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...
5th Dec 2024
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 […]
Coffee with an...
Design explained using pie charts again
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple pie charts again. Unfortunately,...
1st Apr 2024
Design is hard. If only the process could be explained using simple pie charts again. Unfortunately, this still isn’t that: More Design in charts – HERE, and HERE and HERE and HERE
Construction Physics
How the Gas Turbine Conquered the Electric Power Industry
A prophecy expressed frequently in engineering circles at the present day is that turbines actuated...
17th Nov 2023
A prophecy expressed frequently in engineering circles at the present day is that turbines actuated by hot gases, other than steam, will eventually come to the front as prime movers. — A Scientific Investigation Into the Possibilities of Gas-Turbines,
SOCKS
Poetics of the Greenhouse: Works by Bernard Moninot
Bernard Moninot is a French multimedia artist. Over the 1970s and the 1980s, he produced a series of...
12th Jun 2022
Bernard Moninot is a French multimedia artist. Over the 1970s and the 1980s, he produced a series of drawings, (inks, crayons and acrylics) of greenhouses based on various modes of representation, from axonometric projections, to outside central perspective or interiors views....
Construction Physics
How to Build an AI Data Center
This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in...
10th Jun 2024
This piece is the first in a new series from the Institute for Progress (IFP), called Compute in America: Building the Next Generation of AI Infrastructure at Home. In this series, we examine the challenges of accelerating the American AI data center buildout. Future pieces will...
99% Invisible
Weeding is Fundamental
On October 17th, 1989, the Oakland A’s were playing the San Francisco Giants in the World Series,...
5th Aug 2025
On October 17th, 1989, the Oakland A’s were playing the San Francisco Giants in the World Series, but just as the game was kicking off—the television broadcast cut out. When the signal came back, it was no longer the baseball game. These were the early minutes of the Loma Prieta...
The Beauty of...
Invisible Masterpieces – the Big Four’s Stations 1923-47 (and a book all about them)
Have you ever had a project you’ve started on without any idea of the scale of work you’ve just...
4th Jan 2026
Have you ever had a project you’ve started on without any idea of the scale of work you’ve just committed to? Well, if you want to know one of the reasons that I haven’t been writing here as much as I might have done otherwise, I’m happy to announce one of the projects that has...
Construction Physics
The worst US bridges are getting fixed
It’s become a common assumption that US infrastructure is in a poor state of repair; that our roads,...
2nd Aug 2023
It’s become a common assumption that US infrastructure is in a poor state of repair; that our roads, bridges, pipes, and transmission lines are decaying faster than they’re being repaired or replaced. This concern goes back to the early 1980s, when the book "
SOCKS
The Hidden Territory: USGS’s 1950’s to 1970’s Isometric Geological Diagrams
The online archive of the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey is a valuable...
15th Oct 2023
The online archive of the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey is a valuable resource filled with detailed three-dimensional territorial maps employing various representational techniques. Thanks to the work of artist, designer, and developer Jill Hubleys...
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...
6th Nov 2023
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...
Common Edge
The Challenge of Creating a Women-Friendly Architecture School in Afghanistan
Years of effort have been undone by political strife, while earthquakes have further destroyed...
2nd Nov 2023
Years of effort have been undone by political strife, while earthquakes have further destroyed heritage structures.
The Beauty of...
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Thanet Parkway (Thanet Parkway, Kent, UK)
Thanet Parkway station opened on 31 July 2023, and promptly broke quite a few people’s brains. I can...
13th Aug 2025
Thanet Parkway station opened on 31 July 2023, and promptly broke quite a few people’s brains. I can remember my Twitter feed (as was) being awash with commentators deriding its appearance. Even now, a simple web search will quickly turn up adjectives like “ugly”, “hideous”,...
Common Edge
It’s 2026: Time for a Comprehensive Plan for New York City
Mayor Mamdani has the opportunity to finally provide a planning vision that supports residents and...
5th Jan 2026
Mayor Mamdani has the opportunity to finally provide a planning vision that supports residents and social value instead of the real estate industry.
Archinect
Living aesthetics Museum of Orchid Garden community by 城理设计UrbanFabric
During the planning process, the architect's prejudgment of "cost/construction" has become the...
1st Mar 2026
During the planning process, the architect's prejudgment of "cost/construction" has become the design guiding ideology for the overall cost saving of the project and the avoidance of repeated construction. Considering the internal functions of the building, the first floor is the...
The Beauty of...
A Change of Course – Honing Network Rail’s Wayfinding Guidance
Finding your way around a Network Rail station is becoming another step easier. The publication of...
23rd Jul 2025
Finding your way around a Network Rail station is becoming another step easier. The publication of the most recent version of Network Rail’s Wayfinding design manual represents the latest step in the company’s quest to design the best possible signage system for stations. Given...
A Weekly Dose of...
2023 in Architecture Books, So Far
Life, they say, throws you curve balls, and that's just what happened last month, when a family...
21st Apr 2023
Life, they say, throws you curve balls, and that's just what happened last month, when a family emergency had me put this blog on hiatus. This post, appearing on a Friday instead of its regular Monday, does not mean regular weekly posts will resume, as I'll be dealing with said...
Common Edge
Local Economies, Fiscal Imagination and Economic Justice in New York City
History shows that a city’s economy is strongest when it’s locally rooted, ownership is shared, and...
3rd Aug 2026
History shows that a city’s economy is strongest when it’s locally rooted, ownership is shared, and growth is generated from the bottom up.
Common Edge
Peter Calthorpe Has a Plan for More Housing in California
Through a state-mandated use of form-based codes and a focus on “grand boulevards” of underutilized...
3rd Apr 2023
Through a state-mandated use of form-based codes and a focus on “grand boulevards” of underutilized commercial strips, the number of potential units expands by orders of magnitude.
Common Edge
Architecture Always Reflects the Values of Its Current Culture
What we build is who we are.
8th Aug 2023
What we build is who we are.
A Weekly Dose of...
Reading About Drawings
Instead of digesting a new book or diving into a novel, something others do often but I do rarely, I...
8th Jan 2024
Instead of digesting a new book or diving into a novel, something others do often but I do rarely, I spent my holiday break reading a five-year-old book about a trio of intertwined topics I'm particularly fond of: drawings, exhibitions, and New York City.
Drawing on...
Common Edge
The Brutalist: A Cinematic Architect’s Dream—and Nightmare
The film’s portrayal of its architect protagonist is entirely predictable, but carries a note of...
3rd Feb 2025
The film’s portrayal of its architect protagonist is entirely predictable, but carries a note of caution.
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...
6th May 2024
Andrew Mann Architecture has shared photos of a century-old Edwardian house they renovated in a bustling San Francisco neighborhood.
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow: The Empire State Building and the World Trade Center (Part I)
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931. At a height of 1250 feet [0], it was the world's...
23rd Nov 2022
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931. At a height of 1250 feet [0], it was the world's tallest building, exceeding the recently completed Chrysler building by 202 feet. It would hold that title for the next 39 years, until 1970 when it was surpassed in height by...
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...
14th Jul 2020
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...
The Beauty of...
My Favourite Parks Are Car Parks (Worcestershire Parkway, Worcestershire, UK)
A very particular kind of hush descends as the 1253 to Worcester Shrub Hill departs. That hush is...
12th Oct 2022
A very particular kind of hush descends as the 1253 to Worcester Shrub Hill departs. That hush is the hush of the parkway station between train services, and the station it has just departed from is Worcestershire Parkway. Though one of the best designed parkway stations, and a...
The Deleted Scenes
If I Were A NIMBY
What the devil on my shoulder whispers to me
1st Apr 2026
What the devil on my shoulder whispers to me
Cartogrammar
Seasonal relief
Just a map for fun, made without writing any code, which is a nice change of pace. I finally spent a...
