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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
52
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
Common Edge
From Venice to Detroit: Laboratories of the Future, Reconsidered Optimism and action trump didactic scolding every time.
a year ago
Old Structures...
Onec You See It The current round of repair work on the Manhattan Bridge has reached the stage of painting the...
8 months ago
24
8 months ago
The current round of repair work on the Manhattan Bridge has reached the stage of painting the towers. It has, to my eye, the unfortunate effect of making the bridge look like it’s wearing shorts.
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
10
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 New Home In Costa Rica Designed To Highlight Its Surroundings Architecture firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a new home they completed in Costa Rica, that's...
4 months ago
43
4 months ago
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a new home they completed in Costa Rica, that's designed to progressively highlight the wondrous ecological and topographical surroundings.
Old Structures...
The Personal Connection A 1958 or 59 view of 200 East 42nd Street under construction: It’s a fairly boring steel-frame,...
8 months ago
28
8 months ago
A 1958 or 59 view of 200 East 42nd Street under construction: It’s a fairly boring steel-frame, glass-facade office building, remarkable to me for the simple reason that I had my first more-or-less real engineering job there. Tippetts-Abbett-McCarthy-Stratton, later known as TAMS...
The Modern House
Emma Crosby and Simon Mitchell on restoring their mid-century house by the sea in Devon
a year ago
Archinect - Features
‘We Have To Get Much Better at Speaking To Wider and Wider Audiences:’ A Conversation With... In February 2024, Brett Steele took up the position of Dean of the University of Southern California...
2 months ago
25
2 months ago
In February 2024, Brett Steele took up the position of Dean of the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Since then, Steele has been busy capitalizing on the opportunities and responsibilities that come with leading a Los Angeles design school in a city known...
The Modern House
Rest, relaxation and refuge at a ryokan-inspired home in Hackney
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Dramatic Wood Ceilings Are Found Throughout This House Carlos Castanheira of CC&CB Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Porto, Portugal,...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Carlos Castanheira of CC&CB Architects has shared photos of a home they designed in Porto, Portugal, that uses wood and copper throughout its design. The home’s exterior has a copper-clad roof and matching copper siding, while the exposed timber structure connects with the rest...
Archinect - Features
Storytelling, Bias, and Exploitation in Digital Realms; A Conversation with Miriam Hillawi... For Miriam Hillawi Abraham, the digital realm is one fraught with both opportunities and dangers....
a year ago
49
a year ago
For Miriam Hillawi Abraham, the digital realm is one fraught with both opportunities and dangers. The Ethiopian designer and researcher sees digital media as an impactful, playful, and unrestrained way of shaping immersive stories that challenge Western narratives and power...
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
42
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...
Common Edge
Telling the Essential Stories of Everyday Places A talk with Gabrielle Bendiner-Viana, author of The Cities We Need.
2 weeks ago
The Modern House
The Green Series: how to re-create the five principles of Passivhaus design on a budget If The Modern House had a Word of the Year, then Passivhaus would probably be it. Passivhaus emerged...
a month ago
22
a month ago
If The Modern House had a Word of the Year, then Passivhaus would probably be it. Passivhaus emerged as a set of design principles in the 1980s and has come to represent the world-leading standard in energy-efficient homes. It guarantees a happy balance of sustainability […]
Old Structures...
The Grenfell Report The “phase 2” report on the Grenfell has recently been published by the official inquiry panel:...
3 months ago
33
3 months ago
The “phase 2” report on the Grenfell has recently been published by the official inquiry panel: here. The New Civil Engineer has a good short summary here: “Grenfell disaster: ‘culmination of decades of failure by government and construction industry’” In one sense there are few...
99% Invisible
Chick Tracts [EPISODE] Since Chick Publications started in the mid 1960s, it has sold more than one billion tracts. There...
a year ago
20
a year ago
Since Chick Publications started in the mid 1960s, it has sold more than one billion tracts. There are two hundred and seventy different Chick Tracts, with titles like “The Death Cookie,” “Kidnapped!,” “Mean Momma,” “The Sissy?,” and “Satan Comes To Salem.” Many of these are...
A Weekly Dose of...
Book Briefs #49 The most recent numbered installment of "Book Briefs," the series of occasional posts featuring...
a year ago
35
a year ago
The most recent numbered installment of "Book Briefs," the series of occasional posts featuring short first-hand descriptions of some of the numerous books that publishers send to me for consideration on this blog, was #48, back in December. I wasn't planning on continuing the...
Old Structures...
The Pause Was About To End Another great photo from Angel Rizzuto, from August 1952. He was almost certainly looking from the...
8 months ago
34
8 months ago
Another great photo from Angel Rizzuto, from August 1952. He was almost certainly looking from the Empire State Building; this is a view north past midtown, Central Park and the Upper East Side, and with Harlem and the Bronx in the distance. The east side of the park is Fifth...
Old Structures...
The Same But Different This is an 1884 photograph of Broadway looking north from just south of Houston Street. Broadway...
11 months ago
8
11 months ago
This is an 1884 photograph of Broadway looking north from just south of Houston Street. Broadway runs straight from here until the bend at 10th Street where Grace Church is, and the church is just barely visible at the end of the street. Unlike most photos of Manhattan from the...
Archinect - Features
An Industry Pins Its Hopes on Interest Rate Cuts: Archinect’s State of AEC July 2024 Welcome to the second installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
4 months ago
28
4 months ago
Welcome to the second installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically. As we reflect back on June and...
CONTEMPORIST
Patterned Brickwork Is Featured On The Exterior Of The Ace Hotel In Toronto Photography by Scott Norseworthy Shim-Sutcliffe Architects has sent us photos of the Ace Hotel in...
a year ago
56
a year ago
Photography by Scott Norseworthy Shim-Sutcliffe Architects has sent us photos of the Ace Hotel in Toronto, Canada, which has a red brick facade that draws guests in with a wood-lined opening. Working closely with the creative agency Atelier Ace, the architects of the hotel...
99% Invisible
Model Village [EPISODE] For decades, society has dealt with people with dementia and other forms of cognitive decline by...
a year ago
31
a year ago
For decades, society has dealt with people with dementia and other forms of cognitive decline by storing them away in unstimulating, medicalized environments. But around the world, a new architectural movement is starting to challenge that old paradigm. Designing environments...
The Modern House
Designer Sue Minter’s colourful country house in the Cotswolds
a year ago
Archinect - Features
10 Tips for Overcoming and Preventing Burnout in Architecture If you’re experiencing burnout in your architecture role, you’re likely not alone. In 2023,...
4 months ago
38
4 months ago
If you’re experiencing burnout in your architecture role, you’re likely not alone. In 2023, Archinect’s Mental Health Survey found burnout to be a common theme among those who told us they were experiencing stress at work. Our community has also raised the issue among themselves,...
The Modern House
The feel-good studio of Office S&M in Dalston, east London
a year ago
SOCKS
Botany as an Artistic Practice: Anna Atkins’ Blueprints Anna Atkins (1799-1871) was a British botanist and photographer. She was in direct contact with...
over a year ago
21
over a year ago
Anna Atkins (1799-1871) was a British botanist and photographer. She was in direct contact with William Henry Fox Talbot, (the inventor of calotype, an early photographic technique), and with Sir John Frederick William Herschel, (the inventor of the cyanotype, a technique that...
Construction Physics
Could We Boost Housing Construction by Permitting ADUs Under the HUD Code? To boost housing construction, some jurisdictions have adopted a new strategy: allowing the...
a year ago
39
a year ago
To boost housing construction, some jurisdictions have adopted a new strategy: allowing the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs. ADUs, sometimes called “granny flats,” are small, secondary housing units built on the lots of existing single family homes – things like...
Old Structures...
Examples Illustrated I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was,...
10 months ago
8
10 months ago
I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was, as expected, informative and interesting. Obviously, that’s not what I’m going to write about here. The conference was at Convene (a place where you can rent space for conferences)...
Common Edge
Architects Must Resist the AI “Revolution” No technological advance can match the power, memory, and creativity of the human brain.
a year ago
SOCKS
Claude Bragdon: Drawings of the Fourth Dimension (1913-1915) American architect Claude Fayette Bragdon (1866-1946) was also an artist, writer and stage designer....
over a year ago
21
over a year ago
American architect Claude Fayette Bragdon (1866-1946) was also an artist, writer and stage designer. He was based in Rochester, NY where he built his masterpiece, the New York Central Railroad Station in 1909. His design work and philosophy were influenced mainly by theosophy, a...
The Modern House
Explore Simon Allford’s ‘family home in the sky’ in our new film series
10 months ago
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
14
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A House That Blends Into The Color Palette Of The Surrounding Desert Design and development office Industry of All Nations has recently completed ‘The Landing House’, a...
a year ago
9
a year ago
Design and development office Industry of All Nations has recently completed ‘The Landing House’, a new modern home that’s integrated into the rugged natural landscape of the Mojave Desert, With a backdrop of California’s Joshua Tree National Park, the home has been designed as a...
CONTEMPORIST
A Desk Designed To Hide Inside The Wall Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they renovated in Queens, New York, that includes an interesting design detail. As working from home has become much more popular, especially over the last few years, the designers...
CONTEMPORIST
272 Wood Slats Were Used To Create A Sculptural Element Inside This New Coffee Bar Design firm jones | haydu has shared photos of The Caffé by Mr. Espresso, a new coffee bar in...
8 months ago
37
8 months ago
Design firm jones | haydu has shared photos of The Caffé by Mr. Espresso, a new coffee bar in Oakland, California, that features curved birch slats. The design of the cafe is heavily inspired by Italian culture, using minimalism and contrast, with the designers explaining, “The...
Old Structures...
A Year Late… …but who cares? Today is a de facto holiday for a lot of people, and that seems like a good time for...
5 months ago
36
5 months ago
…but who cares? Today is a de facto holiday for a lot of people, and that seems like a good time for a blog post I should have written last summer. Some of our projects are very big, involving hundreds of thousands of square feet of building. Some are not. The smallest structure...
The Modern House
A mid-century gem among the treetops on the Dulwich Estate in Crystal Palace
a year ago
Contemporist...
These Home Owners Wanted An Office And A Yoga Studio Behind Their Existing Home Office of Ordinary Architecture has shared photos of two backyard getaways they designed for a home...
2 months ago
34
2 months ago
Office of Ordinary Architecture has shared photos of two backyard getaways they designed for a home in Seattle, Washington, that created space for a yoga studio and an office.
