Old Structures...
Happy Presidents’ Day
The cover of the dinner menu for Washington’s Birthday from the SS Columbia of the Hamburg-Amerika...
11 months ago
The cover of the dinner menu for Washington’s Birthday from the SS Columbia of the Hamburg-Amerika Line. That’s a portrati of the Columbia on the right, apparently about to run down a sailboat. Columbia had a weird history, having served as a liner between Germany and the US,...
Common Edge
On Winning—and Not Winning—Design Competitions
It’s the Competition Conundrum: You Can’t Lose If You Don’t Play.
a year ago
It’s the Competition Conundrum: You Can’t Lose If You Don’t Play.
Construction Physics
Why Is It So Hard to Build an Airport?
Airports are a critical piece of modern infrastructure. Aviation contributes an estimated 8% to...
10 months ago
Airports are a critical piece of modern infrastructure. Aviation contributes an estimated 8% to global GDP through direct and indirect effects (ie: the businesses and commerce that it enables), and an estimated 25% of companies’ sales rely on air transport. In 2022, civil...
There are two types...
What’s good for General Motors is good for America
On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system...
a year ago
On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system based on individuals in private cars driving everywhere for everything, climate change would be a very different—and smaller—problem than it is.” I posted the … Continue reading →
The...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Guerrillas in the Midst: Crowdsourcing Cartography
When I think about what Guerrilla Cartography does, I think of building and creating something new...
4 months ago
When I think about what Guerrilla Cartography does, I think of building and creating something new from many different pieces, like a puzzle that only makes sense once it’s put together. But unlike a puzzle, there is no single correct way to put the pieces together, as they can...
99% Invisible
Spirit Halloween [EPISODE]
Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the...
3 months ago
Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the signature yellow, orange and black signage of Spirit Halloween. The seasonal retailer sells Halloween masks, Halloween costumes, Halloween costumes for dogs, Halloween decorations,...
CONTEMPORIST
This Tall Black House Appears To Be Made From A Series Of Stacked Boxes
Studio for Architecture & Collaboration (StudioAC) has designed a modern single-family home with a...
a year ago
Studio for Architecture & Collaboration (StudioAC) has designed a modern single-family home with a black exterior in Toronto, Canada. The home has a gable roof and appears as a series of stacked boxes, with different levels defining the various areas of the home. The rear of the...
The Modern House
Five uplifting things to do this February
Well, we’ve made it through January. Spring is edging ever closer and the evenings are starting to...
a year ago
Well, we’ve made it through January. Spring is edging ever closer and the evenings are starting to get just that little bit lighter. If February’s Latin meaning – from the verb ‘to cleanse’ – is anything to go by, this is a month for nourishing […]
Coffee with an...
A simple description
The structural exploration reflects the dichotomy of the diametrically opposed forces creating...
8 months ago
The structural exploration reflects the dichotomy of the diametrically opposed forces creating intrinsic tension within the interstitial forms which have been bifurcated and articulated throughout the design exploration phases resulting from the pedological rigor employed...
The Modern House
Our guide to Forest Gate: community spirit and small businesses in east London
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Cascading Plants Cover This Home In Vietnam
X11 Design Studio has shared photos of a home they completed in Quang Ninh, Vietnam, that includes a...
a year ago
X11 Design Studio has shared photos of a home they completed in Quang Ninh, Vietnam, that includes a facade of cascading plants. The home has been designed for a three-generation family, who wanted optimal functionality and a connection between nature and people. To integrate...
Old Structures...
Outlived Its Welcome But Not The Need
I’ve been trawling in the HABS index and came across a survey from 1974 of the Bronx portion of the...
8 months ago
I’ve been trawling in the HABS index and came across a survey from 1974 of the Bronx portion of the Third Avenue elevated. After the rest of the line (in Manhattan and the very southernmost bit of the Bronx) was closed and demolished in the early 1950s, the portion from 149th...
CONTEMPORIST
Large Travertine Slabs Were Used To Update This Home’s Design
Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of the Kojima House, a home that has been...
8 months ago
Architecture firm SWATT + PARTNERS has shared photos of the Kojima House, a home that has been updated with an additional and a remodel. Located in Kentfield, California, the home boasts unobstructed views of San Francisco Bay, Kent-Woodlands Valley, and surrounding mountains....
The Modern House
A hotel with staying power overlooking the Atlantic in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
On Case Studies
"What is a case study?" you might be asking, or maybe, "Is it different than a monograph?" Although...
a year ago
"What is a case study?" you might be asking, or maybe, "Is it different than a monograph?" Although the word monograph literally applies to any book devoted to any individual subject — be it a person, a place, a thing, or even an idea — in the realm of architecture books that...
99% Invisible
The Double Kick [EPISODE]
Watch a skate video today, and you’ll notice how similarly shaped the boards are. It’s called the...
12 months ago
Watch a skate video today, and you’ll notice how similarly shaped the boards are. It’s called the “popsicle” design, because the deck is narrow in the middle and rounded off at both ends, like a popsicle stick. This may seem stupid simple, but that basic, clean popsicle shape is...
The Modern House
The feel-good studio of Office S&M in Dalston, east London
over a year ago
Archinect - Features
Let's Talk About Architectural Licensure
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Licensure. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the journey...
8 months ago
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Licensure. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the journey undertaken by those in the United States seeking to practice as a licensed architect, including reflections on the history of licensure, comparisons to other countries, the cost...
CONTEMPORIST
A Rain Tree Became The Centerpiece Of This Home’s Design
Guz Architects has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Singapore, that was conceived as...
a year ago
Guz Architects has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Singapore, that was conceived as a multigenerational family house arranged around a large garden and an old rain tree which was protected and preserved. The architects included passive cooling measures, which were...
Common Edge
How Architects Deal With Demolished Designs
Buildings don’t belong to architects, but to the culture that created them.
a year ago
Buildings don’t belong to architects, but to the culture that created them.
Benny Kuriakose
The Making of Unique Athangudi Tiles : An Unforgettable Experience
Chettinad, the land of wealthy Chettiars in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, is famous not only for...
a year ago
Chettinad, the land of wealthy Chettiars in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, is famous not only for its mouth-watering cuisine but also...
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...
Old Structures...
Multiple Generations
That picture of a cold, gray day in the Bronx was taken from the Burnside Avenue Station on the 4...
11 months ago
That picture of a cold, gray day in the Bronx was taken from the Burnside Avenue Station on the 4 train. (A side note: when I was at Rensselaer, some courses could be taken “self paced,” meaning that you studied on your own and took a test for each week’s less to show your...
Common Edge
Why Cities Must Embrace Getting Smaller
Urban researcher Alan Mallach on the global phenomenon of shrinking—and “thinning”—cities and...
a year ago
Urban researcher Alan Mallach on the global phenomenon of shrinking—and “thinning”—cities and countries.
CONTEMPORIST
A Concrete Ceiling Floats Above This Round Hotel Bar
Portuguese architecture office Openbook has designed the Ritz Pool Bar as part of an overall project...
6 months ago
Portuguese architecture office Openbook has designed the Ritz Pool Bar as part of an overall project to renovate the terrace and galleries of the Ritz Four Seasons Hotel Lisbon. The bar has an organic design and total openness to the terrace, with walls of glass allowing the...
The Modern House
Introducing our Hackney team
9 months ago
Archinect - Features
AI, Complexity, and Ecological Futures: A Conversation with Alisa Andrasek
For Alisa Andrasek, a career in architecture represents a point of convergence for her dual passions...
a year ago
For Alisa Andrasek, a career in architecture represents a point of convergence for her dual passions for art and science. For the past two decades, a respect for both the mathematic and emotional, the computational and the creative, has propelled Andrasek's enthralling...
The Modern House
A mix of materials results in fun, family-friendly flexibility in a Hove warehouse conversion
10 months ago
Old Structures...
Top To Bottom
From Scientific American, December 8, 1894, an interesting view of two buildings: drawings that...
3 weeks ago
From Scientific American, December 8, 1894, an interesting view of two buildings: drawings that include both the above-ground portion of the buildings, more or less as you would see them, and the foundations as they could never be seen. The foundations are seen as if the earth...
Common Edge
Sharon Egretta Sutton on the Democratic Power of “Place-Based Activism”
A talk with the self-proclaimed activist scholar.
a year ago
A talk with the self-proclaimed activist scholar.
McMansion Hell
dome sweet dome
As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to...
a year ago
As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to learn the world’s most widely spoken and useful language: Slovenian. At this point, my Slovenian is about as coherent as, well, a McMansion. In order to feel better about myself, I...
There are two types...
Me on the On Cities Podcast
CLICK HERE to open in Apple Podcasts
The post Me on the On Cities Podcast appeared first on There...
a year ago
CLICK HERE to open in Apple Podcasts
The post Me on the On Cities Podcast appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good architecture, and the other kind.
Archinect - Features
3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, and Space Habitats: A Conversation with ICON’s Melodie...
As a ‘Space Architect’ working on the design and delivery of 3D printed habitats on the Moon and...
10 months ago
As a ‘Space Architect’ working on the design and delivery of 3D printed habitats on the Moon and Mars, Melodie Yashar is aware that, even in space, 3D printing does not exist in a vacuum. Like any construction methodology, it requires a confluence of design intent, delivery...
devonzuegel.com
Numbers for understanding cities
Whenever I think about physical places, I find myself coming back to a few types of numbers again...
over a year ago
Whenever I think about physical places, I find myself coming back to a few types of numbers again and again.
I've collected these into spreadsheets so that I can reference them more easily, and I figured they might be useful to others too:
Urban densities – Population density...
Old Structures...
Keep The Scale In Mind
Here’s a photo from yesterday of Shaquana getting a good look at a brownstone finial that’s been...
11 months ago
Here’s a photo from yesterday of Shaquana getting a good look at a brownstone finial that’s been removed during restoration work. This is a minor decorative element for the church it was removed from. It’s visually important, of course, and we’re not removing it to throw it away,...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Pergola Helps This Home Seamlessly Blends Indoor And Outdoor Spaces
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, together with interior design studio Sofía Interiorismo, has shared...
9 months ago
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, together with interior design studio Sofía Interiorismo, has shared photos of a home they completed in Costa Rica, that seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living. This home embodies sustainable living, generating its energy from the sun while...
