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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...
5 months ago
39
5 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.
The Modern House
The Green Series #3: how to make your home airtight   Passivhaus buildings are designed to be almost completely airtight, with no unsealed gaps in the...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
Passivhaus buildings are designed to be almost completely airtight, with no unsealed gaps in the exterior of the building. While a typical home might struggle to achieve that, there are ways to reduce unwanted draughts and heat loss. Continuing our series of Passivhaus hacks,...
Old Structures...
The Skull Beneath The Feathers I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a...
4 weeks ago
11
4 weeks ago
I like birds to begin with; this hummingbird sculpture in Montreal seems designed specifically for a structural engineer who likes birds.
CONTEMPORIST
Steel Symphony: A Madrid Home’s Unique Design With Weathered Elegance Borja Lomas of Voluar Arquitectura has designed a new home in Madrid, Spain, that’s covered in...
8 months ago
30
8 months ago
Borja Lomas of Voluar Arquitectura has designed a new home in Madrid, Spain, that’s covered in weathering steel and has a uniquely shaped design. The shape of the home showcases various areas that branch out in different directions, some of which are cantilevered away from the...
Common Edge
Election 2024: Revisiting the Duck and the Decorated Shed How the Statue of Liberty and the Hollywood Sign frame the nation’s inherent tensions.
3 months ago
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
8
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....
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: My Past Haunts Me Marvel Comics gives us a very blocky, stylized view of a skyscraper: It’s still recognizable as the...
10 months ago
8
10 months ago
Marvel Comics gives us a very blocky, stylized view of a skyscraper: It’s still recognizable as the Irving Trust Building at One Wall Street, seen here in one of Irving (no relation) Underhill’s more artistic photos. In 1988, I was helping on facade repairs triggered by the...
Old Structures...
Got Very Big, Very Fast Yesterday, I mentioned two department stores in New York, the 1846 A. T. Stewart Store at Broadway...
2 months ago
30
2 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...
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow Part II - The World Trade Center Part II in our series comparing the construction of two Tallest Building in the World projects - the...
over a year ago
16
over a year ago
Part II in our series comparing the construction of two Tallest Building in the World projects - the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. See here for Part I. Unless otherwise noted, information and quotes are from “City in the Sky: The Rise and Fall of the World...
Archinect - Features
Architectural Visualization Was Rather Flat: Then We Invented Perspective Before the invention of architectural perspective, architects and artists faced significant...
a month ago
27
a month ago
Before the invention of architectural perspective, architects and artists faced significant challenges in visualizing and communicating architectural space. Without a systematic way to represent depth and spatial relationships, architectural drawings were often symbolic,...
Old Structures...
Unrestricted New York’s first zoning law went into effect in 1916. It is famous for partially restricting...
10 months ago
14
10 months ago
New York’s first zoning law went into effect in 1916. It is famous for partially restricting heights, by forcing setbacks of building mass facing streets, but it also restricted some uses of land. The map below – an actual blueprint, for what that’s worth – shows “Tentative Use...
Old Structures...
A Sense Of The Past The thing about spending a week discussing the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge is that it all feels...
a year ago
6
a year ago
The thing about spending a week discussing the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge is that it all feels almost like fiction. The caissons have been buried in the sand at the bottom of the East River for more than 150 years. I know they are there because I know how to read historical...
Old Structures...
Understanding The Underbelly Hardcore bridge geeks will immediately recognize this photo. Everyone else, and hardcore bridge...
7 months ago
38
7 months ago
Hardcore bridge geeks will immediately recognize this photo. Everyone else, and hardcore bridge geeks with a sense of modesty, will ask “what is it?” It’s the underside of the deck of the Brooklyn Bridge, on the side span between the Manhattan tower and anchorage. Starting with...
Archinect - Features
When Should Architecture Firms Start Hiring? Five Factors To Consider With the U.S. Federal Reserve embarking on rounds of target interest rate cuts in late 2024, AEC...
a month ago
28
a month ago
With the U.S. Federal Reserve embarking on rounds of target interest rate cuts in late 2024, AEC industry commentators are forecasting that architectural business conditions may improve in the coming months. Architecture firms experiencing an increased workload may, therefore,...
The Modern House
Samuel Ross gives us a first look at his renovated family home in Northamptonshire
a year ago
The Modern House
The best of Kensal Rise and Queen’s Park, north-west London
a year ago
Old Structures...
Odd One Out Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an...
6 months ago
38
6 months ago
Two views of the Queensboro Bridge… First, a HAER photo I’ve used before: Second, a view from an early 1900s edition of King’s Views of New York, showing a rendering of the bridge before it was completed (on top), paired with a photo of the just-completed Williamsburg Bridge...
Construction Physics
The dream of deregulation - the grid part III For most of the industry’s history, electric power in the US had largely been provided by vertically...
a year ago
53
a year ago
For most of the industry’s history, electric power in the US had largely been provided by vertically integrated utility companies that handled every part of the electricity supply: generating it, transmitting it, distributing it to customers, and managing the overall system....
The Modern House
A beloved mid-century home built for a lifetime of colour and creation by two architects
7 months ago
Contemporist...
A Small Cabin-Like Structure That Can Be Compressed When Not In Use Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small...
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
This Bedroom With A Partial Glass Floor Looks Down To The Living Room Below Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo,...
a year ago
25
a year ago
Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that features a partial glass floor in the bedroom. The apartment has been designed with the living space on the lower floor, while the bedroom is located upstairs. One...
Contemporist...
A Curved Corner Softens The Space Inside This Home Extension Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a...
a year ago
54
a year ago
Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a run-down home in Victoria, that includes a new contemporary addition with a curved wall.
Old Structures...
If You’re Interested Sometimes a topic is so obvious that it’s easily missed. The conference I am currently at is the...
5 months ago
33
5 months ago
Sometimes a topic is so obvious that it’s easily missed. The conference I am currently at is the triennial International Construction History Congress. It’s a good place to learn about topics in how the built environment got built from many different nations, different times, and...
The Modern House
From the Ground Up: six plots now for sale We’ve all harboured a fantasy of a DIY project – and the hard-earned sense of achievement that comes...
a year ago
4
a year ago
We’ve all harboured a fantasy of a DIY project – and the hard-earned sense of achievement that comes with self-building. After all, what could be more rewarding than a home constructed by you, entirely for you? Well, it’s time to stop dreaming and start doing, […]
99% Invisible
Devil in the Details [EPISODE] In 1994, an independent producer made a short, earnest video featuring an eccentric cast of...
a year ago
4
a year ago
In 1994, an independent producer made a short, earnest video featuring an eccentric cast of characters who were focused on a very specific paranoia. The tape was made to look like a TV news special. It opens with a cheap, Jerry Springer-era computer graphic of a gold pentagram...
Common Edge
Is Mass Timber the Key Element in a Low Carbon Future? A new book highlights the promise—and lingering challenges—of this important material.
9 months ago
Old Structures...
Double Part of the Construction History Congress last week was a day of tours, and I went on the iron- and...
5 months ago
38
5 months ago
Part of the Construction History Congress last week was a day of tours, and I went on the iron- and steel-truss bridge tour. I’m going to show my pictures every two or three days, spread over the next couple of weeks. First up: the rail bridge at Eglisau: Built 1895-1897 by the...
The Modern House
Luke Edward Hall: the artist and designer pulls back the curtain to reveal his colourful life story A boundless creative with a uniquely romantic, rainbow-hued aesthetic, Luke Edward Hall has...
6 months ago
46
6 months ago
A boundless creative with a uniquely romantic, rainbow-hued aesthetic, Luke Edward Hall has reinvigorated our appetite for English Country House Style – and embroidered velvet slippers. For this week’s episode of Homing In, Matt Gibberd gets the invitation we’ve all been waiting...
The Modern House
How Mabel Law and Andrew Tam transformed a modest flat into a space-maximising maisonette in...
a year ago
The Modern House
A fossil-shaped eco home in the rolling countryside of Devon
a year ago
Coffee with an...
If movies were about Architecture “Apocalypse Now”: an architect goes grossly over budget. Another architect is sent out to find him...
7 months ago
50
7 months ago
“Apocalypse Now”: an architect goes grossly over budget. Another architect is sent out to find him and value-engineer the project, in the jungle, during a war. “It’s a wonderful life”: An architect mishandles his finances. Jumps off a bridge. Is saved by his guardian angel /...
Contemporist...
A Stepped Design For This Renovated Century-Old Edwardian House In San Francisco Andrew Mann Architecture has shared photos of a century-old Edwardian house they renovated in a...
7 months ago
99% Invisible
The Chinatown Punk Wars [EPISODE] The most recognizable feature of LA’s Chinatown is its Central Plaza. It’s an outdoor pedestrian...
a year ago
22
a year ago
The most recognizable feature of LA’s Chinatown is its Central Plaza. It’s an outdoor pedestrian mall that is almost overwhelmingly colorful.  Brightly painted buildings are topped with sweeping pagoda style roofs, and then accented with fluorescent neon lacing. For decades...
Archinect - Features
NYIT School of Architecture & Design's M.Arch Graduate Studio Explores 'Designing... Continuing with our Archinect Studio Pin-Ups series, we connect with Archinect Partner School New...
a year ago
6
a year ago
Continuing with our Archinect Studio Pin-Ups series, we connect with Archinect Partner School New York Institute of Technology to learn more about its Fall/Spring semester M.Arch studio led by Marcella Del Signore, the school's Associate Professor and Director of the Master of...
The Architectural...
New academic dissertation questions architects’ taste Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new...
8 months ago
57
8 months ago
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new houses made in a traditional style. But this is exactly what the average person appreciates. “Why do many architects dislike the very thing that residents often enjoy?” asks architect...
Archinect - Features
How the Business of Architecture and Construction Fared in May 2024: Introducing Archinect's... Welcome to the first of Archinect's new monthly series, 'State of AEC.' At the end of each month, we...
6 months ago
61
6 months ago
Welcome to the first of Archinect's new monthly series, 'State of AEC.' At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically. As we approach the midway point of...
Old Structures...
Dramatic Foreshadowing From 1875, the “New Tribune Building”: In my opinion, this was not the first skyscraper, pretty much...
10 months ago
16
10 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...
Common Edge
To Address Climate Change, Architects Must Tackle Decarbonization Focusing only on energy performance is insufficient to the mounting crisis.
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before And After – A Respectful Remodel For A Mid-Century Modern Home Interior design firm Wise Design, together with General Contractor and Architect Owen Gabbert...
a year ago
75
a year ago
Interior design firm Wise Design, together with General Contractor and Architect Owen Gabbert (formerly Clarkbuilt), has transformed a dated 1954 mid-century modern home in Portland, Oregon. Before – The ExteriorThe original home has a brown exterior with original windows and...
Construction Physics
The Rise and Fall of the Mail-Order Home In the early 20th century, a new business model appeared: the mail-order home. Companies would mail...
a year ago
18
a year ago
In the early 20th century, a new business model appeared: the mail-order home. Companies would mail out catalogs containing several dozen different home options, buyers would send in their orders, and the company would send the necessary materials – pre-cut lumber, roofing,...
Archinect - Features
Creativity Won’t Protect Architects from Automation — But Labor Unions Might The proliferation of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT has undermined long-held...
