Common Edge
Leslie Lokko’s 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale: New Stories to Tell
Although the event is lacking in actual architecture, it does introduce urgent and important new...
12 hours ago
Although the event is lacking in actual architecture, it does introduce urgent and important new narratives.
CONTEMPORIST
Curved Green Roofs Cover This Creekside Cabin
MAP Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary cabin they completed in Suffolk, England,...
11 hours ago
MAP Architecture has shared photos of a contemporary cabin they completed in Suffolk, England, that’s located adjacent to the creek and reedbeds within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The ‘Creek Cabin’, with early...
Old Structures...
Style Through Cheating
The first corner windows appeared in New York apartments around 1928. I know of a building...
13 hours ago
The first corner windows appeared in New York apartments around 1928. I know of a building constructed that year where the columns are numbered consecutively on the structural drawings, but the four numbers that should logically represent the corner columns are missing from the...
The Modern House
Edit is the hyper-seasonal Hackney restaurant making the case for low waste
9 hours ago
A Weekly Dose of...
Book Briefs #35 Revisited
Last week I cobbled together eight books, some of which publishers had sent me more than a year ago,...
2 days ago
Last week I cobbled together eight books, some of which publishers had sent me more than a year ago, in an effort to write a "Better Late Than Never" installment of "Book Briefs," something I had done back in April 2018 with Book Briefs #35. But, sensing I would not be able to...
CONTEMPORIST
A Garage Transformed Into An Apartment With A Home Office
YR Architecture + Design has shared photos of a modern 575 square foot (53 sqm) live/work studio in...
2 days ago
YR Architecture + Design has shared photos of a modern 575 square foot (53 sqm) live/work studio in Columbus, OH, that was once a 2-car garage. The homeowners were determined for their two-car garage to be an asset, with the couple seeking to maximize their property, and at the...
Old Structures...
Contrasting
Berenice Abbott’s title for this 1938 photograph tells you what you need to know: “Contrasting No....
2 days ago
Berenice Abbott’s title for this 1938 photograph tells you what you need to know: “Contrasting No. 331 East 39th Street with the Chrysler building (left) and the Daily News Building (right).” Two modern, less-than-ten-year-old skyscrapers, as seen from the street in front of an...
CONTEMPORIST
A Kitchen Wrapped In Textured Wood Defines The Boundary Of The Workspace
Barker Associates Architecture Office has shared photos of their Sackett Street Townhouse, a project...
3 days ago
Barker Associates Architecture Office has shared photos of their Sackett Street Townhouse, a project delivered for clients, recent empty-nesters with their own consulting company, who were looking to refresh their townhouse following the departure of their daughter for college....
Old Structures...
Accidental Impressionism
This may be my favorite self-portrait ever. I was on a swing stage outside a fifth floor window and...
3 days ago
This may be my favorite self-portrait ever. I was on a swing stage outside a fifth floor window and the angle of the sun gave a nice reflection of myself.
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...
4 days 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%)...
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Recognizable by Accident
In the early 90s, I lived near Ninth Avenue and 57th Street. I mention this because the view above,...
4 days ago
In the early 90s, I lived near Ninth Avenue and 57th Street. I mention this because the view above, showing Daredevil casually swinging his way across 57th Street, looked awfully familiar even though there are no really obvious landmarks. In any case, the view is looking west...
Old Structures...
Odd Names and Missing Symmetry
The photo above is the high-modernist interior of a bank in 1955. It was the branch of the Chemical...
5 days ago
The photo above is the high-modernist interior of a bank in 1955. It was the branch of the Chemical Corn Exchange Bank at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street; there’s still a branch of the successor-company bank (Chase) at the same location. It’s a decent interior, no-nonsense and...
The Modern House
How two lifelong friends built a space-savvy home to share on an awkward site in Homerton
5 days ago
The Modern House
How two lifelong friends built a space-savvy home to share on an awkward site in Homerton
5 days ago
CONTEMPORIST
LED Lighting Is Hidden Throughout This Home To Create A Soft Warm Glow
Interior design studio, Pure AW’s Designers Ltd, has shared a modern apartment they completed in...
6 days ago
Interior design studio, Pure AW’s Designers Ltd, has shared a modern apartment they completed in Kowloon, Hong Kong, that combines warm woods and soft lighting. Designed for a couple with two children, the apartment’s interior is influenced by traditional Nordic aesthetics and...
Common Edge
Is AI Really the Next Big Thing in Architecture?
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
6 days ago
There are good reasons to be skeptical about its ultimate utility.
Old Structures...
Astonishingly Crude
That’s a close-up, obviously, of a street facade of a New-Law Tenement. The arch in the lower right...
6 days ago
That’s a close-up, obviously, of a street facade of a New-Law Tenement. The arch in the lower right is a window head, and is actually four courses of brick, with the top course being headers that cantilever out to create a hood over the window. It’s a nice detail, creating...
The Modern House
Five joyful things to do this June
And just like that, it’s June: summer is here and – come rain or shine – our disposition will be...
6 days ago
And just like that, it’s June: summer is here and – come rain or shine – our disposition will be thoroughly sunny, thanks to all the delightful things in our diaries. From an exhibition making a splash (and getting us in the mood for sun-soaked […]
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 week 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....
Common Edge
What Would a Code of Ethics Look Like for Architecture Schools?
Some simple guidelines would help clarify issues.
a week ago
Some simple guidelines would help clarify issues.
Old Structures...
A Local Landmark
The picture above, from the New York State archive, is labelled “New York City, 98th Street”. It...
a week ago
The picture above, from the New York State archive, is labelled “New York City, 98th Street”. It seems more like Brooklyn than Manhattan because of the lack of bigger apartment houses interrupting the lines of the almost-rowhouse-sized walk-up apartments. Besides the title, there...
The Modern House
Plate in the Sun: London’s best restaurants for alfresco dining
a week ago
99% Invisible
Goodnight Nobody [EPISODE]
To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the New York Public Library, a list was published of the ten...
a week ago
To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the New York Public Library, a list was published of the ten books that had been checked out the most in the history of the library — and most of these were children’s books, like The Cat in the Hat and Where the Wild Things Are. Curiously...
A Weekly Dose of...
My Biennale Haul
Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture...
a week 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...
Common Edge
Ugly Buildings Are Not Simply a Matter of Aesthetics
Bad architecture must come from some underlying ethos.
a week ago
Bad architecture must come from some underlying ethos.
Old Structures...
Anthropomorphizing In Fashion Terms
The title of Berenice Abbott’s 1935 photo above, “Broadway near Broom Street”, is slightly...
a week ago
The title of Berenice Abbott’s 1935 photo above, “Broadway near Broom Street”, is slightly misleading. We’re looking west on Broome Street to Broadway and beyond. Given the date, this must have been one of her earliest photos in the “Changing New York” project. The center of the...
CONTEMPORIST
Metal Cladding Wraps Around The Large Gable Roof Of This House
BLA Design Group has shared photos of their latest project, a unique modern home that marries the...
a week ago
BLA Design Group has shared photos of their latest project, a unique modern home that marries the West and the East, linking a Chinese-Canadian family’s present lifestyle to their past memories. Located in Vancouver, Canada, the home has a prominent gable form that floats atop...
Old Structures...
Memorializing
The oldest monument in a New York park is the statue of George Washington in Union Square, erected...
a week ago
The oldest monument in a New York park is the statue of George Washington in Union Square, erected in 1856. The subject and the form (an equestrian statue) are not very surprising. The second oldest, erected the following year, is more satisfyingly obscure: the General William...
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 week 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, […]
Coffee with an...
How to be a better architect
Ask yourself, “Is this needed?” Remove everything that isn’t. Study the function of the building...
a week ago
Ask yourself, “Is this needed?” Remove everything that isn’t. Study the function of the building well, but don’t let it drive the design. Connect the spaces with nature. Master the use of natural light. Create a balance between public and private spaces. Organize the Floorplan....
