Wright created a sculptural masterpiece, but he was pushing the boundaries of residential construction. He didn't put enough reinforcing steel in the cantilevers of the house over the waterfall, so as soon as they removed the formwork, the house started to sag. Wright was always assuring the Kaufmanns it was natural, but it was the house failing.
The contemporary technology museum has emerged as a performative participant in the systems it seeks to document. The architecture of these institutions has become increasingly fluid and bold, often mirroring the velocity and complexity of the systems it houses. They operate as mediators between the human, the ecological, and the technological realms, transforming from encyclopedic warehouses into active educational engines.
Our first step was coming up with a floor plan based on our clients' lifestyle. We saw that we could create a guest room/den in the front and a generous primary suite and nursery in the back, with two full bathrooms in the middle within the same footprint where there had been one large central bath.
When the Woolworth Building was constructed in 1910, owner Frank Woolworth and architect Cass Gilbert wanted to make the structure fireproof. With the recent tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the memory of the Great Fire of New York City in 1835 in mind, every precaution was taken to ensure that the "Cathedral of Commerce" would not succumb to a similar fate.
Heritage is usually catalogued by what can be drawn, not by what changed temperature. In heat, buildings are learned first through skin, only later through sight. Generations learn, through their bodies, what works. Shade reduces glare and radiant heat. Air movement shifts perception by several degrees. Thick walls slow temperature swings.
Rather than representing a simple return to the past, this renewed interest reflects a broader reconsideration of how architecture engages with materials, local resources, and environmental conditions.
Rural construction is mostly spontaneous, giving rise to a rich diversity of built forms. Within this organic complexity, our strategy is not to assert ourselves through contrast, but to inhabit the context with quiet modesty.
Over decades, concrete, block, stone, and brick foundations naturally weaken as mortar joints decay, tie-rod holes rust out, and block cavities collect moisture, creating new leak paths that didn't exist when the home was built. When looking at a concrete foundation, it isn't a matter of IF it will leak, but WHEN it will leak.
In fact, it acts as an insulator that protects the shingles. And, even when it's deep, the snow's weight is less than what the roof is designed to bear; the average roof is built to carry loads of 65 pounds per square foot. Even flat roofs, which seem more vulnerable to snow loads than pitched ones, are pretty tough. In fact, residential flat roofing is stronger than commercial roofs.
Having explored adaptability at the city scale, we are now zooming in on the building itself-and, crucially, on practice. How can architects, developers, and consultants embed adaptability as a measurable, mainstream outcome? This question will be on the agenda at the Adaptable Building Conference (ABC) on January 22 at the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, where architects, engineers, policymakers, and industry leaders will explore the potential of adaptable buildings-and how to deliver them at scale.
Work to fix hospitals built using unsafe concrete will not be completed in time to meet the government's target, a new report has warned. Seven hospitals built using Raac, or reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, were prioritised for remedial work last year, with the government setting a deadline of 2030. The new buildings are now expected to open in 2032 and 2033 - but some are already facing pressure to meet the revised timetable, the National Audit Office (NAO) said.
The national rail bridge that spans Balham High Road, next to Balham station, has been given a deep clean and a new lighting scheme to improve its appearance. The bridge is the latest to benefit from Wandsworth Council's £2m schedule of improvements to rail bridges and underpasses, which is being funded by its contributions from local property developers.
Located on the outskirts of Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu, , Paati Veedu by Koodu Architecture is a compact rural developed under financial constraint and material limitation. Built on a 1,200-sqft site within a neighborhood of small houses and agricultural fields, the project is defined by , adaptation, and resource-conscious construction. The house was constructed using 10,000 accumulated over time by the client, forming the primary material basis for the design.
As the weights touch, they get a bit musical and there's a kind of harmonic ring in your wall. It's like the house is alive. But with soulful age come other sounds: rattles, wind whistling through gaps and a homeowner's curses because the blasted contraptions won't open and close properly.
At the heart of the scheme is a substantial upgrade to the Barbican's Conservatory. Longstanding maintenance and accessibility issues will be addressed, alongside the creation of a climate-controlled environment to protect its plant collection. The revamped Conservatory is intended to become a more prominent visitor attraction, with regular free public access and new routes to raised balconies offering views across the tropical landscape.
Even before the client decided to compete in the public sale of a military domain, he involved architect Maarten Dekoninck in his plans. He gave a positive recommendation and later transformed the brutalist building, characterized by concrete and steel windows, into a residential house with an office function.
Brick Lane is one of London's most beloved, and buzzing, areas. Home to the largest Bangladeshi community outside of Bangladesh, nowadays the cobbled street in the East End is known just as much for its curry houses and vintage shops as its ubiquity of fashionable young shoppers, TikTokkers and trendy coffee shops. At the centre of Brick Lane is the great Truman Brewery. Currently, the building that was once London's largest brewery is home to food and vintage markets, record stores, music venues and more.
Heritage sites constitute complex spatial archives in which architecture, history, and collective memory converge. They encompass a wide spectrum of contexts-from archaeological remains, ancient and historic townscapes, UNESCO-listed landscapes, to early modern civic structures and industrial infrastructures. Yet these environments confront challenges: climate change, urban transformation, disaster, shifting social needs, and the gradual erosion of material fabric. Revitalization and restoration projects respond to these conditions by positioning architectural and spatial practice as an active mediator between preservation and the contemporary topologies.
Ba-rro: "Our starting point is always the context and what already exists." We are interested in recognizing the value of things simply because they are there, without assuming that everything must be preserved as a matter of principle. The question isn't what can be kept, but what deserves to be kept in each specific project. The decision to preserve, reveal, or remove doesn't stem from universal values or a nostalgic impulse, but from a situated interpretation:
When Sean Spellman opened Dawnlands in Westerly, Rhode Island, last year, it was more than just a new address on the map. Conceived as an art gallery and gathering place, Dawnlands was built entirely by Sean and his family-no contractors, no designers, no outside help. Each board and bench was made with intention, using local pine and sensibility shaped by Japanese, Scandinavian, and coastal Californian influences.
Picture this: you're knee-deep in renovation dust, crowbar in hand, when something unexpected tumbles from behind century-old plaster. A yellowed envelope? A strange metal box? That moment when your heart skips because you realize you might have just found something extraordinary. For some lucky homeowners, these discoveries turn out to be worth thousands of dollars, transforming a simple home improvement project into an unexpected treasure hunt.
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