16th Feb 2018
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...
devonzuegel.com
Unconventional strategies for practicing Spanish
Language skills are highly multi-dimensional*, so while learning a language, it's important to come...
26th Dec 2019
Language skills are highly multi-dimensional*, so while learning a language, it's important to come at it from lots of different directions. Here are some of the tricks I've used to practice Spanish that I haven't heard so many other people use. (They're likely useful for other...
The Wandering...
Transforming French WW1 Lambert Coordinates to WGS84
Nord de Guerre Here’s a survey plat made in 1919 by a US Army unit in France. In the aftermath of...
17th Jan 2024
Nord de Guerre Here’s a survey plat made in 1919 by a US Army unit in France. In the aftermath of WW1, teams of American military surveyors produced these as they went around France mapping the grave sites of fallen soldiers. On this plat we can see a number of bearings and...
Building Optimism
What's Going On In Budapest?
A Return to Beauty
6th Jan 2026
Strong Towns
Why State Housing Reform is Failing (and What We Can Do About It)
Statewide zoning reform isn't producing the wins everyone expected. An architect reveals why: the...
2nd Dec 2025
Statewide zoning reform isn't producing the wins everyone expected. An architect reveals why: the permissions may have changed, but the reflexes never adapted.
Old Structures...
In The Background
The photo from the Bain News Service is titled “Post Office, New York” and the Library of Congress...
1st Apr 2024
The photo from the Bain News Service is titled “Post Office, New York” and the Library of Congress dates it as “between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915.” I think we can do better: that’s the Municpal Building in the background under construction. The building took longer than usual to...
Common Edge
Why Disband the Urban Design Group Just as New York City Ramps Up Housing Development?
As the saying goes: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
2nd Feb 2026
As the saying goes: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The Solarchitecture...
My 7 (hidden) roles as an architect
A contemplative piece about all the roles in my practice that I do not talk about but I assume them,...
14th Jul 2025
A contemplative piece about all the roles in my practice that I do not talk about but I assume them, all the time.
The Solarchitecture...
Case study home #3 - Vernacular vibes near Budapest
Local vernacular passive house among the vines
10th Jun 2025
Local vernacular passive house among the vines
Contemporist...
This Hidden Chapel In The Woods Is Captivating Architecture Lovers
MOTIV Architects has shared photos of a small memorial chapel they completed in a Canadian forest.
4th May 2025
MOTIV Architects has shared photos of a small memorial chapel they completed in a Canadian forest.
McMansion Hell
ode to a faux grecian urn
Howdy everyone,
Today’s house, built in 2001, comes to you from, you guessed it, the Chicago...
2nd Apr 2024
Howdy everyone,
Today’s house, built in 2001, comes to you from, you guessed it, the Chicago suburbs. The house is a testimony to traditional craftsmanship and traditional values (having lots of money.) The cost of painting this house greige is approximately the GDP of Slovenia...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Sunken Cities
Foundation
Contributing an original map to GC’s newest Shelter: An Atlas was very appealing to me...
24th Aug 2021
Foundation
Contributing an original map to GC’s newest Shelter: An Atlas was very appealing to me for a couple of reasons: One, as an independent map illustrator, it would give my work wide exposure. Two, it would put me in good company with other talented mapmakers. Suggestions...
Old Structures...
Equitable on Broad Street 8
This series of blog posts may end up taking longer than the actual construction of the Equitable...
1st May 2026
This series of blog posts may end up taking longer than the actual construction of the Equitable building, but I feel like it’s not often we get to see such thorough documentation of the construction technology of a moment in time. I’m going to switch gears today from the...
McMansion Hell
we’ve found it folks: mcmansion heaven
Hello everyone. It is my pleasure to bring you the greatest house I have ever seen. The house of a...
2nd Feb 2024
Hello everyone. It is my pleasure to bring you the greatest house I have ever seen. The house of a true visionary. A real ad-hocist. A genuine pioneer of fenestration. This house is in Alabama. It was built in 1980 and costs around $5 million. It is worth every penny. Perhaps...
Common Edge
Kelp Farming May Help Clean New York’s Polluted Waterways and Fight Climate Change
The seaweed found in Newtown Creek, Gowanus Bay, and the East River could suck up carbon and...
27th Mar 2023
The seaweed found in Newtown Creek, Gowanus Bay, and the East River could suck up carbon and pollutants, bolstering marine ecosystems.
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.
5th Dec 2023
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
The Beauty of...
Cover Story (Workington Bus Station, Workington, Cumbria, UK)
Sometimes you seek out transport architecture, at others transport architecture is thrust upon you,...
6th Oct 2021
Sometimes you seek out transport architecture, at others transport architecture is thrust upon you, just as it was when I accidentally ended up in Workington a couple of months ago. With poor weather forecast on one of the days of a trip to the Lake District, I spent the day...
Benny Kuriakose
Job Opportunities at Benny Kuriakose and Associates in 2024
Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of...
16th May 2024
Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of them sent the application three or more...
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
Can We Afford More Modernist Buildings?
A common myth suggests that the unattractiveness of new buildings over the last century is due to...
12th Dec 2023
A common myth suggests that the unattractiveness of new buildings over the last century is due to rational or economic reasons, implying that building beautifully is too costly. In this article, I’ll debunk this idea and uncover the real reason behind the prevalence of...
Common Edge
Why Architects Need to be Part of Evolving A.I. Policy
Strategic imagination is what we do, but it’s crucially missing in both federal and state efforts to...
1st Sep 2025
Strategic imagination is what we do, but it’s crucially missing in both federal and state efforts to build and manage our A.I. future.
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.”...
1st Dec 2024
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...
devonzuegel.com
Podcasts & conferences I've spoken at
I haven't done a great job of tracking these, so this list is non-comprehensive:
Urbanism and the...
26th Aug 2021
I haven't done a great job of tracking these, so this list is non-comprehensive:
Urbanism and the Future of Cities (Jan 2023) – Narratives podcast
Inflation, Argentina, and Crypto (Oct 2022) – EconTalk podcast
Devon Zuegel on Startup Cities (June 2022)
Devon Zuegel, creator...
Old Structures...
The Early Stages
From Lewis Hine, “Plumbing up a column” at the Empire State Building: First, as with nearly all of...
30th Oct 2025
From Lewis Hine, “Plumbing up a column” at the Empire State Building: First, as with nearly all of Hine’s photos, what a work of art. Second, I’m not sure if that’s a beret as a particularly stylish way to not have a hard hat, or if it’s a flat cap worn backwards. Nothing that...
Cartogrammar
Beyond the Sea, flowing and exploding edition
Last year I took a whack at mapping what you’d “see” if you looked straight across the ocean from...
1st Jun 2017
Last year I took a whack at mapping what you’d “see” if you looked straight across the ocean from coastlines around the world. Since then, an interactive version of that has been a back-burner idea. Well, finally, here we go. To recap, these arcs represent straight-line paths out...
devonzuegel.com
Georgist land taxes balance community benefit & the efficiency of markets
One thing I like about Georgist land taxes is they reflect a deep-seated intuition many people have...
13th Jul 2024
One thing I like about Georgist land taxes is they reflect a deep-seated intuition many people have that land should be owned by the community, while still employing markets to ensure efficient use of this limited resource.
People feel that land is special and should serve the...
A Weekly Dose of...
Three Lessons from Three Monographs
Writing a blog devoted to architecture books means featuring monographs — lots of monographs. Not...
6th Feb 2023
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...
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...
30th Jan 2023
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...
