ION Architecture - NEWS

The first building to win the RIBA Stirling Prize – Hodder Associates’ Centenary Building for the University of Salford – could be converted into a new primary school. The plans for the currently empty 23-year-old building form part of 5plus Architects’ emerging 99ha development framework for the university’s existing campus and surrounding area. Hodder + Partners's Centenary Building for the University of Salford was the first to be awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize back in 1996. Originally designed to be the School of Electrical Engineering, during construction plans changed for the building to house the Faculty of Art and Design Technology. Now, according to a consultation document, the structure is slated for reuse as an entry primary school.  Hope Daley via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2LMvEwS

This fall, a green construction fence will surround the Storefront for Art and Architecture . Don't worry, the building is staying put for now—but from September 27th to October 22nd, the New York institution will mimic a construction site, with over 25 LL47 signs commissioned to artists, designers, and architects depicting alternative visions of the ongoing development occurring throughout the city. As the first visual cues of development, green construction fences and their "Work in Progress" signs signal the upcoming transformations of the neighborhoods in which they appear. In a city undergoing rapid change, they are the symbol of a booming construction phase and the powerful driving forces changing the social and urban development of the city. "Constrained by laws, policies and codes, market forces and financial structures, and limited architectural responses," as the Storefront puts it, the mock construction site at 611 Broadway will create a place to ...

An outdoor shower can be both fun and practical. If you don’t want kids, pets and other adults tracking dirt through your house, an outdoor shower is a great way to keep the great outdoors where it belongs: outdoors. Below are some of the biggest trends in outdoor showers, along with tips from experts on how to incorporate them into your outdoor space. Turn a boring backyard into a relaxing retreat with an outdoor shower. Image: Pearl Remodeling Tips for installing your outdoor shower “Outdoor showers are a nice feature for pool owners or beachfront homes,” says Jarret Acevedo, a master plumber and owner of Jarret Acevedo Plumbing and Heating . However, depending on how low your temperatures drop in the winter, you’ll need to take precautions with your shower. “Care is definitely needed to plumb it properly to protect from freezing if it’s an area with frigid temperatures,” Acevedo warns. Placing your shower strategically kills two birds with one stone. “Depending on your...

While popular culture might suggest that all architects are super-rich, in reality, most are not very well paid. “Instead, there is a lot of ingenuity in the way they buy clothes,” says Wainwright. “These are often cleverly layered garments that you might not look at twice from a distance, then you realise have interesting textures. Materials are something architects obsess over in their jobs, and they dress the way they design.” Dressing like an architect means dressing mindfully. Whether you opt for wearing all black or bright colors, choice of material and unique details can effortlessly add more character to your outfits (shopping at COS not required). If you're looking for more sartorial inspiration, revisit Archinect's previous features on architects working in fashion, or see the latest in fashion-related architecture news . Justine Testado via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2wDxN9B

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is back at it again with more outlandish ideas to solve Los Angeles' traffic. Earlier this month, Musk's latest venture–The Boring Company–resuscitated its flawed proposal to dig new car tunnels for Los Angeles, this time to connect the Red Line subway with Dodger Stadium [...] The Chicago tunnel idea is bad enough, but the Dodger Stadium plan is exceptionally poor even if one takes Musk's promises at face value. Alon Levy pokes holes in Elon Musk's public transit plans for Los Angeles . Musk's plan involves tunneling under Sunset Boulevard between the Dodger Stadium and one of three Red Line stops: Vermont/Sunset, Vermont/Santa Monica, or Vermont/Beverly. Levy cites major issues with construction, capacity, alignment with the city's existing transit, and overall regional impact.  Hope Daley via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2LK94oH

London is pure object in these images and likewise in those taken from the other aforementioned viewing points. Like visitors to a museum, we wander the corridors atop the Switch House and observe the artefacts curated for our all-consuming gaze: a shard, a walkie-talkie, a gherkin, etc. Like Tower Bridge, the new Museum of London, Battersea Power Station and the Tate Modern, the skyline of the city is presented as a display – complete with its own exhibition gift shop. George Kafka argues that London's trend in preservation and commemoration in the built environment is directly related to the decline of small-scale spaces and small businesses centered around everyday life.  Kafka cites recent developments in London's built environment over the past few years: the  V&A preserving a of a section of Robin Hood Gardens , the Museum of London moving into Smithfield Market , and the Tate Modern's viewing platform extension . He does not necessarily argue against cu...

