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
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...
99% Invisible
The Ripple Effect [EPISODE]
In disasters where a lot of people lose their homes, the impacts are not confined to a single city...
4 months ago
In disasters where a lot of people lose their homes, the impacts are not confined to a single city or town. They ripple outward, cascading into the surrounding area, as the survivors are forced to go looking for new places to live. This is the story of what happened after the...
Common Edge
How FEMA’s New “Resilience Zone” Program Works
“The goal is to ensure that the most at-risk...communities have the support, resources, and...
a year ago
“The goal is to ensure that the most at-risk...communities have the support, resources, and opportunities they need.”
McMansion Hell
ode to a faux grecian urn
Howdy everyone,
Today’s house, built in 2001, comes to you from, you guessed it, the Chicago...
8 months ago
Howdy everyone,
Today’s house, built in 2001, comes to you from, you guessed it, the Chicago suburbs. The house is a testimony to traditional craftsmanship and traditional values (having lots of money.) The cost of painting this house greige is approximately the GDP of Slovenia...
A Weekly Dose of...
American Modern Home
American Modern Home: Jacobsen Architecture + Interiors
by Simon Jacobsen
Rizzoli, October...
over a year ago
American Modern Home: Jacobsen Architecture + Interiors
by Simon Jacobsen
Rizzoli, October 2022
Hardcover | 11 x 11 inches | 224 pages | English | ISBN: 9780847872053 | $75
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
Hugh Newell Jacobsen, the legendary architect and late co-founder with his son,...
The Modern House
A much-loved modernist townhouse in Sheffield's visionary Park Hill estate
6 months ago
Construction Physics
Boeing Reading List
Unlike most topics that I write about, the aircraft industry is an industry that has enthusiasts:...
10 months ago
Unlike most topics that I write about, the aircraft industry is an industry that has enthusiasts: lots and lots of people are interested in following various aspects of the commercial aircraft world for fun (example: not only are there extremely accurate flight simulators, but...
Old Structures...
A Metaphor
When I was maybe ten years old, visiting the observation deck of the Empire State Building, I heard...
7 months ago
When I was maybe ten years old, visiting the observation deck of the Empire State Building, I heard someone describe the view as being like the buildings were a beard and Central Park a shaved strip. In 1952, there were far fewer high-rises on the Upper East and Upper West Sides,...
Contemporist...
A 1930s Brick Farmhouse Gets A Contemporary Remodel
SHED Architecture has sent us photos of a 1930s brick farmhouse in Washington State that has been...
a year ago
SHED Architecture has sent us photos of a 1930s brick farmhouse in Washington State that has been redesigned and renovated for today's living standards.
Benny Kuriakose
Light, Ventilation, and Design Features in School Design
An institutional space requires maximum optimization of light and ventilation. Schools require open,...
a year ago
An institutional space requires maximum optimization of light and ventilation. Schools require open, bright places and the best design...
McMansion Hell
In my latest for The Nation I make the uncontroversial claim that bike lanes are good, actually.
Bicyclists Deserve the Right to Free Movement
In my latest for The Nation I make the uncontroversial...
a year ago
Bicyclists Deserve the Right to Free Movement
In my latest for The Nation I make the uncontroversial claim that bike lanes are good, actually.
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
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...
The Modern House
Claire Ptak, founder of Violet bakery, on seasonal cakes and the community spirit of Hackney
a year ago
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #9: Majora Carter [EPISODE]
This is the ninth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
3 months ago
This is the ninth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott also sit down with Majora Carter, an urban revitalization strategist and real estate developer from...
99% Invisible
Courtroom Sketch [EPISODE]
Earlier this year, the city of New York closed off several blocks around the Manhattan Criminal...
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...
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
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...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #11: Brennan Lee Mulligan
This is the eleventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
a month ago
This is the eleventh 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 Mars and Elliott Kalan sit down with Brennan Lee Mulligan, a comedian and host with Dropout TV, where he’s...
Old Structures...
Adelaide House, Part 2 – Structure
Continuing my discussion (part 1 is here) of London’s maybe-first skyscraper, the Adelaide House,...
8 months ago
Continuing my discussion (part 1 is here) of London’s maybe-first skyscraper, the Adelaide House, let’s talk about structure. There’s a big difference between trying to build the first skyscraper in your city in the 1870s or 80s or 90s (depending on how you want to define...
Old Structures...
Future Site
An 1890 view of the south side of the intersection of 23rd Street, Broadway and Fifth Avenue, the...
4 months ago
An 1890 view of the south side of the intersection of 23rd Street, Broadway and Fifth Avenue, the narrow triangular block that would, a dozen years later, be the site of the construction of the Flatiron Buidling. My first thought was “would you really want a dentist who...
99% Invisible
Dear John and Roman [EPISODE]
Last year, Roman Mars teamed up with Hank Green to guest host Dear Hank & John — this year he’s back...
a year ago
Last year, Roman Mars teamed up with Hank Green to guest host Dear Hank & John — this year he’s back on the Greens’ show once again, but this time with Hank’s brother John. In their podcast Dear Hank & John, “hosts John and Hank Green (who are also authors and YouTubers) offer...
CONTEMPORIST
A Slide Connects The Main Floor With The Kids Bedrooms On The Lower Floor Of This Home
Reflect Architecture has remodeled a duplex that had an additional two small basement units, and...
a year ago
Reflect Architecture has remodeled a duplex that had an additional two small basement units, and turned it into one unit on the second floor for income purposes, as well as combined the ground floor and lower-level into a single dwelling for a young family of five. One unexpected...
The Modern House
Beautiful, useful and sustainably flexible: the hand-crafted, customised and highly experimental...
9 months ago
Old Structures...
Born In The Bronx
The central dome of the US Capitol on May 9, 1861: There was a certain symbolism to its incomplete...
6 months ago
The central dome of the US Capitol on May 9, 1861: There was a certain symbolism to its incomplete state given that the Civil War had begun the previous month, but that was a coincidence. The replacement of the original wooden dome had been planned for some time. The old dome was...
The Modern House
Curator Priya Khanchandani on postmodernism and palette at her home in Archway, north London
a year ago
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on light
With January out the way, we’re moving on from our theme of ‘space’ to one of ’light’. As such, for...
10 months ago
With January out the way, we’re moving on from our theme of ‘space’ to one of ’light’. As such, for the whole of February, you can expect our usual offering of inspiring stories, only now they’ll be unified in their exploration of the importance of […]
A Weekly Dose of...
Ando and Le Corbusier
Ando and Le Corbusier is a two-volume project that shows how the works of two pioneers of modern...
over a year ago
Ando and Le Corbusier is a two-volume project that shows how the works of two pioneers of modern architecture – Le Corbusier and Tadao Ando – connect human experience to the basic givens of existence: interactions among human beings and personal encounters with nature, including...
Contemporist...
An Exposed Structure Shows Off This House Design That Wraps Around A Pool
Architecture firm Apiacas Arquitetos, has shared photos of a home they completed in Sao Paulo,...
4 months ago
Architecture firm Apiacas Arquitetos, has shared photos of a home they completed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that was designed with a single-story layout that wraps around a swimming pool.
99% Invisible
Side Projects [EPISODE]
This week we’re highlighting a couple of series that live inside the 99pi production tent. We’ve got...
4 months ago
This week we’re highlighting a couple of series that live inside the 99pi production tent. We’ve got a preview of a new miniseries for you called Not Built for This, created and hosted by Emmett FitzGerald. It’s a show about climate change, but not in the way you might think....
CONTEMPORIST
A House Extension With A Curved Window Makes Room For A New Kitchen At This Home In London
Architecture and ideas studio CAN, has shared photos of a recently completed home extension they...
a month ago
Architecture and ideas studio CAN, has shared photos of a recently completed home extension they completed for a terrace house in Stoke Newington, London. With an emphasis on natural materials and a unique approach to design, this renovation turns the once disconnected ground...
Old Structures...
Just Because I Like It
A view of 99 Prince Street: It’s a little hard to believe it today, but this was built simply an...
a month ago
A view of 99 Prince Street: It’s a little hard to believe it today, but this was built simply an ordinary commercial building with retail and office space. It was completed in 1888 by architect William Schickel working for “J. J. Astor.” That was either John Jacob Astor III near...
The Solarchitecture...
The Solar Manifesto - Part 2.
...or how hard it is to name the foundations of a healthy home?
over a year ago
...or how hard it is to name the foundations of a healthy home?
Old Structures...
The Personal Connection Times Three
It’s hard to overstate the importance of personal links in discussing how people feel about the...
7 months ago
It’s hard to overstate the importance of personal links in discussing how people feel about the built environment. This 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto looks east past St. Paul’s Chapel to the St. Paul and Park Row buildings: I’ve worked on St. Paul’s and the Park Row building. As a...
The Wandering...
Making shaded relief directly from DEMs projected in degrees?
In a presentation I gave at GeoIgnite 2021, I was explaining the process of using QGIS to make...
over a year ago
In a presentation I gave at GeoIgnite 2021, I was explaining the process of using QGIS to make shaded relief from DEMs, more or less as detailed in this post. There wasn’t time to explain the process of re-projection, so I rather boldly asserted that you don’t need to re-project...
Old Structures...
Travelog: Cleveland Bridge
While I was in England last week, I briefly visited the city of Bath. There’s a lot to look at...
9 months ago
While I was in England last week, I briefly visited the city of Bath. There’s a lot to look at there, but let me start with the Cleveland Bridge over the River Avon. The top view is a little boring except for the non-structural toll houses, little Greek temples over the walkways,...
99% Invisible
The Little Levee That Could [EPISODE]
Most of the stories in this series have been about places that are ill-prepared for the extreme...
3 months ago
Most of the stories in this series have been about places that are ill-prepared for the extreme weather that is coming their way. But this story is about a place that managed to get the kind of infrastructure that will actually help it survive climate change. How after more than...
McMansion Hell
In my latest column for The Nation, I defend single stair buildings against their detractors -...
Single-Stair Layouts Are Not Going to Fix the Housing Crisis
In my latest column for The Nation, I...
a year ago
Single-Stair Layouts Are Not Going to Fix the Housing Crisis
In my latest column for The Nation, I defend single stair buildings against their detractors - I think single stair is wonderful! - But I also don’t think it’s some kind of panacea for the housing crisis.