Cartogrammar
Beyond the Sea, flowing and exploding edition Last year I took a whack at mapping what you’d “see” if you looked straight across the ocean from...
over a year ago
5
over a year ago
Last year I took a whack at mapping what you’d “see” if you looked straight across the ocean from coastlines around the world. Since then, an interactive version of that has been a back-burner idea. Well, finally, here we go. To recap, these arcs represent straight-line paths out...
The Wandering...
Cartographic palettes and colour harmonies This story begins one day when I was assembling a map of the city of Edmonton, Alberta from...
over a year ago
55
over a year ago
This story begins one day when I was assembling a map of the city of Edmonton, Alberta from OpenStreetMap data. It was going to be a big map, a 42″ (106 cm) wide poster for a wall. The data was good, but the standard OSM colours were not. They would work fine for a street …...
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
8
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,...
Contemporist...
A Glass Wall Separates A Bedroom From The Living Spaces In This Apartment MIKOLAJSKAstudio has shared photos of an apartment in Krakow, Poland, that includes a main living...
10 months ago
25
10 months ago
MIKOLAJSKAstudio has shared photos of an apartment in Krakow, Poland, that includes a main living level with a bedroom enclosed behind a glass wall.
A Weekly Dose of...
This Blog in 2023 One year ago, in the first post of 2022, I shifted this blog from (almost) daily posts about...
a year ago
17
a year ago
One year ago, in the first post of 2022, I shifted this blog from (almost) daily posts about architecture books to just once a week, changing the name of the blog to reflect that. In the fifth of five bullet points reasoning why that was happening, I wrote: "I'm planning on...
Old Structures...
A Change of Pace I’ve done a lot of research over the years, most of it historical, rather than engineering. In other...
6 months ago
36
6 months ago
I’ve done a lot of research over the years, most of it historical, rather than engineering. In other words, I’ve generally been researching the history of structural engineering, construction, and the built environment, rather than performing analysis on the structures I’ve...
Archinect - Features
'AI Is Built on Datasets That Are Already Biased'; A Conversation with Felecia Davis Ever since her childhood summers sewing patterns at the family dining table, Felecia Davis has...
a year ago
8
a year ago
Ever since her childhood summers sewing patterns at the family dining table, Felecia Davis has understood the power of textiles to be a vehicle for communication, connection, and understanding. As her career in architecture unfolded in parallel with wider advances in...
Old Structures...
Before Iron The photo above, from the NYPL digital archive, shows South William Street (AKA a block from our...
a year ago
7
a year ago
The photo above, from the NYPL digital archive, shows South William Street (AKA a block from our office) in the mid-1860s. We’re looking at, from left to right 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17 South William. Here’s a roughly similar view in 2014 (not current because there is now scaffolding...
CONTEMPORIST
Corrugated Metal Covers The Barrel Shaped Roofs Of This Portable Home William Samuels Architects has sent us photos of a small home they designed and built in Nelson, New...
a year ago
48
a year ago
William Samuels Architects has sent us photos of a small home they designed and built in Nelson, New Zealand, that includes a single bedroom. The project was created out of a desire by architect William Samuels and his partner, Hannah D’Arcy, to own their first home. Building...
Old Structures...
Adelaide House, Part 3 – Facades Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. So on Tuesday I effectively said that Adelaide House...
8 months ago
26
8 months ago
Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. So on Tuesday I effectively said that Adelaide House was either small for a skyscraper or forty years behind the times, and yesterday I said that the steel was pretty familiar for an old skyscraper but maybe a little old-fashioned....
Contemporist...
A Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation Updates This Home With New Ideas Australian-based Studio Minosa has shared photos of a kitchen and bathroom renovation they completed...
a year ago
5
a year ago
Australian-based Studio Minosa has shared photos of a kitchen and bathroom renovation they completed for a Sydney suburban home owned by a design-conscious couple.
Common Edge
On Winning—and Not Winning—Design Competitions It’s the Competition Conundrum: You Can’t Lose If You Don’t Play.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
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
66
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Steel Symphony: A Madrid Home’s Unique Design With Weathered Elegance Borja Lomas of Voluar Arquitectura has designed a new home in Madrid, Spain, that’s covered in...
8 months ago
32
8 months ago
Borja Lomas of Voluar Arquitectura has designed a new home in Madrid, Spain, that’s covered in weathering steel and has a uniquely shaped design. The shape of the home showcases various areas that branch out in different directions, some of which are cantilevered away from the...
Old Structures...
Comparisons This type of imaginary collection was quite popular at the beginning of the twentieth century....
4 months ago
38
4 months ago
This type of imaginary collection was quite popular at the beginning of the twentieth century. Sometimes it was just buildings, like here, sometimes steamships were stood on end to show how big they were. (Note that the biggest steamship in 1908, when the Singer Building was new,...
Old Structures...
Bucolia First up, some very tame woods, with a picnic bench: About a mile away, a peaceful – if rainy and...
10 months ago
11
10 months ago
First up, some very tame woods, with a picnic bench: About a mile away, a peaceful – if rainy and foggy – stretch of water, as seen from a causeway: This is, against most people’s expectations, the Bronx. More specifically, it’s Pelham Bay Park, and Eastchester Bay, where the...
Old Structures...
Nearby Also from the Greenport Railroad Station: the 1890s freight house on the right with a...
4 months ago
25
4 months ago
Also from the Greenport Railroad Station: the 1890s freight house on the right with a apparently-retired snowplow engine named Jaws III, a Pennsylvania Railroad boxcar, and a caboose, probably also Pennsy. The Pennsylvania bought the LIRR in 1900 as part of its grand plan for the...
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
35
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...
Old Structures...
Caught In The Act This October 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Aerial view of Manhattan” but it most obviously...
8 months ago
27
8 months ago
This October 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Aerial view of Manhattan” but it most obviously shows the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. Like a lot of Rizzuto’s photos, it catches the East River waterfront and adjacent areas in the process of changing, even if it was not...
The Modern House
A Day Well Spent with Rahel Stephanie
a year ago
Old Structures...
Not Gone – Not Yet There From a 1924 aerial survey of New York City, a funny-looking blob: Looking down on a building is one...
4 weeks ago
16
4 weeks ago
From a 1924 aerial survey of New York City, a funny-looking blob: Looking down on a building is one of the most difficult ways to recognize it. Fortunately, the late-afternoon shadow helps: That’s the Woolworth Building’s silhouette. Our office building was constructed in 1932,...
Common Edge
Warlords in Our Midst Why Elon Musk is worse than science fiction.
4 months ago
The Modern House
Quiet yet quirky – the family home of architect Will Burges serves as both inspiration and sanctuary
5 months ago
The Modern House
Five joyful things to do this June And just like that, it’s June: summer is here and – come rain or shine – our disposition will be...
a year ago
48
a year ago
And just like that, it’s June: summer is here and – come rain or shine – our disposition will be thoroughly sunny, thanks to all the delightful things in our diaries. From an exhibition making a splash (and getting us in the mood for sun-soaked […]
CONTEMPORIST
Before And After – A Respectful Remodel For A Mid-Century Modern Home Interior design firm Wise Design, together with General Contractor and Architect Owen Gabbert...
a year ago
76
a year ago
Interior design firm Wise Design, together with General Contractor and Architect Owen Gabbert (formerly Clarkbuilt), has transformed a dated 1954 mid-century modern home in Portland, Oregon. Before – The ExteriorThe original home has a brown exterior with original windows and...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Blocking Sediment Migration Blocking Sediment Migration from Colorado River Basin to Gulf of California I didn’t intend to map...
over a year ago
55
over a year ago
Blocking Sediment Migration from Colorado River Basin to Gulf of California I didn’t intend to map human migration for the Atlas in a Day project. My plans for a map of the migration of sediment in rivers raised some eyebrows at home, mostly wondering how the subject would fit in...
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
41
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...
The Modern House
Furnishing Futures: the charity improving the lives of domestic abuse survivors – one piece of... When a domestic abuse victim is given the keys to their new home, many will find that it comes...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
When a domestic abuse victim is given the keys to their new home, many will find that it comes unfurnished, often without even carpets on the floors. It can be the cause of much stress for these women, who have recently fled an abusive home […]
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
29
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...
Common Edge
Jane Jacobs Would Reject NYC’s Proposed “City of Yes” YIMBYS get a lot wrong about the legendary citizen planner.
5 months ago
Old Structures...
Moving Goalposts The image above, of the Grand Union Hotel on the east side of Park Avenue is labelled by the New...
a year ago
5
a year ago
The image above, of the Grand Union Hotel on the east side of Park Avenue is labelled by the New York Public Library as 1868 to 1900, but is likely from the late 1870s, or early 1880s. The hotel is the building on the right with three flags and with S-curved mansard roofs on its...
The Modern House
Five uplifting things to do this February Well, we’ve made it through January. Spring is edging ever closer and the evenings are starting to...
a year ago
27
a year ago
Well, we’ve made it through January. Spring is edging ever closer and the evenings are starting to get just that little bit lighter. If February’s Latin meaning – from the verb ‘to cleanse’ – is anything to go by, this is a month for nourishing […]
Construction Physics
How the Car Came to LA Since at least the 1960s, urbanists have bemoaned the car-centric nature of US transportation. In...
a year ago
5
a year ago
Since at least the 1960s, urbanists have bemoaned the car-centric nature of US transportation. In her 1961 “The Death and Life of Great American Cities," Jane Jacobs notes that “everyone who values cities is disturbed by automobiles”: Traffic arteries, along with parking lots,...
The Modern House
The beauty of life in the heart of the Barbican
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Desperately-Needed Addendum My intention with the last blog post, The More Things Stay The Same was not to leave everyone with a...
a year ago
10
a year ago
My intention with the last blog post, The More Things Stay The Same was not to leave everyone with a cliff-hanger. Dan Eschenasy asked the obvious question: did the building in question fall down? The answer is no, it did not. 428 West 29th Street shows up on the land use maps in...
Common Edge
What Makes a City Resilient? A talk with Sam Carter, a founding principal at the Resilient Cities Catalyst.
3 months ago
The Modern House
Introducing our Hackney team
8 months ago
Archinect - Features
Your Architecture Work Sample Isn’t Your Portfolio. 10 Creative Tips To Keep in Mind When Job... In many cases, your work sample is the first visual evidence you will offer a prospective employer...
3 months ago
29
3 months ago
In many cases, your work sample is the first visual evidence you will offer a prospective employer when applying for a new architectural position. What you include in your sample, as well as how you structure and present it, is therefore important for creating a good first...
devonzuegel.com
Situated Software Written by Clay Shirky First published March 30, 2004 on the "Networks, Economics, and...
over a year ago
7
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...
Archinect - Features
Just Finished Architecture School? Here's Some Advice As the 2023/2024 academic year draws to a close, architecture graduates across the United States are...