CONTEMPORIST
The Black Exterior Of This Home In The Forest Covers A White Minimalist Interior
Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a...
a week ago
Matière Première Architecture has completed a new home in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, that has a striking black exterior surrounded by the forest. The house’s design emphasizes its connection with a nearby stream by incorporating strategic window placements and a layout that...
Old Structures...
Modesty Forbids
Putting aside the sexism of the presentation – an expected feature of pretty much anything from 1922...
a week ago
Putting aside the sexism of the presentation – an expected feature of pretty much anything from 1922 – this ad exaggerates the importance of engineering to a degree that makes me uncomfortable. I wish that our profession lived up to the standard being presented here.
Old Structures...
Another Rooftop, Another View
In 1986, while killing time, I built a prefab paper-craft model of the Chrysler Building. It’s about...
a week ago
In 1986, while killing time, I built a prefab paper-craft model of the Chrysler Building. It’s about three feet tall and has followed me around every since, moving from apartment to apartment. On those occasions when someone has asked, I explain that it’s my household god and...
The Modern House
Say hello to our new podcast, Homing In, featuring Ruth Rogers on finding comfort in the face of...
What do our homes reveal about who we are? Almost everything, it turns out – something we’ve...
a week ago
What do our homes reveal about who we are? Almost everything, it turns out – something we’ve discovered while recording conversations with cultural contributors, business innovators and creative luminaries for our new podcast, Homing In, which we are pleased to share with you...
Old Structures...
Undoubtably True
That’s a poster created by the Works Progress Administration, one of the main elements of the New...
a week ago
That’s a poster created by the Works Progress Administration, one of the main elements of the New Deal between 1935 and 1943. The WPA created a lot of jobs during the Great Depression, typically through creating projects for people to work on. Because the WPA employed a lot of...
The Modern House
Old meets new at a masterfully renovated 400-year-old farmhouse in the South Downs
a week ago
Contemporist...
A Curved Corner Softens The Space Inside This Home Extension
Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a...
a week ago
Australian architecture firm Bryant Alsop has shared photos of a home remodel they completed for a run-down home in Victoria, that includes a new contemporary addition with a curved wall.
Construction Physics
The Birth of the Grid
The day must come when electricity will be for everyone, as the waters of the rivers and the wind of...
a week ago
The day must come when electricity will be for everyone, as the waters of the rivers and the wind of heaven. It should not merely be supplied, but lavished, that men may use it at their will, as the air they breathe. - Emile Zola, “Travail”, 1901
Old Structures...
Not So Long Ago
Another picture from the state archives: an aerial view of Manhattan, looking south, from July 6,...
a week ago
Another picture from the state archives: an aerial view of Manhattan, looking south, from July 6, 1951. The 50s were arguably the peak of air pollution in New York, as environmental controls hadn’t been established yet and coal was still being used rather than oil for building...
Common Edge
Zoning, Preservation, Climate Change: Connecting the Dots
What can the law teach architecture, and vice-versa? Sara Bronin, head of the U.S. Advisory Council...
a week ago
What can the law teach architecture, and vice-versa? Sara Bronin, head of the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, knows.
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Two-Storey Rear Addition For An Old Australian Cottage
Bijl Architecture has shared photos of the Stealth House, a renovation project they completed that...
a week ago
Bijl Architecture has shared photos of the Stealth House, a renovation project they completed that included a modern addition to an inter-war cottage located in Hunters Hill, Australia. From the street, the original facade and front garden of the home hide the barely visible rear...
Old Structures...
“First”
The picture of a lock above, from the New York State archive, is titled “The opening of the first...
a week ago
The picture of a lock above, from the New York State archive, is titled “The opening of the first section of the Erie Canal” and is dated May 15, 1915. My memories of first learning US history in elementary school are pretty hazy, but the canal opened in 1825 and contributed...
The Modern House
Heading out? Here’s how to do it with people and the planet in mind
a week ago
99% Invisible
Train Set: Track Three [EPISODE]
Happy National Train Day, everyone – for those of you who missed it: that was May 13th this year. A...
2 weeks ago
Happy National Train Day, everyone – for those of you who missed it: that was May 13th this year. A year ago, we started down this path with Train Set: Track One, which gave way to Track Two …and now, here we are for the final part of our train-fecta. First Stop: Shining Time...
CONTEMPORIST
A Calming Interior Was Designed For This Home In Spain
Susanna Cots Interior Design has shared a project they recently completed in Spain, that includes a...
2 weeks ago
Susanna Cots Interior Design has shared a project they recently completed in Spain, that includes a calm material palette. Large windows were integrated into the homes’ design so that the surrounding nature and the gardens could be seen from within the home. In the garden,...
Old Structures...
A Little of This, a Little of That
This picture from Berenice Abbott’s Changing New York Project, “El, Sixth Avenue Line, 28th Street...
2 weeks ago
This picture from Berenice Abbott’s Changing New York Project, “El, Sixth Avenue Line, 28th Street Station” doesn’t have any single big topic, but it has a bunch of small ones, all a little interesting. The el began in 1878 as a railroad pulled by coal-burning steam locomotives....
Common Edge
Why Mass Transit in America Disappeared
A talk with the author of The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric...
2 weeks ago
A talk with the author of The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric Planning, and White Flight.
CONTEMPORIST
A Pier Foundation Allowed This Home To Be Built On A Steeply Sloped Property
LTD Architectural Design Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Auckland, New...
2 weeks ago
LTD Architectural Design Studio has shared photos of a modern home they designed in Auckland, New Zealand, that’s located on a steep site. This very steep site provided a challenge for the architects in terms of creating a suitable living platform. They wanted to minimize piling...
Old Structures...
Sadly, No.
I recently came across the Gottscho-Schleisner Collection at the Library of Congress, and thought it...
2 weeks ago
I recently came across the Gottscho-Schleisner Collection at the Library of Congress, and thought it was a new vein I could mine for blog posts. The criteria I use are (1) interesting views of buildings or other structures and (2) pictures that are in the public domain, and the...
The Modern House
How Mabel Law and Andrew Tam transformed a modest flat into a space-maximising maisonette in...
2 weeks ago
Old Structures...
It Looked Familiar: Kafkaesque
Above, a statue in Gotham Harbor, with Batman sitting on the scales. In Amerika, Franz Kafka’s...
2 weeks ago
Above, a statue in Gotham Harbor, with Batman sitting on the scales. In Amerika, Franz Kafka’s least-read novel, the protagonist emigrates from central Europe to the US. As his ship sails through the harbor into New York, he sees “the Statue of Liberty, which he had been...
CONTEMPORIST
This Little Laneway House In Toronto Has An Upstairs Bedroom Overlooking The Street
Creative Union Network Inc. has designed a small laneway house in Toronto, Canada, that was...
2 weeks ago
Creative Union Network Inc. has designed a small laneway house in Toronto, Canada, that was originally built as a garage. The building occupied a prominent location on the corner of the lane and main street. The original structure, although rundown, was a well-loved structure...
Old Structures...
Probably Not Very Dramatic
There are a number of reason why an old building, like this Old-Law tenement, might have its stoop...
2 weeks ago
There are a number of reason why an old building, like this Old-Law tenement, might have its stoop removed. The most common is that the sidewalk was narrowed to widen the driving lanes of the street, and the stoop took up too much of the new sidewalk. That might be true here, but...
The Modern House
How an artist and architect converted a war bunker on the wild Isle of Wight coast
2 weeks ago
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...
2 weeks 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...
Old Structures...
A Downside of Setbacks
Plan setbacks are what made New York’s 1916 zoning law work – and work well – but they can be...
2 weeks ago
Plan setbacks are what made New York’s 1916 zoning law work – and work well – but they can be confusing if combined with any kind of change in architectural style. The Singer Building, seen above in a photo from the HABS survey made as the building was being demolished in 1967,...
The Modern House
Furniture designer James Stickley’s cleverly zoned live/work loft in east London
2 weeks ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Curved Green Roof Allows This Winery To Blend Into The Landscape
Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech...
