Old Structures...
Mannahatta
Before it was Manhattan, it was Mannahatta – a Lenape word meaning “hilly island” – when it still...
2 months ago
Before it was Manhattan, it was Mannahatta – a Lenape word meaning “hilly island” – when it still had a lot of hills. A few links to help explain:
Old Structures...
Well Duh
Another photo from Berniece Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, this one from 1936 and titled...
11 months ago
Another photo from Berniece Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, this one from 1936 and titled “Park Avenue and 39th Street.” As usual, Abbott was contrasting the big buildings in the background with the much older and smaller buildings in the foreground. Four of those big...
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.
Old Structures...
The Easy Route
On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much...
4 months ago
On Sunday, I mentioned in passing that Ridgewood and Glendale, which are in southwest Queens as much as there is a southwest Queens (that corner isn’t very big because most of where it might have been is Brooklyn) used to have service on the Long Island Railroad and now don’t. I...
Cartogrammar
Land by latitude and longitude, or, a pile of continents
Bill Rankin’s graphs of world population by latitude and longitude popped into mind for no...
over a year ago
Bill Rankin’s graphs of world population by latitude and longitude popped into mind for no particular reason the other day, followed by a silly-sounding question: “but, like, what about land area by latitude and longitude?” Silly because, duh, a chart of land area by latitude and...
The Modern House
How Abby Lee, founder of Mambow, is modernising Malaysian cuisine
a year ago
The Modern House
Architects Mariia Pashenko and Koen Schaballie on the radical reinvention of their Victorian home in...
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – Remodeled Kitchen And Bathrooms For A Mid-Century Modern Home
M Monroe Design has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel they recently completed for a...
a year ago
M Monroe Design has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel they recently completed for a mid-century modern home in Newport Beach, California, that includes a new kitchen as well as the main bathroom and a kids’ bathroom. Before – The KitchenThe original kitchen had a tiled...
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 4
After old teams, old Brooklyn ballparks, and old Manhattan ballparks, it’s time for ballparks in...
2 months ago
After old teams, old Brooklyn ballparks, and old Manhattan ballparks, it’s time for ballparks in Queens. Despite the modern use of a numbered street system, Queens has street naming that drives outsiders mad, so it is fitting that three of the four old ballparks in the borough...
The Modern House
How David Roy and Angel Perez carve out space for playtime and parties in their flexible Hackney...
a year ago
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 […]
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Sort Of Obvious
The fact that Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, is from Jersey City is integral to her character. As a teen,...
a month ago
The fact that Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, is from Jersey City is integral to her character. As a teen, she lives at home with her parents and most of the stories revolve around that location. So this view of the waterfront is not exactly hard to find
Old Structures...
What’s In A Name?
Apartment houses everywhere often have names seemingly disconnected from their surroundings. I grew...
2 months ago
Apartment houses everywhere often have names seemingly disconnected from their surroundings. I grew up in a building that was for no apparent reason called the Westgate, although at least the building immediately to its east was called the Eastgate. (There was no gate between...
The Modern House
From Bath bakery and restaurant to Bruton mill: the evolution of Landrace in Somerset
a year ago
The Modern House
Good Fortune: the best Chinese restaurants in London
a year ago
Archinect - Features
When Form Follows Meanings: AI’s Semantic Turn in Architecture
In the wake of artificial intelligence’s recently popularized presence in the architectural field...
a year ago
In the wake of artificial intelligence’s recently popularized presence in the architectural field and beyond, many are pondering what changes may be on the horizon in the discipline, if any. For Stanislas Chaillou, AI’s dissemination in architecture may refocus the profession’s...
The Modern House
Furniture designer James Stickley’s cleverly zoned live/work loft in east London
a year ago
Old Structures...
Split Personality
Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the...
a month ago
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...
An Alternate Timeline
Gustav Lindenthal really wanted to bridge the Hudson River. He was one of the most successful bridge...
11 months ago
Gustav Lindenthal really wanted to bridge the Hudson River. He was one of the most successful bridge engineers in the US – he’s best represented in New York by the Queensboro and Hell Gate Bridges – but nothing compares with his effort to building a suspension bridge across the...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Archetypical
From a graphic novel about art called Naked City: how do you capture the spirit of New York? A...
6 hours ago
From a graphic novel about art called Naked City: how do you capture the spirit of New York? A relentless grid and Old-Law tenements.
Archinect - Features
How to Understand Architecture Business Conditions Using the AIA's Architecture Billings...
Since 1995, the American Institute of Architects has conducted a monthly index detailing trends in...
7 months ago
Since 1995, the American Institute of Architects has conducted a monthly index detailing trends in billings by architecture firms in the United States. Over time, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has become a valuable metric for charting the economic health of the...
Construction Physics
Mass Timber is Great, but It Will Not Solve the Housing Shortage
A short policy memo recently posted on the Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) website argues...
9 months ago
A short policy memo recently posted on the Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) website argues that “mass timber can help solve the housing shortage.” It was posted as part of the Housing Ideas Challenge, a collaboration between FAS, Matt Yglesias and a few other...
devonzuegel.com
A libertarian just won Argentina's presidency... what's going on?
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential...
a year ago
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential election, here's some background.
First, a key fact is that the government is printing money at an accelerating rate, resulting in 143% annual inflation as of the most recent count. The...
Old Structures...
A Survivor
From a New York Public Library scrapbook, “Small apartment buildings”, dated 1915: The address is...
2 months ago
From a New York Public Library scrapbook, “Small apartment buildings”, dated 1915: The address is given as 1763-1769 Townsend Avenue, in the Bronx, which is good because it’s not like I could ever have identified this just from the photo. The site is less isolated than the photo...
CONTEMPORIST
A Vaulted Ceiling Is A Dramatic Feature Inside This Modern Barn House
BLA Design Group has sent us photos of a modern barn house they completed that features an atrium...
a year ago
BLA Design Group has sent us photos of a modern barn house they completed that features an atrium space that encourages activity and connectivity for a young family in British Columbia, Canada. The home sits on an irregular site located at the end of a cul-de-sac, and is designed...
The Modern House
Our guide to Kentish Town: Technicolour townhouses, natural wine and nature in north London
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
The 'As Found'
Over at World-Architects I reviewed As Found: Experiments in Preservation (Flanders Architecture...
a year ago
Over at World-Architects I reviewed As Found: Experiments in Preservation (Flanders Architecture Institute, 2023) edited by Sofie De Caigny, Hülya Ertas and Bie Plevoets, the companion to the exhibition of the same name at the Flanders Architecture Institute.
Read my review...
Construction Physics
The Technological Innovations that Produced the Shale Revolution
Part One of Hot Rocks: Commercializing Next-Generation Geothermal Energy
a year ago
Part One of Hot Rocks: Commercializing Next-Generation Geothermal Energy
Old Structures...
Someone Else’s Entertainment
Not everything you find on a rooftop is of much interest.
yesterday
Not everything you find on a rooftop is of much interest.
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A House Built Into The Ground And Covered In Flowers
Photography by Architectuurfotograaf – Rob van Esch Architecture firm WillemsenU has shared photos...
8 months ago
Photography by Architectuurfotograaf – Rob van Esch Architecture firm WillemsenU has shared photos of a home they completed in a meadow in The Netherlands, that has been built into the ground. The home is tucked away in the landscape, surrounded by flowers and trees, and hidden...
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 1
Continuing from yesterday’s dive, we have an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the...
a year ago
Continuing from yesterday’s dive, we have an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the relationship of the Brooklyn tower of the Brooklyn Bridge to the caisson that serves as its foundation. There’s a lot going on in this line drawing and it’s worth the time to describe it...
99% Invisible
The Monster Under the Sink [EPISODE]
In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other...
9 months ago
In the middle of the 20th century, the small town of Jasper, Indiana did something that no other city had done before: they made garbage illegal. The city would still collect some things, like soup cans and plastics, but yucky junk, like food waste, wouldn’t get picked up. This...
Old Structures...
180 Years
I found myself in Greenport NY for a project and was pleasantly surprised by the presence of the old...
4 months ago
I found myself in Greenport NY for a project and was pleasantly surprised by the presence of the old train station there. It’s not the current station, which is a bare concrete platform off to the right of the picture, and it’s not the original station, but that’s okay. As you...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Like A Movie Set
First, a panel from “The Bat-Man – First Knight,” an alternate telling of the Batman story, set in...
9 months ago
First, a panel from “The Bat-Man – First Knight,” an alternate telling of the Batman story, set in 1939: Second, a photo of Staple Street in lower Manhattan, from Unsplash: Note that the comic-book artist has flipped the image left-right – visible at the asymmetry in the bridge....
devonzuegel.com
Contemplating calendars
My friends say that my calendaring practice is atypical (and mock me incessantly for it). They're...
over a year ago
My friends say that my calendaring practice is atypical (and mock me incessantly for it). They're not wrong, but I'll contend that most people underutilize this ubiquitous tool. A calendar is not just a reminder device for keeping track of external events. Used right, a calendar...
The Modern House
All things nice: designer Tom Bartlett's converted spice factory is a lesson in decorating with...
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Waterfront A-frame House Renovated With Contemporary Finishes
Joe Herrin, Principal at Heliotrope Architects, has shared photos of an A-Frame cabin he completed...
6 months ago
Joe Herrin, Principal at Heliotrope Architects, has shared photos of an A-Frame cabin he completed as an idyllic little home on Orcas Island, set within the San Juan Island Archipelago of Washington state. The cabin structure is a modest late-60’s era kit A-frame, built by the...
Old Structures...
Gaudy
This scrapbook clipping is listed as 1895 to 1945. The presence of the entrance kiosk for the City...
a week ago
This scrapbook clipping is listed as 1895 to 1945. The presence of the entrance kiosk for the City Hall subway stop means it’s after 1904. I’m not sure if the Municipal Building (built 1909 to 1914) would be visible from this angle or would be off the left side of the frame; the...
The Modern House
Designer James Shaw’s self-built sunken house in east London
a year ago
Old Structures...