Archinect - Features
10 Ghost Towns With Unique Architecture
Cities are like living bodies, each one animated by the pulse of human life. People give a city...
2 months ago
Cities are like living bodies, each one animated by the pulse of human life. People give a city purpose, identity, and movement. When a city is abandoned, its soul departs, leaving behind only the silent architecture, a skeletal remnant of what once was.
While such environments...
Old Structures...
We Become Accustomed – Part 1
I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it...
a year ago
I want to spend a few days talking about a building that is not very exciting, because it illustrates an important phenomenon about change. When I talk about change in this blog, I most often mean technological change in the built environment, as new forms of construction...
SOCKS
Stage Design as a Narrative Device: Norman Bel Geddes’ Stage Set for The Divine Comedy (1921)
American stage and industrial designer, director and producer Norman Bel Geddes (1893-1958) worked...
over a year ago
American stage and industrial designer, director and producer Norman Bel Geddes (1893-1958) worked on a theatrical staging of Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy to be performed in Madison Square Garden in 1921 on the sexcentenary of Dante’s death. Geddes planned the...
Common Edge
What’s to Become of the Mess That Is Penn Station?
A talk with architecture critic Justin Davidson about the thorny knot of issues involved at New...
a year ago
A talk with architecture critic Justin Davidson about the thorny knot of issues involved at New York’s most conflicted transportation-entertainment site.
Old Structures...
6:52 AM, November 27
Half an hour after dawn, and the setting full moon is just to the right and below the ONE WAY sign....
a year ago
Half an hour after dawn, and the setting full moon is just to the right and below the ONE WAY sign. The construction on the left is poart of the Battery Resliency program to prtocet lower Manahttan against sea level rise.
The Modern House
James Lohan: the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith on how his first experience of home shaped an...
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the...
8 months ago
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the potential for turning a profit on a stack of cheese toasties. A series of successful business ventures followed suit, but it was in 2003 that James and his […]
99% Invisible
Mini-Stories: Volume 20
Happy New Year! We’re starting 2025 with four more mini stories! This week we have a sleepy button,...
2 weeks ago
Happy New Year! We’re starting 2025 with four more mini stories! This week we have a sleepy button, electric signs, a very important sticker, and video you can smell. Let’s get into it! Snooze Buttons In the 1950s, General Electric changed alarm clocks forever by adding a snooze...
The Modern House
Architecture Fan Buys House She's Dreamed Of For 50 Years
a year ago
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...
Solving A Non-Existent Problem
This drawing by William Barclay Parsons, from 1887, is quite something. It shows a 12-span viaduct...
a year ago
This drawing by William Barclay Parsons, from 1887, is quite something. It shows a 12-span viaduct with two bridges to carry a street from the top of a hill gradually down to the lower grade over a mile to the north. This is the same northern portion of Manhattan of which I said...
Old Structures...
A Specific Location
“Pretty” is almost certainly the wrong word for this 1902 postcard view of lower Manhattan. It...
a year ago
“Pretty” is almost certainly the wrong word for this 1902 postcard view of lower Manhattan. It shows, accurately, a jumbled mess with smoke everywhere. But is it real? Is this a photograph that was hand-painted to create the color, or is it a rendering by a very active artist? I...
Construction Physics
Machine Tool Reading List
For those interested in reading more about the machine tool industry, the sources I found useful are...
a year ago
For those interested in reading more about the machine tool industry, the sources I found useful are listed below. The machine tool industry has been studied quite extensively, if sporadically (lots of sources talk about its decline in the 1980s, fewer ones talk about its...
devonzuegel.com
Independence for whom?
I recently spent a day at Sea Ranch, a strange and beautiful place. Sea Ranch is a planned community...
over a year ago
I recently spent a day at Sea Ranch, a strange and beautiful place. Sea Ranch is a planned community with a distinctive architectural style: simple timber-frame structures clad in wooden siding, and gardens all planted with native flora. The Sea Ranch Design Committee enforces...
Old Structures...
Adelaide House, Part 4 – The Context
Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. Part 3, Facades: here. Skyscrapers only make sense...
9 months ago
Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. Part 3, Facades: here. Skyscrapers only make sense as an urban phenomenon. (Keep in mind that a lot of inner-ring US suburbs are at urban density.) Putting aside the obvious economic argument that land is cheap in rural areas so...
Old Structures...
Boosterism
I don’t have an exact date for this photo, but the Temple Bar Building, the three-turreted...
9 months ago
I don’t have an exact date for this photo, but the Temple Bar Building, the three-turreted skyscraper in the center, was constructed 1899 to 1901, so 1900 to 1910 is my guess. (As for how difficult discussing timelines can be, the New York Times article on the building I discuss...
The Modern House
How to be more mindful when working from home
a year ago
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...
a month 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....
The Modern House
Hot Stuff: the extraordinary story of the Cobdown sauna
10 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Stepped Brick Extension Makes Space For A Soft Warm Blush Kitchen
Architecture and interior design firm Bradley Van Der Straeten, has shared photos of a home in...
9 months ago
Architecture and interior design firm Bradley Van Der Straeten, has shared photos of a home in England that received a new stepped brick extension with views of the garden. When the front door is open, you can see all the way through to the rear garden. A stepped form took shape...
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...
a month 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....
The Architectural...
Study Reveals: 84% Favor Traditional Architecture
A British study reveals what people really want in their cities to look like. The authors themselves...
a year ago
A British study reveals what people really want in their cities to look like. The authors themselves state that the result is remarkably clear. People want to see classic streets and neighborhoods with buildings in a traditional style. The British research institute Create...
McMansion Hell
bonus mcmansion hell: terrible things are happening in McLean, VA
Read the bonus post on Patreon!
over a year ago
Read the bonus post on Patreon!
CONTEMPORIST
A Tree House That Feels Like It’s Floating Inside The Forest
INTEGRA STUDIO ARQUITETURA has shared photos of a modern Tree House project they completed for the...
a year ago
INTEGRA STUDIO ARQUITETURA has shared photos of a modern Tree House project they completed for the NaCarapina accommodation complex, that’s located in Brazil. The Tree House which has the feeling of ‘floating inside the forest’, is fully integrated with the imposing Araucaria...
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...
7 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...
Colorful and Accurate
The map above, from 1884, shows the planned line of the new Croton Aqueduct from the reservoir on...
a year ago
The map above, from 1884, shows the planned line of the new Croton Aqueduct from the reservoir on the right (to the north) to New York City on the left. The new aqueduct runs on a much straighter line than the old, which required more tunneling, and therefore reflects the more...
Common Edge
The Clever Trick for Living in 350 Square Feet
The solution, surprisingly, lies beyond the walls of our home.
5 months ago
The solution, surprisingly, lies beyond the walls of our home.
The Modern House
Outside chance: six homes with spectacular gardens
“Gardening is a promise,” said Piet Oudolf in Thomas Piper’s meditative documentary about the...
5 months ago
“Gardening is a promise,” said Piet Oudolf in Thomas Piper’s meditative documentary about the pioneering Dutch garden designer. “It doesn’t have to be there. You’re looking for what will be there.” From a particularly pastoral front garden in Brixton, to a transportive Cornish...
Old Structures...
Mystery Work
From 1908, a stereograph of the construction of the tower of the Singer Building: The title is...
2 months ago
From 1908, a stereograph of the construction of the tower of the Singer Building: The title is accurate – “Four hundred ft. above the street – iron worker on the Singer Tower, New York, U.S.A.” but it doesn’t tell us what we’re actually looking at. For example, the steel we’re...
Contemporist...
A Small Cabin-Like Structure That Can Be Compressed When Not In Use
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small...
a year ago
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small cabin-like room that expands when needed.
Common Edge
The Uneven—but Important—Legacy of Prince Charles, Architecture Critic
While his design prescriptions were too narrow, his critique of modern planning principles still...
a year ago
While his design prescriptions were too narrow, his critique of modern planning principles still holds resonance.
CONTEMPORIST
A Rusty Exterior For A Home In A Rustic Setting
CLB Architects has shared photos of the ‘Paintbrush Residence’, a modern home they designed in...
a year ago
CLB Architects has shared photos of the ‘Paintbrush Residence’, a modern home they designed in Jackson, Wyoming, that has a weathered steel exterior. Located in a dappled Aspen grove, the home incorporates slow-weathering materials such as oxidized steel and cedar, allowing it to...
The Modern House
Modest living meets modernist design in the Isokon Building in Hampstead
over a year ago
Contemporist...
The Black Exterior Of This Barn-Inspired Home Is Contrasted With A White Interior
Architecture and interior design studio Laney LA has shared photos of a modern home they designed in...
a year ago
Architecture and interior design studio Laney LA has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Culver City, California, that has a dark black exterior.
Contemporist...
Before + After - A Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Renovation
Blaine Architects together with Marshall Interiors, have completed the renovation of a mid-century...
a month ago
Blaine Architects together with Marshall Interiors, have completed the renovation of a mid-century modern home in San Mateo, California, for a young couple who wanted to update the kitchen, living room, dining room, and family room.
CONTEMPORIST
This Modern House Sits On Top Of Stilts In The Forest
Architects Carlos Maia, Débora Mendes, and Igor Macedo of Tetro have designed a new home in Nova...
a year ago
Architects Carlos Maia, Débora Mendes, and Igor Macedo of Tetro have designed a new home in Nova Lima, Brazil, that’s immersed in lush Atlantic Rainforest nature that includes large leafy trees, foliage, shrubs, birds, and wild animals. The house, white in color and with a unique...
99% Invisible
Maximum Temperature [EPISODE]
The impacts of climate disasters are often measured in terms of property damage. But in places like...
4 months ago
The impacts of climate disasters are often measured in terms of property damage. But in places like Phoenix, Arizona, and in hot places all over the world, climate change is wreaking a very different kind of havoc – on living things. In the final episode of Not Built for This, we...
Common Edge
Does Spirituality Have a Role in Educating Architects?
What might appear to some as an “off-limits” realm might actually be at its heart.
a year ago
What might appear to some as an “off-limits” realm might actually be at its heart.
Coffee with an...
Design Paths
Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there...
10 months ago
Design is hard. The path you follow from start to finish is never a straight line. If only there were a handful of clear diagrams to explain the process. This isn’t that:
CONTEMPORIST
Clerestory Windows Add Natural Light Inside This New Addition To An Australian Home
Architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a contemporary renovation and extension of a...