2 weeks ago
Architecture studio Aleš Fiala has recently completed the design of Gurdau Winery in the Czech Republic, which includes a unique curved green roof. The building’s location in the open countryside naturally brought with it high demands for architectural and landscape integration....
Common Edge
To Address Climate Change, Architects Must Tackle Decarbonization
Focusing only on energy performance is insufficient to the mounting crisis.
2 weeks ago
Focusing only on energy performance is insufficient to the mounting crisis.
Old Structures...
The Trigger
New York’s first zoning law, which went into effect in 1916, wasn’t caused by any single building....
2 weeks ago
New York’s first zoning law, which went into effect in 1916, wasn’t caused by any single building. However, there are a few buildings you can point to that caused alarm. They were used as examples of what would happen if there were no controls on skyscraper development. The photo...
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...
2 weeks 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...
Anachronism
This is the third picture Berenice Abbott took from the roof of the Irving Trust Building in 1938,...
2 weeks ago
This is the third picture Berenice Abbott took from the roof of the Irving Trust Building in 1938, literally in-between the pictures I posted yesterday and Monday. Monday’s looked east, Tuesday’s looked south, and today’s looks southeast, past the curving line of Broad Street to...
The Modern House
Why deli and wine bar Lulu’s is winning the hearts of locals in Herne Hill
2 weeks ago
Common Edge
Consider the 15 mph City
It’s time to expand our vision to include slower, more human-scaled speeds of transportation.
3 weeks ago
It’s time to expand our vision to include slower, more human-scaled speeds of transportation.
McMansion Hell
dome sweet dome
As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to...
3 weeks ago
As some of you may know, I have been going to language school for the last few months in order to learn the world’s most widely spoken and useful language: Slovenian. At this point, my Slovenian is about as coherent as, well, a McMansion. In order to feel better about myself, I...
CONTEMPORIST
Patterned Brickwork Is Featured On The Exterior Of The Ace Hotel In Toronto
Photography by Scott Norseworthy Shim-Sutcliffe Architects has sent us photos of the Ace Hotel in...
3 weeks ago
Photography by Scott Norseworthy Shim-Sutcliffe Architects has sent us photos of the Ace Hotel in Toronto, Canada, which has a red brick facade that draws guests in with a wood-lined opening. Working closely with the creative agency Atelier Ace, the architects of the hotel...
Old Structures...
So Close
Berenice Abbott took three photos that I know of from the top of the Irving Trust Building in 1938....
3 weeks ago
Berenice Abbott took three photos that I know of from the top of the Irving Trust Building in 1938. Yesterday’s was the first, looking east down Wall Street. The picture above is the second, looking south along Broadway. You can’t quite see Bowling Green because of the slight...
Common Edge
Condocide: Death of a Building Type
The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos...
3 weeks ago
The building collapse in Miami may not have been an aberration. The condition of aging condos nationwide is dire.
Contemporist...
A Glass-Enclosed Library And Home Office Creates A Separate Space Inside This Apartment
Canadian design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a loft apartment located in a building that...
3 weeks ago
Canadian design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a loft apartment located in a building that was once home to offices but has been converted into residential apartments.
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...
3 weeks 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...
Contemporist...
A’ Design Awards And Competition – The Winners
A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts in...
3 weeks ago
A’ Design Award & Competition is the Worlds’ leading design accolade reaching design enthusiasts in over 114 countries.
Old Structures...
Dizzying
Berenice Abbott, in 1938, set up on top of the roof of the Irving Trust Building, at One Wall...
3 weeks ago
Berenice Abbott, in 1938, set up on top of the roof of the Irving Trust Building, at One Wall Street, and took several photos for her “Changing New York” project. This one is “Wall Street, showing East River from roof of Irving Trust building.” The building on the lower left with...
The Modern House
Good as New: the best contemporary homes for sale
Historically speaking, period houses are seen as the ones with personality – and while we won’t...
3 weeks ago
Historically speaking, period houses are seen as the ones with personality – and while we won’t argue with the fact they’ve got charisma (who doesn’t love pleasing Victorian details or grand Georgian proportions?), we will also make a strong case for those created in recent […]
Blog - Guerrilla...
TRANSitar Lima
THE RIGHT TO THE CITY: Who has the right to move freely through the city and who doesn’t?
Map of...
3 weeks ago
THE RIGHT TO THE CITY: Who has the right to move freely through the city and who doesn’t?
Map of Lima, Peru
About the project
TRANSitar Lima is a project that seeks to create a visual record of transphobic violence, based on collective mapping sessions. Trans, transvestites, and...
CONTEMPORIST
This Cafe In Austria Has a Cycling Inspired Design
Architecture and interior design studio Archisphere collaborated with Carbone & Kacerovsky to design...
3 weeks ago
Architecture and interior design studio Archisphere collaborated with Carbone & Kacerovsky to design a ‘Cyclist’, a modern cafe at the Hotel Andaz am Belvedere Vienna. Archisphere drew inspiration from the movement, freedom, and enjoyment associated with cycling. In addition to...
Old Structures...
Eerie
Of the roughly dozen main-line railroads that terminated in New York in 1938, only the New York...
3 weeks ago
Of the roughly dozen main-line railroads that terminated in New York in 1938, only the New York Central and Pennsylvania came into Manhattan. The rest all had combined rail-and-ferry terminals in Jersey City, Hoboken, or other New Jersey towns facing the Hudson River. Hence...
Old Structures...
Look Up!
I was on a rooftop in midtown recently and had a good view of the top of 570 Lexington Ave,...
3 weeks ago
I was on a rooftop in midtown recently and had a good view of the top of 570 Lexington Ave, originally the RCA Victor Building, later the General Electric Building. The national register designation report suggests that the figures represent spirits of electricity, although the...
CONTEMPORIST
8,000 Discs Were Suspended To Create This Artistic Installation
Canadian-based Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has shared photos of Binary Spectrum, a site-specific...
3 weeks ago
Canadian-based Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has shared photos of Binary Spectrum, a site-specific art installation they created for a lobby atrium inside a building in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Comprised of 8,000 translucent discs, Binary Spectrum is a poetic expression of...
Old Structures...
Lucy Moses Award: Castle Clinton
The second project we worked on that won a Lucy Moses Award this year was Castle Clinton, the fort...
3 weeks ago
The second project we worked on that won a Lucy Moses Award this year was Castle Clinton, the fort at the very southern tip of Manhattan. Over the last 210 years, it’s been a fort, a theater, New York’s immigration station, New York’s aquarium, and now a historic monument. In...
The Modern House
Listing of the Week: the best inter-war home in Britain?
3 weeks ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Boldly Colored Pasta Shop Brightens Up The Street In Athens
Design firm Studio Materiality has shared photos of Macaroni, a pasta shop they completed that’s...
3 weeks ago
Design firm Studio Materiality has shared photos of Macaroni, a pasta shop they completed that’s located in the heart of Athens, Greece. The designers drew inspiration from the 1970s, with a boldly colored design, complete with a font from that era to create the logo. The...
Common Edge
Buildings, Communities, Cities: Things Fall Apart
If the detached house is “The American Dream,” do we need a new dream?
3 weeks ago
If the detached house is “The American Dream,” do we need a new dream?
Old Structures...
Lucy Moses Award: St. Mary the Virgin
Two project that we worked on received Lucy Moses awards from the New York Landmarks Conservancy...
3 weeks ago
Two project that we worked on received Lucy Moses awards from the New York Landmarks Conservancy this year. The first is the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, at 145 West 46th Street in Manhattan. It was designed by Pierre L. LeBrun of Napoleon LeBrun & Sons in...
Old Structures...
Observation Bias
There are obvious forms of observation bias, such as thinking that because nearly every building I...
3 weeks ago
There are obvious forms of observation bias, such as thinking that because nearly every building I see has some serious damage that they all do. If I’m looking at a building professionally, it’s usually because there’s something wrong with it. The photo above shows a more subtle...
