Huge concrete bridges will be turned into vertically-stacked neighborhoods.
Along an old highway that winds through the mountains in southern Italy, a series of huge concrete bridges will eventually be turned into vertically stacked neighborhoods–as long as the government can come up with the cash to build the project. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Italy’s old bridges will become inverted high-rise communities”
Superhydrophobic Engineered Cementitious Composite
A new advanced water-repellant concrete impregnated with tiny super strong fibers promises to leave roads and bridges free of major cracks for up to 120 years. (Video)
Continue reading… “New water-repellant concrete could last more than 100 years without maintenance”
Ark Hotel
Some cities are starting to consider building farther from the water’s edge as sea levels rise and coastal cities try to figure out how to deal with the threat of flooding,. Other cities might not want to retreat. The other approach: Constructing buildings tough enough to handle any storm. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Ark Hotel floats away when sea levels rise”
Roger Sherman Architecture + Urban Design explores the idea of a year-round recreational area for kids of all ages in Ronkonkoma.
Parking lots and similar structures have been a popular battleground for urbanists and architects in their quest to reclaim urban space as they often represent large tracts of unused land that offer little existing aesthetic contribution. Arguably the ParkingPLUS proposals in Long Island, which are a follow-up to 2010′s Build a Better Burb competition, encourage behaviors that have created more livable downtowns while combining personal and public transit in striking new configurations. Though these proposals to reinvigorate a 4,000 sq ft parking lot are still mere pipe dreams right now, each was carefully examined for cost and suitability to each area’s needs, making them a possibility for the future. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Parking lot design challenge aims to revitalize urban areas”
hOMe
You won’t necessarily sacrifice comfort by living in a tiny house, at least not according to work-at-home husband and wife team Andrew and Gabriella Morrison. They live in a 221 square foot home, which is dubbed hOMe. The tiny hose is designed in a way that maximizes each part of the living space, giving the appearance of being a much larger house than it is. The home greatly resembles a shipping container from the outside due to its shape, and is only 8 feet and 6 inches wide. (Photos)
Continue reading… “A tiny home that appears much larger than it actually is”
Architects rely on the teachers and the school administrators’ feedback regarding their work environment.
Moa Dickmark offers her insights into the future of pedagogy and learning environments, an issue that raises various questions around the world. Here, she shares her vision for learning spaces in the future, how to go about developing them, and why she believes that students and teachers should have a say and be a part of the development and implementation process.
Continue reading… “The future of learning environments”
Tiny Homes – Redefining the simple life
Futurist Thomas Frey: Most of us hate feeling cramped. We hate being stuck on a crowded plane, stuck in congested traffic, and wading through packed concert halls. We like to be able to stretch out, get casual, and relax, but we can’t do that when people are invading our space.
Continue reading… “Why the Tiny Home Movement May Not be So Tiny”
St. George outlet mall and observation wheel: $580 million
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s reign is coming to a close. He is talking up his next move, which involves teaching other cities to be more like New York. But behind the scenes, he’s also scrambling to push through dozens of building projects that will define his legacy. (Photos)
Continue reading… “New York City’s billion dollar megaprojects that will transform the city by 2030”
Contour crafting.
There have been huge advancements in 3D printing. We have seen 3D printed oversized wrenches that measure 1.2 meters in length. Now. we can print an entire 2,500 square foot house in 20 hours. (Video)
Continue reading… “The 3D printer that can print a 2,500 square foot house in 20 hours”
One World Trade Center
Architects will find out if the tallest building in America really is 1,776 feet tall, in a few weeks. One World Trade Center technically soars to that height, but about 408 feet of it isn’t building but “spire.” The arbiter of tall buildings, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, has yet to decide whether that’s going to count.
Continue reading… “How tall will physics allow us to build skyscrapers?”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcZSU40RBrg[/youtube]
Many urban cites don’t have enough street space for setting up proper bike storage infrastructure. The problem of overcrowding and illegal parking can cause potential hazards for emergency situations and general pedestrian navigation. In Japan, an earthquake-resistant underground bike parking system has been developed by Giken to help resolve the issue, approaching the situation through their design concept, which is based on culture above ground, and function underground. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Eco-cycle is an automated bike parking system”
MVRDV, a Rotterdam-based company, has just completed the ‘book mountain + library quarter’ centrally located in the market square of Spijkenisse, the Netherlands. It houses a mountain of bookshelves and is contained by a glass-enclosed structure and pyramidal roof with an impressive total surface area of 9,300 square meters. Corridors and platforms bordering the form are accessed by a network of stairs to allow visitors to browse the tiers of shelves. A continuous route of 480 meters culminates at the peak’s reading room and cafe with panoramic views through the transparent roof. Any possible damage caused to the books by direct sunlight is offset by the expected 4 year lifespan of borrowed materials. (Photos)
Continue reading… “Book Mountain: A stunning glass-enclosed library”