McMansion Hell
in which i take on the argument that windowless bedrooms will somehow solve the housing crisis (lol)
We Cannot Countenance Windowless Bedrooms
in which i take on the argument that windowless bedrooms...
a year ago
We Cannot Countenance Windowless Bedrooms
in which i take on the argument that windowless bedrooms will somehow solve the housing crisis (lol)
CONTEMPORIST
A House Designed Like Two Barns Beside Each Other
Exterio Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in the Kujawy region of Poland, that...
a year ago
Exterio Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in the Kujawy region of Poland, that has a layout similar to two barns positioned side-by-side. The home has been designed to take advantage of the long and narrow lot, with the layout divided into two interconnected...
CONTEMPORIST
This Secluded A-Frame Cabin Was Given A Contemporary Design Update
Matiere Premiere Architecture together with its affiliated construction company, Nu Drom, has...
a year ago
Matiere Premiere Architecture together with its affiliated construction company, Nu Drom, has completed a contemporary update for an A-Frame cabin located on the shores of a lake near Montreal, Canada. Originally built in the 1950’s, the exterior was updated with natural white...
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
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 Modern House
It’s all love at Matthew Scott and Charlie Carr’s new restaurant, Papi
a year ago
The Modern House
Tiny homes: six homes that prove good things come in at under 600 square feet
6 months ago
Archinect - Features
‘In the Climate Context, Architects Need to Push a New Frontier’; A Conversation with Mario...
When TECLA was unveiled to the world at the beginning of 2021, it captured the attention of both the...
a year ago
When TECLA was unveiled to the world at the beginning of 2021, it captured the attention of both the architectural community and the imagination of the mainstream media. The world's first 3D-printed house made from raw earth, TECLA was one of 17 projects showcased at COP26 in an...
Cartogrammar
Seasonal relief
Just a map for fun, made without writing any code, which is a nice change of pace. I finally spent a...
over a year ago
Just a map for fun, made without writing any code, which is a nice change of pace. I finally spent a bit of time catching up with the great Daniel Huffman’s excellent tutorial on creating shaded relief maps with Blender. Do try it out if you haven’t; he’s written it up thoroughly...
Archinect - Features
Discussing Paid Research Opportunities for M.Arch Students at UW-Milwaukee SARUP
In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture &...
a year ago
In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture & Urban Planning (SARUP) to unpack its Mellows Graduate Research Positions (formerly called the Mellowes Master’s Research Assistantships).
For the 2024-2025 school year, SARUP is...
Construction Physics
On Klein on Construction
In the New York Times, Ezra Klein investigated the recent Goolsbee and Syverson paper on...
a year ago
In the New York Times, Ezra Klein investigated the recent Goolsbee and Syverson paper on construction productivity we recently looked at. Klein suggests that the stagnation in construction productivity might be the result of organized special interests increasingly leveraging...
Archinect - Features
'Beauty Is a Measure of Ecological Intelligence'; A Conversation with ecoLogicStudio Founders...
Against the backdrop of a frenzied AI discourse dominated by end-product tools such as ChatGPT and...
a year ago
Against the backdrop of a frenzied AI discourse dominated by end-product tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto articulate a refreshing call to adventure. The two ecoLogicStudio founders have built their professional and academic careers at the...
Old Structures...
Different Types of Commercial Use
From 1880, a view of Broadway looking north from Morris Street to Trinity Church. Given how deserted...
9 months ago
From 1880, a view of Broadway looking north from Morris Street to Trinity Church. Given how deserted it is, it’s either early in the morning on a weekend or a holiday. Wm. M Fleiss & Co, on the left, is at 47 Broadway. Broadway is lined with office and loft buildings which are...
Common Edge
Awesome and Affordable: Making the Case for Great Housing
A new project in Los Angeles highlights the challenges—and the opportunities.
10 months ago
A new project in Los Angeles highlights the challenges—and the opportunities.
The Modern House
Nick Knight on being a skinhead, why he’s hopeful about AI and how well-designed spaces make life...
In our new podcast, Homing In, our co-founder Matt Gibberd invites guests to discuss their childhood...
a year ago
In our new podcast, Homing In, our co-founder Matt Gibberd invites guests to discuss their childhood home, where they live now and their thoughts on future living. (If you missed episode one, with Ruth Rogers, be sure to listen here.) Our guest on this episode […]
99% Invisible
The 15 Minute City
In February 2023, over two thousand people took to the streets in Oxford, England to protest their...
2 weeks ago
In February 2023, over two thousand people took to the streets in Oxford, England to protest their local government. They were wearing yellow vests and chanting slogans about the municipality’s new traffic policies. But most notably, many of them were vocally angry about a new...
Common Edge
Why Does America Provide More Space for Storing Cars Than Housing People?
Paved Paradise recounts parking’s pivotal history, exposing its environmental, economic, and social...
a year ago
Paved Paradise recounts parking’s pivotal history, exposing its environmental, economic, and social impacts.
Old Structures...
Close To Home
From Angelo Rizzuto in 1950, “Broad Street.” It doesn’t instantly look familiar because we’re all...
7 months ago
From Angelo Rizzuto in 1950, “Broad Street.” It doesn’t instantly look familiar because we’re all used to seeing the north end of Broad Street, where the Stock Exchange and Federal Hall are, or views looking up the street to the north. This is the sound end of Broad, as it runs...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Hot Dogs In A Temple
Above, a somewhat pathetic villain threatens the people of Gotham City, while Batgirl muses. Below,...
a year ago
Above, a somewhat pathetic villain threatens the people of Gotham City, while Batgirl muses. Below, the stair connecting the train shed at the old Penn Station with the concourse: And zoomed in: And another angle:
The Modern House
Plate in the Sun: London’s best restaurants for alfresco dining
a year ago
Common Edge
‘Not Having to Worry about Proportion, Harmony, and Beauty Is a Cop-Out’
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
9 months ago
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
Old Structures...
Slow Death Of An Unneeded Building
A lot of rail was built in and around New York in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,...
8 months ago
A lot of rail was built in and around New York in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, much of it overlapping. Railroad as such had been around for a long time, but the idea of tailoring stations and schedules to fit huge masses of commuters was relatively new;...
devonzuegel.com
Empathy for the Devil
I. Loan application
Before serving time for mortgage fraud, Toby Groves seemed like the last person...
over a year ago
I. Loan application
Before serving time for mortgage fraud, Toby Groves seemed like the last person who would get into that kind of trouble. His older brother had been sentenced for the same crime twenty years earlier, and Toby had seen how it destroyed his family. He swore he’d...
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap? Part I
Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate...
a year ago
Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate of unsubsidized levelized cost of energy (LCOE)
99% Invisible
RoboUmp [EPISODE]
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind...
a year ago
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind home plate, who has arguably the most important job, calling balls and strikes. A strike is basically any hittable pitch — something over the plate, between the batter’s chest and his...
Common Edge
On the Value of Miniatures and Scale Models
Thinking small can help us answer the challenges of our time.
4 days ago
Thinking small can help us answer the challenges of our time.
Common Edge
How the Much-Maligned Porch Supports Walkable, Sustainable Communities
Its aesthetic detractors don’t understand the porch’s ability to create community.
4 months ago
Its aesthetic detractors don’t understand the porch’s ability to create community.
CONTEMPORIST
The Color And Material Palette Of This New Home Allows It To Blend Into The Desert Setting
Multidisciplinary creative studio mxtad has designed a home in Mexico, with a natural and earthy...
a year ago
Multidisciplinary creative studio mxtad has designed a home in Mexico, with a natural and earthy color palette that complements its surroundings. The home, designed for an architect and graphic designer, was built on a site with an irregular shape, however, from the street, it...
99% Invisible
Home on the Range [EPISODE]
In a lot of ways, Lincoln Heights, Ohio, sounds just like any other suburb. If you walk around town,...
a year ago
In a lot of ways, Lincoln Heights, Ohio, sounds just like any other suburb. If you walk around town, you’ll hear kids playing outside the local elementary school. You’ll hear the highway that takes commuters down to Cincinnati. At the woods on the edge of town, the birdsong is...
Old Structures...
Originality Is Not Easy, Part 2
A piece of a patent – number 612,365 to Willard Sears, applied for March 16, 1898, and awarded...
3 months ago
A piece of a patent – number 612,365 to Willard Sears, applied for March 16, 1898, and awarded October 11, 1898 – titled “Construction of Buildings”: Like yesterday’s patent, this is a riff on the then-new concepts of skeleton-frame buildings, with the exterior walls supported on...
CONTEMPORIST
A New Home With Twin Gables Connected By A Glazed Breezeway
Wheeler Kearns Architects has shared photos of a new home they have completed in Illinois, which is...
10 months ago
Wheeler Kearns Architects has shared photos of a new home they have completed in Illinois, which is located on a one-acre wooded ravine site north of Chicago. The home, situated upward and slightly angled away from the street, includes twin-gabled volumes, one for sleeping and...
CONTEMPORIST
A Green And White Tiled Design Was Created For This Vegan Cafe
Renesa Architecture Design Interiors Studio has shared photos of a vegan cafe they have recently...
10 months ago
Renesa Architecture Design Interiors Studio has shared photos of a vegan cafe they have recently completed that has an eye-catching tiled facade and interior. The V-Spot Café, located in Chandigarh, India, has a common design aesthetic throughout, from the facade to the interior....
Common Edge
What Happened to New York City Public Housing, and How Can We Fix It?
The former chief architect for NYCHA on what ails the the system.
8 months ago
The former chief architect for NYCHA on what ails the the system.
The Modern House
Mia Castenskjold and Stefan Zschernitz’s self-built sanctuary in Hackney
a year ago
Common Edge
What L.A. 2028 Can Learn From the Paris Olympics
Sprawling Los Angeles is vastly different from the French capital, but it can still find ways to...
3 months ago
Sprawling Los Angeles is vastly different from the French capital, but it can still find ways to take a cue from the City of Lights’ embrace of the local.
99% Invisible
Brilliantly Boring [EPISODE]
If you’ve been paying attention to our Power Broker series, then you know that bad infrastructure...
2 months ago
If you’ve been paying attention to our Power Broker series, then you know that bad infrastructure can cause harm. That makes it all the more important to recognize the thought and care that goes into the objects we use and see everyday. Nothing embodies that spirit of recognition...
The Modern House
An apartment with star quality in a converted recording studio in west London
a year ago
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
For many, it’s a lurch between copying the past or pretending that time doesn’t exist.
