, August 2022
Hardcover | 9 x 11 inches | 160 pages | 100 illustrations | German/English | ISBN: | $X.00
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
Central...
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
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...
For The Common Folk
The return of a heat wave has me writing about the beach. (Not going to the beach, which sounds...
5 months ago
The return of a heat wave has me writing about the beach. (Not going to the beach, which sounds unbearably hot right now, but thinking and writing about it.) So, here’s the Brighton Beach Bathing Pavilion in 1879, one year after it opened: The three big hotels nearby, including...
The Modern House
Views From Above: five homes that celebrate London’s skyline
Seen from on high, London’s shifting cityscape never ceases to fascinate – a patchwork of man-made...
9 months ago
Seen from on high, London’s shifting cityscape never ceases to fascinate – a patchwork of man-made shapes interrupted by so many pockets of green. No matter the weather, a view from above brings out the distinct colour and characteristics of each neighbourhood, encouraging you to...
Construction Physics
The dream of deregulation - the grid part III
For most of the industry’s history, electric power in the US had largely been provided by vertically...
a year ago
For most of the industry’s history, electric power in the US had largely been provided by vertically integrated utility companies that handled every part of the electricity supply: generating it, transmitting it, distributing it to customers, and managing the overall system....
CONTEMPORIST
This House Was Built Around A 100-Year-Old Oak Tree
Architecture Studio AtelierM has shared photos of a home they completed in Martinez, Argentina, that...
6 months ago
Architecture Studio AtelierM has shared photos of a home they completed in Martinez, Argentina, that wraps around an imposing hundred-year-old oak tree. The homeowners wanted to maximize privacy, protect the old tree that was central to the lot, and take advantage of natural...
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...
9 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
Old Structures...
Wrong But Impressive
I’m generally anti-graffiti. If the graffiti itself doesn’t cause permanent damage to the wall it’s...
2 months ago
I’m generally anti-graffiti. If the graffiti itself doesn’t cause permanent damage to the wall it’s on, the cleaning probably will; the content generally ranges from idiotic (here’s my name – isn’t it impressive?) to puerile (pictures of genitalia being the most common); and it’s...
A Weekly Dose of...
Three Monographs
Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in...
a year ago
Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in my earlier holiday gift books post, two of the three monographs featured here were also on that list. As happened when I wrote this post, each book begins with a rhetorical question...
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
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...
There are two types...
Why GoDaddy’s Microsoft Exchange Email for Mac Users S*cks
After three years of unreliable, expensive email service from GoDaddy and Microsoft, I’ve...
over a year ago
After three years of unreliable, expensive email service from GoDaddy and Microsoft, I’ve reluctantly concluded that I have to find a new service for my domain name email. For reasons I won’t go into here, that’s a problem. GoDaddy is … Continue reading →
The post Why GoDaddy’s...
The Modern House
Pure 1970s glamour at an iconic modernist house, from sunken sofas to an indoor pool
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
A libertarian just won the Argentinian presidency – how did that happen?
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential...
a year ago
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential election, here's some background.
First, a key fact is that the government is printing money at an accelerating rate, resulting in 143% annual inflation as of the most recent count....
The Modern House
How Emile Jones built a functional and fluid home in a 1950s block in Peckham
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Bed Headboard Was Designed With A Fold-Out Desk
Laura Ortín Arquitectura has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Murcia,...
5 months ago
Laura Ortín Arquitectura has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Murcia, Spain that includes a unique design feature in the bedroom. The bedroom, located off of a curved hallway, has dual doorways providing a glimpse of the room inside. Once inside, the...
Old Structures...
The Shapes Arise
Nearly every day, I walk past the construction of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project,...
5 months ago
Nearly every day, I walk past the construction of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project, part of protecting lower Manhattan from the kind of flooding that occurred during Hurricane Sandy. Much of it is relatively straightforward: there’s a big berm being added to the...
Blog - Guerrilla...
What a GIS & Map Librarian does all day
The two most common responses I get when I tell people that I’m a map librarian at UC Berkeley are:...
over a year ago
The two most common responses I get when I tell people that I’m a map librarian at UC Berkeley are:
I didn’t know that was a job?! and
I love maps!
These are both fair reactions. It’s not a very common job. And maps are very cool. Just like a typical librarian’s work does not...
Old Structures...
Close By
From Angelo Rizzuto, a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from June 1954. It was not taken from Woolworth,...
6 months ago
From Angelo Rizzuto, a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from June 1954. It was not taken from Woolworth, as the angle is slightly wrong. The bridge was in a transition period, with one major renovation just completed and another about to start. Between 1950 and 1954, the bridge...