Skyscraperiness
As I’ve said many times, in many venues, there really isn’t an objective description of...
8 months ago
As I’ve said many times, in many venues, there really isn’t an objective description of “skyscraper.” That said, nearly everyone’s subjective definition contains a version of the idea that a skyscraper is tall for its context. Here’s an Irving Underhill photo centered on the...
Old Structures...
A Solution To An Intractable Problem
People usually like regular geometry, and I’d argue that architects like it more than the general...
a year ago
People usually like regular geometry, and I’d argue that architects like it more than the general public. That can create problems with buildings where the reality of construction and the reality of patterns can cause irregular geometry. The most famous example of the problem is...
Old Structures...
Escheresque
I’ll probably talk about this project more in the future, but seeing that it just started, I’m going...
a month ago
I’ll probably talk about this project more in the future, but seeing that it just started, I’m going to have a movie-style trailer consisting of a single photo: That’s roof framing at the Hopewell Furnace, an early-1800s ironworks in Pennsylvania. (Note that this is a...
CONTEMPORIST
Custom Bunk Beds Were Designed For This Jungle-Themed Kid’s Bedroom
Interior design firm Britt White Studio has shared photos of a jungle-themed kid’s bedroom they...
a year ago
Interior design firm Britt White Studio has shared photos of a jungle-themed kid’s bedroom they designed as part of an overall penthouse project. The room was designed for two brothers, aged 7 and 9, who worked directly with the designers for the creation of their shared room,...
devonzuegel.com
Traveling neighborhoods: a different kind of group trip
I've discovered a group trip format that I really love, and I wanted to share it with others because...
8 months ago
I've discovered a group trip format that I really love, and I wanted to share it with others because (a) you might find it fun to host or join something like this in the future and (b) selfishly, I would like more people to organize trips like this so that I can join them!
The...
devonzuegel.com
Uncharted waters: what startups can learn from pirates about compensation
Pirate crews developed a surprisingly similar approach to compensation in the 17th century. Just...
over a year ago
Pirate crews developed a surprisingly similar approach to compensation in the 17th century. Just like many startups, they also balanced equity incentives with other mechanisms that would be familiar to a startup employee today, such as bonuses.
These surprising similarities...
Contemporist...
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.
CONTEMPORIST
A Thatched Roof And Charred Wood Siding Were Used To Create This Modern Home
PAX Architects has completed a modern summer house in Skagen, Denmark, whose design pays tribute to...
a year ago
PAX Architects has completed a modern summer house in Skagen, Denmark, whose design pays tribute to the local architecture and history of the town it’s located in. The materials chosen for the home were inspired by the houses built in Skagen’s Black Period, when charred wood from...
Common Edge
How the YIMBY-NIMBY Debate Worsened the Housing Crisis
And how to change things for better results.
a year ago
And how to change things for better results.
CONTEMPORIST
A Round House Design Inspired By A Tree Trunk
Mobius Architekci has sent us photos of a home they designed in Izabelin, Poland, that has a round...
a year ago
Mobius Architekci has sent us photos of a home they designed in Izabelin, Poland, that has a round design. The vast, sandy plot densely covered with a pine forest created a unique setting for the house, with the architect drawing inspiration from a tree trunk. The home has been...
Old Structures...
Clogging Up Traffic
Traffic in lower Manhattan is always bad, but is today impassable even for pedestrians. The New York...
a month ago
Traffic in lower Manhattan is always bad, but is today impassable even for pedestrians. The New York Liberty are getting a ticker-tape parade for their WNBA championship. First, congrats to the Liberty and happy days to their fans. Second, there is something very New York about...
Common Edge
Mary Landrieu on Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and a Solution for the Rising Cost of Flood...
A talk with the former senator about the plan and the crisis of insurance affordability.
4 months ago
A talk with the former senator about the plan and the crisis of insurance affordability.
Common Edge
Finding Inspiration in Histories of Indian Families With Powerful Architectural Legacies
The stories found in Architectural Inheritance and Evolution in India rekindled the fire for the...
a year ago
The stories found in Architectural Inheritance and Evolution in India rekindled the fire for the profession in one young professional.
Common Edge
The ‘Social Landscapes’ of Lee Friedlander
For six decades, the photographer’s ability to offer a complex narrative about America in a single...
8 months ago
For six decades, the photographer’s ability to offer a complex narrative about America in a single image was always unique.
The Modern House
Six things not to miss this March
The daffodils and crocuses are popping up through the grass, the long-awaited transition of coat to...
a year ago
The daffodils and crocuses are popping up through the grass, the long-awaited transition of coat to jacket is nigh (we hope) and we’re all swooning over that extra hour of light: yes, spring is here. This March, we’re welcoming in the brighter days with six […]
Blog - Guerrilla...
Shelter: An Atlas
Food, water, shelter. The tripartite of basic needs. Without these no living thing can survive. Not...
a year ago
Food, water, shelter. The tripartite of basic needs. Without these no living thing can survive. Not a spider, not a badger, not a tree, not a human. The first two — food and water — are obvious; without them, sustenance is impossible. The food we eat gives us energy through...
The Modern House
Plot Twist: seven plots of land with planning permission for sale
If, like us, you take pleasure in seeing a project built from scratch, this round-up of listings...
a year ago
If, like us, you take pleasure in seeing a project built from scratch, this round-up of listings might be just the thing for you. Here we’re highlighting the best plots of land for sale that come with plans for cutting-edge contemporary builds or conversions. From […]
CONTEMPORIST
This Coastal-Inspired Interior Is Soft And Calming
Melling Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a duplex in Vancouver, turning it...
4 months ago
Melling Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a duplex in Vancouver, turning it into a warm and effortlessly coastal home for a young, active family. The home was completed in January 2023 and truly embodies the considered yet breezy essence of Kitsilano...
CONTEMPORIST
This Small Home Has Glass Walls And A Glass Ceiling
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, have shared photos of a...
a year ago
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, have shared photos of a tiny house in The Netherlands that they completed that’s almost entirely made out of glass to fully enjoy the surrounding forest. The allowed footprint of the new build was 21...
Old Structures...
Three Generations With Little Resemblence
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, a page from 1918 showing the Hotel Marguery on the west...
a month ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, a page from 1918 showing the Hotel Marguery on the west side of Park Avenue, between 47th and 49th Streets. The building’s address was 270 Park Avenue. That odd two-wing configuration is what happens when you plan a building around a...
Old Structures...
The Shapes Arise
Nearly every day, I walk past the construction of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project,...
6 months ago
Nearly every day, I walk past the construction of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project, part of protecting lower Manhattan from the kind of flooding that occurred during Hurricane Sandy. Much of it is relatively straightforward: there’s a big berm being added to the...
Old Structures...
Sequencing In Detailing
That’s an illustration from a 1913 article called “Engineering Design Of The Woolworth Building”...
10 months ago
That’s an illustration from a 1913 article called “Engineering Design Of The Woolworth Building” from The American Architect. That’s the design of the most heavily-loaded columns in the building, below the tower. To put it in perspective, that built-up column, composed of plates...
Old Structures...
A First Attempt
If you’re familiar with a final product, looking at the early ideas can be disconcerting. Things...
10 months ago
If you’re familiar with a final product, looking at the early ideas can be disconcerting. Things seem familiar but wrong, as can be seen in this 1870s map with a proposal for Morningside Park. The Upper West Side was pretty sparsely populated at that time because of the...
99% Invisible
Chambre de Bonne [EPISODE]
For many young people in Paris, it’s a right of passage to live in a very small, very French type of...
8 months ago
For many young people in Paris, it’s a right of passage to live in a very small, very French type of apartment, called a “chambre de bonne.” Literally, a maid’s room. A chambre de bonne is usually one small room, on the top floor of a five- or six-story apartment building, and...
CONTEMPORIST
This Kindergarten Design Features Vibrant Colored Glass Inside And Out
SAKO Architects has sent us photos of a kindergarten they designed in Tianshui, China, that features...
a year ago
SAKO Architects has sent us photos of a kindergarten they designed in Tianshui, China, that features a white exterior with a kaleidoscope of colors. The kindergarten, built in a small provincial town, features white exterior walls with windows in the shape of local yao-tung...
Old Structures...
Possibly A Bad Idea
John Zukowksy, a retired but still active historian, recently sent me a bizarre clipping from the...
5 months ago
John Zukowksy, a retired but still active historian, recently sent me a bizarre clipping from the Chicago Tribune about a plane semi-faking bombing lower Manhattan in 1916. The short version of the story: DeLloyd Thompson, an early aviator of some note, took off from the airfield...
CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – An Apartment Transformed With A New Interior
FCstudio has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that...
3 months ago
FCstudio has shared photos of an apartment renovation they completed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that transformed the space into a contemporary and open interior. The design plan included removing walls and creating integrated spaces, like in the living room, which was once a smaller...
Old Structures...
Not A Skyscaper
The picture above – courtesy of Irfan Haider of the Central Park Conservancy – shows the realization...
a year ago
The picture above – courtesy of Irfan Haider of the Central Park Conservancy – shows the realization of another of our designs for small rustic structures in the park. Again, Shaquana Lovell took the lead for OSE. In this case, the design of the log structure was not the main...
There are two types...
My Comments at the Midtown South Social Equity and Music Festival
Fifty-one years ago, the Pennsylvania Railroad tragically tore down Pennsylvania Station. Not only...
3 months ago
Fifty-one years ago, the Pennsylvania Railroad tragically tore down Pennsylvania Station. Not only is it the best building ever torn down in New York, but in the combined Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, we got the worst building in … Continue reading →
The post My...
Old Structures...
Some Same, Some Different
In the same vein as yesterday’s post, here’s an 1865 photo of Leonard Street: We’ve got a bunch of...
11 months ago
In the same vein as yesterday’s post, here’s an 1865 photo of Leonard Street: We’ve got a bunch of loft buildings with the employees of Van Volkenburgh Brothers and Ladewig & Haydter (the nearer building), Wright & Ketchum and S. E. Halle (the middle building), and two firms...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar – They’re Just Messing With Us
Daredevil – Matt Murdock- is blind. He’s got radar, but that doesn’t allow him to read what’s...