6 months ago
63
6 months ago
As the 2023/2024 academic year draws to a close, architecture graduates across the United States are preparing for the next stage in their design career, be it through employment, further education, journeys into adjacent fields, and beyond. If you are one of the many graduates...
The Modern House
A fossil-shaped eco home in the rolling countryside of Devon
a year ago
Old Structures...
Looking Closely The picture above shows the top end of a ten-story column, where it’s embedded just below a parapet....
a year ago
8
a year ago
The picture above shows the top end of a ten-story column, where it’s embedded just below a parapet. My first thought, when seeing something like this, is that I sometimes have trouble getting people to understand the nature of steel embedment in masonry between 1900 and 1940....
Contemporist...
The Exposed Wood Ceiling Of This Home Shows Off Its Structure Eva Hinds Arquitectura has shared photos of a modern home they have completed in La Libertad, El...
10 months ago
39
10 months ago
Eva Hinds Arquitectura has shared photos of a modern home they have completed in La Libertad, El Salvador, that has exposed structural elements.
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
5
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...
CONTEMPORIST
How A 1940s House Was Renovated Into A Modern Home Architecture firm Wittman Estes has transformed an original house built in the 1940s, located on the...
11 months ago
26
11 months ago
Architecture firm Wittman Estes has transformed an original house built in the 1940s, located on the eastern shore of Hood Canal near the Bangor submarine base in Washington State. Due to the complex constraints of the shoreline exemption, the architects kept to the existing...
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
28
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...
The Modern House
Designer and creative director Walé Adeyemi MBE on the London locations that have shaped his life,...
a month ago
99% Invisible
The Chinatown Punk Wars [EPISODE] The most recognizable feature of LA’s Chinatown is its Central Plaza. It’s an outdoor pedestrian...
a year ago
23
a year ago
The most recognizable feature of LA’s Chinatown is its Central Plaza. It’s an outdoor pedestrian mall that is almost overwhelmingly colorful.  Brightly painted buildings are topped with sweeping pagoda style roofs, and then accented with fluorescent neon lacing. For decades...
CONTEMPORIST
A House Designed Like Two Barns Beside Each Other Exterio Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in the Kujawy region of Poland, that...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Exterio Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in the Kujawy region of Poland, that has a layout similar to two barns positioned side-by-side. The home has been designed to take advantage of the long and narrow lot, with the layout divided into two interconnected...
Old Structures...
The Big Time We’re working on the Gothic Bridge in Central Park, seen above. Tim went to the night-before prep...
a year ago
17
a year ago
We’re working on the Gothic Bridge in Central Park, seen above. Tim went to the night-before prep for the Thanksgiving parade and found this float: And then he watched the parade on TV and found it again, second from the end:
Common Edge
Mass Timber Construction Is Evolving Rapidly With owners and developers warming up to plyscrapers, wood-based projects are on an upward...
8 months ago
SOCKS
This Is A Record Cover: Text-based & conceptual album covers. A project by Socks Studio The second album by British new wave band XTC did not feature any images. Instead, a written essay...
over a year ago
18
over a year ago
The second album by British new wave band XTC did not feature any images. Instead, a written essay about how buyers are attracted by album covers to buy records was used. The paragraph, which begins with: “This is a record cover.” occupies the whole 12″x12″ of Go2 (1978) in a way...
Common Edge
What Primitive Huts Teach Us About Architecture An enduring ‘origin myth’ continues to inspire contemporary designers.
a year ago
SOCKS
From Videogame Landscapes to Embrodery Canvas: La Sentinelle by Marine Beaufils (2022-24) Marine Beaufils is a French embroidery artist whose meticulous work draws on the analogy between...
a month ago
25
a month ago
Marine Beaufils is a French embroidery artist whose meticulous work draws on the analogy between pixels and needlepoints, as she translates scenes from her favorite video games, movies, or scientific imagery from screen to embroidery canvas. This process freezes a fragment of a...
Old Structures...
Tracing The Load Path Yet another view of the roof trusses at Moynihan Station, built when it was a mail-handling facility...
4 months ago
32
4 months ago
Yet another view of the roof trusses at Moynihan Station, built when it was a mail-handling facility to allow for a big open floor for sorting machinery. The roof truss is at the upper right; one of the main columns is below it, two side trusses, supporting the edges of the...
The Modern House
Pride and Joy: six family homes for sale You may not be able to choose your family, but you can choose a home to share with them. Whether...
a year ago
18
a year ago
You may not be able to choose your family, but you can choose a home to share with them. Whether you’re a young couple with a little one on the way, are searching for additional space or want to create a more sustainable living environment […]
Old Structures...
The Public Realm This is the 1895 firehouse constructed for Engine Company 31 and Battalion 2 of the Fire Department...
4 months ago
18
4 months ago
This is the 1895 firehouse constructed for Engine Company 31 and Battalion 2 of the Fire Department of New York, at Lafayette and White Streets. The fire department facilities were moved elsewhere over 50 years ago, but the building is landmarked and reusable, so it has been...
McMansion Hell
New on Patreon: New Jersey Bonus Post (5 additional, “wonderful” rooms!“ new jersey bonus post: 5 additional, wonderful rooms | McMansionHell New on Patreon: New Jersey...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
new jersey bonus post: 5 additional, wonderful rooms | McMansionHell New on Patreon: New Jersey Bonus Post (5 additional, “wonderful” rooms!“
CONTEMPORIST
The Remodeling Of This Home’s Rear Addition Created A Light-Filled Interior Cox Architects has sent us photos of a project they completed that included the re-modeling of a 775...
a year ago
31
a year ago
Cox Architects has sent us photos of a project they completed that included the re-modeling of a 775 square foot (72 sqm) brick addition. BeforeThe original Edwardian house, located in a leafy South London Conservation Area, already had a rear brick addition, however, it was not...
The Solarchitecture...
The Solar Manifesto - Part 1. for even after the deepest night, the sun always rises.
over a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
The Black Exterior Of This Home In The Forest Covers A White Minimalist Interior Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a...
a year ago
34
a year ago
Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a striking black exterior surrounded by the forest. The house’s design emphasizes its connection with a nearby stream by incorporating strategic window placements and a layout that...
Common Edge
What I Learned From Six Recessions in Architecture Life is imperfect, and architects understand this better than most.
a month ago
Old Structures...
 A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 2 The illustration above, from the May 1883 issue of Harper’s Magazine, courtesy of the New York...
a year ago
7
a year ago
The illustration above, from the May 1883 issue of Harper’s Magazine, courtesy of the New York Public Library, gives a better sense of the Brooklyn Bridge caissons than yesterday’s working drawing (repeated below) even if it’s got less technical information. Note that May 1883...
99% Invisible
The Lost Subways of North America [EPISODE] If you’ve spent any amount of time driving through any major American city, you know what it’s like...
7 months ago
68
7 months ago
If you’ve spent any amount of time driving through any major American city, you know what it’s like to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. But if you’re from Los Angeles – the land of freeways, traffic and smog –  you know this struggle especially well.   But Jake Berman, the...
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
The Architectural...
New academic dissertation questions architects’ taste Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new...
8 months ago
59
8 months ago
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new houses made in a traditional style. But this is exactly what the average person appreciates. “Why do many architects dislike the very thing that residents often enjoy?” asks architect...
McMansion Hell
the motel room, or: on datedness I. Often I find myself nostalgic for things that haven’t disappeared yet. This feeling is enhanced...
6 months ago
18
6 months ago
I. Often I find myself nostalgic for things that haven’t disappeared yet. This feeling is enhanced by the strange conviction that once I stop looking at these things, I will never see them again, that I am living in the last moment of looking. This is sense is strongest for me in...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Office Was Hidden Behind A Wall That Folds Open BENT Architecture has sent us photos of a renovation and extension they completed for a house in...
11 months ago
10
11 months ago
BENT Architecture has sent us photos of a renovation and extension they completed for a house in Hawthorn, Australia. One design detail that caught our attention is the home office hidden in plain sight in the dining room behind a wood accent wall. The floor-to-ceiling wood...
Old Structures...
Travelog: Listed When I’m traveling and therefore don’t know anything about most of the structures around, I simply...
9 months ago
24
9 months ago
When I’m traveling and therefore don’t know anything about most of the structures around, I simply take pictures and hope that I’ll be able to identify them later. Sometimes it’s quite easy. I came across this little Victorian masterpiece last week and it turns out it’s listed,...
CONTEMPORIST
A Concrete Ceiling Floats Above This Round Hotel Bar Portuguese architecture office Openbook has designed the Ritz Pool Bar as part of an overall project...
5 months ago
42
5 months ago
Portuguese architecture office Openbook has designed the Ritz Pool Bar as part of an overall project to renovate the terrace and galleries of the Ritz Four Seasons Hotel Lisbon. The bar has an organic design and total openness to the terrace, with walls of glass allowing the...
devonzuegel.com
The Hard Parts of Open Source, by Evan Czaplicki Speaker: Evan Czaplicki Meeting: Strange Loop 2018 - September 2018 Video:...
over a year ago
9
over a year ago
Speaker: Evan Czaplicki Meeting: Strange Loop 2018 - September 2018 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_4EX4dPppA Slides: https://prezi.com/oowcpzsnwp-8/the-hard-parts-of-open-source/?webgl=0 [ References to videos, books, and articles mentioned in this...
Old Structures...
Happy Thanksgiving And the menu above provides a goal for dinner.
a year ago
The Modern House
From the Ground Up: six plots now for sale We’ve all harboured a fantasy of a DIY project – and the hard-earned sense of achievement that comes...
a year ago
5
a year ago
We’ve all harboured a fantasy of a DIY project – and the hard-earned sense of achievement that comes with self-building. After all, what could be more rewarding than a home constructed by you, entirely for you? Well, it’s time to stop dreaming and start doing, […]
Old Structures...
An Obvious Issue “The Battle for the Streets of New York” by Dodai Stewart and illustrated by Leon Edler, in Monday’s...
7 months ago
30
7 months ago
“The Battle for the Streets of New York” by Dodai Stewart and illustrated by Leon Edler, in Monday’s New York Times, is a reasonable discussion of congestion on Manhattan’s streets. Not just car congestion – delivery truck, bus, bicycle, and pedestrian congestion are discussed as...
SOCKS
H. Wieners and P. Treutleins’ Catalogue of Mathematical Models (19th Century) After last week’s post on Man Ray’s photographs of equation models from the Institut Poincaré in...
11 months ago
30
11 months ago
After last week’s post on Man Ray’s photographs of equation models from the Institut Poincaré in Paris, here are four illustrations (plus the cover) from the book “Verzeichnis von H. Wieners und P. Treutleins Sammlungen mathematischer Modelle für Hochschulen, höhere Lehranstalten...