10 months ago
Architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a contemporary renovation and extension of a typical free-standing timber period home in Australia. The view from the front door shows off the hallway that connects the original home with the new extension. The hallway...
CONTEMPORIST
This Modern House Was Made From Locally Sourced Stone
Architecture firm ARGDL has shared photos of a home they completed in Tapalpa, Mexico, that’s built...
a year ago
Architecture firm ARGDL has shared photos of a home they completed in Tapalpa, Mexico, that’s built using stone, wood, and glass. Local stone was used to generate the main volumes of the home, while the regional pine can be seen in the roof structure as well as the window and...
Old Structures...
Travelog: Advertising Claims
It’s truly embarassing how much time I spent looking at this old ad painted on a building in Bath...
10 months ago
It’s truly embarassing how much time I spent looking at this old ad painted on a building in Bath and wondering what “richestin cream” was. As a slight consolation, note the drain branch directly left of the word “richest”: if you’re putting interior plumbing drains on the...
99% Invisible
The Ripple Effect [EPISODE]
In disasters where a lot of people lose their homes, the impacts are not confined to a single city...
5 months ago
In disasters where a lot of people lose their homes, the impacts are not confined to a single city or town. They ripple outward, cascading into the surrounding area, as the survivors are forced to go looking for new places to live. This is the story of what happened after the...
Archinect - Features
The Industry Reacts to Interest Rate Cuts: Archinect’s State of AEC September 2024
Welcome to the fourth installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
3 months ago
Welcome to the fourth installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically.
Since our last edition, the...
Old Structures...
An Engineer For Dinner
The picture above is the front page of the menu and program from a dinner held in 1941, when...
a year ago
The picture above is the front page of the menu and program from a dinner held in 1941, when “…engineers and patriots are needed!” I wrote about John Ericsson five years ago, and I still walk by his statue in Battery Park almost every day. I feel like the menu picture – which...
The Modern House
A flexible family home with flair in Clapton
over a year ago
Old Structures...
Credit Where Due
I was in the meatpacking district last week and noticed this building at 837 Washington Street. It’s...
11 months ago
I was in the meatpacking district last week and noticed this building at 837 Washington Street. It’s been around for a while, but I guess I never looked up: the facades of the first two floors are an old building, while the upper floors (and, I assume, the interiors) are new....
CONTEMPORIST
A 1970s Four Bedroom Home Renovated For A Couple That Loves To Entertain
Architecture firm Side Angle Side, has shared photos of a 1970s ranch home they renovated in Austin,...
3 months ago
Architecture firm Side Angle Side, has shared photos of a 1970s ranch home they renovated in Austin, Texas, for their clients that wanted a home for entertaining. The transformation involved converting a four-bedroom floor plan into a spacious, open, one bedroom home. A long...
Old Structures...
Yesterday and Today
There’s nothing that creates disorientation quite like having a single day that combes changing time...
10 months ago
There’s nothing that creates disorientation quite like having a single day that combes changing time zones by five hours with Dayight Savings. It’s nice to be back home, though. A small reminder that Daylight Savings was introdcued in the US in 1918 for less than a year and...
Old Structures...
Advertising Art
From 1922, preserved in a scrapbook at the New York Public Library, a romantic view of the Bankers...
4 months ago
From 1922, preserved in a scrapbook at the New York Public Library, a romantic view of the Bankers Trust Building at Wall and Nassau Streets. (The angle is a little funny – see below.) I cropped the image – at the lower right there was a little extension: This could be a...
The Modern House
With the rolling South Downs on its doorstep, the award-winning Black Timber House by HAPA...
9 months ago
99% Invisible
WARNING: This Podcast Contains Chemicals Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer or Other...
WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause...
10 months ago
WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm, including Benzene, a chemical used in urinal cleaners and Toluene, a chemical used in common household cleaning products. For...
The Modern House
Say hello to our new podcast, Homing In, featuring Ruth Rogers on finding comfort in the face of...
What do our homes reveal about who we are? Almost everything, it turns out – something we’ve...
a year ago
What do our homes reveal about who we are? Almost everything, it turns out – something we’ve discovered while recording conversations with cultural contributors, business innovators and creative luminaries for our new podcast, Homing In, which we are pleased to share with you...
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.
The Modern House
Kevin McCloud: the Grand Designs presenter takes us behind the scenes of his own life
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of building their own home has probably watched an episode of Grand...
a year ago
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of building their own home has probably watched an episode of Grand Designs. In fact, quite a few people have – the programme has been on our screens since 1999, during which time Kevin McCloud has cemented his reputation as a […]
Old Structures...
A Sometimes Disagreeable Foreign Land, Part 2
Continuing my stroll the 1893 Baedeker description of New York, pages 12 and 13 are a list of “chief...
a month ago
Continuing my stroll the 1893 Baedeker description of New York, pages 12 and 13 are a list of “chief lines” of streetcars in Manhattan. There’s a parenthetical note that there are three streetcar lines that cross the Harlem River in “The ‘Annexed District’”. That’s the west...
The Solarchitecture...
7 key principles of solar passive design - Part 1.
or how to dramatically improve indoor healthy air quality and well-being while reducing...
over a year ago
or how to dramatically improve indoor healthy air quality and well-being while reducing energy-consumption for every building we build?
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...
10 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...
Common Edge
Is Mass Timber the Key Element in a Low Carbon Future?
A new book highlights the promise—and lingering challenges—of this important material.
10 months ago
A new book highlights the promise—and lingering challenges—of this important material.
CONTEMPORIST
A Unique Window Shape Helps Frame The View From Inside This Cabin
Architecture firm Rever & Drage has shared photos of a contemporary cabin they designed that...
11 months ago
Architecture firm Rever & Drage has shared photos of a contemporary cabin they designed that includes a uniquely shaped window to perfectly frame the view of the sunset. Located in Nordmarka, Norway, the cabin contains the most necessary features, but not much more, making it...
Contemporist...
A New Home In Costa Rica Designed To Highlight Its Surroundings
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a new home they completed in Costa Rica, that's...
5 months ago
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a new home they completed in Costa Rica, that's designed to progressively highlight the wondrous ecological and topographical surroundings.
A Weekly Dose of...
Eight Decades of Modern Japanese Houses
A review of a new book released this week:
The Japanese House Since 1945 by Naomi Pollock, published...
a year ago
A review of a new book released this week:
The Japanese House Since 1945 by Naomi Pollock, published by Thames & Hudson, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop)
What makes modern and contemporary Japanese houses so appealing? Much of it stems from the novelty of residential designs,...
The Modern House
Five things to do and see this September
September might spell the end of summer but, as this edition of The TMH Edit proves, there are...
a year ago
September might spell the end of summer but, as this edition of The TMH Edit proves, there are plenty of happenings to keep spirits high – even if the days are slowly getting shorter. Read on for our top tips for the month ahead, including […]
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.
6 months ago
Havana, Tokyo, and Paris offer successful examples of how it might work.
Contemporist...
The Ultimate Gift Guide With Over 50 Ideas For Interior Designers, Architects, And Design Lovers
Finding a gift for an interior designer, architect, or design lover can sometimes be a difficult...
a year ago
Finding a gift for an interior designer, architect, or design lover can sometimes be a difficult task, so we’ve put together a collection of more than 50 gift ideas to make your life easier.
The Modern House
A mid-century renovation project overlooking the water in south Cornwall
a year ago
Common Edge
Why Would You Want to Teach Architecture?
Opening minds and defining a way of working is the ultimate payoff.
a year ago
Opening minds and defining a way of working is the ultimate payoff.
The Modern House
The Secret Life of Reggie Yates | A House Tour with the Writer and Director
a month ago
devonzuegel.com
Part 3: The first walkable city in America in a century
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
11 months ago
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the future of my home state in my lifetime. This post is part of a series I’m writing about this bold proposal.
As an urbanism nerd, the aspect of California Forever’s plan that I was...
CONTEMPORIST
A Multi-Functional Brass Clad Pod Is A Unique Feature In This Small Apartment
tsai Design has sent us photos of a micro-apartment they renovated in St. Kilda, Australia, that...
6 months ago
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...
The Modern House
How Alex Reynolds and Maria Viviani are paying homage to their heritages at Eline in Hoxton
a year ago
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...
a month 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?
Old Structures...
Big
I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of...
5 months ago
I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of elevated portions of the subway system when I was kid. Under the M train in Glenwood:
CONTEMPORIST
A New Home Inspired By The Verticality Of Neighboring Victorian Houses
NEO Architecture Inc. has shared photos of a contemporary home they completed in Ontario, Canada,...
11 months ago
NEO Architecture Inc. has shared photos of a contemporary home they completed in Ontario, Canada, whose design was inspired by the verticality of neighboring Victorian homes. The extruded gable form is a tribute to the architectural motifs of the past while blending it with...
Contemporist...
This Sculptural Home Is Full Of Curves And Surrounded By Landscaping
Niko Architect has shared photos of a sculptural home with curves they designed that's been built...
10 months ago
Niko Architect has shared photos of a sculptural home with curves they designed that's been built into an artificially created landscape.
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,...
a year ago
Wallflower Architecture + Design has sent us photos of a home they recently completed in Singapore, that features an exterior covered in plants.
Old Structures...
Look Closely For A Surprise
This 1900 map of Manhattan looks, at first glance to be simply another detailed map with building...
10 months ago
This 1900 map of Manhattan looks, at first glance to be simply another detailed map with building outlines shown: But there’s a surprise when you zoom in: The buildings are little isometric drawings rather than just outlines. They’re not particularly accurate drawings – I...
Old Structures...
Providing Constructibility
You never know what you’ll find in the subway. Above, one of the columns on the Brooklyn-bound...
a year ago
You never know what you’ll find in the subway. Above, one of the columns on the Brooklyn-bound platform of the R train at Whitehall Street, supporting the station roof, some twenty feet of soil, and the street above. The station opened in 1918 as part of the Dual Contracts...
CONTEMPORIST
A’ Design Awards & Competition – Call for Submissions
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award &...
a year 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 139 different design disciplines. Line Series...
CONTEMPORIST
Ceramic Forms Surrounding The Windows Of This New Building Give It A Unique Character
Photography © Sebastian van Damme De Zwarte Hond and Loer Architecten have shared photos of a...
a year ago
Photography © Sebastian van Damme De Zwarte Hond and Loer Architecten have shared photos of a building they recently completed in Groningen, Netherlands, that combines modern design with ceramic elements. Photography © Marcel Ijzerman The architects worked together with ceramic...