3 weeks ago
Daredevil – Matt Murdock- is blind. He’s got radar, but that doesn’t allow him to read what’s printed on a flat surface. So why would he have a poster of the NYC subway map in his kitchen?
The Modern House
How architect Charlie Luxton built a hidden home into a hillside in Oxfordfordshire
a year ago
Old Structures...
Travelog: Damage and Weirdness
Just because a building is cute, doesn’t mean it won’t have damage. Someone has done a pretty...
9 months ago
Just because a building is cute, doesn’t mean it won’t have damage. Someone has done a pretty thorough job of strapping the corners of this small building in Bath, as well as installing some kind of pinning at the middle of the side wall. It’s not clear which way the floor spans...
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?
Common Edge
Art & Architecture Writers Demand Fair Pay
Wages for free-lance journalists, covering the built environment, have been stagnant or in decline...
a year ago
Wages for free-lance journalists, covering the built environment, have been stagnant or in decline for years.
CONTEMPORIST
Exposed Wood Beams Create A Rustic Yet Modern Aesthetic For This Accessory Dwelling Unit
Obreval together with Catch Architecture, has recently completed a modern ADU (accessory dwelling...
12 months ago
Obreval together with Catch Architecture, has recently completed a modern ADU (accessory dwelling unit) in Carpenteria, California, whose design curves around a circular patio. The semicircular cutout that envelops the dwelling, invites an abundance of natural light into every...
Archinect - Features
What Europe Can (and Can’t) Tell the US About Architectural Licensure
In the third part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we reflect on what the United States can learn...
6 months ago
In the third part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we reflect on what the United States can learn from the architecture licensure models of other nations. While doing so, we speak with Peggy Deamer, Professor Emerita of Yale University's School of Architecture, whose book...
Common Edge
Climate Lessons From the Floating Villages of Cambodia
Social and cultural values may be as important as hard (and expensive) infrastructure.
a year ago
Social and cultural values may be as important as hard (and expensive) infrastructure.
Common Edge
Why So Many Banal Boxes? Because Architecture Reflects the Ethos of Its Time
The 5-over-1 is a perfect embodiment of our increasingly selfish and self-isolated existence.
6 months ago
The 5-over-1 is a perfect embodiment of our increasingly selfish and self-isolated existence.
Old Structures...
Not Saved
I vaguely know Fort Tilden – a former army base near the west end of the Rockaway peninsula – but...
3 months ago
I vaguely know Fort Tilden – a former army base near the west end of the Rockaway peninsula – but its remote location and the lack of anything there that really interests me mean that I don’t know it particularly well. So the headline “Time to pay last respects to the abandoned...
Construction Physics
Welding and the Automation Frontier
The big question about Artificial Intelligence, other than whether it will destroy human...
a year ago
The big question about Artificial Intelligence, other than whether it will destroy human civilization, is the effect it will have on employment. Large language models already seem poised to automate large fractions of the work in certain industries, and the technology is only...
CONTEMPORIST
A Multi-Functional Brass Clad Pod Is A Unique Feature In This Small Apartment
tsai Design has sent us photos of a micro-apartment they renovated in St. Kilda, Australia, that...
5 months ago
tsai Design has sent us photos of a micro-apartment they renovated in St. Kilda, Australia, that measures in at just 269 square feet (25m2), and features a unique and unexpected brass design element. Named ‘St Kilda Micro Sanctuary’, the small apartment has been designed for a...
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...
Contemporist...
Giant 'Woven' Fabric Graces The Window Of This Flagship Store
Architecture firm LAAB has shared photos the Cozey flagship retail store they designed in Toronto,...
a month ago
Architecture firm LAAB has shared photos the Cozey flagship retail store they designed in Toronto, Canada, that includes an eye-catching window showcase.
CONTEMPORIST
Steel, Wood, And Stone Are On Display Inside This Hillside Home
Bjella Architecture has sent us photos of a contemporary home they completed in Los Angeles,...
11 months ago
Bjella Architecture has sent us photos of a contemporary home they completed in Los Angeles, California, that’s nestled on a hillside overlooking the sprawling city. Due to the home being in an area prone to earthquakes, the structural elements are bigger and bolder. There are...
The Modern House
Our guide to Forest Gate: community spirit and small businesses in east London
a year ago
Contemporist...
A Warehouse-Inspired Home With A Spanish Twist
Multi-disciplinary design firm mcmahon and nerlich has shared photos of a warehouse-inspired...
a month ago
Multi-disciplinary design firm mcmahon and nerlich has shared photos of a warehouse-inspired townhouse with a Spanish twist inside.
Archinect - Features
'Starting a Successful Woman-Owned Business in a Heavily Male-Dominated Industry Is No Joke':...
In this episode of our Studio Snapshot series, Archinect connected with Allison Bryan, Founding...
2 months ago
In this episode of our Studio Snapshot series, Archinect connected with Allison Bryan, Founding Principal of multi-disciplinary design practice Open Studio Collective, based in Bozeman, Montana, and Ojai, California.
Trained in both graphic design and architecture, Bryan talks...
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 […]
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Bi-Fold Windows Connect The Inside And Outside Spaces Of This Home Extension
Ben Callery Architects has shared photos of a rear home extension they completed in Victoria,...
a year ago
Ben Callery Architects has shared photos of a rear home extension they completed in Victoria, Australia, that includes a deck for indoor/outdoor living. The deck has been designed with a shaded area that’s home to built-in seating and a couch. The other end of the deck has...
CONTEMPORIST
This Hurricane Proof House Was Built On Top Of 12-Foot Concrete Piers To Protect It From Flooding
Studio PEEK|ANCONA has designed a hurricane-proof home in New Jersey, as a result of the homeowners...
a year ago
Studio PEEK|ANCONA has designed a hurricane-proof home in New Jersey, as a result of the homeowners losing their previous house to hurricanes Sandy and Irene. The architects mention that “the challenge was to build a high-strength home with an efficient construction schedule,...
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...
Archinect - Features
From the Editors: What We're Thankful for in 2023
In a year marked with highs and lows, the Archinect editorial team has spent another year watching,...
a year ago
In a year marked with highs and lows, the Archinect editorial team has spent another year watching, listening, and reporting on the events of 2023. With the holidays drawing near and the year coming to a close, we pause to extend our gratitude to our dedicated readership and...
Old Structures...
Travelog: Minimal Observation
How much can you determine about a building in a minute or two? The short answer is “not much” but...
9 months ago
How much can you determine about a building in a minute or two? The short answer is “not much” but sometimes you can get useful information about the structure from the street. It’s certainly easier if you know the history of the area – I am far more efficient at building...
A Weekly Dose of...
Visualizing the World, Visualizing Change
In 1939, Otto Neurath's Modern Man in the Making was released by Alfred A. Knopf. Neurath was...
a year ago
In 1939, Otto Neurath's Modern Man in the Making was released by Alfred A. Knopf. Neurath was director of the International Foundation of Visual Information and used the Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education) system to "teach through the eye." A recent...
Contemporist...
A Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation Updates This Home With New Ideas
Australian-based Studio Minosa has shared photos of a kitchen and bathroom renovation they completed...
a year ago
Australian-based Studio Minosa has shared photos of a kitchen and bathroom renovation they completed for a Sydney suburban home owned by a design-conscious couple.
Common Edge
Inga Saffron on the Philadelphia 76ers’ Push for a New Downtown Arena
A talk with the Pulitzer Prize winning architecture critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
a week ago
A talk with the Pulitzer Prize winning architecture critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Construction Physics
The blast furnace - 800 years of technology improvement
The modern world uses shocking amounts of steel - in the US, we make roughly 575 pounds of steel per...
a year ago
The modern world uses shocking amounts of steel - in the US, we make roughly 575 pounds of steel per person per year. At the peak of US steelmaking in the late 1960s, it was closer to 1500 pounds per person, which is roughly how much China makes now.
A Weekly Dose of...
Book Briefs #48
This latest installment of "Book Briefs" — the series of occasional posts featuring short first-hand...
over a year ago
This latest installment of "Book Briefs" — the series of occasional posts featuring short first-hand descriptions of some of the numerous books that publishers send to me for consideration on this blog — features six books in three pairs. Obviously, these briefs are not...
Common Edge
Urban Farming: A Sustainable Pathway Out of Nigeria’s Unfolding Food Crisis
Havana, Tokyo, and Paris offer successful examples of how it might work.
5 months ago
Havana, Tokyo, and Paris offer successful examples of how it might work.
A Weekly Dose of...
Places in Time I
Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is...
a year ago
Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is architectural surveys: books that usually collect buildings of a certain typology, but also ones spanning a particular timeframe or through some other theme. I've written a few of them...
CONTEMPORIST
A’ Design Awards & Competition – Call for Submissions
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award &...
3 months ago
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing thousands of award winners from 114 different design disciplines. Red House...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Perfect Match
Some gangsters in a car, running from The Shadow: A circa 1920 view of the Broad Street roman-temple...
6 months ago
Some gangsters in a car, running from The Shadow: A circa 1920 view of the Broad Street roman-temple facade of the New York Stock Exchange, with the Wilks Building immediately to its right and Federal Hall, with George Washington standing out front, on the far right. I don’t know...
McMansion Hell
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from...
The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on...
a year ago
The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from farmhouse chic to imminent environmental collapse. If you’ve been seeing an inordinate number of big ugly houses pop up in your...
99% Invisible
Anything’s Pastable: Eat Sauté Love [EPISODE]
This week we’re featuring an episode from The Sporkful’s series on the creation of “Anything’s...
8 months ago
This week we’re featuring an episode from The Sporkful’s series on the creation of “Anything’s Pastable,” Dan Pashman’s new pasta cookbook. In part two of “Anything’s Pastable,” Dan embarks on an epic trip across Italy in search of lesser-known pasta dishes — and to learn about...