The Deleted Scenes
New and Old #280
Durable homes, the return of the Walkman (?), and very rare video gaming artifacts
2 weeks ago
Durable homes, the return of the Walkman (?), and very rare video gaming artifacts
devonzuegel.com
Israel's water miracle
The saga of Israeli water management is one of the most inspiring stories of the last 75 years....
1st Jul 2023
The saga of Israeli water management is one of the most inspiring stories of the last 75 years. Israel went from having a serious water problem to being a net water exporter to neighboring countries. Meanwhile, the population grew from ~1 million to well over 9 million.
With...
Old Structures...
Where It Comes From
I’ve written about the Whitehall Building and its extension enough that there’s not much to say...
1st Mar 2026
I’ve written about the Whitehall Building and its extension enough that there’s not much to say about it for this new (to me) picture: The buildings were a little isolated from the main downtown skyscraper cluster by being so far southwest, but it’s a five-minute walk to...
devonzuegel.com
Why do home buyers look at price/sqft more than renters?
A question that's puzzled me for a while is why home buyers focus on price/sqft so much more than...
9th Jan 2023
A question that's puzzled me for a while is why home buyers focus on price/sqft so much more than renters. I asked around for what other people thought and got some interesting answers, so I decided to write up my takeaways.
I. Investments demand legibility
Homeownership is...
McMansion Hell
here are some things i like
Often people say to me, “Kate, you’re an architecture critic! You must have an impeccably designed...
28th Feb 2023
Often people say to me, “Kate, you’re an architecture critic! You must have an impeccably designed home full of wonderful design.” Haha, NO! However, I do think it’s entirely possible to collect design and live an aesthetically satisfying life on, like, a normal salary. Last...
SOCKS
Man Ray, Mathematical Objects (1934-36)
The collection of 19th-century three-dimensional models of algebraic and differential equations at...
14th Jan 2024
The collection of 19th-century three-dimensional models of algebraic and differential equations at the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris made a great impression on Surrealist artists. Allegedly, after Max Ernst brought these wood, metal, wire, and plaster forms to Man Ray’s...
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Home That Makes Space For An Art Gallery
Alterstudio Architecture has shared photos of a new home they completed in Dallas, Texas, with a...
4th Feb 2025
Alterstudio Architecture has shared photos of a new home they completed in Dallas, Texas, with a three-level design that creates a unique environment for family and art. A low berm of rocks planted with native grasses, cacti, and shrubs separates the residence from the street. A...
Retail Design Blog
Antler Flagship Store on Regent Street by Checkland Kindleysides
Antler is a British travel brand with over 110 years of design and travel expertise behind it. In...
1st Jun 2026
Antler is a British travel brand with over 110 years of design and travel expertise behind it. In collaboration with...
Benny Kuriakose
A Guide to Interior Photography of Historic Buildings - Part III
Interior views add valuable information to the documentation of a historic building. To capture the...
10th Apr 2023
Interior views add valuable information to the documentation of a historic building. To capture the true essence of the building, the...
A Weekly Dose of...
Summer in the City
From the middle of March, when a family emergency put this blog on hiatus, until the middle of July,...
31st Jul 2023
From the middle of March, when a family emergency put this blog on hiatus, until the middle of July, when a funeral mass was held for my dad, my life was split almost evenly between my home in New York City and my parent's home in Central Florida. The emergency in March was an...
Archinect
MAD completes 'cloud-like' Tencent headquarters in Shenzhen
MAD has completed Tengyun Center, a new headquarters complex for Tencent in Shenzhen, China. As we...
1st Jul 2026
MAD has completed Tengyun Center, a new headquarters complex for Tencent in Shenzhen, China. As we previously reported, the 775,000-square-foot "cloud" building comprises five blocks, seeking to rethink the conventional corporate campus with more public offerings.
Image credit:...
Old Structures...
Close To Home
From Angelo Rizzuto in 1950, “Broad Street.” It doesn’t instantly look familiar because we’re all...
1st May 2024
From Angelo Rizzuto in 1950, “Broad Street.” It doesn’t instantly look familiar because we’re all used to seeing the north end of Broad Street, where the Stock Exchange and Federal Hall are, or views looking up the street to the north. This is the sound end of Broad, as it runs...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Pools and Populations in the SF Bay Area
For many people, swimming in a pool on a hot July day with kids splashing and lifeguards hollering...
18th Nov 2024
For many people, swimming in a pool on a hot July day with kids splashing and lifeguards hollering is the quintessential summer experience. Not only do pools provide a place for people to recreate and cool off in the summer heat, but access to pools is essential to making basic...
Common Edge
What Is Sacred Architecture in an Increasingly Secular Time?
Is it space or the people who animate it?
5th Feb 2024
Is it space or the people who animate it?
Construction Physics
Why do we need infrastructure policy?
My title at IFP is "Senior Infrastructure Fellow," which means that in addition to publishing this...
1st Sep 2023
My title at IFP is "Senior Infrastructure Fellow," which means that in addition to publishing this newsletter, I do work related to infrastructure policy. At a high level, that work is figuring out which things we should be building, and how we can make building those things...
devonzuegel.com
What are startup cities for?
While the startup cities industry is still small, it is already quite heterogeneous. Each project...
2nd Jul 2021
While the startup cities industry is still small, it is already quite heterogeneous. Each project has its own distinct set of goals, motivations, and scope. However, this diversity isn’t fully captured by the vocabulary we use right now.
To help myself create a mental map of the...
McMansion Hell
Howdy everyone! Some exciting news: I’m doing a stint at The Nation this month writing...
Liberating Our Homes From the Real Estate–Industrial Complex
Howdy everyone! Some exciting news: I’m...
13th Mar 2023
Liberating Our Homes From the Real Estate–Industrial Complex
Howdy everyone! Some exciting news: I’m doing a stint at The Nation this month writing biweekly design columns. In this first one, I’ve done my best to expand on an earlier McMansion Hell post in order to answer the...
CONTEMPORIST
A Yellow Interior Sets The Tone For This Cafe
SIKORA INTERIORS has shared photos of a new dessert cafe with a bright yellow interior they...
3rd Mar 2025
SIKORA INTERIORS has shared photos of a new dessert cafe with a bright yellow interior they completed in the historic downtown of Hanseatic city in Poland. The goal was to create a bold, experimental space that would establish a strong new brand. The designers’ inspiration came...
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...
13th Jun 2024
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...
McMansion Hell
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from...
The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on...
10th May 2023
The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse
Hi everyone: I’ve written a long deep-dive on the present state of the McMansion, from farmhouse chic to imminent environmental collapse. If you’ve been seeing an inordinate number of big ugly houses pop up in your...
CONTEMPORIST
Chairs For Sitting On Stairs
ARTA Architects has designed the Tai Kwun Chairs for The Hong Kong Jockey Club, allowing a more...
6th Dec 2024
ARTA Architects has designed the Tai Kwun Chairs for The Hong Kong Jockey Club, allowing a more comfortable and modular seating solution for these stairs. The chairs complement the distinctive design languages of the Tai Kwun arts and cultural centre’s ancient and contemporary...
Strong Towns
Chicago Slashes Parking Mandates In a Big Win for Small Developers
A new ordinance removes costly parking requirements across most of Chicago, clearing the way for...
1st Aug 2025
A new ordinance removes costly parking requirements across most of Chicago, clearing the way for more affordable housing and business development.
CONTEMPORIST
The Color And Material Palette Of This New Home Allows It To Blend Into The Desert Setting
Multidisciplinary creative studio mxtad has designed a home in Mexico, with a natural and earthy...
3rd Apr 2023
Multidisciplinary creative studio mxtad has designed a home in Mexico, with a natural and earthy color palette that complements its surroundings. The home, designed for an architect and graphic designer, was built on a site with an irregular shape, however, from the street, it...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Migration Away From Flooded Land in Seattle
How did you decide on your map subject for the Migration atlas?
