The Modern House
Saiphin Moore, founder of Rosa’s Thai, whips up noodle soup in Wapping
a year ago
Archinect - Features
Let’s Talk About Architectural Visualization
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Visualization. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the...
2 months ago
Welcome to Archinect In-Depth: Visualization. Over the coming weeks, Archinect will explore the process of visualizing architectural work and what challenges and opportunities the field presents for the architectural design process. Our journey will include not only tips and...
Construction Physics
Why do we need infrastructure policy?
My title at IFP is "Senior Infrastructure Fellow," which means that in addition to publishing this...
a year ago
My title at IFP is "Senior Infrastructure Fellow," which means that in addition to publishing this newsletter, I do work related to infrastructure policy. At a high level, that work is figuring out which things we should be building, and how we can make building those things...
Common Edge
Are For-Profit Developments Consistent With the Values of a Public University?
These public-private partnerships may not dovetail with the schools’ values or mission.
a year ago
These public-private partnerships may not dovetail with the schools’ values or mission.
Archinect - Features
'Starting a Successful Woman-Owned Business in a Heavily Male-Dominated Industry Is No Joke':...
In this episode of our Studio Snapshot series, Archinect connected with Allison Bryan, Founding...
2 months ago
In this episode of our Studio Snapshot series, Archinect connected with Allison Bryan, Founding Principal of multi-disciplinary design practice Open Studio Collective, based in Bozeman, Montana, and Ojai, California.
Trained in both graphic design and architecture, Bryan talks...
A Weekly Dose of...
Architectural Exhibitions and Their Books
Preparing for this post I counted roughly one hundred books in my library that are related to...
a year ago
Preparing for this post I counted roughly one hundred books in my library that are related to exhibitions. Surprisingly, given that I tend to buy catalogs and other companion books to exhibitions I visit, only a quarter of those hundred are exhibitions I have seen in person....
Contemporist...
This Home's Addition Is Designed To Feel Like You've Stepped Into The Garden
BENT Architecture has shared photos of a project they designed in Victoria, Australia, that included...
a year ago
BENT Architecture has shared photos of a project they designed in Victoria, Australia, that included the design of a rear extension that answers the statement, "Imagine if your home could feel like living in a garden pavilion".
Common Edge
The Time-Defying Nature of Living Architectural Traditions
Mere repetition is lifeless, a focus on design exploration creates nothing lasting, but living...
8 months ago
Mere repetition is lifeless, a focus on design exploration creates nothing lasting, but living tradition balances both.
Construction Physics
Building Fast and Slow Part III: Design of the World Trade Center
This is Part III in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World...
over a year ago
This is Part III in a series comparing the construction of the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center. Part I covers the design and construction of the Empire State Building, and Part II covers the initial development of the World Trade Center
Contemporist...
A Round Design And Open Arches Give This Concrete Home A Unique Look
Architecture firm Estudio Carroll has shared photos of a new concrete home they completed in Puerto...
5 months ago
Architecture firm Estudio Carroll has shared photos of a new concrete home they completed in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, that has a unique shape.
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.”...
2 weeks 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...
devonzuegel.com
Remote work will break the US monopoly on global talent
Remote work is creating a new economic niche, and countries that put in the work to fill it will...
over a year ago
Remote work is creating a new economic niche, and countries that put in the work to fill it will finally be able to compete with the US to attract talent. This is the once-in-a-generation opportunity for small, stable countries to grow, diversify, and up-skill their...
Old Structures...
Up, Down, and Up, Like Its Surroundings
I took these pictures on Mercer Street yesterday, of an oddly formal little building. Whatever...
10 months ago
I took these pictures on Mercer Street yesterday, of an oddly formal little building. Whatever “Firemen’s Hall” meant, I had never heard of it. The name and original use are linked and sort of obvious: when the building was constructed in 1855, New York’s fire-fighting needs were...
The Modern House
A fossil-shaped eco home in the rolling countryside of Devon
a year ago
Common Edge
Kelp Farming May Help Clean New York’s Polluted Waterways and Fight Climate Change
The seaweed found in Newtown Creek, Gowanus Bay, and the East River could suck up carbon and...
a year ago
The seaweed found in Newtown Creek, Gowanus Bay, and the East River could suck up carbon and pollutants, bolstering marine ecosystems.
Archinect - Features
Archinect's 2024 Mental Health Survey Results: 11 Key Takeaways
On October 10th, we marked World Mental Health Day by launching Archinect's 2024 Mental Health...
a month ago
On October 10th, we marked World Mental Health Day by launching Archinect's 2024 Mental Health Survey. Over 120 people participated, sharing their experiences of the past year, where mental health issues are arising from, and what steps they are taking to improve their own mental...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Boom
One of the problems with electing Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, as mayor of New York, is that he has a...
5 months ago
One of the problems with electing Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, as mayor of New York, is that he has a lot of enemies who will try to kill him by, say, blowing him up in his sleep. This is a preservation problem because the mayor’s residence is Gracie Mansion, a 1799 wood-frame...
Common Edge
Michael Van Valkenburgh on the Making of Brooklyn Bridge Park
The noted landscape architect talks about one of the great 21st century urban parks.
5 months ago
The noted landscape architect talks about one of the great 21st century urban parks.
Old Structures...
A Specific Location
“Pretty” is almost certainly the wrong word for this 1902 postcard view of lower Manhattan. It...
11 months ago
“Pretty” is almost certainly the wrong word for this 1902 postcard view of lower Manhattan. It shows, accurately, a jumbled mess with smoke everywhere. But is it real? Is this a photograph that was hand-painted to create the color, or is it a rendering by a very active artist? I...
Common Edge
Warlords in Our Midst
Why Elon Musk is worse than science fiction.
4 months ago
Why Elon Musk is worse than science fiction.
Old Structures...
A Sometimes Disagreeable Foreign Land, Part 2
Continuing my stroll the 1893 Baedeker description of New York, pages 12 and 13 are a list of “chief...
2 weeks ago
Continuing my stroll the 1893 Baedeker description of New York, pages 12 and 13 are a list of “chief lines” of streetcars in Manhattan. There’s a parenthetical note that there are three streetcar lines that cross the Harlem River in “The ‘Annexed District’”. That’s the west...
There are two types...
DONALD TRUMP & EVIL – A Post-Halloween / Election-Eve Story
Almost forty years ago, I owned a small house in the Greenwich “backcountry” just a few miles from...
a month ago
Almost forty years ago, I owned a small house in the Greenwich “backcountry” just a few miles from the Westchester County Airport. One morning, I was talking on the phone with a friend whom I would see later in the … Continue reading →
The post DONALD TRUMP & EVIL – A...
The Modern House
Pride and Joy: six family homes for sale
You may not be able to choose your family, but you can choose a home to share with them. Whether...
a year ago
You may not be able to choose your family, but you can choose a home to share with them. Whether you’re a young couple with a little one on the way, are searching for additional space or want to create a more sustainable living environment […]
The Modern House
House Music: pianist Simeon Walker performs at Domus – a modernist masterpiece, currently for sale
2 months ago
Old Structures...
Iconic
The Third Avenue elevated, looking north from 23rd Street or so. (The street sign at the lower right...
5 months ago
The Third Avenue elevated, looking north from 23rd Street or so. (The street sign at the lower right reads East 24th Street.) My guess is that the photographer was standing at the north end of the northbound platform of the 23rd Street station. Off in the distance, we’ve got the...
Common Edge
On the Value of Miniatures and Scale Models
Thinking small can help us answer the challenges of our time.
4 days ago
Thinking small can help us answer the challenges of our time.
devonzuegel.com
Creating Passionate Users: Attenuation and the suck threshold
Attenuation and the suck threshold
How long do your users spend in the "I suck" (or "this product...
over a year ago
Attenuation and the suck threshold
How long do your users spend in the "I suck" (or "this product sucks") zone? Once they've crossed the suck threshold, how long does it take before they start to feel like they kick ass? Both of those thresholds are key milestones on a users...
Archinect - Features
Climate, Justice, and Collaboration in Academia: A Conversation with Tyler School of Art and...
At Temple University's Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Kate Wingert-Playdon is building an...
3 months ago
At Temple University's Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Kate Wingert-Playdon is building an academic culture grounded in collaboration. As Senior Associate Dean and Director of Architecture, Wingert-Playdon is engaged in a mission of encouraging cross-disciplinary...
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...
a year ago
Daniel Marshall Architect (DMA) has shared photos of a new home they designed in New Zealand, that includes a cantilevered living room.
Old Structures...
Probably Not Realistic
The “Vue de la Nouvelle Yorck” is listed at the New York Public Libarry as being probably from 1775....
a year ago
The “Vue de la Nouvelle Yorck” is listed at the New York Public Libarry as being probably from 1775. It’s definitely from that era, just based on the ships, which are far more accurately drawn than the buildings are. A lot of these illustrations appear to have been made by...
CONTEMPORIST
A House Extension With A Curved Window Makes Room For A New Kitchen At This Home In London
Architecture and ideas studio CAN, has shared photos of a recently completed home extension they...
a month ago
Architecture and ideas studio CAN, has shared photos of a recently completed home extension they completed for a terrace house in Stoke Newington, London. With an emphasis on natural materials and a unique approach to design, this renovation turns the once disconnected ground...
Old Structures...
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
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...
It Looked Familiar: Sort Of Obvious
The fact that Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, is from Jersey City is integral to her character. As a teen,...
a month ago
The fact that Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, is from Jersey City is integral to her character. As a teen, she lives at home with her parents and most of the stories revolve around that location. So this view of the waterfront is not exactly hard to find
CONTEMPORIST
A Seamless Terrazzo Flows From The Wall To The Countertop In This Kitchen
Studio Modijefsky has shared photos of a project where they transformed a 17th-century inn into a...
a year ago
Studio Modijefsky has shared photos of a project where they transformed a 17th-century inn into a modern family home in Nieuwersluis, The Netherlands. As part of the renovation, they designed a new inviting, and open-plan kitchen with a cooking island and a terrazzo countertop....
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...
a year ago
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...