The Modern House
A blank canvas within one of London’s best brutalist buildings
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Exterior Lighting Shows Off The Post And Beam Structure Of This Home
Ward + Blake Architects has shared photos of a modern post and beam home they completed in Wyoming,...
a year ago
Ward + Blake Architects has shared photos of a modern post and beam home they completed in Wyoming, that’s been placed on a hillside, just above a farmable portion of the site to preserve the ongoing agricultural use of the property. The home has generous roof overhangs that...
devonzuegel.com
Urban sprawl is a tragedy of the commons
We tend to choose larger homes than we want our neighbors to choose. The result: sprawling...
over a year ago
We tend to choose larger homes than we want our neighbors to choose. The result: sprawling development that doesn't match what people actually want from their communities.
People aim to maximize access and space when deciding where to live.
All things equal, most people like...
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A White Material Palette Creates A Peaceful Coastal Living Feeling For This Home
Habitat Studio Architects has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Queensland,...
a year ago
Habitat Studio Architects has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Queensland, Australia, that’s located right on Currumbin Beach. Inspired by coastal living, the home features an exterior of stone, white weatherboards that reflect the sun, and white battens that...
Archinect - Features
'The Relationship Between AI and Architecture Is Old Enough to Receive Social Security'; A...
Molly Wright Steenson's introduction to the world of computing came when she was ten years old. From...
a year ago
Molly Wright Steenson's introduction to the world of computing came when she was ten years old. From there, her career as a writer, designer, historian, and professor has taken her on a journey of understanding the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence and its...
CONTEMPORIST
This Bedroom With A Partial Glass Floor Looks Down To The Living Room Below
Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo,...
a year ago
Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that features a partial glass floor in the bedroom. The apartment has been designed with the living space on the lower floor, while the bedroom is located upstairs. One...
CONTEMPORIST
Patterned Brickwork Is Featured On The Exterior Of The Ace Hotel In Toronto
Photography by Scott Norseworthy Shim-Sutcliffe Architects has sent us photos of the Ace Hotel in...
a year ago
Photography by Scott Norseworthy Shim-Sutcliffe Architects has sent us photos of the Ace Hotel in Toronto, Canada, which has a red brick facade that draws guests in with a wood-lined opening. Working closely with the creative agency Atelier Ace, the architects of the hotel...
CONTEMPORIST
Weathered Steel Covers The Exterior Of This Modern Home In Texas
Photography by Casey Dunn Miró Rivera Architects has shared photos of a home they completed in...
6 months ago
Photography by Casey Dunn Miró Rivera Architects has shared photos of a home they completed in Austin, Texas, which overlooks a sweeping lawn shaded by towering native pecan and bald cypress trees. Photography by Casey Dunn The house is comprised of two wings flanking a central...
Common Edge
‘Even If a Project Fails, the Ideas Behind It Don’t Disappear’
A talk with Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, authors of Atlas of Never Built Architecture.
6 months ago
A talk with Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, authors of Atlas of Never Built Architecture.
Contemporist...
This Home's Addition Is Designed To Feel Like You've Stepped Into The Garden
BENT Architecture has shared photos of a project they designed in Victoria, Australia, that included...
a year ago
BENT Architecture has shared photos of a project they designed in Victoria, Australia, that included the design of a rear extension that answers the statement, "Imagine if your home could feel like living in a garden pavilion".
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...
Archinect - Features
Debates Surrounding Architectural Competitions Are Nothing New
In the US architectural profession of the 2020s, and newfound scrutiny over workplace conditions...
6 months ago
In the US architectural profession of the 2020s, and newfound scrutiny over workplace conditions from unpaid overtime to a poor work-life balance, architecture competitions have become the subject of debate over how the profession values itself and is valued by wider society...
Construction Physics
Contribute to the US Megaprojects Database!
The US Megaprojects Database Very large construction or technology development projects are...
a year ago
The US Megaprojects Database Very large construction or technology development projects are sometimes called “megaprojects." By directing thousands of workers and billions of dollars towards the achievement of a single goal, great things can be achieved. The output of...
Old Structures...
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...
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, […]
CONTEMPORIST
Distillery-Inspired Materials Are Featured Throughout The Interior Of This Gin Bar
Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent...
11 months ago
Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent us photos of the Moretti Gin Bar that they have recently completed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The design of the bar incorporates elements that have been inspired by the gin...
The Beauty of...
In Search of Perfection: Plato’s Double Arrow (Rail Symbol 2, Nick Job for Network Rail, 2022)
It takes some strange mixture of bravery, confidence, and the thickest of skins to take on the job...
over a year ago
It takes some strange mixture of bravery, confidence, and the thickest of skins to take on the job of redesigning a national icon. Once again, the rail industry’s “double arrow”, the symbol that has come completely to mean “railway” in Britain, has been given a facelift. Previous...
Common Edge
Picturing an Exhibition: Closing the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
a year ago
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
Old Structures...
An Advanced Method Of Doing Something Simple
This detail takes some explanation. This is from a late-1800s factory building. It’s a bearing-wall...
7 months ago
This detail takes some explanation. This is from a late-1800s factory building. It’s a bearing-wall building with heavy-timber floors, and it appears to have been constructed to code for that type and era. There were a number of almost-modern code requirements that end up being...
Archinect - Features
Architecture's Interest Rate Prayers Answered: Archinect’s State of AEC August 2024
Welcome to the third installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
3 months ago
Welcome to the third installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically.
In our previous edition of the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Curved Green Roof Allows This Winery To Blend Into The Landscape
Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech...
a year ago
Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech Republic, which includes a unique curved green roof. The building’s location in the open countryside naturally brought with it high demands for architectural and landscape integration....
Common Edge
The Architecture of “Thin Places” and How to Design Them
Places that are “thin” offer experiences outside of the everyday.
a year ago
Places that are “thin” offer experiences outside of the everyday.
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Kitchen And Bathroom Remodel For This 1970s Home
SHED Architecture & Design has shared their latest project, the contemporary interior remodel of a...
a year ago
SHED Architecture & Design has shared their latest project, the contemporary interior remodel of a 1970s home on Seattle’s Mercer Island that was originally designed by William Rutledge. The house met the functional needs of its new owners but did not quite suit their...
Common Edge
What Would a Code of Ethics Look Like for Architecture Schools?
Some simple guidelines would help clarify issues.
a year ago
Some simple guidelines would help clarify issues.
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...
Archinect - Features
USC Students Try a ‘Bottom-Up’ Approach To Sustainable Housing Delivery in the School of...
Our latest Archinect Studio Pin-Ups takes a look at three studios at Archinect Partner School USC...
2 days ago
Our latest Archinect Studio Pin-Ups takes a look at three studios at Archinect Partner School USC School of Architecture, offered as part of their one-year Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies (M.AARS) postgraduate program.
Led by instructors Julia Sulzer and Sascha...
CONTEMPORIST
Glazed Pink Tiles Cover This New Home Addition
Office S&M Architects has shared photos of a home addition they designed for a Victorian house in...
3 months ago
Office S&M Architects has shared photos of a home addition they designed for a Victorian house in North London, that includes glazed pink pillow-shaped tiles. The handmade glazed tiles in a pink shade complement the home’s warm brick tones and draw upon the clients’ love of...
Old Structures...
A Depressing Follow-Up
Seven years ago, I said of the SS United States “Without a use and without a lot of money, it will...
5 months ago
Seven years ago, I said of the SS United States “Without a use and without a lot of money, it will be gone forever. And if that happens, the world won’t end but it will be poorer for the loss.” Neither a use nor the money was found and as of September 12 this coming fall, the […]
Archinect - Features
How To Reduce the Stress of an Architecture Job Search
At some point in their careers, most, if not all, individuals in the architecture profession find...
5 months ago
At some point in their careers, most, if not all, individuals in the architecture profession find themselves looking for new employment. This can include graduates looking for their first job out of architecture school, experienced designers and architects moving from one firm to...
Old Structures...
Amusing Until It’s Not
This story turns ugly rather quickly. From the New York Public Library scrapbook, The Hippotheatron...
4 months ago
This story turns ugly rather quickly. From the New York Public Library scrapbook, The Hippotheatron and New York Cirque: That’s 14th Street between Irving Place and Third Avenue, with an out-chapel of Grace Church next door. As the name suggests, that weird building was a theater...
The Modern House
Mark Bonskek and Sabba Khan’s playful Maryland home is a masterclass in materiality
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Remodeled 1970s Home In Seattle
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel of a 1970s home they...
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel of a 1970s home they completed that was originally designed by prominent Seattle Architect, Ralph Anderson. The 3-story home on Seattle’s Mercer Island was renovated and modernized, preserving what the...
Old Structures...
Shorter
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, two pictures of St. George’s Episcopal Church at the...
2 months ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, two pictures of St. George’s Episcopal Church at the corner of 16th Street and Rutherford Place, on the west side of Stuyvesant Square: Something seems different…can’t quite put my finger on it… The spires were removed in 1889, 33...
The Wandering...
QGIS 3 and Vector map tiles
If you’ve ever tried printing a map from the Open Street Map tile service (available in QGIS through...
over a year ago
If you’ve ever tried printing a map from the Open Street Map tile service (available in QGIS through QuickMapServices plugin) you’ve experienced the annoyance of having all your labels come out tiny. In other words, you see this on the screen… But then you get this out of your...
Construction Physics
How to Build an AI Data Center
This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in...
6 months ago
This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in America: Building the Next Generation of AI Infrastructure at Home. In this series, we examine the challenges of accelerating the American AI data center buildout. Future pieces will...
The Modern House
The Green Series #1: an insiders' guide to insulation
The first instalment of our mini Green Series is all about insulation. Insulation is a key feature...
a month ago
The first instalment of our mini Green Series is all about insulation. Insulation is a key feature of passivhaus design as it reduces the amount of heat lost through the building fabric to a very low level, reducing the heat requirement of the building. Kate Jacobs […]
Old Structures...
Also From The Train, Again
I was going through some old photos and found this, and was gong to use it for a blog post until I...