Deciding what to map was the...
30th Apr 2020
How did you decide on your map subject for the Migration atlas?
Deciding what to map was the hardest part of the Atlas in a Day experience. The first night, we developed a number of interesting concepts but nothing felt quite right. Were data available? What interesting story...
Benny Kuriakose
The Making of Unique Athangudi Tiles : An Unforgettable Experience
Chettinad, the land of wealthy Chettiars in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, is famous not only for...
1st Oct 2023
Chettinad, the land of wealthy Chettiars in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, is famous not only for its mouth-watering cuisine but also...
Old Structures...
It’s Not Blue
That’s a drawing from 1837 of the new Customs House – now Federal Hall – being constructed at the...
1st Nov 2023
That’s a drawing from 1837 of the new Customs House – now Federal Hall – being constructed at the northeast corner of Wall and Nassau Streets. John Frazee is listed as the architect and superintendent, which is not quite accurate: he was working from an architectural design by...
devonzuegel.com
Digital vs analog error correction
The purpose of this writeup was to summarize something interesting I learned recently, to make sure...
3rd May 2020
The purpose of this writeup was to summarize something interesting I learned recently, to make sure I understood it. I figured others might find it interesting, too.
~ ~ ~
Digital signal processing corrects for errors better than its analog counterpart. This is one of the...
A Weekly Dose of...
Conceiving the Plan
Conceiving the Plan: Nuance and Intimacy in Civic Space
Edited by Yael Hameiri Sainsaux
Skira,...
5th Dec 2022
Conceiving the Plan: Nuance and Intimacy in Civic Space
Edited by Yael Hameiri Sainsaux
Skira, August 2022
Hardcover | 12-1/4 x 12-1/4 inches | 240 pages | 170 illustrations | English | ISBN: 9788857246543 | $45.00
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
In Honor of Diane Lewis...
Construction Physics
Does construction ever get cheaper?
I've mentioned a few times that I generally prefer looking at construction progress through the lens...
1st Feb 2023
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...
SOCKS
Madeleine de Boullogne and Louise-Magdeleine Hortemels, Abbey of Port-Royal-des-Champs: Paintings...
Madeleine de Boullogne, (1646-1710), was a baroque artist born and raised in a family of painters....
6th Feb 2022
Madeleine de Boullogne, (1646-1710), was a baroque artist born and raised in a family of painters. Extremely pious, she remained unmarried and lived a semi-monastic life entirely dedicated to working and teaching. Among the most important commissions, she produced a set of four...
Blog - Guerrilla...
The Migration of the Word Honey
This map was a first for me. It was my first collaborative map, it was my first map I worked on...
23rd Jan 2020
This map was a first for me. It was my first collaborative map, it was my first map I worked on using LinkedIn’s chat as much as Photoshop, and it was my first exposure to Guerrilla Cartography. Karen reached out to me to work on the Atlas in a Day project, but immediately we had...
Old Structures...
Imagine Standing There
Every so often, I mention New York’s industrial past. Compared to a truly industrial city like...
1st Mar 2024
Every so often, I mention New York’s industrial past. Compared to a truly industrial city like Philadelphia or Chicago, it’s small-scale stuff, but compared to the present it’s astonishing. Looking at one of the parts of the city devoted to industry before 1920, it’s hard to...
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
I’d rather live in a nostalgic Disneyland than a modernist wasteland
Critics often dismiss traditional or historicizing architecture as mere “Disneyland” — a fake,...
16th Jun 2025
Critics often dismiss traditional or historicizing architecture as mere “Disneyland” — a fake, nostalgic fantasy out of step with modern life. But millions visit Disney’s Main Street every year, drawn to something they rarely find in real cities: beautiful, human-scaled streets...
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...
11th Dec 2022
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...
A Weekly Dose of...
On the Future of Cities
The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of...
6th Nov 2023
The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of them together:
Implementing Urban Design: Green, Civic, and Community Strategies by Jonathan Barnett, published by Routledge, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop)
Renewing the Dream: The...
devonzuegel.com
The Hard Parts of Open Source, by Evan Czaplicki
Speaker: Evan Czaplicki
Meeting: Strange Loop 2018 - September 2018
Video:...
25th Jan 2019
Speaker: Evan Czaplicki
Meeting: Strange Loop 2018 - September 2018
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_4EX4dPppA
Slides: https://prezi.com/oowcpzsnwp-8/the-hard-parts-of-open-source/?webgl=0
[ References to videos, books, and articles mentioned in this...
The Solarchitecture...
Turn your Bedroom to a Sleep Sanctuary: 7 Vital Design Tips
Upgrades for the deepest sleep of your life
1st Oct 2025
Upgrades for the deepest sleep of your life
Old Structures...
What’s Not Stated
This newspaper clipping in one of the New York Public Library’s scrapbooks has no explanation, but...
1st Nov 2024
This newspaper clipping in one of the New York Public Library’s scrapbooks has no explanation, but I’m pretty sure I know what it’s about. The somewhat ominous caption “Park Avenue Tunnel Choked With the Debris” is probably describing the aftermath of the January 1902 crash...
Archinect
10 living room designs we enjoyed this week
In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten...
1st Aug 2026
In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.
Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Living Spaces.
↑ Cummings...
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...
2nd Dec 2020
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...
SOCKS
Architecture as Described through Sight Lines: Hans Vredeman de Vries’ Perspective, 1604
Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527 – c. 1607) was a Renaissance architect from the Netherlands, best known...
22nd Jun 2025
Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527 – c. 1607) was a Renaissance architect from the Netherlands, best known for his printed works. In 1604, he published his most renowned tome, which offers a rich visual exploration of the possibilities of linear perspective in the depiction of...
Cartogrammar
Camino de Santiago sketch maps
Back in October in Montréal I finished my term on the NACIS board of directors at the annual...
8th Jan 2018
Back in October in Montréal I finished my term on the NACIS board of directors at the annual conference. (Side note: see video of the conference talks!) Tanya Buckingham (recent NACIS executive director, current candidate for local office) has always kindly handed out thank-you...
CONTEMPORIST
A Cluster Of Shingle-Clad Buildings Create An Island Cottage Experience For These Owners
Akb Architects has shared photos of a cottage they designed that comprises a cluster of buildings,...
1st Aug 2024
Akb Architects has shared photos of a cottage they designed that comprises a cluster of buildings, each scaled proportionately to the island’s one-acre size. Located three hours north of Toronto, Canada, the cottage includes four pitch-roofed structures, harmoniously clad in...
Common Edge
Panama City Walking Tour: the Old Town of Casco Viejo
Built in waves across centuries, it tells a story on every street.
7th Apr 2025
Built in waves across centuries, it tells a story on every street.
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
Architects vs. the Public: A Surprising Study Sheds Light on Aesthetic Preferences
Do architects have a different taste in buildings compared to the rest of us? A recent Swedish study...
9th Sep 2023
Do architects have a different taste in buildings compared to the rest of us? A recent Swedish study delves into this question, and the findings are intriguing. In the study “Green City Branding – How People Respond to the Built Environment“, people were asked to rate five...
SOCKS
A City in Retreat: Les Devantures by Sandrine Marc (2018)
Sandrine Marc is a photographer and artist based in Paris with a specific interest in self-made...
7th Nov 2022
Sandrine Marc is a photographer and artist based in Paris with a specific interest in self-made editions. She investigates urban and suburban territories through slow, long walks immersing herself in mutating environments. In December 2018, after the first demonstration by the...
There are two types...
Separated at Birth
AS CHAIR OF CNU NYC, I was part of the Empire Station Coalition’s long opposition to the efforts of...