CONTEMPORIST
6,000 Pieces Of Discarded Whiskey Barrels Were Used In The Design Of This Bar
Roomoo Design Studio has shared photos of their latest project, the Laizhou Bar in Shanghai, China,...
a year ago
Roomoo Design Studio has shared photos of their latest project, the Laizhou Bar in Shanghai, China, which features recycled whiskey barrels throughout its design. The designers used around 6,000 pieces of discarded wooden barrels dismantled from the whiskey barrels of a...
Old Structures...
Pareidolia
He’s a happy little gas-powered guy.
5 months ago
He’s a happy little gas-powered guy.
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Fancy Digs
Hawkeye chases some bad guys in New York: Looking north up Central Park West from a bit below 71st...
3 months ago
Hawkeye chases some bad guys in New York: Looking north up Central Park West from a bit below 71st Street: The relatively-low brown building two blocks up is the Dakota Apartments, but the drawing in the comic isn’t accurate enough to recognize it. The building at the first...
Benny Kuriakose
Hiring Experienced Engineers and Architects at Benny Kuriakose and Associates
Benny Kuriakose and Associates is now inviting applications, which offer an opportunity for...
3 hours ago
Benny Kuriakose and Associates is now inviting applications, which offer an opportunity for experienced candidates and are open to...
CONTEMPORIST
Overhanging Plants Wrap Around The Second Floor Of This Home
Strang Design has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Miami, Florida, that’s designed...
a year ago
Strang Design has shared photos of a modern home they completed in Miami, Florida, that’s designed to wrap around a swimming pool. The home has been organized into an “H-shape,” allowing the interiors to be flooded with natural light and to showcase views of the natural...
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
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...
Common Edge
Turning Point: The Three Climate-Planning Scenarios Available to Us
Continued inaction could leave us with fewer, and far riskier, options for mitigating a warming...
3 weeks ago
Continued inaction could leave us with fewer, and far riskier, options for mitigating a warming Earth.
Old Structures...
A Difficult Design Issue
I’m in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for a project I’ll discuss in the future, someday, and came across...
5 months ago
I’m in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for a project I’ll discuss in the future, someday, and came across the National Register listed Toole Building yesterday. The bottom three floors were built in 1892; the top two in 1922. My compliments to the architect and mason in 1922: that’s an...
Old Structures...
A Simple Drawing For A Difficult Structure – Part 3
Following up on part 1 and part 2, I want to talk about how the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge were...
a year ago
Following up on part 1 and part 2, I want to talk about how the caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge were built, installed, and used. Unlike the 1883 image from part 1 (below), the image above is from 1870, while the work was still going on. I’ve played with the contrast to make the...
The Modern House
A fossil-shaped eco home on the border of Devon and Somerset
a year ago
Common Edge
Telling the Essential Stories of Everyday Places
A talk with Gabrielle Bendiner-Viana, author of The Cities We Need.
2 weeks ago
A talk with Gabrielle Bendiner-Viana, author of The Cities We Need.
CONTEMPORIST
A Living Room That Floats Above The Forest Floor Is A Remarkable Feature Of This Home
DeForest Architects has shared photos of a home they designed that follows the topography of the...
9 months ago
DeForest Architects has shared photos of a home they designed that follows the topography of the site, with some rooms tucked into the land and others floating above it. Located in a waterfront neighborhood just south of Seattle, the one-acre wooded site sits atop a bluff...
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Addition Is Perched Above This Home In Texas
Architect Nicole Blair has shared photos of a modern addition that was built above an existing...
6 months ago
Architect Nicole Blair has shared photos of a modern addition that was built above an existing bungalow in Austin, Texas. Owners Dylan and Annie, a landscape designer and a hairstylist, wanted to keep their backyard intact, and not move during construction nor disrupt the mature...
The Modern House
Hans Ulrich Obrist: the celebrated curator on why home has always been a place of artistic discovery
Hans Ulrich Obrist is the artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington, west London,...
a year ago
Hans Ulrich Obrist is the artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington, west London, and is universally acknowledged as one of the most important and prolific art curators of our time. He’s known for his broad, cross-disciplinary approach, in which subjects such as...
99% Invisible
Spirit Halloween [EPISODE]
Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the...
2 months ago
Each fall, across the United States and Canada, around 1500 empty storefronts are taken up by the signature yellow, orange and black signage of Spirit Halloween. The seasonal retailer sells Halloween masks, Halloween costumes, Halloween costumes for dogs, Halloween decorations,...
The Architectural...
Join the Architectural Competition to Reimagine Gran Vía’s Iconic Façade
We invite all readers to contribute to an architectural competition to reimagine the façade of a...
6 months ago
We invite all readers to contribute to an architectural competition to reimagine the façade of a significant building on Madrid’s famous Gran Vía. This competition focuses on number 19, the Court of Contentious-Administrative No. 10 headquarters, originally built in 1921 and...
CONTEMPORIST
This Builders-Grade Kitchen Transformed Using Rift-Sawn White Oak Cabinets
LTB Architecture together with interior design firm State., has shared photos of an interior...
a year ago
LTB Architecture together with interior design firm State., has shared photos of an interior transformation they completed for an early 2000s home in Golden, Colorado. The renovation focused on the kitchen and dining room, as well as the living room. The original kitchen was a...
Common Edge
Is AI Really the Next Big Thing in Architecture?
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
a year ago
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
Blog - Guerrilla...
Free Spirits
There are strange happenings in dusty, old, forgotten small towns on the border of nowhere....
over a year ago
There are strange happenings in dusty, old, forgotten small towns on the border of nowhere. Particularly when the end of October draws near. Sightings. Strange lights. Spirits. There are always spirits. I live in such a place. Me and my dog Jazz.
“Jazz,” I said, “it’s that time...
Old Structures...
Caught In The Act
This October 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Aerial view of Manhattan” but it most obviously...
8 months ago
This October 1952 photo by Angelo Rizzuto is titled “Aerial view of Manhattan” but it most obviously shows the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. Like a lot of Rizzuto’s photos, it catches the East River waterfront and adjacent areas in the process of changing, even if it was not...
CONTEMPORIST
The Design Of This Shingle-Clad Hotel Lobby Was Inspired By A Coconut
Architecture firm Onion, has shared photos of a hotel lobby they completed for Holiday Inn Samui in...
a year ago
Architecture firm Onion, has shared photos of a hotel lobby they completed for Holiday Inn Samui in Thailand, whose design is inspired by the coconut shell after its meat has been grated to make Thai dessert. The curved building exterior is clad with wooden shingles, with...
Construction Physics
What Progress Has Icon Made on 3D-Printed Homes?
We last looked at 3D-printed buildings about three years ago. At the time, the technology was still...
8 months ago
We last looked at 3D-printed buildings about three years ago. At the time, the technology was still nascent. Although there was a lot of enthusiasm, many efforts were academic, with little commercial deployment, and practitioners were experimenting with a wide range of...
Common Edge
Money and the Conundrum of Architects Who Don’t Build
The identity is a little different than the actual grind.
a year ago
The identity is a little different than the actual grind.
Contemporist...
A' Design Awards & Competition - Early Call for Entries
A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts...
a year ago
A’ Design Award & Competition is the world’s leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing 1844 winners in 139 different design disciplines.
Archinect - Features
Being Laid off Is Tough; So Is Waiting To Be
Findings from our recent Archinect Business Survey suggest that many architecture employees do not...
3 months ago
Findings from our recent Archinect Business Survey suggest that many architecture employees do not feel secure in their current roles. For those facing the looming prospect of layoffs in the coming weeks or months, the emotional strain can be as taxing as that experienced by...
Archinect - Features
Uncovering the Untold Histories of American Campus Expansions with Boghosian Fellow Leen...
Archinect's Fellow Fellows series showcases individuals who are currently in, or have recently...
a year ago
Archinect's Fellow Fellows series showcases individuals who are currently in, or have recently finished, an architecture fellowship. During our conversations, we discuss their architectural journey, areas of research, and their overall experience as academic fellows.
For our...
The Modern House
Kevin McCloud: the Grand Designs presenter takes us behind the scenes of his own life
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of building their own home has probably watched an episode of Grand...
a year ago
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of building their own home has probably watched an episode of Grand Designs. In fact, quite a few people have – the programme has been on our screens since 1999, during which time Kevin McCloud has cemented his reputation as a […]
Benny Kuriakose
The Kerala Mosques That Have Been Restored To Their Past Glory
The remaining structures are a testament to the rich cultural and historical heritage of a society....
a year ago
The remaining structures are a testament to the rich cultural and historical heritage of a society. They include architectural styles,...
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
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Distillery-Inspired Materials Are Featured Throughout The Interior Of This Gin Bar
Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent...
11 months ago
Architecture and experimentation office Grizzo Studio together with Rocio Martinez Serra, has sent us photos of the Moretti Gin Bar that they have recently completed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The design of the bar incorporates elements that have been inspired by the gin...
The Modern House
A concrete apartment with credentials by Regent’s Canal, north London
a year ago
Common Edge
‘Not Having to Worry about Proportion, Harmony, and Beauty Is a Cop-Out’
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
9 months ago
A conversation with 2024 Driehaus Prize winner Peter Pennoyer.
SOCKS
H. Wieners and P. Treutleins’ Catalogue of Mathematical Models (19th Century)
After last week’s post on Man Ray’s photographs of equation models from the Institut Poincaré in...
11 months ago
After last week’s post on Man Ray’s photographs of equation models from the Institut Poincaré in Paris, here are four illustrations (plus the cover) from the book “Verzeichnis von H. Wieners und P. Treutleins Sammlungen mathematischer Modelle für Hochschulen, höhere Lehranstalten...
The Modern House
How a love of Japan and the 1970s shaped Sherrill Smith’s Hackney home
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Colossal Curved Glass Window Shows Off The Biggest LULULEMON Flagship Store In The World
AIM ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of the LULULEMON Flagship Store they designed in Shanghai, China,...
6 months ago
AIM ARCHITECTURE has shared photos of the LULULEMON Flagship Store they designed in Shanghai, China, that uses curved glass to create an eye-catching retail destination. The facade with its curved glass window, allows people on the street to witness the movement of activity...
Common Edge
A Model for a Healthier, Adaptive Approach to Community Development
The Smiling Gecko project in Cambodia addresses a more complex and systemic view of community life.