9 months ago
28
9 months ago
The proliferation of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT has undermined long-held assumptions that artificial intelligence would not threaten creative disciplines. In an effort to balance the opportunities and limits of artificial intelligence in the architecture...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: War and Art First, a view of an army building from “Miss Fury” an exceedingly weird comic involving World War II...
10 months ago
7
10 months ago
First, a view of an army building from “Miss Fury” an exceedingly weird comic involving World War II and time travel. Second, a view of the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue. The 69th was in a lot of famous battles in the Civil War and some notable ones in World War I....
Old Structures...
A Blast From The Past, In The Past My mental image of hand-drawn, colored engineering renderings is that they were a nineteenth-century...
11 months ago
8
11 months ago
My mental image of hand-drawn, colored engineering renderings is that they were a nineteenth-century phenomenon. These drawings prove me wrong: they’re a 1922 description of the lower-Manhattan tunnel under the Hudson River, then in the early stages of construction. The second...
The Modern House
Nice Modernism: introducing the friendly face of modernist architecture After almost a hundred years of modernist architecture, the writer and critic Alan Powers argues...
4 months ago
39
4 months ago
After almost a hundred years of modernist architecture, the writer and critic Alan Powers argues that the canon is ripe for reappraisal. Here, he makes the case for “Nice Modernism” – an altogether gentler strand of architecture that emerged in the 1930s and is typified […]
Old Structures...
Not A Skyscaper The picture above – courtesy of Irfan Haider of the Central Park Conservancy – shows the realization...
a year ago
8
a year ago
The picture above – courtesy of Irfan Haider of the Central Park Conservancy – shows the realization of another of our designs for small rustic structures in the park. Again, Shaquana Lovell took the lead for OSE. In this case, the design of the log structure was not the main...
Contemporist...
A New Home In Costa Rica Designed To Highlight Its Surroundings Architecture firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a new home they completed in Costa Rica, that's...
4 months ago
42
4 months ago
Architecture firm Studio Saxe, has shared photos of a new home they completed in Costa Rica, that's designed to progressively highlight the wondrous ecological and topographical surroundings.
Common Edge
How to Be a Better Architect Than Me My recent talk to high school seniors.
a year ago
Archinect - Features
When California Tried to Abolish Architectural Licensure Throughout the 20th century, every state and territory across the U.S. passed laws establishing a...
4 months ago
37
4 months ago
Throughout the 20th century, every state and territory across the U.S. passed laws establishing a requirement to license architects. Since then, no jurisdiction has successfully repealed such a requirement. In the late 1970s, however, California almost became a notable...
CONTEMPORIST
This Cafe In Austria Has a Cycling Inspired Design Architecture and interior design studio Archisphere collaborated with Carbone & Kacerovsky to design...
a year ago
122
a year ago
Architecture and interior design studio Archisphere collaborated with Carbone & Kacerovsky to design a ‘Cyclist’, a modern cafe at the Hotel Andaz am Belvedere Vienna. Archisphere drew inspiration from the movement, freedom, and enjoyment associated with cycling. In addition to...
Common Edge
How the Global Business Class Has Transformed the Home They’re bringing the aesthetics and lifestyle expectations of the hospitality industry into their...
2 months ago
The Modern House
Five standout things to see and do this May Is there a more delightful time of year than wisteria-filled May? As we get set for summer, we’re in...
a year ago
45
a year ago
Is there a more delightful time of year than wisteria-filled May? As we get set for summer, we’re in high spirits, not least because of the inspiring happenings in our diaries. From a series of workshops at a London bakery’s new homeware space to a […]
The Modern House
Hans Ulrich Obrist: the celebrated curator on why home has always been a place of artistic discovery Hans Ulrich Obrist is the artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington, west London,...
a year ago
18
a year ago
Hans Ulrich Obrist is the artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington, west London, and is universally acknowledged as one of the most important and prolific art curators of our time. He’s known for his broad, cross-disciplinary approach, in which subjects such as...
Old Structures...
Infrastructure Density From 1954, “Sunnyside Yards” probably requires some explanation for people unfamiliar with western...
4 months ago
23
4 months ago
From 1954, “Sunnyside Yards” probably requires some explanation for people unfamiliar with western Queens. The yard (foreground) was built with Penn Station in the aughts because there was simply not enough room near the station, in Manhattan, for a proper yard. So, except for a...
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,...
10 months ago
20
10 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...
Coffee with an...
How to be a better architect Ask yourself, “Is this needed?” Remove everything that isn’t. Study the function of the building...
a year ago
53
a year ago
Ask yourself, “Is this needed?” Remove everything that isn’t. Study the function of the building well, but don’t let it drive the design. Connect the spaces with nature. Master the use of natural light. Create a balance between public and private spaces. Organize the Floorplan....
Construction Physics
The Rise of Steel - Part I One of the defining characteristics of the modern world is the ubiquity of steel. Nearly every...
a year ago
18
a year ago
One of the defining characteristics of the modern world is the ubiquity of steel. Nearly every product of industrial civilization relies on steel, either as a component or as part of the equipment used to produce it. Without it, Vaclav Smil notes in “Still the Iron Age”, modern...
The Modern House
Book Preview: celebrating the architectural wonderland of London's suburbia I ❤️ Suburbia is the first book by Simon Pollock, based on his successful Instagram account,...
3 months ago
39
3 months ago
I ❤️ Suburbia is the first book by Simon Pollock, based on his successful Instagram account, @londonsuburbia. The book celebrates the lives of people living on the outskirts of London and explores some of the often-overlooked architectural treasures of the ‘burbs, from houses to...
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...
2 months ago
28
2 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...
Quite Far I was at a project site in Rockaway this week. As the crow flies, about 13 or 14 miles from the...
a week ago
7
a week ago
I was at a project site in Rockaway this week. As the crow flies, about 13 or 14 miles from the office; by subway about 18 miles and a little over an hour. (It would have been less, but the lift bridge on the train causeway was open for a boat to pass.) Apple Maps […]
99% Invisible
The Known Unknown [EPISODE] How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans...
a year ago
41
a year ago
How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. After the Civil War, the Union buried 2,111 soldiers in a mass grave in Arlington that they purposely built in the middle of...
The Modern House
Architect Sophie Hicks on life in her hidden concrete haven in Kensington
a year ago
The Modern House
A mid-century gem among the treetops on the Dulwich Estate in Crystal Palace
a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: The Curve Before the Station Even without the Silvercup Bakery sign, I’d know this view, from an old Daredevil comic. The tracks...
8 months ago
34
8 months ago
Even without the Silvercup Bakery sign, I’d know this view, from an old Daredevil comic. The tracks are the 7 train, Flushing-bound, just west of the Queensboro Plaza station. This is the view you’d see looking off the west end of the platform, or from the rear window of an...
Contemporist...
Lighting Is Used To Create A Warm Glowing Atmosphere For This Restaurant FUNUN LAB has shared photos of a Japanese-inspired restaurant they designed in Beijing, China, that...
a year ago
7
a year ago
FUNUN LAB has shared photos of a Japanese-inspired restaurant they designed in Beijing, China, that includes a variety of lighting that helps create a unique interior.
Blog - Guerrilla...
Blocking Sediment Migration Blocking Sediment Migration from Colorado River Basin to Gulf of California I didn’t intend to map...
over a year ago
54
over a year ago
Blocking Sediment Migration from Colorado River Basin to Gulf of California I didn’t intend to map human migration for the Atlas in a Day project. My plans for a map of the migration of sediment in rivers raised some eyebrows at home, mostly wondering how the subject would fit in...
The Modern House
How an architect couple transformed an old shop in Walthamstow into a restful wooden home 
a year ago
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
8
a year ago
Urban researcher Alan Mallach on the global phenomenon of shrinking—and “thinning”—cities and countries.
The Modern House
A flexible family home with flair in Clapton
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
Curved Windows Allow This Home To Have Unobstructed Water Views The Wiseman Group has updated a 90’s home in Sausalito, California, that was originally designed by...
10 months ago
37
10 months ago
The Wiseman Group has updated a 90’s home in Sausalito, California, that was originally designed by the late architect Donald Olsen. Located on a hillside with waterfront views, the home has been thoughtfully modernized as an elegant family living space that still honors the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Black Brick Exterior Is Consistent With The Dark Forest Surrounding This Modern Home Architecture and interior design firm GO’C has shared photos of a home they recently completed...
a year ago
4
a year ago
Architecture and interior design firm GO’C has shared photos of a home they recently completed northwest of Seattle on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington. Located on a secluded wooded site, near a small beach town, the home has been designed with dark black brick walls with...
The Modern House
The Classics: Valley Spring by Peter Womersley
a year ago
The Wandering...
Mapping Francis Younghusband in the Gobi Desert, 1887, Part 4: from the Ya-hu oasis to Hami. [Back to Part 3: from the Hun-kua-ling sandhills to the Ya-hu oasis] From Ya-Hu to Hami, we can see...
over a year ago
14
over a year ago
[Back to Part 3: from the Hun-kua-ling sandhills to the Ya-hu oasis] From Ya-Hu to Hami, we can see that Younghusband now has to turn south, as his own map shows. The journey takes from June 23rd to July 4th, or twelve days. His mapmaker places Ula Khutun almost halfway from...
A Weekly Dose of...
Places in Time I Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is...
a year ago
23
a year ago
Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is architectural surveys: books that usually collect buildings of a certain typology, but also ones spanning a particular timeframe or through some other theme. I've written a few of them...
The Solarchitecture...
Case study #2 - Sunbeam A-frame Let's start 2023 with presenting one of my dearest projects.
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
Urban sprawl is a tragedy of the commons We tend to choose larger homes than we want our neighbors to choose. The result: sprawling...
over a year ago
6
over a year ago
We tend to choose larger homes than we want our neighbors to choose. The result: sprawling development that doesn't match what people actually want from their communities. People aim to maximize access and space when deciding where to live. All things equal, most people like...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Under One of the most formal elements in Central Park is the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, just south of...
2 months ago
14
2 months ago
One of the most formal elements in Central Park is the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, just south of The Lake. The terrace overlooks the fountain from the elevation of the 72nd Street crosstown drive, and has three sets of stairs leading down; the undercroft of the terrace is a...
Old Structures...
Steel And Hemp From the 1880s, a view of South Street and the East River with the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge in the...
2 months ago
32
2 months ago
From the 1880s, a view of South Street and the East River with the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge in the background. The bridge was the first suspension bridge with steel wires in its main cables. Steel rope had been used in ships for some time, but these sailing ships were mostly...
The Modern House
How David Roy and Angel Perez carve out space for playtime and parties in their flexible Hackney...
a year ago
The Modern House
Rest, relaxation and refuge at a ryokan-inspired home in Hackney
a year ago
The Modern House
The brilliant reimagining of Sunny Side Up, a family home in Clapton
10 months ago
Cartogrammar
Seasonal relief Just a map for fun, made without writing any code, which is a nice change of pace. I finally spent a...
over a year ago
2
over a year ago
Just a map for fun, made without writing any code, which is a nice change of pace. I finally spent a bit of time catching up with the great Daniel Huffman’s excellent tutorial on creating shaded relief maps with Blender. Do try it out if you haven’t; he’s written it up thoroughly...