The Modern House
Take a Dip: London’s best swimming spots – from lakes to lidos
a year ago
Common Edge
Harvard Design Magazine #50: ChatGPT to the Rescue
An alumnus of the GSD takes a treacherous trek through the dense and glossy 50th anniversary issue.
a year ago
An alumnus of the GSD takes a treacherous trek through the dense and glossy 50th anniversary issue.
devonzuegel.com
No Kings: How Do You Make Good Decisions Efficiently in a Flat Organization?
At Doist we believe that open and sincere communication improves our decision-making process. That’s...
over a year ago
At Doist we believe that open and sincere communication improves our decision-making process. That’s why we’ve built a culture that encourages feedback at all levels of decision-making: from purely technical solutions to team and product management. We built our team...
99% Invisible
Trail Mix [EPISODE]
A good trail is one that is easy to follow and well maintained. Each trail is designed, constructed...
a year ago
A good trail is one that is easy to follow and well maintained. Each trail is designed, constructed and maintained to meet specific standards. These standards relate to the recreational experience the trail is intended to provide. But trails are something many of us take for...
CONTEMPORIST
This Modern House Was Made From Locally Sourced Stone
Architecture firm ARGDL has shared photos of a home they completed in Tapalpa, Mexico, that’s built...
a year ago
Architecture firm ARGDL has shared photos of a home they completed in Tapalpa, Mexico, that’s built using stone, wood, and glass. Local stone was used to generate the main volumes of the home, while the regional pine can be seen in the roof structure as well as the window and...
Old Structures...
Different Views
From 1910, stereoscopic views from an upper floor of the Singer Building looking south and north The...
a month ago
From 1910, stereoscopic views from an upper floor of the Singer Building looking south and north The view south is showing the largest concentration of tall buildings in the world at that time and, given that many of those buildings exceeded the height limit in Chicago, the...
There are two types...
My Meals With Bob: My Mini Memoir in Common Edge
A photo of New York 1900. showing two of the four images of the Colonial Club in the book. We...
over a year ago
A photo of New York 1900. showing two of the four images of the Colonial Club in the book. We included so many images of the pleasant but unremarkable building because that was where we wrote the book, in Robert A.M. … Continue reading →
The post My Meals With Bob: My Mini Memoir...
Common Edge
How Madagascar Is Confronting Climate Change
The island nation is grappling with unique and formidable environmental challenges.
a year ago
The island nation is grappling with unique and formidable environmental challenges.
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
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...
Common Edge
Ugly Buildings Are Not Simply a Matter of Aesthetics
Bad architecture must come from some underlying ethos.
a year ago
Bad architecture must come from some underlying ethos.
Common Edge
How the Global Business Class Has Transformed the Home
They’re bringing the aesthetics and lifestyle expectations of the hospitality industry into their...
2 months ago
They’re bringing the aesthetics and lifestyle expectations of the hospitality industry into their domiciles.
The Modern House
How an artist and architect converted a war bunker on the wild Isle of Wight coast
a year ago
Construction Physics
Contribute to the US Megaprojects Database!
The US Megaprojects Database Very large construction or technology development projects are...
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...
Old Structures...
Some Peculiarities
This map was sponsored by the “Committee of ‘92” and created by Rand McNally as a guide to the city...
8 months ago
This map was sponsored by the “Committee of ‘92” and created by Rand McNally as a guide to the city for attendees of the Eleventh International Christian Endeavor Convention in 1892. About 40 percent of the index on the right is transportation related – railroads and ship lines –...
CONTEMPORIST
This Renovated 90s Home Includes A New Exterior Made Of Alaskan Yellow Cedar Siding
Architecture firm Blue Truck Studio, together with interior design firm Mary Valaika Design, has...
10 months ago
Architecture firm Blue Truck Studio, together with interior design firm Mary Valaika Design, has sent us photos of a home they renovated in California, that showcases vertical wood siding. The original 90s house had wild geometry, such as octagon-shaped rooms and triangular...
CONTEMPORIST
Lighting Highlights The Alternating Curvilinear Balconies Of This New Apartment Building
Omniview Design has completed the Golf Apartments, a high-end residential development adjacent to a...
a year ago
Omniview Design has completed the Golf Apartments, a high-end residential development adjacent to a famous golf course in Glyfada, Greece. Key to the design of the building are the curvilinear balconies that alternate directions creating a lively facade. In the evening, lighting...
Old Structures...
Finding Something Nice To Say
Howe trusses look backwards to me. Structural logic generally says that compression members should...
3 weeks ago
Howe trusses look backwards to me. Structural logic generally says that compression members should be stockier than tension members because, while the gross stresses are the same (force divided by cross-sectional area), compression members may buckle and tension members will not....
99% Invisible
RoboUmp [EPISODE]
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind...
a year ago
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind home plate, who has arguably the most important job, calling balls and strikes. A strike is basically any hittable pitch — something over the plate, between the batter’s chest and his...