11 months ago
The Smiling Gecko project in Cambodia addresses a more complex and systemic view of community life.
The Modern House
Getting the most out of the least in a peaceful, strokable flat in north London
5 months ago
Benny Kuriakose
Design Consideration For Differently Abled Students in Schools
It is important for the school layout to be sensitive to the differently abled, and implement some...
a year ago
It is important for the school layout to be sensitive to the differently abled, and implement some techniques into space planning,...
The Modern House
House Style with gallerist Oyinkansola Dada in Pimlico
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
The new city in California
A new city has been proposed in California, and the plan is going to a vote in Solano County’s...
10 months ago
A new city has been proposed in California, and the plan is going to a vote in Solano County’s November election. The proposed location is in Solano County, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento, and the group behind the proposal is named California Forever.
As a...
Archinect - Features
New Dog, New Tricks: Reflections on Construction, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence
What is the current relationship between humans, robotics, and construction? What is its future? To...
a year ago
What is the current relationship between humans, robotics, and construction? What is its future? To explore these questions in depth, Archinect speaks with both Boston Dynamics and the Applied Research + Development group at Foster + Partners for their experiences and...
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
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...
Old Structures...
Faking It
A pet peeve of more than one of us at Old Structures is seeing buildings that are “faking” something...
a month ago
A pet peeve of more than one of us at Old Structures is seeing buildings that are “faking” something that makes no sense. Examples abound, like weep holes in solid masonry walls. I noticed this building while on the train recently, with the star anchors that one often sees on...
Common Edge
‘Even If a Project Fails, the Ideas Behind It Don’t Disappear’
A talk with Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, authors of Atlas of Never Built Architecture.
6 months ago
A talk with Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, authors of Atlas of Never Built Architecture.
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
How to undo the tension between affordability and sustainability.
Construction Physics
Contribute to the US Megaprojects Database!
The US Megaprojects Database Very large construction or technology development projects are...
a year ago
The US Megaprojects Database Very large construction or technology development projects are sometimes called “megaprojects." By directing thousands of workers and billions of dollars towards the achievement of a single goal, great things can be achieved. The output of...
Common Edge
The Next New Thing
In architecture, the gulf between the traditional and the modern seems wider than ever before.
5 months ago
In architecture, the gulf between the traditional and the modern seems wider than ever before.
Common Edge
How Architects Deal With Demolished Designs
Buildings don’t belong to architects, but to the culture that created them.
a year ago
Buildings don’t belong to architects, but to the culture that created them.
CONTEMPORIST
Bi-Fold Windows Connect The Inside And Outside Spaces Of This Home Extension
Ben Callery Architects has shared photos of a rear home extension they completed in Victoria,...
a year ago
Ben Callery Architects has shared photos of a rear home extension they completed in Victoria, Australia, that includes a deck for indoor/outdoor living. The deck has been designed with a shaded area that’s home to built-in seating and a couch. The other end of the deck has...
Old Structures...
Before and After Electricity
A while back, I put up a photo of the Bowery as seen in 1894, with the Third Avenue elevated tracks...
10 months ago
A while back, I put up a photo of the Bowery as seen in 1894, with the Third Avenue elevated tracks above. Here’s the picture: Here’s a 1909 postcard of a similar view: The third, express track wasn’t added to the el until 1917 and the Bowery is a wide street, so the tracks have...
devonzuegel.com
Uncharted waters: what startups can learn from pirates about compensation
Pirate crews developed a surprisingly similar approach to compensation in the 17th century. Just...
over a year ago
Pirate crews developed a surprisingly similar approach to compensation in the 17th century. Just like many startups, they also balanced equity incentives with other mechanisms that would be familiar to a startup employee today, such as bonuses.
These surprising similarities...
Common Edge
Who Is Using Who? The Architect-Patron Fame Game
The co-mingling of famous client and famous designer has a long history.
a year ago
The co-mingling of famous client and famous designer has a long history.
99% Invisible
Model Village [EPISODE]
For decades, society has dealt with people with dementia and other forms of cognitive decline by...
a year ago
For decades, society has dealt with people with dementia and other forms of cognitive decline by storing them away in unstimulating, medicalized environments. But around the world, a new architectural movement is starting to challenge that old paradigm. Designing environments...
Old Structures...
Sideways
One of our stranger projects… The pictures below show a sidewalk vault in Manhattan. The vault...
a month ago
One of our stranger projects… The pictures below show a sidewalk vault in Manhattan. The vault extends from the sidewalk (its roof) down two floors or about 25 feet, and was built around 1895. Since reinforced-concrete was still in its infancy then, it was not used for foundation...
CONTEMPORIST
Large Windows Give This Home A Lantern-Like Appearance At Night
Swatt | Miers Architects has shared photos of a house they designed in the town of Atherton,...
a year ago
Swatt | Miers Architects has shared photos of a house they designed in the town of Atherton, California, that replaces an earlier mid-century structure that the family had owned for many years. The home, with its white exterior, has an abundance of windows, allowing the home to...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Unmistakable
Ms. Marvel is set largely in Jersey City. Despite being the second-largest city in New Jersey,...
a year ago
Ms. Marvel is set largely in Jersey City. Despite being the second-largest city in New Jersey, Jersey City does not have much of a visual image. If you asked the average person in the New York metropolitan area to name a physical landmark there, it’s likely they would draw a...
Benny Kuriakose
Activity Spaces and Play Areas in a School
Activity spaces in schools can encourage students to learn from the outdoor environment. Sports...
a year ago
Activity spaces in schools can encourage students to learn from the outdoor environment. Sports activities such as athletics, volleyball,...
There are two types...
A Short Discussion of Residential Building Heights in New York City
NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To...
a year ago
NOTE: The following was written for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Street Design, The Secret To Great Cities and Towns, where it will appear in a shorter version. This version still needs a little editing for its new context. Part … Continue reading →
The post A Short...
Contemporist...
These Home Owners Wanted An Office And A Yoga Studio Behind Their Existing Home
Office of Ordinary Architecture has shared photos of two backyard getaways they designed for a home...
2 months ago
Office of Ordinary Architecture has shared photos of two backyard getaways they designed for a home in Seattle, Washington, that created space for a yoga studio and an office.
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....
over a year ago
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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Unique Window Shape Helps Frame The View From Inside This Cabin
Architecture firm Rever & Drage has shared photos of a contemporary cabin they designed that...
10 months ago
Architecture firm Rever & Drage has shared photos of a contemporary cabin they designed that includes a uniquely shaped window to perfectly frame the view of the sunset. Located in Nordmarka, Norway, the cabin contains the most necessary features, but not much more, making it...
A Weekly Dose of...
Places in Time II
Last week dose explored three "places in time": St. Louis in the early decades of the 20th century;...
a year ago
Last week dose explored three "places in time": St. Louis in the early decades of the 20th century; Detroit between 1935 and 1985; and Chicago suburb Oak Park ca. 1906, when Frank Lloyd Wright completed Unity Temple. Those three US-centric books were split between two historical...
devonzuegel.com
Part 1: The story so far of California Forever
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the...
10 months ago
A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the future of my home state in my lifetime. This post is part of a series I’m writing about this bold proposal.
California Forever was founded by Jan Sramek in 2017 as a way to create...
CONTEMPORIST
Wall-To-Wall Built-In Wood Cabinetry Create A Warm Interior For This Renovated Home
Design firm Atelier SUN has completed the renovation of a home near Toronto, Canada. The house was...
a year ago
Design firm Atelier SUN has completed the renovation of a home near Toronto, Canada. The house was built in the 1980s during an era of mass-produced developments, which resulted in excessive structural elements such as columns and beams throughout the space. The updated design...
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
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...
SOCKS
90-Degree Axonometric’s by Auguste Merle (Late 19th – Early 20th C.)
Auguste Merle was an Art Brut artist living in France at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries....
8 months ago
Auguste Merle was an Art Brut artist living in France at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. His works depict imaginary buildings with meticulous detailing, using graphite on notebook paper. The rigorous yet inventive forms are depicted in 90-degree axonometric projections,...
CONTEMPORIST
The New Addition On This Home Includes A Pass-Through Window To The Kitchen
Building firm Demardi, together with design firm Mesh Design & Projects, have recently completed the...
a year ago
Building firm Demardi, together with design firm Mesh Design & Projects, have recently completed the renovation and new rear extension of a home in Thornbury, Australia, for a young family. The original facade of the home was restored, weatherboards were replaced, and new...
Archinect - Features
From the Editors: What We're Thankful for in 2024
As we bid farewell to 2024, the Archinect editorial team reflects on a year filled with pivotal...
3 weeks ago
As we bid farewell to 2024, the Archinect editorial team reflects on a year filled with pivotal moments, challenges, and milestones. Through it all, we've been privileged to observe, document, and engage with the ever-evolving world of architecture and design. The incredible...
devonzuegel.com
Empathy for the Devil
I. Loan application
Before serving time for mortgage fraud, Toby Groves seemed like the last person...
over a year ago
I. Loan application
Before serving time for mortgage fraud, Toby Groves seemed like the last person who would get into that kind of trouble. His older brother had been sentenced for the same crime twenty years earlier, and Toby had seen how it destroyed his family. He swore he’d...
CONTEMPORIST
This Building With A Split Roof Makes Space For A Rooftop Park
Architecture firm RAD+ar has shared photos of a building they’ve completed in Jakarta, Indonesia,...
6 months ago
Architecture firm RAD+ar has shared photos of a building they’ve completed in Jakarta, Indonesia, that has a split roof held together by a skylight. The split design allowed half of the building to have a regular roof, while the other, is dedicated to outdoor space and a garden....
devonzuegel.com
Urban sprawl is a tragedy of the commons
We tend to choose larger homes than we want our neighbors to choose. The result: sprawling...
over a year ago
We tend to choose larger homes than we want our neighbors to choose. The result: sprawling development that doesn't match what people actually want from their communities.
People aim to maximize access and space when deciding where to live.
All things equal, most people like...
Old Structures...
Not Extremely Enough
The New York Times recently published “An Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods” and...
a year ago
The New York Times recently published “An Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods” and an accompanying “Extremely Detailed Guide to the Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods.” They are not information about the neighborhoods themselves, but rather...
