Resources to help you find materials, perfect design details and master the tools you need to create better buildings.
Residents of California are feeling firsthand what life is like with a limited water supply as they face the current drought. But the resource crisis extends far beyond one state: according to water.org, a child dies every minute due to a water-related disease and a staggering 750 million people (or the equivalent of two and…
If there is one thing architectural writers pride themselves on more than anything else, it is the a rt of categorization. They revel in the distillation of a studio’s burgeoning portfolio down to the telltale signs of modernism, postmodernism, deconstructivism, or high-tech: few contemporary practices can free themselves from the shackles of these broadly defined and…
When a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the heart of Nepal on April 25th this year, the country’s peo ple and their built environment suffered immeasurable damage. The tragedy spanned from the city streets of Kathmandu to the snow-covered slopes of Everest: more than 9,000 people lost their lives, and many more were left bereaved, injured, and homeless.…
Designers seeking to move away from speccing tile classics, such as the subway and penny-round, rejo ice: these shapely and illusory finds are cures for the common wall (or floor). Shaking things up further, two of these are fashioned from concrete. Fireclay Tile’s Chaine Femme Fireclay Tile: Chaine Femme Reminiscent of chain links, these ceramic tiles…
Koreatown in Los Angeles offers a lot more than most traditional ethnic enclaves: it’s one of the bi ggest, densest, and most diverse areas in a city often criticized for sprawl and segregation. Challenging this popular conception of L.A., high rises and eclectic businesses line Koreatown’s walkable main corridors. Meanwhile, historic Art Deco apartments pack side…
Quick! Name three ways to improve a building’s energy efficiency. While the most obvious solutions a re often expensive and highly visible — upgrading windows, replacing old kitchen appliances, and installing a building automation system — the biggest gains often run just below the surface. Closed-cell spray foam insulation products, like Icynene’s ProSeal, are just that:…
Designing with streaks of light that seemingly cut through a space or define edges is becoming more sophisticated as luminaires and the technologies behind them do. The effects can be anything from ethereal to edgy and futuristic (regarding the latter, think “Tron,” the original 1982 film). Whatever the ambiance or energy you’re trying to imbue…
British firm Wilkinson Eyre is officially joining the high-rise party in England’s capital. Its prop osal for Bishopsgate in the heart of the City has been granted planning permission, and the 40-story glass edifice is now due for construction alongside the plethora of novelty silhouettes on London’s burgeoning skyline. Commissioned by Mitsubishi Estate London, the Bishopsgate…
Some of the most memorable graphic works by midcentury architect and designer Alexander Girard live on in upholstery textiles, etched glass, and art panels. Starting today, they’re also being offered in a customizable stationery line, both printed and digitized, through Paperless Post. The popular etailer of invitations, greeting and holiday cards, and notecards has launched…