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
8
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
A Day Well Spent with filmmaker Akinola Davies
a year ago
Old Structures...
The Daily Planet In October 1957, Angelo Rizzuto took this photo: The Library of Congress has a descriptive caption,...
6 months ago
37
6 months ago
In October 1957, Angelo Rizzuto took this photo: The Library of Congress has a descriptive caption, of the kind used when they don’t know where a picture is from: “View down commercial street with skyscrapers and billboards and signs on either side.” This one is fairly easy to...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #04: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [EPISODE] This is the fourth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
8 months ago
57
8 months ago
This is the fourth 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 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the U.S. representative for New York’s 14th...
Archinect - Features
The Illusion of Space: Can Artificial Intelligence Understand the Third Dimension? Popular text-to-image generators like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion have introduced what...
a year ago
8
a year ago
Popular text-to-image generators like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion have introduced what some believe to be a new creative frontier in the architectural design process. However, they also encourage us to reflect on a series of relationships at the heart of design,...
Old Structures...
Sort-Of Round This is the 3333rd blog post published on the Old Structures web site. People are attracted to round...
6 months ago
36
6 months ago
This is the 3333rd blog post published on the Old Structures web site. People are attracted to round numbers, and I could just as easily have waited for the 4000th post to say something, but I like the “third of ten-thousand” aspect of the current number. Some housekeeping: some...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Under One of the most formal elements in Central Park is the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, just south of...
2 months ago
16
2 months ago
One of the most formal elements in Central Park is the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, just south of The Lake. The terrace overlooks the fountain from the elevation of the 72nd Street crosstown drive, and has three sets of stairs leading down; the undercroft of the terrace is a...
The Modern House
Mark Lebon, the man inside the house that makes people smile
8 months ago
Old Structures...
A Holdout In January 1958, Angelo Rizzuto took this photo from the east side of Lexington Avenue, between 53rd...
7 months ago
22
7 months ago
In January 1958, Angelo Rizzuto took this photo from the east side of Lexington Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets, looking west toward Park Avenue. The block bounded by those four streets was at that time entirely empty except for this old rowhouse at 620 Lexington. It was...
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
Contemporist...
Reclaimed Weathered Wood Siding Covers This Home Inspired By Farm Buildings Architecture and building company BIRDSEYE has shared photos of a home they completed in Sagaponack,...
a year ago
8
a year ago
Architecture and building company BIRDSEYE has shared photos of a home they completed in Sagaponack, New York, that features an exterior clad in reclaimed weathered wood siding.
99% Invisible
The Los Angeles Leaf Blower Wars [EPISODE] The leaf blower is one of the most hated objects in the modern world. They’re loud, they pollute,...
6 months ago
51
6 months ago
The leaf blower is one of the most hated objects in the modern world. They’re loud, they pollute, and… how important is a leafless lawn anyway? In a lot of towns and cities, the gas-powered leaf blower has been banned. In others, there are strict guidelines on where and when they...
The Beauty of...
In Search of Perfection: Plato’s Double Arrow (Rail Symbol 2, Nick Job for Network Rail, 2022) It takes some strange mixture of bravery, confidence, and the thickest of skins to take on the job...
over a year ago
17
over a year ago
It takes some strange mixture of bravery, confidence, and the thickest of skins to take on the job of redesigning a national icon. Once again, the rail industry’s “double arrow”, the symbol that has come completely to mean “railway” in Britain, has been given a facelift. Previous...
CONTEMPORIST
Vertical Fins Surround The Exterior Of This House Giving It A Distinct Appearance Architecture and design studio MDAMMM, has recently completed the remodel of a home that had a...
a year ago
40
a year ago
Architecture and design studio MDAMMM, has recently completed the remodel of a home that had a nondescript appearance and little aesthetic appeal. The original home had an exposed brick facade in ochre tones and all other elements featured different grey tones and finishes. The...
CONTEMPORIST
Large Travertine Slabs Were Used To Update This Home’s Design Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of the Kojima House, a home that has been...
7 months ago
47
7 months ago
Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of the Kojima House, a home that has been updated with an additional and a remodel. Located in Kentfield, California, the home boasts unobstructed views of San Francisco Bay, Kent-Woodlands Valley, and surrounding mountains....
Construction Physics
Building Apollo A review of Angle of Attack: Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon
a year ago
The Modern House
Good Fortune: the best Chinese restaurants in London
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
OWD #3: Disney World & other underworlds Every place has some dirty secrets, even Disney World. We all have to get rid of waste somehow! In...
over a year ago
5
over a year ago
Every place has some dirty secrets, even Disney World. We all have to get rid of waste somehow! In this episode, the Bertauds and I discuss methods of sanitation and waste management from around the world, and how these hidden systems shape our cities. RSS · Apple Podcasts ·...
Old Structures...
Buildings Are Meant To Be Used With the partial exception of industrial buildings, you can always distinguish buildings constructed...
3 weeks ago
16
3 weeks ago
With the partial exception of industrial buildings, you can always distinguish buildings constructed before the 1950s from their later counterparts by looking for light courts. If your lights are, at best, incandescent bulbs, and your ventilation is mostly or entirely though...
CONTEMPORIST
A Wood-Lined Office That Used To Be A Parking Lot Ujigawa Ohzono Architects has shared photos of a small wood-lined office they designed in Kyoto,...
7 months ago
38
7 months ago
Ujigawa Ohzono Architects has shared photos of a small wood-lined office they designed in Kyoto, Japan, that was once a parking lot. The owner of the land, who had been running a construction company in the local area for a long time, decided to create a place where dialogue can...
Old Structures...
Old Adventures In Photo-Bombing Someone occasionally notices that most of Manhattan has little open space to create picturesque...
10 months ago
15
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...
CONTEMPORIST
This Modern House Sits On Top Of Stilts In The Forest Architects Carlos Maia, Débora Mendes, and Igor Macedo of Tetro have designed a new home in Nova...
a year ago
26
a year ago
Architects Carlos Maia, Débora Mendes, and Igor Macedo of Tetro have designed a new home in Nova Lima, Brazil, that’s immersed in lush Atlantic Rainforest nature that includes large leafy trees, foliage, shrubs, birds, and wild animals. The house, white in color and with a unique...
Archinect - Features
Are Architectural Workers More Pessimistic About the Economy Than Firm Owners? In our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey published last month, we observed a distinct...
4 months ago
39
4 months ago
In our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey published last month, we observed a distinct divergence between how firm owners and workers were feeling about the business health of their firm, industry, and the wider U.S. economy. Across the board, our survey suggests...
CONTEMPORIST
A Contemporary Makeover For A Home Built In 1907 Best Practice Architecture has designed the contemporary remodel of a 1907 home in Seattle,...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Best Practice Architecture has designed the contemporary remodel of a 1907 home in Seattle, Washington, that measures just 16-and-a-half feet wide. Surrounded by old-growth trees in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood, the cozy gambrel roof dwelling is dubbed “Phinney Mini” for...
Old Structures...
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
46
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...
McMansion Hell
2007-core nostalgia extravaganza Quick PSA: someone on Facebook is apparently impersonating me using an account called “McMansion...
3 months ago
37
3 months ago
Quick PSA: someone on Facebook is apparently impersonating me using an account called “McMansion Hell 2.0” – If you see it, please report! Thanks! Howdy folks! I hope if you were born between 1995 and 2001 you’re ready for some indelible pre-recession vibes because I think this...
CONTEMPORIST
A Cluster Of Shingle-Clad Buildings Create An Island Cottage Experience For These Owners Akb Architects has shared photos of a cottage they designed that comprises a cluster of buildings,...
4 months ago
36
4 months ago
Akb Architects has shared photos of a cottage they designed that comprises a cluster of buildings, each scaled proportionately to the island’s one-acre size. Located three hours north of Toronto, Canada, the cottage includes four pitch-roofed structures, harmoniously clad in...
Old Structures...
Different Views From 1910, stereoscopic views from an upper floor of the Singer Building looking south and north The...
a month ago
18
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...
Archinect - Features
Let’s Talk About Architectural Visualization Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Visualization. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the...
2 months ago
30
2 months ago
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Visualization. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the process of visualizing architectural work and what challenges and opportunities the field presents for the architectural design process. Our journey will include not only tips and...
A Weekly Dose of...
Self-Published Books by BNIM and KPF Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and...
a year ago
54
a year ago
Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and KPF: ALL - The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center by BNIM Design in Detail by Kohn Pedersen Fox The "Found" feature also includes responses to a few questions on why the firms opted to...
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
8
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Weathered Corrugated Metal Exterior Protects This Home On A Ranch Prentiss + Balance + Wickline Architects has shared photos of a home they completed on 20 acres of...
a month ago
30
a month ago
Prentiss + Balance + Wickline Architects has shared photos of a home they completed on 20 acres of working ranch property. The house layout consists of two roughly equivalent rectangular volumes. One accommodates a couple’s day to day life with kitchen/living/dining spaces and a...
Old Structures...
Odd One Out Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an...
6 months ago
38
6 months ago
Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an early 1900s edition of King’s Views of New York, showing a rendering of the bridge before it was completed (on top), paired with a photo of the just-completed Williamsburg Bridge...
99% Invisible
Roman Mars Describes Chicago As It Is [EPISODE] A few years ago, at the very start of the pandemic, Roman Mars wrote an episode of 99pi in which he...
11 months ago
11
11 months ago
A few years ago, at the very start of the pandemic, Roman Mars wrote an episode of 99pi in which he simply talked about design details in his house — realizing that he, like the audience, didn’t have many other places to go. )You should check it out — it’s a real time capsule,...
Old Structures...
Detailing Reveled By Details Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught...
3 months ago
31
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...
99% Invisible
WARNING: This Podcast Contains Chemicals Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer or Other... WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause...
9 months ago
17
9 months ago
WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm, including Benzene, a chemical used in urinal cleaners and Toluene, a chemical used in common household cleaning products. For...
Archinect - Features
The People’s Place in the City of Bits and Atoms The city of the 21st century represents a confluence of bits and atoms; an organism in its own right...
9 months ago
33
9 months ago
The city of the 21st century represents a confluence of bits and atoms; an organism in its own right that relentlessly spawns information and data about itself, its people, and the invisible flows that support them. What is the relationship between humans and the city in this new...
The Modern House
Hot Stuff: the extraordinary story of the Cobdown sauna
9 months ago
Old Structures...
A Metaphor Looking at the Brooklyn Bridge from the waterfront on the Brooklyn side: Each of the four main...