McMansion Hell
ode to a faux grecian urn
Howdy everyone,
Today’s house, built in 2001, comes to you from, you guessed it, the Chicago...
8 months ago
Howdy everyone,
Today’s house, built in 2001, comes to you from, you guessed it, the Chicago suburbs. The house is a testimony to traditional craftsmanship and traditional values (having lots of money.) The cost of painting this house greige is approximately the GDP of Slovenia...
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
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...
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
How New York’s rising Area Median Income dashed hopes for the Atlantic Yards megaproject.
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
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...
Between Demolition and Redevelopment
Angelo Rizzuto, in 1959, was going for the same feeling as Berenice Abbott in her Changing New York...
7 months ago
Angelo Rizzuto, in 1959, was going for the same feeling as Berenice Abbott in her Changing New York photos twenty years earlier: contrast the new and the old. In this case we’ve got three eras represented: the mid- to late-1800s in the rowhouses and tenements along Third Avenue,...
The Modern House
Designer James Shaw’s self-built sunken house in east London
a year ago
Common Edge
NCARB’s Michael Armstrong on Pathways to Architectural Practice
“If we are really serious in promoting inclusion and opportunities to practice, we need to take a...
2 months ago
“If we are really serious in promoting inclusion and opportunities to practice, we need to take a fresh look at everything.”
Archinect - Features
UK Architectural Licensure Had Not Changed in 50 Years. Until Now.
Having previously examined architecture licensure systems in the United States and across mainland...
4 months ago
Having previously examined architecture licensure systems in the United States and across mainland Europe, this edition of the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series profiles changes underway in the United Kingdom's licensing system, which is currently undergoing a “fundamental...
CONTEMPORIST
A Daybed Nook Is A Great Place To Read Inside This Cabin
Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a secluded home they designed in Methow Valley,...
3 months ago
Best Practice Architecture has shared photos of a secluded home they designed in Methow Valley, Washington. One of the key interior elements is a built-in day bed. The open nook has various functions. There’s the day bed for relaxing, with storage drawers built in underneath. The...
A Weekly Dose of...
American Modern Home
American Modern Home: Jacobsen Architecture + Interiors
by Simon Jacobsen
Rizzoli, October...
over a year ago
American Modern Home: Jacobsen Architecture + Interiors
by Simon Jacobsen
Rizzoli, October 2022
Hardcover | 11 x 11 inches | 224 pages | English | ISBN: 9780847872053 | $75
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
Hugh Newell Jacobsen, the legendary architect and late co-founder with his son,...
Contemporist...
A Charred Wood Exterior Was Given To This Modern Home In The Forest
CLB Architects, together with HSH Interiors (Holly Hollenbeck), has designed a home in an aspen...
7 months ago
CLB Architects, together with HSH Interiors (Holly Hollenbeck), has designed a home in an aspen grove near Wilson, Wyoming.
Construction Physics
Fusion Power Reading List
The challenge with reading about a topic like fusion is balancing the tradeoff between technical...
5 months ago
The challenge with reading about a topic like fusion is balancing the tradeoff between technical detail and readability. A book or article should give enough detail to provide some understanding of what’s actually going on, what progress has been made, what the challenges are,...
Old Structures...
Visible Success, Invisibly
A before and after photo of a recently completed facade stabilization and renovation project in the...
4 months ago
A before and after photo of a recently completed facade stabilization and renovation project in the West Village. The rowhouse was constructed in 1846, is now in a landmarked district, and has an operating restaurant on the first floor and in the basement. If you look closely at...
Old Structures...
One Pitfall Avoided
I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department...
5 months ago
I’m not entirely sure what this proposed law would mean in practice: existing data at the Department of Buildings will be examined to identify which buildings are considered to be high risk, and the usual DoB actions – violations, etc. – will start from there. It all depends on...
Archinect - Features
A Conversation with Bjarke Ingels on AI, 3D Printing, and the Future of the Architectural...
It has been almost ten years since Archinect last spoke with Bjarke Ingels. Back then, the topic of...
9 months ago
It has been almost ten years since Archinect last spoke with Bjarke Ingels. Back then, the topic of conversation was BIG's 'Hot to Cold' exhibition at the National Building Museum. Today, after a decade that has included award-winning Manhattan skyscrapers, floating cities, a...
CONTEMPORIST
Black Accents Contrast The Wood And White Material Palette Of This Home
Design and interior architecture firm EntreQuatreMurs (EQM) has completed the contemporary interiors...
a year ago
Design and interior architecture firm EntreQuatreMurs (EQM) has completed the contemporary interiors of a home in Quebec, Canada, that was originally built in 1959. The house had not been renovated for several decades and featured typical enclosed rooms and small, narrow, dark...
The Modern House
Inside the light-filled rural hideaway of legendary artists Langlands & Bell
6 months ago
Common Edge
Consider the 15 mph City
It’s time to expand our vision to include slower, more human-scaled speeds of transportation.
a year ago
It’s time to expand our vision to include slower, more human-scaled speeds of transportation.
Old Structures...
Detailing Reveled By Details
Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught...
3 months ago
Speaking from my own experience, engineers learn about detailing entirely through work. I was taught almost nothing about the topic in school – I barely heard the word in school – and I’ve taught it to a lot of younger engineers who did not learn it in school. Detailing is the...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Nostalgia
A piece of a 1987 Daredevil comic, with some thugs attacking pieple on the subway. The route map (on...
11 months ago
A piece of a 1987 Daredevil comic, with some thugs attacking pieple on the subway. The route map (on the left, abive the man in a blue jacket, blue pants, and badly-outdated boots) is clearly the Vignelli Map, in use from 1972 to 1979. The cars with the big central cicular fans...
Old Structures...
Big
I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of...
4 months ago
I sometimes wonder how much my interest in steel construction comes from looking at the structure of elevated portions of the subway system when I was kid. Under the M train in Glenwood:
Archinect - Features
How Architectural Licensure Helps and Hurts the Profession
Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series concludes with a look back on a four-month journey through...
3 months ago
Our Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series concludes with a look back on a four-month journey through the U.S. architectural licensure system. Reflecting on the challenges and opportunities in the current system highlighted by readers and commentators, we offer final thoughts on...
Common Edge
From Venice to Detroit: Laboratories of the Future, Reconsidered
Optimism and action trump didactic scolding every time.
a year ago
Optimism and action trump didactic scolding every time.
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
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...
The Modern House
A lower-ground floor flat that glows from within
8 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Home Office Hides Behind A Sliding Wall In This House
Blue Truck Studio collaborated with a new homeowner with DIY construction experience, to renovate a...
a year ago
Blue Truck Studio collaborated with a new homeowner with DIY construction experience, to renovate a home for the owner’s family. The interior, contemporary yet comfortable in its design, includes a living room that has a large empty wall. However, this wall isn’t stationary but...
Archinect - Features
Architectural Licensure Is Becoming More Diverse, but Barriers to Equality Remain
According to recent data, the demographics of candidates on the path to architectural licensure are...
3 months ago
According to recent data, the demographics of candidates on the path to architectural licensure are beginning to counter the longstanding underrepresentation of women and people of color in the profession. However, deeper studies of the licensure experience reveal ongoing...
Construction Physics
Machine Tool Reading List
For those interested in reading more about the machine tool industry, the sources I found useful are...
11 months ago
For those interested in reading more about the machine tool industry, the sources I found useful are listed below. The machine tool industry has been studied quite extensively, if sporadically (lots of sources talk about its decline in the 1980s, fewer ones talk about its...
devonzuegel.com
My questions about Próspera, answered
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others...
over a year ago
I recently visited Próspera, a Honduran startup city. I had a ton of questions and figured others might too, so I wrote an FAQ to share what I learned:
Próspera FAQ
This FAQ is intended as a reference, covering the basic facts and current status of the project. My hope is that...
The Modern House
How Abby Lee, founder of Mambow, is modernising Malaysian cuisine
a year ago
Archinect - Features
'A Commitment to Craft Is Intrinsic to This Place': A Conversation with Portland-Based...
For our latest Studio Snapshot conversation, we had the pleasure of chatting with Brent Linden and...
10 months ago
For our latest Studio Snapshot conversation, we had the pleasure of chatting with Brent Linden and Chris Brown, founding partners of Portland, Oregon-based Linden, Brown Architecture. Established in 2018 as a collaborative venture after working for large, established firms, the...
devonzuegel.com
A libertarian just won the Argentinian presidency – how did that happen?
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential...
a year ago
If you're wondering how the heck a hardline libertarian just won the Argentinian presidential election, here's some background.
First, a key fact is that the government is printing money at an accelerating rate, resulting in 143% annual inflation as of the most recent count....
99% Invisible
The Panopticon Effect [EPISODE]
In the Netherlands, about an hour and a half south of Amsterdam, there’s a city called Breda. Like...
a year ago
In the Netherlands, about an hour and a half south of Amsterdam, there’s a city called Breda. Like many Dutch towns, it has cozy narrow streets, canals and plenty of bicycles. But there’s one historic building – right in the middle of town that really stands out from the rest....
The Modern House
Modern Life: six remarkable modernist homes on the market
Those modernist architects were on to something. From the 1930s to the 1970s, these design pioneers...
a year ago
Those modernist architects were on to something. From the 1930s to the 1970s, these design pioneers showed us a brave new world where form followed function. Out went the fuss and flourishes of Victorian and Edwardian architecture, all ornate stucco and cornicing, and in came […]
CONTEMPORIST
A Green Exterior Helps This Cabin Blend Into The Forest
Scalar Architecture has completed a modern cabin in Connecticut that has a minimal ecological...
a year ago
Scalar Architecture has completed a modern cabin in Connecticut that has a minimal ecological footprint. Designed as a 1200-square-foot retreat for a family of writers and producers, the cabin is only accessible via foot or light utility vehicle. The cabin is located in a hilly...
Old Structures...
Perspective
Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about...
5 days ago
Anyone who’d read more than a few of these blog posts knows that sometimes I’ll write about something just because it seems cool. Or looks cool. In this case, “cool” is two photos from Carol Highsmith, a professional photographer who was generous enough to donate her archive to...
Old Structures...