2 months ago
I was going through some old photos and found this, and was gong to use it for a blog post until I looked and realized that I already had. So here it is again: That’s the West Shore railroad, as seen from the Hudson line (AKA the New York Central main line), and from across […]
Contemporist...
This Library Is Almost Entirely Built Into The Land Around It
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP has recently completed a new library in Kisarazu, Japan, that has been built...
a year ago
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP has recently completed a new library in Kisarazu, Japan, that has been built into the earth.
Blog - Guerrilla...
Pools and Populations in the SF Bay Area
For many people, swimming in a pool on a hot July day with kids splashing and lifeguards hollering...
a month ago
For many people, swimming in a pool on a hot July day with kids splashing and lifeguards hollering is the quintessential summer experience. Not only do pools provide a place for people to recreate and cool off in the summer heat, but access to pools is essential to making basic...
The Modern House
Far-Flung: Four remote homes (and one hotel) scattered across the Scottish Isles
With gargantuan views across machair-robed mountains and legend-laden lochs, the wild and windswept...
7 months ago
With gargantuan views across machair-robed mountains and legend-laden lochs, the wild and windswept Scottish coast offers up a different kind of island dwelling. These far-flung homes (and one beach-front lodging) offer a sense of considered and quiet retreat amid what is an...
Common Edge
The Art and Angst of Architecture in Southern California
An excerpt from An Urban Odyssey: A Critic’s Search for the Soul of Cities and Self.
3 weeks ago
An excerpt from An Urban Odyssey: A Critic’s Search for the Soul of Cities and Self.
Old Structures...
Head In The Clouds
One of my favorite views of tall buildings, again: in the fog. New York Bay has more than it’s fair...
7 months ago
One of my favorite views of tall buildings, again: in the fog. New York Bay has more than it’s fair share of fog, and sometimes it creeps back up into the city. We had one of those days last week.
Old Structures...
A Different Configuration
I almost didn’t recognize this photograph, even though I’ve been involved with the building since...
6 months ago
I almost didn’t recognize this photograph, even though I’ve been involved with the building since 2011. The New York Public Library digital archive has this labelled as the “Onderdonk Mill, Roslyn” and if they hadn’t mentioned the town name I wold have gone right by it. We’ve...
The Modern House
Inside Vitra’s spectacular new showroom in Shoreditch
a year ago
99% Invisible
Roman, Elliott, and Robert Caro: Live in Conversation
For 50 years, The Power Broker has remained a landmark biography, transforming how people see former...
a month ago
For 50 years, The Power Broker has remained a landmark biography, transforming how people see former New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. If you’ve been listening to 99% Invisible’sPower Broker Breakdown, you’re familiar with the story. The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The...
The Modern House
Portal of change: the gentle evolution of Harfield Gardens – the family home behind the orange door
2 months ago
99% Invisible
The Known Unknown [EPISODE]
How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans...
a year ago
How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. After the Civil War, the Union buried 2,111 soldiers in a mass grave in Arlington that they purposely built in the middle of...
Old Structures...
Looking Closely
The picture above shows the top end of a ten-story column, where it’s embedded just below a parapet....
a year ago
The picture above shows the top end of a ten-story column, where it’s embedded just below a parapet. My first thought, when seeing something like this, is that I sometimes have trouble getting people to understand the nature of steel embedment in masonry between 1900 and 1940....
Construction Physics
How the Car Came to LA
Since at least the 1960s, urbanists have bemoaned the car-centric nature of US transportation. In...
a year ago
Since at least the 1960s, urbanists have bemoaned the car-centric nature of US transportation. In her 1961 “The Death and Life of Great American Cities," Jane Jacobs notes that “everyone who values cities is disturbed by automobiles”: Traffic arteries, along with parking lots,...
Common Edge
Money and the Conundrum of Architects Who Don’t Build
The identity is a little different than the actual grind.
a year ago
The identity is a little different than the actual grind.
Old Structures...
What “Structure First” Means
I like “Why we need a ‘structure first’ approach to existing buildings” by Penny Gowler, which is...
8 months ago
I like “Why we need a ‘structure first’ approach to existing buildings” by Penny Gowler, which is perhaps not surprising since I’m a structural engineer. I’m going to argue here that Ms. Gowler’s article and my position are just slightly more nuanced than that. Architectural...
Common Edge
“What Would Jane Jacobs Do?” Is the Wrong Question
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
3 months ago
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
Benny Kuriakose
Importance of Landscape in School Design
Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only...
a year ago
Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only comprises of the buildings in a school,...
Construction Physics
How Washington DC Got Its Metro
There have been two main periods of subway (or “metro”) building in the US. The first was during the...
a year ago
There have been two main periods of subway (or “metro”) building in the US. The first was during the late 19th century and early 20th century, when Boston, New York, and Philadelphia all built subway systems
The Modern House
Coast and countryside at a contemporary home in Suffolk
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before + After – A New Garden Studio For A Writer
MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old...
9 months ago
MW Architects has shared photos of a new garden room in London, England, that replaced an old derelict wash house, that was in danger of slipping down a steep slope and existed at the back of an overgrown garden. Here’s what it looked like originally. The new studio, which has...
There are two types...
“My Open Letter to NYC DOT Commissioner Rodriquez”
Dear Commissioner Rodriquez, I’m writing to you because I just signed up for a workshop to improve...
over a year ago
Dear Commissioner Rodriquez, I’m writing to you because I just signed up for a workshop to improve Canal Street that your department is running tonight. I met you when you were a Councilman. I know you care deeply about making … Continue reading →
The post “My Open Letter to NYC...
devonzuegel.com
Topographic theory of flaking
Natan Gesher sent me the following email after reading my post about why flaking is so widespread in...
over a year ago
Natan Gesher sent me the following email after reading my post about why flaking is so widespread in San Francisco, and I thought you all might find it interesting too:
I saw your blog posts about flaking and wanted to share something I've observed from moving around a bit (four...
99% Invisible
Devolutionary Design [EPISODE]
It’s hard to overstate just how important record album art was to music in the days before people...
a year ago
It’s hard to overstate just how important record album art was to music in the days before people downloaded everything. Visuals were a key part of one’s experience with a record or tape or CD. The design of the album cover created a first impression of what was to come. Album...
A Weekly Dose of...
Favorite Books of 2023
For the fifteenth and last time on this blog, I'm highlighting my favorite books of the year,...
a year ago
For the fifteenth and last time on this blog, I'm highlighting my favorite books of the year, selected from the many books I reviewed or featured as "Book Briefs" on this blog, and the few titles that I reviewed at World-Architects. From the 86 books I featured in 2023, 15 (or...
devonzuegel.com
Israel's water miracle
The saga of Israeli water management is one of the most inspiring stories of the last 75 years....
a year ago
The saga of Israeli water management is one of the most inspiring stories of the last 75 years. Israel went from having a serious water problem to being a net water exporter to neighboring countries. Meanwhile, the population grew from ~1 million to well over 9 million.
With...
Construction Physics
Will We Ever Get Fusion Power?
“Every one of the stars in the sky uses fusion to generate enormous amounts of energy. Why shouldn’t...
5 months ago
“Every one of the stars in the sky uses fusion to generate enormous amounts of energy. Why shouldn’t we?”
The Wandering...
Constructing the Pattern on the Sala de la Barca Ceiling
I was flipping through Owen Jones’s Grammar of Ornament a couple months ago, and my eye was caught...
8 months ago
I was flipping through Owen Jones’s Grammar of Ornament a couple months ago, and my eye was caught by this handsome pattern I had not noticed before. This is Jones’s Plate XLII, in the chapter on designs from the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. He calls it, “Part of the ceiling of...
Old Structures...
Delaying The Obvious Solution
The idea behind Columbus Circle was a good one. The corner of a large park (Central Park, in this...
6 months ago
The idea behind Columbus Circle was a good one. The corner of a large park (Central Park, in this case) is a good place to have a monumental space. The only problem was reality: the southwest corner of Central Park is the intersection of Central Park West (AKA Eight Avenue),...
Benny Kuriakose
Mahabalipuram - The Seaside Art Hub
A triumphant center for sculptures just 57 kilometers south of Chennai city, is an art hub and...
a year ago
A triumphant center for sculptures just 57 kilometers south of Chennai city, is an art hub and famous travel destination called...
There are two types...
“Big Real Estate’s Continuing Stranglehold Over New York City”
Recently, the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times about the causes of...
over a year ago
Recently, the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times about the causes of unaffordable housing in New York City. He blamed the crisis on a few things, including a powerful financial “monoculture” in the city, NIMBYs, … Continue reading →
The post “Big...
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...
The Modern House
The 'sculptural experience' of designer Ashley Law’s uniquely tactile cottage in Whitechapel
8 months ago
Common Edge
Everything Is (Not) Architecture: Environmental Design and Architecture’s Slippery Slope
Does it exist, distinct from buildings and bodies?
a year ago
Does it exist, distinct from buildings and bodies?
Benny Kuriakose
Photographing the Exterior of a Historic Building: Part II
In the 1870s, architectural photographer Albert Levy began capturing old buildings, thus giving rise...
a year ago
In the 1870s, architectural photographer Albert Levy began capturing old buildings, thus giving rise to a new kind of photography called...
CONTEMPORIST
A Pool House And Loggia Enhance This Lush Backyard Experience
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a modern addition of a pool house and loggia they...
4 months ago
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a modern addition of a pool house and loggia they designed for an existing primary residence in Florida. The pool house and loggia are sleek yet thoughtful and seamless extensions of the home, with the design blending comfort,...
Archinect - Features
Echoes and Requiems: Reflecting on the Legacy of Woodbury University School of Architecture...
In the summer of 2006, I received a call from my friend and colleague Catherine Herbst, who had...
6 months ago
In the summer of 2006, I received a call from my friend and colleague Catherine Herbst, who had recently become the head of Woodbury University School of Architecture in San Diego (WUSD) following the departure of the previous chair, Geraldine Forbes, to New Mexico. During our...
Archinect - Features
The People’s Place in the City of Bits and Atoms
The city of the 21st century represents a confluence of bits and atoms; an organism in its own right...