McMansion Hell
the motel room, or: on datedness
I.
Often I find myself nostalgic for things that haven’t disappeared yet. This feeling is enhanced...
7 months ago
I.
Often I find myself nostalgic for things that haven’t disappeared yet. This feeling is enhanced by the strange conviction that once I stop looking at these things, I will never see them again, that I am living in the last moment of looking. This is sense is strongest for me in...
The Solarchitecture...
Case study #2 - Sunbeam A-frame
Let's start 2023 with presenting one of my dearest projects.
over a year ago
Let's start 2023 with presenting one of my dearest projects.
The Modern House
Architect Ben Ridley on life in his low-energy house in Muswell Hill
a year ago
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...
a month 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...
CONTEMPORIST
The Black Exterior Of This Home In The Forest Covers A White Minimalist Interior
Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a...
a year ago
Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a striking black exterior surrounded by the forest. The house’s design emphasizes its connection with a nearby stream by incorporating strategic window placements and a layout that...
Old Structures...
Reflections
That’s 21 (left) and 20 West Street, with 17 Battery Place off to the right. This was taken early in...
7 months ago
That’s 21 (left) and 20 West Street, with 17 Battery Place off to the right. This was taken early in the morning and the facades facing me are the west facades of the buildings. Across West Street, to my right, is a modern apartment house with a mostly-glass facade. It doesn’t...
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow: The Empire State Building and the World Trade Center (Part I)
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931. At a height of 1250 feet [0], it was the world's...
over a year ago
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931. At a height of 1250 feet [0], it was the world's tallest building, exceeding the recently completed Chrysler building by 202 feet. It would hold that title for the next 39 years, until 1970 when it was surpassed in height by...
Old Structures...
Perspective
Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about...
a month ago
Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about something just because it seems cool. Or looks cool. In this case, “cool” is two photos from Carol Highsmith, a professional photographer who was generous enough to donate her archive to...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Wha?
From a 25-years-old Avengers story: a man sees some news on televsion: The Verrazano Narrows Bridge,...
3 months ago
From a 25-years-old Avengers story: a man sees some news on televsion: The Verrazano Narrows Bridge, huh? It sure looks like something else…
Old Structures...
He Is, After All, A Boy From Queens
3 months ago
99% Invisible
Hyperfixed: Dylan’s Supermarket Cold Case
We’ve all got problems. Sometimes your problem is a massive roadblock in your life, or maybe it’s...
3 weeks ago
We’ve all got problems. Sometimes your problem is a massive roadblock in your life, or maybe it’s this little thing that quietly annoys you that you’ve learned to grudgingly put up with. But regardless of the size of your problem, it would be so great if someone would just fix it...
Common Edge
How to Be a Better Architect Than Me
My recent talk to high school seniors.
a year ago
My recent talk to high school seniors.
The Modern House
The Classics: Valley Spring by Peter Womersley
a year ago
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...
a month 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...
The Modern House
Five joyful things to do this June
And just like that, it’s June: summer is here and – come rain or shine – our disposition will be...
a year ago
And just like that, it’s June: summer is here and – come rain or shine – our disposition will be thoroughly sunny, thanks to all the delightful things in our diaries. From an exhibition making a splash (and getting us in the mood for sun-soaked […]
Old Structures...
Ancient Sensationalism
Sometimes you learn a little historical nugget and you don’t think about it. It sits in the back of...
2 months ago
Sometimes you learn a little historical nugget and you don’t think about it. It sits in the back of your head for years – decades, actually, in this case – until you’re reminded of it. The murder of Gulielma Sands in 1799 is a good example. It was a tragedy for Ms. Sands and a...
99% Invisible
Craptions [EPISODE]
Bad closed captions can be entertaining, but they can be serious, too, because captions are a...
a year ago
Bad closed captions can be entertaining, but they can be serious, too, because captions are a critical tool for lots of lots of people. There are the people learning a new language, the easily confused, and of course captions are essential for people who are Deaf or...
Archinect - Features
'Everything in Design Is Extremely Collaborative': A Conversation with Emerging Architecture...
Starting your own practice comes with a mixture of excitement, collaboration, stressors, and endless...
a year ago
Starting your own practice comes with a mixture of excitement, collaboration, stressors, and endless problem-solving. As a new firm, architects Neda Kakhsaz and Zabie Mustafa are developing their approach to architectural design and how they would like to make their mark within...
Old Structures...
Sic Transit
This photo by Angelo Rizzuto, from October 1952, is listed at the Library of Congress as “Bird’s eye...
9 months ago
This photo by Angelo Rizzuto, from October 1952, is listed at the Library of Congress as “Bird’s eye view of a building in New York City.” It’s the old Metropolitan Opera House at 40th Street and Broadway, the one that the Met left in 1966 to move to Lincoln Center. The Met had...
McMansion Hell
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book!
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book!
If you ever wanted to read a book about...
11 months ago
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book!
If you ever wanted to read a book about McMansions, 5-over-1s, the ignoble toil of architects, ridiculous baubles for rich people, hostile architecture, private equity, shopping (rip), offices (rip), loud restaurants, and...
Archinect - Features
Freelancing and Architecture: A Complicated Relationship
For many salaried workers, freelancing and contracting may once have been a scary proposition,...
8 months ago
For many salaried workers, freelancing and contracting may once have been a scary proposition, little more than placeholder labels as one moved between secure, salaried positions. However, the past decade has seen a notable increase in skilled workers and professionals becoming...
CONTEMPORIST
Sculptural Walls Inspired By The Intricate Detailing Of Indian Temple Architecture
Abin Design Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a gallery and store that...
2 months ago
Abin Design Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a gallery and store that displays Italian furniture in Kolkata, India. The striking interior seamlessly blends the finesse and elegance of Italian craftsmanship with the vibrancy of Indian design traditions....
CONTEMPORIST
A Seamless Terrazzo Flows From The Wall To The Countertop In This Kitchen
Studio Modijefsky has shared photos of a project where they transformed a 17th-century inn into a...
a year ago
Studio Modijefsky has shared photos of a project where they transformed a 17th-century inn into a modern family home in Nieuwersluis, The Netherlands. As part of the renovation, they designed a new inviting, and open-plan kitchen with a cooking island and a terrazzo countertop....
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.
a month ago
An excerpt from An Urban Odyssey: A Critic’s Search for the Soul of Cities and Self.
Common Edge
Building Emissions Are Falling, Now the Real Work Begins
There has been a significant drop this year. The path toward net-zero intensifies.
a year ago
There has been a significant drop this year. The path toward net-zero intensifies.
Old Structures...
Different Types of Commercial Use
From 1880, a view of Broadway looking north from Morris Street to Trinity Church. Given how deserted...
10 months ago
From 1880, a view of Broadway looking north from Morris Street to Trinity Church. Given how deserted it is, it’s either early in the morning on a weekend or a holiday. Wm. M Fleiss & Co, on the left, is at 47 Broadway. Broadway is lined with office and loft buildings which are...
McMansion Hell
we’ve found it folks: mcmansion heaven
Hello everyone. It is my pleasure to bring you the greatest house I have ever seen. The house of a...
11 months ago
Hello everyone. It is my pleasure to bring you the greatest house I have ever seen. The house of a true visionary. A real ad-hocist. A genuine pioneer of fenestration. This house is in Alabama. It was built in 1980 and costs around $5 million. It is worth every penny. Perhaps...
The Modern House
A mid-century marvel in Stafford that stands the test of time
a year ago
Old Structures...
The Slab
Every sizable city has one or more locally-specific building types, based on the culture and...
6 months ago
Every sizable city has one or more locally-specific building types, based on the culture and economics of real estate there. Some of the causes are rational, like the size of rowhouses being related to the wealth of a neighborhood; some are not, like the high stoops used in New...
A Weekly Dose of...
Ando and Le Corbusier
Ando and Le Corbusier is a two-volume project that shows how the works of two pioneers of modern...
over a year ago
Ando and Le Corbusier is a two-volume project that shows how the works of two pioneers of modern architecture – Le Corbusier and Tadao Ando – connect human experience to the basic givens of existence: interactions among human beings and personal encounters with nature, including...
Old Structures...
A Working Drawing
Above, an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the masonry of the Brooklyn tower of the...
a year ago
Above, an 1870 drawing by Washington Roebling showing the masonry of the Brooklyn tower of the Brooklyn Bridge. I guess it doesn’t quite qualify as art, although I’d certainly hang it on a wall. The lettering at the top and the 3D-effect frame around the image suggest that this...
Old Structures...
Evolved To Fit The Conditions
If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk...
8 months ago
If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk through construction sites all the time, intentionally so on the part of the builders and with the blessing of the Department of Buildings. It looks something like this: Like so many of...
Common Edge
Jay-Z’s Unseemly Takeover of Brooklyn’s Central Library
Crowds love “The Book of HOV,” but the library has ceded public space for a self-produced tribute...
a year ago
Crowds love “The Book of HOV,” but the library has ceded public space for a self-produced tribute from his company, Roc Nation.
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Dark Retail Space Transformed Into A Bright Skincare Center
ISENSE DESIGN has shared photos of a recently completed retail design for Beauty Technology Skincare...
a year ago
ISENSE DESIGN has shared photos of a recently completed retail design for Beauty Technology Skincare Center in Beijing, China. The designers transformed a dark store with a red facade and awning, into a bright and open retail design with a green facade and large windows. Seizing...
The Modern House
A family home in Hackney, lovingly tended inside and out
a year ago
Old Structures...
Travelog: Far From Home
Traveling to another country usually gets you views of a built environment that is in some respects...
10 months ago
Traveling to another country usually gets you views of a built environment that is in some respects fundamentally different than the one you’re used to. London is, for a New Yorker, the worst place in the UK to get that feeling because of the many similarities between the two...
Archinect - Features
The Brutalist Is a Cinematic Reflection of Brutalism
Brutalist architecture is raw, powerful, emotional, and unapologetically honest. It rejects...
a month ago
Brutalist architecture is raw, powerful, emotional, and unapologetically honest. It rejects ornamentation and architectural devices designed to make its inhabitants feel comfortable, instead creating a visceral, primal experience. Brutalism is a feeling—a bold statement that...
