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FALSE BAY WRITER'S CABIN
The False Bay Writer's Cabin serves as a private writer's retreat and guest cottage on San Juan Island, Washington. The owners asked for a space that felt connected to its island setting — the mild climate, scenic views, and proximity to wildlife. At the same time, they needed a structure that could be easily secured when not in use. Published 2012.0104
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BILLION-SQUARE-FOOT GREENBUILD
"The USGBC has just reached a historic milestone," announced Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council. "We have one billion square feet [93 million square meters] of LEED-certified construction."
Speaking to an audience of thousands at the organization's annual Greenbuild conference and expo, held in Chicago in November 2010, Fedrizzi also cautioned the cheering crowd, "We're still at the beginning of the journey." Published 2011.0126
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NEW IRISH HOUSES BY DOMINIC STEVENS
The resume of Dominic Stevens includes the following manifesto: "I run a one person practice from a truck container in a field in rural Ireland. I divide my time between architecture, caring for my children and growing organic food. I carry out one building project at a time informed by ongoing theoretical work. My work evolves as a series of firmly held beliefs tempered by practice." Published 2010.0310
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DYMAXION REDUX
Visiting Fuller's house today requires a $14 ticket. In a landscape packed with planes, trains, and vehicles of all kinds, the sparkling body of the Dymaxion House makes a striking appearance. Published 2009.0617
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ADAPTIVE REUSE OF CLAY-TILE ARCHED FLOORS
This article about antiquated structural systems is the second in a series aimed at structural engineers involved in the repair, restoration, or adaptive reuse of older buildings for which no drawings exist. —Editor
Concrete and steel-framed floors constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s often included hollow clay-tile arches that spanned between beams and girders. The arches were typically covered with a concrete topping and often had plaster applied directly to the soffit of the exposed tiles. Published 2009.0513
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MULTI-ELEPHANT HOUSING BY FOSTER
The Copenhagen Zoo's new Elephant House by Foster + Partners emerges gently from the surrounding park grounds, its two leaf-patterned glass domes topping walls of pink-hued concrete. At once playful and serious, transparent and solid, this modern menagerie provides both high-quality living conditions for the animals inside and an exciting and interactive visitor experience. Published 2009.0401
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CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Renzo Piano demonstrates a mastery of light throughout his work. At the new California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, he exhibits the same care lighting a museum of the natural world as he has in lighting some of the world's finest art collections. Published 2008.1112
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ESSEX STREET HOUSE
Australian architect Andrew Maynard is bursting with theories. He develops concepts such as "malleable space" into architectural "products" such as a mobile bedroom unit, with the ultimate goal being to transform it into architecture. The process sounds simple enough, but Maynard is the first to acknowledge that such conversions are rarely smooth. "Reality is always getting our floaty idealized concepts dirty, and that is half of the fun." Published 2007.0221
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AIR-FORMED CONCRETE DOMES
Throughout history, structurally efficient domes have been built from masonry, wood, concrete, and even ice. But there's still plenty of room left in dome technology for invention and construction efficiency. New ways to form, reinforce, and insulate "air-formed" concrete domes have been a primary focus of my architectural practice for about 25 years. Published 2003.0122
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REVOLUTIONARY DOMES
A dome-shaped house that can rotate 300 degrees? It may sound quirky, but this is the product of Canadian company Sunspace Rotating Homes. They design and build these structures, mainly on small hillside and infill sites, in Canada and the United States. Published 2002.0918
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