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A 1960s House Transformed Into A Modern Home For A Growing Family
Floisand Studio Architects has designed the remodel of a 1960s home in Seattle, Washington, and...
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has designed the remodel of a 1960s home in Seattle, Washington, and transformed it into a modern house for a growing family. This remodel sits on the same basement and foundation as its predecessor, but that’s where the similarities end. Here’s what...
CONTEMPORIST
This Building With A Split Roof Makes Space For A Rooftop Park
Architecture firm RAD+ar has shared photos of a building they’ve completed in Jakarta, Indonesia,...
6 months ago
Architecture firm RAD+ar has shared photos of a building they’ve completed in Jakarta, Indonesia, that has a split roof held together by a skylight. The split design allowed half of the building to have a regular roof, while the other, is dedicated to outdoor space and a garden....
Old Structures...
Fireworks
The various amusement parks at Coney Island used to have spectacles as well as rides and ordinary...
5 months ago
The various amusement parks at Coney Island used to have spectacles as well as rides and ordinary shows. From 1885, a fireworks show at Manhattan beach called The Last Days of Pompeii: Happy Independence Day.
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Unmistakable
Ms. Marvel is set largely in Jersey City. Despite being the second-largest city in New Jersey,...
a year ago
Ms. Marvel is set largely in Jersey City. Despite being the second-largest city in New Jersey, Jersey City does not have much of a visual image. If you asked the average person in the New York metropolitan area to name a physical landmark there, it’s likely they would draw a...
Common Edge
Rice University Builds an Opera Theater
It’s time to appreciate one of Allan Greenberg’s best works of architecture.
a year ago
It’s time to appreciate one of Allan Greenberg’s best works of architecture.
The Modern House
How architect Charlie Luxton built a hidden home into a hillside in Oxfordfordshire
a year ago
The Modern House
Lessons in Lateral Living: five singular single-storey dwellings
Once the perceived preserve of the retiree, there is more to low-level living than meets the eye. A...
8 months ago
Once the perceived preserve of the retiree, there is more to low-level living than meets the eye. A well-conceived, single-storey dwelling can accommodate all ages and – unlike loftier homes – has the potential to offer wraparound indoor-outdoor living. Here, we have gathered...
CONTEMPORIST
Glamping Tents Designed By Architects
Architects Julio Cano and Barbara Bardin of Canobardin, have sent photos of the TipiTop Tents they...
4 months ago
Architects Julio Cano and Barbara Bardin of Canobardin, have sent photos of the TipiTop Tents they designed for the Costa del Sol Glamping Village in Spain. Each tent’s structure is made entirely of laminated pine wood, with a volume formed from three porticoes that support the...
devonzuegel.com
Google Docs' sheet-of-paper metaphor
For ages, I've wondered why Google Docs still clings to the sheet-of-paper metaphor when lots of its...
over a year ago
For ages, I've wondered why Google Docs still clings to the sheet-of-paper metaphor when lots of its users never print out most of their documents.
Of course it does make sense for "Print layout" to be an option. Many people do print docs, and students make up a huge portion of...
A Weekly Dose of...
Conceiving the Plan
Conceiving the Plan: Nuance and Intimacy in Civic Space
Edited by Yael Hameiri Sainsaux
Skira,...
over a year ago
Conceiving the Plan: Nuance and Intimacy in Civic Space
Edited by Yael Hameiri Sainsaux
Skira, August 2022
Hardcover | 12-1/4 x 12-1/4 inches | 240 pages | 170 illustrations | English | ISBN: 9788857246543 | $45.00
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
In Honor of Diane Lewis...
Old Structures...
Repetition
Back to my travelogue of the tour of Swiss and German bridges. This is an overall view of the rail...
5 months ago
Back to my travelogue of the tour of Swiss and German bridges. This is an overall view of the rail viaduct across the Thun River valley at Ossingen, Switzerland. It was completed in 1874, and is still in use, carrying trains over the valley. Most of the sources I found are very...
SOCKS
Michelangelo Caetani’s Six Topographic Maps of the Divine Comedy
As a follow up to the latest post on Norman Bel Geddes’s stage set design for Dante Alighieri’s...
over a year ago
As a follow up to the latest post on Norman Bel Geddes’s stage set design for Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, here we feature the six maps drawn by Michelangelo Caetani in a book titled La materia della Divina Commedia di Dante Alighieri dichiarata in VI tavole, Roma (1855). A...
Common Edge
Are For-Profit Developments Consistent With the Values of a Public University?
These public-private partnerships may not dovetail with the schools’ values or mission.
a year ago
These public-private partnerships may not dovetail with the schools’ values or mission.
Old Structures...
Half Of A Grand Commercial Palace
380 Broadway has architecture above its station. It was built in 1860 with retail space at the base...
7 months ago
380 Broadway has architecture above its station. It was built in 1860 with retail space at the base and loft space above, but it’s got that grand marble-veneer facade on the upper floors and some very nice cast iron by Daniel Badger at the first floor. It’s fortunes have followed...
Common Edge
Is AI Really the Next Big Thing in Architecture?
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
a year ago
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
McMansion Hell
new jersey “19th century” “eclecticism”
It’s always funny to me when new wealth tries to imitate old wealth, but in a very specific way: by...
3 weeks ago
It’s always funny to me when new wealth tries to imitate old wealth, but in a very specific way: by trying to reproduce old ways of building that are no longer viable via mass produced building materials and contractors who are better than average but still not quite in the...
Old Structures...
Residential Conversion and a Mirror
Office-to-residential conversion is a hot topic lately, the result of a tight housing market and the...
a year ago
Office-to-residential conversion is a hot topic lately, the result of a tight housing market and the remote-work depression in commercial office space. The following is, at best, anecdata but gives a minor sense of that process for older buildings. I recently stayed in the Rand...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #08: Shiloh Frederick [EPISODE]
This is the eighth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
4 months ago
This is the eighth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott also sit down with Shiloh Frederick. Born and raised in New York City, Shiloh is a writer and...
CONTEMPORIST
A Kid’s Bedroom With Built-In Reading Nooks
Architecture and interiors firm Picnic Design has created a built-in storage unit with nooks for two...
4 weeks ago
Architecture and interiors firm Picnic Design has created a built-in storage unit with nooks for two kids in their tween years. The request came from two siblings who have been sharing a room since birth and have reached the point where they would like to have their own room....
CONTEMPORIST
A Slightly Different Angled Ridge Line Was Given To Each Home In This Passive House Development
RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House...
a year ago
RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House Construction LLC, has shared photos of Brucewood Homes, a collection of internationally certified Passive House single-family homes. The Brucewood Homes project is a series of...
Archinect - Features
Happy National Volunteer Week! Here's a resource guide for architects and designers looking...
This week, from April 21–27, is officially National Volunteer Week in the United States. To...
8 months ago
This week, from April 21–27, is officially National Volunteer Week in the United States. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Archinect has curated a handy guide of resources for architects looking to donate their time and skills to various causes that will ultimately lead to...
CONTEMPORIST
This Alley Between Buildings Was Transformed With A Series Of Arches
Photography by Robin Hill Daniel Toole Architecture in collaboration with SB Architects, has...
7 months ago
Photography by Robin Hill Daniel Toole Architecture in collaboration with SB Architects, has transformed a nondescript alley in Miami, Florida, with a series of concrete arches. Photography by Heywood Chan This alley was originally surrounded by trash rooms, dumpsters, mechanical...
The Modern House
Sumayya Vally: the South African architect on how growing up in a township defined her sense of...
Sumayya Vally is a South African architect whose star is in the ascendant. At the age of 30, she...
8 months ago
Sumayya Vally is a South African architect whose star is in the ascendant. At the age of 30, she became the youngest architect to receive the prestigious annual summer pavilion commission at the Serpentine Gallery in London. A slew of accolades and honoraries followed and […]
CONTEMPORIST
Black Accents Contrast The Wood And White Material Palette Of This Home
Design and interior architecture firm EntreQuatreMurs (EQM) has completed the contemporary interiors...
a year ago
Design and interior architecture firm EntreQuatreMurs (EQM) has completed the contemporary interiors of a home in Quebec, Canada, that was originally built in 1959. The house had not been renovated for several decades and featured typical enclosed rooms and small, narrow, dark...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Courthouses Galore
Foley Square, northeast of City Hall Park, has a collection of very large courthouses. Here’s Matt...
3 months ago
Foley Square, northeast of City Hall Park, has a collection of very large courthouses. Here’s Matt Murdoch, otherwise known as Daredevil, on the steps of a courthouse having just finished a case: Here’s a view looking north with the New York State Supreme Court and its large...
Contemporist...
This Australian Terrace House Was Modernized For Today's Living
Chan Architecture has shared photos of a project they recently completed in Clifton Hill, Australia,...
a year ago
Chan Architecture has shared photos of a project they recently completed in Clifton Hill, Australia, that included transforming the interior of a terrace house into a modern home.
The Modern House
The magic of life on the Manygate Lane Estate in Shepperton, Surrey
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Mid-Century Modern Renovation In Oregon
Originally designed by prominent Pacific Northwest architect Saul Zaik, this 1963 mid-century modern...
a week ago
Originally designed by prominent Pacific Northwest architect Saul Zaik, this 1963 mid-century modern house has been remodeled by SHED Architecture & Design for a young, minimalist family. The Mori House sits on a gently sloped, forested site off a quiet road in the west end of...
Old Structures...
The Slab
Every sizable city has one or more locally-specific building types, based on the culture and...
5 months ago
Every sizable city has one or more locally-specific building types, based on the culture and economics of real estate there. Some of the causes are rational, like the size of rowhouses being related to the wealth of a neighborhood; some are not, like the high stoops used in New...
The Modern House
A contemporary flint house on the Kent coast, with lateral living spaces and an outdoor bath
a year ago
Common Edge
A Model for a Healthier, Adaptive Approach to Community Development
The Smiling Gecko project in Cambodia addresses a more complex and systemic view of community life.
11 months ago
The Smiling Gecko project in Cambodia addresses a more complex and systemic view of community life.
Old Structures...
A Hidden Surprise, But Not Really
The picture above shows the nearly-complete Astor Court Apartments, on Broadway between 89th and...
a year ago
The picture above shows the nearly-complete Astor Court Apartments, on Broadway between 89th and 90th Street, in 1915. (As a side note, we’ve got some heavy hitters involved: the architect was Charles Platt, the contractor was Marc Eidlitz & Son, and the photographer was Irving...