Half Of A Grand Commercial Palace
380 Broadway has architecture above its station. It was built in 1860 with retail space at the base...
7 months ago
380 Broadway has architecture above its station. It was built in 1860 with retail space at the base and loft space above, but it’s got that grand marble-veneer facade on the upper floors and some very nice cast iron by Daniel Badger at the first floor. It’s fortunes have followed...
Old Structures...
Structural Logic In An Older Form
From an 1880s building in Tribeca: the double beam supporting the front facade (sidewalk vault on...
4 months ago
From an 1880s building in Tribeca: the double beam supporting the front facade (sidewalk vault on the left, cellar on the right) where it meets the side wall at a pier. That’s a granite block directly below the beams, which can be a little hard to tell because of the paint on all...
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
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...
Common Edge
Vishaan Chakrabarti: Looking for a Home, Aiming Risky Zingers
The architect’s latest book displays his talent for analytic precision and provocation.
a week ago
The architect’s latest book displays his talent for analytic precision and provocation.
The Architectural...
Architect Releases Academic Dissertation That Questions Architects’ Taste
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new...
8 months ago
Many architects look down upon residential areas built with the small town as a model, with new houses made in a traditional style. But this is exactly what the average person appreciates. “Why do many architects dislike the very thing that residents often enjoy?” asks architect...
Old Structures...
What’s Not Stated
This newspaper clipping in one of the New York Public Library’s scrapbooks has no explanation, but...
a month ago
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...
A Weekly Dose of...
My Biennale Haul
Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture...
a year ago
Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture Exhibition curated by Lesley Lokko for World-Architects. It was my first trip back to Venice since the 2018 Biennale, which was the 16th edition and was curated by Yvonne Farrell and...
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Panels Create Hiding Places For Laundry Baskets Inside This Home
Australian-based Studio Minosa has shared photos of a kitchen and laundry renovation they completed...
2 months ago
Australian-based Studio Minosa has shared photos of a kitchen and laundry renovation they completed for a home in Sydney, that includes hidden storage elements. In the laundry, wood paneling covers the lower section of the walls and hides a collection of laundry baskets from...
The Modern House
Coast and countryside at a contemporary home in Suffolk
a year ago
Common Edge
Condocide: Death of a Building Type
The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos...
a year ago
The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos nationwide is dire.
Common Edge
What Primitive Huts Teach Us About Architecture
An enduring ‘origin myth’ continues to inspire contemporary designers.
a year ago
An enduring ‘origin myth’ continues to inspire contemporary designers.
Old Structures...
Another Moment of Transition
This a nice postcard of the north end of Union Square, using a hand-color photograph from 1910 as...
9 months ago
This a nice postcard of the north end of Union Square, using a hand-color photograph from 1910 as its basis. The centerpiece is the Metropolitan Life tower at Madison Square, seven blocks to the north of the foreground buildings on East 17th Street. Those buildings include the...
Old Structures...
A Story With A Happy Ending
There’s a moral at the end of this story – a story which has nothing to do with engineering,...
10 months ago
There’s a moral at the end of this story – a story which has nothing to do with engineering, architecture, construction, or NYC history – that has something to do with engineering, architecture, and construction, and maybe NYC history as well. I like mechanical keyboards, with a...
99% Invisible
Rocket Man [EPISODE]
In the twentieth century, the jetpack became synonymous with the idea of a ‘futuristic society.’...
7 months ago
In the twentieth century, the jetpack became synonymous with the idea of a ‘futuristic society.’ Appearing in cartoons and magazines, it felt like a matter of time before people could ride a jetpack to work. But jetpacks never became a mainstream technology, leaving many to...
The Modern House
The brilliant reimagining of Sunny Side Up, a family home in Clapton
10 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Fluted Concrete Walls Cut By Continuous Window Openings Define This Villa
NOMO STUDIO has shared photos of a modern home they’ve designed in Menorca, Spain, that features a...
a year ago
NOMO STUDIO has shared photos of a modern home they’ve designed in Menorca, Spain, that features a textured facade of fluted concrete walls. The fluted concrete walls are sliced by continuous window openings creating a combination of horizontal stripes that alternate between...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Pools and Populations in the SF Bay Area
For many people, swimming in a pool on a hot July day with kids splashing and lifeguards hollering...
a month ago
For many people, swimming in a pool on a hot July day with kids splashing and lifeguards hollering is the quintessential summer experience. Not only do pools provide a place for people to recreate and cool off in the summer heat, but access to pools is essential to making basic...
CONTEMPORIST
Steel Symphony: A Madrid Home’s Unique Design With Weathered Elegance
Borja Lomas of Voluar Arquitectura has designed a new home in Madrid, Spain, that’s covered in...
8 months ago
Borja Lomas of Voluar Arquitectura has designed a new home in Madrid, Spain, that’s covered in weathering steel and has a uniquely shaped design. The shape of the home showcases various areas that branch out in different directions, some of which are cantilevered away from the...
Old Structures...
Peeking Ahead
The picture above – an aquatint according to the New York Public Library – was created in 1834, and...
a year ago
The picture above – an aquatint according to the New York Public Library – was created in 1834, and shows an active urban setting, with families, men talking business or politics, carriages, and dogs. If you didn’t know the date you’d probably guess the nineteenth century; if you...
Archinect - Features
How Do We Teach AI? In Florida, One Architecture School Offers a Precedent
As our recent Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series demonstrated, AI will inevitably...
5 months ago
As our recent Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series demonstrated, AI will inevitably play a sizeable role in the future of the architectural profession. For architecture schools tasked with equipping students for the future of practice, the advent of AI poses...
The Modern House
Daniel Baer and Jassim Ahmad on minimal living at their courtyard house in East Dulwich
a year ago
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
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...
CONTEMPORIST
An Apartment Designed With Cats In Mind
AODA Interior Design Co. has shared photos of an apartment interior in Taiwan they recently...
2 months ago
AODA Interior Design Co. has shared photos of an apartment interior in Taiwan they recently completed, that includes a variety of design elements specifically for the home owners cats. The clients are a couple with four cats and two medium-to-large dogs. Previously, they lived in...
Common Edge
Picturing an Exhibition: Closing the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
a year ago
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
The Modern House
Nice Slice: the best pizza in London
a year ago
The Modern House
James Lohan: the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith on how his first experience of home shaped an...
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the...
7 months ago
James Lohan’s entrepreneurial spirit first came to light in the school dinner queue when he saw the potential for turning a profit on a stack of cheese toasties. A series of successful business ventures followed suit, but it was in 2003 that James and his […]
Old Structures...
Variations On A Theme
It turns out that I didn’t exhaust the topic of The Tombs yesterday. Possibly because of its social...
2 weeks ago
It turns out that I didn’t exhaust the topic of The Tombs yesterday. Possibly because of its social meaning in the mid-1800s, possibly because of its bizarre appearance, drawings and photos of it seem to have turned up a lot in various publications. Here’s a photo in 1898, near...
The Modern House
<strong>How to grow a green garden: from creating compost to planting produce</strong>
a year ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: A Project
Tony Stark and Emma Frost – currently in a sham marriage – take a stroll: Bridge 28 in Central Park...
5 months ago
Tony Stark and Emma Frost – currently in a sham marriage – take a stroll: Bridge 28 in Central Park – currently in restoration – where we’re working: If you don’t see it, look at the iron handrail.
CONTEMPORIST
Banquette Seating Separates The Kitchen From The Living Room Inside This Apartment
Interior design firm Melling Studio, has shared photos of a one-bedroom apartment they completed in...
4 months ago
Interior design firm Melling Studio, has shared photos of a one-bedroom apartment they completed in Vancouver, Canada. The apartment has been designed as a serene, open-plan environment with a crisp, minimal finish palette, locally sourced furniture, and elevated fixtures. One...
Archinect - Features
From the Editors: What We're Thankful for in 2023
In a year marked with highs and lows, the Archinect editorial team has spent another year watching,...
a year ago
In a year marked with highs and lows, the Archinect editorial team has spent another year watching, listening, and reporting on the events of 2023. With the holidays drawing near and the year coming to a close, we pause to extend our gratitude to our dedicated readership and...
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
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...
The Modern House
An artist and architect’s 1960s courtyard house among the trees in Kentish Town
a year ago
The Modern House
Jonny Gent: music, martinis and mayhem from the founder of Sessions Arts Club
The line between art and food is a fine one. Both are sensory, emotive and experiential; both are...
10 months ago
The line between art and food is a fine one. Both are sensory, emotive and experiential; both are fundamentally creative endeavours. But for Jonny Gent, painter and founder of Sessions Arts Club and Boath House, two new stars in the British hospitality firmament, the line […]
The Modern House
A Modern Way to Live: our co-founder Matt Gibberd on nature
With the arrival of April, its showers and – hopefully – some flowers, comes a new theme for the...
8 months ago
With the arrival of April, its showers and – hopefully – some flowers, comes a new theme for the Journal’s content. As we did with space in January, light in February and materials in March, for the coming weeks we’ll be looking at all the […]
The Modern House
New Wave: seven coastal homes for sale in Kent and Sussex
In the middle of the 19th century, well-meaning Victorian doctors would advise their patients to...
a year ago
In the middle of the 19th century, well-meaning Victorian doctors would advise their patients to take ‘the sea cure’. Dutifully, they would go to the coast – particularly in the south – bathe in the waters and draw in lungfuls of salty air. Smart promenades, […]
99% Invisible
You Are What You Watch [EPISODE]
What we see on screen has this way of influencing our perception of the world, which makes sense...
10 months ago
What we see on screen has this way of influencing our perception of the world, which makes sense because the average American spends 2 hours and 51 minutes watching movies and TV each day. That’s a whopping 19 percent of our waking hours. Walt Hickey is a data journalist and...
Common Edge
Why Cities Must Embrace Getting Smaller
Urban researcher Alan Mallach on the global phenomenon of shrinking—and “thinning”—cities and...
a year ago
Urban researcher Alan Mallach on the global phenomenon of shrinking—and “thinning”—cities and countries.
CONTEMPORIST
A Cantilever At One End Allows This Home To Project Over The Land
Leah Martin, partner and founder of Allied8 Architects in Seattle, Washington, has shared photos of...