Old Structures...
Sketches by a Master
This sketch sheet by Cass Gilbert, dated February 3, 1912, is titled “Institutional structures by...
a year 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...
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...
Coffee with an...
GENERAL NOTES:
*feel free to add these to your construction documents
a year ago
*feel free to add these to your construction documents
There are two types...
The City of Yes Zoning Plan Is Moving Too Fast – My Daily News Op-Ed
The post The City of Yes Zoning Plan Is Moving Too Fast – My Daily News Op-Ed appeared first on...
2 weeks ago
The post The City of Yes Zoning Plan Is Moving Too Fast – My Daily News Op-Ed appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good architecture, and the other kind.
Contemporist...
An Old Stone Ruin Was Given New Life As A Contemporary Off-Grid Home
Architect Dario Castellino has transformed an abandoned stone ruin that was once overgrown with...
10 months ago
Architect Dario Castellino has transformed an abandoned stone ruin that was once overgrown with brambles, into a small off-grid home.
Old Structures...
Always Something New
No matter how many buildings you’ve seen, you can always find something that will surprise you. The...
8 months ago
No matter how many buildings you’ve seen, you can always find something that will surprise you. The picture above is not an underwater shot from the Titanic, it’s the cellar of a circa-1900 rowhouse. This was a house of some pretension when first built. As in most wider...
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...
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...
Old Structures...
A Year Later, Maybe
Yesterday, I was pondering the purpose of some of the strange steel framing near the top of the...
2 months ago
Yesterday, I was pondering the purpose of some of the strange steel framing near the top of the Singer Building. Here’s another stereoscopic view of the building, after it was completed: We’ve got two men standing on a tiny setback roof – not a terrace or official observation...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Busy Intersection
Daredevil battles Stiltman – possibly the most ridiculous villain Marvel has invented – at the...
4 months ago
Daredevil battles Stiltman – possibly the most ridiculous villain Marvel has invented – at the corner of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, with the Chrysler Building on the left and the Socony-Mobil Building on the right. Also, per the Landmarks Preservation Commission:
Old Structures...
A Very Specific Moment
I wrote before about the destruction of St. John’s Park, but I had not seen the photo below. The...
11 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...
The Modern House
Nick Hill’s no frills approach to materials recasts a 1930s house in south-east London as a...
10 months ago
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...
a month 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.
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.
The Modern House
Beautiful, useful and sustainably flexible: the hand-crafted, customised and highly experimental...
10 months ago
99% Invisible
Empire of the Sum [EPISODE]
Whether or not you’re a fan of math, we’ve always had a need to count things. Maybe it’s to figure...
a year ago
Whether or not you’re a fan of math, we’ve always had a need to count things. Maybe it’s to figure out the maximum weight an airplane can safely hold, or the appropriate amount to tip after a meal, or the exact number of minutes in a year so you can accurately write the...
Common Edge
‘Not Having to Worry about Proportion, Harmony, and Beauty Is a Cop-Out’
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
10 months ago
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
Blog - Guerrilla...
Shelter of Man
With the publication of Shelter of Man in Guerrila Cartography’s forthcoming Shelter: An Atlas, I...
over a year ago
With the publication of Shelter of Man in Guerrila Cartography’s forthcoming Shelter: An Atlas, I can officially call myself a guerrilla cartographer. I’m not just an artist anymore. My relationship with cartography developed while studying architecture in Australia. I might have...
Blog - Guerrilla...
We are Survivors. We are Stardust.
STARLIGHT AND AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER
This map wouldn’t exist without an igniting spark from an...
over a year ago
STARLIGHT AND AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER
This map wouldn’t exist without an igniting spark from an aerospace engineer. I was visiting with a friend (said engineer) when the theme for the Atlas in a Day Challenge was announced. Upon hearing the theme of Community, she shared that the...
99% Invisible
The Bottom of the Bowl [EPISODE]
Reporter Emmett Fitzgerald was used to hearing people call his home state of Vermont a “climate...
5 months ago
Reporter Emmett Fitzgerald was used to hearing people call his home state of Vermont a “climate haven.” But last summer, he got a wake up call in the form of a devastating flood. All throughout the United States, people are watching the places they love change in unpredictable...
Common Edge
A Model for a Healthier, Adaptive Approach to Community Development
The Smiling Gecko project in Cambodia addresses a more complex and systemic view of community life.
a year ago
The Smiling Gecko project in Cambodia addresses a more complex and systemic view of community life.
CONTEMPORIST
Plants Cascade Down The Exterior Of This New Home
Architecture firm NAQI & Partners, has shared photos of a villa they completed in the heart of the...
2 weeks ago
Architecture firm NAQI & Partners, has shared photos of a villa they completed in the heart of the coastal city of Nha Trang, Vietnam, that integrates plants and an indoor swimming pool into its design. The Nha Trang Pool Villa is the living space for a young family, balancing...
The Modern House
Five bright things to do and see this July
July is here: the sun is shining and the air is hot – and so are our top picks of things to do and...
a year ago
July is here: the sun is shining and the air is hot – and so are our top picks of things to do and see this month, from an exhibition on an emerging artist exploring light and space to a food and art extravaganza celebrating […]
The Modern House
How David Roy and Angel Perez carve out space for playtime and parties in their flexible Hackney...
a year ago
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...
12 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...
devonzuegel.com
The road to hell is paved with asphalt
Most roads are paved with asphalt. Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with asphalt. Bricks,...
a year ago
Most roads are paved with asphalt. Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with asphalt. Bricks, cobblestones, and pavers are often much better options, because:
1. Asphalt degrades fast, so once you account for maintenance, it's more expensive it first appears
Asphalt...
Old Structures...
Small Details
In “How London’s Crystal Palace was built so quickly”, Jennifer Ouellette gives a good summary of a...
3 months ago
In “How London’s Crystal Palace was built so quickly”, Jennifer Ouellette gives a good summary of a recent paper “Thread form at the Crystal Palace” by John Gardner and Ken Kiss. My even shorter summary: the 1851 Crystal Palace in London was made possible, in part, through the...
The Beauty of...
Cover Story (Workington Bus Station, Workington, Cumbria, UK)
Sometimes you seek out transport architecture, at others transport architecture is thrust upon you,...
over a year ago
Sometimes you seek out transport architecture, at others transport architecture is thrust upon you, just as it was when I accidentally ended up in Workington a couple of months ago. With poor weather forecast on one of the days of a trip to the Lake District, I spent the day...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Anachronistic
The Falcon and Black Widow above the streets of Manhattan…he’s flying and she’s doing gymnastics in...
2 months ago
The Falcon and Black Widow above the streets of Manhattan…he’s flying and she’s doing gymnastics in mid-air, I guess: The location is instantly recognizable: the building on the far left with the single dormer is the Washington Life Insurance Building at 141 Broadway, the...
Contemporist...
A Modern Brick Home Designed Around The Original Placement Of Trees
Exterio architects have shared photos of a new home they completed in Warsaw, Poland, that's...
6 months ago
Exterio architects have shared photos of a new home they completed in Warsaw, Poland, that's surrounded by a pine tree forest.
The Modern House
The impeccably organised, grass-roofed, book-lined home of literary editor, Gail Pirkis
6 months ago
Construction Physics
Contribute to the US Megaprojects Database!
The US Megaprojects Database Very large construction or technology development projects are...
a year ago
The US Megaprojects Database Very large construction or technology development projects are sometimes called “megaprojects." By directing thousands of workers and billions of dollars towards the achievement of a single goal, great things can be achieved. The output of...
CONTEMPORIST
Green Roofs With Native Plants Enhance This Home Built Into A Rocky Hillside
Photography by Ana Santl Athens-based architecture studio Block722, has shared photos of a modern...
a year ago
Photography by Ana Santl Athens-based architecture studio Block722, has shared photos of a modern home they have completed that’s perched on the rocky slopes above the Mediterranean Sea on the Cycladic Island of Syros. Photography by George Pappas The client’s brief outlined a...
The Modern House
Artist Grace Watts on creating a serene gallery-like living space in Bethnal Green
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Extension Made Space For A New Kitchen And Dining Area
AR Design Studio has shared photos of a project they completed that included a new contemporary...
5 months ago
AR Design Studio has shared photos of a project they completed that included a new contemporary single-storey extension for a private residence. Mature trees surround the site to the north and east, and tall lush hedges to the south and west perimeter of the property that provide...
CONTEMPORIST
Black Accents Are Ever Present Throughout This Apartment
Koshulynskyy & Mayer studio has sent us photos of an apartment interior they completed that includes...
7 months ago
Koshulynskyy & Mayer studio has sent us photos of an apartment interior they completed that includes matte black accents throughout its design. The apartment, designed for a family, includes a living room with a dark accent wall, and a large couch in front of a suspended cabinet...
CONTEMPORIST
A Contemporary Extension Adds New Living Spaces And Natural Light To This Brick Home
North London architects XUL Architecture have sent us photos of their latest project, where they...
a year ago
North London architects XUL Architecture have sent us photos of their latest project, where they were tasked with renovating this three-story family home to completely enlarge the rear of the house while still allowing for plenty of natural light. The architects removed the...
99% Invisible
How the World Ran Out of Everything
There’s an image that’s stuck with many of us from the early pandemic: dozens of cargo ships...
2 months ago
There’s an image that’s stuck with many of us from the early pandemic: dozens of cargo ships anchored off the coasts of US ports, stacked high with hundreds of thousands of containers filled with goods, just sitting there in a traffic jam. At the same time, grocery store shelves...
Old Structures...
A Modern and Maybe Over Building Type
“Death of the Department Store” by Rosemary Hill is a short review of an exhibition at the Musée des...
3 months ago
“Death of the Department Store” by Rosemary Hill is a short review of an exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. As best as I can tell, having not seen the exhibit, it is not so much about the state of department stores today as it is about their entire history from...
Common Edge
“Architecture Schools Are Responsible for Educating the Whole Student”
A talk with ACSA’s executive director, Michael Monti.
4 months ago
A talk with ACSA’s executive director, Michael Monti.
Common Edge
Confronting the Leviathan in Vietnam
An architect’s search for clarity in a far-off land.
2 weeks ago
An architect’s search for clarity in a far-off land.
Old Structures...
Why People Cared
This is remarkable, in a way: in a city full of apartment houses, the New York Sun newspaper felt...
