BD+C
JULY 27, 2016
Most of the energy on Earth comes from the sun. Sunshine reaching the earth’s surface, averaged over the entire planet, is about ¾ of a KWh per square foot per day. But that also includes energy filtered or reflected by the atmosphere and areas closer to the poles where the angle of light is highly oblique. When there is bright sunshine at ground level, it rains down about 100 watts per square foot during the sunniest times of the day.
Life of an Architect
JULY 4, 2016
After exhaustive research ( a.k.a. my internet explorer history ) and peer feedback ( I asked some people I know ) I have created “the” definitive listing of the Best Architectural Websites in the World for 2016. In all seriousness, I have spent weeks putting this list together, read far more cruddy websites than I care to think about, and fallen behind on Marco Polo in my effort to bring you a quality list of architectural websites that should be in your online rotation.
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EntreArchitect
JULY 25, 2016
The European Holiday Shut Down. Every summer, much of the European continent takes holiday at the same time. During the month of August, the city streets empty and the summer resorts fill up. Many architects have experienced the result of this shut down when ordering products or materials from European suppliers. If you order tile from France in July, don’t expect delivery until September or October.
Bruce F. Roth Architect
JULY 15, 2016
Child Advocacy Centers, Cook County. The Courthouses in Cook County have been adding drop-off type childcare spaces to each of their facilities. Called Child Advocacy Centers, there purpose is to provide short-term care to kids who might have to accompany their parents to court. This serves parents that have no one else to take care of the kids and have no option but to bring them along.
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A new industry study conducted by Architizer on behalf of Chaos Enscape surveyed 2,139 design professionals to understand the state of architectural visualization and what to expect in the near future. We asked: How are visualizations produced in your firm? What impact does real-time rendering have? What approach are you taking toward the rise of AI?
BD+C
JULY 19, 2016
Think of those ultra-sped up videos we have all seen, the ones that show a plant poke the first of its leaves through the soil, grow and flower, and then, petal by petal, begin to decay. It is a vexingly entertaining, and, by more dramatic accounts, beautiful thing to watch. It is also the same mentality game developer Jose Sanchez is using in Block’hood , a neighborhood simulator where the city is treated much in the same way as the growing and dying flower; as a living entity.
Architecture Focus brings together the best content for architecture professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
BD+C
JULY 31, 2016
The public can never get enough of death-defying diversions, from flagpole sitters in the 1920s to today’s ever-crazier rollers coasters. The last two “Mission Impossible” movies—which featured Tom Cruise actually scaling the outside of the Burj Khalifi and hanging onto the wing of a jet in flight—combined did nearly $1.4 billion in box office sales internationally.
BD+C
JULY 27, 2016
Contractors need to be nimble enough to position themselves for whatever the market yields. “We want to be a ‘must consider’ for every project, and to be that, we must constantly improve,” says Pat Di Filippo, Executive Vice President of Turner’s Northeast region. For the past several years, design-build has accounted for 10–15% of Turner’s work. “If you’re going to do design-build, you have to be able to drive the design,” Di Filippo says.
BD+C
JULY 26, 2016
A quick rundown of architecture and A/E firm innovations this year: • Adrian Smith+Gordon Gill Architecture Implemented VR into its standard design and visualization plan; using Grasshopper and Dynamo to create more robust Revit-to-Rhino interoperability. • Architects Hawaii Limited Created the AHL Wahine Collaborative, a forum where female employees can share “talk stories” to create a “workplace of trust for women.”.
BD+C
JULY 21, 2016
They’re the unsung heroes in the workplace: the “Jack and Jill of all trades” in emerging and startup companies who help keep an office running, doing everything from project management to managing payroll and operations. Over the course of two years, Gensler has engaged with a professional network known as the Office Heroes League (OHL). This network is comprised of over 600 office managers, administrative/executive assistants, and office professionals from various companies in the San Franci
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Aerial imagery has emerged as a necessary tool for architecture, engineering, and construction firms seeking to improve pre-construction site analysis, make more informed planning decisions, and ensure all stakeholders have access to an accurate visualization of the site to keep the project moving forward. Download our guide and take a deeper look at how aerial imagery can be leveraged to drive project efficiency by reducing unnecessary site visits and providing the accurate details required to
BD+C
JULY 15, 2016
For many who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, the sound of a parent yelling from upstairs to stop playing video games and go outside and enjoy the beautiful summer day was probably a fairly common occurrence. It was often times met with a “One more level!” or “I’ve almost beaten it!” plea. Others tried a bolder strategy of not moving or making a sound when the call inevitably came downstairs, hoping their parent had movement based T-rex vision and would soon realize their mistake and move on.
BD+C
JULY 14, 2016
The developer of 181 Fremont, a 70-story residential and office tower being built in San Francisco, claims this will be the most earthquake-resistant building on the West Coast when it is completed in the summer of 2017. Jay Paul Company acquired this development from SKS Investments in 2013, and estimates its cost at $665 million. The Class A building will include 432,000 sf of office space, 67 luxury condos on its top 17 floors, and 3,000 sf of retail space.
BD+C
JULY 5, 2016
When we talk about designing for climate adaptation, we first and foremost concern ourselves with the preservation and protection of human life. While the understood goal of resilient buildings is to physically protect both the property and the people, resiliency can also have positive mental health effects for building occupants.