1st Jun 2026
AS CHAIR OF CNU NYC, I was part of the Empire Station Coalition’s long opposition to the efforts of Governor Cuomo and then Governor Hochul to turn the area around Penn Station into a towering Vornadoville (Vornado calls it “The … Continue reading →
The post Separated at Birth...
Contemporist...
A Dark Brick Exterior For A Home Surrounded By Trees
Scott Posno Design has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Vancouver, Canada, that...
1st Jan 2025
Scott Posno Design has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Vancouver, Canada, that showcases a dark brick exterior.
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Contrast
In Gotham, a cathedral surrounded by skyscrapers: In New York, a cathedral surrounded by...
1st Feb 2026
In Gotham, a cathedral surrounded by skyscrapers: In New York, a cathedral surrounded by skyscrapers, albeit without a crossing tower:
devonzuegel.com
Field notes: Miami
Update 5-Dec-2021: Read the updated version of these notes here.
These field notes are a bit...
21st Apr 2021
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...
Strong Towns
Three Ways of Understanding the Housing Crisis
Why supply, demand, and structure lead to very different theories of change.
2nd Mar 2026
Why supply, demand, and structure lead to very different theories of change.
Strong Towns
Transportation After the Age of Expansion
The era of transportation expansion was a success. That’s exactly why it needs to end.
5th Jan 2026
The era of transportation expansion was a success. That’s exactly why it needs to end.
Construction Physics
The Story of Titanium
The earth contains a lot of titanium - it’s the ninth most abundant element in the earth’s crust. By...
7th Jul 2023
The earth contains a lot of titanium - it’s the ninth most abundant element in the earth’s crust. By mass, there’s more titanium in the earth’s crust than carbon by a factor of nearly 30, and more titanium than copper by a factor of nearly 100. But despite its abundance, it's...
There are two types...
My Comments at the Midtown South Social Equity and Music Festival
Fifty-one years ago, the Pennsylvania Railroad tragically tore down Pennsylvania Station. Not only...
15th Sep 2024
Fifty-one years ago, the Pennsylvania Railroad tragically tore down Pennsylvania Station. Not only is it the best building ever torn down in New York, but in the combined Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, we got the worst building in … Continue reading →
The post My...
A Weekly Dose of...
Four Monographs
Of the numerous books publishers send me for review — be they requested by me, pitched by them, or...
21st Aug 2023
Of the numerous books publishers send me for review — be they requested by me, pitched by them, or arriving at my doorstep unsolicited — the highest percentage of them are monographs. This fact goes against the occasional sirens over the irrelevance and anachronistic nature of...
CONTEMPORIST
LED Lighting Is Hidden Throughout This Home To Create A Soft Warm Glow
Interior design studio, Pure AW’s Designers Ltd, has shared a modern apartment they completed in...
1st Jun 2023
Interior design studio, Pure AW’s Designers Ltd, has shared a modern apartment they completed in Kowloon, Hong Kong, that combines warm woods and soft lighting. Designed for a couple with two children, the apartment’s interior is influenced by traditional Nordic aesthetics and...
devonzuegel.com
On bounties
Michael Kaminsky recently emailed me an interesting post he wrote about bounties in open source, and...
12th Oct 2020
Michael Kaminsky recently emailed me an interesting post he wrote about bounties in open source, and I took the opportunity to write up some thoughts that had been swirling in my head for a while. You can find the (lightly edited) response I sent to him below.
~
Bounties are...
A Weekly Dose of...
This Blog in 2023
One year ago, in the first post of 2022, I shifted this blog from (almost) daily posts about...
2nd Jan 2023
One year ago, in the first post of 2022, I shifted this blog from (almost) daily posts about architecture books to just once a week, changing the name of the blog to reflect that. In the fifth of five bullet points reasoning why that was happening, I wrote: "I'm planning on...
Construction Physics
Reading List 08/02/2025
European multifamily construction, a robot lamp, China’s self-driving car test, a “mini Moravec's...
2nd Aug 2025
European multifamily construction, a robot lamp, China’s self-driving car test, a “mini Moravec's paradox”, and more.
Contemporist...
The Large Arch Window In Front Of This Cafe Offers A Glimpse Of The Creative Interior
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand,...
14th Jun 2023
Anatomy Architecture + Atelier has shared photos of a cafe they designed in Ayutthaya, Thailand, that incorporates a collection of windows to create a welcoming arch shape on its facade.
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Promotion
From an indie comic called “Bit Torment” – not really my taste, but that’s just an opinion – a view...
1st Aug 2026
From an indie comic called “Bit Torment” – not really my taste, but that’s just an opinion – a view of the Regency Spire, which houses the World Parliament: From Carol Highsmith, a view of the south facade of the Empire State Building:
Common Edge
The Irony of Nigeria’s Resilient Democracy and Growing Legacy of Urban Tyranny
Planning policies reflect a deep disdain for the poor, prioritizing elite aesthetics over social...
2nd Jul 2025
Planning policies reflect a deep disdain for the poor, prioritizing elite aesthetics over social equity.
Cartogrammar
Ohio is still a piano
In a hundred years, no one will remember our work. Strike that, make it about five years. Digital,...
8th Mar 2016
In a hundred years, no one will remember our work. Strike that, make it about five years. Digital, web-based work can break or disappear in an instant. I’ve certainly done some things which are now gone forever. Anyway, one broken thing was the crazy Ohio piano map I made nearly...
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...
12th Apr 2023
Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate of unsubsidized levelized cost of energy (LCOE)
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...
8th Mar 2023
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small cabin-like room that expands when needed.
The Beauty of...
The Inbetweeners (Ebbsfleet International and Stratford International, UK)
Well then. At the end of the last article I promised to write about the stations on HS2 phase 1...
29th May 2024
Well then. At the end of the last article I promised to write about the stations on HS2 phase 1 assuming that I hadn’t been too enraged by the political fallout from hopefully soon-to-be-ex-prime minister Rishi Sunak’s cancellation of phase 2 of HS2. Reader, I have been enraged....
Common Edge
The ‘City of Yes’ Will Make a Big Manhattan Mess
City council is expected to vote on the controversial proposal soon.
1st Nov 2024
City council is expected to vote on the controversial proposal soon.
Cartogrammar
Hachures and sketchy relief maps
I’ve never been a terrain representation expert, but occasionally I get briefly super interested in...
9th May 2016
I’ve never been a terrain representation expert, but occasionally I get briefly super interested in some DIY technique for relief mapping, not using typical GIS tools or rendering software. Tom Patterson’s old (but still applicable) Photoshop tutorials were my introduction to the...
Construction Physics
The grid part II - the golden age of the power industry
Welcome to Part II of our history of the electric power industry. For Part I, see here. By 1930, the...
3rd Jun 2023
Welcome to Part II of our history of the electric power industry. For Part I, see here. By 1930, the US was using 114 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, generated by more than 4000 power plants. Most electricity was generated by coal (56%) and hydroelectric (34%)...
The Beauty of...
A Sense of Place (White Hart Lane Station, London, UK)
You will remember that my knowledge of football can be transcribed onto the reverse of a postage...
5th Jan 2022
You will remember that my knowledge of football can be transcribed onto the reverse of a postage stamp, possibly with room left over, and that what knowledge I do possess is thanks to my other half’s family being Portsmouth FC supporters; an emotional rollercoaster, it has to be...
Benny Kuriakose
Sustainability in School Design
Sustainability is a practice that seeks to minimize the negative impact of buildings on the ...
29th Sep 2023
Sustainability is a practice that seeks to minimize the negative impact of buildings on the environment by efficient and moderate use of...