5 months ago
Leah Martin, partner and founder of Allied8 Architects in Seattle, Washington, has shared photos of a modern Orcas Island home she designed for herself and her family. This small home, which cantilevers at one end, sits on the top of a ridge and is anchored to the bedrock in six...
Old Structures...
Small Details
In “How London’s Crystal Palace was built so quickly”, Jennifer Ouellette gives a good summary of a...
2 months ago
In “How London’s Crystal Palace was built so quickly”, Jennifer Ouellette gives a good summary of a recent paper “Thread form at the Crystal Palace” by John Gardner and Ken Kiss. My even shorter summary: the 1851 Crystal Palace in London was made possible, in part, through the...
The Solarchitecture...
7 key principles of solar passive design - Part 2.
Balance it all with local climate and a holistic energy calculation.
over a year ago
Balance it all with local climate and a holistic energy calculation.
99% Invisible
Towers of Silence [EPISODE]
Situated right in downtown Mumbai, India is an area of about 55 acres of dense, overgrown forest. In...
8 months ago
Situated right in downtown Mumbai, India is an area of about 55 acres of dense, overgrown forest. In one of the most populous cities in the world, this is a place where peacocks roam freely — a space out of time. This forest is protected by a religious community. It has survived...
A Weekly Dose of...
Rereading the Nineties
Some of the references consulted during the research phase of my 2021 book Buildings in Print: 100...
a year ago
Some of the references consulted during the research phase of my 2021 book Buildings in Print: 100 Influential & Inspiring Illustrated Architecture Books, but not mentioned in the book's "selected bibliography," were old catalogs from the Prairie Avenue Bookshop, the beloved and...
Construction Physics
The Grid, Part IV: The Hard and Soft Paths of Energy Strategy
Today, the electrical grid has over 500,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 5 million...
a year ago
Today, the electrical grid has over 500,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 5 million miles of lower voltage distribution lines, which supply power from nearly 6,000 large power plants. Together, this system supplies more than 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity...
Construction Physics
Could we stop Yellowstone from erupting with a giant geothermal power plant?
It’s become fairly common knowledge that Yellowstone National Park, in addition to being incredibly...
a year ago
It’s become fairly common knowledge that Yellowstone National Park, in addition to being incredibly beautiful, is sitting on top of an enormous supervolcano that catastrophically erupts every few hundred thousand years. Unlike normal volcanoes, which tend to produce large...
The Modern House
The Good Stuff: six materially focused homes with both substance and style
Decorating a home is a substantial matter – quite literally. The materials we choose to live...
9 months ago
Decorating a home is a substantial matter – quite literally. The materials we choose to live alongside inform our understanding and enjoyment of spaces, which is something we’re quite invested in. As such, we’ve got pretty good at seeing the wood from the trees. Here, […]
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
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 […]
CONTEMPORIST
20 Award Winning Architectural Designs From A Design Award & Competition
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award &...
2 months ago
This article has been brought to you by A’ Design Award and Competition. A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing award winners from 114 different design disciplines. A’ Design Award winning...
devonzuegel.com
Book notes: Against the Grain, by James C. Scott
Here are some notes and quotes that particularly stood out to me from each chapter of Against the...
over a year ago
Here are some notes and quotes that particularly stood out to me from each chapter of Against the Grain. This isn't a summary of the book. It's mostly for my future self to refer back to (and thus probably missing a lot for someone who hasn't read it), but the tidbits are so...
Old Structures...
Adelaide House, Part 4 – The Context
Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. Part 3, Facades: here. Skyscrapers only make sense...
8 months ago
Part 1, General: here. Part 2, Structure: here. Part 3, Facades: here. Skyscrapers only make sense as an urban phenomenon. (Keep in mind that a lot of inner-ring US suburbs are at urban density.) Putting aside the obvious economic argument that land is cheap in rural areas so...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Guerrillas in the Midst: Crowdsourcing Cartography
When I think about what Guerrilla Cartography does, I think of building and creating something new...
3 months ago
When I think about what Guerrilla Cartography does, I think of building and creating something new from many different pieces, like a puzzle that only makes sense once it’s put together. But unlike a puzzle, there is no single correct way to put the pieces together, as they can...
99% Invisible
Top Billing [EPISODE]
There’s a rumor about the 1987 film Outrageous Fortune, a rumor that has dogged producer Jacob Reed...
4 months ago
There’s a rumor about the 1987 film Outrageous Fortune, a rumor that has dogged producer Jacob Reed since his days in film school. The comedy, starring Bette Midler and Shelley Long, is mostly forgotten. But a feud between the two stars was legendary, a fact referenced on TV by...
Old Structures...
Nothing New
For the end of the year, we’ve been doing some file reorganization – all digital, as our paper files...
3 days ago
For the end of the year, we’ve been doing some file reorganization – all digital, as our paper files are only a memory – and it’s worth remembering that issues of logisitics and organization are nothing new. One of the sources for our filing system is the 1917 file classification...
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
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...
So Very Random
Hidden among the vast holdings of the New York Public Library is a set of 52 images of playing cards...
a year ago
Hidden among the vast holdings of the New York Public Library is a set of 52 images of playing cards donated by William Barclay Parsons, arguably most famous for being the chief engineer of the Interborough Rapid Transit system, New York’s oldest subway. Each card has an...
The Modern House
Four at the Fore: London’s most innovative creatives on pushing things forward
a year ago
Contemporist...
This Modern Mountain Home Was Designed With Distinctly Separate Wings
CLB Architects has sent us photos of a mountain retreat they designed in a densely forested area of...
a year ago
CLB Architects has sent us photos of a mountain retreat they designed in a densely forested area of Big Sky, Montana.
The Modern House
MRTN Architects’ garden studios in Melbourne are a place to work – or not to work
8 months ago
99% Invisible
The Six-Week Cure [EPISODE]
In the mid-1900s, people flocked to Reno, Nevada — not for frontier gold or loose slots, but to get...
a year ago
In the mid-1900s, people flocked to Reno, Nevada — not for frontier gold or loose slots, but to get out of bad marries. The city became known as the “Divorce Capital of the World.” For much of modern history, it has been relatively easy to get married, and extremely difficult to...
CONTEMPORIST
The Woody Palette Of The Exterior Is Brought Through To The Inside Of This Home In New Zealand
First Light Studio has shared photos of a new home they designed that’s nestled into the Port Hills...
a year ago
First Light Studio has shared photos of a new home they designed that’s nestled into the Port Hills in Governors Bay, New Zealand. The design brief for the house was to create a small home that was well crafted out of nice materials, which resulted in a gable form with a wood...
The Solarchitecture...
Follow up to circadian rhythm post
Let's use the tools that Substack gave us!
over a year ago
Let's use the tools that Substack gave us!
Old Structures...
An Exotic Foreign Land
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, what appears to be a page of illustrations from a...
2 weeks ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, what appears to be a page of illustrations from a European tourist guide to New York: Let’s start with the non-controversial item in the lower left: That is a decent engraving of Das Stadhaus / The City Hall / La maison de Ville as...
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
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,...
Archinect - Features
Architectural Visualization Was Rather Flat: Then We Invented Perspective
Before the invention of architectural perspective, architects and artists faced significant...
2 months 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,...
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
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...
Three Generations With Little Resemblence
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, a page from 1918 showing the Hotel Marguery on the west...
a month ago
From the New York Public Library scrapbooks, a page from 1918 showing the Hotel Marguery on the west side of Park Avenue, between 47th and 49th Streets. The building’s address was 270 Park Avenue. That odd two-wing configuration is what happens when you plan a building around a...
The Modern House
Step Outside: six top-tier terraces in London homes for sale
With the sun hanging around until the early hours of the evening and the daffodils’ golden trumpets...
a year ago
With the sun hanging around until the early hours of the evening and the daffodils’ golden trumpets heralding that spring is in full swing, it finally feels like we’re properly coming out of hibernation. And where better to admire the return of the rays than […]
Old Structures...
Unrestricted
New York’s first zoning law went into effect in 1916. It is famous for partially restricting...
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...
CONTEMPORIST
Clerestory Windows Add Natural Light Inside This New Addition To An Australian Home
Architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a contemporary renovation and extension of a...
9 months ago
Architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a contemporary renovation and extension of a typical free-standing timber period home in Australia. The view from the front door shows off the hallway that connects the original home with the new extension. The hallway...
The Modern House
Emma Crosby and Simon Mitchell on restoring their mid-century house by the sea in Devon
a year ago
Contemporist...
A Home Designed To Walk Up And Around The Green Roof
AtelierM has sent us photos of a contemporary home they completed in Capilla del Senor, Argentina,...
2 months ago
AtelierM has sent us photos of a contemporary home they completed in Capilla del Senor, Argentina, whose design was inspired by geometry and its surroundings.
CONTEMPORIST
Ceramic Forms Surrounding The Windows Of This New Building Give It A Unique Character
Photography © Sebastian van Damme De Zwarte Hond and Loer Architecten have shared photos of a...
a year ago
Photography © Sebastian van Damme De Zwarte Hond and Loer Architecten have shared photos of a building they recently completed in Groningen, Netherlands, that combines modern design with ceramic elements. Photography © Marcel Ijzerman The architects worked together with ceramic...
The Modern House
Best Buds: the most beautiful garden centres in London
a year ago
The Modern House
Hot Spots: six homes that come alive in summer
Summer has arrived – and so too has that familiar desire to escape, decamp and generally disappear...
a year ago
Summer has arrived – and so too has that familiar desire to escape, decamp and generally disappear somewhere (anywhere) that isn’t inside the same four walls. In reality, however, so many of our most cherished hot-weather memories are of time spent at home, stealing moments […]
99% Invisible
The Wilderness Tool [EPISODE]
Imagine one of those old-timey lumberjack photos. The kind where two men in plaid are working away...
a year ago
Imagine one of those old-timey lumberjack photos. The kind where two men in plaid are working away at a tree, holding opposite ends of a huge, human-length saw. That is a vintage crosscut saw. Some avid crosscut seekers spend hours mining websites like eBay and Craigslist. But...
Archinect - Features
Architecture's Interest Rate Prayers Answered: Archinect’s State of AEC August 2024
Welcome to the third installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month,...