Common Edge
Vivian Maier: Nanny With a Rolleiflex Fotografiska bids adieu to its current digs with a tribute to the great street photographer.
4 months ago
Archinect - Features
Archinect's 2024 Mental Health Survey Results: 11 Key Takeaways On October 10th, we marked World Mental Health Day by launching Archinect's 2024 Mental Health...
a month ago
11
a month ago
On October 10th, we marked World Mental Health Day by launching Archinect's 2024 Mental Health Survey. Over 120 people participated, sharing their experiences of the past year, where mental health issues are arising from, and what steps they are taking to improve their own mental...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Somber Location One of the less-well-known memorials in Manhattan is the African Burial Ground National Monument at...
4 months ago
23
4 months ago
One of the less-well-known memorials in Manhattan is the African Burial Ground National Monument at Duane and Elk Streets, where free Blacks excluded from New York’s general cemetery in the seventeenth cenutry buried their dead. Here’s a photo of the memorial, a stone circle...
Old Structures...
Split Personality Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the...
a month ago
17
a month ago
Live, from Montreal, the Cathedrale Marie Reine du Monde et Saint Jacques: Putting aside the building’s architectural merit – and there is a great deal – I find this kind of church interesting structurally. We have at least three very different types of structure here. There’s...
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Covers The Interior And Exterior Of This Modern Canadian Cottage Akb Architects has designed a modern cottage in Canada that’s clad in rough-sawn cedar boards and...
a year ago
5
a year ago
Akb Architects has designed a modern cottage in Canada that’s clad in rough-sawn cedar boards and western red cedar shakes. The residence is hidden among trees with carefully sited openings providing views of a freshwater lake. Each volume is nested above and within the existing...
A Weekly Dose of...
On Guidebooks A portion of the paperback wrapper of A Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C., published by...
a year ago
18
a year ago
A portion of the paperback wrapper of A Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C., published by the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1965.  Are guidebooks still a valid and useful subgenre of architecture books? Do architects...
CONTEMPORIST
A White Concrete Exterior Protects This Seaside Mediterranean House Ramón Esteve Estudio has shared images of a new home they designed in an urbanized area of a small...
3 months ago
23
3 months ago
Ramón Esteve Estudio has shared images of a new home they designed in an urbanized area of a small seaside town in Valencia, Spain. The house has a white concrete envelope that generates a large protective shell for a harmonious and delicate interior. Large overhangs and a system...
Contemporist...
This Library Is Almost Entirely Built Into The Land Around It Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP has recently completed a new library in Kisarazu, Japan, that has been built...
a year ago
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #9: Majora Carter [EPISODE] This is the ninth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
3 months ago
31
3 months ago
This is the ninth official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott also sit down with Majora Carter, an urban revitalization strategist and real estate developer from...
SOCKS
Matmata: Underground Dwellings for an Extreme Climate The ancient Berber village of Matmata in South Tunisia, located between the Eastern coast and the...
a year ago
27
a year ago
The ancient Berber village of Matmata in South Tunisia, located between the Eastern coast and the desert, is characterised by settlements of dwellings dug into the clay-gypsum layers of the ground. The dating of the first inhabitations is uncertain. In these dwellings, vaulted...
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
7
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...
devonzuegel.com
Making is Show Business now – alexdanco.com Nadia Eghbal’s new book, Working In Public: the Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software, may...
over a year ago
6
over a year ago
Nadia Eghbal’s new book, Working In Public: the Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software, may not have been on your short list of books to read this year. It’s admittedly a nerdy topic: it’s about open source projects, roles and responsibilities; the rise of GitHub as a...
Common Edge
MoMA’s Woefully Incomplete Look at Architecture’s Environmental Arc A new exhibition is at best a limited glimpse at a critical movement.
a year ago
The Modern House
The 'sculptural experience' of designer Ashley Law’s uniquely tactile cottage in Whitechapel
8 months ago
99% Invisible
Uptown Squirrel [EPISODE] This past fall, hundreds of people gathered at The Explorer’s Club in New York City. The building...
6 months ago
54
6 months ago
This past fall, hundreds of people gathered at The Explorer’s Club in New York City. The building was once a clubhouse for famed naturalists and explorers. Now it’s an archive of ephemera and rarities from pioneering expeditions including treks to the North Pole, the moon, and...
CONTEMPORIST
A Material Palette Of Pale Brick, Concrete, And Timber Echoes This Home’s Coastal Site Architecture firm studioplusthree has shared photos of a project in Sydney, Australia, that included...
6 months ago
40
6 months ago
Architecture firm studioplusthree has shared photos of a project in Sydney, Australia, that included the alterations and additions to an existing house. The home features a material palette of pale brick, concrete, and timber evoking the project’s coastal location and echoing the...
Benny Kuriakose
Courtyard – The Beauty and Functionality Courtyards are an ancient building technique used throughout the ages in Indian houses of all eras....
a year ago
1
a year ago
Courtyards are an ancient building technique used throughout the ages in Indian houses of all eras. With the rise in modernity, the use...
99% Invisible
Office Space [EPISODE] Right now, in Manhattan, 18% of office space is vacant. At the same time, the city of New York has a...
a year ago
4
a year ago
Right now, in Manhattan, 18% of office space is vacant. At the same time, the city of New York has a major housing problem, with more than 100,000 people using the municipal shelter system. So Eric Adams and city officials are talking a lot about taking those empty offices, and...
Old Structures...
It Can Go Either Way Much like the photo from Monday, this April 1959 photo by Angelo Rizzuto could be either demolition...
8 months ago
25
8 months ago
Much like the photo from Monday, this April 1959 photo by Angelo Rizzuto could be either demolition or construction. The steel frame on the left is on the site of 350 Park Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets on the west side of Park Avenue. The ornate masonry box just north of...
Old Structures...
Small Trusses For the last nine years, the high point, for me, of the annual APTI conference has been the student...
a month ago
19
a month ago
For the last nine years, the high point, for me, of the annual APTI conference has been the student competition run by the Preservation Engineering Technical Committee. This year, In Montreal, was no exception. This year, I had no role in the competition, which frees me to say...
The Modern House
The Modern House guide to Christmas gifts that give back The festive sprint comes with ample occasions for gift giving, from Secret Santa to stocking...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
The festive sprint comes with ample occasions for gift giving, from Secret Santa to stocking fillers. Where to start? This year, we’ve decided to focus on gifting with an altruistic inclination and present an edit of design-led festive finds that support the work of charities […]
Old Structures...
Shrinkage I took this photo last summer while eating dinner in a brew-pub in Utica, New York. I’m looking up...
11 months ago
6
11 months ago
I took this photo last summer while eating dinner in a brew-pub in Utica, New York. I’m looking up at the second-floor framing from below, in an old industrial building near the train tracks (the former main line of the New York Central Railroad). The building structure consists...
CONTEMPORIST
This Renovated 90s Home Includes A New Exterior Made Of Alaskan Yellow Cedar Siding Architecture firm Blue Truck Studio, together with interior design firm Mary Valaika Design, has...
10 months ago
13
10 months ago
Architecture firm Blue Truck Studio, together with interior design firm Mary Valaika Design, has sent us photos of a home they renovated in California, that showcases vertical wood siding. The original 90s house had wild geometry, such as octagon-shaped rooms and triangular...
Blog - Guerrilla...
How Guerrilla Cartography’s Atlases Promote Diverse Perspectives Guerrilla Cartography aims to promote the understanding that there are many views of the world, that...
a year ago
39
a year ago
Guerrilla Cartography aims to promote the understanding that there are many views of the world, that how we understand space and place can vary, and that we should think critically about the maps and the graphics we make and consume. Our organization has designed processes for...
99% Invisible
In Proximity: Roman Mars and Ryan Coogler [EPISODE] In Proximity is a podcast from Proximity Media about craft, career, and creativity. Proximity...
a year ago
23
a year ago
In Proximity is a podcast from Proximity Media about craft, career, and creativity. Proximity founder Ryan Coogler talks all about podcasts with Roman Mars, host and creator of 99% Invisible, a sound-rich narrative podcast about architecture and design. They discuss holding...
devonzuegel.com
Misreading Milei: The American press can only see Argentina through US-colored glasses It's been frustrating to see the US coverage of Milei, Argentina's new president. They are deeply...
a year ago
6
a year ago
It's been frustrating to see the US coverage of Milei, Argentina's new president. They are deeply misunderstanding (or misrepresenting?) what's going on. It seems the American press can only understand Argentine politics through the lens of the US, when really it's just a totally...
CONTEMPORIST
A Garage Transformed Into An Apartment With A Home Office YR Architecture + Design has shared photos of a modern 575 square foot (53 sqm) live/work studio in...
a year ago
94
a year ago
YR Architecture + Design has shared photos of a modern 575 square foot (53 sqm) live/work studio in Columbus, OH, that was once a 2-car garage. The homeowners were determined for their two-car garage to be an asset, with the couple seeking to maximize their property, and at the...
SOCKS
A Building to Tell the Time: The Toghrol Tower in Rey, Iran (1063) The Toghrol Tower is a 20 meters high tower located in the city of Rey in Iran made of bricks and...
over a year ago
14
over a year ago
The Toghrol Tower is a 20 meters high tower located in the city of Rey in Iran made of bricks and Sarooj, a water-resistant mortar. It was erected in 1063, and according to some sources, it was conceived as the tomb of Tuğrul Beg, the founder of the Seljuk dynasty. Other scholars...
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap? Part I Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate...
a year ago
22
a year ago
Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate of unsubsidized levelized cost of energy (LCOE)
Construction Physics
The Katerra Team Rides Again: ONX Homes Regular readers of Construction Physics know that I formerly worked for the construction startup...
8 months ago
53
8 months ago
Regular readers of Construction Physics know that I formerly worked for the construction startup Katerra, which raised several billion dollars in venture capital in the hopes of revolutionizing the construction industry, and then went bankrupt. In fact, it was my experiences at...
CONTEMPORIST
Creative Patterned Designs Cover The Facade Of This Brick House Manoj Patel Design Studio has shared photos of a home they’ve completed in Vadodara, India, that...
a year ago
40
a year ago
Manoj Patel Design Studio has shared photos of a home they’ve completed in Vadodara, India, that includes unique brick designs on its facade. Located in the middle of an urban area, the eye-catching facade showcases a brick accent section that has a variety of artistic patterns....
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: But Unfamiliar The Black Widow thinks deep thoughts while standing on a rooftop: To be clear about what we’re...
2 months ago
29
2 months ago
The Black Widow thinks deep thoughts while standing on a rooftop: To be clear about what we’re seeing, A is the Empire State Building, B is the Chrysler Building, C is Silver Towers at Lafayette Place and Bleecker Street, and D is the Widow: So we’re looking north from SoHo. The...
Archinect - Features
A Conversation with SCI-Arc's Undergraduate Chairs Kristy Balliet and Marcelyn Gow Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and...
12 months ago
49
12 months ago
Archinect's Dean's List series allows us to connect with architecture's academic leaders (deans and chairs) to learn more about their pedagogical stances, academic perspectives, and what they envision for the school during their tenure.  SCI-Arc is an institution known for its...