BLDGBLOG
Uncontrolled Remains
I find landfill chemistry weirdly fascinating, particularly the idea that untold millions of tons of...
7th Jul 2025
I find landfill chemistry weirdly fascinating, particularly the idea that untold millions of tons of garbage being stored in giant, artificial landforms—or simply buried underground like false geological deposits—might be inadvertently catalyzing chemical processes we neither...
McMansion Hell
on neuschwanstein castle (part 1)
This is an essay in two parts.
Neuschwanstein Concept Drawing by the stage designer (!!) Christian...
28th Dec 2024
This is an essay in two parts.
Neuschwanstein Concept Drawing by the stage designer (!!) Christian Jank (1869).
There exist in architecture clear precedents to the McMansion that have nothing to do with suburban real estate. This is because “McMansionry” (let’s say) has many...
The Wandering...
Mapping Gottfried Merzbacher
I’m wrapping up my work on Gottfried Merzbacher—a sort of back-burner project that’s been active and...
11th Feb 2021
I’m wrapping up my work on Gottfried Merzbacher—a sort of back-burner project that’s been active and then dormant, on and off, for about seven years. It’s been a pleasure to learn about places like the Bayumkol valley, the relationship between the Saryzhaz and Kum-erik Rivers,...
Common Edge
Does Brooklyn’s New Brooding Monolith Deserve Kudos?
Closer in, SHoP’s Brooklyn Tower reveals texture, color, and personality, but for many it’s a bleak...
2nd Oct 2023
Closer in, SHoP’s Brooklyn Tower reveals texture, color, and personality, but for many it’s a bleak middle finger on the skyline.
devonzuegel.com
The road to hell is paved with asphalt
Most roads are paved with asphalt. Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with asphalt. Bricks,...
15th Jan 2024
Most roads are paved with asphalt. Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with asphalt. Bricks, cobblestones, and pavers are often much better options, because:
1. Asphalt degrades fast, so once you account for maintenance, it's more expensive it first appears
Asphalt...
Coffee with an...
Buildings are important
People are born in themGrow up in them Fall in love in them Get married in them Raise kids in them...
31st Aug 2023
People are born in themGrow up in them Fall in love in them Get married in them Raise kids in them Grow old in them Die in them Buildings are important. People decide big things here Decide on small things too Draw conclusions inside Make plans Change plans Change our minds Make...
The Beauty of...
Tubular Belle (Køge Nord station, Køge, Denmark)
Stuck on the E20 motorway heading for Copenhagen? Køge Nord station very much hopes you are...
9th Nov 2022
Stuck on the E20 motorway heading for Copenhagen? Køge Nord station very much hopes you are...
Construction Physics
Reading List 04/5/2025
China’s sulfur emissions, Japan’s new semiconductor effort, declining sunbelt housing construction,...
5th Apr 2025
China’s sulfur emissions, Japan’s new semiconductor effort, declining sunbelt housing construction, water competition in Texas, and more.
A Weekly Dose of...
Places in Time I
Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is...
4th Sep 2023
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...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Shelter: An Atlas
Food, water, shelter. The tripartite of basic needs. Without these no living thing can survive. Not...
3rd Jan 2023
Food, water, shelter. The tripartite of basic needs. Without these no living thing can survive. Not a spider, not a badger, not a tree, not a human. The first two — food and water — are obvious; without them, sustenance is impossible. The food we eat gives us energy through...
The Beauty of...
Riding the Steel Breeze (Port Talbot Parkway, Neath Port Talbot, UK)
Some stations are born parkways, some achieve parkway status, while yet others have parkway status...
26th Jul 2023
Some stations are born parkways, some achieve parkway status, while yet others have parkway status thrust upon them. Such is the explanation for an arrival at Port Talbot Parkway being such a strange experience. As passengers step out of their trains they find themselves...
Cartogrammar
Land by latitude and longitude, or, a pile of continents
Bill Rankin’s graphs of world population by latitude and longitude popped into mind for no...
17th Aug 2016
Bill Rankin’s graphs of world population by latitude and longitude popped into mind for no particular reason the other day, followed by a silly-sounding question: “but, like, what about land area by latitude and longitude?” Silly because, duh, a chart of land area by latitude and...
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
Fake Views – The Contrast Between Renderings and Reality
A shining sun, playful children, overwhelming greenery and new neighborhoods with a richer wildlife...
3rd Jan 2024
A shining sun, playful children, overwhelming greenery and new neighborhoods with a richer wildlife than a Zoo. We have all seen them, the vision images that promise an idyll but result in a visual nightmare. Here‘s a few examples. Renderings are a visual representation of a...
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
6 Reasons Why Today’s Architecture Is Unsustainable
The so-called sustainable buildings of today often fall short of genuine sustainability. Instead,...
5th Oct 2023
The so-called sustainable buildings of today often fall short of genuine sustainability. Instead, the concept is reduced to mere clichés and greenwashing. In this article, we delve deeper into the underlying factors concealed behind the sometimes eco-friendly exteriors of...
Old Structures...
Multimodal
From 1911, a much-worn postcard showing Park Row: City Hall is off to the left, amongst the trees;...
1st Apr 2026
From 1911, a much-worn postcard showing Park Row: City Hall is off to the left, amongst the trees; the big stone building on the right is the old New York Times headquarters, although the Times had moved uptown to Longacre Square, renamed after them, seven years earlier. The...
Common Edge
The Making of Ponchartrain Park in New Orleans
How a pair of wealthy outsiders, Edith and Edgar Stern, helped inspire the first neighborhood...
7th Mar 2024
How a pair of wealthy outsiders, Edith and Edgar Stern, helped inspire the first neighborhood development exclusively available to Black middle-class families.
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...
6th Mar 2022
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...
Blog - Guerrilla...
From Our Southern Border to a Cottonwood Tree
I am an artist and not a trained cartographer. Because my work or message is often about the...
6th Apr 2022
I am an artist and not a trained cartographer. Because my work or message is often about the environment, geopolitical issues, water, animal and human rights, I look for how I might highlight particular issues, and then draw a word picture to go with the visual message of the...
The Wandering...
Constructing the Pattern on the Sala de la Barca Ceiling
I was flipping through Owen Jones’s Grammar of Ornament a couple months ago, and my eye was caught...
4th Apr 2024
I was flipping through Owen Jones’s Grammar of Ornament a couple months ago, and my eye was caught by this handsome pattern I had not noticed before. This is Jones’s Plate XLII, in the chapter on designs from the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. He calls it, “Part of the ceiling of...
devonzuegel.com
Travel photos are underrated
I snapped many photos while wandering Haifa last week, as I always do whenever I see something new...
9th Jun 2019
I snapped many photos while wandering Haifa last week, as I always do whenever I see something new or interesting while exploring a city. I was with my friend Tyler, who conspicuously does not take photos while exploring a new place. I asked him why, and his answer was, "It's a...
Contemporist...
Dark Vertical Wood Siding Was Chosen As The Primary Exterior Cladding To “Camouflage” This Cabin
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a house they designed in...
7th Feb 2024
Architecture firm Prentiss + Balance + Wickline has shared photos of a house they designed in Wawona, California, for a couple with grown children and their families.
devonzuegel.com
Google Docs' sheet-of-paper metaphor
For ages, I've wondered why Google Docs still clings to the sheet-of-paper metaphor when lots of its...
12th May 2019
For ages, I've wondered why Google Docs still clings to the sheet-of-paper metaphor when lots of its users never print out most of their documents.
Of course it does make sense for "Print layout" to be an option. Many people do print docs, and students make up a huge portion of...
BLDGBLOG
Agency of the Subsurface
[Image: The Heathen Gate at Carnuntum, outside Vienna; photo by Geoff Manaugh.] Last summer, a...