BD+C
JULY 30, 2016
About a year ago, Stantec began testing the compatibility of virtual reality technology with its various design platforms. It tested the number of hours and costs to implement VR, and how this tool could be used to present projects to clients. It appears that this initial research has convinced Stantec about the utility of VR in project design. This month, Stantec launched Phase 2 of its virtual reality research initiative, which will explore methods for integrating VR technology with building d
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In the dynamic world of architecture, design, and construction, creative problem-solving is crucial for success. Traditional methods often fall short in effectively conveying design intent to clients. Real-time visualization empowers you with a solid decision-making tool that smooths the design process. Discover the power of real-time visualization: Effective Communication Convey your vision clearly and align with clients.
BD+C
JULY 19, 2016
Indoor waterparks are great. They allow for year-round use regardless of whether it is raining, snowing, or below freezing outside. But the main reason they exist is to allow people who live in climates that aren’t necessarily water park friendly the opportunity to join in on the fun. Given the option, wouldn’t the majority of us pick an outdoor water park to an indoor one?
BD+C
JULY 6, 2016
With a huge inventory of 1960s and 1970s campus housing stock in need of renovation or replacement, increasing university enrollment and a shortage of on-campus housing nationwide, there is tremendous pressure on universities across the country to meet the demand. Total undergraduate enrollment in degree-granting post-secondary institutions was 17.5 million students in Fall 2013, an increase of 46 percent from 1990, when it was 12 million students.
BD+C
JULY 20, 2016
San Diego Unified Port District last week voted 6-1 in support of a $1.2 billion waterfront redevelopment plan that includes as one of its centerpieces a 480-foot-tall spire. The plan, known as Seaport San Diego , calls for 75% of the approximately 70 acres of redeveloped land to be used for parks, beaches, and other public spaces.
BD+C
JULY 8, 2016
The World Green Building Council recently unveiled its "Advancing Net Zero" initiative that aims for 100% net-zero buildings by 2050. The Council’s interim goal is to have all new buildings and major renovations designed for net-zero energy use by 2030. The organization will organize Green Building Councils around the world to develop net-zero certification programs for existing and new buildings.
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Don’t let water wash away all your hard work. When specifying concrete waterproofing, you need a solution that’s reliable and permanent. Without it, your concrete waterproofing is at risk of failing and letting water erode and corrode the concrete that it was supposed to protect. Reduce the risk of waterproofing failure by reading through our latest free specification e-book, which will take you through the four key components to better concrete waterproofing specification.
BD+C
JULY 14, 2016
Shigeru Ban certainly made the most of the first project that he designed for Canada. The Pritzker Prize–winning architect, along with developer PortLiving, unveiled plans for Terrace House. The Building Team says that the Vancouver residential development will be the world’s tallest hybrid structure. Details are being kept a secret for now. The full unveiling, including the renderings and specific project details, will is scheduled for the fall.
BD+C
JULY 8, 2016
Denver’s downtown Civic Center Station is being upgraded to better serve people who take public transit — and possibly those who don’t. Construction has begun on a $26 million renovation to the 30-year-old station. Perkins Eastman is the project’s Design Architect, SEH is the architect of record, and Mortenson Construction is the prime contractor.
BD+C
JULY 11, 2016
Architecture and interior design firm CetraRuddy has designed an 18-story office building at 412 W. 15th St. in New York City, located in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking district. The firm will also lead the renovations of 85,000 sf of additional office and boutique retail space in connecting buildings.
BD+C
JULY 12, 2016
New designs were unveiled for the LEGO world headquarters, and surprisingly enough, they did not include step-by-step picture guides on how to build the place. Located in Billund, Denmark, the 52,000-sm complex will still incorporate many familiar themes from the popular plastic building block toys.
Speaker: Pedro Clarke – Principal Architect at A+ Architecture, In Loco Program Director
Sustainability begins with a conversation, and acquiring customer buy-in is entirely dependent on how the conversation is framed. Clients may not see sustainability as a priority out of fear of operational costs and quality. While these are legitimate concerns, it is our responsibility as architects to listen and foster a collaborative culture that answers client issues while also reducing our carbon footprint.
BD+C
JULY 25, 2016
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) has selected the recipients of the AIA National Healthcare Design Awards program. The program showcases the best healthcare building design and healthcare design-oriented research. Projects exhibit conceptual strengths that solve aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns as well as the requisite functional and sustainability concerns of a hospital.
BD+C
JULY 5, 2016
The average new apartment in the U.S. is about 8% smaller than the average was a decade ago. And that shrinkage wasn’t confined to urban markets, either. Those are two of the main findings in a recent survey of the apartment market , conducted RENTCafé, a nationwide apartment search website, using data provided by Yardi Matrix, a sister company that researches and reports on multifamily properties of 50 units or more across 121 markets in the U.S.
BD+C
JULY 11, 2016
Is the construction industry up to the challenge of repairing the world’s crumbling infrastructure? A new report from McKinsey & Co. answers with a definitive “No,” unless the industry can place itself firmly into the digital future in its organization, documentation, management, and information sharing.
Life of an Architect
JULY 11, 2016
It’s really hard for people to find an architect; at least that’s what the emails in my inbox are telling me. To further get to the point, it’s not hard to look one up that’s in your hometown – that’s easy. What’s hard is trying to figure out which one you should hire. That’s when people email me with questions, asking for advice and guidance.
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Research reveals 96% of respondents are very or fairly optimistic about their organization’s growth prospects for the next year. The InEight Global Capital Projects Outlook also finds over half see digital technology as the greatest growth opportunity. But these are only some of the findings. Don't be kept in the dark when it comes to the future. Read the report today!
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