CONTEMPORIST
A 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
38
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...
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
CONTEMPORIST
A Sunken Living Room Was Made Possible By A New Extension To This Home Mulroy Architects has shared photos of a project they recently completed that included modernizing...
a year ago
7
a year ago
Mulroy Architects has shared photos of a project they recently completed that included modernizing the interior of a 1920s home in Greater London, England, that also included the addition of a rear extension. The brief was to refurbish and extend the upper floors of the house to...
The Modern House
Nick Hill’s no frills approach to materials recasts a 1930s house in south-east London as a...
8 months ago
Common Edge
Art & Architecture Writers Demand Fair Pay Wages for free-lance journalists, covering the built environment, have been stagnant or in decline...
a year ago
99% Invisible
Player Piano [EPISODE] The Last Archive is a history show. Our evidence is the evidence of history, the evidence of...
a year ago
57
a year ago
The Last Archive is a history show. Our evidence is the evidence of history, the evidence of archives. Manuscripts, photographs, letters and diaries, government documents. Facebook posts, Youtube videos, DVDs. Oral histories. This stuff is known as the “historical record,” but of...
The Modern House
The lavish restoration of a Lisbon townhouse
a year ago
There are two types...
“Big Real Estate’s Continuing Stranglehold Over New York City” Recently, the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times about the causes of...
over a year ago
20
over a year ago
Recently, the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times about the causes of unaffordable housing in New York City. He blamed the crisis on a few things, including a powerful financial “monoculture” in the city, NIMBYs, … Continue reading → The post “Big...
Contemporist...
Western Red Cedar Gives This Home A Warm Feeling Inside And Out Swatt | Miers Architects has sent us photos of their project, the 'Happy Valley Residence' in...
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Thomas Nast Holiday – 3 of 3 In my opinion, this is genius.
12 months ago
Common Edge
Making the Case for Sustainable Housing: It’s Time for a New Argument How to undo the tension between affordability and sustainability.
a year ago
Old Structures...
Metaphorical Significant Figures Continuing a bit further with yesterday’s line of thinking…what happens if we use the wrong code?...
6 months ago
50
6 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...
Old Structures...
A Holdout In January 1958, Angelo Rizzuto took this photo from the east side of Lexington Avenue, between 53rd...
7 months ago
21
7 months ago
In January 1958, Angelo Rizzuto took this photo from the east side of Lexington Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets, looking west toward Park Avenue. The block bounded by those four streets was at that time entirely empty except for this old rowhouse at 620 Lexington. It was...
Old Structures...
Boosterism I don’t have an exact date for this photo, but the Temple Bar Building, the three-turreted...
8 months ago
34
8 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
Rosh Mahtani: the Alighieri founder’s inspiring journey from school outcast to acclaimed... Journal readers will know the name Rosh Mahtani – partly because we’ve visited her in the past, but...
a year ago
23
a year ago
Journal readers will know the name Rosh Mahtani – partly because we’ve visited her in the past, but partly because she’s very, very good at what she does. Despite the joy it brings, Rosh started her cult jewellery brand, Alighieri, when she was in an […]
Old Structures...
Obvious, Expensive, and Worth Doing A lot of different trends combined to create the decline of the Bronx between 1950 and 2000, and one...
a month ago
18
a month ago
A lot of different trends combined to create the decline of the Bronx between 1950 and 2000, and one of them is firmly within the realm of the built environment: the construction of highways. Any road entering New York City from the north has to pass through the Bronx, and...
Archinect - Features
The Pandemic Is History, but for Architects, Its Impact on Office Design Remains Our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey highlighted concerns among architects that...
4 months ago
30
4 months ago
Our recent analysis of the Archinect Business Survey highlighted concerns among architects that their business health has been impacted by the ongoing adoption of remote and hybrid working patterns across the U.S. in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore in more detail...
The Modern House
A Day Well Spent with Isabella Burley
a year ago
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
17
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...
A Weekly Dose of...
American Modern Home American Modern Home: Jacobsen Architecture + Interiors by Simon Jacobsen Rizzoli, October...
over a year ago
19
over a year ago
American Modern Home: Jacobsen Architecture + Interiors by Simon Jacobsen Rizzoli, October 2022 Hardcover | 11 x 11 inches | 224 pages | English | ISBN: 9780847872053 | $75 PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION: Hugh Newell Jacobsen, the legendary architect and late co-founder with his son,...
CONTEMPORIST
A Distinct Dining Area Was Created In This Home By Surrounding It With Cabinetry Toronto-based architecture and design practice Great Lake Studio has shared photos of a home they...
a year ago
4
a year ago
Toronto-based architecture and design practice Great Lake Studio has shared photos of a home they designed, that’s clad in custom charred cedar and has a pitched roof. Inside, the main level of the home is the gathering place, with the living room, dining area, and kitchen all...
The Architectural...
The Classic Planning Herald International: A Window into the Global New Traditional Architecture... The Classic Planning Herald International is a new quarterly magazine from the Classic Planning...
5 days ago
16
5 days ago
The Classic Planning Herald International is a new quarterly magazine from the Classic Planning Institute. The project offers insights into what is happening in the New Traditional Architecture community and aims to challenge the modernist dogma. In this article, Michelle Sofge...
The Modern House
James Lohan: the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith on how his first experience of home shaped an... James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the...
7 months ago
37
7 months ago
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the potential for turning a profit on a stack of cheese toasties. A series of successful business ventures followed suit, but it was in 2003 that James and his […]
Old Structures...
Winding This 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Bdwy winding all thru T-Sq.” and it definitely shows...
8 months ago
59
8 months ago
This 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Bdwy winding all thru T-Sq.” and it definitely shows Broadway and Times Square, although I have some quibbles about “winding.” This view is looking north and a little bit west, probably taken from a window on a high floor of 1450...
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
15
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...
The Modern House
The best of Stoke Newington and Newington Green
4 months ago
The Modern House
Explore Simon Allford’s ‘family home in the sky’ in our new film series
10 months ago
The Modern House
Desert modernism meets London stock brick in the strikingly staggered Aperture House
5 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Slightly Different Angled Ridge Line Was Given To Each Home In This Passive House Development RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House...
a year ago
5
a year ago
RODE, a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners, together with Passive House Construction LLC, has shared photos of Brucewood Homes, a collection of internationally certified Passive House single-family homes. The Brucewood Homes project is a series of...
Old Structures...
Residential Conversion and a Mirror Office-to-residential conversion is a hot topic lately, the result of a tight housing market and the...
a year ago
4
a year ago
Office-to-residential conversion is a hot topic lately, the result of a tight housing market and the remote-work depression in commercial office space. The following is, at best, anecdata but gives a minor sense of that process for older buildings. I recently stayed in the Rand...
The Modern House
Designer Sue Minter’s colourful country house in the Cotswolds
a year ago
Old Structures...
Fake History For Real People Most people don’t properly understand the built environment of their childhood until they grow up,...
4 months ago
31
4 months ago
Most people don’t properly understand the built environment of their childhood until they grow up, and even then maybe not until they’ve lived somewhere else and come home. Growing up in Queens, I didn’t question some of the styles around me that are not unique to the borough but...
CONTEMPORIST
A Coffee Shop Inspired By The Spectral Allure Of The Aurora Borealis Design firm Unknown Surface Studio has shared photos of Uncloud Coffee, a new coffee shop they...
7 months ago
32
7 months ago
Design firm Unknown Surface Studio has shared photos of Uncloud Coffee, a new coffee shop they completed in Chonburi, Thailand, with a sculptural and eye-catching facade. Inspired by the spectral allure of the Aurora Borealis, the design abstractly interprets these atmospheric...
The Modern House
Jacqueline Rabun: the jewellery designer on leaving home aged 17 to chart her own course through... It was 1989 when a 17-year-old Jacqueline Rabun left home in California to seek her fortune in...
a year ago
35
a year ago
It was 1989 when a 17-year-old Jacqueline Rabun left home in California to seek her fortune in London. It didn’t take long: the following year, she’d opened a jewellery studio (having taught herself how to make) and had debuted her first collection of sculptural pieces. […]
SOCKS
Claude Bragdon: Drawings of the Fourth Dimension (1913-1915) American architect Claude Fayette Bragdon (1866-1946) was also an artist, writer and stage designer....
over a year ago
20
over a year ago
American architect Claude Fayette Bragdon (1866-1946) was also an artist, writer and stage designer. He was based in Rochester, NY where he built his masterpiece, the New York Central Railroad Station in 1909. His design work and philosophy were influenced mainly by theosophy, a...
Old Structures...
Tracing The Load Path Yet another view of the roof trusses at Moynihan Station, built when it was a mail-handling facility...
4 months ago
31
4 months ago
Yet another view of the roof trusses at Moynihan Station, built when it was a mail-handling facility to allow for a big open floor for sorting machinery. The roof truss is at the upper right; one of the main columns is below it, two side trusses, supporting the edges of the...
The Modern House
Cabin Fever: the transformation of a damp, dark apartment into a rich, atmospheric hideaway
a month ago
Old Structures...
The Aftertaste of Technological Change I slept through the Daylight Savings change last week. More accurately, I didn’t realize it was...
a month ago
15
a month ago
I slept through the Daylight Savings change last week. More accurately, I didn’t realize it was occurring – I thought it was yesterday, not the Sunday a week ago – and I generally sleep late on the weekends anyway, so I got an extra hour of sleep without realizing, until...
A Weekly Dose of...
Three Lessons from Three Monographs Writing a blog devoted to architecture books means featuring monographs — lots of monographs. Not...
a year ago
18
a year ago
Writing a blog devoted to architecture books means featuring monographs — lots of monographs. Not exclusively, of course; but before this blog transitioned to its current weekly format, one of the thematic days of the week was appropriately devoted to monographs: Monograph...
Archinect - Features
Where Are All The Affordable Housing Startups? Despite the general consensus that the United States is in need of more affordable housing, funding...
6 months ago
55
6 months ago
Despite the general consensus that the United States is in need of more affordable housing, funding to startups focused on affordable housing and more efficient construction technologies is lower in 2024 than in recent years. In the meantime, a series of high-profile...
Old Structures...
The Inspiration The 14th Street station on the Eighth Avenue subway has an art installation by Tom Otterness called...
7 months ago
26
7 months ago
The 14th Street station on the Eighth Avenue subway has an art installation by Tom Otterness called “Life Underground” It consists of a series of brass figures, both human and animal, engaged in various pursuits. Everyone always focuses on the alligator climbing out of a sewer to...
99% Invisible
The Los Angeles Leaf Blower Wars [EPISODE] The leaf blower is one of the most hated objects in the modern world. They’re loud, they pollute,...
6 months ago
51
6 months ago
The leaf blower is one of the most hated objects in the modern world. They’re loud, they pollute, and… how important is a leafless lawn anyway? In a lot of towns and cities, the gas-powered leaf blower has been banned. In others, there are strict guidelines on where and when they...
Old Structures...
A Hidden Surprise, But Not Really The picture above shows the nearly-complete Astor Court Apartments, on Broadway between 89th and...
a year ago
18
a year ago
The picture above shows the nearly-complete Astor Court Apartments, on Broadway between 89th and 90th Street, in 1915. (As a side note, we’ve got some heavy hitters involved: the architect was Charles Platt, the contractor was Marc Eidlitz & Son, and the photographer was Irving...