CONTEMPORIST
A Slide Connects The Main Floor With The Kids Bedrooms On The Lower Floor Of This Home
Reflect Architecture has remodeled a duplex that had an additional two small basement units, and...
3 weeks ago
Reflect Architecture has remodeled a duplex that had an additional two small basement units, and turned it into one unit on the second floor for income purposes, as well as combined the ground floor and lower-level into a single dwelling for a young family of five. One unexpected...
The Modern House
Our guide to Herne Hill and Tulse Hill: vibrant markets and outdoor swimming in south London
3 weeks ago
99% Invisible
Nuts and Bolts [EPISODE]
In her new book Nuts and Bolts Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World (in a Big Way),...
4 weeks ago
In her new book Nuts and Bolts Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World (in a Big Way), structural engineer Roma Agrawal identifies and examines the seven of most basic building blocks of engineering that have shaped the modern world: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the...
Contemporist...
A 1930s Brick Farmhouse Gets A Contemporary Remodel
SHED Architecture has sent us photos of a 1930s brick farmhouse in Washington State that has been...
4 weeks ago
SHED Architecture has sent us photos of a 1930s brick farmhouse in Washington State that has been redesigned and renovated for today's living standards.
Old Structures...
Two Fields Of Engineering
The towers in the photos above and below are part of the system carrying electricity from the...
4 weeks ago
The towers in the photos above and below are part of the system carrying electricity from the generating plant at Hoover Dam to Los Angeles. The photos are from the HAER survey “Hoover Dam, Los Angeles Bureau of Power & Light Lines 1-3, U.S. Highway 93, Boulder City, Clark...
The Modern House
Mia Castenskjold and Stefan Zschernitz’s self-built sanctuary in Hackney
4 weeks ago
Construction Physics
Book Review: Healthy Buildings
Healthy Buildings, written by John Macomber and Joseph Allen is, as the title suggests, a book about...
4 weeks ago
Healthy Buildings, written by John Macomber and Joseph Allen is, as the title suggests, a book about how buildings affect health. Allen is a former environmental consultant, professor of public health, and director of Harvard’s “Healthy Buildings” program. Macomber is a lecturer...
Contemporist...
This Small Apartment Has A Yoga Wall And A Coffee Bar
LITTLEMORE INTERIOR DESIGN has shared photos of a small 380-square-foot (35 sqm) apartment in Hong...
4 weeks ago
LITTLEMORE INTERIOR DESIGN has shared photos of a small 380-square-foot (35 sqm) apartment in Hong Kong, that includes both a custom yoga wall and a coffee bar.
Old Structures...
One Or More Rooms
Above, “Studios, 51 West Tenth Street” in 1938, from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project....
4 weeks ago
Above, “Studios, 51 West Tenth Street” in 1938, from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project. This 1857 building was apparently the first constructed in Greenwich Village specifically for artists and helped create the art scene in the Village. A long list of famous people...
Old Structures...
Skymarks | Landmarks
There’s a new exhibit opening at the Skyscraper museum later this week that feeds several of my...
4 weeks ago
There’s a new exhibit opening at the Skyscraper museum later this week that feeds several of my interests. How many skyscrapers are New York City designated landmarks? Maybe 84. Carol Highsmith’s photo above shows at least two: the Chrysler Building and the Chanin Building across...
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 month 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...
It Looked Familiar: Three-Lobed
Above, Barbara Gordon (in a flashback, in her teenage pre-Batgirl days) in a Gotham City park. Below...
a month ago
Above, Barbara Gordon (in a flashback, in her teenage pre-Batgirl days) in a Gotham City park. Below (courtesy of Rosapicci), the Trefoil Arch in Central Park.
The Modern House
How an architect couple transformed an old shop in Walthamstow into a restful wooden home
a month ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Fireplace Divides This Long Living Room Creating A Separate Home Office Area
Toronto-based interior design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a living room that they...
a month ago
Toronto-based interior design firm Level Studio has shared photos of a living room that they transformed to include a dedicated area for a home office. The long and narrow design of the living room enabled them to divide the space into two separate defined areas, the living room,...
Old Structures...
Recent Readings On A Theme
Three closely related articles were stored away in my browser bookmarks and it’s time to spread them...
a month ago
Three closely related articles were stored away in my browser bookmarks and it’s time to spread them around. First, “The Carbon Footprint of Material Obsolescence” by Blaine Brownell. The article looks at the life-cycle carbon cost of various construction materials. We need to...
The Modern House
Samuel Ross gives us a first look at his renovated family home in Northamptonshire
a month ago
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 month 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...
Old Structures...
Bragging Found In The Wild
I used the piece of an old magazine above a while back to illustrate the cross-section of a Phoenix...
a month ago
I used the piece of an old magazine above a while back to illustrate the cross-section of a Phoenix column: a group of arc segments with flanges that allow them to be riveted together into a circular column. I haven’t seen that many Phoenix columns, in part because most of the...
Common Edge
Away From Old Architecture: What Corbu Really Meant
Rethinking the meaning of Le Corbusier’s groundbreaking manifesto.
a month ago
Rethinking the meaning of Le Corbusier’s groundbreaking manifesto.
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 month 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...
Old Structures...
Structure in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
That remarkable roof is part of the Smithfield Market in London, constructed in the 1860s. I’m...
a month ago
That remarkable roof is part of the Smithfield Market in London, constructed in the 1860s. I’m reasonably sure that the green and dark blue elements are wrought iron, riveted together, the gray and red ornament is cast iron, and the light gray roof structure is wood. Whether or...
The Modern House
A look inside Issue No.6 of our magazine
The new issue of our print magazine has just landed in our shop – and it’s filled with stories that...
a month ago
The new issue of our print magazine has just landed in our shop – and it’s filled with stories that look at the journeys we go on with our homes, from the emotional paths they take us on, to the very real process of renovating […]
Common Edge
Let’s Stop Using the Terms ‘Traditional’ and ‘Modern’
By now, the terms are arbitrary and confusing.
a month ago
By now, the terms are arbitrary and confusing.
Old Structures...
The Empire State, Again
Yesterday was the 92nd anniversary of the Empire State Building opening for business, which is as...
a month ago
Yesterday was the 92nd anniversary of the Empire State Building opening for business, which is as good a day as exists to pick as its birthday. To celebrate, the Skyscraper Museum had a one-hour program where Carol Willis and I discussed some aspects of the construction of the...
99% Invisible
Craptions [EPISODE]
Bad closed captions can be entertaining, but they can be serious, too, because captions are a...
a month ago
Bad closed captions can be entertaining, but they can be serious, too, because captions are a critical tool for lots of lots of people. There are the people learning a new language, the easily confused, and of course captions are essential for people who are Deaf or...
CONTEMPORIST
Stairs With Built-In Planters Lead To The Back Garden At This Home
Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects has shared photos of a recently completed renovation project in...
a month ago
Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects has shared photos of a recently completed renovation project in Greater London, England, that included new outdoor stairs with built-in planters. The client contacted the architects to renovate the lower ground floor of the house due to severe damp...
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 month ago
How to undo the tension between affordability and sustainability.
Old Structures...
Two, Maybe Three
The 1938 picture above, from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, shows the original 542...
a month ago
The 1938 picture above, from Berenice Abbott’s “Changing New York” project, shows the original 542 West 110th Street. It’s a wood-frame house from the mid- to late-1800s, trapped between two 1920s steel-frame apartment houses. It wasn’t necessarily built on that site: as the...
The Modern House
Five standout things to see and do this May
Is there a more delightful time of year than wisteria-filled May? As we get set for summer, we’re in...
a month ago
Is there a more delightful time of year than wisteria-filled May? As we get set for summer, we’re in high spirits, not least because of the inspiring happenings in our diaries. From a series of workshops at a London bakery’s new homeware space to a […]
CONTEMPORIST
This Backyard Office Also Has A Rock Climbing Gym
WILLIAM TOZER Associates has designed a small backyard office in London, England, that also includes...
a month ago
WILLIAM TOZER Associates has designed a small backyard office in London, England, that also includes a rock climbing gym. Full-height glazed doors slide open to connect the interior office space with the landscaped yard. Inside, desks and storage are integrated into the solid...