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow Part III: Design of the World Trade Center
This is Part III in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World...
over a year ago
This is Part III in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. Part I covers the design and construction of the Empire State Building, and Part II covers the initial development of the World Trade Center
Old Structures...
Small Trusses
For the last nine years, the high point, for me, of the annual APTI conference has been the student...
a month ago
For the last nine years, the high point, for me, of the annual APTI conference has been the student competition run by the Preservation Engineering Technical Committee. This year, In Montreal, was no exception. This year, I had no role in the competition, which frees me to say...
Archinect - Features
10 Controversial Buildings That Became Iconic Landmarks
Architectural landmarks often become beloved symbols of their cities, but many were not always...
2 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 Beauty of...
Clean Lines and Integrated Transport (Florastrasse transport hub, Adliswil, Switzerland)
The thing about Switzerland’s affordable, hyper-reliable, hyper-integrated and hyper-ubiquitous...
a year ago
The thing about Switzerland’s affordable, hyper-reliable, hyper-integrated and hyper-ubiquitous public transport system is that the regard in which its phenomenal operational expertise is held can overshadow the architectural successes it also demonstrates. Even when transport...
Construction Physics
Semiconductor fab reading list
Like with most types of construction, there's no one source that explains how a semiconductor fab is...
7 months ago
Like with most types of construction, there's no one source that explains how a semiconductor fab is built and operates. But there's an enormous amount written about semiconductors and the technology used to manufacture them, much of it excellent and informative, which makes it...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Kitchen And Dining Area Remodel To Open Up The Space And Create More Seating
Floisand Studio Architects has shared photos of a kitchen and dining area renovation they completed...
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has shared photos of a kitchen and dining area renovation they completed for a home in Seattle, Washington. The homeowners, both small business owners in Seattle, worked with Floisand Studio for over a decade designing a number of popular cafes and a...
CONTEMPORIST
A Sunken Living Room Was Made Possible By A New Extension To This Home
Mulroy Architects has shared photos of a project they recently completed that included modernizing...
a year ago
Mulroy Architects has shared photos of a project they recently completed that included modernizing the interior of a 1920s home in Greater London, England, that also included the addition of a rear extension. The brief was to refurbish and extend the upper floors of the house to...
The Modern House
How two lifelong friends built a space-savvy home to share on an awkward site in Homerton
a year ago
The Architectural...
Why Ugly Architecture Is Bad for Your Health
In a world where we spend the majority of our lives surrounded by buildings, the impact of...
a year ago
In a world where we spend the majority of our lives surrounded by buildings, the impact of architecture on our well-being often goes unnoticed. But what if I told you that the buildings you encounter every day could be affecting your health, both physically and mentally? This...
Old Structures...
Compression
This may be the most difficult to place shot by Angelo Rizzuto, from October 1958. The Library of...
6 months ago
This may be the most difficult to place shot by Angelo Rizzuto, from October 1958. The Library of Congress title “Aerial view of unidentified street with multiple traffic lanes in each direction, high-rise buildings line both sides of the street” doesn’t help. The clue that got...
Old Structures...
Three Boxes, One Optional
I’m going to talk briefly about theater design, but I don’t mean the topics that people think of...
a year ago
I’m going to talk briefly about theater design, but I don’t mean the topics that people think of when you say that. I’m not going to talk about acoustics, or sight-lines, or architectural design of the auditorium. I want to talk about the physical requirements for a modern...
Common Edge
“What Would Jane Jacobs Do?” Is the Wrong Question
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
3 months ago
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
Contemporist...
A Re-Imagined Side Extension With A Slatted Wood Design
YARD Architects has shared photos of a side extension they re-imagined for a home in Greater London,...
a year ago
YARD Architects has shared photos of a side extension they re-imagined for a home in Greater London, England, that creates an open and bright dining area and kitchen.
The Modern House
Beautiful, useful and sustainably flexible: the hand-crafted, customised and highly experimental...
9 months ago
Old Structures...
Personal History Revisited
A few years ago I pointed out all the differences 170 years had made in Flushing, where I grew up. I...
10 months ago
A few years ago I pointed out all the differences 170 years had made in Flushing, where I grew up. I recently came a cross a more recent map, titled “Map of the village of Flushing, Queens County, New York”, from 1894. This was four years before the western half of Queens County...
Common Edge
Why So Many Banal Boxes? Because Architecture Reflects the Ethos of Its Time
The 5-over-1 is a perfect embodiment of our increasingly selfish and self-isolated existence.
6 months ago
The 5-over-1 is a perfect embodiment of our increasingly selfish and self-isolated existence.