Construction Physics
What makes housing so expensive?
Buying a home is by far the largest purchase most of us will make, and paying the rent or mortgage...
8 months ago
Buying a home is by far the largest purchase most of us will make, and paying the rent or mortgage will be our largest monthly expense. In the post-pandemic home-buying boom, the median sale price of a new home peaked at almost $500,000 dollars, just under
99% Invisible
Devil in the Details [EPISODE]
In 1994, an independent producer made a short, earnest video featuring an eccentric cast of...
a year ago
In 1994, an independent producer made a short, earnest video featuring an eccentric cast of characters who were focused on a very specific paranoia. The tape was made to look like a TV news special. It opens with a cheap, Jerry Springer-era computer graphic of a gold pentagram...
Old Structures...
More Bragging But Usefully So
In two weeks, I’ll be giving a talk in Philadelphia for the Delaware Valley Association of...
3 weeks ago
In two weeks, I’ll be giving a talk in Philadelphia for the Delaware Valley Association of Structural Engineers, which is the eastern-Pennsylvania chapter of the Structural Engineers Association of Pennsylvania. The topic is “Engineers’ Guidelines for Historic Buildings” and I’m...
Archinect - Features
Let's Talk About Architectural Licensure
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Licensure. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the journey...
7 months ago
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Licensure. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the journey undertaken by those in the United States seeking to practice as a licensed architect, including reflections on the history of licensure, comparisons to other countries, the cost...
Common Edge
What I Learned From Six Recessions in Architecture
Life is imperfect, and architects understand this better than most.
a month ago
Life is imperfect, and architects understand this better than most.
Old Structures...
Winding
This 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Bdwy winding all thru T-Sq.” and it definitely shows...
8 months ago
This 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Bdwy winding all thru T-Sq.” and it definitely shows Broadway and Times Square, although I have some quibbles about “winding.” This view is looking north and a little bit west, probably taken from a window on a high floor of 1450...
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
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....
The Modern House
How Emile Jones built a functional and fluid home in a 1950s block in Peckham
a year ago
The Solarchitecture...
7-Stage Solar Design Review - launched!
Together we make your home healthier, full of sunlight & abound with natural energy
over a year ago
Together we make your home healthier, full of sunlight & abound with natural energy
Blog - Guerrilla...
Counter-mapping: Sitio San Roque, Philippines
This counter-map was the product of a collaboration between the Junior Philippine Geographical...
over a year ago
This counter-map was the product of a collaboration between the Junior Philippine Geographical Society – University of the Philippines Diliman (JPGS-UPD), the Save San Roque Alliance, Kadamay – San Roque, and most especially the urban poor residents of San Roque.
The...
Old Structures...
Modern Perception
First, the Carson, Pirie, Scott Store in Chicago, as it appeared in the past: In my opinion – and...
6 months ago
First, the Carson, Pirie, Scott Store in Chicago, as it appeared in the past: In my opinion – and many other people’s opinions – it’s one of Louis Sullian’s most amazing designs. Here’s a close-up of the corner entrance as it appears today (actually yesterday, after I finished my...
The Modern House
Edit is the hyper-seasonal Hackney restaurant making the case for low waste
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Renovation Where The Walls Were Removed So The Interior Connects With the Exterior
Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they renovated in London, that included opening up...
a year ago
Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they renovated in London, that included opening up the walls to connect the interior spaces with the garden. The designers removed the whole ground floor, including the external walls to the rear, the stairs, most of the interior,...
99% Invisible
The Fever Tree Hunt [EPISODE]
“Most heists target gold, jewels or cash. This one targeted illegal seeds. As the British...
a year ago
“Most heists target gold, jewels or cash. This one targeted illegal seeds. As the British established their sprawling empire across the subcontinent and beyond, they encountered a formidable adversary — malaria. There was a cure — the bark of the Andean cinchona tree. The only...
Contemporist...
The Large Arch Window In Front Of This Cafe Offers A Glimpse Of The Creative Interior
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand,...
a year ago
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand, that incorporates a collection of windows to create a welcoming arch shape on its facade.
The Modern House
The power of post-war design in Regent’s Park, north-west London
a year ago
Old Structures...
Small Details
In “How London’s Crystal Palace was built so quickly”, Jennifer Ouellette gives a good summary of a...
2 months ago
In “How London’s Crystal Palace was built so quickly”, Jennifer Ouellette gives a good summary of a recent paper “Thread form at the Crystal Palace” by John Gardner and Ken Kiss. My even shorter summary: the 1851 Crystal Palace in London was made possible, in part, through the...
Old Structures...
Finding Something Nice To Say
Howe trusses look backwards to me. Structural logic generally says that compression members should...
3 weeks ago
Howe trusses look backwards to me. Structural logic generally says that compression members should be stockier than tension members because, while the gross stresses are the same (force divided by cross-sectional area), compression members may buckle and tension members will not....
The Modern House
<strong>How to grow a green garden: from creating compost to planting produce</strong>
a year ago
The Modern House
How the realities of self-building in the Outer Hebrides produced a new home distinctly reflective...
11 months ago
Construction Physics
Construction Productivity - Structural Steel
This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We...
a year ago
This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We previously looked at single family home construction, and noted that the number of hours required to construct 100 square feet of single family home has slightly increased over the past 50...
CONTEMPORIST
This Bedroom With A Partial Glass Floor Looks Down To The Living Room Below
Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo,...
a year ago
Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that features a partial glass floor in the bedroom. The apartment has been designed with the living space on the lower floor, while the bedroom is located upstairs. One...
Old Structures...
Big
I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of...
4 months ago
I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of elevated portions of the subway system when I was kid. Under the M train in Glenwood:
There are two types...
Why GoDaddy’s Microsoft Exchange Email for Mac Users S*cks
After three years of unreliable, expensive email service from GoDaddy and Microsoft, I’ve...
over a year ago
After three years of unreliable, expensive email service from GoDaddy and Microsoft, I’ve reluctantly concluded that I have to find a new service for my domain name email. For reasons I won’t go into here, that’s a problem. GoDaddy is … Continue reading →
The post Why GoDaddy’s...
Contemporist...
Green Metal Siding Allows This Small Cottage To Blend In With Its Surroundings
Daymark Design Incorporated has shared photos of a cabin they completed in Robert’s Island Honey...
a month ago
Daymark Design Incorporated has shared photos of a cabin they completed in Robert’s Island Honey Harbour in Ontario, Canada, that's clad in sage green standing seam metal siding.
The Modern House
How artists Amy Dennis and Neville Rae built a home in which their family and practices could grow...
a year ago
The Modern House
Modern Life: six remarkable modernist homes on the market
Those modernist architects were on to something. From the 1930s to the 1970s, these design pioneers...
a year ago
Those modernist architects were on to something. From the 1930s to the 1970s, these design pioneers showed us a brave new world where form followed function. Out went the fuss and flourishes of Victorian and Edwardian architecture, all ornate stucco and cornicing, and in came […]
Old Structures...
Masonry Against The Sky
Specifically the art-deco brickwork of 21 (striped and shorter) and 20 (solid and taller) West...
a year ago
Specifically the art-deco brickwork of 21 (striped and shorter) and 20 (solid and taller) West Street, with the turn-of-the-century (and somewhat scarred) brick and terra cotta of 17 Battery Place in the background, and with some cumulus clouds (I think…the naming system always...
The Modern House
Akwasi Brenya-Mensa on the future of Pan-African cuisine at Tatale in Southwark
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
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple venn diagrams. Unfortunately, this isn’t that: More Design in charts – HERE, and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE
Old Structures...
Detailing Reveled By Details
Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught...
3 months ago
Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught almost nothing about the topic in school – I barely heard the word in school – and I’ve taught it to a lot of younger engineers who did not learn it in school. Detailing is the...
Common Edge
Zoning, Preservation, Climate Change: Connecting the Dots
What can the law teach architecture, and vice-versa? Sara Bronin, head of the U.S. Advisory Council...
a year ago
What can the law teach architecture, and vice-versa? Sara Bronin, head of the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, knows.
Cartogrammar
Camino de Santiago sketch maps
Back in October in Montréal I finished my term on the NACIS board of directors at the annual...
over a year ago
Back in October in Montréal I finished my term on the NACIS board of directors at the annual conference. (Side note: see video of the conference talks!) Tanya Buckingham (recent NACIS executive director, current candidate for local office) has always kindly handed out thank-you...
Common Edge
What Makes a City Resilient?
A talk with Sam Carter, a founding principal at the Resilient Cities Catalyst.
3 months ago
A talk with Sam Carter, a founding principal at the Resilient Cities Catalyst.
Archinect - Features
Organizing and Reforming Architectural Education: A Conversation With Tessa Forde
In recent years, the word 'organizing' has taken on a heightened power in architectural discourse,...
a month ago
In recent years, the word 'organizing' has taken on a heightened power in architectural discourse, most notably through grassroots efforts by architectural workers across the United States to organize for better workplace conditions.
For Tessa Forde, organizing centers on a vast...
Old Structures...
Shrinkage
I took this photo last summer while eating dinner in a brew-pub in Utica, New York. I’m looking up...
11 months ago
I took this photo last summer while eating dinner in a brew-pub in Utica, New York. I’m looking up at the second-floor framing from below, in an old industrial building near the train tracks (the former main line of the New York Central Railroad). The building structure consists...
The Modern House
Inside gallerist Peter Ibsen’s 1950s summer house in Rørvig, rural Denmark
a year ago
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
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...
Contemporist...
A' Design Awards & Competition - Early Call for Entries
A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts...
a year ago
A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing 1844 winners in 139 different design disciplines.
99% Invisible
You Ain’t Nothin But a Postmark [EPISODE]
Over a decade after Elvis Presley’s death, the king of rock & roll took over headlines once again as...
a year ago
Over a decade after Elvis Presley’s death, the king of rock & roll took over headlines once again as Americans weighed in on which portrait of Elvis would be forever immortalized on a 29 cent US postage stamp. It was put to a popular vote: should the stamp feature an image of...
Old Structures...
Reuse, Well Done
From Carol Highsmith’s archive, a Target store in Brooklyn in 2018. If you’re going to reuse an old...