5 months ago
This is remarkable, in a way: in a city full of apartment houses, the New York Sun newspaper felt that a complex of mid-rise buildings in Queens was worthy of note: I can think of two reasons off the top of my head, one related to housing and the other related to general...
There are two types...
Take Back The City
On a recent episode of Billions, the New York Attorney General stands on the roof a car in the...
over a year ago
On a recent episode of Billions, the New York Attorney General stands on the roof a car in the middle of a New York City street with a bullhorn. Why? Vecause he’s positioned himself near a meeting on the Highline … Continue reading →
The post Take Back The City appeared first on...
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on space
Since The Modern House launched in 2005, we’ve come to realise that beautifully designed homes share...
a year ago
Since The Modern House launched in 2005, we’ve come to realise that beautifully designed homes share the same timeless principles: space, light, materials, nature and decoration. These five tenets are not only the subject of our co-founder Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to...
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...
9 months ago
For six decades, the photographer’s ability to offer a complex narrative about America in a single image was always unique.
devonzuegel.com
OWD #3: Disney World & other underworlds
Every place has some dirty secrets, even Disney World. We all have to get rid of waste somehow! In...
over a year ago
Every place has some dirty secrets, even Disney World. We all have to get rid of waste somehow! In this episode, the Bertauds and I discuss methods of sanitation and waste management from around the world, and how these hidden systems shape our cities.
RSS · Apple Podcasts ·...
Old Structures...
A Bit Alien
From a recent trip to Governors Island, a big thing in the water near the piers on the east side of...
3 months ago
From a recent trip to Governors Island, a big thing in the water near the piers on the east side of the island: It’s the mid-length air shaft for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and, constructed circa 1950, it’s a relative newcomer to the island’s landscape. The diagram below,...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #05: Brandy Zadrozny [EPISODE]
This is the fifth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
8 months ago
This is the fifth 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 Brandy Zadrozny, a senior reporter for NBC News who covers misinformation,...
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...
10 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....
The Modern House
‘The girl from elsewhere’: designer India Mahdavi on her struggle for acceptance, and how a rented...
Our guest on this episode of Homing In – our podcast on which our co-founder Matt Gibberd asks...
a year ago
Our guest on this episode of Homing In – our podcast on which our co-founder Matt Gibberd asks cultural tastemakers about a home from their past, present and future – is the French-Iranian architect India Mahdavi. Known as the Queen of Colour, she has designed […]
Old Structures...
What “Structure First” Means
I like “Why we need a ‘structure first’ approach to existing buildings” by Penny Gowler, which is...
9 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...
The Modern House
How Abby Lee, founder of Mambow, is modernising Malaysian cuisine
a year ago
Common Edge
Rice University Builds an Opera Theater
It’s time to appreciate one of Allan Greenberg’s best works of architecture.
a year ago
It’s time to appreciate one of Allan Greenberg’s best works of architecture.
Construction Physics
How Fast Can a City Grow?
In the last post, we noted Los Angeles was the fastest-growing city in the US at the end of the 19th...
a year ago
In the last post, we noted Los Angeles was the fastest-growing city in the US at the end of the 19th century, growing nearly 10% yearly between 1880 and 1930. This made me wonder what the landscape of city growth rates looks like. How fast were other US cities growing at the same...
99% Invisible
Christiania [EPISODE]
In the year 1623, Christian IV, king of Denmark and Norway, built a long series of moats and...
3 months ago
In the year 1623, Christian IV, king of Denmark and Norway, built a long series of moats and ramparts just across from central Copenhagen, on the eastern edge of the city’s harbor, to protect the city from Swedish invasion. In the early 19th century, the Danish government added...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Love Letter Back Home
Mapped October 5th, written December 2019:
As I noted in my last Guerrilla Cartography Cartographer...
over a year ago
Mapped October 5th, written December 2019:
As I noted in my last Guerrilla Cartography Cartographer Spotlight (May 2019), my career has been a diverse mix of my two professional passions, cartography and participatory mapping. Cartography is about the place; it’s top-down, it’s...
Old Structures...
Raking Sunlight
Pro tip, as computer manuals said back when (a) everyone was not yet comfortable using a computer...
a year ago
Pro tip, as computer manuals said back when (a) everyone was not yet comfortable using a computer and (b) computer manuals still existed: environmental conditions can help in building investigation. For example, I like conducting facade inspections on very cold days because you...
Common Edge
Measuring Progress: The Building Sector’s Response to the Climate Crisis
From huge CO2 reductions to surging solar investments, the sector is paving the path to a...
6 months ago
From huge CO2 reductions to surging solar investments, the sector is paving the path to a sustainable future, but the time for bold action is now.
Old Structures...
Another Moment of Transition
This a nice postcard of the north end of Union Square, using a hand-color photograph from 1910 as...
10 months ago
This a nice postcard of the north end of Union Square, using a hand-color photograph from 1910 as its basis. The centerpiece is the Metropolitan Life tower at Madison Square, seven blocks to the north of the foreground buildings on East 17th Street. Those buildings include the...
Old Structures...
Happy Thanksgiving
‘Nuff said.
a month ago
99% Invisible
Top Billing [EPISODE]
There’s a rumor about the 1987 film Outrageous Fortune, a rumor that has dogged producer Jacob Reed...
5 months ago
There’s a rumor about the 1987 film Outrageous Fortune, a rumor that has dogged producer Jacob Reed since his days in film school. The comedy, starring Bette Midler and Shelley Long, is mostly forgotten. But a feud between the two stars was legendary, a fact referenced on TV by...
CONTEMPORIST
Handmade Turquoise Tiles Line The Entrance To This Spanish Restaurant
Photography by Adria Goula EL EQUIPO CREATIVO has designed Txalupa Gastroleku, a restaurant in San...
11 months ago
Photography by Adria Goula EL EQUIPO CREATIVO has designed Txalupa Gastroleku, a restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain, that draws inspiration from the nearby old port and the small and colorful fishing boats. Photography by Txalupa Gastroleku Stepping inside, you’re immediately...
devonzuegel.com
A Big Little Idea Called Legibility
July 26, 2010 By Venkatesh Rao
James C. Scott’s fascinating and seminal book, Seeing Like a...
over a year ago
July 26, 2010 By Venkatesh Rao
James C. Scott’s fascinating and seminal book, Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed, examines how, across dozens of domains, ranging from agriculture and forestry, to urban planning and...
The Modern House
Inside gallerist Peter Ibsen’s 1950s summer house in Rørvig, rural Denmark
a year ago
Old Structures...
One Way It Began
It’s hard to over-emphasize how rail-centric New York City was before, say, 1920. In addition to the...
4 months ago
It’s hard to over-emphasize how rail-centric New York City was before, say, 1920. In addition to the subway, there were the commuter railroads, which had many more stations within the city then than they do now, and a vast street-car network. The streetcars are entirely gone,...
The Modern House
New Wave: seven coastal homes for sale in Kent and Sussex
In the middle of the 19th century, well-meaning Victorian doctors would advise their patients to...
a year ago
In the middle of the 19th century, well-meaning Victorian doctors would advise their patients to take ‘the sea cure’. Dutifully, they would go to the coast – particularly in the south – bathe in the waters and draw in lungfuls of salty air. Smart promenades, […]
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: An Alternate Past
Comic books are essentially a fantasy medium, which makes it easy for the writers to create...
a year ago
Comic books are essentially a fantasy medium, which makes it easy for the writers to create alternate pasts and futures. Above, a panel from “Gotham By Gaslight” in which a nineteenth-century version of Batman searches for Jack the Ripper. Note the building in the center...
CONTEMPORIST
A Black Kitchen Is A Bold Design Choice For This Home
Photography by Aaron Pocock sense of space [SOS Architects] has sent us photos of a contemporary...
a year ago
Photography by Aaron Pocock sense of space [SOS Architects] has sent us photos of a contemporary home they recently completed, that includes an unexpected all-black kitchen. Photography by Mike Baker The striking black kitchen facilitates the owners’ love for cooking and...
Old Structures...
The Story Can Be Oversimplified
The title of this blog post is true of a lot of narrative history. Simple stories are more effective...
a year ago
The title of this blog post is true of a lot of narrative history. Simple stories are more effective on an emotional level, and are easier to tell. So we often tell them. For example, Wikipedia (my go-to source for oversimplified explanations) states that the 1916 New York zoning...
The Modern House
Hannah Carter Owers on selling the family home in two days in pursuit of the perfect 1970s retrofit...
12 months ago
The Modern House
Explore Simon Allford’s ‘family home in the sky’ in our new film series
11 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
8,000 Discs Were Suspended To Create This Artistic Installation
Canadian-based Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has shared photos of Binary Spectrum, a site-specific...
a year ago
Canadian-based Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has shared photos of Binary Spectrum, a site-specific art installation they created for a lobby atrium inside a building in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Comprised of 8,000 translucent discs, Binary Spectrum is a poetic expression of...
The Modern House
Mark Bonskek and Sabba Khan’s playful Maryland home is a masterclass in materiality
a year ago
The Modern House
Nice Modernism: introducing the friendly face of modernist architecture
After almost a hundred years of modernist architecture, the writer and critic Alan Powers argues...
5 months ago
After almost a hundred years of modernist architecture, the writer and critic Alan Powers argues that the canon is ripe for reappraisal. Here, he makes the case for “Nice Modernism” – an altogether gentler strand of architecture that emerged in the 1930s and is typified […]
Contemporist...
A Charred Wood Exterior Was Given To This Modern Home In The Forest
CLB Architects, together with HSH Interiors (Holly Hollenbeck), has designed a home in an aspen...
8 months ago
CLB Architects, together with HSH Interiors (Holly Hollenbeck), has designed a home in an aspen grove near Wilson, Wyoming.
Old Structures...
Not Quite What It Seems
First up, from one of those New York Public Library scrapbooks, “Looking down upon a forest of...
5 months ago
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
Condocide: Death of a Building Type
The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos...
a year ago
The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos nationwide is dire.
Old Structures...
Snobbishness
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, a caption writer with an attitude: Here’s the original...
a month ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, a caption writer with an attitude: Here’s the original photo: I agree that City Hall is a fine building. It’s unexpectedly small for the city, but its size made sense when it was completed in 1812. The city government would not today...
Old Structures...