The Modern House
Two sisters share the story of their remarkable Patrick Gwynne-designed family home
a month ago
Contemporist...
This Park Design Was Inspired By A Volcano And Its Lava Flow
100 Architects has shared photos of one of their latest projects, a stimulating urban park in a...
a month ago
100 Architects has shared photos of one of their latest projects, a stimulating urban park in a newly built commercial and residential area in the port city of Ningbo, the second-most populous city in Zhejiang Province, China.
A Weekly Dose of...
Learning from the 2023 Book Fair
This year's New York International Antiquarian Book Fair is my third, following the 2022 book...
a month ago
This year's New York International Antiquarian Book Fair is my third, following the 2022 book fair and, just days before lockdown, the 2020 book fair. Three hardly makes me an expert, even in my specialization of architecture books, but it does help with gauging the value given...
Old Structures...
Stolen
Amazingly, I have not already written a blog post about the Edgar Laing Stores…so here it is. The...
a month ago
Amazingly, I have not already written a blog post about the Edgar Laing Stores…so here it is. The picture above was taken during a HABS survey in 1971, shortly before the building was demolished as part of an urban renewal project on Manhattan’s Lower West Side. The project wiped...
The Modern House
A hidden warehouse apartment in the heart of east London
a month ago
CONTEMPORIST
White Stained Oak Cabinets Paired With Cool White Marble Creates A Soft Aesthetic Inside This Home
Andrea Rodman Interiors has shared photos of a home in Vancouver, Canada, that they completed for...
a month ago
Andrea Rodman Interiors has shared photos of a home in Vancouver, Canada, that they completed for their clients that wanted a minimalistic interior. Throughout the home, the interior was inspired by Japanese design, its simplicity, and maple wood tones. One area that stood out in...
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 month 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...
Common Edge
Everything Is (Not) Architecture: Environmental Design and Architecture’s Slippery Slope
Does it exist, distinct from buildings and bodies?
a month ago
Does it exist, distinct from buildings and bodies?
The Modern House
Best Buds: the most beautiful garden centres in London
a month ago
99% Invisible
For Amusement Only (Free Replay) [EPISODE]
Everyone has tried it at some point. The authorities started turning a blind eye years ago, but it...
a month ago
Everyone has tried it at some point. The authorities started turning a blind eye years ago, but it wasn’t officially legalized until the summer of 2014. Finally, after more than 80 years of illegitimacy, the City of Oakland has legalized…pinball machines. Today, we travel back to...
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 month 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...
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 month 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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Addition For An 1830s Brick Farm House
Hollaway Studio has shared photos of a modern home addition they have completed for a former...
a month ago
Hollaway Studio has shared photos of a modern home addition they have completed for a former farmhouse in Kent, England, that dates back to the 1830s. The original home comprises of formal brick walls, a slate roof, white sash windows with views across the landscape, an original...
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 month ago
The co-mingling of famous client and famous designer has a long history.
No Title
Architectural Narrative: “New York City: The Edge of Enigma” by Francisco Javier Rencoret (1991)
In 1991, Francisco Javier Rencoret, a Chilean architect and then Fulbright scholar at Cornell...
a month ago
In 1991, Francisco Javier Rencoret, a Chilean architect and then Fulbright scholar at Cornell University, published New York City: The Edge of Enigma, (Princeton Architectural Press), a visual essay that retraces the myth of the foundation and development of New York City....
Contemporist...
This Prefab Home Was Installed On The Property In Just One Day
BIO-architects together with DublDom, have sent us photos of their latest project, DUB, a modular...
a month ago
BIO-architects together with DublDom, have sent us photos of their latest project, DUB, a modular single-family home in Russia.
The Modern House
Designer Sue Minter’s colourful country house in the Cotswolds
a month ago
A Weekly Dose of...
2023 in Architecture Books, So Far
Life, they say, throws you curve balls, and that's just what happened last month, when a family...
a month ago
Life, they say, throws you curve balls, and that's just what happened last month, when a family emergency had me put this blog on hiatus. This post, appearing on a Friday instead of its regular Monday, does not mean regular weekly posts will resume, as I'll be dealing with said...
The Modern House
A contemporary flint house on the Kent coast, with lateral living spaces and an outdoor bath
a month ago
The Modern House
Scene Stealers: seven rural homes with spectacular surroundings
We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild...
a month ago
We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild swimming, enjoying a glass of red by a cosy log fire… But if that’s never been quite enough to inspire you to take the plunge, the homes […]
The Modern House
Scene Stealers: seven rural homes with spectacular surroundings
We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild...
a month ago
We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming of life in the country – growing your own fruit and veg, wild swimming, enjoying a glass of red by a cosy log fire… But if that’s never been quite enough to inspire you to take the plunge, the homes […]
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap part II
(note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to...
a month ago
(note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to Part II of “How did Solar Power Get Cheap?” To recap Part I, the modern solar photovoltaic (PV) cell was invented at Bell Labs in 1954. Early markets were almost entirely...
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap part II
(note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to...
a month ago
(note: all quotes are from Nemet’s How Solar Energy Became Cheap unless otherwise noted.) Welcome to Part II of “How did Solar Power Get Cheap?” To recap Part I, the modern solar photovoltaic (PV) cell was invented at Bell Labs in 1954. Early markets were almost entirely...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Remodeled 1970s Home In Seattle
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel of a 1970s home they...
a month ago
Floisand Studio Architects has sent us photos of a contemporary remodel of a 1970s home they completed that was originally designed by prominent Seattle Architect, Ralph Anderson. The 3-story home on Seattle’s Mercer Island was renovated and modernized, preserving what the...
99% Invisible
Dear John and Roman [EPISODE]
Last year, Roman Mars teamed up with Hank Green to guest host Dear Hank & John — this year he’s back...
a month ago
Last year, Roman Mars teamed up with Hank Green to guest host Dear Hank & John — this year he’s back on the Greens’ show once again, but this time with Hank’s brother John. In their podcast Dear Hank & John, “hosts John and Hank Green (who are also authors and YouTubers) offer...
Common Edge
“Boston Is A Red City”
Construction rooted in local materials is what has provided cities with distinctive identities—and...
a month ago
Construction rooted in local materials is what has provided cities with distinctive identities—and colors.
The Modern House
How Alex Reynolds and Maria Viviani are paying homage to their heritages at Eline in Hoxton
a month ago
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 month 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...
Common Edge
Letter from Tennessee: License for Civility in Uncivil Times
Not all civil portent is writ as large. It sometimes comes in small places, hidden in plain sight.
a month ago
Not all civil portent is writ as large. It sometimes comes in small places, hidden in plain sight.
The Modern House
How David Roy and Angel Perez carve out space for playtime and parties in their flexible Hackney...
a month ago
CONTEMPORIST
Clad In Stone, Wood, Steel, And Glass, This House Nestles Quietly Within The Natural Surroundings
CCY Architects has designed a contemporary home in Aspen, Colorado, that’s nestled into a gently...
a month ago
CCY Architects has designed a contemporary home in Aspen, Colorado, that’s nestled into a gently sloping site amidst a grove of aspen trees on the edge of a large, open meadow with views out to the Elk Mountain Range. Clad in stone, wood, steel, and glass, the house complements...
The Modern House
Emma Crosby and Simon Mitchell on restoring their mid-century house by the sea in Devon
a month ago
CONTEMPORIST
Cork Was Used As The Exterior Siding On This Home Extension
Mitchell + Corti Architects has designed a new rear ground floor extension for a home in England,...
a month ago
Mitchell + Corti Architects has designed a new rear ground floor extension for a home in England, that’s clad in cork. The architect mentions, “We chose to clad the extension in something a little different a dark patterned cork, in order to use a sustainable material and test...