4 months ago
From Carol Highsmith’s archive, a Target store in Brooklyn in 2018. If you’re going to reuse an old theater for your big-box store, why not reuse the marquee and vertical knife sign for advertising?
Old Structures...
Slow, But Faster Than Original
My in-home team for rebuilding Notre Dame – LEGO Notre Dame – has fallen behind schedule. As of...
4 months ago
My in-home team for rebuilding Notre Dame – LEGO Notre Dame – has fallen behind schedule. As of today, we’re about up to where the Parisians were in 1200 or so. From a month ago, construction of the nave walls: and the forest of nave columns: From yesterday, the nave walls and...
Common Edge
San Francisco’s Love Affair With the Ferry Building
John King, urban design critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, talks about his new book, Portal.
a year ago
John King, urban design critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, talks about his new book, Portal.
Construction Physics
Why do we need infrastructure policy?
My title at IFP is "Senior Infrastructure Fellow," which means that in addition to publishing this...
a year ago
My title at IFP is "Senior Infrastructure Fellow," which means that in addition to publishing this newsletter, I do work related to infrastructure policy. At a high level, that work is figuring out which things we should be building, and how we can make building those things...
Old Structures...
Boarding
Sometimes the degree to which the past was simultaneously similar to the present and different...
8 months ago
Sometimes the degree to which the past was simultaneously similar to the present and different catches me by suprise. I was in the far west Village a few days ago and this building caught my eye. It’s a nice 1890s semi-industrial building turned into apartments There’s a sign...
CONTEMPORIST
A Fireplace Divides This Long Living Room Creating A Separate Home Office Area
Toronto-based interior design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a living room that they...
a year ago
Toronto-based interior design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a living room that they transformed to include a dedicated area for a home office. The long and narrow design of the living room enabled them to divide the space into two separate defined areas, the living room,...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Double Height Ceiling Allows The Social Areas Of This Home To Open Completely To The Outside
Padovani Arquitetos has sent us photos of a project they designed in Campinas, Brazil, that takes...
a year ago
Padovani Arquitetos has sent us photos of a project they designed in Campinas, Brazil, that takes advantage of the topography to create a modern home with a horizontal design and lower garage. The home has been designed in such a way that the interior is hidden from the street....
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
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 […]
Old Structures...
The Big Day and We’re Two-Faced
Our new website is up and, as with all such changes, things are not going as smoothly as I might...
a year ago
Our new website is up and, as with all such changes, things are not going as smoothly as I might have hoped. There’s a minor glitch with the menu on the new website, which I expect will be fixed shortly. More importantly, we wanted to change to the new back-end in such a way that...
Old Structures...
Split Personality
Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the...
a month ago
Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the building’s architectural merit – and there is a great deal – I find this kind of church interesting structurally. We have at least three very different types of structure here. There’s...
Old Structures...
Prefiguring The Future
I want to return to the 1834 map I showed a piece of yesterday. New York in 1834 was missing much of...
a year ago
I want to return to the 1834 map I showed a piece of yesterday. New York in 1834 was missing much of the built environment that we associate with it today – no skyscrapers, no subways, no els, no tunnels, no bridges except at the Harlem River, not much in the way of water supply...
Old Structures...
Elsewhere in the Archipelago
After more than 30 years, it will soon be possible for the public to again visit Hart Island, at...
a year ago
After more than 30 years, it will soon be possible for the public to again visit Hart Island, at least on some days and as part of guided tours. Given the nature of the island – it’s been the potter’s field for New York City for over 150 years – it’s a slightly weird place to go,...
Construction Physics
The Story of Titanium
The earth contains a lot of titanium - it’s the ninth most abundant element in the earth’s crust. By...
a year ago
The earth contains a lot of titanium - it’s the ninth most abundant element in the earth’s crust. By mass, there’s more titanium in the earth’s crust than carbon by a factor of nearly 30, and more titanium than copper by a factor of nearly 100. But despite its abundance, it's...
McMansion Hell
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book!
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book!
If you ever wanted to read a book about...
10 months ago
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book!
If you ever wanted to read a book about McMansions, 5-over-1s, the ignoble toil of architects, ridiculous baubles for rich people, hostile architecture, private equity, shopping (rip), offices (rip), loud restaurants, and...
A Weekly Dose of...
Three Monographs
Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in...
a year ago
Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in my earlier holiday gift books post, two of the three monographs featured here were also on that list. As happened when I wrote this post, each book begins with a rhetorical question...
CONTEMPORIST
A Collection Of Off-Grid Cabins Hidden Deep In The Jungle
Architect Daniel Cota has shared photos of Glass 20.87, an off-grid project of 8 separate glass...
7 months ago
Architect Daniel Cota has shared photos of Glass 20.87, an off-grid project of 8 separate glass houses in Mexico. Each house is spaced 20 to 25 meters apart, allowing for total privacy due to the dense jungle. The construction at Glass 20.87 was entirely artisanal (no machinery...
The Modern House
Hans Ulrich Obrist: the celebrated curator on why home has always been a place of artistic discovery
Hans Ulrich Obrist is the artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington, west London,...
a year ago
Hans Ulrich Obrist is the artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington, west London, and is universally acknowledged as one of the most important and prolific art curators of our time. He’s known for his broad, cross-disciplinary approach, in which subjects such as...
CONTEMPORIST
A Sculptural Limestone Facade Was Designed For This Boutique Retail Store
Photography by doublespace photography Architecture studio PARTISANS has shared photos of a boutique...
5 months ago
Photography by doublespace photography Architecture studio PARTISANS has shared photos of a boutique they completed that’s owned and operated by Royal de Versailles Jewellers in Toronto, Canada, and features a sculptural stone facade. Photography by doublespace photography...
CONTEMPORIST
A Colossal Curved Glass Window Shows Off The Biggest LULULEMON Flagship Store In The World
AIM ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of the LULULEMON Flagship Store they designed in Shanghai, China,...
6 months ago
AIM ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of the LULULEMON Flagship Store they designed in Shanghai, China, that uses curved glass to create an eye-catching retail destination. The facade with its curved glass window, allows people on the street to witness the movement of activity...
The Modern House
How an untouched site in the New Forest beckoned a sustainable new-build adventure
6 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Small Elevated Cabin Inspired By A Bird’s Nest
Architect Jan Tyrpekl, has shared photos of a small elevated cabin that was designed in Hainburg an...
11 months ago
Architect Jan Tyrpekl, has shared photos of a small elevated cabin that was designed in Hainburg an der Donau, Austria, for a client who owned a farm and wanted somewhere to relax. Located on the border of a young orchard and mature trees. It has an archetypal house shape, but it...
devonzuegel.com
Part 4: Success is tied to benefiting existing Solano residents
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
9 months ago
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the future of my home state in my lifetime. This post is part of a series I’m writing about this bold proposal.
California Forever’s proposal includes 10 Voter Guarantees that go far...
There are two types...
Location, Location, Location: Affordable Housing and Urban Form in Manhattan
NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To...
a year ago
NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To Great Cities and Towns, where it will appear in a shorter version. This version still needs a little editing for its new context. Part … Continue reading →
The post Location,...
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
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
Architect: Whose Title Is It Anyway?
When is an architect not an ‘architect?’ In the fourth part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we...
6 months ago
When is an architect not an ‘architect?’ In the fourth part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we explore the proliferation of the title 'architect' in cases beyond the built environment, most notably in the technology sector through terms such as 'software architect' or 'IT...
CONTEMPORIST
LED Lighting Illuminates Shelving Throughout This Home’s Interior
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and...
a year ago
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and Daniel Persson, has debuted a residential project called Casa Bosques de Olivos in Mexico City. The exterior of the house features concrete, wood, and metal, as well as landscaped...
Common Edge
Hope and Squalor: Venezuelan Refugees at Chicago Police Stations
Nearly 3000 people are living in tents and inside police facilities.
a year ago
Nearly 3000 people are living in tents and inside police facilities.
Contemporist...
Before & After - The Complete Renovation Of A Small Loft Apartment
New York City-based design studio beda (Brad Engelsman Design Architecture), has shared photos of a...
a month ago
New York City-based design studio beda (Brad Engelsman Design Architecture), has shared photos of a renovation project they completed of a small 500-square-foot (46 sqm) loft apartment.
The Modern House
Step Outside: six top-tier terraces in London homes for sale
With the sun hanging around until the early hours of the evening and the daffodils’ golden trumpets...
a year ago
With the sun hanging around until the early hours of the evening and the daffodils’ golden trumpets heralding that spring is in full swing, it finally feels like we’re properly coming out of hibernation. And where better to admire the return of the rays than […]
The Modern House
Two sisters share the story of their remarkable Patrick Gwynne-designed family home
a year ago
Old Structures...
Infrastructure Density
From 1954, “Sunnyside Yards” probably requires some explanation for people unfamiliar with western...
4 months ago
From 1954, “Sunnyside Yards” probably requires some explanation for people unfamiliar with western Queens. The yard (foreground) was built with Penn Station in the aughts because there was simply not enough room near the station, in Manhattan, for a proper yard. So, except for a...
Archinect - Features
Where Are All The Affordable Housing Startups?
Despite the general consensus that the United States is in need of more affordable housing, funding...
6 months ago
Despite the general consensus that the United States is in need of more affordable housing, funding to startups focused on affordable housing and more efficient construction technologies is lower in 2024 than in recent years. In the meantime, a series of high-profile...
Archinect - Features
Are Architectural Workers More Pessimistic About the Economy Than Firm Owners?
In our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey published last month, we observed a distinct...
4 months ago
In our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey published last month, we observed a distinct divergence between how firm owners and workers were feeling about the business health of their firm, industry, and the wider U.S. economy. Across the board, our survey suggests...
Old Structures...
Roadtrip
I’m in Montreal for the annual APT so this week’s blog posts will be shallower less serious more...
a month ago
I’m in Montreal for the annual APT so this week’s blog posts will be shallower less serious more entertaining than usual. I hope to work in some touristing photos, but that may not happen until next week. It’s worth noting that my train from New York to Montreal has a scheduled...
Old Structures...
Reuse, Recycle
When it was created in 1968, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority inherited from the New York...
4 months ago
When it was created in 1968, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority inherited from the New York City Transit Authority, from when it was created in 1953, the subway system as created by two private companies (the IRT and BMT) and the city-owned IND. All three parts of the...
Old Structures...