99% Invisible
Player Piano [EPISODE]
The Last Archive is a history show. Our evidence is the evidence of history, the evidence of...
a year ago
The Last Archive is a history show. Our evidence is the evidence of history, the evidence of archives. Manuscripts, photographs, letters and diaries, government documents. Facebook posts, Youtube videos, DVDs. Oral histories. This stuff is known as the “historical record,” but of...
The Modern House
Landscape designer and architect duo Anna and Allan Joyce share their dynamic family home...
5 months ago
The Modern House
Nice Slice: the best pizza in London
a year ago
Benny Kuriakose
Conservation and Adaptive Reuse of a Rundown Building to Museum
Adaptive reuse of dilapidated structures is a smart way to conserve the space, it gives a new...
a year ago
Adaptive reuse of dilapidated structures is a smart way to conserve the space, it gives a new meaning and purpose to 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...
9 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
An Observation Tower That Looks Like Twisted Wood Rises Above The Swedish Landscape
White Arkitekter has shared photos of Observation Tower Kärven on the Swedish west coast, which they...
3 months ago
White Arkitekter has shared photos of Observation Tower Kärven on the Swedish west coast, which they completed after winning Varberg Municipality’s architectural competition. Recently opened, the tower in Getterön nature reserve north of Varberg, measures 39 feet (12m) high and...
Old Structures...
A Working Drawing
Above, an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the masonry of the Brooklyn tower of the...
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...
Cartogrammar
Land by latitude and longitude, or, a pile of continents
Bill Rankin’s graphs of world population by latitude and longitude popped into mind for no...
over a year ago
Bill Rankin’s graphs of world population by latitude and longitude popped into mind for no particular reason the other day, followed by a silly-sounding question: “but, like, what about land area by latitude and longitude?” Silly because, duh, a chart of land area by latitude and...
The Modern House
Opportunity Knocks: seven homes with earning potential
We know not everyone coming to our site is in search of a new place to live – or at least not all...
a year ago
We know not everyone coming to our site is in search of a new place to live – or at least not all the time. And catering to your desires – always with good design at the front of our minds – is what we’re […]
devonzuegel.com
Argentina On Two Steaks A Day (Idle Words)
04.13.2006
Argentina On Two Steaks A Day
The classic beginner's mistake in Argentina is...
over a year ago
04.13.2006
Argentina On Two Steaks A Day
The classic beginner's mistake in Argentina is to neglect the first steak of the day. You will be tempted to just peck at it or even skip it altogether, rationalizing that you need to save yourself for the much larger steak...
The Modern House
Dancing down the decades at Domus – a monument to mid-century modernism
4 months ago
Old Structures...
Clogging Up Traffic
Traffic in lower Manhattan is always bad, but is today impassable even for pedestrians. The New York...
a month ago
Traffic in lower Manhattan is always bad, but is today impassable even for pedestrians. The New York Liberty are getting a ticker-tape parade for their WNBA championship. First, congrats to the Liberty and happy days to their fans. Second, there is something very New York about...
devonzuegel.com
Numbers for understanding cities
Whenever I think about physical places, I find myself coming back to a few types of numbers again...
over a year ago
Whenever I think about physical places, I find myself coming back to a few types of numbers again and again.
I've collected these into spreadsheets so that I can reference them more easily, and I figured they might be useful to others too:
Urban densities – Population density...
Common Edge
Worshiping the Old Isn’t Historic Preservation
To keep buildings alive and relevant, some flexibility is required.
a month ago
To keep buildings alive and relevant, some flexibility is required.
Old Structures...
The Power of Drawing
Another Cass Gilbert sketch, “Looking west from corner 5th ave + 42nd St”, from June 1917. Based on...
9 months ago
Another Cass Gilbert sketch, “Looking west from corner 5th ave + 42nd St”, from June 1917. Based on the angle, he was standing on the northwestern corner of the intersection. The generally most interesting building nearby is the New York Public Library; the dark scribbles on the...
The Modern House
Suea is the cook and creative playing with her food in Brooklyn, New York
a year ago
99% Invisible
The White Castle System of Eating Houses [EPISODE]
White Castle has its own take on fast food hamburgers. For starters, the patties are square, with...
10 months ago
White Castle has its own take on fast food hamburgers. For starters, the patties are square, with five holes in each patty. And they’re small, too –- two-and-a-half inch sliders. Just big enough to fit into the palm of your hand. And since they’re steamed on a bed of onions,...
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
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...
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
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...
Old Structures...
So Very Random
Hidden among the vast holdings of the New York Public Library is a set of 52 images of playing cards...
a year ago
Hidden among the vast holdings of the New York Public Library is a set of 52 images of playing cards donated by William Barclay Parsons, arguably most famous for being the chief engineer of the Interborough Rapid Transit system, New York’s oldest subway. Each card has an...
