Architecture

ArchDaily tackled a topic that may seem odd at first, but which they make a solid case for, providing a surprising amount of evidence to deal with: architecture and construction are being driven not just by form or function but by photographability, to accommodate the culture of Instagram and Pinterest.

Concrete takes first place as the world’s most commonly used construction material. Some criticize concrete’s structural soundness. A group of civil engineers offers Graphene as a superior solution to concrete.

California lives in the middle of a housing crisis, particularly in the Bay Area. They attack the problem by refurbishing old houses, changing zoning to allow multiple-unit splits in existing homes, and upzoning to construct larger buildings with lower rents. Yet, the problem persists.

Fodor’s, a famed international travel guide, cites notorious construction phenomena. Whether by poor site selection, lousy building materials, or oversights in architectural design, each of the guide’s featured buildings manifests spectacular problems.

One hundred fifty years after the inferno that swept Chicago, architects and historians explore the city’s rapid rebuild. They want to understand the fire’s impact on both Chicago’s landscape and national construction trends.

Most think of modular home development as high production of low-cost structures. But a report in The Real Deal cites a movement toward high-end customers in this space. Modular construction entices luxury buyers with quick turnaround times.

Some scientists speculate that concrete production contributes to 6% of the world’s greenhouse gasses. Switzerland intends to improve those numbers with revolutionary concrete creation techniques.

Danny Forster Architecture, a New York firm, has partnered with MiTek Inc, a company owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, to create the Modular Activation Platform (MAP); they intend to solve some of the main problems with modular construction.

With demand for office space in many big cities—from Melbourne to New York City to London—at significant lows, some housing advocates push to turn empty office space into residential apartments.

Architecture thrives on a combination of multiple disciplines, such as structural engineering and quantity surveying. Many architects view archeology as a discipline of emerging importance to their craft. Designers use archaeology as a vehicle for sustainability and heritage.

In recent years, the construction industry has migrated toward modular construction. COVID-19 has escalated this shift. The data indicates an increase in worker safety for companies who use this type of construction.

Futurists are making predictions about what is coming next for the world. One of the most significant speculation areas is that population growth will drive more urbanization, and cities will have to deal with more and more people.

The publication Arch Daily recently published an op-ed questioning the long-held belief that using wood in construction is a more sustainable, more environmentally-friendly method. Wood is a renewable resource, which other materials, like steel and concrete, are not.

A new website has launched for a new public high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, with details emerging about the line's construction, known as Brightline West.

The new Canadian company Nexii has created a material that is 33% more energy efficient than concrete and that allows for rapid construction of buildings—including small, medium, and large structures. Based in British Columbia, the company says its new building material, combined with an improved design and assembly process, allows for buildings that are cost-efficient, durable and even disaster-resistant.

We all know that we respond emotionally to architecture. The style and quality of a building can brighten moods, put people at ease, or depress and cause anxiety. But recently research psychiatrists have been studying the effects of architecture on the mind, and the results are intriguing.

What was once a material originally engineered for the construction of airplanes, thermoset technology is increasingly being contemplated in the production of not only specific building features, but the entire way buildings are designed.

Has a new technology has turned the sustainable construction field on its head: fungus?

A slogan that we heard as kids in school has entered a more professional lexicon: the world of architecture. Now it’s taking on a whole new meaning as modern architects increasingly look for ways to make their buildings environmentally friendly, cheaper, and even more beautiful.

Despite being named “The Most Important Architect of Our Age,” by Vanity Fair, Frank Gehry got off to a shaky start. After deep soul searching he realized that what he liked best was art, museums, paintings, and music.