28th Sep 2023
[Image: The Heathen Gate at Carnuntum, outside Vienna; photo by Geoff Manaugh.] Last summer, a geophysicist at the University of Vienna named Immo Trinks proposed the creation of an EU-funded “International Subsurface Exploration Agency.” Modeled after NASA or the ESA, this new...
Benny Kuriakose
Job Opportunities at Benny Kuriakose and Associates in 2026
Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of...
5th Jul 2026
Every month, we receive a large number of applications for job positions and internships. Most of them sent the application three or more times, sometimes even more. With so many colleges, this will be the case with most of the firms. Many aspirants are keen on joining the...
Contemporist...
This Tall And Skinny House Also Has A Rooftop Pool
Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi...
5th Mar 2024
Story Architecture has shared photos of a new tall and skinny home they recently completed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for a family of four with two sons.
SOCKS
From Videogame Landscapes to Embrodery Canvas: La Sentinelle by Marine Beaufils (2022-24)
Marine Beaufils is a French embroidery artist whose meticulous work draws on the analogy between...
17th Nov 2024
Marine Beaufils is a French embroidery artist whose meticulous work draws on the analogy between pixels and needlepoints, as she translates scenes from her favorite video games, movies, or scientific imagery from screen to embroidery canvas. This process freezes a fragment of a...
Cartogrammar
A guide to not being a sidewalk jerk
Hello friends. It has become apparent that you are all terrible at being pedestrians. I feel...
1st Feb 2016
Hello friends. It has become apparent that you are all terrible at being pedestrians. I feel confident saying that despite some good eggs and battle-tested walkers such as New Yorkers, most Americans are obliviously selfish, inconsiderate users of sidewalk space. It’s true even...
The Solarchitecture...
Create homes that are havens for health and vitality
Life is too short to spend it in bad buildings.
18th Feb 2023
Life is too short to spend it in bad buildings.
devonzuegel.com
OWD #0: Welcome to Order Without Design
I'm starting a new podcast called Order Without Design with the most interesting couple I know:...
30th Apr 2020
I'm starting a new podcast called Order Without Design with the most interesting couple I know: Alain & Marie-Agnes Bertaud.
This project is an extension of their book, Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities. With its focus on economic theory, you might not realize that...
Archinect
The Architectural League of New York seeks its next Program Director
Following our previous look at an opening for a Project Architect at STUDIO BANAA, we are using this...
1st Apr 2026
Following our previous look at an opening for a Project Architect at STUDIO BANAA, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Program Director at the Architectural League of New York.
The role, based in New York...
SOCKS
Forgotten Corners of the World: Heidi Linck’s Enigmatic Works
Heidi Linck is a multimedia artist based in the Netherlands. Her work explores the poetic dimension...
19th Oct 2025
Heidi Linck is a multimedia artist based in the Netherlands. Her work explores the poetic dimension of neglected spaces and their capacity to convey a sense of loss while opening up potential forms of imagination. The encounter between collective and individual memory is...
THE ARCHITECTURAL...
VR Study Shows People Prefer Traditional Architecture Over Modernist Designs
Traditional architecture has been found to contribute more to people’s well-being than modernist...
22nd Nov 2023
Traditional architecture has been found to contribute more to people’s well-being than modernist glass and steel buildings, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in Oslo. Using virtual reality (VR) technology, the team...
Coffee with an...
If movies were about Architecture
“Apocalypse Now”: an architect goes grossly over budget. Another architect is sent out to find him...
6th May 2024
“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 /...
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...
12th Dec 2023
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...
There are two types...
What’s good for General Motors is good for America
On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system...
16th Mar 2023
On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system based on individuals in private cars driving everywhere for everything, climate change would be a very different—and smaller—problem than it is.” I posted the … Continue reading →
The...
99% Invisible
Mini-Stories: Volume 20
Happy New Year! We’re starting 2025 with four more mini stories! This week we have a sleepy button,...
7th Jan 2025
Happy New Year! We’re starting 2025 with four more mini stories! This week we have a sleepy button, electric signs, a very important sticker, and video you can smell. Let’s get into it! Snooze Buttons In the 1950s, General Electric changed alarm clocks forever by adding a snooze...
The Deleted Scenes
Ozymandias And Elitism
Is pleasure evidence of unworthiness?
1st Nov 2025
Is pleasure evidence of unworthiness?
Contemporist...
Giant 'Woven' Fabric Graces The Window Of This Flagship Store
Architecture firm LAAB has shared photos the Cozey flagship retail store they designed in Toronto,...
4th Nov 2024
Architecture firm LAAB has shared photos the Cozey flagship retail store they designed in Toronto, Canada, that includes an eye-catching window showcase.
There are two types...
Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated…
A friend and colleague turned me onto AI obituaries. Think of them as interesting and amusing rather...
22nd Apr 2025
A friend and colleague turned me onto AI obituaries. Think of them as interesting and amusing rather than morbid or morose. This one is from AI Copilot. John Massengale AIA CNU Celebrating a Visionary Mind in Urban Design and Architecture … Continue reading →
The post Reports of...
The Modern House
Our Guide to Exeter: where to kayak, throw clay and blend your own botanicals in the West Country...
5th Feb 2025
McMansion Hell
namesake mcmansion
Howdy folks! Today’s McMansion is very special because a) we’re returning to Maryland after a long...
31st Jul 2024
Howdy folks! Today’s McMansion is very special because a) we’re returning to Maryland after a long time and b) because the street this McMansion is on is the same as my name. (It was not named after me.) Hence, it is my personal McMansion, which I guess is somewhat like when...
Common Edge
Life Advice: “You’ll Do Fine If You Believe, ‘I Do My Best.’”
Author and educator Steven Heller’s commencement address to the School of Visual Arts’ Class of...
3rd Jun 2025
Author and educator Steven Heller’s commencement address to the School of Visual Arts’ Class of 2025.
Contemporist...
A Contemporary Reimagination Of A Classic New York Pizza Parlor
Architecture firm MRDK has recently completed North of Brooklyn Pizzeria in Toronto, Canada, that...
17th Jul 2023
Architecture firm MRDK has recently completed North of Brooklyn Pizzeria in Toronto, Canada, that balances nostalgia and modernity.
CONTEMPORIST
Black Accents Contrast The Wood And White Material Palette Of This Home
Design and interior architecture firm EntreQuatreMurs (EQM) has completed the contemporary interiors...
4th Dec 2023
Design and interior architecture firm EntreQuatreMurs (EQM) has completed the contemporary interiors of a home in Quebec, Canada, that was originally built in 1959. The house had not been renovated for several decades and featured typical enclosed rooms and small, narrow, dark...
The Beauty of...
Never(?) Decreasing Circles (Railtrack/Network Rail major station logos, UK (continued))
One of the most enduringly popular articles on this website (at least in terms of clicks and...
27th Nov 2024
One of the most enduringly popular articles on this website (at least in terms of clicks and re-posts) is a very early one, from 2013. It concerns the graphic identities created for Railtrack’s major stations by Citigate Lloyd Northover. These ones… Firstly – have I really been...
The Beauty of...
High Speed at High Speed (Tianjin West station, China)
In scale and speed of construction, Tianjin West seems almost impossible – especially when viewed...
4th Oct 2023
In scale and speed of construction, Tianjin West seems almost impossible – especially when viewed from Britain. It is, therefore, the perfect embodiment of China’s high speed rail network, on which the station can be found. It is also, I am sorry to say, the antithesis of the...
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...
18th Feb 2022
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...
devonzuegel.com
Markets in everything at the Duomo
You're not allowed inside the Duomo with your shoulders uncovered. We learned this the hard way. I...