CONTEMPORIST
Top 20 A’ Design Award Winners From Past Years This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award &...
a year ago
9
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 winners from 114 countries in 139 different design disciplines. More than...
The Solarchitecture...
7 key principles of solar passive design - Part 2. Balance it all with local climate and a holistic energy calculation.
over a year ago
The Modern House
Retro a go go: six homes that epitomise the day-to-day dynamism of mid-century design Over half a century later, our admiration for mid-century design shows no sign of slumping. As we...
7 months ago
56
7 months ago
Over half a century later, our admiration for mid-century design shows no sign of slumping. As we crave a closer connection to our surroundings and distinct, mood-matching spaces throughout our homes – time and again, mid-century modern seems to satisfy our exacting demands....
99% Invisible
The Infernal Machine [EPISODE] For most of history there was only one way to blow things up. You could pack a bunch of gunpowder in...
2 months ago
32
2 months ago
For most of history there was only one way to blow things up. You could pack a bunch of gunpowder in one place and set it on fire. But then in the 1800s one scientist named Alfred Nobel dedicated himself to taming the incredibly volatile substance that was nitroglycerine.  After...
CONTEMPORIST
A Slide Is A Fun Alternative To The Stairs Inside This Home Indee Design has recently completed a renovation in Montreal, Canada, that transformed a duplex into...
11 months ago
23
11 months ago
Indee Design has recently completed a renovation in Montreal, Canada, that transformed a duplex into a single-family home, and included in the interior, is a slide that travels between floors. Stepping inside the home, there’s a glass-front area with floor-to-ceiling windows that...
A Weekly Dose of...
Favorite Books of 2022 For this last post of 2022 I looked back at the dozens of books I reviewed or featured as "Book...
over a year ago
23
over a year ago
For this last post of 2022 I looked back at the dozens of books I reviewed or featured as "Book Briefs" on this blog, and the ones I reviewed on World-Architects. From those books I gathered just over a dozen favorites, grouping them into some common themes that happened to come...
CONTEMPORIST
One Thousand Plants Cover The Exterior Of The ‘Landmark by Lexus’ Pavilion Koichi Takada Architects has sent us photos of ‘Landmark by Lexus’, a showroom/pavilion that was...
a year ago
16
a year ago
Koichi Takada Architects has sent us photos of ‘Landmark by Lexus’, a showroom/pavilion that was presented to guests during the Melbourne Cup Carnival at the Flemington Racecourse in Australia. Drawing inspiration from the Australian landscape, Koichi Takada Architects designed a...
99% Invisible
WARNING: This Podcast Contains Chemicals Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer or Other... WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause...
9 months ago
16
9 months ago
WARNING: Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm, including Benzene, a chemical used in urinal cleaners and Toluene, a chemical used in common household cleaning products. For...
Archinect - Features
Six Views on the Future of Architectural Licensure Throughout the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, our explorations into U.S. architectural...
3 months ago
44
3 months ago
Throughout the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, our explorations into U.S. architectural licensure have included a variety of views beyond our editorial team, including ten views on licensure from Archinect readers shared at the midpoint of our series.  Beyond reader...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Double Height Ceiling Allows The Social Areas Of This Home To Open Completely To The Outside Padovani Arquitetos has sent us photos of a project they designed in Campinas, Brazil, that takes...
a year ago
23
a year ago
Padovani Arquitetos has sent us photos of a project they designed in Campinas, Brazil, that takes advantage of the topography to create a modern home with a horizontal design and lower garage. The home has been designed in such a way that the interior is hidden from the street....
Old Structures...
Engineers at Ground Zero Next week, there will be a showing of the documentary Engineers at Ground Zero at the Angelika...
a month ago
22
a month ago
Next week, there will be a showing of the documentary Engineers at Ground Zero at the Angelika theater. The film was produced by the Structural Engineers Association of New York and created by Vacationland. As it happens, I will be out of town next week so I won’t see it now, but...
99% Invisible
Roman Mars Describes Chicago As It Is [EPISODE] A few years ago, at the very start of the pandemic, Roman Mars wrote an episode of 99pi in which he...
11 months ago
10
11 months ago
A few years ago, at the very start of the pandemic, Roman Mars wrote an episode of 99pi in which he simply talked about design details in his house — realizing that he, like the audience, didn’t have many other places to go. )You should check it out — it’s a real time capsule,...
Common Edge
Architecture Always Reflects the Values of Its Current Culture What we build is who we are.
a year ago
Common Edge
Why Would You Want to Teach Architecture? Opening minds and defining a way of working is the ultimate payoff.
11 months ago
devonzuegel.com
On [there being more than] liberty Recently, Ayaz Matin sent me an email asking the following question: When I was looking at your...
over a year ago
8
over a year ago
Recently, Ayaz Matin sent me an email asking the following question: When I was looking at your website I came across these words: Individual liberty is the single most important value that society should uphold. I’m more utilitarian and communitarian now. I still believe we...
Contemporist...
A Modern Farmhouse By The Sea In New Zealand New Zealand architecture firm Studio John Irving Architects has shared photos of a modern farmhouse...
a year ago
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a year ago
New Zealand architecture firm Studio John Irving Architects has shared photos of a modern farmhouse they completed that's been designed like a collection of linked farm outbuildings.
Old Structures...
Amusing Until It’s Not This story turns ugly rather quickly. From the New York Public Library scrapbook, The Hippotheatron...
4 months ago
37
4 months ago
This story turns ugly rather quickly. From the New York Public Library scrapbook, The Hippotheatron and New York Cirque: That’s 14th Street between Irving Place and Third Avenue, with an out-chapel of Grace Church next door. As the name suggests, that weird building was a theater...
Old Structures...
Not Saved I vaguely know Fort Tilden – a former army base near the west end of the Rockaway peninsula – but...
3 months ago
29
3 months ago
I vaguely know Fort Tilden – a former army base near the west end of the Rockaway peninsula – but its remote location and the lack of anything there that really interests me mean that I don’t know it particularly well. So the headline “Time to pay last respects to the abandoned...
Archinect - Features
Get To Know Tulane School of Architecture’s Newest Faculty Cohort With the new 2024/25 academic year in full swing, we are taking a moment to introduce fifteen newly...
a month ago
19
a month ago
With the new 2024/25 academic year in full swing, we are taking a moment to introduce fifteen newly appointed permanent faculty members at the Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA), one of Archinect’s School Partners. The new tenure and tenure-track faculty bring expertise...
Common Edge
Jane Jacobs Would Reject NYC’s Proposed “City of Yes” YIMBYS get a lot wrong about the legendary citizen planner.
5 months ago
The Modern House
An artist and architect’s 1960s courtyard house among the trees in Kentish Town
a year ago
Contemporist...
Wood Houses Appear Through The Tops Of The Trees At This Nature-Focused Resort Stilt Studios has shared photos of a newly completed project called the Treehouse Villa, which is...
a year ago
47
a year ago
Stilt Studios has shared photos of a newly completed project called the Treehouse Villa, which is located in Grün Resort Uluwatu, a family-run nature-focused luxury boutique resort in Bali.
Old Structures...
A Deservedly Unknown Truss There’s a street bridge over the Hudson Line (the former main line of the New York Central Railroad)...
9 months ago
29
9 months ago
There’s a street bridge over the Hudson Line (the former main line of the New York Central Railroad) tracks just south of the Dobbs Ferry Station: For now, ignore the big white pipe at the bottom of the side truss: it’s a utility line, not part of the truss. That leaves us with...
CONTEMPORIST
An Urban Tree House In New York City NO ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of a home they completed inside a residential tower at the edge of...
a year ago
6
a year ago
NO ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of a home they completed inside a residential tower at the edge of Manhattan’s West Village, that has the appearance of an urban tree house. The open-plan social areas of the interior are housed in a double-height space with 22-ft tall glass...
Construction Physics
What Would It Take to Recreate Bell Labs? For most of the 20th century, AT&T was almost entirely responsible for building and operating...
5 months ago
48
5 months ago
For most of the 20th century, AT&T was almost entirely responsible for building and operating America’s telephone infrastructure. It manufactured the phones and electrical equipment, laid hundreds of millions of miles of wire across the country, and built and operated the...
CONTEMPORIST
This Coastal-Inspired Interior Is Soft And Calming Melling Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a duplex in Vancouver, turning it...
4 months ago
37
4 months ago
Melling Studio has shared photos of an interior they designed for a duplex in Vancouver, turning it into a warm and effortlessly coastal home for a young, active family. The home was completed in January 2023 and truly embodies the considered yet breezy essence of Kitsilano...
The Modern House
Listing of the Week: a Norfolk beauty that ushers the natural world in
8 months ago
The Modern House
A Day in the Life of a Listing: photographer Freya Najade captures Hackney 'letting its hair down' While we are most at home photographing homes, we are sometimes left wondering what the streets...
5 months ago
46
5 months ago
While we are most at home photographing homes, we are sometimes left wondering what the streets surrounding our listings might look like through a different lens. This is why we have asked photographer Freya Najade to take her cameras out in Hackney. Using the area […]
Old Structures...
The Grenfell Report The “phase 2” report on the Grenfell has recently been published by the official inquiry panel:...
3 months ago
32
3 months ago
The “phase 2” report on the Grenfell has recently been published by the official inquiry panel: here. The New Civil Engineer has a good short summary here: “Grenfell disaster: ‘culmination of decades of failure by government and construction industry’” In one sense there are few...
The Wandering...
Cartographic palettes and colour harmonies This story begins one day when I was assembling a map of the city of Edmonton, Alberta from...
over a year ago
54
over a year ago
This story begins one day when I was assembling a map of the city of Edmonton, Alberta from OpenStreetMap data. It was going to be a big map, a 42″ (106 cm) wide poster for a wall. The data was good, but the standard OSM colours were not. They would work fine for a street …...
The Modern House
Harriet Verney on her camp interiors and life within a converted Bible factory in Dalston
a year ago
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
47
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...
It Looked Familiar: A Perfect Match Some gangsters in a car, running from The Shadow: A circa 1920 view of the Broad Street roman-temple...
6 months ago
27
6 months ago
Some gangsters in a car, running from The Shadow: A circa 1920 view of the Broad Street roman-temple facade of the New York Stock Exchange, with the Wilks Building immediately to its right and Federal Hall, with George Washington standing out front, on the far right. I don’t know...
Archinect - Features
Archinect's Guide to the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale: Part I — The National... With the opening week of the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale now passed, there has been much...
a year ago
8
a year ago
With the opening week of the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale now passed, there has been much discussion and media coverage of the anticipated international exhibition. It's safe to imply that the high-profile event aims to highlight, unveil, celebrate, and at times, provoke new...
The Modern House
Our guide to Forest Gate: community spirit and small businesses in east London
a year ago
Common Edge
Architects Must Address the Issue of Toxic Building Materials Ending the cycle of pollution within our buildings benefits worker health, community health, and...