9 months ago
The city of the 21st century represents a confluence of bits and atoms; an organism in its own right that relentlessly spawns information and data about itself, its people, and the invisible flows that support them. What is the relationship between humans and the city in this new...
CONTEMPORIST
A New Extension Adds A Home Office And Bedroom To This Miami Bungalow
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a 900 sqft addition in South Miami, Florida, for...
4 months ago
Upstairs Studio Architecture has shared photos of a 900 sqft addition in South Miami, Florida, for owners who were looking for a little extra room in their traditional home, that was open to the outdoors, and allowed for a private primary bedroom and studio apart from the main...
Old Structures...
A Moment Captured
This sketch is labelled ‘Architectural drawing for a customs house (“United States Custom House”),...
11 months ago
This sketch is labelled ‘Architectural drawing for a customs house (“United States Custom House”), New York, New York’ on the Library of Congress website. It’s not clear if that title was somehow written on the sketch or is a librarian’s interpretation of the content. It’s...
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
Life and love in a 1960s townhouse in north London
10 months ago
Archinect - Features
Exploring Architecture’s Uncertain Nature With Schidlowski Fellow François Sabourin
Academic fellowships provide unique opportunities for designers and researchers to explore specific...
a year ago
Academic fellowships provide unique opportunities for designers and researchers to explore specific topics of interest while teaching. Archinect's Fellow Fellows series showcases individuals who are currently in or have recently finished an architecture fellowship.
For our...
The Modern House
Bright Sparks: five light-filled homes for sale
The magic of natural light is not to be underestimated: it can lift our spirits, improve our...
a year ago
The magic of natural light is not to be underestimated: it can lift our spirits, improve our circadian rhythms, inspire us to learn and make our plants happy. But that’s not all: when it comes to our homes, it can transform a space entirely, elevating […]
Old Structures...
Structural Logic In An Older Form
From an 1880s building in Tribeca: the double beam supporting the front facade (sidewalk vault on...
4 months ago
From an 1880s building in Tribeca: the double beam supporting the front facade (sidewalk vault on the left, cellar on the right) where it meets the side wall at a pier. That’s a granite block directly below the beams, which can be a little hard to tell because of the paint on all...
SOCKS
90-Degree Axonometric’s by Auguste Merle (Late 19th – Early 20th C.)
Auguste Merle was an Art Brut artist living in France at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries....
8 months ago
Auguste Merle was an Art Brut artist living in France at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. His works depict imaginary buildings with meticulous detailing, using graphite on notebook paper. The rigorous yet inventive forms are depicted in 90-degree axonometric projections,...
Common Edge
Architecture and the God Problem
Defining divinity and higher powers, in the context of design, is often fraught.
a year ago
Defining divinity and higher powers, in the context of design, is often fraught.
Archinect - Features
How To Create an Elevator Pitch for Your Architecture Portfolio When Job Searching
Your architecture portfolio is one of your most powerful tools when searching for a new career...
4 months ago
Your architecture portfolio is one of your most powerful tools when searching for a new career opportunity. Whether describing your work at a networking event or presenting your previous projects in an interview setting, the ability to clearly and succinctly pitch your portfolio...
The Modern House
Retro a go go: six homes that epitomise the day-to-day dynamism of mid-century design
Over half a century later, our admiration for mid-century design shows no sign of slumping. As we...
7 months ago
Over half a century later, our admiration for mid-century design shows no sign of slumping. As we crave a closer connection to our surroundings and distinct, mood-matching spaces throughout our homes – time and again, mid-century modern seems to satisfy our exacting demands....
Common Edge
The Creative Power Produced by Embracing Paradox
There is a keen sense of insight that comes from being in the in-between spaces of a largely binary...
a year ago
There is a keen sense of insight that comes from being in the in-between spaces of a largely binary culture.
Old Structures...
Odd One Out
Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an...
6 months ago
Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an early 1900s edition of King’s Views of New York, showing a rendering of the bridge before it was completed (on top), paired with a photo of the just-completed Williamsburg Bridge...
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...
Contemporist...
Wood Houses Appear Through The Tops Of The Trees At This Nature-Focused Resort
Stilt Studios has shared photos of a newly completed project called the Treehouse Villa, which is...
a year ago
Stilt Studios has shared photos of a newly completed project called the Treehouse Villa, which is located in Grün Resort Uluwatu, a family-run nature-focused luxury boutique resort in Bali.
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #04: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [EPISODE]
This is the fourth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
8 months ago
This is the fourth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott also sit down with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the U.S. representative for New York’s 14th...
devonzuegel.com
Remote work will break the US monopoly on global talent
Remote work is creating a new economic niche, and countries that put in the work to fill it will...
over a year ago
Remote work is creating a new economic niche, and countries that put in the work to fill it will finally be able to compete with the US to attract talent. This is the once-in-a-generation opportunity for small, stable countries to grow, diversify, and up-skill their...
The Modern House
A mid-century renovation project overlooking the water in south Cornwall
a year ago
Contemporist...
An Elevated Room Surrounded By Trees In The Jungle
Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura has shared photos of a room they designed and built in the jungle in...
2 months ago
Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura has shared photos of a room they designed and built in the jungle in Ecuador, that features a sleeping area and bathroom.
Old Structures...
Pareidolia
He’s a happy little gas-powered guy.
5 months ago
He’s a happy little gas-powered guy.
Contemporist...
A Muted Palette Unifies The Interior Of This Remodeled Mid-Century Modern Home
Gast Architects has sent us photos of a remodel they completed for an Eichler home in the San...
a year ago
Gast Architects has sent us photos of a remodel they completed for an Eichler home in the San Francisco Bay Area, that hadn’t been updated since it was built in 1955.
CONTEMPORIST
Overhanging Plants Wrap Around The Second Floor Of This Home
Strang Design has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Miami, Florida, that’s designed...
a year ago
Strang Design has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Miami, Florida, that’s designed to wrap around a swimming pool. The home has been organized into an “H-shape,” allowing the interiors to be flooded with natural light and to showcase views of the natural...
Common Edge
The Challenge of Creating a Women-Friendly Architecture School in Afghanistan
Years of effort have been undone by political strife, while earthquakes have further destroyed...
a year ago
Years of effort have been undone by political strife, while earthquakes have further destroyed heritage structures.
CONTEMPORIST
This Small Home With A Green Roof Curves Around A Pond
Architect office Hello Wood has sent us photos of a small modern house they completed tucked away in...
5 months ago
Architect office Hello Wood has sent us photos of a small modern house they completed tucked away in Hungary’s lush rural landscapes. Situated next to a fishing pond, the home is a retreat for the owners and is dug into a mound, peeking out just enough to blend with the horizon....
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A 1960s Split-Level Turned Three-Story Home In Seattle
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a remodel project they completed in Seattle,...
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a remodel project they completed in Seattle, Washington, that transformed a 1960s split-level home into an updated design for a family of five. The project’s goals were to modernize the space, add a third floor, relocate the...
Old Structures...
Onec You See It
The current round of repair work on the Manhattan Bridge has reached the stage of painting the...
8 months ago
The current round of repair work on the Manhattan Bridge has reached the stage of painting the towers. It has, to my eye, the unfortunate effect of making the bridge look like it’s wearing shorts.
The Modern House
A much-loved modernist townhouse in Sheffield's visionary Park Hill estate
6 months ago
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....
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.
There are two types...
Notes on Beyond Architecture: The New New York
The post Notes on <i>Beyond Architecture: The New New York</i> appeared first on There are two types...
3 days ago
The post Notes on <i>Beyond Architecture: The New New York</i> appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good architecture, and the other kind.
Old Structures...
Sketches by a Master
This sketch sheet by Cass Gilbert, dated February 3, 1912, is titled “Institutional structures by...
11 months ago
This sketch sheet by Cass Gilbert, dated February 3, 1912, is titled “Institutional structures by Gilbert” in the Library of Congress, although it has both public and commercial buildings. Gilbert’s description at the bottom is better: “These buildings are now in the office in...
The Modern House
Nice Slice: the best pizza in London
a year ago
Archinect - Features
Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Set Designer
As we delve deeper into our exploration of key job titles within the intersection of architecture...
a year ago
As we delve deeper into our exploration of key job titles within the intersection of architecture and the broader world of design, we turn our attention to a role that plays a pivotal part in the realms of film, television, and theater: the Set Designer. This role, while...
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Lines The Length Of The Gable Vaulted Ceiling In This Home
Architecture firm The Ranch Mine, has designed a new home in Flagstaff, Arizona, that’s inspired by...
a year ago
Architecture firm The Ranch Mine, has designed a new home in Flagstaff, Arizona, that’s inspired by the landscape of the surrounding San Francisco Volcanic Field. The surrounding landscape is reflected in the decision to choose a black exterior for the home, while the interiors...
Construction Physics
The Rise of Steel - Part I
One of the defining characteristics of the modern world is the ubiquity of steel. Nearly every...
a year ago
One of the defining characteristics of the modern world is the ubiquity of steel. Nearly every product of industrial civilization relies on steel, either as a component or as part of the equipment used to produce it. Without it, Vaclav Smil notes in “Still the Iron Age”, modern...
devonzuegel.com
On [there being more than] liberty
Recently, Ayaz Matin sent me an email asking the following question:
When I was looking at your...
over a year ago
Recently, Ayaz Matin sent me an email asking the following question:
When I was looking at your website I came across these words:
Individual liberty is the single most important value that society should uphold.
I’m more utilitarian and communitarian now.
I still believe we...
devonzuegel.com
The silence is deafening
Imagine you're at a dinner party, and you're getting into a heated argument. As you start yelling,...
over a year ago
Imagine you're at a dinner party, and you're getting into a heated argument. As you start yelling, the other people quickly hush their voices and start glaring at you. None of the onlookers have to take further action—it's clear from their facial expressions that you're being a...
Common Edge
Jane Jacobs Would Reject NYC’s Proposed “City of Yes”
YIMBYS get a lot wrong about the legendary citizen planner.
