ION Architecture - NEWS

Mountainside shelter by Stefan Paulus / nowhere-nowhere.org via Cabin Porn http://bit.ly/2KkA6XM

Prep for summer fun with these outdoor entertaining tips. Image: Apex Pools We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.  ‘Tis the season to start moving your gatherings outdoors. As temperatures warm and the daylight hours lengthen, it becomes easier – and more fun – to host parties in your yard. Easier doesn’t necessarily mean easy , though. Hosting your friends al fresco comes with its fair share of challenges. The good news is that with a little preparation, an outdoor party can be extremely low-maintenance. Getting everyone together outside lends a relaxed air. Expectations are lower, the natural beauty of your yard does most of the decorating work and if things get really messy, a hose handles cleanup. Are you ready to take advantage of the summer season and move your next party into the fresh air? Here are five outdoor entertaining tips that will help you get started. Outdoor stora

While you want to be comfortable in your home, it’s possible to achieve this goal while also saving money. Making small adjustments that you will barely notice can result in significant savings. Keep reading to discover ways to save money on your electricity and water bills. Avalon Interiors Stop using your toilet as a wastebasket. “Every time you flush a facial tissue or other small bits of trash, five to seven gallons of water is wasted,” according to Doyle James, president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing . James also recommends that you refrain from using your garbage disposal so frequently. “In-sink ‘garburators’ require lots of water to operate properly,” he explains. “Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste.” If you wash your dishes by hand, stop leaving the water running when you’re rinsing them. “If you have a double-basin, fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water,” James says. “If you have a single-basin sink, gather washed dishes in a dish

Daniel Burnham’s ghost and his much-quoted exhortation to “make no little plans” haunt the just-released, utterly underwhelming design for a vertical expansion of Chicago’s Union Station. To put things in Burnham-speak, these plans are little — very little. There’s nothing wrong with the idea of putting a 330-room hotel in the upper floors [...] The trouble is a planned apartment addition that would plunk a squat modernist box atop the existing structure’s neo-classical pedestal. Tribune  critic Blair Kamin comments on the latest expansion plans by Riverside Investment & Development for Chicago's iconic Union Station , which were unveiled Monday night. "The juxtaposition of past and present isn’t as violent as the spaceship-like seating bowl that’s plopped atop the classical colonnades of Soldier Field," writes Kamin. "It’s just banal, which Burnham buildings never are." Alexander Walter via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2IB1GKI

This metallic box is the new $21m home for the AM Qattan Foundation, an arts centre that its founders hope will stand as a “beacon of culture” in the occupied West Bank. “It has been years of fighting to achieve anything close to the standards we wanted. There are defects, but it is the best we could do while building under (Israeli) occupation,” [says achitect Juan Pedro Donaire, whose firm designed the new building] Justine Testado via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2Nct59t

At Pioneer Works, in Brooklyn, the show “Gerard & Kelly: Clockwork” — photographs, text, installations, and live and filmed dance — references the three small structures and the intertwined careers of their architects: the Schindler House in West Hollywood, Calif., by R. M. Schindler; Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Conn.; and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in Plano, Ill. Artists Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly's film   Schindler/Glass  uses three iconic modernist houses as the backdrop in which issues of gendered space and domestic intimacy are explored. The video piece is part of an ongoing series by the artists called “Modern Living". Shot on site at the Schindler House, the Glass House , and the  Farnsworth House , performers interact with the complicated architectural histories in each structure. Hope Daley via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2KxoBbv

Earlier this month, a devastating blaze ripped through the celebrated Mackintosh building , threatening one of the world's finest examples of art nouveau design. The library, which was the crown jewel of Mackintosh’s vision for GSA, was currently undergoing an extensive restoration following another fire that damaged the building back in 2014. Unfortunately, the fire two weeks ago was more widespread, engulfing the entire building as well as the neighboring 02 ABC music venue. The damage is so extensive that the Glasgow City Council announced yesterday that the building is in danger of a sudden collapse, and will require an immediate dismantling of the south facade, with other reductions likely to follow.  Both the GCC and GSA are maintaining a commitment to resurrecting the building, stating they will do everything they reasonably can to ensure its future. However, Kier Construction Limited, the company leading the restoration of the Mackintosh Building, will no longer be a

According to the CDP report, the cement industry is the second-largest industrial emitter of carbon after the steel industry. And when accounting for its use in human-made structures, it is responsible for more than a third of the world’s carbon emissions. But unlike the transportation sector, in which a new type of fuel can dramatically decrease the sector’s pollutants, cement’s problem is, well, cemented in its formulation [...] In his longform piece for The Outline , Mike Disabato explains why the cement industry shows little interest in earnestly reducing the tremendous environmental impact of its (nearly) indispensable product. "No one in the cement industry has seriously engaged in the herculean task of enhancing the material’s molecular chemistry, nor have they looked to use [Franz-Josef] Ulm’s alternative at scale, according to the professor," writes Disabato. "Why introduce a new product if everyone is already buying your old one?" Alexander Walter v