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Calming Interior Was Designed For This Home In Spain Susanna Cots Interior Design has shared a project they recently completed in Spain, that includes a...
a year ago
53
a year ago
Susanna Cots Interior Design has shared a project they recently completed in Spain, that includes a calm material palette. Large windows were integrated into the homes’ design so that the surrounding nature and the gardens could be seen from within the home. In the garden,...
99% Invisible
Breaking Down The Power Broker [EPISODE] In 1974, two very significant things happened, if you are a fan of 99% invisible. Number one is that...
a year ago
98
a year ago
In 1974, two very significant things happened, if you are a fan of 99% invisible. Number one is that 99pi host Roman Mars was born. And number two, The Power Broker by Robert Caro was published. Roman learned about the power broker when he first started to cover cities and...
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
28
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...
Old Structures...
Modern Perception First, the Carson, Pirie, Scott Store in Chicago, as it appeared in the past: In my opinion – and...
6 months ago
47
6 months ago
First, the Carson, Pirie, Scott Store in Chicago, as it appeared in the past: In my opinion – and many other people’s opinions – it’s one of Louis Sullian’s most amazing designs. Here’s a close-up of the corner entrance as it appears today (actually yesterday, after I finished my...
Construction Physics
Does construction ever get cheaper? I've mentioned a few times that I generally prefer looking at construction progress through the lens...
a year ago
19
a year ago
I've mentioned a few times that I generally prefer looking at construction progress through the lens of cost indexes rather than productivity indexes. Whereas productivity indexes try to track changes in the amount of construction we get for a given amount of labor (for labor...
Blog - Guerrilla...
White Elephants in the State of Vermont This map, which originally appeared in the Community atlas, has been revised. The typeface has been...
over a year ago
14
over a year ago
This map, which originally appeared in the Community atlas, has been revised. The typeface has been changed to Cornerstone, which is used in the logo for the Black Lives Matter movement. How did you decide to map what you mapped for the Community atlas?  That was the question...
Old Structures...
Best Commute Ever The conference I am currently attending is at ETH, the famous engineering school in Zurich. My hotel...
5 months ago
30
5 months ago
The conference I am currently attending is at ETH, the famous engineering school in Zurich. My hotel is not far away in a two-dimensional sense. I picked it some months ago by looking at a map and thinking that it was a short walk from campus. It’s a short flight to campus if...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Maps Without Words; Words Without Maps During the early period of my self-isolation in Arizona, USA, Guerrilla Cartography put out a call...
over a year ago
19
over a year ago
During the early period of my self-isolation in Arizona, USA, Guerrilla Cartography put out a call for maps that represented “Community,” to be completed in 24 hours. Along with the call for maps, GC offered and organized free online talks, which included various and interesting...
Old Structures...
Heat Wave Unlike a lot of other weather conditions, heat waves are easy to see coming. Modern weather...
6 months ago
46
6 months ago
Unlike a lot of other weather conditions, heat waves are easy to see coming. Modern weather forecasting is quite good and I’m writing this on Sunday knowing that it will be getting steadily hotter through Friday and that even after the high-temperature peak passes, the lows will...
Archinect - Features
10 Views on Architectural Licensure From Archinect Readers As we continue our ongoing Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, we highlight perspectives from...
4 months ago
40
4 months ago
As we continue our ongoing Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, we highlight perspectives from individuals with extensive research backgrounds on the topic, as well as those in positions to lead, guide, and evolve the licensure pathway. Additionally, we launched a survey among...
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
6
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...
Archinect - Features
Architect: Whose Title Is It Anyway? When is an architect not an ‘architect?’ In the fourth part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we...
6 months ago
61
6 months ago
When is an architect not an ‘architect?’ In the fourth part of Archinect In-Depth: Licensure, we explore the proliferation of the title 'architect' in cases beyond the built environment, most notably in the technology sector through terms such as 'software architect' or 'IT...
The Modern House
Living in a boxy, brown-brick terrace – enhanced by Danish design sensibilities
3 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
4
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...
The Modern House
Henry Thorold and Jess Ayers’ remarkable railway cottage conversion in north London
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
Field notes: Miami Update 5-Dec-2021: Read the updated version of these notes here. These field notes are a bit...
over a year ago
3
over a year ago
Update 5-Dec-2021: Read the updated version of these notes here. These field notes are a bit different from previous cities I've explored, because unlike those, Miami is my home! So this post partially serves as a life update—I moved to Miami Beach from California a few months...
CONTEMPORIST
Stone Covers The Exterior And Interior Of This Harbourfront Hideaway SAOTA, TKD Architects, and interior architects ARRCC have shared photos of a new home they completed...
7 months ago
53
7 months ago
SAOTA, TKD Architects, and interior architects ARRCC have shared photos of a new home they completed that fronts Sydney Harbour in Australia. Partially hidden from view from the street, the home, which is located in a historical suburb, sits behind a row of plants and a fence...
Old Structures...
Fun With Telephoto Lenses A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was...
8 months ago
29
8 months ago
A lot of times, when I’m discussing an old photo, I’ll talk about where the photographer was standing when he or she took the shot. It matters to understand exactly what you’re seeing, and figuring it out is usually not that difficult if you know some of the quirks of Manhattan...
Contemporist...
A Home Filled With Rustic Italian Charm Was The Client's Request For This Renovation Architecture and interior design studio Bradley VanDerStraeten has shared photos of a Victorian...
a year ago
18
a year ago
Architecture and interior design studio Bradley VanDerStraeten has shared photos of a Victorian terrace house renovation in London, England, that was designed with Italian charm, and centered around a sociable kitchen and its pantry.
Old Structures...
Visible To The Naked Eye Here’s the side wall of a building constructed about twenty-five years ago: I used this building not...
3 months ago
29
3 months ago
Here’s the side wall of a building constructed about twenty-five years ago: I used this building not because its construction was particularly bad – it is not – but because the glazed brick veneer on this side wall does a nice job of catching the raking sunlight. The brick color...
Old Structures...
Begging The Question The title refers to one of the classic logistical fallacies, where an argument is made that assumes...
6 months ago
40
6 months ago
The title refers to one of the classic logistical fallacies, where an argument is made that assumes its conclusion. The specific instance of this fallacy that often bothers me concerns code updates and existing buildings. Every time a code – for example, the New York City...
The Architectural...
Four Versions: This Is How Penn Station, NY, Might Look if Rebuilt You may have heard about ReThinkNYC, a movement and not-for-profit corporation dedicated to...
6 months ago
58
6 months ago
You may have heard about ReThinkNYC, a movement and not-for-profit corporation dedicated to rebuilding the original Pennsylvania Station in New York through ReThinkPennStationNYC. Collaborating with classical architect Richard Cameron, they have developed three new variations on...
Construction Physics
Roman vs Modern Concrete There's a new paper out exploring some of the chemical mechanisms at work in Roman concrete. As per...
a year ago
22
a year ago
There's a new paper out exploring some of the chemical mechanisms at work in Roman concrete. As per usual, it’s triggered a round of enthusiastic discussion of Roman concrete, and how its ability to last for millennia puts modern concrete (which often fails after a few decades)...
Archinect - Features
Interest Rates Were Cut, but Growth Takes Time: Archinect’s State of AEC October 2024 Welcome to the fifth installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
a month ago
22
a month ago
Welcome to the fifth 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. Throughout the last month,...
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Mural Adds Color To The Interior Of This Narrow Home Spaces Architects@KA has shared photos of a tall and narrow house they designed in New Dehli, India,...
9 months ago
19
9 months ago
Spaces Architects@KA has shared photos of a tall and narrow house they designed in New Dehli, India, that includes a large wall mural. The colorful mural, which spans multiple floors, depicts a tree with leaves, flowers, and birds. Interior walkways provide an unobstructed view...
Archinect - Features
ChatGPT Interviews Matias del Campo: Architecture, Hallucinations, and other Exotic... What is artificial intelligence? How can we maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks?...
a year ago
5
a year ago
What is artificial intelligence? How can we maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks? Is the role of the architect safe from AI? In any conversation about the impact of artificial intelligence on the architectural profession, such questions are at the forefront of...
99% Invisible
The Big Dig [EPISODE] Over its more than 40 year journey from conception to completion, Boston’s Big Dig massive...
a year ago
86
a year ago
Over its more than 40 year journey from conception to completion, Boston’s Big Dig massive infrastructure project, which rerouted the central highway in the heart of the city, encountered every hurdle imaginable: ruthless politics, engineering challenges, secretive contractors,...
The Beauty of...
In Search of Perfection: Plato’s Double Arrow (Rail Symbol 2, Nick Job for Network Rail, 2022) It takes some strange mixture of bravery, confidence, and the thickest of skins to take on the job...
over a year ago
15
over a year ago
It takes some strange mixture of bravery, confidence, and the thickest of skins to take on the job of redesigning a national icon. Once again, the rail industry’s “double arrow”, the symbol that has come completely to mean “railway” in Britain, has been given a facelift. Previous...
CONTEMPORIST
White Stained Oak Cabinets Paired With Cool White Marble Creates A Soft Aesthetic Inside This Home Andrea Rodman Interiors has shared photos of a home in Vancouver, Canada, that they completed for...
a year ago
56
a year ago
Andrea Rodman Interiors has shared photos of a home in Vancouver, Canada, that they completed for their clients that wanted a minimalistic interior. Throughout the home, the interior was inspired by Japanese design, its simplicity, and maple wood tones. One area that stood out in...
Old Structures...
For The Common Folk The return of a heat wave has me writing about the beach. (Not going to the beach, which sounds...
5 months ago
46
5 months ago
The return of a heat wave has me writing about the beach. (Not going to the beach, which sounds unbearably hot right now, but thinking and writing about it.) So, here’s the Brighton Beach Bathing Pavilion in 1879, one year after it opened: The three big hotels nearby, including...
McMansion Hell
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book! Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book! If you ever wanted to read a book about...
10 months ago
4
10 months ago
Hello everyone! The word is out – I am writing a book! If you ever wanted to read a book about McMansions, 5-over-1s, the ignoble toil of architects, ridiculous baubles for rich people, hostile architecture, private equity, shopping (rip), offices (rip), loud restaurants, and...
The Wandering...
The Mathematics of the Pattern on the Sala de la Barca Ceiling (This is the math geek part about the Sala de la Barca ceiling. For instructions on constructing the...
8 months ago
54
8 months ago
(This is the math geek part about the Sala de la Barca ceiling. For instructions on constructing the pattern with compass and straightedge, go over to Part 1.) In the process of figuring out how to draw this pattern, I ran into a lot of questions, and had to do more than a little...
Old Structures...
Misleading Words In 1941, Robert Moses demolished the New York Aquarium, located in Castle Clinton in Battery Park,...
7 months ago
23
7 months ago
In 1941, Robert Moses demolished the New York Aquarium, located in Castle Clinton in Battery Park, in a fit of pique over losing his fight to build a bridge from the Battery to Brooklyn. (That project became the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel.) The aquarium was a three-story building on...
CONTEMPORIST
Operable Screens Cover The Exterior Of This Hawaiian Home Architecture firm OLSON KUNDIG has shared photos of a home they completed in Hanalei, Hawaii, that...
a year ago
8
a year ago
Architecture firm OLSON KUNDIG has shared photos of a home they completed in Hanalei, Hawaii, that blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living with the inclusion of a series of operable shutter screens that wrap most of the building facade. The custom shutter system,...