An Original Or An Imitation Of An Imitation
The Leonard Street facade of 249 Church Street: For this discussion, ignore the stone ground-floor...
7 months ago
The Leonard Street facade of 249 Church Street: For this discussion, ignore the stone ground-floor storefront, which was a 1920s alteration of this 1867 loft building, probably replacing cast iron columns and lintels. The rest of the facade is, per the Landmarks designation...
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.
The Modern House
How an untouched site in the New Forest beckoned a sustainable new-build adventure
7 months ago
Old Structures...
Straight and Curved
I first started reading architectural theory and criticism when I was still an engineering undergrad...
7 months ago
I first started reading architectural theory and criticism when I was still an engineering undergrad student. It gave me a perspective on buildings that was notably different than that I was learning in my design and analysis classes, but because I was an outsider it took me a...
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...
Just Because I Like It
A view of 99 Prince Street: It’s a little hard to believe it today, but this was built simply an...
2 months ago
A view of 99 Prince Street: It’s a little hard to believe it today, but this was built simply an ordinary commercial building with retail and office space. It was completed in 1888 by architect William Schickel working for “J. J. Astor.” That was either John Jacob Astor III near...
The Modern House
Living well, together: a breathtaking mews house that is a calm, creative sanctuary for four
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Remodeled 1950s Ranch Home
Photography by Studio Robert Jamieson (before photos), August Haeuser (exterior), Sam Orberter...
a year ago
Photography by Studio Robert Jamieson (before photos), August Haeuser (exterior), Sam Orberter (kitchen) Studio Robert Jamieson has shared photos of a 1950s ranch home remodel they completed in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. When the owners purchased this home outside of...
Old Structures...
For The Encouragement Of Thrift
When you spend as much time looking at buildings as I do, it takes something out of the ordinary to...
a year ago
When you spend as much time looking at buildings as I do, it takes something out of the ordinary to stand out. In this case, I was on Sutphin Boulevard in Queens, on its northernmost leg. That’s the part of Sutphin that most people who have heard of it know: between its northern...
Old Structures...
Subtle Design and Not
Two buildings on a single block, separated by about 110 years and a huge difference in design...
a month ago
Two buildings on a single block, separated by about 110 years and a huge difference in design philosophy… First up, how do you turn the corner from a busy avenue to a quiet side street? The one-story red-brick building on the far left is a modern replacement for an old commercial...
Contemporist...
An Undulating Wood Ceiling Inspired By Ocean Waves And Nearby Mountains
ARRCC has shared photos of a remodel they recently completed for a home in Cape Town, South Africa,...
2 months ago
ARRCC has shared photos of a remodel they recently completed for a home in Cape Town, South Africa, that retained the original footprint, and received a contemporary update with a new undulating cast in-place concrete roof lined with wood on the inside.
The Architectural...
Join the Architectural Competition to Reimagine Gran Vía’s Iconic Façade
We invite all readers to contribute to an architectural competition to reimagine the façade of a...
7 months ago
We invite all readers to contribute to an architectural competition to reimagine the façade of a significant building on Madrid’s famous Gran Vía. This competition focuses on number 19, the Court of Contentious-Administrative No. 10 headquarters, originally built in 1921 and...
The Modern House
A handsome mid-century house designed by a Hepworth in Glastonbury
a year ago
99% Invisible
Shade Redux [EPISODE]
This past May, the city of Los Angeles rolled out a brand new, state-of-the art feature for bus...
a year ago
This past May, the city of Los Angeles rolled out a brand new, state-of-the art feature for bus shelters. It’s called La Sombrita. La Sombrita is a metal screen that’s intended to provide shade for the thousands of people who ride the bus every day. The shade screen is about two...
Old Structures...
Elsewhere in the Archipelago
After more than 30 years, it will soon be possible for the public to again visit Hart Island, at...
a year ago
After more than 30 years, it will soon be possible for the public to again visit Hart Island, at least on some days and as part of guided tours. Given the nature of the island – it’s been the potter’s field for New York City for over 150 years – it’s a slightly weird place to go,...
CONTEMPORIST
A Fireplace Divides This Long Living Room Creating A Separate Home Office Area
Toronto-based interior design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a living room that they...
a year ago
Toronto-based interior design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a living room that they transformed to include a dedicated area for a home office. The long and narrow design of the living room enabled them to divide the space into two separate defined areas, the living room,...
A Weekly Dose of...
On Hiatus
Monday is when I would normally post a new book review, but instead, this blog and its related...
a year ago
Monday is when I would normally post a new book review, but instead, this blog and its related newsletter are going on hiatus indefinitely due to a family emergency.
99% Invisible
Cooking with Gas [EPISODE]
Back in January, Bloomberg News published a story quoting an obscure government official named...
a year ago
Back in January, Bloomberg News published a story quoting an obscure government official named Richard Trumka Jr. He works with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulates stuff like furniture and electronics and household appliances. Basically, the agency is supposed...
Old Structures...
Not Extremely Enough
The New York Times recently published “An Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods” and...
a year ago
The New York Times recently published “An Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods” and an accompanying “Extremely Detailed Guide to the Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods.” They are not information about the neighborhoods themselves, but rather...
99% Invisible
Roman Mars Describes Chicago As It Is [EPISODE]
A few years ago, at the very start of the pandemic, Roman Mars wrote an episode of 99pi in which he...
12 months ago
A few years ago, at the very start of the pandemic, Roman Mars wrote an episode of 99pi in which he simply talked about design details in his house — realizing that he, like the audience, didn’t have many other places to go. )You should check it out — it’s a real time capsule,...
Old Structures...
Metaphorical Significant Figures
Continuing a bit further with yesterday’s line of thinking…what happens if we use the wrong code?...
7 months ago
Continuing a bit further with yesterday’s line of thinking…what happens if we use the wrong code? (I’m going to say now, at the beginning of this post, and I’ll repeat at the end: we can and should use the current codes. I use current codes in analysis and design; I use old codes...
The Modern House
It’s all love at Matthew Scott and Charlie Carr’s new restaurant, Papi
a year ago
The Modern House
Photographer Finn Beales and arts director Clare Purcell on how light and the landscape inspired...
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Renovated 90s Home Includes A New Exterior Made Of Alaskan Yellow Cedar Siding
Architecture firm Blue Truck Studio, together with interior design firm Mary Valaika Design, has...
11 months ago
Architecture firm Blue Truck Studio, together with interior design firm Mary Valaika Design, has sent us photos of a home they renovated in California, that showcases vertical wood siding. The original 90s house had wild geometry, such as octagon-shaped rooms and triangular...
Construction Physics
On Yglesias on Manufactured Homes
A few weeks ago, Matt Yglesias wrote “How to Unleash a Trailer Home Boom," which outlines a strategy...
a year ago
A few weeks ago, Matt Yglesias wrote “How to Unleash a Trailer Home Boom," which outlines a strategy for getting more manufactured homes built. Broadly, Yglesias proposes ending HUD code requirements that manufactured homes have a steel chassis, making it easier and less...
Old Structures...
Infrastructure Density
From 1954, “Sunnyside Yards” probably requires some explanation for people unfamiliar with western...
5 months ago
From 1954, “Sunnyside Yards” probably requires some explanation for people unfamiliar with western Queens. The yard (foreground) was built with Penn Station in the aughts because there was simply not enough room near the station, in Manhattan, for a proper yard. So, except for a...
Old Structures...
Too Perfect
Yet another view of lower Broadway, this time from 1908. It’s low resolution and artificially...
10 months ago
Yet another view of lower Broadway, this time from 1908. It’s low resolution and artificially colored, so it’s really more of an illustration than a photo, but good enough for a postcard. This picture bothers me and it took me a while to realize why. The issue exists for a lot of...
devonzuegel.com
Vacuum tube nostalgia
Music enthusiasts will tell you there's nothing quite like "tube sound", the warm, rich sound...
over a year ago
Music enthusiasts will tell you there's nothing quite like "tube sound", the warm, rich sound quality that old vacuum tube amplifiers bring to the music played through them. And they'll pay top dollar for it! Once considered obsolete, vintage vacuum tube amps now sell at a...
Old Structures...
Got Very Big, Very Fast
Yesterday, I mentioned two department stores in New York, the 1846 A. T. Stewart Store at Broadway...
3 months ago
Yesterday, I mentioned two department stores in New York, the 1846 A. T. Stewart Store at Broadway and Chambers Street that was the first real department store in the US, and the 1896 Siegel-Cooper Store at Sixth Avenue and 18th Street that was for a time the largest store in the...
Old Structures...
That Looks Old
I was on my way to a site in Greenwich Village and came across this group at 12th Street and Hudson...
11 months ago
I was on my way to a site in Greenwich Village and came across this group at 12th Street and Hudson Street: This is in the Greenwich Village Historic District, so I knew I could find a capsule history of the buildings with minimal effort, but I took a look at the usual fire maps....
99% Invisible
Mini-Stories: Volume 19
It’s that time again—mini-stories are back! Get ready for a whirlwind tour of short, surprising, and...
a month ago
It’s that time again—mini-stories are back! Get ready for a whirlwind tour of short, surprising, and fascinating tales. This week we have punny highway signs, a PAC funded by exercise, the explosive history behind the Nobel Prize, and some long toes. Let’s get into it! Slow Down,...
CONTEMPORIST
The Design Of This Modern White Patisserie Stands Out From Its Neighbors
LUKSTUDIO has shared photos of Aimé Pâtisserie, which is located in Shanghai, China, and is flanked...
10 months ago
LUKSTUDIO has shared photos of Aimé Pâtisserie, which is located in Shanghai, China, and is flanked by familiar coffee and donut franchises. The designers explained, ‘that the challenge of the store is to stand out from its immediate chaos and appeal to the clientele from the...
devonzuegel.com
Property values should be normalized by acre
In the US, it's common for local governments to focus on tax revenue produced by a property, without...
6 months ago
In the US, it's common for local governments to focus on tax revenue produced by a property, without considering the costs it adds to the city's budget. This is like measuring how far a car can drive without considering how much gas it uses to get there.
Different properties...
Contemporist...
A New Building In Shanghai Inspired By A Forest Of Trees
Koichi Takada Architects has designed a retail building in Shanghai, China, that's described as an...
11 months ago
Koichi Takada Architects has designed a retail building in Shanghai, China, that's described as an 'architectural forest' of 32 trees.
