The magazine, ArchiAfrica, has been redesigned and is now based in Accra (used to be Amsterdam). Take a look around both the digital edition of the magazine and the website for a glimpse into a world that’s little-covered in the Western architectural press. Our mission is to broaden the …
China’s Wang Shu: From builder to Pritzker-winning architect – the first Chinese architect to be awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize talks about traditional Chinese architecture, the importance of nature, and applying those traditional principles and methods in his own projects. … if you look at Chinese traditional buildings, you …
Here’s a start on collections of ‘the best’ of 2012. Check back for more, suggest your favorites – this a live list. PSFK’s Top 20 of 2012 – with source of image Best of the best of 2012 science and tech articles – from the BBC; thanks to Oleg Kravtsov …
HOK’s Leigh Stringer was part of a project team in Korea recently and makes great observations on Korean culture and work environment (love the photo, Leigh!). Here’s a selection: On being there in general: We didn’t see a lot of bikes but public transportation is good. Gangnam is an actual district where people actually …
Check out Kevin Kelly’s Asia Grace page for wonderful photos from all around the Asian continent, as he says it’s “a showcase for the textures and traditions of Asia.” The blog page gives a list of all the Asian countries included. Definitely worth a look. Shown here is Tibet farmstead windows.
The History of Hashima, the Island in Bond Film “Skyfall” – transcript of PRI spot on the Japanese island, devoted solely to coal-mining, that was “recognized as the most densely populated place on earth…ever” until 1974 when it was abandoned. Includes a 15-min video documentary.
Modernists At Play – the children of mid-20th century architects and designers talk about their childhoods. From this Metropolis post: Michael Gotkin, a landscape architect who is currently writing a book on modernist play environments, says the concept of children’s play was radically reinvented by artists, architects, landscape architects, …
Beautiful Chaos at Kolkata’s Durga Puja – The Atlantic Cities – with photos of structures created for festival celebrations in the Indian city of Kolkata. Image credit: Michael Snyder Over the course of two hot, humid months at the tail end of the monsoon season, 20,000 new structures come …
Bridging the Empathy Gap – Metropolis POV post by HOK’s Henry Chao on the trend towards the “globalization of Western medicine” and its effect on the design of healthcare facilities around the world. This trend is forcing the convergence of scientific treatment with culturally responsive delivery. I call this “bridging …
The 2-part series The Wonderful Color Wheel: Part 1 and Part 2 takes you from the 18th c. enlightenment to the present, with great examples. At the end of the second part there are references to The Creation of Color in Eighteenth-Century Europe and History of the Color Wheel. This post …
Mumbai’s Models of Service Excellence – Interesting article suggesting that Mumbai’s dabbawalas, the people who deliver lunches six days a week, serve as an example to managers of a well-designed delivery system. The dabbawala service is legendary for its reliability. Since it was founded, in 1890, it has endured famines, …
Post on the Blog of the Long now, India’s Living Bridges, is about traditional bridges grown from roots in Northeast India. Check out the 4:30-min clip and the link to more images on Atlas Obscura’s website (a site that’s definitely worth a look). The root bridges, some of which are …
Thoughtful piece from Design Management Institute (DMI) – The Value of Design in Developing Markets: An Indian Insight (8-p PDF) – offers examples of how incorporating an understanding of a culture into the design of products for that culture results in a better product and better profits. It starts out with …