A laundry room can be just as inviting as any other room in your home. Image: Jodi Fleming Design We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.  The laundry room: At best, it’s an efficient space to complete your weekly chores. At worst, it’s cramped, ugly and disorganized. You may dread going to your laundry room, but with the right colors, materials and tools, you can make it organized and stylish. After you brighten it up, you might actually enjoy doing laundry. Take a look at these tips for sprucing up your laundry room with minimal effort. 1. Add shelving and storage “For a laundry room to function well, users need easy access to everyday items such as detergents,” says Carla Phillips , a Melbourne-based interior designer. “I recommend open shelving next to the washing machine to keep your detergents handy for everyday use.” She also recommends using large storage drawers to keep laund

We get it. It can get a little overwhelming keeping up with the dozens of new  architecture competitions  launching worldwide on any given week — let alone having to stay on top of the multiple deadlines for each and every one. That's why  Bustler  is here to help! At the end of every week, we'll share a quick selection of our newest design  competition submissions  that we think are worth a look, as well as some ongoing ones you might have missed the first time. Check out our latest competition recommendations below. Bustler Editors via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2Nch2bR

Although I've lived in Astoria, Queens, for twelve years and worked in nearby Long Island City for a few years, I'd never been to Brooklyn Grange until earlier this month. Although the name points to that hipper borough to the south, the Grange's first rooftop farm is located in Queens, specifically on Northern Boulevard, a car-oriented thoroughfare that leads to and from the Queensboro Bridge. I work on Northern Boulevard and frequent the coffee shop in the base of the building where the Grange has its one-acre farm. Faced with a cold- or allergy-related sore throat that wouldn't go away, I headed to the Grange on one of its open Saturdays in June to buy some honey – what turned out to be the most delicious honey I've ever eaten. [Photos from my visit to the Brooklyn Grange] I'm bringing up Brooklyn Grange here, in the context of AB's Food issue, because it is a trailblazer of sorts, at least in regards to urban farming in New York City. Created eigh

Rustic village by Stefan Paulus /  nowhere-nowhere.org via Cabin Porn http://bit.ly/2yUqIVx

The longstanding water crisis in California has turned our attention to structural features that can minimize a home’s impact on the environment — but this time, things might get a little wet. Rather than depending solely on a region’s public water supply, incorporating rainwater harvesting and collection systems can provide a supplemental source of water for drinking (the quality is often better than surface water), cleaning, irrigation and bathing. For homes located in remote areas, or in times of drought, rainwater harvesting systems — including innovative roof pitches, gutters and water tanks  — can form the main water supply, if enough rainwater is properly stored. Homes with rainwater harvesting systems often use slightly pitched roofs to filter rainwater into storm pipes, which feed into large cisterns underground for storage and later use. The benefits of rainwater harvesting systems go beyond just use in the home, helping to reduce storm water runoff, erosion, and contam

Do you have an outdated piece of furniture, or simply a piece that no longer fits your decor? You may be tempted to replace the item; however, painting furniture is an easy (and inexpensive) way to give your pieces new life. Painted furniture can add a pop of color to a room – like a red lamp base or chair in an otherwise neutral color palette.  Painted furniture can also help everything blend in: for example, a new white headboard and white nightstands to fit a white bedroom. There are some considerations to keep in mind when painting your furniture — when done poorly, painted furniture risks looking tacky or amateurish. In the worst case scenario, painted furniture begins chipping and peeling shortly after the project is completed. So, why are some projects successful, while others are a disaster? We asked Selena Rivas-Alexander, a designer at K.R.E. Group in San Antonio, TX, to explain the what, why and how of painting furniture.   Before painting furniture, consider the desi

We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.  After our long-term love of neutral and sparkling-white kitchens, we’re all craving a bit more color. You don’t have to change everything about your beautiful kitchen just to add new colors to your palette. Adding colorful accents can be inexpensive, although you can also choose to have a bigger impact by increasing your budget. Before you start shopping, it’s important to narrow down your wish list for your new kitchen color palette. Gold accents warm up a white kitchen. Image: Designs by Craig Veenker Goals for updating your kitchen color palette There are a few different reasons you may want to update your kitchen color palette: Move beyond a monochromatic color scheme Lighten up a dark kitchen Add on-trend accessories to a dated kitchen Coordinate your kitchen colors with a recently decorated room Personalize your showroom-perfect kit