4 months ago
38
4 months ago
Looking at the Brooklyn Bridge from the waterfront on the Brooklyn side: Each of the four main cables is attached to one of the four deck-stiffening trusses below by the vertical suspender cables. The towers are separately attached to the trusses by the diagonal brace cables in...
Old Structures...
Amazing Detail I recently put up a map put up an 1884 planning map for the expansion of the Croton water system...
11 months ago
5
11 months ago
I recently put up a map put up an 1884 planning map for the expansion of the Croton water system north of New York. It turns out that was just an appetizer. Today’s map, from 1899, has much more detail and is amazing proof of what could be done with hand drafting: no GIS...
Coffee with an...
Design Paths Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there...
9 months ago
49
9 months ago
Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there were a handful of clear diagrams to explain the process. This isn’t that:
Common Edge
Near Ground Zero, Joshua Ramus Fails His Audition for Starchitect Status The Perelman Performing Arts Center is a pricey bauble, but its over mechanized interiors suggest...
a year ago
32
a year ago
The Perelman Performing Arts Center is a pricey bauble, but its over mechanized interiors suggest the building’s hype is unwarranted.
Common Edge
Jane Jacobs, Cyclist We should have known the famed urbanist loved the bike.
7 months ago
Old Structures...
New Ringing The Old Here’s a terrible photo I took through the window of a ferry: There’s a weird concentric-circle...
3 months ago
31
3 months ago
Here’s a terrible photo I took through the window of a ferry: There’s a weird concentric-circle effect to the buildings in much of lower Manhattan that you can see clearly here, that the buildings on the waterfront are new and bigger than the ones behind them. It’s a simple...
Old Structures...
Specialty If you look closely, that stereotypical New England mill building, photographed yesterday in...
5 months ago
36
5 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...
CONTEMPORIST
This Little Laneway House In Toronto Has An Upstairs Bedroom Overlooking The Street Creative Union Network Inc. has designed a small laneway house in Toronto, Canada, that was...
a year ago
97
a year ago
Creative Union Network Inc. has designed a small laneway house in Toronto, Canada, that was originally built as a garage. The building occupied a prominent location on the corner of the lane and main street. The original structure, although rundown, was a well-loved structure...
SOCKS
Alain Biltereyst: Traces of Abstraction in the Urban Environment Contemporary Belgian artist Alain Biltereyst works on abstract paintings characterized by bold...
10 months ago
28
10 months ago
Contemporary Belgian artist Alain Biltereyst works on abstract paintings characterized by bold patterns and colors. Most of the time, the shapes he depicts are not purely the result of chosen arrangements but act as a sort of “found art”: they are extracted from existing signs,...
Old Structures...
Escheresque I’ll probably talk about this project more in the future, but seeing that it just started, I’m going...
a month ago
11
a month ago
I’ll probably talk about this project more in the future, but seeing that it just started, I’m going to have a movie-style trailer consisting of a single photo: That’s roof framing at the Hopewell Furnace, an early-1800s ironworks in Pennsylvania. (Note that this is a...
99% Invisible
The Known Unknown [EPISODE] How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans...
a year ago
42
a year ago
How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. After the Civil War, the Union buried 2,111 soldiers in a mass grave in Arlington that they purposely built in the middle of...
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Lines The Length Of The Gable Vaulted Ceiling In This Home Architecture firm The Ranch Mine, has designed a new home in Flagstaff, Arizona, that’s inspired by...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Architecture firm The Ranch Mine, has designed a new home in Flagstaff, Arizona, that’s inspired by the landscape of the surrounding San Francisco Volcanic Field. The surrounding landscape is reflected in the decision to choose a black exterior for the home, while the interiors...
Old Structures...
An Advanced Method Of Doing Something Simple This detail takes some explanation. This is from a late-1800s factory building. It’s a bearing-wall...
7 months ago
39
7 months ago
This detail takes some explanation. This is from a late-1800s factory building. It’s a bearing-wall building with heavy-timber floors, and it appears to have been constructed to code for that type and era. There were a number of almost-modern code requirements that end up being...
Old Structures...
Quite Far I was at a project site in Rockaway this week. As the crow flies, about 13 or 14 miles from the...
a week ago
10
a week ago
I was at a project site in Rockaway this week. As the crow flies, about 13 or 14 miles from the office; by subway about 18 miles and a little over an hour. (It would have been less, but the lift bridge on the train causeway was open for a boat to pass.) Apple Maps […]
The Solarchitecture...
7 key principles of solar passive design - Part 1. or how to dramatically improve indoor healthy air quality and well-being while reducing...
over a year ago
2
over a year ago
or how to dramatically improve indoor healthy air quality and well-being while reducing energy-consumption for every building we build?
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
7
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...
Construction Physics
What Progress Has Icon Made on 3D-Printed Homes? We last looked at 3D-printed buildings about three years ago. At the time, the technology was still...
8 months ago
59
8 months ago
We last looked at 3D-printed buildings about three years ago. At the time, the technology was still nascent. Although there was a lot of enthusiasm, many efforts were academic, with little commercial deployment, and practitioners were experimenting with a wide range of...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #12: Robert Caro This is the twelfth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
2 days ago
5
2 days ago
This is the twelfth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. We’ve waited until the evening to see how splendid the day has been, and for this final installment, there was only one guest...
Common Edge
An AI Experiment: Why Do Lawyers Make More Than Architects? We asked ChatGPT a question that has plagued the profession for decades.
a year ago
Common Edge
Buildings Are Not Sacred, but We Can Find Beauty Through Them There’s no design recipe for it.
5 months ago
Old Structures...
Partial Success I’ve been trying to decipher this item from a New York Public Library scrapbook: The title on the...
3 months ago
38
3 months ago
I’ve been trying to decipher this item from a New York Public Library scrapbook: The title on the NYPL website is “Grand base ball match for the championship, between the Exclusive and Atlantic Clubs, of Brooklyn…” and the date is given as 1900-1945. (It’s also listed as a...
McMansion Hell
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from... The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on...
a year ago
5
a year ago
The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from farmhouse chic to imminent environmental collapse. If you’ve been seeing an inordinate number of big ugly houses pop up in your...
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
9
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...
Old Structures...
A Sense Of The Past The thing about spending a week discussing the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge is that it all feels...
a year ago
7
a year ago
The thing about spending a week discussing the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge is that it all feels almost like fiction. The caissons have been buried in the sand at the bottom of the East River for more than 150 years. I know they are there because I know how to read historical...
McMansion Hell
bonus mcmansion hell: terrible things are happening in McLean, VA Read the bonus post on Patreon!
over a year ago
Contemporist...
A Curved Corner Softens The Space Inside This Home Extension Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a...
a year ago
54
a year ago
Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a run-down home in Victoria, that includes a new contemporary addition with a curved wall.
Common Edge
Is AI Really the Next Big Thing in Architecture? There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
a year ago
Old Structures...
Martin Luther King Jr. Day A few comments about today’s holiday. First, if you’re so inclined, the city Parks Department has...
11 months ago
21
11 months ago
A few comments about today’s holiday. First, if you’re so inclined, the city Parks Department has opportunities for public service: here. Otherwise, memorials and celebrations: here. Some of the permanent memorials to King in New York: here. Some of his relationship to New York...
Old Structures...
Amusing Until It’s Not This story turns ugly rather quickly. From the New York Public Library scrapbook, The Hippotheatron...
4 months ago
37
4 months ago
This story turns ugly rather quickly. From the New York Public Library scrapbook, The Hippotheatron and New York Cirque: That’s 14th Street between Irving Place and Third Avenue, with an out-chapel of Grace Church next door. As the name suggests, that weird building was a theater...
The Architectural...
Architects call for a crisis meeting after politicians demand more traditional architecture After enduring decades of failed modernism, the residents and politicians of Sweden’s second-largest...
7 months ago
77
7 months ago
After enduring decades of failed modernism, the residents and politicians of Sweden’s second-largest city, Gothenburg, want to see more new traditional architecture. This has led architects and officials to call for a crisis meeting. During the 1960s and 1970s, Gothenburg...
Common Edge
Great American Cities That Teach Architecture Learning about urban planning and design outside the studio.
10 months ago
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
18
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 […]
Old Structures...
Variations On A Theme It turns out that I didn’t exhaust the topic of The Tombs yesterday. Possibly because of its social...
2 weeks ago
12
2 weeks ago
It turns out that I didn’t exhaust the topic of The Tombs yesterday. Possibly because of its social meaning in the mid-1800s, possibly because of its bizarre appearance, drawings and photos of it seem to have turned up a lot in various publications. Here’s a photo in 1898, near...
Old Structures...
How Far Is Far? I was up on a rooftop in the mid-Bronx (Belmont, to be somewhat more exact) last week and saw a...
11 months ago
9
11 months ago
I was up on a rooftop in the mid-Bronx (Belmont, to be somewhat more exact) last week and saw a familiar profile: That’s Billionaire’s Row, on the order of eight and a half miles away. It’s no surpise that you can see a big building from a distance – that’s the essence of all...
Old Structures...
The Right Angle I’m not working on any of the buildings in this photo, but if I were… Raking sunlight is a fantastic...
9 months ago
21
9 months ago
I’m not working on any of the buildings in this photo, but if I were… Raking sunlight is a fantastic way to get information about a facade. Any out-of-plane geometry is immediately visible as a shadow. You can see the natural irregularity of a brick wall: and a bulge that might...
Archinect - Features
Beaux-Arts to Bauhaus: How Two Schools Shaped Architectural Visualization Architecture schools have long held a significant role in shaping the field of architectural...
a month ago
20
a month ago
Architecture schools have long held a significant role in shaping the field of architectural visualization. Through fostering particular artistic philosophies, drawing techniques, and design ideologies, such institutions shape not only the architects themselves but also the way...
Contemporist...
20 Top A’ Architecture Design Award Winners A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts...
a year ago
51
a year ago
A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing the 18,000 award winners from 139 different design disciplines.
CONTEMPORIST
A Black Brick Exterior Is Consistent With The Dark Forest Surrounding This Modern Home Architecture and interior design firm GO’C has shared photos of a home they recently completed...
a year ago
4
a year ago
Architecture and interior design firm GO’C has shared photos of a home they recently completed northwest of Seattle on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington. Located on a secluded wooded site, near a small beach town, the home has been designed with dark black brick walls with...
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 1 Continuing from yesterday’s dive, we have an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the...
a year ago
7
a year ago
Continuing from yesterday’s dive, we have an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the relationship of the Brooklyn tower of the Brooklyn Bridge to the caisson that serves as its foundation. There’s a lot going on in this line drawing and it’s worth the time to describe it...