Archinect - Features
AI, Complexity, and Ecological Futures: A Conversation with Alisa Andrasek
For Alisa Andrasek, a career in architecture represents a point of convergence for her dual passions...
a year ago
For Alisa Andrasek, a career in architecture represents a point of convergence for her dual passions for art and science. For the past two decades, a respect for both the mathematic and emotional, the computational and the creative, has propelled Andrasek's enthralling...
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on space
Since The Modern House launched in 2005, we’ve come to realise that beautifully designed homes share...
11 months ago
Since The Modern House launched in 2005, we’ve come to realise that beautifully designed homes share the same timeless principles: space, light, materials, nature and decoration. These five tenets are not only the subject of our co-founder Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to...
CONTEMPORIST
Handmade Turquoise Tiles Line The Entrance To This Spanish Restaurant
Photography by Adria Goula EL EQUIPO CREATIVO has designed Txalupa Gastroleku, a restaurant in San...
9 months ago
Photography by Adria Goula EL EQUIPO CREATIVO has designed Txalupa Gastroleku, a restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain, that draws inspiration from the nearby old port and the small and colorful fishing boats. Photography by Txalupa Gastroleku Stepping inside, you’re immediately...
99% Invisible
Office Space [EPISODE]
Right now, in Manhattan, 18% of office space is vacant. At the same time, the city of New York has a...
a year ago
Right now, in Manhattan, 18% of office space is vacant. At the same time, the city of New York has a major housing problem, with more than 100,000 people using the municipal shelter system. So Eric Adams and city officials are talking a lot about taking those empty offices, and...
Contemporist...
Giant 'Woven' Fabric Graces The Window Of This Flagship Store
Architecture firm LAAB has shared photos the Cozey flagship retail store they designed in Toronto,...
a month ago
Architecture firm LAAB has shared photos the Cozey flagship retail store they designed in Toronto, Canada, that includes an eye-catching window showcase.
The Modern House
Inside two carbon-negative zero-waste homes in Walthamstow
a year ago
Archinect - Features
An Industry Pins Its Hopes on Interest Rate Cuts: Archinect’s State of AEC July 2024
Welcome to the second installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
4 months ago
Welcome to the second installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically.
As we reflect back on June and...
99% Invisible
Don’t Forget to Remember [EPISODE]
We memorialize the losses most important to us, as a civilization. But what even is a memorial, and...
10 months ago
We memorialize the losses most important to us, as a civilization. But what even is a memorial, and what does it do? And how does one memorialize such a vast and distributed tragedy like COVID-19, which was devastating physically but also divisive politically? Memorials tend to...
The Modern House
Tangled up in blue: a diminutive urban cottage designed by fardaa
3 months ago
The Modern House
An architect's dream: four architect-owned homes for sale
A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an...
2 months ago
A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an architect would find bringing their work home – in the most literal of senses – a bit of a drag. But as this collection of architect-owned homes […]
devonzuegel.com
Situated Software
Written by Clay Shirky
First published March 30, 2004 on the "Networks, Economics, and...
over a year ago
Written by Clay Shirky
First published March 30, 2004 on the "Networks, Economics, and Culture"
mailing list. Subscribe
to the mailing list.
I teach at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), where the student population is about evenly divided between...
Old Structures...
Sequencing In Detailing
That’s an illustration from a 1913 article called “Engineering Design Of The Woolworth Building”...
10 months ago
That’s an illustration from a 1913 article called “Engineering Design Of The Woolworth Building” from The American Architect. That’s the design of the most heavily-loaded columns in the building, below the tower. To put it in perspective, that built-up column, composed of plates...
99% Invisible
Mr. Yuk [EPISODE]
Some of you may be familiar with a figure called Mr. Yuk, depending on your age and where you grew...
7 months ago
Some of you may be familiar with a figure called Mr. Yuk, depending on your age and where you grew up, but for rest of you: Mr. Yuk is a neon green circular sticker with a cartoon face on it. His face is scrunched up with his eyes squeezed tight and his tongue is sticking
The...
Common Edge
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
The architect created interventions small and large, all informed by his love of walking the city’s streets.
Benny Kuriakose
A Guide to Interior Photography of Historic Buildings - Part III
Interior views add valuable information to the documentation of a historic building. To capture the...
a year ago
Interior views add valuable information to the documentation of a historic building. To capture the true essence of the building, the...
Old Structures...
Recognizing Reality
A hundred years ago, jaywalking was a made-up offense. In 1926, a study of traffic included the...
a month ago
A hundred years ago, jaywalking was a made-up offense. In 1926, a study of traffic included the statement “all persons have an equal right in the highway, and that in exercising the right each shall take due care not to injure other users of the way.” Old pictures of even a...
Old Structures...