Infrastructure
Not all infrastructure is hidden – some, like elevated railroads, is more visible and audible than...
7 months ago
Not all infrastructure is hidden – some, like elevated railroads, is more visible and audible than most people would prefer – but it often is and that can make it easy to forget. “The Cloud Under the Sea” by John Dzieza, with visuals by Kristen Radtke and Go Takayana, is an...
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 5
This is the last of the collection of little-known ballfields, following Brooklyn, Manhattan, and...
2 months ago
This is the last of the collection of little-known ballfields, following Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, and the little-known teams who played in those fields. It’s very difficult to find information about the only Bronx important ball field in the Bronx. While it’s sometimes...
The Modern House
Architects Mariia Pashenko and Koen Schaballie on the radical reinvention of their Victorian home in...
a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Busy Intersection
Daredevil battles Stiltman – possibly the most ridiculous villain Marvel has invented – at the...
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:
CONTEMPORIST
A Tube Shaped Treehouse Wrapped In Diamond-Shaped Metal Tiles
Artistree, a company that creates treehouses and tiny homes, has shared photos of their design named...
11 months ago
Artistree, a company that creates treehouses and tiny homes, has shared photos of their design named “The Spyglass Treehouse”, which provides a unique window into the surrounding environment. Inspired by old-fashioned spyglasses used to magnify what is in the distance, this...
The Modern House
Good Fellow: Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill join the RIBA as Honorary Fellows
a year ago
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
To boost housing construction, some jurisdictions have adopted a new strategy: allowing the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs. ADUs, sometimes called “granny flats,” are small, secondary housing units built on the lots of existing single family homes – things like...
Common Edge
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
There has been a significant drop this year. The path toward net-zero intensifies.
Common Edge
Design for Global Survival: The 2030 Palette
Strategies for architects, planners, and policymakers as we adapt to a changing world.
a month ago
Strategies for architects, planners, and policymakers as we adapt to a changing world.
Old Structures...
Not Quite Added
I could have sworn I’d written about this building before, but I can’t find it, so here goes: when...
5 months ago
I could have sworn I’d written about this building before, but I can’t find it, so here goes: when is adding a floor not adding a floor? This is 935 Broadway/159 Fifth Avenue. The trapezoidal site is south across 22nd Street from the wide end of the Flatiron building (on the...
The Modern House
Tangled up in blue: a diminutive urban cottage designed by fardaa
3 months ago
Common Edge
As Brooklyn Nets’ Value Booms, a Missed Opportunity With the Arena
A $688 million Koch family (!) investment shows the enormous upside for NBA team owners.
6 months ago
A $688 million Koch family (!) investment shows the enormous upside for NBA team owners.
McMansion Hell
bonus mcmansion hell: terrible things are happening in McLean, VA
Read the bonus post on Patreon!
over a year ago
Read the bonus post on Patreon!
The Modern House
The 'sculptural experience' of designer Ashley Law’s uniquely tactile cottage in Whitechapel
8 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Pair Of Wellness Cabins Perched Among The Trees
Thirtyone Design + Management has shared photos of a pair of green wellness cabins that they have...
a year ago
Thirtyone Design + Management has shared photos of a pair of green wellness cabins that they have completed for the Grand Hotel Timeo in Taormina, Italy. Designed as part of the hotel’s celebration of the iconic property’s 150-year anniversary, the cabins unveil a partnership...
Archinect - Features
An Industry Pins Its Hopes on Interest Rate Cuts: Archinect’s State of AEC July 2024
Welcome to the second installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
4 months ago
Welcome to the second installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically.
As we reflect back on June and...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Unmistakable
The Shadow returns home: R.M.S Olympic at sea: (It is surprisingly difficult to find a good view of...
6 months ago
The Shadow returns home: R.M.S Olympic at sea: (It is surprisingly difficult to find a good view of the ship from the rear. The front three-quarter view is the dramatic cutting-through-the-waves view, as well as being somehow less creepy.) Given how similar Olympic was to...
Common Edge
Kelp Farming May Help Clean New York’s Polluted Waterways and Fight Climate Change
The seaweed found in Newtown Creek, Gowanus Bay, and the East River could suck up carbon and...
a year ago
The seaweed found in Newtown Creek, Gowanus Bay, and the East River could suck up carbon and pollutants, bolstering marine ecosystems.
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Pergola Helps This Home Seamlessly Blends Indoor And Outdoor Spaces
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, together with interior design studio Sofía Interiorismo, has shared...
8 months ago
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, together with interior design studio Sofía Interiorismo, has shared photos of a home they completed in Costa Rica, that seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living. This home embodies sustainable living, generating its energy from the sun while...
The Beauty of...
My Favourite Parks Are Car Parks (Worcestershire Parkway, Worcestershire, UK)
A very particular kind of hush descends as the 1253 to Worcester Shrub Hill departs. That hush is...
over a year ago
A very particular kind of hush descends as the 1253 to Worcester Shrub Hill departs. That hush is the hush of the parkway station between train services, and the station it has just departed from is Worcestershire Parkway. Though one of the best designed parkway stations, and a...
99% Invisible
Mini-Stories: Volume 17 [EPISODE]
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s mini-stories season! Gather the kids around the fire...
a year ago
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s mini-stories season! Gather the kids around the fire because We have a year-end mix of short stories about a rogue architect, spooky kitchens, a hundred year old music streaming service, and the crazy way the French tried to make...
99% Invisible
Roman Mars Describes Athens GA As It Is [EPISODE]
This is the third and final episode in a three-part series of Roman Mars recording on-location...
8 months ago
This is the third and final episode in a three-part series of Roman Mars recording on-location guides to the design features and interesting spots in cities he loves. Roman moved to Athens, Georgia, to pursue a PhD in plant genetics, but dropped out and got into the local music...
Common Edge
What’s to Become of the Mess That Is Penn Station?
A talk with architecture critic Justin Davidson about the thorny knot of issues involved at New...
a year ago
A talk with architecture critic Justin Davidson about the thorny knot of issues involved at New York’s most conflicted transportation-entertainment site.
SOCKS
Constructing Knowledge through Geometry: Ramon Llull’s Figures in Ars Magna, 1305
Catalan polymath, Ramon Llull was the first person to conceive a device able to externalise the...
over a year ago
Catalan polymath, Ramon Llull was the first person to conceive a device able to externalise the human mind. In his seminal opus, the Ars Magna, Llull conceived a series of figures that could replicate the mental ability to connect information in order to acquire knowledge. Thanks...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: War and Art
First, a view of an army building from “Miss Fury” an exceedingly weird comic involving World War II...
10 months ago
First, a view of an army building from “Miss Fury” an exceedingly weird comic involving World War II and time travel. Second, a view of the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue. The 69th was in a lot of famous battles in the Civil War and some notable ones in World War I....
Old Structures...
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
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...
Common Edge
Light and Color: The Spirit-Led Work of James Turrell
The artist is driven not just by curiosity or ambition, but by the precepts of his Quakerism.
a month ago
The artist is driven not just by curiosity or ambition, but by the precepts of his Quakerism.
The Modern House
The impeccably organised, grass-roofed, book-lined home of literary editor, Gail Pirkis
5 months ago
99% Invisible
Category 6 [EPISODE]
On the campus of Florida International University, in Miami, there’s a place ominously named “The...
6 months ago
On the campus of Florida International University, in Miami, there’s a place ominously named “The Extreme Events Institute.” They map the risk of storm surge for the whole Caribbean, and study how the public perceives the threats from natural disasters. They’re also home to the...
Old Structures...
Subtle Design and Not
Two buildings on a single block, separated by about 110 years and a huge difference in design...
2 weeks ago
Two buildings on a single block, separated by about 110 years and a huge difference in design philosophy… First up, how do you turn the corner from a busy avenue to a quiet side street? The one-story red-brick building on the far left is a modern replacement for an old commercial...
99% Invisible
One Year: The Day the Music Stopped [EPISODE]
On Aug. 1, 1942, the nation’s recording studios went silent. Musicians were fed up with the new...
a year ago
On Aug. 1, 1942, the nation’s recording studios went silent. Musicians were fed up with the new technologies threatening their livelihoods, so they refused to record until they got their fair share. Evan Chung explores one of the most consequential labor actions of the 20th...
Archinect - Features
Design, Computation, and Humans: Exploring the Intersection with Onur Yüce Gün
For Onur Yüce Gün, the study of computation is the study of the human condition itself. A mission to...
a year ago
For Onur Yüce Gün, the study of computation is the study of the human condition itself. A mission to anchor humans at the center of AI and computational design brought Gün on an educational journey from Middle East Technical University in his native Turkey to the MIT Design and...
Archinect - Features
10 Views on Architectural Licensure From Archinect Readers
As we continue our ongoing Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, we highlight perspectives from...
4 months ago
As we continue our ongoing Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, we highlight perspectives from individuals with extensive research backgrounds on the topic, as well as those in positions to lead, guide, and evolve the licensure pathway. Additionally, we launched a survey among...
Old Structures...
The Uniform of the Chief Engineer
From the UK, 1879, a picture of what the well-dressed chief naval engineer should wear. Perosnally,...
11 months ago
From the UK, 1879, a picture of what the well-dressed chief naval engineer should wear. Perosnally, I’m not very good at keeping clothing this good-looking for more than about ten minutes after I put it on, but I wouldn’t mind the sword. Below, the 1879 launch of HMS Agamemnon,...
Old Structures...
Before and After Electricity
A while back, I put up a photo of the Bowery as seen in 1894, with the Third Avenue elevated tracks...
10 months ago
A while back, I put up a photo of the Bowery as seen in 1894, with the Third Avenue elevated tracks above. Here’s the picture: Here’s a 1909 postcard of a similar view: The third, express track wasn’t added to the el until 1917 and the Bowery is a wide street, so the tracks have...
CONTEMPORIST
Scalloped Ceilings Are The Elegance Overhead In This New York Apartment
Frederick Tang Architecture has designed the interior of an apartment on the Upper West Side of...
4 months ago
Frederick Tang Architecture has designed the interior of an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for a couple and their three children. Inspired by their Indian heritage, the family wanted to incorporate stone into their home, and they were also drawn toward color and...
Common Edge
Election 2024: Revisiting the Duck and the Decorated Shed
How the Statue of Liberty and the Hollywood Sign frame the nation’s inherent tensions.