CONTEMPORIST
An Exterior Of Vertical Wood Siding Helps This House Blend Into The Surrounding Forest 77 Architecture Studio has shared photos of a home they designed on the edge of a housing estate...
11 months ago
8
11 months ago
77 Architecture Studio has shared photos of a home they designed on the edge of a housing estate near the forest in central Poland, near Warsaw. The house with its vertical wood facade, gives way to the natural beauty of its surroundings, discreetly immersing its architecture...
The Modern House
Tiny homes: six pocket-sized pads that prove good things come in small packages A stamp-sized floorplan demands hardworking design – and a finite footprint is a license to get...
6 months ago
21
6 months ago
A stamp-sized floorplan demands hardworking design – and a finite footprint is a license to get creative with space saving ideas, ingenious storage solutions and volume-accentuating trickery. Here, we’ve collated a selection of some of our punchiest petite offerings, all...
CONTEMPORIST
Red-Pigmented Concrete Screens Surround This New Home In Cape Town Architecture firm SAOTA, together with interior design firm ARRCC, has recently completed a modern...
a year ago
8
a year ago
Architecture firm SAOTA, together with interior design firm ARRCC, has recently completed a modern house in Cape Town, South Africa. The home was designed by Philip Olmesdahl, principal of SAOTA, for himself and his family, with him sharing, “When architects design their own...
CONTEMPORIST
A Curved Green Roof Allows This Winery To Blend Into The Landscape Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech...
a year ago
37
a year ago
Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech Republic, which includes a unique curved green roof. The building’s location in the open countryside naturally brought with it high demands for architectural and landscape integration....
Construction Physics
Will Stone Replace Steel and Concrete? A recent viral tweet by Micah Springut, founder of stone-carving startup Monumental Labs, argued...
7 months ago
69
7 months ago
A recent viral tweet by Micah Springut, founder of stone-carving startup Monumental Labs, argued that it will be cheaper to build buildings with stone than with steel or concrete within the next 10 years. Stone has of course been used for thousands of years as a construction...
CONTEMPORIST
Two Spiral Staircases Help Create This Unique Home Design Architect Alexis Dornier together with interior designer Silvia Fairman, have completed a new home...
a year ago
47
a year ago
Architect Alexis Dornier together with interior designer Silvia Fairman, have completed a new home in the Balinese jungle, that features a unique design centered around a pair of spiral staircases. Drawing inspiration from the beauty of nature and a desire to challenge...
CONTEMPORIST
Stairs With Built-In Planters Lead To The Back Garden At This Home Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects has shared photos of a recently completed renovation project in...
a year ago
49
a year ago
Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects has shared photos of a recently completed renovation project in Greater London, England, that included new outdoor stairs with built-in planters. The client contacted the architects to renovate the lower ground floor of the house due to severe damp...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Boom One of the problems with electing Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, as mayor of New York, is that he has a...
5 months ago
25
5 months ago
One of the problems with electing Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, as mayor of New York, is that he has a lot of enemies who will try to kill him by, say, blowing him up in his sleep. This is a preservation problem because the mayor’s residence is Gracie Mansion, a 1799 wood-frame...
CONTEMPORIST
A Black Interior Gives This Apartment A Dark And Dramatic Appearance Architecture and interior design firm RA!, has shared photos of an apartment they recently completed...
11 months ago
9
11 months ago
Architecture and interior design firm RA!, has shared photos of an apartment they recently completed in Mexico that features a monochromatic interior. The 861 square foot (80m2) apartment heavily features black and grey throughout its interior, with the walls showcasing a mixture...
CONTEMPORIST
A White Palette Helps Connect This Heritage Home With Its New Addition Dalecki Design has shared photos of a home they remodeled in Subiaco, Australia, which includes a...
a year ago
38
a year ago
Dalecki Design has shared photos of a home they remodeled in Subiaco, Australia, which includes a contemporary rear addition and a white color palette throughout. The heritage character of the original house and the bright but calm feeling of the new addition are harmoniously...
99% Invisible
The Big Dig [EPISODE] Over its more than 40 year journey from conception to completion, Boston’s Big Dig massive...
a year ago
87
a year ago
Over its more than 40 year journey from conception to completion, Boston’s Big Dig massive infrastructure project, which rerouted the central highway in the heart of the city, encountered every hurdle imaginable: ruthless politics, engineering challenges, secretive contractors,...
The Modern House
A Californian-inspired 1970s home hidden under the trees in Kent
a year ago
The Modern House
How a love of Japan and the 1970s shaped Sherrill Smith’s Hackney home
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
Book review: Against the Grain, by James C. Scott The book that etched the deepest grooves in my mind last year was Against the Grain by James C....
over a year ago
7
over a year ago
The book that etched the deepest grooves in my mind last year was Against the Grain by James C. Scott. It explores how the unique characteristics of grain-based agriculture shaped the early history of states. While I did learn many interesting historical facts and trends from...
Common Edge
Why Would You Want to Teach Architecture? Opening minds and defining a way of working is the ultimate payoff.
11 months ago
Old Structures...
The Easy Route On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much...
4 months ago
34
4 months ago
On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much as there is a southwest Queens (that corner isn’t very big because most of where it might have been is Brooklyn) used to have service on the Long Island Railroad and now don’t. I...
The Modern House
How a love of Japan and the 1970s shaped Sherrill Smith’s Hackney home
a year ago
99% Invisible
Courtroom Sketch [EPISODE] Earlier this year, the city of New York closed off several blocks around the Manhattan Criminal...
a year ago
74
a year ago
Earlier this year, the city of New York closed off several blocks around the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. Instead of early morning commuters, the sidewalks around the building were flooded with reporters, photographers, and camera people. They were there to capture the...
The Modern House
House Style with gallerist Oyinkansola Dada in Pimlico
a year ago
Common Edge
What Would Jane Jacobs Do? Toward a New Model for Houses of Worship Cities need to prepare for a wave of declining churches.
a year ago
Common Edge
Technology’s Siren Song How to lure an architect onto the rocks.
2 months ago
Old Structures...
Originality Is Not Easy, Part 3 The first two parts of this series looked at patents that involved odd details that were not really...
3 months ago
31
3 months ago
The first two parts of this series looked at patents that involved odd details that were not really part of the metal-frame revolution that was taking place in the 1890s but rather adjacent to it. Neither of those patents reflected actual structure that I’ve ever seen in an old...
The Modern House
Nick Hill’s no frills approach to materials recasts a 1930s house in south-east London as a...
9 months ago
Blog - Guerrilla...
Interculturality as Shelter Interculturality as Shelter is a map made of many maps. It examines the ways in which young migrants...
a year ago
8
a year ago
Interculturality as Shelter is a map made of many maps. It examines the ways in which young migrants experience interculturality in the neighborhood where their school is located. It shows their ways of feeling, walking, and making the city. A neighborhood where nobody...
Common Edge
Buildings, Communities, Cities: Things Fall Apart If the detached house is “The American Dream,” do we need a new dream?
a year ago
Old Structures...
Adelaide House, Part 4 – The Context Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. Part 3, Facades: here. Skyscrapers only make sense...
8 months ago
31
8 months ago
Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. Part 3, Facades: here. Skyscrapers only make sense as an urban phenomenon. (Keep in mind that a lot of inner-ring US suburbs are at urban density.) Putting aside the obvious economic argument that land is cheap in rural areas so...
99% Invisible
Melanie Speaks [EPISODE] Swan Real is in this week for Roman Mars, asking: “What makes you sound the way you do? Maybe you’ve...
a year ago
14
a year ago
Swan Real is in this week for Roman Mars, asking: “What makes you sound the way you do? Maybe you’ve been told that you speak like your mom, or that you laugh like your uncle. Maybe you sometimes slip back into an accent that reveals something about your past. Maybe you have a...
Construction Physics
Could we stop Yellowstone from erupting with a giant geothermal power plant? It’s become fairly common knowledge that Yellowstone National Park, in addition to being incredibly...
a year ago
42
a year ago
It’s become fairly common knowledge that Yellowstone National Park, in addition to being incredibly beautiful, is sitting on top of an enormous supervolcano that catastrophically erupts every few hundred thousand years. Unlike normal volcanoes, which tend to produce large...
CONTEMPORIST
A Round Window Is Nestled Into A Stone Wall On The Front Of This Home OON ARCHITECTURE has designed a modern home in Benavidez, Argentina, that features a stone, wood,...
a year ago
27
a year ago
OON ARCHITECTURE has designed a modern home in Benavidez, Argentina, that features a stone, wood, and concrete facade, that also includes a round window. The round window is recessed into the stone wall and is an eye-catching design element that can be seen as one walks along the...
The Modern House
Best Buds: the most beautiful garden centres in London
a year ago
Common Edge
What Would a Code of Ethics Look Like for Architecture Schools? Some simple guidelines would help clarify issues.
a year ago
Common Edge
Minoru Yamasaki: The Fragility of Architecture He designed two of the most famous landmarks of the late-20th-century. Why is he virtually unknown...
5 months ago
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
12
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
How an architect couple transformed an old shop in Walthamstow into a restful wooden home 
a year ago
Old Structures...
Expertise In the course of doing research on old buildings, I’ve looked at some non-traditional sources. For...
11 months ago
17
11 months ago
In the course of doing research on old buildings, I’ve looked at some non-traditional sources. For example, in trying to find original images of demolished and non-famous buildings, I’ve had some success with magazine ads from tenants. It used to be popular to put a picture of...
The Modern House
Picture erfect: an ingenious creative sanctuary in the leafy heart of London Fields
a week ago
The Modern House
Plate in the Sun: London’s best restaurants for alfresco dining
a year ago
Archinect - Features
What Europe Can (and Can’t) Tell the US About Architectural Licensure In the third part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we reflect on what the United States can learn...
6 months ago
66
6 months ago
In the third part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we reflect on what the United States can learn from the architecture licensure models of other nations. While doing so, we speak with Peggy Deamer, Professor Emerita of Yale University's School of Architecture, whose book...
Contemporist...
This Tall And Skinny House Also Has A Rooftop Pool Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi...
9 months ago
51
9 months ago
Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for a family of four with two sons.
Coffee with an...
If movies were about Architecture “Apocalypse Now”: an architect goes grossly over budget. Another architect is sent out to find him...
7 months ago
51
7 months ago
“Apocalypse Now”: an architect goes grossly over budget. Another architect is sent out to find him and value-engineer the project, in the jungle, during a war. “It’s a wonderful life”: An architect mishandles his finances. Jumps off a bridge. Is saved by his guardian angel /...