Now The Good Side
A few years ago, I wrote a fairly snarky and negative piece on the Park Avenue Hotel. The building...
10 months ago
A few years ago, I wrote a fairly snarky and negative piece on the Park Avenue Hotel. The building is physically of interest to me because it was a rare example of a residential building with cast-iron facades and a good example of the common approach (in the mid-nineteenth...
Archinect - Features
Exhibit Columbus’ University Design Research Fellows Showcase Proposals That Activate the...
How do you activate invisible spaces, and what does it mean to design for the public? These were the...
a year ago
How do you activate invisible spaces, and what does it mean to design for the public? These were the themes that sparked important conversations at Exhibit Columbus’ 2023 Design Presentations organized by the Landmark Columbus Foundation. Each Exhibit Columbus cycle focuses on a...
99% Invisible
Craptions [EPISODE]
Bad closed captions can be entertaining, but they can be serious, too, because captions are a...
a year ago
Bad closed captions can be entertaining, but they can be serious, too, because captions are a critical tool for lots of lots of people. There are the people learning a new language, the easily confused, and of course captions are essential for people who are Deaf or...
Archinect - Features
Meet Tulane School of Architecture's New Faculty Hires
Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA), one of Archinect’s School Partners, welcomes nine full-time...
a year ago
Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA), one of Archinect’s School Partners, welcomes nine full-time incoming faculty members who will hold permanent positions at the school starting in the 2023/24 school year.
TuSA Dean Iñaki Alday shared that the aim for this new round of faculty...
The Modern House
How a love of Japan and the 1970s shaped Sherrill Smith’s Hackney home
a year ago
SOCKS
Carlos Morago. Across the Ordinary Interior
Contemporary Spanish painter Carlos Morago depicts realistic interior scenes that are mostly reduced...
a year ago
Contemporary Spanish painter Carlos Morago depicts realistic interior scenes that are mostly reduced to the bare minimum: light floors and walls and sporadical furniture. Empty corridors and rooms are framed through opened doors and walls while opening on uneventful exteriors...
Old Structures...
Gain Some, Lose Some
This is the Bradbury Building, an 1893 office building in downtown Los Angeles: It’s a nice enough...
7 months ago
This is the Bradbury Building, an 1893 office building in downtown Los Angeles: It’s a nice enough facade but really nothing special. A lot of people are familiar with the building because of its inside: The office space is a rectangle donut around the atrium, connected by...
CONTEMPORIST
This Backyard Office Also Has A Rock Climbing Gym
WILLIAM TOZER Associates has designed a small backyard office in London, England, that also includes...
a year ago
WILLIAM TOZER Associates has designed a small backyard office in London, England, that also includes a rock climbing gym. Full-height glazed doors slide open to connect the interior office space with the landscaped yard. Inside, desks and storage are integrated into the solid...
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow Part II - The World Trade Center
Part II in our series comparing the construction of two Tallest Building in the World projects - the...
over a year ago
Part II in our series comparing the construction of two Tallest Building in the World projects - the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. See here for Part I. Unless otherwise noted, information and quotes are from “City in the Sky: The Rise and Fall of the World...
Common Edge
Encounters With Damian: Columbia University’s Homeless Neighbor
Near and around campus, the juxtaposition between privilege and poverty is glaring.
a year ago
Near and around campus, the juxtaposition between privilege and poverty is glaring.
Construction Physics
The worst US bridges are getting fixed
It’s become a common assumption that US infrastructure is in a poor state of repair; that our roads,...
a year ago
It’s become a common assumption that US infrastructure is in a poor state of repair; that our roads, bridges, pipes, and transmission lines are decaying faster than they’re being repaired or replaced. This concern goes back to the early 1980s, when the book "
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – An Extension Adds New Living Space For This Home In London
Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects has designed the contemporary renovation and addition for a...
a year ago
Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects has designed the contemporary renovation and addition for a Grade II listed terrace home in the London borough of Islington. The original house, which is spread over three floors, was in poor condition and had lost its charm and original...
Old Structures...
“Pre”
Residential construction in New York can be broken into groups in a number of ways, but the most...
7 months ago
Residential construction in New York can be broken into groups in a number of ways, but the most straightforward is not known to the general public, and that’s by era of regulation. For just under a hundred years, multiple dwellings – AKA apartment houses – have been governed by...
CONTEMPORIST
A Tree House That Feels Like It’s Floating Inside The Forest
INTEGRA STUDIO ARQUITETURA has shared photos of a modern Tree House project they completed for the...
a year ago
INTEGRA STUDIO ARQUITETURA has shared photos of a modern Tree House project they completed for the NaCarapina accommodation complex, that’s located in Brazil. The Tree House which has the feeling of ‘floating inside the forest’, is fully integrated with the imposing Araucaria...
