Senior Editor at ArchDaily based in Los Angeles.
A new boutique hotel in South Africa will re-purpose train cars as guest rooms on a bridge above the Sabie River. Each car has been converted to house 31 luxury guest rooms made to highlight local culture. Called the Kruger Shalati, the train scheme aims to celebrate where the first visits to Kruger National Park were allowed in the early 1920s.
Romania's modern architecture merges global perspectives with local traditions. From pre-modern styles to post-revolution work that began in the early 90s, the country's built environment is incredibly diverse. From cities like Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara, modern projects are being designed between historic structures.
NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund has selected 62 grant recipients to support funding in parks and open spaces across New York City. The effort was made to support a coalition of national, family, and community foundations. As the first round of funding, the grants range from $5,000 to $120,000 to support essential maintenance, stewardship, public programming, and management of parks and open spaces across the five boroughs.
The Mies van der Rohe Foundation has launched the second edition of the Lilly Reich Grant for equality in architecture. Marking the 135th anniversary of the birth of the German designer, the grant incorporates specific support for senior high school students to enhance curricular research projects. The grant aims to deepen the knowledge and dissemination of Reich and her impact in the history of modern architecture.
A new webcast and podcast series, Design Disruption, has been launched by architectural writer Sam Lubell and social entrepreneur Prathima Manohar. In a partnership with ArchDaily, the first episode today at 11 am (EST) on ArchDaily, YouTube and Facebook. This episode explores high density housing with guests Moshe Safdie, founder of Safdie Architects, and Ma Yansong, founder of MAD architects. The goal of the series is to provide an international perspective on disruptive issues with guests from different continents.
The 14th Annual San Francisco Design Week (SFDW) is returning this year as a virtual design festival. The all-online program kicks off June 15-25 with the theme “Intentional Distortions." Over 150 participating Bay Area and West Coast design firms are joining the event with original ideas and creative solutions to help businesses survive in a post-pandemic world.
Two young designed practices, Gruppa and Anagram A-U, have designed a new cultural center for the city of Modřice in Czechia. With offices based in The Netherlands, Barcelona and Athens, the team participated in the national competition to imagine a new space for gathering and assembly.
OMA / Jason Long and Y.A. Studio have been selected to design an 150 unit affordable housing project in San Francisco's historic Haight Ashbury neighborhood. Dubbed 730 Stanyan, the project aims to provide a high-quality living environment for families and seniors. The housing will be situated at the entry to Golden Gate Park and aspires to address the city’s desperate need for permanent housing options.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has released 3D models for retail stores and office spaces to help reopen safely during the pandemic. The Design strategies use an architectural, engineering and administrative framework based upon recent public health information. They also provide cost effective options that can be implemented immediately.
The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum have announced the winners of the "Europe 40 Under 40" for 2019. The annual program is initiated by The European Centre to spotlight and distinguish the next generation of architects and designers who will impact future living and working environments, cities, and rural areas.
Architecture has an inherent role to the play in the global climate crisis. Buildings and their construction together account for 36 percent of global energy use and 39 percent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions annually. Brad Jacobson is a principal at EHDD and a leader working to implement climate responsive design. Designing for the future, Brad synthesizes diverse perspectives to craft high performance solutions.
Dutch design practice Mecanoo has unveiled a proposal for a new wing of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Taking aim at the structure's back of house and organization, the project is made to create clear circulation and connections throughout. In addition, the project is part of a larger renovation of the existing Museum Garden as it bring together the wings of the architects Van der Steur and Bodon as part of the collection.
Herzog & de Meuron have created a new design for a supertall skyscraper in Toronto. If built as planned, the project would rise to 1,063 feet and become the tallest residential building in Canada. Working together with project architect Quadrangle, the team was commissioned by Dutch real estate development companies Kroonenberg Geoep and ProWinko to design the new landmark for Toronto.
Architecture shapes how we live and come together. Amidst a pandemic and protests around the world, architects and designers are speaking out to condemn injustice and build space for empathy and understanding. In listening, they are looking to how we live together, and in turn, how we can create a more equitable and just world.
The London Design Biennale and Chatham House announced a new call for designers to address issues of crisis around the world. Called Design Resonance in an Age of Crisis, the initiative aims for radical design solutions to critical problems across four key areas: Health, Environment, Society, and Work. The announcement follows the news that the Biennale has been postponed until 2021.
Kimberly Dowdell, 2019-2020 NOMA National President, recently issued a statement on behalf of the National Organization of Minority Architects on the nature of NOMA's advocacy and mission. Her words follow protests seeking justice for the killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd in the United States.
Harvard Graduate School of Design (Harvard GSD) has announced Daniel Fernández Pascual as the winner of the 2020 Wheelwright Prize. Now in its eighth cycle, the Wheelwright Prize supports innovative design research, crossing both cultural and architectural boundaries, with a $100,000 grant intended to support two years of study. The 2020 Wheelwright Prize drew over 170 applicants from over 45 countries.
For students graduating this year with the global economy on pause, “commencement” might feel more like entering limbo. But while today’s crisis is unique, it’s not the first recession within memory. Many architects and designers at SOM have faced periods of uncertainty and often learned valuable lessons along the way. In turn, the team decided to share their stories.