The Modern House
A slender space-savvy home in Clerkenwell, inspired by the City’s skyscrapers
a month ago
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap? Part I
Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate...
a month ago
Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate of unsubsidized levelized cost of energy (LCOE)
Construction Physics
How did solar power get cheap? Part I
Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate...
a month ago
Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Lazard’s estimate of unsubsidized levelized cost of energy (LCOE)
Common Edge
Braids by Jade: L.A. Street Art Through Two Lenses
Artist Lauren Halsey's visual chronicles of her changing neighborhood.
a month ago
Artist Lauren Halsey's visual chronicles of her changing neighborhood.
99% Invisible
For a Dollar and a Dream [EPISODE]
Every week, one in eight Americans places a bet on the dream of a life-changing lottery jackpot....
a month ago
Every week, one in eight Americans places a bet on the dream of a life-changing lottery jackpot. Americans spend more on lottery tickets annually than on video streaming services, concert tickets, books, and movie tickets combined. The story of lotteries in the United States may...
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 month ago
Daniel Marshall Architect (DMA) has shared photos of a new home they designed in New Zealand, that includes a cantilevered living room.
Common Edge
Does Spirituality Have a Role in Educating Architects?
What might appear to some as an “off-limits” realm might actually be at its heart.
a month ago
What might appear to some as an “off-limits” realm might actually be at its heart.
Coffee with an...
GENERAL NOTES:
*feel free to add these to your construction documents
a month ago
*feel free to add these to your construction documents
Common Edge
What Would Jane Jacobs Do? Toward a New Model for Houses of Worship
Cities need to prepare for a wave of declining churches.
a month ago
Cities need to prepare for a wave of declining churches.
The Modern House
Claire Ptak, founder of Violet bakery, on seasonal cakes and the community spirit of Hackney
a month ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A Kitchen And Bathroom Remodel For This 1970s Home
SHED Architecture & Design has shared their latest project, the contemporary interior remodel of a...
a month ago
SHED Architecture & Design has shared their latest project, the contemporary interior remodel of a 1970s home on Seattle’s Mercer Island that was originally designed by William Rutledge. The house met the functional needs of its new owners but did not quite suit their...
CONTEMPORIST
A Plaid-Inspired Wood Kitchen Is A Unique Design Feature Inside This Office
BHDM Design has recently completed a workplace in New York for private equity consulting firm...
2 months ago
BHDM Design has recently completed a workplace in New York for private equity consulting firm Accordion, whose interior was inspired by motifs of menswear fabrics. An interesting design element in the workplace is the kitchen, which includes a unique plaid design. The plaid...
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...
2 months 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 […]
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...
2 months 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...
The Modern House
Laurence Quinn, architect and founder of Modern Works, on the power of production
2 months ago
99% Invisible
De Fiets is Niets [EPISODE]
Today the Netherlands has a reputation as a kind of bicycling paradise. Dutch people own more...
2 months ago
Today the Netherlands has a reputation as a kind of bicycling paradise. Dutch people own more bicycles per capita than any other place in the world. The country has more than 20,000 miles of dedicated cycling paths. International policymakers make pilgrimages to the Netherlands...
CONTEMPORIST
The Color And Material Palette Of This New Home Allows It To Blend Into The Desert Setting
Multidisciplinary creative studio mxtad has designed a home in Mexico, with a natural and earthy...
2 months ago
Multidisciplinary creative studio mxtad has designed a home in Mexico, with a natural and earthy color palette that complements its surroundings. The home, designed for an architect and graphic designer, was built on a site with an irregular shape, however, from the street, it...
Common Edge
Peter Calthorpe Has a Plan for More Housing in California
Through a state-mandated use of form-based codes and a focus on “grand boulevards” of underutilized...
2 months ago
Through a state-mandated use of form-based codes and a focus on “grand boulevards” of underutilized commercial strips, the number of potential units expands by orders of magnitude.
The Modern House
How Abby Lee, founder of Mambow, is modernising Malaysian cuisine
2 months ago
The Modern House
Five things to do and see this April
The clocks have sprung forward and the spring chicks are chirping: yes, April has arrived. But it’s...
2 months ago
The clocks have sprung forward and the spring chicks are chirping: yes, April has arrived. But it’s not only those longer, lighter evenings luring us out of the house; this month’s brilliant list of cultural and culinary must-dos and -sees is equally tempting – even […]
CONTEMPORIST
Wood Screens Wrap Around This Home To Create Shade And Privacy
Koichi Takada Architects has completed a new home in Sydney, Australia, whose design was inspired by...
2 months ago
Koichi Takada Architects has completed a new home in Sydney, Australia, whose design was inspired by palm fronds, specifically the way the leaves provide dappled light and shelter to the fruit its tree bears. Applying the same principles, the home was cocooned with symmetrical...
The Modern House
A blank canvas within one of London’s best brutalist buildings
2 months ago
Contemporist...
Exterior Lighting Illuminates The Landscaping Around This Modern House In Los Angeles
Paul McClean Of McClean Design has completed a new home in Los Angeles, California, whose design is...
2 months ago
Paul McClean Of McClean Design has completed a new home in Los Angeles, California, whose design is showcased with the inclusion of exterior lighting.
Construction Physics
Could ChatGPT become an architect?
OpenAI recently released an updated version of their GPT large language model, GPT-4, and have...
2 months ago
OpenAI recently released an updated version of their GPT large language model, GPT-4, and have incorporated it into their ChatGPT chatbot. In case you've been living under a rock, ChatGPT is a chatbot that uses large language models, which use artificial neural networks
Construction Physics
Could ChatGPT become an architect?
OpenAI recently released an updated version of their GPT large language model, GPT-4, and have...
2 months ago
OpenAI recently released an updated version of their GPT large language model, GPT-4, and have incorporated it into their ChatGPT chatbot. In case you've been living under a rock, ChatGPT is a chatbot that uses large language models, which use artificial neural networks
CONTEMPORIST
Vertical Fins Surround The Exterior Of This House Giving It A Distinct Appearance
Architecture and design studio MDAMMM, has recently completed the remodel of a home that had a...
2 months ago
Architecture and design studio MDAMMM, has recently completed the remodel of a home that had a nondescript appearance and little aesthetic appeal. The original home had an exposed brick facade in ochre tones and all other elements featured different grey tones and finishes. The...
The Modern House
Our guide to Camden Town and Primrose Hill: from panoramic views to a community ceramics space
2 months ago
Common Edge
The Washington, D.C., Drawings of Dhiru Thadani
A longtime resident captures the capital’s planning, architectural, and social history with ink,...
2 months ago
A longtime resident captures the capital’s planning, architectural, and social history with ink, pencil, and paint.
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...
2 months 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....
CONTEMPORIST
This Bedroom With A Partial Glass Floor Looks Down To The Living Room Below
Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo,...
2 months ago
Fenda Arquitetura has shared photos of their project, a modern one-bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that features a partial glass floor in the bedroom. The apartment has been designed with the living space on the lower floor, while the bedroom is located upstairs. One...
CONTEMPORIST
This House Has A Thin Floating Roof That Extends Out 15 Feet
Specht Architects has designed a new home in Mansfield, Massachusetts, for a retired couple that...
2 months ago
Specht Architects has designed a new home in Mansfield, Massachusetts, for a retired couple that wanted to simplify and downsize their lives. The new house embraces a minimalist, modern, aesthetic, and at the same time displays the priceless art, antiques, and found objects the...
CONTEMPORIST
This Bread-Inspired Facade Was Designed For A Manufacturer Of Bakery Machines
Romulo Neto Architects LDA has designed a modern building for a company that produces bakery and...
2 months ago
Romulo Neto Architects LDA has designed a modern building for a company that produces bakery and pastry machines. Inspired by the company’s principal activity of creating machines that produce dough for bread and pastries, the architects designed a facade that’s reminiscent of...
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...
2 months ago
The seaweed found in Newtown Creek, Gowanus Bay, and the East River could suck up carbon and pollutants, bolstering marine ecosystems.
BLDGBLOG
Every Room A Battlefield
[Image: Looking out over the center of “Razish,” a simulated city at the Fort Irwin National...