Sam Picardal is a New York based artist and architectural illustrator running the instagram account @21.am , which shows off his sketching process for drawing buildings by famous architects. Capturing his practice via timelapse, the page posts videos of Picardal hand drawing landmark works such as the Art Gallery of Alberta by Frank Gehry , The Tower Bridge in London, Hadid 's Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, and even the Millennium Falcon. Entire cityscapes are given the pen-and-ink treatment as well, as are various spacecrafts and robotics. Mackenzie Goldberg via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2wsvfLa

If you've ridden the NYC subway at all in 2018, you've probably seen the StreetEasy ads that entice New Yorkers to "find your place," be it in a neighborhood or in a building. Here's a case of the latter, where the "sweet spot," to use StreetEasy's term, is closer to the street, which is probably loud during the day, than the party roof. I snapped the above photo in a subway car I was riding this morning, though elsewhere in the car was a StreetEasy ad that struck me as much more revealing. Instead of a traditional, 19th-century rowhouse, the below ad depicts a contemporary apartment building, clearly modeled on Neil Denari's HL23 (at bottom, for comparison's sake) next to the High Line at 23rd Street. Common in both ads is the guy in the brown bathrobe shaking his fist at the party on the roof and ... the sky? The contemporary design? The balcony above him? I'm not sure what he's doing, but that's besides the point. Wh...

Earlier this year, Czech practice Fránek Architects  won a competition to design a new entrance building for Prague's historic Botanical Garden. Featuring a simple greenhouse-like design that complements the lush gardens, the entrance building incorporates economical construction and functioning, while providing locals and visitors alike with a memorable experience that will compel them to visit the garden again and again. Aside the various garden attractions, the building will have a green roof, information center, library, cafe, restaurant, souvenir shop, event hall, and office space.  Reports state that construction of the project will take 18 months and will cost about $3.8 million. Fránek Architects shared more details about their design below. Justine Testado via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2LJEtHT

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Fall 2018 With a new school year upon us, it's time for Archinect's latest  Get Lectured , an ongoing series where we feature a  school 's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back regularly to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss. Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to  connect@archinect.com . For Fall 2018, the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning 's “Discursive Practices” lecture series features the interdisciplinary work of architects, urban planners, preservationists, and historians that engage with both the past and present. “By acknowledging and engaging with the cultural and institutional basis of inherited knowledge systems, these speakers challenge reductive modes of analysis and reveal openings for expanding the social reach and relevance of contemporary...

Over the years, ladders have slowly but surely crept into home decor. They’ve been built into furniture  and welcomed into our yards as plant stands . Recently, though, we’ve been noticing more stand-alone ladders leaning against the walls of some of the trendiest homes and apartments. Should all of us be using ladders in decor? The answer could be yes. While it’s tempting to jump on any decor trend that’s as easy to integrate as this one, using ladders in decor makes practical sense. The slim profile and openness of a ladder makes it extremely useful in a number of contexts. Ladders are a great, small-footprint way to add storage to a room without making it feel closed-in or cluttered. They’re especially helpful in smaller rooms – like bathrooms – where square footage is limited but you need space to hang or store items. Using a ladder instead of hooks is a great solution for renters, too, because it means fewer holes in the wall. Whether you want to work with ladders because ...

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/2C1bQWM

Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland Contributed by Paige Freeland via Cabin Porn http://bit.ly/2NDZMwl

Architects: Find the perfect materials for your next project through  Architizer . Manufacturers:  Sign up now  to learn how you can get seen by the world’s top architecture firms. Concrete is an extraordinarily versatile material that is ubiquitous throughout the contemporary urban landscape. In modern architecture, it is often left in its exposed state in order to create a raw, monolithic statement. Using concrete to form simple but striking volumes of different shapes and sizes is a common approach, often designed to create architecture that contrasts with nature, yet feels grounded within its context. Some of the most interesting architecture today lies in the architects’ ability to forge a connectivity of buildings to nature not with concrete alone but by combining it with other materials. One particularly popular pairing is that of concrete and wood, bringing together two of architecture’s most elementary building materials. The following seven projects are ex...