3 months ago
How the Statue of Liberty and the Hollywood Sign frame the nation’s inherent tensions.
Archinect - Features
Architectural Licensure Is Becoming More Diverse, but Barriers to Equality Remain
According to recent data, the demographics of candidates on the path to architectural licensure are...
3 months ago
According to recent data, the demographics of candidates on the path to architectural licensure are beginning to counter the longstanding underrepresentation of women and people of color in the profession. However, deeper studies of the licensure experience reveal ongoing...
Old Structures...
Yesterday and Today
There’s nothing that creates disorientation quite like having a single day that combes changing time...
9 months ago
There’s nothing that creates disorientation quite like having a single day that combes changing time zones by five hours with Dayight Savings. It’s nice to be back home, though. A small reminder that Daylight Savings was introdcued in the US in 1918 for less than a year and...
The Modern House
Our guide to Herne Hill and Tulse Hill: vibrant markets and outdoor swimming in south London
a year ago
Contemporist...
A Small Cabin-Like Structure That Can Be Compressed When Not In Use
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small...
a year ago
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small cabin-like room that expands when needed.
The Modern House
An architect's dream: four architect-owned homes for sale
A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an...
2 months ago
A busman’s holiday? A total breakdown of the work-life balance? It would be fair to assume that an architect would find bringing their work home – in the most literal of senses – a bit of a drag. But as this collection of architect-owned homes […]
The Modern House
A Day Well Spent with Rahel Stephanie
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Bed Headboard Was Designed With A Fold-Out Desk
Laura Ortín Arquitectura has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Murcia,...
5 months ago
Laura Ortín Arquitectura has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Murcia, Spain that includes a unique design feature in the bedroom. The bedroom, located off of a curved hallway, has dual doorways providing a glimpse of the room inside. Once inside, the...
The Modern House
Discover the Secret Garden House | A Modern Eco Home Hidden Behind a 300-Year-Old Wall
a month ago
Construction Physics
Is Land-Use Regulation Holding Back Construction Productivity?
Ed Glaeser is perhaps the pre-eminent urban economist working today, and I’ve cited his work...
4 months ago
Ed Glaeser is perhaps the pre-eminent urban economist working today, and I’ve cited his work repeatedly when looking at land-use restrictions and burdens on new development.
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
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...
Old Structures...
Close By
From Angelo Rizzuto, a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from June 1954. It was not taken from Woolworth,...
6 months ago
From Angelo Rizzuto, a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from June 1954. It was not taken from Woolworth, as the angle is slightly wrong. The bridge was in a transition period, with one major renovation just completed and another about to start. Between 1950 and 1954, the bridge...
The Modern House
A contemporary gallery-like home with countless credentials in Hampstead
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Addition Is Perched Above This Home In Texas
Architect Nicole Blair has shared photos of a modern addition that was built above an existing...
6 months ago
Architect Nicole Blair has shared photos of a modern addition that was built above an existing bungalow in Austin, Texas. Owners Dylan and Annie, a landscape designer and a hairstylist, wanted to keep their backyard intact, and not move during construction nor disrupt the mature...
Old Structures...
A Deservedly Unknown Truss
There’s a street bridge over the Hudson Line (the former main line of the New York Central Railroad)...
9 months ago
There’s a street bridge over the Hudson Line (the former main line of the New York Central Railroad) tracks just south of the Dobbs Ferry Station: For now, ignore the big white pipe at the bottom of the side truss: it’s a utility line, not part of the truss. That leaves us with...
Old Structures...
Perspective
Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about...
5 days ago
Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about something just because it seems cool. Or looks cool. In this case, “cool” is two photos from Carol Highsmith, a professional photographer who was generous enough to donate her archive to...
Old Structures...
Discussing Immigrants Elsewhere
That’s discussion elsewhere about immigrants here, not discussion here about immigrants somewhere...
6 months ago
That’s discussion elsewhere about immigrants here, not discussion here about immigrants somewhere else. I’m at the 8th International Congress on Construction History this week, where I hope to learn a lot about past design and construction practice. I have certainly learned much...
Construction Physics
How the Gas Turbine Conquered the Electric Power Industry
A prophecy expressed frequently in engineering circles at the present day is that turbines actuated...
a year ago
A prophecy expressed frequently in engineering circles at the present day is that turbines actuated by hot gases, other than steam, will eventually come to the front as prime movers. — A Scientific Investigation Into the Possibilities of Gas-Turbines,
Contemporist...
A Modern Brick Home Designed Around The Original Placement Of Trees
Exterio architects have shared photos of a new home they completed in Warsaw, Poland, that's...
5 months ago
Exterio architects have shared photos of a new home they completed in Warsaw, Poland, that's surrounded by a pine tree forest.
The Modern House
Why modern living is easy at Farnley Hey – Peter Womersley’s first domestic dwelling
7 months ago
99% Invisible
The Frankfurt Kitchen [EPISODE]
After World War I, in Frankfurt, Germany, the city government was taking on a big project. A lot of...
a year ago
After World War I, in Frankfurt, Germany, the city government was taking on a big project. A lot of residents were in dire straits, and in the second half of the 1920s, the city built over 10,000 public housing units. It was some of the earliest modern architecture — simple,...
Contemporist...
A Warehouse-Inspired Home With A Spanish Twist
Multi-disciplinary design firm mcmahon and nerlich has shared photos of a warehouse-inspired...
a month ago
Multi-disciplinary design firm mcmahon and nerlich has shared photos of a warehouse-inspired townhouse with a Spanish twist inside.
The Modern House
A Japanese-inspired solution unlocks light and space in this shape-shifting micro-flat
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Office Hides Behind A Sliding Wall In This House
Blue Truck Studio collaborated with a new homeowner with DIY construction experience, to renovate a...
a year ago
Blue Truck Studio collaborated with a new homeowner with DIY construction experience, to renovate a home for the owner’s family. The interior, contemporary yet comfortable in its design, includes a living room that has a large empty wall. However, this wall isn’t stationary but...
The Modern House
Our Guide to Oxford: neighbourhood restaurants and riverside walks in the city of dreaming spires
7 months ago
Common Edge
In Warsaw, a Student-Designed Architectural Response to Dark Times
The Freedom Pavilion offers a beautiful way to contemplate peace, freedom, and solidarity with...
a year ago
The Freedom Pavilion offers a beautiful way to contemplate peace, freedom, and solidarity with Ukraine.
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on materials
When it was first published in 2021, we ran some excerpts from our co-founder Matt Gibberd’s book, A...
9 months ago
When it was first published in 2021, we ran some excerpts from our co-founder Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live, which looked at the five principles that best-designed homes tend to pay attention to and which make for happier, healthier living environments: space, […]
The Modern House
James Lohan: the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith on how his first experience of home shaped an...
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the...
7 months ago
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the potential for turning a profit on a stack of cheese toasties. A series of successful business ventures followed suit, but it was in 2003 that James and his […]
Common Edge
I’m A New Yorker, Not a NIMBY
Most New Yorkers care deeply about their great city and believe development shouldn’t be top-down...
2 months ago
Most New Yorkers care deeply about their great city and believe development shouldn’t be top-down and hidden from public scrutiny.
The Modern House
How designer Alison Lloyd’s Hackney home and garden caters to her collecting
a year ago
The Modern House
Henry Thorold and Jess Ayers’ remarkable railway cottage conversion in north London
a year ago
The Modern House
How to reduce carbon emissions at home
a year ago
Old Structures...
The Public Realm
This is the 1895 firehouse constructed for Engine Company 31 and Battalion 2 of the Fire Department...
4 months ago
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...
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
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Mural Adds Color To The Interior Of This Narrow Home
Spaces Architects@KA has shared photos of a tall and narrow house they designed in New Dehli, India,...
9 months ago
Spaces Architects@KA has shared photos of a tall and narrow house they designed in New Dehli, India, that includes a large wall mural. The colorful mural, which spans multiple floors, depicts a tree with leaves, flowers, and birds. Interior walkways provide an unobstructed view...
A Weekly Dose of...
My Biennale Haul
Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture...
a year ago
Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture Exhibition curated by Lesley Lokko for World-Architects. It was my first trip back to Venice since the 2018 Biennale, which was the 16th edition and was curated by Yvonne Farrell and...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Green Roof Covers This Riverside Home
Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof...
a year ago
Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof that’s located on the bank of the Vistula River. The home has been designed to subtly integrate into the natural shape of the land and allows for a usable green roof. A sloped ramp...
Common Edge
Why Mass Transit in America Disappeared
A talk with the author of The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric...
a year ago
A talk with the author of The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric Planning, and White Flight.
The Modern House
Textile designer Pauline Caulfield’s art-filled home and studio in Primrose Hill
a year ago
Common Edge
Declaration of Independence From Sprawl
Toward the New Urban Place and away from the Industrial Development Complex.
7 months ago
Toward the New Urban Place and away from the Industrial Development Complex.
The Modern House
Scene Stealers: seven rural homes with spectacular surroundings
We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild...
a year ago
We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild swimming, enjoying a glass of red by a cosy log fire… But if that’s never been quite enough to inspire you to take the plunge, the homes […]
Old Structures...
A Rabbit Hole I Did Not See Coming
As a structural engineer, I do not examine old boilers, but I do see them quite often. The older...
a month ago
As a structural engineer, I do not examine old boilers, but I do see them quite often. The older ones tend to be abandoned in place because (a) they are huge and heavy, and will have to be cut into many small pieces to be removed form the cellars and sidewalk vaults where they...
Common Edge
NYC’s ‘City of Yes’ Proposal Is a Free Pass for Big Real Estate
It won’t create affordable housing, but instead lead to continued gentrification and displacement.
3 months ago
It won’t create affordable housing, but instead lead to continued gentrification and displacement.
Contemporist...
Exterior Lighting Illuminates The Landscaping Around This Modern House In Los Angeles
Paul McClean Of McClean Design has completed a new home in Los Angeles, California, whose design is...
a year ago
Paul McClean Of McClean Design has completed a new home in Los Angeles, California, whose design is showcased with the inclusion of exterior lighting.
Old Structures...
Engineers at Ground Zero
Next week, there will be a showing of the documentary Engineers at Ground Zero at the Angelika...
a month ago
Next week, there will be a showing of the documentary Engineers at Ground Zero at the Angelika theater. The film was produced by the Structural Engineers Association of New York and created by Vacationland. As it happens, I will be out of town next week so I won’t see it now, but...