3 months ago
Welcome to the third installment of Archinect's new series, State of AEC. At the end of each month, we will guide you through the latest analyses, indexes, and trends on how the architecture and construction industries are performing economically.
In our previous edition of the...
CONTEMPORIST
This Small Home Has Glass Walls And A Glass Ceiling
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, have shared photos of a...
a year ago
Arno Schuurs and Paulien van Noort of design-build firm GetAway Projects BV, have shared photos of a tiny house in The Netherlands that they completed that’s almost entirely made out of glass to fully enjoy the surrounding forest. The allowed footprint of the new build was 21...
Old Structures...
Yesterday and Today
There’s nothing that creates disorientation quite like having a single day that combes changing time...
9 months ago
There’s nothing that creates disorientation quite like having a single day that combes changing time zones by five hours with Dayight Savings. It’s nice to be back home, though. A small reminder that Daylight Savings was introdcued in the US in 1918 for less than a year and...
Old Structures...
Helping
The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation has received a well-deserved award – a 2024 “Excellence...
3 months ago
The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation has received a well-deserved award – a 2024 “Excellence in Historic Preservation Award” – from the Preservation League of NYS: here. It’s an interesting award in that the Foundation, which ordinarily funds projects and provides...
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
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...
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...
a year ago
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...
Blog - Guerrilla...
Sunken Cities
Foundation
Contributing an original map to GC’s newest Shelter: An Atlas was very appealing to me...
over a year ago
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...
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
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...
Old Structures...
A Thomas Nast Holiday – 3 of 3
In my opinion, this is genius.
12 months ago
In my opinion, this is genius.
Old Structures...
It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
Some current news: various books from the nineteenth century are being taken off library shelves...
4 months ago
Some current news: various books from the nineteenth century are being taken off library shelves because their covers and/or page edges contain poisonous dyes, as described in “That book is poison: Even more Victorian covers found to contain toxic dyes” by Jennifer Ouellette. The...
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
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...
Common Edge
20 Life Lessons in Architecture (and Beyond)
Some suggestions on living a life in design with meaning and purpose.
3 months ago
Some suggestions on living a life in design with meaning and purpose.
Construction Physics
Building Apollo
A review of Angle of Attack: Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon
a year ago
A review of Angle of Attack: Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon
Old Structures...
Me And My Shadow
One nice thing about fire escapes: they let you get photos from a position that is effectively...
a year ago
One nice thing about fire escapes: they let you get photos from a position that is effectively floating in midair a few feet away from the building.
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...
8 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
Good Fortune: the best Chinese restaurants in London
a year ago
The Modern House
Outside chance: six homes with spectacular gardens
“Gardening is a promise,” said Piet Oudolf in Thomas Piper’s meditative documentary about the...
4 months ago
“Gardening is a promise,” said Piet Oudolf in Thomas Piper’s meditative documentary about the pioneering Dutch garden designer. “It doesn’t have to be there. You’re looking for what will be there.” From a particularly pastoral front garden in Brixton, to a transportive Cornish...
Common Edge
In Praise of a Great Mentor: Working With Geoffrey Bawa
Life-long lessons from the father of Tropical Modernism.
a year ago
Life-long lessons from the father of Tropical Modernism.
A Weekly Dose of...
The Architecture of Suspense
The Architecture of Suspense: The Built World in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock
University of...
over a year ago
The Architecture of Suspense: The Built World in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock
University of Virginia Press, September 2022
Paperback (also available in hardcover and ebook) | 6-3/4 x 7-3/4 inches | 274 pages | 66 illustrations | English | ISBN: 9780813947679 | $29.50
PUBLISHER'S...
SOCKS
Michelangelo Caetani’s Six Topographic Maps of the Divine Comedy
As a follow up to the latest post on Norman Bel Geddes’s stage set design for Dante Alighieri’s...
over a year ago
As a follow up to the latest post on Norman Bel Geddes’s stage set design for Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, here we feature the six maps drawn by Michelangelo Caetani in a book titled La materia della Divina Commedia di Dante Alighieri dichiarata in VI tavole, Roma (1855). A...
CONTEMPORIST
A Single Sloping Roof Covers This Home That Hovers Above The Land
Weber Arquitectos has sent us photos of their recently completed project, a tiny house in Valle de...
a year ago
Weber Arquitectos has sent us photos of their recently completed project, a tiny house in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, that rises from the ground on a platform supported by a metal structure. The house, which measures 1291 square feet (120m2), has exterior walls made from heat-treated...
CONTEMPORIST
A New Extension And A Garden Studio For This Heritage-Listed Home
Paul Archer Design has sent us photos of a rear addition they completed for a Grade II Listed Town...
a year ago
Paul Archer Design has sent us photos of a rear addition they completed for a Grade II Listed Town House in Greater London, England. Not only did they design the addition, but they also created a small garden studio that provides a workspace for the musician owner. A large...
Archinect - Features
Architects and Clients Downbeat About Economy: Archinect's Business Survey Results...
Throughout May and June 2024, we invited our community to offer us insights and feedback on how you...
5 months ago
Throughout May and June 2024, we invited our community to offer us insights and feedback on how you were feeling about the economic outlook of your firm and sector. As we explained at the time, this project was motivated by several observations from economists within and beyond...
devonzuegel.com
Misreading Milei: The American press can only see Argentina through a US lens
It's been frustrating to see the US coverage of Milei, Argentina's new president. The American press...
a year ago
It's been frustrating to see the US coverage of Milei, Argentina's new president. The American press seems to deeply misunderstand what's going on. It seems the US reporters can only understand Argentine politics through the lens of the US, when really it's just a totally...
Old Structures...
Some Same, Some Different
In the same vein as yesterday’s post, here’s an 1865 photo of Leonard Street: We’ve got a bunch of...
11 months ago
In the same vein as yesterday’s post, here’s an 1865 photo of Leonard Street: We’ve got a bunch of loft buildings with the employees of Van Volkenburgh Brothers and Ladewig & Haydter (the nearer building), Wright & Ketchum and S. E. Halle (the middle building), and two firms...
Old Structures...
Two Ridiculous Snippets
First, Batman at the plate as a bat man: Second, the National League standings:
2 months ago
First, Batman at the plate as a bat man: Second, the National League standings:
CONTEMPORIST
This Modern Home Is Suspended Over A Creek
Fougeron Architecture has shared photos of a home they remodeled that’s suspended between two...
4 months ago
Fougeron Architecture has shared photos of a home they remodeled that’s suspended between two California hills, and spans a creek, and boasts a waterfall in the backyard. The goal of the project was to reconnect this structure into the environment while best utilizing the...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – Remodeled Kitchen And Bathrooms For A Mid-Century Modern Home
M Monroe Design has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel they recently completed for a...
a year ago
M Monroe Design has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel they recently completed for a mid-century modern home in Newport Beach, California, that includes a new kitchen as well as the main bathroom and a kids’ bathroom. Before – The KitchenThe original kitchen had a tiled...
Common Edge
Climate Lessons From the Floating Villages of Cambodia
Social and cultural values may be as important as hard (and expensive) infrastructure.
a year ago
Social and cultural values may be as important as hard (and expensive) infrastructure.
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Like A Movie Set
First, a panel from “The Bat-Man – First Knight,” an alternate telling of the Batman story, set in...
9 months ago
First, a panel from “The Bat-Man – First Knight,” an alternate telling of the Batman story, set in 1939: Second, a photo of Staple Street in lower Manhattan, from Unsplash: Note that the comic-book artist has flipped the image left-right – visible at the asymmetry in the bridge....
Construction Physics
How to Build 300,000 Airplanes in Five Years
It’s no secret that the Allies won World War II on the back of the U.S.’s enormous industrial...
7 months ago
It’s no secret that the Allies won World War II on the back of the U.S.’s enormous industrial output. Even before the U.S. entered the war, the Americans provided hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of equipment to the Allies, and between 1938 and 1943 U.S. manufacturing...
Common Edge
Why Would You Want to Teach Architecture?
Opening minds and defining a way of working is the ultimate payoff.
11 months ago
Opening minds and defining a way of working is the ultimate payoff.
The Modern House
Akwasi Brenya-Mensa on the future of Pan-African cuisine at Tatale in Southwark
a year ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Sliding Window Offers A Look Inside This Nature-Inspired Store Design
Architecture and interiors firm MRDK have designed a modern retail store in Montreal, Canada, for...
a year ago
Architecture and interiors firm MRDK have designed a modern retail store in Montreal, Canada, for Attitude, a company that specializes in plastic-free beauty products. The design of the space reflects their commitment to sustainability and a connection to nature, which is visible...
Old Structures...
A Desperately-Needed Addendum
My intention with the last blog post, The More Things Stay The Same was not to leave everyone with a...
a year ago
My intention with the last blog post, The More Things Stay The Same was not to leave everyone with a cliff-hanger. Dan Eschenasy asked the obvious question: did the building in question fall down? The answer is no, it did not. 428 West 29th Street shows up on the land use maps in...
CONTEMPORIST
A Contemporary Extension Adds New Living Spaces And Natural Light To This Brick Home
North London architects XUL Architecture have sent us photos of their latest project, where they...
a year ago
North London architects XUL Architecture have sent us photos of their latest project, where they were tasked with renovating this three-story family home to completely enlarge the rear of the house while still allowing for plenty of natural light. The architects removed the...
Common Edge
Architecture With Empathy In An Age of Division and Discord
Buildings can be designed to antagonize communities, or serve as welcoming presences.
a week ago
Buildings can be designed to antagonize communities, or serve as welcoming presences.
The Modern House
The Modern House: a potted history
Twenty years ago, The Modern House was a mere kernel of an idea; today, it is widely recognised as...
7 months ago
Twenty years ago, The Modern House was a mere kernel of an idea; today, it is widely recognised as the UK’s leading design-led estate agency. How did we get here? Today, co-founders Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill were asked this very question on BBC Radio 4’s Gap […]
The Modern House
Nature's way: Botanical stylist Yasuyo Harvey’s stunning transformation of a standard suburban semi
3 months ago
Contemporist...
20 Top A’ Architecture Design Award Winners
A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts...
a year ago
A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts around the world, and showcasing the 18,000 award winners from 139 different design disciplines.
Old Structures...