Old Structures...
Up, Down, and Up, Like Its Surroundings
I took these pictures on Mercer Street yesterday, of an oddly formal little building. Whatever...
10 months ago
I took these pictures on Mercer Street yesterday, of an oddly formal little building. Whatever “Firemen’s Hall” meant, I had never heard of it. The name and original use are linked and sort of obvious: when the building was constructed in 1855, New York’s fire-fighting needs were...
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...
9 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...
Common Edge
Hope and Squalor: Venezuelan Refugees at Chicago Police Stations
Nearly 3000 people are living in tents and inside police facilities.
a year ago
Nearly 3000 people are living in tents and inside police facilities.
The Modern House
Rich Pickings: four homes for sale in Kent
Fruit may be Kent’s greatest export, but as regular explorers of our listings will know, there are...
a year ago
Fruit may be Kent’s greatest export, but as regular explorers of our listings will know, there are other sweet surprises to be found here – albeit of a more architectural streak. And while there’s plenty of history to be found in this corner of the […]
devonzuegel.com
Google Docs' sheet-of-paper metaphor
For ages, I've wondered why Google Docs still clings to the sheet-of-paper metaphor when lots of its...
over a year ago
For ages, I've wondered why Google Docs still clings to the sheet-of-paper metaphor when lots of its users never print out most of their documents.
Of course it does make sense for "Print layout" to be an option. Many people do print docs, and students make up a huge portion of...
McMansion Hell
we’ve found it folks: mcmansion heaven
Hello everyone. It is my pleasure to bring you the greatest house I have ever seen. The house of a...
10 months ago
Hello everyone. It is my pleasure to bring you the greatest house I have ever seen. The house of a true visionary. A real ad-hocist. A genuine pioneer of fenestration. This house is in Alabama. It was built in 1980 and costs around $5 million. It is worth every penny. Perhaps...
SOCKS
The Hidden Territory: USGS’s 1950’s to 1970’s Isometric Geological Diagrams
The online archive of the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey is a valuable...
a year ago
The online archive of the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey is a valuable resource filled with detailed three-dimensional territorial maps employing various representational techniques. Thanks to the work of artist, designer, and developer Jill Hubleys...
Old Structures...
Sic Transit
This photo by Angelo Rizzuto, from October 1952, is listed at the Library of Congress as “Bird’s eye...
8 months ago
This photo by Angelo Rizzuto, from October 1952, is listed at the Library of Congress as “Bird’s eye view of a building in New York City.” It’s the old Metropolitan Opera House at 40th Street and Broadway, the one that the Met left in 1966 to move to Lincoln Center. The Met had...
The Modern House
The Modern House guide to Christmas gifts that give back
The festive sprint comes with ample occasions for gift giving, from Secret Santa to stocking...
2 weeks ago
The festive sprint comes with ample occasions for gift giving, from Secret Santa to stocking fillers. Where to start? This year, we’ve decided to focus on gifting with an altruistic inclination and present an edit of design-led festive finds that support the work of charities […]
Construction Physics
How to Build an AI Data Center
This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in...
6 months ago
This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in America: Building the Next Generation of AI Infrastructure at Home. In this series, we examine the challenges of accelerating the American AI data center buildout. Future pieces will...
Old Structures...
A Hidden Surprise, But Not Really
The picture above shows the nearly-complete Astor Court Apartments, on Broadway between 89th and...
a year ago
The picture above shows the nearly-complete Astor Court Apartments, on Broadway between 89th and 90th Street, in 1915. (As a side note, we’ve got some heavy hitters involved: the architect was Charles Platt, the contractor was Marc Eidlitz & Son, and the photographer was Irving...
Common Edge
Vishaan Chakrabarti: Looking for a Home, Aiming Risky Zingers
The architect’s latest book displays his talent for analytic precision and provocation.
a week ago
The architect’s latest book displays his talent for analytic precision and provocation.
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Edward Hopper
From the comic “Powers”, Christian Walker sits by himself in a diner: Hopper’s 1942 painting...
3 weeks ago
From the comic “Powers”, Christian Walker sits by himself in a diner: Hopper’s 1942 painting “Nighthawks”: I’m a fan of Hopper, but this is his most famous work, so it’s not like it was all that difficult to place the reference. In his words, it’s a simplified version of reality...
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...
7 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...
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
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
A House That Rises From The Ground Forming A Three-Level Garden
Architecture firm AtelierM, has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Pilar, Buenos...
a month ago
Architecture firm AtelierM, has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Pilar, Buenos Aires, whose design is inspired by the terrain and surrounding area. The house is conceived as a living element in the landscape, with gentle curves and fluid lines that adapt to the...
Contemporist...