Old Structures...
Adaptability The building types that have had the most success in new York are the ones that are most-readily...
2 months ago
33
2 months ago
The building types that have had the most success in new York are the ones that are most-readily adaptable. Rowhouses have been turned into apartment houses, churches, schools, museums, and offices; tenements have been upgraded to better apartments again and again and again. If...
Archinect - Features
Meet NYIT School of Architecture & Design's New Faculty Members The School of Architecture and Design at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), with campuses in...
a month ago
23
a month ago
The School of Architecture and Design at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), with campuses in New York City and Old Westbury, Long Island, delivers a technology-driven, design-focused education across its Architecture, Interior Design, and Digital Art & Design programs.  As...
Contemporist...
Large Folding Glass Walls Open This Home To A Courtyard Narch Arquitectes has shared photos of a home they designed in Barcelona, Spain, that has large...
a year ago
48
a year ago
Narch Arquitectes has shared photos of a home they designed in Barcelona, Spain, that has large folding windows that connect the interior to the inner courtyard and garden.
Old Structures...
A Very Specific Moment I wrote before about the destruction of St. John’s Park, but I had not seen the photo below. The...
10 months ago
18
10 months ago
I wrote before about the destruction of St. John’s Park, but I had not seen the photo below. The photo shows St. John’s Chapel, an out-chapel of Trinity Church, which was constructed in 1807 and which eventually gave the park its name. This was originally an almost suburban...
Old Structures...
Infrastructure Not all infrastructure is hidden – some, like elevated railroads, is more visible and audible than...
7 months ago
27
7 months ago
Not all infrastructure is hidden – some, like elevated railroads, is more visible and audible than most people would prefer – but it often is and that can make it easy to forget. “The Cloud Under the Sea” by John Dzieza, with visuals by Kristen Radtke and Go Takayana, is an...
Old Structures...
Not Much Of A Mystery There floors of apartments over two floors of commercial space: If you’ve spent enough time in...
5 months ago
24
5 months ago
There floors of apartments over two floors of commercial space: If you’ve spent enough time in Manhattan, the immediate thought is that this was a house with a stoop, and the extension to the front lot line is an alteration that removed the stoop and raised the basement to street...
The Beauty of...
Clean Lines and Integrated Transport (Florastrasse transport hub, Adliswil, Switzerland) The thing about Switzerland’s affordable, hyper-reliable, hyper-integrated and hyper-ubiquitous...
a year ago
46
a year ago
The thing about Switzerland’s affordable, hyper-reliable, hyper-integrated and hyper-ubiquitous public transport system is that the regard in which its phenomenal operational expertise is held can overshadow the architectural successes it also demonstrates. Even when transport...
A Weekly Dose of...
A Modernist Reads About Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, the English architect who was born in 1869 and died in 1944, that is....
a year ago
26
a year ago
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, the English architect who was born in 1869 and died in 1944, that is. Although a famous name, Lutyens was not an architect I had much familiarity with before I received a review copy of the first volume of The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens....
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Famous and Less So On the left, Steve Rogers jogs off the Brooklyn Brige onto a walkway that doesn’t actually exist at...
10 months ago
11
10 months ago
On the left, Steve Rogers jogs off the Brooklyn Brige onto a walkway that doesn’t actually exist at the foot of the bridge. The S-curved pickets in the handrail above a stone base look very much like the walkway along the Hudson River in Battery Park City, on the other side of...
Contemporist...
A Contemporary Home Inspired By The Fachwerk-Style Houses Of Germany Interior designer Tamara Strugova, together with her husband, has completed a contemporary home...
7 months ago
34
7 months ago
Interior designer Tamara Strugova, together with her husband, has completed a contemporary home whose design was inspired by the Fachwerk-style houses found in Hamburg, Germany, with their prominently exposed posts and beams.
The Modern House
A blank canvas within one of London’s best brutalist buildings
a year ago
Old Structures...
Just Because I Like It A view of 99 Prince Street: It’s a little hard to believe it today, but this was built simply an...
a month ago
17
a month ago
A view of 99 Prince Street: It’s a little hard to believe it today, but this was built simply an ordinary commercial building with retail and office space. It was completed in 1888 by architect William Schickel working for “J. J. Astor.” That was either John Jacob Astor III near...
99% Invisible
Meet Me at Riis There’s a particular slice of beach along the New York City shoreline, that, for the past 80 years,...
a month ago
24
a month ago
There’s a particular slice of beach along the New York City shoreline, that, for the past 80 years, has been a pivotal site for queer liberation. It’s called the People’s Beach at Jacob Riis Park, also known, simply, as Riis. This history is deeply connected to an abandoned,...
Common Edge
Delays Undermine Promises of Affordable Housing in Brooklyn How New York’s rising Area Median Income dashed hopes for the Atlantic Yards megaproject.
a month ago
There are two types...
With Rhetoric: The New York Apartment House WHEN I was in graduate school, I was one of the editors of VIA IV: “Culture and the Social Vision.”...
a year ago
1
a year ago
WHEN I was in graduate school, I was one of the editors of VIA IV: “Culture and the Social Vision.” I helped Robert A.M. Stern write New York 1900, Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism 1890-1915. My summer job turned into a … Continue reading → The post With Rhetoric: The New...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #07: Sec. Pete Buttigieg [EPISODE] This is the seventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize...
5 months ago
42
5 months ago
This is the seventh official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott sit down with Pete Buttigieg, the US Secretary of Transportation. One of his major...
CONTEMPORIST
A Desk Designed To Hide Inside The Wall Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they...
a year ago
4
a year ago
Architectural and interior design firm Sonya Lee Architect has shared photos of a 1930s home they renovated in Queens, New York, that includes an interesting design detail. As working from home has become much more popular, especially over the last few years, the designers...
Benny Kuriakose
Athangudi Palace : The Chettinad Architecture Marvel The Nattukottai Chettiars were traders since the time of the Chola Empire in the 12th century and...
a year ago
1
a year ago
The Nattukottai Chettiars were traders since the time of the Chola Empire in the 12th century and were the trading and banking group in...
The Modern House
For itinerant chef and musical therapist Marie Cassis, home is where the feast is
a year ago
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
15
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...
Construction Physics
Supersonic air travel recommended reading Aviation has a huge number of enthusiasts, which is why essentially every aircraft model ever...
9 months ago
33
9 months ago
Aviation has a huge number of enthusiasts, which is why essentially every aircraft model ever produced has a book written about it. Supersonic aircraft are no exception. There’s a large number of books written about the Concorde, the Tu-144, and the American SST project. Many of...
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
18
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...
devonzuegel.com
My questions about Próspera, answered I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others...
over a year ago
4
over a year ago
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others might too, so I wrote an FAQ to share what I learned: Próspera FAQ This FAQ is intended as a reference, covering the basic facts and current status of the project. My hope is that...
Construction Physics
On Klein on Construction In the New York Times, Ezra Klein investigated the recent Goolsbee and Syverson paper on...
a year ago
20
a year ago
In the New York Times, Ezra Klein investigated the recent Goolsbee and Syverson paper on construction productivity we recently looked at. Klein suggests that the stagnation in construction productivity might be the result of organized special interests increasingly leveraging...
The Modern House
How a love of Japan and the 1970s shaped Sherrill Smith’s Hackney home
a year ago
Old Structures...
Not Quite Changing First, “Facade, 317 Broadway” from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York Project”, taken in 1936....
10 months ago
15
10 months ago
First, “Facade, 317 Broadway” from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York Project”, taken in 1936. Second, a street view photo of 319 Broadway, today. 317 Broadway is at the southwest corner of Thomas Street and Broadway; 319 at the northwest corner. So unless this building moved...
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
7
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...
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
6
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...
The Back Side I’ve discussed the old Croton Distributing Reservoir several times before. It was the southernmost...
9 months ago
22
9 months ago
I’ve discussed the old Croton Distributing Reservoir several times before. It was the southernmost visible part of New York’s first really good water system, and occupied the same spot that the New York Public Library does today: 40th to 42nd Street, from Fifth Avenue to a little...
Contemporist...
This Prefab Home Was Installed On The Property In Just One Day BIO-architects together with DublDom, have sent us photos of their latest project, DUB, a modular...
a year ago
Construction Physics
The Evolution of Tunnel Boring Machines Tunneling is an important technology for modern civilization, as a tunnel is often the only...
a year ago
24
a year ago
Tunneling is an important technology for modern civilization, as a tunnel is often the only reasonable way to create a direct path between two points. When the Hoosac tunnel was completed in 1875, it turned a difficult, 20-mile railroad route along “
A Weekly Dose of...
From the Mouths of Architects I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I went from disliking interviews — preferring texts...
a year ago
20
a year ago
I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I went from disliking interviews — preferring texts written by architects, much of it in the vein of theory — to gravitating to them. Now I find myself opting to read interviews, be they online or in printed matter, over other...
Contemporist...
This Cape Town Home Was Given An Updated Interior And A New Garden Pavilion Interior design firm ARRCC has shared photos of a project they recently completed in Cape Town,...
a year ago
17
a year ago
Interior design firm ARRCC has shared photos of a project they recently completed in Cape Town, South Africa, that included the updating of the interior and the addition of a new garden pavilion.
99% Invisible
The Memory Palace…Book! Back in 2008, Nate DiMeo started a podcast called The Memory Palace. Each episode of the show...
a month ago
20
a month ago
Back in 2008, Nate DiMeo started a podcast called The Memory Palace. Each episode of the show wrapped a little known piece of history inside one of Nate’s poetic essays. His stories have a remarkable way of combining facts with insight to call to mind forgotten moments from the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Brightly Coloured Shelving Unit Helps To Define Areas In This Renovated Apartment Architecture and design office Dia Uno has shared photos of a refurbished apartment they completed...
6 months ago
41
6 months ago
Architecture and design office Dia Uno has shared photos of a refurbished apartment they completed in a 1960s suburban neighborhood of Madrid, Spain. One of the key features of the renovated apartment is the inclusion of a metal shelving unit that’s been painted in a bright...
Old Structures...
Overgrowth It’s worth taking a look at two pictures of Newspaper Row/Printing House Square. First, around 1900:...
9 months ago
18
9 months ago
It’s worth taking a look at two pictures of Newspaper Row/Printing House Square. First, around 1900: Second, 1936, from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project. We have the same line-up in both pictures, from left to right: The World Building, the Tribune Building, the New...
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 5 This is the last of the collection of little-known ballfields, following Brooklyn, Manhattan, and...
2 months ago
17
2 months ago
This is the last of the collection of little-known ballfields, following Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, and the little-known teams who played in those fields. It’s very difficult to find information about the only Bronx important ball field in the Bronx. While it’s sometimes...
McMansion Hell
this house may or may not be real on grayness in real estate Allegedly, somewhere in Wake Forest, North Carolina, a 4 bed, 5.5...
over a year ago
4
over a year ago
on grayness in real estate Allegedly, somewhere in Wake Forest, North Carolina, a 4 bed, 5.5 bathroom house totaling more than 6,600 square feet is for sale at a price of 2.37 million dollars. The house, allegedly, was built in 2021. Allegedly, it looks like this: A McMansion...