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
A few comments about today’s holiday. First, if you’re so inclined, the city Parks Department has...
11 months ago
A few comments about today’s holiday. First, if you’re so inclined, the city Parks Department has opportunities for public service: here. Otherwise, memorials and celebrations: here. Some of the permanent memorials to King in New York: here. Some of his relationship to New York...
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
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...
Common Edge
What Is Sacred Architecture in an Increasingly Secular Time?
Is it space or the people who animate it?
10 months ago
Is it space or the people who animate it?
Common Edge
Inga Saffron on the Philadelphia 76ers’ Push for a New Downtown Arena
A talk with the Pulitzer Prize winning architecture critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
a week ago
A talk with the Pulitzer Prize winning architecture critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Old Structures...
Examples Illustrated
I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was,...
10 months ago
I was at the annual SEAoNY conference yesterday – 9½ hours devoted to building codes – and it was, as expected, informative and interesting. Obviously, that’s not what I’m going to write about here. The conference was at Convene (a place where you can rent space for conferences)...
Contemporist...
A Modern Brick Home Designed Around The Original Placement Of Trees
Exterio architects have shared photos of a new home they completed in Warsaw, Poland, that's...
5 months ago
Exterio architects have shared photos of a new home they completed in Warsaw, Poland, that's surrounded by a pine tree forest.
Old Structures...
This Time, The Famous One
Seven years ago, I wrote a blog post called “No, Not The Famous One.” Guess what? On a site visit to...
3 months ago
Seven years ago, I wrote a blog post called “No, Not The Famous One.” Guess what? On a site visit to Charleston, South Carolina, on Monday, I noticed a lot of nice cast-iron storefronts in the old shopping streets. Given that iron wasn’t a major industry there in the nineteenth...
A Weekly Dose of...
Self-Published Books by BNIM and KPF
Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and...
a year ago
Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and KPF:
ALL - The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center by BNIM
Design in Detail by Kohn Pedersen Fox
The "Found" feature also includes responses to a few questions on why the firms opted to...
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
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...
Old Structures...
A Survivor
From a New York Public Library scrapbook, “Small apartment buildings”, dated 1915: The address is...
2 months ago
From a New York Public Library scrapbook, “Small apartment buildings”, dated 1915: The address is given as 1763-1769 Townsend Avenue, in the Bronx, which is good because it’s not like I could ever have identified this just from the photo. The site is less isolated than the photo...
devonzuegel.com
Greater Los Angeles
I got back from Los Angeles last night and my head is still spinning. I’d move there again in a...
over a year ago
I got back from Los Angeles last night and my head is still spinning. I’d move there again in a heartbeat.
There are three great cities in the United States: there’s Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York – in that order.
I love Boston; I even love Denver; I like Miami; I think...
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
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...
The Modern House
Cabin Fever: the transformation of a damp, dark apartment into a rich, atmospheric hideaway
2 months ago
Benny Kuriakose
Planning and Designing of Service Blocks in a School
Service rooms are an absolute necessity in any building. When designing and planning such rooms, it...
a year ago
Service rooms are an absolute necessity in any building. When designing and planning such rooms, it is important to understand the type...
There are two types...
Mariaplaats, Utrecht
The post Mariaplaats, Utrecht appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good...
over a year ago
The post Mariaplaats, Utrecht appeared first on There are two types of architecture—good architecture, and the other kind.
Old Structures...
Travelog: Minimal Observation
How much can you determine about a building in a minute or two? The short answer is “not much” but...
9 months ago
How much can you determine about a building in a minute or two? The short answer is “not much” but sometimes you can get useful information about the structure from the street. It’s certainly easier if you know the history of the area – I am far more efficient at building...
Old Structures...
Ins And Outs Of Development
In 1891, Corydon Purdy published a four-piece article in the Engineering News on “The Steel Skeleton...
a year ago
In 1891, Corydon Purdy published a four-piece article in the Engineering News on “The Steel Skeleton Type of High Buildings.” Skeleton framing, as we understand it today, was about a year old; using some of the older and looser definitions floating around in the 1880s and 90s, it...
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...
a year ago
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%)...
devonzuegel.com
Unconventional strategies for practicing Spanish
Language skills are highly multi-dimensional*, so while learning a language, it's important to come...
over a year ago
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 Modern House
A slender space-savvy home in Clerkenwell, inspired by the City’s skyscrapers
a year ago
Archinect - Features
What To Do If You Hate Your Architecture Job
Every architecture worker will, at some point, endure a period of stress or anxiety in the...
6 months ago
Every architecture worker will, at some point, endure a period of stress or anxiety in the workplace. Sometimes, these feelings can be fleeting, caused by an exceptionally short project deadline, a difficult client, or even a legal dispute. If you find yourself actively hating...
Old Structures...
Four Views For Advertising
From 1909, we’ve got some amazing sketches of the view from the Singer Building, created to show how...
9 months ago
From 1909, we’ve got some amazing sketches of the view from the Singer Building, created to show how wonderful it would be to have an office there. South: West: North: East: I’m not going to go into detail about all the buildings you can see, as I’ve done so many times before....
The Modern House
Architects Mariia Pashenko and Koen Schaballie on the radical reinvention of their Victorian home in...
a year ago
The Modern House
Food system researchers Alon Schwabe and Daniel Fernández Pascual on their explorative approach to a...
a year ago
Old Structures...
A Few Changes
That map is from 1879 and it feels not quite right, like an alternate-history version of New York....
11 months ago
That map is from 1879 and it feels not quite right, like an alternate-history version of New York. The Upper West Side is referred to as the West End, Twelfth Avenue is shown along with Riverside Drive, and Columbia’s Campus at Broadway and 116th Street is shown as a park with a...
Contemporist...
Brick Is The Material Of Choice For This New Home
Architecture and interiors firm Enter Projects Asia, has shared photos of a home they completed in...
3 months ago
Architecture and interiors firm Enter Projects Asia, has shared photos of a home they completed in Phuket, Thailand, that blends design and traditional artisanal craftsmanship.
Cartogrammar
A guide to not being a sidewalk jerk
Hello friends. It has become apparent that you are all terrible at being pedestrians. I feel...
over a year ago
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 Modern House
One couple on the pleasure of perfectly restoring their mid-century home in Essex
a year ago
devonzuegel.com
OWD #1: Tea time in Yemen
I'm starting a podcast with my friends, Marie-Agnes and Alain Bertaud, who also happen to be the...
over a year ago
I'm starting a podcast with my friends, Marie-Agnes and Alain Bertaud, who also happen to be the most interesting couple I know. Over the course of this first conversation, we traveled all around the globe for a whirlwind tour of the adventurous life they've led together.
Audio ·...
The Beauty of...
My Favourite Parks Are Car Parks (Worcestershire Parkway, Worcestershire, UK)
A very particular kind of hush descends as the 1253 to Worcester Shrub Hill departs. That hush is...
over a year ago
A very particular kind of hush descends as the 1253 to Worcester Shrub Hill departs. That hush is the hush of the parkway station between train services, and the station it has just departed from is Worcestershire Parkway. Though one of the best designed parkway stations, and a...
The Modern House
‘I go to bed thinking about it’: why Tate Modern director Frances Morris returns to her childhood...
Where does our spirit go when we die? Frances Morris has this question figured out: she will return...
a year ago
Where does our spirit go when we die? Frances Morris has this question figured out: she will return to the home in which she was born, a Georgian house abreast the Meridian Line in Greenwich. Listen to this deeply personal conversation on our podcast, Homing […]
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
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 Architectural...
The bigotry of Modernism
We know that history tends to repeat itself, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse....
7 months ago
We know that history tends to repeat itself, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Unfortunately, the architecture world, including academics and practitioners, is often unaware that it perpetuates backward and bigoted attitudes, stifling the creativity of architects and...
Old Structures...
Evolved To Fit The Conditions
If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk...
7 months ago
If you’ve always known something, it can be difficult to see how weird it is. New Yorkers walk through construction sites all the time, intentionally so on the part of the builders and with the blessing of the Department of Buildings. It looks something like this: Like so many of...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Mid-Century Modern Renovation In Oregon
Originally designed by prominent Pacific Northwest architect Saul Zaik, this 1963 mid-century modern...
a week ago
Originally designed by prominent Pacific Northwest architect Saul Zaik, this 1963 mid-century modern house has been remodeled by SHED Architecture & Design for a young, minimalist family. The Mori House sits on a gently sloped, forested site off a quiet road in the west end of...
CONTEMPORIST
A Black Kitchen Is A Bold Design Choice For This Home
Photography by Aaron Pocock sense of space [SOS Architects] has sent us photos of a contemporary...
a year ago
Photography by Aaron Pocock sense of space [SOS Architects] has sent us photos of a contemporary home they recently completed, that includes an unexpected all-black kitchen. Photography by Mike Baker The striking black kitchen facilitates the owners’ love for cooking and...
The Modern House
How Robin and Bronwen Burgess created a haven overlooking Hampstead Heath
a year ago
Common Edge
What Does Midcentury Modern Even Mean These Days?
When a style becomes historical, its meaning becomes slippery.
a year ago
When a style becomes historical, its meaning becomes slippery.
Benny Kuriakose
Importance of Landscape in School Design
Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only...
a year ago
Landscape plays a major role in the learning experience of a child. A school campus not only comprises of the buildings in a school,...
Archinect - Features
Discussing Paid Research Opportunities for M.Arch Students at UW-Milwaukee SARUP
In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture &...
a year ago
In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture & Urban Planning (SARUP) to unpack its Mellows Graduate Research Positions (formerly called the Mellowes Master’s Research Assistantships).
For the 2024-2025 school year, SARUP is...
Common Edge
Consuming Provence: The Gentler Footprint of French Sprawl
An expat goes shopping in the European burbs.
4 months ago
An expat goes shopping in the European burbs.
Archinect - Features
When Form Follows Meanings: AI’s Semantic Turn in Architecture
In the wake of artificial intelligence’s recently popularized presence in the architectural field...
a year ago
In the wake of artificial intelligence’s recently popularized presence in the architectural field and beyond, many are pondering what changes may be on the horizon in the discipline, if any. For Stanislas Chaillou, AI’s dissemination in architecture may refocus the profession’s...
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