A Small Cabin-Like Structure That Can Be Compressed When Not In Use
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small...
a year ago
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small cabin-like room that expands when needed.
CONTEMPORIST
Plants Were Integrated Into This Home’s Design To Give It The Feeling Of A Tropical Resort
Wallflower Architecture + Design has shared photos of a home they recently completed in Novena,...
a year ago
Wallflower Architecture + Design has shared photos of a home they recently completed in Novena, Singapore, that integrates plants into its design. Located in a residential area in the middle of the city, the house sits on a fan-shaped property and has been designed to reflect 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...
a month 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....
99% Invisible
Devil in the Details [EPISODE]
In 1994, an independent producer made a short, earnest video featuring an eccentric cast of...
a year ago
In 1994, an independent producer made a short, earnest video featuring an eccentric cast of characters who were focused on a very specific paranoia. The tape was made to look like a TV news special. It opens with a cheap, Jerry Springer-era computer graphic of a gold pentagram...
Common Edge
Why Does America Provide More Space for Storing Cars Than Housing People?
Paved Paradise recounts parking’s pivotal history, exposing its environmental, economic, and social...
a year ago
Paved Paradise recounts parking’s pivotal history, exposing its environmental, economic, and social impacts.
CONTEMPORIST
6,000 Pieces Of Discarded Whiskey Barrels Were Used In The Design Of This Bar
Roomoo Design Studio has shared photos of their latest project, the Laizhou Bar in Shanghai, China,...
a year ago
Roomoo Design Studio has shared photos of their latest project, the Laizhou Bar in Shanghai, China, which features recycled whiskey barrels throughout its design. The designers used around 6,000 pieces of discarded wooden barrels dismantled from the whiskey barrels of a...
Construction Physics
The Long, Sad History of American Attempts to Build High-Speed Rail, Part I
California has received its fair share of criticism for the trajectory of its high-speed rail...
a year ago
California has received its fair share of criticism for the trajectory of its high-speed rail project. When voters first approved the $10 billion dollar bond issue for the project in 2008, it was projected to be completed by 2020 at a cost of $33 billion. Instead, its costs have
Construction Physics
The Evolution of Tunnel Boring Machines
Tunneling is an important technology for modern civilization, as a tunnel is often the only...
a year ago
Tunneling is an important technology for modern civilization, as a tunnel is often the only reasonable way to create a direct path between two points. When the Hoosac tunnel was completed in 1875, it turned a difficult, 20-mile railroad route along “
The Modern House
MRTN Architects’ garden studios in Melbourne are a place to work – or not to work
8 months ago
Old Structures...
180 Years
I found myself in Greenport NY for a project and was pleasantly surprised by the presence of the old...
4 months ago
I found myself in Greenport NY for a project and was pleasantly surprised by the presence of the old train station there. It’s not the current station, which is a bare concrete platform off to the right of the picture, and it’s not the original station, but that’s okay. As you...
CONTEMPORIST
Clerestory Windows Add Natural Light Inside This New Addition To An Australian Home
Architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a contemporary renovation and extension of a...
9 months ago
Architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a contemporary renovation and extension of a typical free-standing timber period home in Australia. The view from the front door shows off the hallway that connects the original home with the new extension. The hallway...
CONTEMPORIST
A Green Exterior Helps This Cabin Blend Into The Forest
Scalar Architecture has completed a modern cabin in Connecticut that has a minimal ecological...
a year ago
Scalar Architecture has completed a modern cabin in Connecticut that has a minimal ecological footprint. Designed as a 1200-square-foot retreat for a family of writers and producers, the cabin is only accessible via foot or light utility vehicle. The cabin is located in a hilly...
Old Structures...
Fun With Telephoto Lenses
A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was...
8 months ago
A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was standing when he or she took the shot. It matters to understand exactly what you’re seeing, and figuring it out is usually not that difficult if you know some of the quirks of Manhattan...
The Modern House
The house that art built: Paul Huxley and Susie Allen invite us into their west London home and...
2 days ago
devonzuegel.com
OWD #1: Tea time in Yemen
I'm starting a podcast with my friends, Marie-Agnes and Alain Bertaud, who also happen to be the...
over a year ago
I'm starting a podcast with my friends, Marie-Agnes and Alain Bertaud, who also happen to be the most interesting couple I know. Over the course of this first conversation, we traveled all around the globe for a whirlwind tour of the adventurous life they've led together.
Audio ·...
The Modern House
The Modern House: a potted history
Twenty years ago, The Modern House was a mere kernel of an idea; today, it is widely recognised as...
7 months ago
Twenty years ago, The Modern House was a mere kernel of an idea; today, it is widely recognised as the UK’s leading design-led estate agency. How did we get here? Today, co-founders Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill were asked this very question on BBC Radio 4’s Gap […]
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