CONTEMPORIST
A Dark Exterior Helps To Hide This Modern Home In The Forest
Robert Young Architects has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Virginia, that’s...
a year ago
Robert Young Architects has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Virginia, that’s surrounded by a forest and features a dark exterior. The multi-storey home was designed from the inside out, with the architects allowing the function of the house to determine its form....
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #10: Clara Jeffery [EPISODE]
This is the tenth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
3 months ago
This is the tenth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott also sit down with Clara Jeffery, the editor-in-chief of Mother Jones and the Center for...
Old Structures...
The Skull Beneath The Feathers
I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a...
2 months ago
I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a structural engineer who likes birds.
Old Structures...
Reuse, Recycle
When it was created in 1968, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority inherited from the New York...
5 months ago
When it was created in 1968, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority inherited from the New York City Transit Authority, from when it was created in 1953, the subway system as created by two private companies (the IRT and BMT) and the city-owned IND. All three parts of the...
The Modern House
Rich Pickings: four homes for sale in Kent
Fruit may be Kent’s greatest export, but as regular explorers of our listings will know, there are...
a year ago
Fruit may be Kent’s greatest export, but as regular explorers of our listings will know, there are other sweet surprises to be found here – albeit of a more architectural streak. And while there’s plenty of history to be found in this corner of the […]
99% Invisible
You Are What You Watch [EPISODE]
What we see on screen has this way of influencing our perception of the world, which makes sense...
11 months ago
What we see on screen has this way of influencing our perception of the world, which makes sense because the average American spends 2 hours and 51 minutes watching movies and TV each day. That’s a whopping 19 percent of our waking hours. Walt Hickey is a data journalist and...
Archinect - Features
Beaux-Arts to Bauhaus: How Two Schools Shaped Architectural Visualization
Architecture schools have long held a significant role in shaping the field of architectural...
2 months ago
Architecture schools have long held a significant role in shaping the field of architectural visualization. Through fostering particular artistic philosophies, drawing techniques, and design ideologies, such institutions shape not only the architects themselves but also the way...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Project
Jessica Drew, in her Spider-Woman gear, visits Belvedere Castle. It’s reasonably clear that in the...
10 months ago
Jessica Drew, in her Spider-Woman gear, visits Belvedere Castle. It’s reasonably clear that in the frame on the right she’s standing in the pavillion looking across to the main tower.
devonzuegel.com
No Kings: How Do You Make Good Decisions Efficiently in a Flat Organization?
At Doist we believe that open and sincere communication improves our decision-making process. That’s...
over a year ago
At Doist we believe that open and sincere communication improves our decision-making process. That’s why we’ve built a culture that encourages feedback at all levels of decision-making: from purely technical solutions to team and product management. We built our team...
The Modern House
Crocadon in Cornwall is a farm and restaurant with organic agriculture, good cooking and great...
a year ago
Old Structures...
First-Mover Status
The Empire State Building gave up its title of “tallest” more than fifty years ago, but that’s not...
8 months ago
The Empire State Building gave up its title of “tallest” more than fifty years ago, but that’s not particularly important. It’s still a beautiful building and still loved by tourists and natives alike. The biggest change in its status over that period if time is the gradual...
Archinect - Features
The Fed Just Cut Interest Rates. What Does It Mean for Architects?
In September 2024, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the target range of interest rates for the first...
3 months ago
In September 2024, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the target range of interest rates for the first time in four years. The move was long anticipated by AEC commentators, who hoped that the lower cost of borrowing would begin to pull the sector out of a two-year stagnation in...
Benny Kuriakose
Hiring Experienced Office Manager at Benny Kuriakose and Associates
We are looking for a highly capable Office Manager for ourChennai office. This person will provide...
a month ago
We are looking for a highly capable Office Manager for ourChennai office. This person will provide office services with proactivity,...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Vermont's Great Retreat
To begin the process of creating this map, I asked questions. Devoured books. Consumed articles....
over a year ago
To begin the process of creating this map, I asked questions. Devoured books. Consumed articles. Talked to historians and librarians. And read maps. Lots of maps. As I did, I wondered if there was something in the landscape, the communities, the culture that made Vermont...
Archinect - Features
'AI Is Built on Datasets That Are Already Biased'; A Conversation with Felecia Davis
Ever since her childhood summers sewing patterns at the family dining table, Felecia Davis has...
a year ago
Ever since her childhood summers sewing patterns at the family dining table, Felecia Davis has understood the power of textiles to be a vehicle for communication, connection, and understanding. As her career in architecture unfolded in parallel with wider advances in...
The Modern House
Living in a boxy, brown-brick terrace – enhanced by Danish design sensibilities
4 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Hidden In The Forest Appears Like A Stack Of Illuminated Boxes
William / Kaven Architecture has sent us photos of a home they completed in Portland, Oregon, that’s...
a year ago
William / Kaven Architecture has sent us photos of a home they completed in Portland, Oregon, that’s part of a collection of private residences perched on several steeply sloped sites within Forest Park, a 5,000-acre woodland. A simple material palette of dark steel, concrete,...
Archinect - Features
10 helpful tips for architecture students going back to school
School is officially back in session as new and returning students begin another academic term....
a year ago
School is officially back in session as new and returning students begin another academic term. Whether you're a fresh undergraduate student embarking on your first year of architecture school or you're a returning student about to continue another rigorous year of learning,...
The Modern House
Our guide to Herne Hill and Tulse Hill: vibrant markets and outdoor swimming in south London
a year ago
A Weekly Dose of...
Ten Pairs of Books for Christmas
This year's roundup of books to give to discerning architects for the holidays is presented in...
a year ago
This year's roundup of books to give to discerning architects for the holidays is presented in pairs. While at least one book in each pair is new, the other one isn't necessarily so — new, old, or not-so-old, it is related to the first in some manner, as explained in my...
Common Edge
How the Much-Maligned Porch Supports Walkable, Sustainable Communities
Its aesthetic detractors don’t understand the porch’s ability to create community.
5 months ago
Its aesthetic detractors don’t understand the porch’s ability to create community.
Old Structures...
Expertise
In the course of doing research on old buildings, I’ve looked at some non-traditional sources. For...
a year ago
In the course of doing research on old buildings, I’ve looked at some non-traditional sources. For example, in trying to find original images of demolished and non-famous buildings, I’ve had some success with magazine ads from tenants. It used to be popular to put a picture of...
CONTEMPORIST
A New Restaurant Design Inspired By The Food It Sells – The Waffle
Multidisciplinary design studio Masquespacio has shared photos of their latest project, Novu Waffle,...
yesterday
Multidisciplinary design studio Masquespacio has shared photos of their latest project, Novu Waffle, an innovative gastronomic space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With a focus on fun and immersion, Masquespacio has created a dynamic and cheerful environment where the waffle is the...
A Weekly Dose of...
Book Briefs #47: Three Altrim Titles
Here is the next installment of "Book Briefs," the series of occasional posts featuring short...
over a year ago
Here is the next 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. Obviously, these briefs are not full-blown reviews, but they are a way to...
The Modern House
Angus and Sarah Shepherd on putting down roots and reviving a 1960s home in Dulwich
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A 1970s Home Received A Contemporary Renovation
Floisand Studio Architects has shared photos of a contemporary renovation project they did for a...
a year ago
Floisand Studio Architects has shared photos of a contemporary renovation project they did for a home in Seattle, Washington. The original 1970s Seattle rambler had a typical boxy layout, while the exterior featured brick with blue and red accents. The new exterior includes new...
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...
The Modern House
Roksanda Ilinčić: the fashion designer’s colourful journey through Belgrade, Britain and Brazil
Roksanda Ilinčić has achieved that most select marker of success: a mononym. Since 2005, her name...
a year ago
Roksanda Ilinčić has achieved that most select marker of success: a mononym. Since 2005, her name has been indelibly associated with her ethereal dress designs – by turns fluid, fantastical, functional and feminine – which have won her fans in some seriously high places, from […]
Old Structures...
For The Common Folk
The return of a heat wave has me writing about the beach. (Not going to the beach, which sounds...
6 months ago
The return of a heat wave has me writing about the beach. (Not going to the beach, which sounds unbearably hot right now, but thinking and writing about it.) So, here’s the Brighton Beach Bathing Pavilion in 1879, one year after it opened: The three big hotels nearby, including...
Old Structures...
Similar But Not
I was in Rockaway last week, and getting there is one of the weirder subway rides you can take. The...
a month ago
I was in Rockaway last week, and getting there is one of the weirder subway rides you can take. The A train is going along normally underground, then it becomes an el, and then you’re on a causeway over Jamaica Bay headed to the Rockaway peninsula. In any case, here’s what the...
The Modern House
Akwasi Brenya-Mensa on the future of Pan-African cuisine at Tatale in Southwark
a year ago
Old Structures...
Fuzzy
Structural steel and composite steel deck used with concrete slabs need to be fireproofed. Ducts,...
2 months ago
Structural steel and composite steel deck used with concrete slabs need to be fireproofed. Ducts, pipes, lights, and electrical conduits do not.
Old Structures...
Dramatic Foreshadowing
From 1875, the “New Tribune Building”: In my opinion, this was not the first skyscraper, pretty much...
11 months ago
From 1875, the “New Tribune Building”: In my opinion, this was not the first skyscraper, pretty much because I don’t believe there was a “first skyscraper.” The deveopment of skyscrapers was an evolutionary process and this was one of the early steps. In any case, the main roof...
Archinect - Features
AI Bias and Digital Colonialism; A Conversation with Morehshin Allahyari
Whether through her art, writings, or lectures, Morehshin Allahyari's work evokes a range of...
a year ago
Whether through her art, writings, or lectures, Morehshin Allahyari's work evokes a range of emotions among its audience. There is wonder and intrigue at her reinterpretation of centuries-old Middle Eastern stories, images, and artifacts. There is introspection on our...
Common Edge
Is Santa Clara—the Heart of Silicon Valley—Soulless and Banal By Intent?
The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
a year ago
The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
Old Structures...
Four Views For Advertising
From 1909, we’ve got some amazing sketches of the view from the Singer Building, created to show how...
10 months ago
From 1909, we’ve got some amazing sketches of the view from the Singer Building, created to show how wonderful it would be to have an office there. South: West: North: East: I’m not going to go into detail about all the buildings you can see, as I’ve done so many times before....
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