2 months ago
[Image: Looking out over the center of “Razish,” a simulated city at the Fort Irwin National Training Center; photo by Geoff Manaugh.] I had an opportunity to revisit the Fort Irwin National Training Center this weekend as part of a series of field trips I’ve put together for the...
BLDGBLOG
Every Room A Battlefield
[Image: Looking out over the center of “Razish,” a simulated city at the Fort Irwin National...
2 months ago
[Image: Looking out over the center of “Razish,” a simulated city at the Fort Irwin National Training Center; photo by Geoff Manaugh.] I had an opportunity to revisit the Fort Irwin National Training Center this weekend as part of a series of field trips I’ve put together for the...
No Title
Matmata: Underground Dwellings for an Extreme Climate
The ancient Berber village of Matmata in South Tunisia, located between the Eastern coast and the...
2 months ago
The ancient Berber village of Matmata in South Tunisia, located between the Eastern coast and the desert, is characterised by settlements of dwellings dug into the clay-gypsum layers of the ground. The dating of the first inhabitations is uncertain. In these dwellings, vaulted...
Construction Physics
Which city builds skyscrapers the fastest?
Last week we looked at trends in skyscraper construction speed for New York and Chicago, finding...
2 months ago
Last week we looked at trends in skyscraper construction speed for New York and Chicago, finding that New York has gotten significantly slower at building skyscrapers over time. Chicago, on the other hand, has declined in speed less steadily, and currently builds skyscrapers much...
Construction Physics
Which city builds skyscrapers the fastest?
Last week we looked at trends in skyscraper construction speed for New York and Chicago, finding...
2 months ago
Last week we looked at trends in skyscraper construction speed for New York and Chicago, finding that New York has gotten significantly slower at building skyscrapers over time. Chicago, on the other hand, has declined in speed less steadily, and currently builds skyscrapers much...
The Modern House
How Cobbie Yates and Joseph Hyland maximised space in their compact Deptford apartment
2 months ago
The Modern House
A mid-century renovation project overlooking the water in south Cornwall
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Large Green Roof Covers This Riverside Home
Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof...
2 months ago
Architect Pawel Naduk of 77STUDIO in Warsaw, Poland, has designed a modern house with a green roof that’s located on the bank of the Vistula River. The home has been designed to subtly integrate into the natural shape of the land and allows for a usable green roof. A sloped ramp...
The Modern House
Good Fellow: Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill join the RIBA as Honorary Fellows
2 months ago
The Modern House
<strong>How to grow a green garden: from creating compost to planting produce</strong>
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Pivoting Arched Windows Are A Unique Feature On This Row Of Townhouses In London
Photography by Matthew White and Izzy Scott of AVR London Architecture firm DHaus has designed a...
2 months ago
Photography by Matthew White and Izzy Scott of AVR London Architecture firm DHaus has designed a collection of 6 new terraced townhouses in North-West London, that replaced a gas station. The six new townhouses include a strong mixture of rectangles and arches, set within a brick...
99% Invisible
The Wilderness Tool [EPISODE]
Imagine one of those old-timey lumberjack photos. The kind where two men in plaid are working away...
2 months 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...
CONTEMPORIST
A Curved Accent Wall Wraps Around From The Fireplace To The Ceiling Inside This Home
MAKHNO Studio has designed a home in Kiev, Ukraine, that includes a contemporary living room with a...
2 months ago
MAKHNO Studio has designed a home in Kiev, Ukraine, that includes a contemporary living room with a large curved statement piece. The living room has a sunken couch that neatly fits into the step-down, and faces the fireplace, while the focal point of the room is a curved section...
The Modern House
Akwasi Brenya-Mensa on the future of Pan-African cuisine at Tatale in Southwark
2 months ago
A Weekly Dose of...
On Hiatus
Monday is when I would normally post a new book review, but instead, this blog and its related...
2 months ago
Monday is when I would normally post a new book review, but instead, this blog and its related newsletter are going on hiatus indefinitely due to a family emergency.
The Modern House
Four at the Fore: London’s most innovative creatives on pushing things forward
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Planter Boxes Were Designed To Help This House To Blend Into Its Tropical Setting
Architecture firm Studio Saxe has designed a new home for their clients from Canada, who were...
2 months ago
Architecture firm Studio Saxe has designed a new home for their clients from Canada, who were looking to get away from the winter season and enjoy the tropical weather of Costa Rica. The home is surrounded by a tropical landscape, with the seasonal creek and wildlife of the...
The Modern House
A fossil-shaped eco home on the border of Devon and Somerset
2 months ago
The Modern House
A fossil-shaped eco home in the rolling countryside of Devon
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Round Window Is Nestled Into A Stone Wall On The Front Of This Home
OON ARCHITECTURE has designed a modern home in Benavidez, Argentina, that features a stone, wood,...
2 months ago
OON ARCHITECTURE has designed a modern home in Benavidez, Argentina, that features a stone, wood, and concrete facade, that also includes a round window. The round window is recessed into the stone wall and is an eye-catching design element that can be seen as one walks along the...
There are two types...
What’s good for General Motors is good for America
On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system...
2 months ago
On March 15 I tweeted, “If America hadn’t decided to create a new national transportation system based on individuals in private cars driving everywhere for everything, climate change would be a very different—and smaller—problem than it is.” I posted the … Continue reading →
The...
CONTEMPORIST
LED Lighting Illuminates Shelving Throughout This Home’s Interior
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and...
2 months ago
Estevez + Persson, a new architecture and design studio, founded by Fernando Estevez Barroso and Daniel Persson, has debuted a residential project called Casa Bosques de Olivos in Mexico City. The exterior of the house features concrete, wood, and metal, as well as landscaped...
Construction Physics
When did New York start building slowly?
(Note: the analysis below of floor plate size vs construction speed is incorrect due to...
2 months ago
(Note: the analysis below of floor plate size vs construction speed is incorrect due to autocorrelation effects. For a correct analysis, see the subsequent post here) It’s good to be able to build things quickly. The faster you build something, the quicker the benefits from it...
Construction Physics
When did New York start building slowly?
(Note: the analysis below of floor plate size vs construction speed is incorrect due to...
2 months ago
(Note: the analysis below of floor plate size vs construction speed is incorrect due to autocorrelation effects. For a correct analysis, see the subsequent post here) It’s good to be able to build things quickly. The faster you build something, the quicker the benefits from it...
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – A 1960s House Transformed Into A Modern Home For A Growing Family
Floisand Studio Architects has designed the remodel of a 1960s home in Seattle, Washington, and...
2 months ago
Floisand Studio Architects has designed the remodel of a 1960s home in Seattle, Washington, and transformed it into a modern house for a growing family. This remodel sits on the same basement and foundation as its predecessor, but that’s where the similarities end. Here’s what...
99% Invisible
A Whale-Oiled Machine [EPISODE]
In the 1800s, whaling was a vast and brutal industry–sometimes as deadly for the sailors involved as...
2 months ago
In the 1800s, whaling was a vast and brutal industry–sometimes as deadly for the sailors involved as it was for the whales. And the global epicenter of whaling could be found in New Bedford, MA. All this slaughter wasn’t to feed hungry people with whale meat. It was about all the...
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...
2 months 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....
The Modern House
Artist Grace Watts on creating a serene gallery-like living space in Bethnal Green
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Rammed Earth Walls Surround This House In Australia
Luigi Rosselli Architects have shared photos of a home they renovated in Sydney, Australia, that had...
2 months ago
Luigi Rosselli Architects have shared photos of a home they renovated in Sydney, Australia, that had rammed earth walls added. The original home, whose design was akin to that of a drilling platform, had two existing floors hovering above, and was entirely disconnected from its...
The Modern House
Curator Priya Khanchandani on postmodernism and palette at her home in Archway, north London
2 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
Before & After – An Extension Adds New Living Space For This Home In London
Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects has designed the contemporary renovation and addition for a...