5 months ago
YIMBYS get a lot wrong about the legendary citizen planner.
Blog - Guerrilla...
What a GIS & Map Librarian does all day
The two most common responses I get when I tell people that I’m a map librarian at UC Berkeley are:...
over a year ago
The two most common responses I get when I tell people that I’m a map librarian at UC Berkeley are:
I didn’t know that was a job?! and
I love maps!
These are both fair reactions. It’s not a very common job. And maps are very cool. Just like a typical librarian’s work does not...
There are two types...
My Muck Rack
MUCK RACK automatically creates lists of articles written by individuals (like me). To this I’ve...
a year ago
MUCK RACK automatically creates lists of articles written by individuals (like me). To this I’ve added some articles about me, and reviews of books I’ve written. My Muck Rack
The post My Muck Rack appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good architecture, and the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Bathroom Renovation Where Adding A Vanity That Wraps Around The Corner Added Much Needed...
Designer Ana Dahlman has shared photos of a bathroom renovation she completed that included...
a year ago
Designer Ana Dahlman has shared photos of a bathroom renovation she completed that included replacing the vanity with a floating L-shaped corner vanity. Before we see the renovated bathroom, here’s what it looked like originally, with cream-colored walls and a small vanity with...
The Modern House
How the realities of self-building in the Outer Hebrides produced a new home distinctly reflective...
11 months ago
SOCKS
H. Wieners and P. Treutleins’ Catalogue of Mathematical Models (19th Century)
After last week’s post on Man Ray’s photographs of equation models from the Institut Poincaré in...
11 months ago
After last week’s post on Man Ray’s photographs of equation models from the Institut Poincaré in Paris, here are four illustrations (plus the cover) from the book “Verzeichnis von H. Wieners und P. Treutleins Sammlungen mathematischer Modelle für Hochschulen, höhere Lehranstalten...
The Solarchitecture...
7 key principles of solar passive design - Part 2.
Balance it all with local climate and a holistic energy calculation.
over a year ago
Balance it all with local climate and a holistic energy calculation.
CONTEMPORIST
Yellow Granite Is On Display Throughout This Contemporary Home In Sardinia
Photography ©Marco Cappelletti Architecture firm Alvisi Kirimoto has shared photos of a villa they...
9 months ago
Photography ©Marco Cappelletti Architecture firm Alvisi Kirimoto has shared photos of a villa they completed in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia, that showcases local granite throughout its design. Drone photography ©Mattia Caprara and Flavio Pescatori San Giacomo yellow granite winds...
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,...
Benny Kuriakose
Design Consideration For Differently Abled Students in Schools
It is important for the school layout to be sensitive to the differently abled, and implement some...
a year ago
It is important for the school layout to be sensitive to the differently abled, and implement some techniques into space planning,...
Old Structures...
Double
Part of the Construction History Congress last week was a day of tours, and I went on the iron- and...
5 months ago
Part of the Construction History Congress last week was a day of tours, and I went on the iron- and steel-truss bridge tour. I’m going to show my pictures every two or three days, spread over the next couple of weeks. First up: the rail bridge at Eglisau: Built 1895-1897 by the...
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...
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?
Archinect - Features
AI, Climate, and Advice for the Next Generation: Watch Our Roundtable with SCI-Arc Program...
In November 2024, Archinect brought together four program chairs from the Southern California...
a week ago
In November 2024, Archinect brought together four program chairs from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) for a wide-ranging roundtable conversation.
The questions up for debate and discussion were among the most pressing facing the architectural...
Contemporist...
Rough And Rugged Materials Are Combined With Modern Forms On This Home
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, has shared photos of a...
10 months ago
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, has shared photos of a new home they designed in Gorssel, The Netherlands.
CONTEMPORIST
Red-Pigmented Concrete Screens Surround This New Home In Cape Town
Architecture firm SAOTA, together with interior design firm ARRCC, has recently completed a modern...
a year ago
Architecture firm SAOTA, together with interior design firm ARRCC, has recently completed a modern house in Cape Town, South Africa. The home was designed by Philip Olmesdahl, principal of SAOTA, for himself and his family, with him sharing, “When architects design their own...
CONTEMPORIST
A Design Award Announces Their Annual World Design Rankings
This article has been brought to you by A’Design Awards. A’Design Award and Competition have...
11 months ago
This article has been brought to you by A’Design Awards. A’Design Award and Competition have released their World Design Rankings (WDR) in Arts, Architecture and Design, with China taking first place, followed by the USA, and Japan. The World Design Rankings ranks all the...
Blog - Guerrilla...
White Elephants in the State of Vermont
This map, which originally appeared in the Community atlas, has been revised. The typeface has been...
over a year ago
This map, which originally appeared in the Community atlas, has been revised. The typeface has been changed to Cornerstone, which is used in the logo for the Black Lives Matter movement.
How did you decide to map what you mapped for the Community atlas?
That was the question...
Old Structures...
Specialty
If you look closely, that stereotypical New England mill building, photographed yesterday in...
5 months ago
If you look closely, that stereotypical New England mill building, photographed yesterday in Pawtucket, has a sign reading “H. A. Briggs & Co. Cotton Waste.” I’ve heard of a lot of things you can do with cotton, but “cotton waste” was a new one for me. It apparently means scraps...
CONTEMPORIST
A Wood-Lined Office That Used To Be A Parking Lot
Ujigawa Ohzono Architects has shared photos of a small wood-lined office they designed in Kyoto,...
7 months ago
Ujigawa Ohzono Architects has shared photos of a small wood-lined office they designed in Kyoto, Japan, that was once a parking lot. The owner of the land, who had been running a construction company in the local area for a long time, decided to create a place where dialogue can...
There are two types...
A Short Discussion of Residential Building Heights in New York City
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 A Short...
CONTEMPORIST
A Desk Designed To Hide Inside The Wall
Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they...
a year ago
Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they renovated in Queens, New York, that includes an interesting design detail. As working from home has become much more popular, especially over the last few years, the designers...
A Weekly Dose of...
The Latest from MoMA: Emerging Ecologies
Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books...
a year ago
Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books with keywords to better filter and find them. The tags I use move from general terms like "architecture" (the most) and "fiction" (the least) to specific terms that reflect a high...
The Modern House
Artist Grace Watts on creating a serene gallery-like living space in Bethnal Green
a year ago
Old Structures...
Iconic
The Third Avenue elevated, looking north from 23rd Street or so. (The street sign at the lower right...
5 months ago
The Third Avenue elevated, looking north from 23rd Street or so. (The street sign at the lower right reads East 24th Street.) My guess is that the photographer was standing at the north end of the northbound platform of the 23rd Street station. Off in the distance, we’ve got the...
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...
devonzuegel.com
America's hidden urban laboratory: the South
America hasn't built many walkable places in the last few decades, but there are a few exceptions....
a year ago
America hasn't built many walkable places in the last few decades, but there are a few exceptions. While collecting a list of these special places, I was shocked to discover that most are in the Southeast.
My mental image of contemporary southern development did not include an...
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
Curved Green Roofs Cover This Creekside Cabin
MAP Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary cabin they completed in Suffolk, England,...
a year ago
MAP Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary cabin they completed in Suffolk, England, that’s located adjacent to the creek and reedbeds within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The ‘Creek Cabin’, with early...
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
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 […]
CONTEMPORIST
A Kansas Ranch Home Gets A Mid-Century Modern Inspired Renovation
FORWARD Design | Architecture has sent us photos of a home renovation they completed for an existing...
a year ago
FORWARD Design | Architecture has sent us photos of a home renovation they completed for an existing mid-century ranch in Leawood, Kansas. Before Photos The existing house was a small two-bedroom home, with the clients originally wanting a temporary addition with the intent of...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Fancy Digs
Hawkeye chases some bad guys in New York: Looking north up Central Park West from a bit below 71st...
3 months ago
Hawkeye chases some bad guys in New York: Looking north up Central Park West from a bit below 71st Street: The relatively-low brown building two blocks up is the Dakota Apartments, but the drawing in the comic isn’t accurate enough to recognize it. The building at the first...
devonzuegel.com
My questions about Próspera, answered
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others...
over a year ago
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others might too, so I wrote an FAQ to share what I learned:
Próspera FAQ
This FAQ is intended as a reference, covering the basic facts and current status of the project. My hope is that...
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.
CONTEMPORIST
Steel Symphony: A Madrid Home’s Unique Design With Weathered Elegance
Borja Lomas of Voluar Arquitectura has designed a new home in Madrid, Spain, that’s covered in...
8 months ago
Borja Lomas of Voluar Arquitectura has designed a new home in Madrid, Spain, that’s covered in weathering steel and has a uniquely shaped design. The shape of the home showcases various areas that branch out in different directions, some of which are cantilevered away from the...
The Modern House
One couple on the pleasure of perfectly restoring their mid-century home in Essex
a year ago
Old Structures...
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
A few comments about today’s holiday. First, if you’re so inclined, the city Parks Department has...
11 months ago
A few comments about today’s holiday. First, if you’re so inclined, the city Parks Department has opportunities for public service: here. Otherwise, memorials and celebrations: here. Some of the permanent memorials to King in New York: here. Some of his relationship to New York...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #07: Sec. Pete Buttigieg [EPISODE]
This is the seventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
5 months ago
This is the seventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott sit down with Pete Buttigieg, the US Secretary of Transportation. One of his major...
Archinect - Features
Meet Tulane School of Architecture's New Faculty Hires
Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA), one of Archinect’s School Partners, welcomes nine full-time...
a year ago
Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA), one of Archinect’s School Partners, welcomes nine full-time incoming faculty members who will hold permanent positions at the school starting in the 2023/24 school year.
TuSA Dean Iñaki Alday shared that the aim for this new round of faculty...
Old Structures...
Building, Blocks
I looked up a bit more than usual today on a street that I’m on three or four times per week, and...
3 weeks ago
I looked up a bit more than usual today on a street that I’m on three or four times per week, and got this nice rear view of 75 Broad Street. The upper setbacks and tower are aligned with the overall cityscape; the lower base is aligned with ther curve of South William Street....
