 |
SUPER SEISMIC MEDICAL CENTER
The Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, currently under construction in Burlingame, California, will be the first "base-isolated" hospital in northern California.
Built on isolator bearings with seismic dampers, the building was designed by Anshen + Allen to remain operational after a major seismic event. During an earthquake, the building can move up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) horizontally and two inches (five centimeters) vertically without incurring major damage. — Published 2008.0514
 |
 |
MAKING THE WATER CUBE
The Beijing National Aquatics Center, often referred to as the "Water Cube," was built for the 2008 Olympic Games. The winning entry in an international design competition was submitted by the China State Construction and Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) with Arup and PTW Architects. — Published 2008.0430
|
 |
INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE
International practice sounds glamorous and fun, but is it something that your firm should consider?
Overseas work can be expensive, disruptive, and a serious distraction. Some firms have even destroyed their domestic practice by diverting too much energy and too many resources to foreign work. — Published 2008.0326
|
 |
NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, recently underwent a complete overhaul — and the glowing lenses of the new Bloch Building, designed by Steven Holl Architects, are just the tip of the iceberg. — Published 2007.0905
|
 |
ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER IN GEORGIA
Architects designing educational centers for environmental organizations bear a special responsibility to make their medium part of the message. The new Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center (GEHC) in Buford, Georgia, designed by Lord, Aeck & Sargent, is a lesson in itself about energy and water conservation. — Published 2007.0228
|
 |
CONTAINER HOUSE
Modular intermodal cargo Containers used to serve primarily for transporting massive amounts of manufactured goods across oceans. But an ongoing imbalance in trade volume between Asia and North America contributes to a surplus of these huge corrugated metal boxes around ports in the United States. And as shipping containers become ubiquitous, architects are increasingly incorporating them into creative buildings. — Published 2007.0103
|
 |
PREFAB PLATINUM
On a cloudy day in April 2006, a crowd of curious onlookers gathered on a hillside street in Santa Monica, California, to watch the installation of the first LivingHomes prefabricated house. Over the course of eight hours, 11 modules were hoisted by crane onto a concrete slab in a dramatic departure from traditional residential construction. — Published 2006.1206
|
 |
LA COLOR SCHOOL
From her desk, Dena Primary Center principal Patricia Romero can watch children playing in the central courtyard. She also uses the vantage point to admire this new campus that is nestled in a densely populated neighborhood of East Los Angeles. Rachlin Architects have designed an elliptical amphitheater-style courtyard bordered by an administrative complex and two multipurpose buildings. — Published 2006.1018
|
 |
GEN'S TORRI SUPERIORE
Perched like a fortress in the foothills of the Liguria maritime alps, the tiny Italian hamlet of Torri Superiore may seem an unlikely flagship in the search for sustainable solutions in architecture, landscape, and lifestyle. But a closer look into this labyrinth of stone dwellings reveals a community working hard to find workable solutions to what many see as a looming global energy famine. — Published 2006.0823
|
 |
NOUVEL'S TORRE AGBAR
The Torre Agbar, a new tall building from Ateliers Jean Nouvel, in collaboration with b720 Arquitectura, Garcia-Ventosa Arquitectura, and Leopoldo Rodes Arquitecto, thrusts into Barcelona's skyline from the Placa de las Glories, a gritty district that Barcelona's planners have designated "the next big thing," a new center of commercial activity. — Published 2006.0823
|
In a Warm Temperate Climate page: [