CONTEMPORIST
A Single Sloping Roof Covers This Home That Hovers Above The Land Weber Arquitectos has sent us photos of their recently completed project, a tiny house in Valle de...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Weber Arquitectos has sent us photos of their recently completed project, a tiny house in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, that rises from the ground on a platform supported by a metal structure. The house, which measures 1291 square feet (120m2), has exterior walls made from heat-treated...
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
21
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
The Industry Reacts to Interest Rate Cuts: Archinect’s State of AEC September 2024 Welcome to the fourth installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
2 months ago
33
2 months ago
Welcome to the fourth 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. Since our last edition, the...
CONTEMPORIST
An Old Brick Home Received A Modern Wood-Clad Extension ID Architecture has shared photos of a house extension they designed that has been thoughtfully...
a month ago
25
a month ago
ID Architecture has shared photos of a house extension they designed that has been thoughtfully integrated into the existing property in the small village of South Kelsey, England. Originally built in the early 19th century, the property named ‘The Old Rectory’ has undergone...
Old Structures...
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
59
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...
devonzuegel.com
My questions about Próspera, answered I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others...
over a year ago
5
over a year ago
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others might too, so I wrote an FAQ to share what I learned: Próspera FAQ This FAQ is intended as a reference, covering the basic facts and current status of the project. My hope is that...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Yup Sometimes, this game is not much of a challenge. Above, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in...
a year ago
10
a year ago
Sometimes, this game is not much of a challenge. Above, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in Daredevil. Below, the Midtown North precinct house, as seen in Apple Look Around.
99% Invisible
Train Set: Track Three [EPISODE] Happy National Train Day, everyone – for those of you who missed it: that was May 13th this year. A...
a year ago
54
a year ago
Happy National Train Day, everyone – for those of you who missed it: that was May 13th this year. A year ago, we started down this path with Train Set: Track One, which gave way to Track Two …and now, here we are for the final part of our train-fecta. First Stop: Shining Time...
Cartogrammar
Beyond the sea In the northern reaches of Newfoundland, near the town of St. Anthony, is the Fox Point Lighthouse....
over a year ago
4
over a year ago
In the northern reaches of Newfoundland, near the town of St. Anthony, is the Fox Point Lighthouse. I’ve never been there, but I know it has one of the most impressive ocean views in the world. If you face perpendicular to the right bit of rocky coastline there and gaze straight...
Archinect - Features
The Fed Just Cut Interest Rates. What Does It Mean for Architects? In September 2024, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the target range of interest rates for the first...
2 months ago
37
2 months ago
In September 2024, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the target range of interest rates for the first time in four years. The move was long anticipated by AEC commentators, who hoped that the lower cost of borrowing would begin to pull the sector out of a two-year stagnation in...
The Modern House
A local’s guide to Highbury and Canonbury: design and delicatessens in north London
5 months ago
The Modern House
Coast and countryside at a contemporary home in Suffolk
a year ago
99% Invisible
Spirit Halloween [EPISODE] Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the...
2 months ago
31
2 months ago
Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the signature yellow, orange and black signage of Spirit Halloween. The seasonal retailer sells Halloween masks, Halloween costumes, Halloween costumes for dogs, Halloween decorations,...
99% Invisible
Orange Alternative [EPISODE] In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across...
a year ago
35
a year ago
In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across Russia. People started writing out the phrase “no war” using asterisks instead of the various letters in order to disguise the meaning of the message. Then back in September, a...
Old Structures...
A Year Later, Maybe Yesterday, I was pondering the purpose of some of the strange steel framing near the top of the...
a month ago
27
a month ago
Yesterday, I was pondering the purpose of some of the strange steel framing near the top of the Singer Building. Here’s another stereoscopic view of the building, after it was completed: We’ve got two men standing on a tiny setback roof – not a terrace or official observation...
McMansion Hell
dome sweet dome As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to...
a year ago
6
a year ago
As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to learn the world’s most widely spoken and useful language: Slovenian. At this point, my Slovenian is about as coherent as, well, a McMansion. In order to feel better about myself, I...
McMansion Hell
this house may or may not be real on grayness in real estate Allegedly, somewhere in Wake Forest, North Carolina, a 4 bed, 5.5...
over a year ago
4
over a year ago
on grayness in real estate Allegedly, somewhere in Wake Forest, North Carolina, a 4 bed, 5.5 bathroom house totaling more than 6,600 square feet is for sale at a price of 2.37 million dollars. The house, allegedly, was built in 2021. Allegedly, it looks like this: A McMansion...
99% Invisible
The Little Levee That Could [EPISODE] Most of the stories in this series have been about places that are ill-prepared for the extreme...
3 months ago
32
3 months ago
Most of the stories in this series have been about places that are ill-prepared for the extreme weather that is coming their way. But this story is about a place that managed to get the kind of infrastructure that will actually help it survive climate change. How after more than...
Old Structures...
Getting Repetative The heat wave is back. Technically it left for a few days, but given that I hate hot weather, it...
5 months ago
34
5 months ago
The heat wave is back. Technically it left for a few days, but given that I hate hot weather, it didn’t seem like that to me. As bad as it is, even people without a/c can cool off in various public places. The most amusing is the subway, which, when I was commuting to school […]
Old Structures...
Randomness When you study history, one of the things that takes a while to really accept is the random nature...
10 months ago
13
10 months ago
When you study history, one of the things that takes a while to really accept is the random nature of events. People think they are in control and shape, at least to some degree, the future. When some truly random event occurs, we often attribute it to someone else’s will, unable...
Common Edge
Everything Is (Not) Architecture: Environmental Design and Architecture’s Slippery Slope Does it exist, distinct from buildings and bodies?
a year 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
91
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Monochrome Interior Design For This Home In Singapore Studio Metanoia has shared photos of a modern home interior they recently completed in Singapore,...
a year ago
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a year ago
Studio Metanoia has shared photos of a modern home interior they recently completed in Singapore, that has a very strong monochromatic aesthetic. The interior strikes a balance of light and dark, which is evident throughout, like in the living room, where a white couch with a...
Contemporist...
A Modern Farmhouse By The Sea In New Zealand New Zealand architecture firm Studio John Irving Architects has shared photos of a modern farmhouse...
a year ago
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a year ago
New Zealand architecture firm Studio John Irving Architects has shared photos of a modern farmhouse they completed that's been designed like a collection of linked farm outbuildings.
Old Structures...
You Are There Early on in the movie Bull Durham, a character going to a baseball game walks from the dark...
2 months ago
20
2 months ago
Early on in the movie Bull Durham, a character going to a baseball game walks from the dark underside of the stadium – where the stairs, bathrooms, and food concessions are – through one of the tunnels to the seats. The camera follows and, if you’ve ever been to stadium, the...
Construction Physics
The Rise and Fall of the Mail-Order Home In the early 20th century, a new business model appeared: the mail-order home. Companies would mail...
a year ago
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a year ago
In the early 20th century, a new business model appeared: the mail-order home. Companies would mail out catalogs containing several dozen different home options, buyers would send in their orders, and the company would send the necessary materials – pre-cut lumber, roofing,...
Construction Physics
How I Write Posts I sometimes get asked what my process is for researching and writing Substack posts. I always enjoy...
10 months ago
49
10 months ago
I sometimes get asked what my process is for researching and writing Substack posts. I always enjoy reading other people’s discussions of their writing process, so I thought it would be worthwhile to explain mine. First, some background. In school I was a competent but...
Old Structures...
Waste Not, Something Something I was passing through Tribeca last week and came across this little building. Very, very little....
9 months ago
21
9 months ago
I was passing through Tribeca last week and came across this little building. Very, very little. Three stories tall, maybe 40 feet wide, and about four feet deep on the left and maybe a luxurious ten or fifteen feet deep on the right. You know you’re in a city where real estate...
The Modern House
Why modern living is easy at Farnley Hey – Peter Womersley’s first domestic dwelling
7 months ago
Old Structures...
Prefiguring The Future I want to return to the 1834 map I showed a piece of yesterday. New York in 1834 was missing much of...
a year ago
13
a year ago
I want to return to the 1834 map I showed a piece of yesterday. New York in 1834 was missing much of the built environment that we associate with it today – no skyscrapers, no subways, no els, no tunnels, no bridges except at the Harlem River, not much in the way of water supply...
Contemporist...
A Glass-Enclosed Library And Home Office Creates A Separate Space Inside This Apartment Canadian design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a loft apartment located in a building that...
a year ago
104
a year ago
Canadian design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a loft apartment located in a building that was once home to offices but has been converted into residential apartments.
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Busy Intersection Daredevil battles Stiltman – possibly the most ridiculous villain Marvel has invented – at the...
3 months ago
19
3 months ago
Daredevil battles Stiltman – possibly the most ridiculous villain Marvel has invented – at the corner of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, with the Chrysler Building on the left and the Socony-Mobil Building on the right. Also, per the Landmarks Preservation Commission:
Old Structures...
Fake History For Real People Most people don’t properly understand the built environment of their childhood until they grow up,...
4 months ago
32
4 months ago
Most people don’t properly understand the built environment of their childhood until they grow up, and even then maybe not until they’ve lived somewhere else and come home. Growing up in Queens, I didn’t question some of the styles around me that are not unique to the borough but...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Remodeled 1970s Home In Seattle Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel of a 1970s home they...
a year ago
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a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel of a 1970s home they completed that was originally designed by prominent Seattle Architect, Ralph Anderson. The 3-story home on Seattle’s Mercer Island was renovated and modernized, preserving what the...
Common Edge
The Time-Defying Nature of Living Architectural Traditions Mere repetition is lifeless, a focus on design exploration creates nothing lasting, but living...
8 months ago
A Weekly Dose of...
On the Future of Cities The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of...
a year ago
22
a year ago
The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of them together: Implementing Urban Design: Green, Civic, and Community Strategies by Jonathan Barnett, published by Routledge, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Renewing the Dream: The...
The Beauty of...
A Sense of Place (White Hart Lane Station, London, UK) You will remember that my knowledge of football can be transcribed onto the reverse of a postage...
over a year ago
15
over a year ago
You will remember that my knowledge of football can be transcribed onto the reverse of a postage stamp, possibly with room left over, and that what knowledge I do possess is thanks to my other half’s family being Portsmouth FC supporters; an emotional rollercoaster, it has to be...
devonzuegel.com
Field notes: Panamá, SEZs, & biotech I just spent a week in Panamá City, and figured I'd share my observations in case they're useful to...
over a year ago
7
over a year ago
I just spent a week in Panamá City, and figured I'd share my observations in case they're useful to anyone else interested in similar questions. The purpose of the trip was to research locations for a gene therapy/stem cell clinic that my friend is planning to start. I also...
devonzuegel.com
Tutorial: Telegram → Logseq quick notes I've long wanted a notes app with an optional chat style interface for append-only notes. The idea...
over a year ago
7
over a year ago
I've long wanted a notes app with an optional chat style interface for append-only notes. The idea is that I'll use the simpler append-only interface while on the go, and then use full-featured interface to review, edit, and organize those notes when I'm back at my computer. I...