McMansion Hell
every small city has that one dictator chic house I don’t know why, but every city, no matter how big, has some insanely stacked dictator-looking...
a year ago
4
a year ago
I don’t know why, but every city, no matter how big, has some insanely stacked dictator-looking McMansion somewhere outside the city limits. If you sort your Zillow results as Price: High - Low, this house will pop up first. It costs something like $5,000,000. It is 10,000 square...
Old Structures...
It Is Sorely Missed Conceptions of leisure activities have changed over the years. The fact that people now sun...
11 months ago
9
11 months ago
Conceptions of leisure activities have changed over the years. The fact that people now sun themselves lying on towels in Central Park while wearing quite brief bathing suits would seem as weird to people in the 1870s, when the park was new, as the presence of sheep in the Sheep...
The Modern House
Angus and Sarah Shepherd on putting down roots and reviving a 1960s home in Dulwich
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
50
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.
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Artistic From a stand-alone comic about the Penguin, a museum in Gotham City: From the Look Around feature in...
7 months ago
34
7 months ago
From a stand-alone comic about the Penguin, a museum in Gotham City: From the Look Around feature in Apple Maps, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Fifth Avenue facade: From 1900, when the main facade of the center block was complete, but the wings not yet constructed: The rough...
Blog - Guerrilla...
What a GIS & Map Librarian does all day The two most common responses I get when I tell people that I’m a map librarian at UC Berkeley are:...
over a year ago
19
over a year ago
The two most common responses I get when I tell people that I’m a map librarian at UC Berkeley are: I didn’t know that was a job?! and I love maps! These are both fair reactions. It’s not a very common job. And maps are very cool. Just like a typical librarian’s work does not...
SOCKS
The Permanence of Form from Vernacular to Rationalism: Giuseppe Pagano’s “Architettura Rurale... Giuseppe Pagano was a central figure in Italian architecture of the first part of the 20th century....
6 months ago
39
6 months ago
Giuseppe Pagano was a central figure in Italian architecture of the first part of the 20th century. Along with his practice as a rationalist architect and his political engagement, which led him to leave the Fascist Party, join the Resistance, and later be deported to Mauthausen,...
The Architectural...
Architects call for a crisis meeting after politicians demand more traditional architecture After enduring decades of failed modernism, the residents and politicians of Sweden’s second-largest...
7 months ago
76
7 months ago
After enduring decades of failed modernism, the residents and politicians of Sweden’s second-largest city, Gothenburg, want to see more new traditional architecture. This has led architects and officials to call for a crisis meeting. During the 1960s and 1970s, Gothenburg...
The Modern House
James Lohan: the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith on how his first experience of home shaped an... James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the...
7 months ago
17
7 months ago
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the potential for turning a profit on a stack of cheese toasties. A series of successful business ventures followed suit, but it was in 2003 that James and his […]
99% Invisible
Cautionary Tales of the Sydney Opera House [EPISODE] The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic and distinctive buildings in the world — but it...
a year ago
55
a year ago
The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic and distinctive buildings in the world — but it took a relative newcomer and architectural outsider to dream up. The making of this future world heritage landmark is a tale for the ages — a cautionary tale, for which we turn to Tim...
Common Edge
O.J. and L.A. What the iconic car chase revealed about Southern California’s landscape.
7 months ago
Construction Physics
Could ChatGPT become an architect? OpenAI recently released an updated version of their GPT large language model, GPT-4, and have...
a year ago
24
a year ago
OpenAI recently released an updated version of their GPT large language model, GPT-4, and have incorporated it into their ChatGPT chatbot. In case you've been living under a rock, ChatGPT is a chatbot that uses large language models, which use artificial neural networks
Contemporist...
Brick Is The Material Of Choice For This New Home Architecture and interiors firm Enter Projects Asia, has shared photos of a home they completed in...
3 months ago
40
3 months ago
Architecture and interiors firm Enter Projects Asia, has shared photos of a home they completed in Phuket, Thailand, that blends design and traditional artisanal craftsmanship.
Archinect - Features
At Tyler’s Urban Workshop, Architecture Students Build With, and For, Underserved... On November 8th, the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University will host the...
a month ago
21
a month ago
On November 8th, the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University will host the Urban Workshop Symposium, the latest iteration of the Urban Workshop's engagements in community-based design and education. The event brings to the fore questions, conversations, and...
The Modern House
Curator Priya Khanchandani on postmodernism and palette at her home in Archway, north London
a year ago
Old Structures...
Smooth Still in Montreal, the roof of a now enclosed, formerly (I think) open areaway in front of a high...
a month ago
12
a month ago
Still in Montreal, the roof of a now enclosed, formerly (I think) open areaway in front of a high rise: In case that’s difficult to make out, it’s a glass slab roof supported on laminated glass beams. The hand belongs to Will Teron, who was standing on the same stair landing I...
A Weekly Dose of...
From Web to Print Recently I was watching a news program, most likely PBS Newshour or an MSNBC show, and was struck by...
a year ago
20
a year ago
Recently I was watching a news program, most likely PBS Newshour or an MSNBC show, and was struck by one of the talking heads speaking via Skype or Zoom being described as "a writer working on turning her blog into a book." I don't remember her name or even the subject, as the...
SOCKS
Botany as an Artistic Practice: Anna Atkins’ Blueprints Anna Atkins (1799-1871) was a British botanist and photographer. She was in direct contact with...
over a year ago
20
over a year ago
Anna Atkins (1799-1871) was a British botanist and photographer. She was in direct contact with William Henry Fox Talbot, (the inventor of calotype, an early photographic technique), and with Sir John Frederick William Herschel, (the inventor of the cyanotype, a technique that...
The Modern House
How boutique hotels and the Balearic Islands came to inspire this craft-led Hackney home
a year ago
Archinect - Features
Applying to architecture school? Don't miss these info sessions and open houses this... Deadlines for 2025 architecture academic programs are coming up soon! To learn more about exciting...
a month ago
24
a month ago
Deadlines for 2025 architecture academic programs are coming up soon! To learn more about exciting undergraduate and graduate degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning, take a look below at Archinect's latest highlight of upcoming information sessions...
The Modern House
How the realities of self-building in the Outer Hebrides produced a new home distinctly reflective...
11 months ago
The Modern House
Suea is the cook and creative playing with her food in Brooklyn, New York
a year ago
Construction Physics
Goolsbee and Syverson on Construction Productivity Several people have asked me about a new NBER working paper that takes a look at construction...
a year ago
16
a year ago
Several people have asked me about a new NBER working paper that takes a look at construction productivity (a popular topic around here), “The Strange and Awful Path of Productivity in the US Construction Sector,” by Austan Goolsbee and Chad Syverson. This paper doesn’t bring any...
Coffee with an...
Christmas Cards from the Architects 2024 It’s that time again. It is the time of year when the architects turn their attention from their...
a week ago
19
a week ago
It’s that time again. It is the time of year when the architects turn their attention from their Dec. 25th deadline to thoughts of Christmas. Here we are, sitting by the floor-to-ceiling glass storefronts in our offices, staring out at the rolling hills covered with snow,...
Old Structures...
Lucy Moses Award: 486 Liberty Avenue You can read about the building in the awards program: here. The short version: this was a very...
8 months ago
67
8 months ago
You can read about the building in the awards program: here. The short version: this was a very ornate police precinct house constructed in 1892, when Brooklyn was still an inexpedient city, and abandoned for quite some time. Here’s what the interior looked like the first time we...
99% Invisible
The Siren of Scrap Metal [EPISODE] Amid the noisy bustle of Mexico City, there is one iconic sound echoing on repeat in the background....
a year ago
36
a year ago
Amid the noisy bustle of Mexico City, there is one iconic sound echoing on repeat in the background. A recording that blares from trucks looking to buy old household items and appliances, either to fix and resell or to sell for scrap. The crews inside these trucks are essentially...
Old Structures...
Evolved To Fit The Conditions If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk...
7 months ago
60
7 months ago
If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk through construction sites all the time, intentionally so on the part of the builders and with the blessing of the Department of Buildings. It looks something like this: Like so many of...
99% Invisible
The Power Broker #02: Jamelle Bouie [EPISODE] For those reading along at home: welcome back to our read-along series on The Power Broker, a...
10 months ago
16
10 months ago
For those reading along at home: welcome back to our read-along series on The Power Broker, a groundbreaking book by Robert Caro looking at one of the most infamous urban influencers in modern history: Robert Moses, who reshaped New York City. On today’s show, Elliott Kalan and...
CONTEMPORIST
An Old Brick Home Received A Modern Wood-Clad Extension ID Architecture has shared photos of a house extension they designed that has been thoughtfully...
a month ago
23
a month ago
ID Architecture has shared photos of a house extension they designed that has been thoughtfully integrated into the existing property in the small village of South Kelsey, England. Originally built in the early 19th century, the property named ‘The Old Rectory’ has undergone...
Construction Physics
Welding and the Automation Frontier The big question about Artificial Intelligence, other than whether it will destroy human...
a year ago
5
a year ago
The big question about Artificial Intelligence, other than whether it will destroy human civilization, is the effect it will have on employment. Large language models already seem poised to automate large fractions of the work in certain industries, and the technology is only...
SOCKS
Alain Biltereyst: Traces of Abstraction in the Urban Environment Contemporary Belgian artist Alain Biltereyst works on abstract paintings characterized by bold...
10 months ago
27
10 months ago
Contemporary Belgian artist Alain Biltereyst works on abstract paintings characterized by bold patterns and colors. Most of the time, the shapes he depicts are not purely the result of chosen arrangements but act as a sort of “found art”: they are extracted from existing signs,...
Old Structures...
Differences Real and Metaphorical There’s a nice piece in the Times about the Long Path, a very long hiking trail through New Jersey...
2 months ago
34
2 months ago
There’s a nice piece in the Times about the Long Path, a very long hiking trail through New Jersey and New York running roughly parallel to the Hudson River: “Walking From Manhattan to the Catskills on the ‘Long Path’.” As it happens, I’ve walked a small piece of the path, from...
Contemporist...
The Black Exterior Of This Home Leads To A Pink Kitchen Inside Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they completed in Wivenhoe, England, for an artist...
6 months ago
68
6 months ago
Paul Archer Design has shared photos of a home they completed in Wivenhoe, England, for an artist who wanted a light-filled interior with room to work and to entertain.
Old Structures...
Baseball in New York 1 With both the Mets and Yankees playing league championship games yesterday, this seems like a good...
2 months ago
28
2 months ago
With both the Mets and Yankees playing league championship games yesterday, this seems like a good time to discuss some of the oddities of New York’s relationship to the game of baseball. And the best place to start is just how many professional teams there have been here. Most...
CONTEMPORIST
A Circular Sunken Firepit Is Nestled Into The Desert Landscape Of This Home Architecture firm The Ranch Mine has sent us photos of a new home they completed in Paradise Valley,...
10 months ago
11
10 months ago
Architecture firm The Ranch Mine has sent us photos of a new home they completed in Paradise Valley, Arizona, that breaks down the barriers between indoor and outdoor living. As you approach the house, the first thing that captures the eye is the striking interplay of metal fins...