Old Structures...
Happy Thanksgiving
And the menu above provides a goal for dinner.
a year ago
And the menu above provides a goal for dinner.
Old Structures...
Obvious In Restrospect
The first real commuter rail in New York was the New York and Harlem Railroad, which eventually...
11 months ago
The first real commuter rail in New York was the New York and Harlem Railroad, which eventually served, through a combination of horse-drawn street cars and heavy rail, from lower Manhattan to Chatham, New York, not far south of Albany. The portion in Manhattan south of 23rd...
Contemporist...
A Lot Of Plants Have Been Integrated Into The Design Of This Home In Singapore
Wallflower Architecture + Design has sent us photos of a home they recently completed in Singapore,...
11 months ago
Wallflower Architecture + Design has sent us photos of a home they recently completed in Singapore, that features an exterior covered in plants.
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...
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...
Old Structures...
Adelaide House, Part 1 – Overall
When I was in London a few weeks ago, David Kelly and Chris Tucker of Fortis Facades were kind...
8 months ago
When I was in London a few weeks ago, David Kelly and Chris Tucker of Fortis Facades were kind enough to give me a thorough tour of Adelaide House, a 1925 landmark building currently in renovation. They’re working on the facade, but the tour included both the facade and the...
Archinect - Features
How Do We Teach AI? In Florida, One Architecture School Offers a Precedent
As our recent Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series demonstrated, AI will inevitably...
5 months ago
As our recent Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series demonstrated, AI will inevitably play a sizeable role in the future of the architectural profession. For architecture schools tasked with equipping students for the future of practice, the advent of AI poses...
Archinect - Features
Archinect's 2024 Mental Health Survey Results: 11 Key Takeaways
On October 10th, we marked World Mental Health Day by launching Archinect's 2024 Mental Health...
a month ago
On October 10th, we marked World Mental Health Day by launching Archinect's 2024 Mental Health Survey. Over 120 people participated, sharing their experiences of the past year, where mental health issues are arising from, and what steps they are taking to improve their own mental...
The Modern House
Living in a boxy, brown-brick terrace – enhanced by Danish design sensibilities
3 months ago
The Modern House
Designer Sue Minter’s colourful country house in the Cotswolds
a year ago
Common Edge
Our Cities Aren’t Dead Yet!
Forget the “doom loops,” there are plenty of indicators that urban centers are recovering.
a year ago
Forget the “doom loops,” there are plenty of indicators that urban centers are recovering.
The Modern House
The delightful details of an Art Deco apartment in Shepherd’s Bush, west London
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Very Specific Moment
I wrote before about the destruction of St. John’s Park, but I had not seen the photo below. The...
10 months ago
I wrote before about the destruction of St. John’s Park, but I had not seen the photo below. The photo shows St. John’s Chapel, an out-chapel of Trinity Church, which was constructed in 1807 and which eventually gave the park its name. This was originally an almost suburban...
CONTEMPORIST
A New Home Overhanging The Water’s Edge In Alaska
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a home they completed in...
2 months ago
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a home they completed in Alaska, that overlooks inlet waters and is balanced on the edge of a rock wall. The home’s geometry is defined by two tall shed roof structures with a connector between them. Along the...
Old Structures...
Fake History For Real People
Most people don’t properly understand the built environment of their childhood until they grow up,...
4 months ago
Most people don’t properly understand the built environment of their childhood until they grow up, and even then maybe not until they’ve lived somewhere else and come home. Growing up in Queens, I didn’t question some of the styles around me that are not unique to the borough but...
99% Invisible
Orange Alternative [EPISODE]
In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across...
a year ago
In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across Russia. People started writing out the phrase “no war” using asterisks instead of the various letters in order to disguise the meaning of the message. Then back in September, a...
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Two-Storey Rear Addition For An Old Australian Cottage
Bijl Architecture has shared photos of the Stealth House, a renovation project they completed that...
a year ago
Bijl Architecture has shared photos of the Stealth House, a renovation project they completed that included a modern addition to an inter-war cottage located in Hunters Hill, Australia. From the street, the original facade and front garden of the home hide the barely visible rear...
Old Structures...
Adaptability
The building types that have had the most success in new York are the ones that are most-readily...
2 months ago
The building types that have had the most success in new York are the ones that are most-readily adaptable. Rowhouses have been turned into apartment houses, churches, schools, museums, and offices; tenements have been upgraded to better apartments again and again and again. If...
Contemporist...
20 Top A’ Architecture Design Award Winners
A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts...
a year ago
A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing the 18,000 award winners from 139 different design disciplines.
Old Structures...
Mystery Work
From 1908, a stereograph of the construction of the tower of the Singer Building: The title is...
a month ago
From 1908, a stereograph of the construction of the tower of the Singer Building: The title is accurate – “Four hundred ft. above the street – iron worker on the Singer Tower, New York, U.S.A.” but it doesn’t tell us what we’re actually looking at. For example, the steel we’re...
CONTEMPORIST
Plants Were Integrated Into This Home’s Design To Give It The Feeling Of A Tropical Resort
Wallflower Architecture + Design has shared photos of a home they recently completed in Novena,...
a year ago
Wallflower Architecture + Design has shared photos of a home they recently completed in Novena, Singapore, that integrates plants into its design. Located in a residential area in the middle of the city, the house sits on a fan-shaped property and has been designed to reflect the...
CONTEMPORIST
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....
99% Invisible
The Lost Subways of North America [EPISODE]
If you’ve spent any amount of time driving through any major American city, you know what it’s like...
7 months ago
If you’ve spent any amount of time driving through any major American city, you know what it’s like to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. But if you’re from Los Angeles – the land of freeways, traffic and smog – you know this struggle especially well. But Jake Berman, the...
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...
Archinect - Features
Architects and Clients Downbeat About Economy: Archinect's Business Survey Results...
Throughout May and June 2024, we invited our community to offer us insights and feedback on how you...
5 months ago
Throughout May and June 2024, we invited our community to offer us insights and feedback on how you were feeling about the economic outlook of your firm and sector. As we explained at the time, this project was motivated by several observations from economists within and beyond...
Common Edge
An AI Experiment: Why Do Lawyers Make More Than Architects?
We asked ChatGPT a question that has plagued the profession for decades.
a year ago
We asked ChatGPT a question that has plagued the profession for decades.
The Architectural...
New academic dissertation questions architects’ taste
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new...
8 months ago
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...
Archinect - Features
AI is Good For Architects (For Now)
In the final chapter of Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence, Niall Patrick Walsh reflects on...
8 months ago
In the final chapter of Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence, Niall Patrick Walsh reflects on the historical relationship between architecture and technology, charting a trajectory for the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the future of the architectural...
The Modern House
Jacqueline Rabun: the jewellery designer on leaving home aged 17 to chart her own course through...
It was 1989 when a 17-year-old Jacqueline Rabun left home in California to seek her fortune in...
a year ago
It was 1989 when a 17-year-old Jacqueline Rabun left home in California to seek her fortune in London. It didn’t take long: the following year, she’d opened a jewellery studio (having taught herself how to make) and had debuted her first collection of sculptural pieces. […]
Old Structures...
Fuzzy
Structural steel and composite steel deck used with concrete slabs need to be fireproofed. Ducts,...
a month ago
Structural steel and composite steel deck used with concrete slabs need to be fireproofed. Ducts, pipes, lights, and electrical conduits do not.
Contemporist...
A Stepped Design For This Renovated Century-Old Edwardian House In San Francisco
Andrew Mann Architecture has shared photos of a century-old Edwardian house they renovated in a...
7 months ago
Andrew Mann Architecture has shared photos of a century-old Edwardian house they renovated in a bustling San Francisco neighborhood.
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: An Impossible View
Above, Iron Man flies past the Chrysler Building. I was trying to figure out if the buildings in the...
a year ago
Above, Iron Man flies past the Chrysler Building. I was trying to figure out if the buildings in the background were realistic, and got part of the way there. The gray building on the right looks like a simplified version of the Socony-Mobil Building at the southeast corner of...
Old Structures...
Gotcha!
There are times I feel sorry for the people who run the huge online archives that we use for...
a year ago
There are times I feel sorry for the people who run the huge online archives that we use for research. They have to deal with thousands (or tens of thousands, or more) resources – usually individual files in multiple formats – on hundreds or thousands of topics. And if they make...
Old Structures...
Still Developing
The caption on this 1882 picture is obviously wrong. Jacob Ruppert’s house was at the corner of...
a week ago
The caption on this 1882 picture is obviously wrong. Jacob Ruppert’s house was at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 93rd Street, and the big avenue to the right is Park (Fourth) Avenue. You can tell because of those little bridges and the wide center mall: this is the north end of...
Old Structures...
The More Things Stay The Same
Above, an article from the Real Estate Record and Guide of October 15, 1910. It speaks for itself to...
a year ago
Above, an article from the Real Estate Record and Guide of October 15, 1910. It speaks for itself to some degree, and, based on the general topic, could have been written pretty much any decade from the 1880s to today. The good news (paragraph three): the case was apparently...
Contemporist...
This Elevated Home Allows Plants To Be Grown Underneath
Bates Masi + Architects has sent us photos of a new home they recently completed in Bridgehampton,...
11 months ago
Bates Masi + Architects has sent us photos of a new home they recently completed in Bridgehampton, New York, that has its living spaces elevated above the ground.
Common Edge
Minoru Yamasaki: The Fragility of Architecture
He designed two of the most famous landmarks of the late-20th-century. Why is he virtually unknown...
5 months ago
He designed two of the most famous landmarks of the late-20th-century. Why is he virtually unknown today?
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 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...
Not Quite What It Seems
First up, from one of those New York Public Library scrapbooks, “Looking down upon a forest of...
4 months ago
First up, from one of those New York Public Library scrapbooks, “Looking down upon a forest of skyscrapers: New York City.” It’s listed as having been issued between 1850 and 1945, and my response to that is “oh, come on.” The Park Row and St. Paul buildings, and the intersection...
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.