11th Aug 2019
You're not allowed inside the Duomo with your shoulders uncovered. We learned this the hard way. I was wearing a spaghetti strap dress (it's 92℉/33℃ and humid here in Milan), so they stopped my little group at the entrance, after we'd already purchased 3 tickets.
Luckily, we...
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:...
7th Sep 2022
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
Alain Biltereyst: Traces of Abstraction in the Urban Environment
Contemporary Belgian artist Alain Biltereyst works on abstract paintings characterized by bold...
4th Feb 2024
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,...
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...
7th Nov 2022
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...
Common Edge
Is AI Really the Next Big Thing in Architecture?
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
1st Jun 2023
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
Common Edge
“Architecture Schools Are Responsible for Educating the Whole Student”
A talk with ACSA’s executive director, Michael Monti.
3rd Sep 2024
A talk with ACSA’s executive director, Michael Monti.
Contemporist...
This Home Has A Living Room That Extends Over The Swimming Pool Below
Daniel Marshall Architect (DMA) has shared photos of a new home they designed in New Zealand, that...
11th Apr 2023
Daniel Marshall Architect (DMA) has shared photos of a new home they designed in New Zealand, that includes a cantilevered living room.
CONTEMPORIST
This Home Was Designed To Surround A Swimming Pool With A Slide
Architect Alexis Dornier has shared a new home in Pererenan, Bali, that combines modern...
19th Apr 2025
Architect Alexis Dornier has shared a new home in Pererenan, Bali, that combines modern architectural principles with a spirit of creativity and exploration. The house is defined by its bold central void, an architectural centerpiece that brings natural light, air, and a sense of...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Guerrillas in the Midst: Crowdsourcing Cartography
When I think about what Guerrilla Cartography does, I think of building and creating something new...
26th Aug 2024
When I think about what Guerrilla Cartography does, I think of building and creating something new from many different pieces, like a puzzle that only makes sense once it’s put together. But unlike a puzzle, there is no single correct way to put the pieces together, as they can...
99% Invisible
The Great American Pyramid
Memphis, Tennessee is home to many historic landmarks. Like Graceland, and Beale Street. But one of...
1st Apr 2025
Memphis, Tennessee is home to many historic landmarks. Like Graceland, and Beale Street. But one of their biggest tourist magnets is their Bass Pro Shops. Usually, Bass Pro is the place to buy hunting and fishing gear. But the one in Memphis, it’s less of a store, and more of a...
Contemporist...
Inside the Chic Winery Where the Owners Got Married
Frank Family Vineyards has unveiled Miller House, a new hospitality space designed to host guests in...
1st Jun 2025
Frank Family Vineyards has unveiled Miller House, a new hospitality space designed to host guests in a setting that’s both refined and deeply personal. Located in Calistoga, California, the space was created by Hawkins Interiors in collaboration with Backen & Backen for...
Common Edge
How Does Architectural Knowledge Get Passed On in the AI Office?
Technology may reduce production hours, but that lengthier process has been a crucial learning time...
2 weeks ago
Technology may reduce production hours, but that lengthier process has been a crucial learning time for younger professionals.
devonzuegel.com
A libertarian just won Argentina's presidency... what's going on?
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential...
21st Nov 2023
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential election, here's some background.
First, a key fact is that the government is printing money at an accelerating rate, resulting in 143% annual inflation as of the most recent count. The...
McMansion Hell
New on Patreon: New Jersey Bonus Post (5 additional, “wonderful” rooms!“
new jersey bonus post: 5 additional, wonderful rooms | McMansionHell
New on Patreon: New Jersey...
30th Nov 2024
new jersey bonus post: 5 additional, wonderful rooms | McMansionHell
New on Patreon: New Jersey Bonus Post (5 additional, “wonderful” rooms!“
Strong Towns
The Tuba Mindset
What Sam Quinones taught me about addiction, community, and the slow work of building strong towns.
1st Jun 2026
What Sam Quinones taught me about addiction, community, and the slow work of building strong towns.
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...
1st Nov 2023
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...
The Solarchitecture...
Case study #2 - Sunbeam A-frame
Let's start 2023 with presenting one of my dearest projects.
22nd Jan 2023
Let's start 2023 with presenting one of my dearest projects.
Construction Physics
Reading List 05/03/25
Blackout in Spain and Portugal, Chinese robot adoption, energy maneuverability theory, the Florida...
3rd May 2025
Blackout in Spain and Portugal, Chinese robot adoption, energy maneuverability theory, the Florida real estate market, battery manufacturing cancellations, and more.
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,...
1st Feb 2024
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...
Strong Towns
Why Minnesota’s Northstar Service Was Doomed From the Start
The state could've used commuter rail, but Northstar didn't deliver.
2nd Feb 2026
The state could've used commuter rail, but Northstar didn't deliver.
Contemporist...
The Stunning Cliffside Home That Makes You Feel Like You’re Living in the Trees
Tucked into the northern shore of Lake Tremblant, Canada, La Flèche is a contemporary residence by...
1st Jul 2025
Tucked into the northern shore of Lake Tremblant, Canada, La Flèche is a contemporary residence by MU Architecture that reinterprets the traditional chalet through bold geometry and material sensitivity. Designed as a multigenerational retreat, it offers a lasting connection to...
Strong Towns
A Lesson in Light
How two identical park buildings reveal the power of small design choices.
3rd Nov 2025
How two identical park buildings reveal the power of small design choices.
Blog - Guerrilla...
TRANSitar Lima
THE RIGHT TO THE CITY: Who has the right to move freely through the city and who doesn’t?
Map of...
15th May 2023
THE RIGHT TO THE CITY: Who has the right to move freely through the city and who doesn’t?
Map of Lima, Peru
About the project
TRANSitar Lima is a project that seeks to create a visual record of transphobic violence, based on collective mapping sessions. Trans, transvestites, and...
Construction Physics
On Yglesias on Manufactured Homes
A few weeks ago, Matt Yglesias wrote “How to Unleash a Trailer Home Boom," which outlines a strategy...
5th Jan 2024
A few weeks ago, Matt Yglesias wrote “How to Unleash a Trailer Home Boom," which outlines a strategy for getting more manufactured homes built. Broadly, Yglesias proposes ending HUD code requirements that manufactured homes have a steel chassis, making it easier and less...
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...
5th Dec 2023
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...
Old Structures...
Complicated History, Nice Backdrop
From February 1946, a view of the East River waterfront in Brooklyn, with lower Manhattan in the...
1st Aug 2024
From February 1946, a view of the East River waterfront in Brooklyn, with lower Manhattan in the background. It was a cold month: note the ice in the river past the train storage to the right of pier 15. This is the old pier 15, which was close to the foot of Montague Street. It...
CONTEMPORIST
Stairs With Built-In Planters Lead To The Back Garden At This Home
Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects has shared photos of a recently completed renovation project in...
1st May 2023
Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects has shared photos of a recently completed renovation project in Greater London, England, that included new outdoor stairs with built-in planters. The client contacted the architects to renovate the lower ground floor of the house due to severe damp...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Bangalore's Disappearing Lakes
In an area of pronounced water scarcity high on the Deccan plateau, at an altitude removed from...
2nd Mar 2021
In an area of pronounced water scarcity high on the Deccan plateau, at an altitude removed from river-water and of water extraction from the ground, despite being historically nourished by monsoons, Bangalore's current population faces deep inequities of access to water which are...
99% Invisible
The Wide Open
When the Endangered Species Act passed in 1973, it was considered a bipartisan home run. The Act...
4th Feb 2025
When the Endangered Species Act passed in 1973, it was considered a bipartisan home run. The Act established protections for plants and animals on the endangered and threatened species lists, and across the aisle, everyone seemed to agree that it would be bad for a bunch of...
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