The Modern House
Retro a go go: six homes that epitomise the day-to-day dynamism of mid-century design Over half a century later, our admiration for mid-century design shows no sign of slumping. As we...
7 months ago
58
7 months ago
Over half a century later, our admiration for mid-century design shows no sign of slumping. As we crave a closer connection to our surroundings and distinct, mood-matching spaces throughout our homes – time and again, mid-century modern seems to satisfy our exacting demands....
Common Edge
Why Time Is a Problem for Architects For many, it’s a lurch between copying the past or pretending that time doesn’t exist.
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Variety Pack I haven’t done one of these for a while and it’s too hot to think, so here goes: the view east on...
5 months ago
37
5 months ago
I haven’t done one of these for a while and it’s too hot to think, so here goes: the view east on Bridge Street from Whitehall Street gives a nice selection of lower Manhattan building types. A: One Whitehall Street. 1962, 23-story office building with a glass and metal-panel...
The Modern House
Five bright things to do and see this July July is here: the sun is shining and the air is hot – and so are our top picks of things to do and...
a year ago
22
a year ago
July is here: the sun is shining and the air is hot – and so are our top picks of things to do and see this month, from an exhibition on an emerging artist exploring light and space to a food and art extravaganza celebrating […]
Blog - Guerrilla...
From Our Southern Border to a Cottonwood Tree I am an artist and not a trained cartographer. Because my work or message is often about the...
over a year ago
20
over a year ago
I am an artist and not a trained cartographer. Because my work or message is often about the environment, geopolitical issues, water, animal and human rights, I look for how I might highlight particular issues, and then draw a word picture to go with the visual message of the...
The Wandering...
Mapping Francis Younghusband in the Gobi Desert, 1887, Part 4: from the Ya-hu oasis to Hami. [Back to Part 3: from the Hun-kua-ling sandhills to the Ya-hu oasis] From Ya-Hu to Hami, we can see...
over a year ago
16
over a year ago
[Back to Part 3: from the Hun-kua-ling sandhills to the Ya-hu oasis] From Ya-Hu to Hami, we can see that Younghusband now has to turn south, as his own map shows. The journey takes from June 23rd to July 4th, or twelve days. His mapmaker places Ula Khutun almost halfway from...
Archinect - Features
Notes on Progress: Sixteen Women Discuss What It Means To Be Female in Architecture... The tides are changing for women in architecture schools in surprising ways. Female deans currently...
7 months ago
39
7 months ago
The tides are changing for women in architecture schools in surprising ways. Female deans currently lead Harvard, Yale, Princeton, NJIT, Cornell, Syracuse, NYIT, CCNY, Cooper Union, and Boston Architectural College, among others. Despite the difficulties some of them have faced,...
Old Structures...
Still Developing The caption on this 1882 picture is obviously wrong. Jacob Ruppert’s house was at the corner of...
a week ago
17
a week ago
The caption on this 1882 picture is obviously wrong. Jacob Ruppert’s house was at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 93rd Street, and the big avenue to the right is Park (Fourth) Avenue. You can tell because of those little bridges and the wide center mall: this is the north end of...
Common Edge
Why Gardening Should Be Our Metaphor for Local Development If your town isn’t cultivating its own economic growth, then it’s being mined for someone else’s...
2 weeks ago
McMansion Hell
every small city has that one dictator chic house I don’t know why, but every city, no matter how big, has some insanely stacked dictator-looking...
a year ago
6
a year ago
I don’t know why, but every city, no matter how big, has some insanely stacked dictator-looking McMansion somewhere outside the city limits. If you sort your Zillow results as Price: High - Low, this house will pop up first. It costs something like $5,000,000. It is 10,000 square...
Common Edge
Architects Must Address the Issue of Toxic Building Materials Ending the cycle of pollution within our buildings benefits worker health, community health, and...
a year ago
Old Structures...
Faking It A pet peeve of more than one of us at Old Structures is seeing buildings that are “faking” something...
a month ago
25
a month ago
A pet peeve of more than one of us at Old Structures is seeing buildings that are “faking” something that makes no sense. Examples abound, like weep holes in solid masonry walls. I noticed this building while on the train recently, with the star anchors that one often sees on...
Common Edge
Building Emissions Are Falling, Now the Real Work Begins There has been a significant drop this year. The path toward net-zero intensifies.
a year ago
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
61
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
CONTEMPORIST
A New Extension Adds A Home Office And Bedroom To This Miami Bungalow Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a 900 sqft addition in South Miami, Florida, for...
4 months ago
33
4 months ago
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a 900 sqft addition in South Miami, Florida, for owners who were looking for a little extra room in their traditional home, that was open to the outdoors, and allowed for a private primary bedroom and studio apart from the main...
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
56
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.
Old Structures...
Pro Tip, As They Say A slightly-redacted photo from a Brooklyn site visit, showing a diagram on the wall in a maintenance...
a month ago
17
a month ago
A slightly-redacted photo from a Brooklyn site visit, showing a diagram on the wall in a maintenance room: No one I spoke to had floor plans of any kind for the building. I knew it had a steel frame but not where the interior columns were. And then, during a site visit, a handy...
Archinect - Features
Narrative, Media, and AI in Architectural Academia; A Conversation with Natasha... Archinect last spoke with Natasha Sandmeier on the themes of visual media and narrative storytelling...
a year ago
48
a year ago
Archinect last spoke with Natasha Sandmeier on the themes of visual media and narrative storytelling in 2019. Back then, few could have imagined the seismic impact that generative AI would have on such fields. In her leading role at UCLA AUD's Entertainment Studio, Sandmeier sits...
Old Structures...
Scant Evidence A piece of a single sentence in the 1893 Baedeker description of New York sent me down a rabbit...
2 weeks ago
5
2 weeks 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...
99% Invisible
The Art of the Olympics [EPISODE] The 2024 Paris Olympics are currently under way, and we thought we’d play two stories from the 99%...
4 months ago
42
4 months ago
The 2024 Paris Olympics are currently under way, and we thought we’d play two stories from the 99% Invisible archives about the art of the Olympics. Mexico 68 The 1968 Olympics took place in Mexico City, Mexico. It was the first Games ever hosted in a Latin American country. And...
The Architectural...
Architect Releases Academic Dissertation That Questions Architects’ Taste Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new...
8 months ago
19
8 months ago
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new houses made in a traditional style. But this is exactly what the average person appreciates. “Why do many architects dislike the very thing that residents often enjoy?” asks architect...
Construction Physics
How Valuable Are Building Methods That Use Fewer Materials? Materials make up a substantial fraction of the costs of new construction. When we previously looked...
10 months ago
16
10 months ago
Materials make up a substantial fraction of the costs of new construction. When we previously looked at a collection of 40 different construction tasks, on average materials made up 62% of the cost of the task. And for an average new house, materials make up roughly 50% of direct...
CONTEMPORIST
A Coffee Shop Inspired By The Spectral Allure Of The Aurora Borealis Design firm Unknown Surface Studio has shared photos of Uncloud Coffee, a new coffee shop they...
8 months ago
34
8 months ago
Design firm Unknown Surface Studio has shared photos of Uncloud Coffee, a new coffee shop they completed in Chonburi, Thailand, with a sculptural and eye-catching facade. Inspired by the spectral allure of the Aurora Borealis, the design abstractly interprets these atmospheric...
CONTEMPORIST
This Small Home With A Green Roof Curves Around A Pond Architect office Hello Wood has sent us photos of a small modern house they completed tucked away in...
5 months ago
34
5 months ago
Architect office Hello Wood has sent us photos of a small modern house they completed tucked away in Hungary’s lush rural landscapes. Situated next to a fishing pond, the home is a retreat for the owners and is dug into a mound, peeking out just enough to blend with the horizon....
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 4 After old teams, old Brooklyn ballparks, and old Manhattan ballparks, it’s time for ballparks in...
2 months ago
26
2 months ago
After old teams, old Brooklyn ballparks, and old Manhattan ballparks, it’s time for ballparks in Queens. Despite the modern use of a numbered street system, Queens has street naming that drives outsiders mad, so it is fitting that three of the four old ballparks in the borough...
devonzuegel.com
Traveling neighborhoods: a different kind of group trip I've discovered a group trip format that I really love, and I wanted to share it with others because...
8 months ago
23
8 months ago
I've discovered a group trip format that I really love, and I wanted to share it with others because (a) you might find it fun to host or join something like this in the future and (b) selfishly, I would like more people to organize trips like this so that I can join them! The...
The Modern House
James Lohan: the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith on how his first experience of home shaped an... James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the...
7 months ago
37
7 months ago
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the potential for turning a profit on a stack of cheese toasties. A series of successful business ventures followed suit, but it was in 2003 that James and his […]
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Screens Wrap Around This Home To Create Shade And Privacy Koichi Takada Architects has completed a new home in Sydney, Australia, whose design was inspired by...
a year ago
46
a year ago
Koichi Takada Architects has completed a new home in Sydney, Australia, whose design was inspired by palm fronds, specifically the way the leaves provide dappled light and shelter to the fruit its tree bears. Applying the same principles, the home was cocooned with symmetrical...
Construction Physics
Fusion Power Reading List The challenge with reading about a topic like fusion is balancing the tradeoff between technical...
5 months ago
51
5 months ago
The challenge with reading about a topic like fusion is balancing the tradeoff between technical detail and readability. A book or article should give enough detail to provide some understanding of what’s actually going on, what progress has been made, what the challenges are,...
CONTEMPORIST
This Kindergarten Design Features Vibrant Colored Glass Inside And Out SAKO Architects has sent us photos of a kindergarten they designed in Tianshui, China, that features...
a year ago
22
a year ago
SAKO Architects has sent us photos of a kindergarten they designed in Tianshui, China, that features a white exterior with a kaleidoscope of colors. The kindergarten, built in a small provincial town, features white exterior walls with windows in the shape of local yao-tung...
A Weekly Dose of...
Eight Decades of Modern Japanese Houses A review of a new book released this week: The Japanese House Since 1945 by Naomi Pollock, published...
a year ago
32
a year ago
A review of a new book released this week: The Japanese House Since 1945 by Naomi Pollock, published by Thames & Hudson, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) What makes modern and contemporary Japanese houses so appealing? Much of it stems from the novelty of residential designs,...