2 months ago
Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects has designed the contemporary renovation and addition for a Grade II listed terrace home in the London borough of Islington. The original house, which is spread over three floors, was in poor condition and had lost its charm and original...
The Modern House
A Californian-inspired 1970s home hidden under the trees in Kent
2 months ago
Construction Physics
How much safer has construction gotten?
When talking about (the lack of) construction productivity growth, or the fact that we used to build...
2 months ago
When talking about (the lack of) construction productivity growth, or the fact that we used to build things much faster than we do today, commentators frequently mention the safety of the construction workers. On this view, construction speed/efficiency and worker risk are a...
Construction Physics
How much safer has construction gotten?
When talking about (the lack of) construction productivity growth, or the fact that we used to build...
2 months ago
When talking about (the lack of) construction productivity growth, or the fact that we used to build things much faster than we do today, commentators frequently mention the safety of the construction workers. On this view, construction speed/efficiency and worker risk are a...
Contemporist...
Pitched Roofs Cover This Dark And Moody Farmhouse
Atlas Architects has shared photos of a modern house on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia, that...
2 months ago
Atlas Architects has shared photos of a modern house on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia, that was once a brown-brick, pitched-roof farmhouse built in the 1980s.
Contemporist...
A Small Cabin-Like Structure That Can Be Compressed When Not In Use
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small...
3 months ago
Architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia have shared some photos of their latest design, a small cabin-like room that expands when needed.
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...
3 months 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 […]
99% Invisible
Lost Cities of Geo Redux [EPISODE]
If we’ve learned anything from watching the turnover of tech giants like Yahoo and Myspace, it’s...
3 months ago
If we’ve learned anything from watching the turnover of tech giants like Yahoo and Myspace, it’s that internet darlings rise and fall — and there’s something darkly fascinating about watching it happen in real time. The Lost Cities of Geo We may now be seeing it all again with...
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...
3 months 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...
A Weekly Dose of...
From the Mouths of Architects
I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I went from disliking interviews — preferring texts...
3 months ago
I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I went from disliking interviews — preferring texts written by architects, much of it in the vein of theory — to gravitating to them. Now I find myself opting to read interviews, be they online or in printed matter, over other...
CONTEMPORIST
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...
3 months 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...
The Modern House
Jewellery designer Anna Jewsbury on turning a former pub into a treasured family home in Marylebone
3 months ago
The Modern House
A Piers Gough apartment with a secluded balcony and spectacular views of the Thames
3 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Modern Tree House With Two Rooms
Architecture firm Studio MEMM has designed a tree house for their clients that could be used by both...
3 months ago
Architecture firm Studio MEMM has designed a tree house for their clients that could be used by both children and adults. Located in the middle of the Brazilian forest, the design of the treehouse was inspired by the geometries of the surrounding sycamore leaf structures...
CONTEMPORIST
A Round House Design Inspired By A Tree Trunk
Mobius Architekci has sent us photos of a home they designed in Izabelin, Poland, that has a round...
3 months ago
Mobius Architekci has sent us photos of a home they designed in Izabelin, Poland, that has a round design. The vast, sandy plot densely covered with a pine forest created a unique setting for the house, with the architect drawing inspiration from a tree trunk. The home has been...
The Modern House
Six things not to miss this March
The daffodils and crocuses are popping up through the grass, the long-awaited transition of coat to...
3 months ago
The daffodils and crocuses are popping up through the grass, the long-awaited transition of coat to jacket is nigh (we hope) and we’re all swooning over that extra hour of light: yes, spring is here. This March, we’re welcoming in the brighter days with six […]
99% Invisible
RoboUmp [EPISODE]
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind...
3 months ago
In the major leagues, there are four umpires on the field — one behind each base, and one behind home plate, who has arguably the most important job, calling balls and strikes. A strike is basically any hittable pitch — something over the plate, between the batter’s chest and his...
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...
3 months 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...
Construction Physics
Construction Productivity - Structural Steel
This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We...
3 months ago
This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We previously looked at single family home construction, and noted that the number of hours required to construct 100 square feet of single family home has slightly increased over the past 50...
Construction Physics
Construction Productivity - Structural Steel
This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We...
3 months ago
This week we’re continuing our investigation of productivity trends in US construction. We previously looked at single family home construction, and noted that the number of hours required to construct 100 square feet of single family home has slightly increased over the past 50...
CONTEMPORIST
A Home In The Trees With A Living Room Suspended Over The Forest Floor
DeForest Architects has sent us images of a home they completed in Burien, Washington, that has a...
3 months ago
DeForest Architects has sent us images of a home they completed in Burien, Washington, that has a living room suspended above the forest floor. The home sits on a one-acre wooded parcel at the top of a bluff overlooking Puget Sound, with the clients wanting a tranquil and...
The Modern House
The best of Kensal Rise and Queen’s Park, north-west London
3 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
A Round Fireplace Is A Unique Feature In The Living Room Of This Remodeled Home
Aaron Kohler and Marc Straumann of architecture and design firm KOHLERSTRAUMANN, have shared photos...
3 months ago
Aaron Kohler and Marc Straumann of architecture and design firm KOHLERSTRAUMANN, have shared photos of their latest project, a renovated family home in Lausen, Switzerland. The architects completely transformed the space by changing the floors, renovating all bathrooms and the...
A Weekly Dose of...
Changing Ideals in Architectural Criticism
On the Duty and Power of Architectural Criticism edited by Wilfried Wang, published by Park Books...
3 months ago
On the Duty and Power of Architectural Criticism edited by Wilfried Wang, published by Park Books and University of Texas at Austin, 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop)
Who Is the City For?: Architecture, Equity, and the Public Realm in Chicago by Blair Kamin with photographs by Lee Bey,...
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...
3 months 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...
The Modern House
The delightful details of an Art Deco apartment in Shepherd’s Bush, west London
3 months ago
CONTEMPORIST
These A-Frame Cabins Were Built To Create An Eco-Hotel In Italy
Atelier LAVIT has sent us images of their latest project LILELO / Little Leisure Lodge, which is an...
3 months ago
Atelier LAVIT has sent us images of their latest project LILELO / Little Leisure Lodge, which is an eco-hotel made up of four independent cabins. Three of the cabins are dedicated to housing suites, with the fourth cabin acting as a common area with a generous outdoor space and a...
Construction Physics
The blast furnace - 800 years of technology improvement
The modern world uses shocking amounts of steel - in the US, we make roughly 575 pounds of steel per...
3 months ago
The modern world uses shocking amounts of steel - in the US, we make roughly 575 pounds of steel per person per year. At the peak of US steelmaking in the late 1960s, it was closer to 1500 pounds per person, which is roughly how much China makes now.
Construction Physics
The blast furnace - 800 years of technology improvement
The modern world uses shocking amounts of steel - in the US, we make roughly 575 pounds of steel per...
3 months ago
The modern world uses shocking amounts of steel - in the US, we make roughly 575 pounds of steel per person per year. At the peak of US steelmaking in the late 1960s, it was closer to 1500 pounds per person, which is roughly how much China makes now.
CONTEMPORIST
Two Shingle Covered Cottages Connected By A Living Room And Kitchen In Between
Bates Masi + Architects has designed a house in Montauk, New York, that’s built on land that was...
3 months ago
Bates Masi + Architects has designed a house in Montauk, New York, that’s built on land that was once home to early settlers in the 17th century. Remnants of horse stables, barns, and workers’ cottages scatter the landscape, however, one such cottage, a late addition built in the...
99% Invisible
Orange Alternative [EPISODE]
In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across...
3 months ago
In the months following the invasion of Ukraine, cryptic anti-war graffiti began popping up across Russia. People started writing out the phrase “no war” using asterisks instead of the various letters in order to disguise the meaning of the message. Then back in September, a...
The Modern House
Curators Gonzalo Herrero Delicado and Mathilde Friis on life in their brutalist flat in Bethnal...
3 months ago
The Modern House
How Emile Jones built a functional and fluid home in a 1950s block in Peckham
3 months ago
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