Archinect - Features
10 helpful tips for architecture students going back to school
School is officially back in session as new and returning students begin another academic term....
a year ago
School is officially back in session as new and returning students begin another academic term. Whether you're a fresh undergraduate student embarking on your first year of architecture school or you're a returning student about to continue another rigorous year of learning,...
Old Structures...
Now The Good Side
A few years ago, I wrote a fairly snarky and negative piece on the Park Avenue Hotel. The building...
10 months ago
A few years ago, I wrote a fairly snarky and negative piece on the Park Avenue Hotel. The building is physically of interest to me because it was a rare example of a residential building with cast-iron facades and a good example of the common approach (in the mid-nineteenth...
Common Edge
Developers Are Dangerously in Control of New York City
Urbanist Roberta Brandes Gratz’s remarks on receiving the Preservation Leadership Award.
8 months ago
Urbanist Roberta Brandes Gratz’s remarks on receiving the Preservation Leadership Award.
The Modern House
How two lifelong friends built a space-savvy home to share on an awkward site in Homerton
a year ago
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
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...
The Daily Planet
In October 1957, Angelo Rizzuto took this photo: The Library of Congress has a descriptive caption,...
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...
The Modern House
Nice Modernism: introducing the friendly face of modernist architecture
After almost a hundred years of modernist architecture, the writer and critic Alan Powers argues...
4 months ago
After almost a hundred years of modernist architecture, the writer and critic Alan Powers argues that the canon is ripe for reappraisal. Here, he makes the case for “Nice Modernism” – an altogether gentler strand of architecture that emerged in the 1930s and is typified […]
The Beauty of...
The Inbetweeners (Ebbsfleet International and Stratford International, UK)
Well then. At the end of the last article I promised to write about the stations on HS2 phase 1...
6 months ago
Well then. At the end of the last article I promised to write about the stations on HS2 phase 1 assuming that I hadn’t been too enraged by the political fallout from hopefully soon-to-be-ex-prime minister Rishi Sunak’s cancellation of phase 2 of HS2. Reader, I have been enraged....
The Modern House
Five things to do and see this August
August has arrived – and come rain or shine we’ve plenty on the agenda this month. From an Italian...
a year ago
August has arrived – and come rain or shine we’ve plenty on the agenda this month. From an Italian menu that will transport you to the Mediterranean coast to an exhibition celebrating contemporary African photography, here are five shows, suppers and soirees not to be […]
The Modern House
Hannah Carter Owers on selling the family home in two days in pursuit of the perfect 1970s retrofit...
11 months ago
The Modern House
A Californian-inspired 1970s home hidden under the trees in Kent
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Covers The Interior And Exterior Of This Modern Canadian Cottage
Akb Architects has designed a modern cottage in Canada that’s clad in rough-sawn cedar boards and...
a year ago
Akb Architects has designed a modern cottage in Canada that’s clad in rough-sawn cedar boards and western red cedar shakes. The residence is hidden among trees with carefully sited openings providing views of a freshwater lake. Each volume is nested above and within the existing...
CONTEMPORIST
Operable Screens Cover The Exterior Of This Hawaiian Home
Architecture firm OLSON KUNDIG has shared photos of a home they completed in Hanalei, Hawaii, that...
a year ago
Architecture firm OLSON KUNDIG has shared photos of a home they completed in Hanalei, Hawaii, that blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living with the inclusion of a series of operable shutter screens that wrap most of the building facade. The custom shutter system,...
The Modern House
Shifted into a different place: landscape designer Darren Hawkes describes the transformative...
5 months ago
Old Structures...
Evolved To Fit The Conditions
If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk...
7 months ago
If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk through construction sites all the time, intentionally so on the part of the builders and with the blessing of the Department of Buildings. It looks something like this: Like so many of...
CONTEMPORIST
A Playroom Inside This Hotel Was Designed With A Desert Theme
Sarit Shani Hay Design Studio has shared photos of a modern playroom they designed for a boutique...
a year ago
Sarit Shani Hay Design Studio has shared photos of a modern playroom they designed for a boutique hotel in Israel. Inspired by the unique topography of the desert landscape, the ‘Grow with Six Senses’ playroom emulates the natural features of the surrounding scenery, transforming...
A Weekly Dose of...
Rereading the Nineties
Some of the references consulted during the research phase of my 2021 book Buildings in Print: 100...
a year ago
Some of the references consulted during the research phase of my 2021 book Buildings in Print: 100 Influential & Inspiring Illustrated Architecture Books, but not mentioned in the book's "selected bibliography," were old catalogs from the Prairie Avenue Bookshop, the beloved and...
Archinect - Features
Creativity Won’t Protect Architects from Automation — But Labor Unions Might
The proliferation of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT has undermined long-held...
9 months ago
The proliferation of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT has undermined long-held assumptions that artificial intelligence would not threaten creative disciplines. In an effort to balance the opportunities and limits of artificial intelligence in the architecture...
Old Structures...
We Become Accustomed – Part 1
I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it...
a year ago
I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it illustrates an important phenomenon about change. When I talk about change in this blog, I most often mean technological change in the built environment, as new forms of construction...
devonzuegel.com
OWD #2: Vanished in Guadalajara
Alain and Marie-Agnes raised three children while living their nomadic lifestyle. So in this...
over a year ago
Alain and Marie-Agnes raised three children while living their nomadic lifestyle. So in this episode, we dug into how their role as parents shaped how they experience cities. Join us as we roam Bangkok, Guadalajara, Sana'a, Paris, Port-au-Prince, NYC and beyond!
RSS · Apple...
Common Edge
The Enduring Legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright
Why we still care, almost seven decades after his death.
3 months ago
Why we still care, almost seven decades after his death.
Common Edge
The Washington, D.C., Drawings of Dhiru Thadani
A longtime resident captures the capital’s planning, architectural, and social history with ink,...
a year ago
A longtime resident captures the capital’s planning, architectural, and social history with ink, pencil, and paint.
Archinect - Features
A Conversation with SCI-Arc's Undergraduate Chairs Kristy Balliet and Marcelyn Gow
Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and...
12 months ago
Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and chairs) to learn more about their pedagogical stances, academic perspectives, and what they envision for the school during their tenure.
SCI-Arc is an institution known for its...
CONTEMPORIST
A Green Exterior Helps This Cabin Blend Into The Forest
Scalar Architecture has completed a modern cabin in Connecticut that has a minimal ecological...
a year ago
Scalar Architecture has completed a modern cabin in Connecticut that has a minimal ecological footprint. Designed as a 1200-square-foot retreat for a family of writers and producers, the cabin is only accessible via foot or light utility vehicle. The cabin is located in a hilly...
Construction Physics
Why Is It So Hard to Build an Airport?
Airports are a critical piece of modern infrastructure. Aviation contributes an estimated 8% to...
9 months ago
Airports are a critical piece of modern infrastructure. Aviation contributes an estimated 8% to global GDP through direct and indirect effects (ie: the businesses and commerce that it enables), and an estimated 25% of companies’ sales rely on air transport. In 2022, civil...
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
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,...
Contemporist...
Brick Is The Material Of Choice For This New Home
Architecture and interiors firm Enter Projects Asia, has shared photos of a home they completed in...
3 months ago
Architecture and interiors firm Enter Projects Asia, has shared photos of a home they completed in Phuket, Thailand, that blends design and traditional artisanal craftsmanship.
Cartogrammar
Beyond the sea
In the northern reaches of Newfoundland, near the town of St. Anthony, is the Fox Point Lighthouse....
over a year ago
In the northern reaches of Newfoundland, near the town of St. Anthony, is the Fox Point Lighthouse. I’ve never been there, but I know it has one of the most impressive ocean views in the world. If you face perpendicular to the right bit of rocky coastline there and gaze straight...
Archinect - Features
'AI Is Both Incredible and Terrifying'; A Conversation with Neil Leach
Neil Leach is a British professor and licensed architect currently based in California. He has...
a year ago
Neil Leach is a British professor and licensed architect currently based in California. He has worked for NASA developing a 3D printer for the Moon and Mars, and is co-founder of DigitalFUTURES. Having authored over 40 books on architecture and digital design, and taught at some...
The Modern House
Bright Futures: six projects packed with potential
The best spaces are seldom served to you on a silver platter, instead requiring a bit of hard graft...
11 months ago
The best spaces are seldom served to you on a silver platter, instead requiring a bit of hard graft to bring out the glimmer. From an incredible volume at the foot of a Barbican tower to ambitious Oxford expansion, we present six doer-uppers ideal for […]
The Modern House
Zen and the art of mindset maintenance in a former warehouse in east London
a year ago
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
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...
Western Red Cedar Gives This Home A Warm Feeling Inside And Out
Swatt | Miers Architects has sent us photos of their project, the 'Happy Valley Residence' in...
a year ago
Swatt | Miers Architects has sent us photos of their project, the 'Happy Valley Residence' in Lafayette, California.
Archinect - Features
LEED? BREEAM? WELL? Six Major Green Building Labels Explained
When embarking on a mission to deliver a building to a high environmental and ecological standard,...
4 months ago
When embarking on a mission to deliver a building to a high environmental and ecological standard, architects are presented with a range of accreditation systems to both guide the design process and reward the results.
While some systems, such as LEED and BREEAM, emphasize...
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 1
With both the Mets and Yankees playing league championship games yesterday, this seems like a good...
2 months ago
With both the Mets and Yankees playing league championship games yesterday, this seems like a good time to discuss some of the oddities of New York’s relationship to the game of baseball. And the best place to start is just how many professional teams there have been here. Most...
Common Edge
Architecture Always Reflects the Values of Its Current Culture
What we build is who we are.
a year ago
What we build is who we are.
Contemporist...
This Prefab Home Was Installed On The Property In Just One Day
BIO-architects together with DublDom, have sent us photos of their latest project, DUB, a modular...
a year ago
BIO-architects together with DublDom, have sent us photos of their latest project, DUB, a modular single-family home in Russia.
Blog - Guerrilla...
Bangalore's Disappearing Lakes
In an area of pronounced water scarcity high on the Deccan plateau, at an altitude removed from...
over a year ago
In an area of pronounced water scarcity high on the Deccan plateau, at an altitude removed from river-water and of water extraction from the ground, despite being historically nourished by monsoons, Bangalore's current population faces deep inequities of access to water which are...
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