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construction: The Latest Architecture and News

Skyscrapers Asia Summit 2017

Year on year, we are seeing Asia drastically outperforming all other regions in Skyscraper construction. For example, in 2015, 81 of the 106 completions were constructed in Asia.

A direct consequence of Asia’s Economy Growth, Rapid Urbanization and a Tremendous Appetite to build the Smartest, Most Asthetic and Tallest Buildings in the world, going forward it looks like it is no different as another record breaking year of skyscrapers completion is expected to take place in Asia.

Be sure not to miss out Equip Global’s leading Skyscrapers Asia Summit 2017.

Construction Contracts - Show Me the Money

This course will look at the mechanisms contained within the most widely used standard forms of contract used in the UK construction industry (JCT and NEC3) where money is required to change hands.

The day is aimed at guiding delegates through a thorough review of the money related provisions, relevant legislation and/or case law that underpins the mechanisms adopted. This course is aimed at practitioners with some knowledge and/or experience in this area to assist them in developing their skills further.

Canstruction 2016

Boston-area architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and students attending schools of architecture, engineering, and design participate in this annual charity event in which teams compete to display colossal sculptures made out of canned goods. Founded in 1992, Canstruction’s mission is to highlight the issue of hunger across communities, collect food for distribution to thousands and to showcase the creativity of the design industry.

Watch: How to Build a Primitive Hut

The notion of the "Primitive Hut" has been part of the architectural discourse for decades; indeed, history suggests that it provided the Ancient Greeks with direct inspiration for Doric Order. But how do you build a wattle and daub hut, or create tiled roof, or develop primitive underfloor heating—all from scratch—today?

Best of Detail: Facades

Architectural highlights from DETAIL

Spatial Transformation Workshop - Back To Life

Blanca, a small town huddling at the foot of Peña Negra, a volcanic black rock, is reinventing parts of its structure, helped by impulses from artists’ platform AADK Spain. Part of this process is the rediscovery of the actual potentials of a shrunk city. The workshop Back To Life will be an integral step in further developing these impulses.

Projects in Planning: New York Wheel

Join Open House New York for a presentation by Jonathan Cohn, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Perkins Eastman; Navid Maqami,AIA, LEED AP, Principal, S9 Architecture; and Richard Marin, President and CEO, New York Wheel, on the design and execution of the New York Wheel. Currently under construction in St. George on the northern shore of Staten Island, the 630-foot tall wheel will be one of the tallest observation wheels in the world, offering visitors unparalleled views of the New York Harbor.

Watch SANAA's Grace Farms Come to Life in this Time Lapse

Grace Farms by SANAA perfectly illustrates the firm’s sinuous, elegant style, combining their understanding of glass and structure to create spaces so fluid that they’re hard to believe from just a photo. A new time lapse by Work Zone Cam shows the construction of this project in HD, capturing a period between September 2013 and October 2015. Work Zone Cam worked with Project Manager, Paratus Group, to document Grace Farms’ construction, including its central piece “The River”: a ribbon-like roof that blends seamlessly with the landscape. Watch the entire construction of the project in just 180 seconds after the break.

International Passive House Conference 2016

The Passive House is now 25 years old; to celebrate this, the International Passive House Conference is returning to Darmstadt – the city in Germany, in which this success story began. On 22 and 23 April 2016, over a hundred speakers from all over the world will report on the latest projects relating to highly energy efficient construction and retrofits. But the anniversary will also serve as an occasion for a review, with the presentation of results relating to the durability of the individual building components of the first Passive House. The complete Conference programme is now available online. In

The World’s Largest Current Construction Projects

All over the world, projects are being built. From pavilions to skyscrapers, the range of scales is tremendous, and even among the multitude, some projects stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of sheer size, cost, and ambition. The following infographic collects eight of the largest projects that are currently in construction all over the world. With countries like Egypt, the United Kingdom, China, and The United Arab Emirates represented, they showcase a definite diversity while supporting the trend of extreme growth throughout Asia and the Middle-East that has been prevalent in the past decade - the UAE alone hosting three of the eight projects.

Some projects comprise multiple buildings – the Yas Island Complex in Abu Dhabi already features landmarks like the Yas Island Yacht Club and the Yas Hotel - while others are a single, massive piece of infrastructure like the Great Man-Made River Project in Libya. See them all after the break.

Why Cost Management Works Better when Architects Are in Charge

To talk about architecture and construction without ever mentioning cost overruns is not an easy thing to do. These kind of unforeseen problems happen in the majority of projects, as the dynamics of architecture and construction are extremely complex and often present challenges that aren't 100% controllable. Over the years, project management consultants have been integrating cost management into their services, making an effort to fill this market gap with a proper solution. Still, most of this work is performed by consultants with a financial background and little knowledge of architecture and construction solutions and processes.

With this increased attention to budgetary issues, the cost performance of projects has been steadily improving, but usually at the expense of the project’s aesthetic concept and final quality. Would it be possible to put architects in control of this kind of management? After all, they’re the ones with the conceptual sensibility and the technical knowledge necessary to perform this work in a truly integrated way.

Canstruction Timelapse: Architects Build Transportation-Inspired Sculptures at the National Building Museum

Twenty-four teams from Washington, DC-based architecture and design firms participated in CanstructionDC 2015 at the National Building Museum, building transportation-themed sculptures out of canned food. At the end of the display, the sculptures will be dismantled and the food will be donated to local hunger relief organizations. Watch the sculptures come together, including a Mayflower bean soup ship and a full-scale smart car, in the timelapse video above. Learn more on the National Building Museum website.

Architects Team Up with Khmer Women to Build a Community Centre with Fabric and Concrete

Using an innovative method of casting concrete in lightweight fabric molds, the architects of Orkidstudio -- along with StructureMode -- teamed up with a group of Khmer women in Sihanoukville, Cambodia to rebuild a community centre in the city’s urban heart.

The construction technique was developed and tested by engineers from StructureMode using a combination of physical testing and computer analysis software, Oasys GSA Suite, to predict the stretch of a particular fabric when concrete is poured inside. Through three-dimensional sketches the seamstresses and building team could understand the construction sequence of the form, completing the entire project in just eight weeks.

Architects Team Up with Khmer Women to Build a Community Centre with Fabric and Concrete - SustainabilityArchitects Team Up with Khmer Women to Build a Community Centre with Fabric and Concrete - SustainabilityArchitects Team Up with Khmer Women to Build a Community Centre with Fabric and Concrete - SustainabilityArchitects Team Up with Khmer Women to Build a Community Centre with Fabric and Concrete - SustainabilityArchitects Team Up with Khmer Women to Build a Community Centre with Fabric and Concrete - More Images+ 34

Mass Timber Conference

A lineup of expert speakers from around the world will address how we can advance cross-laminated timber and the mass timber industry in North America, and how we can increase the use of wood in low- to mid-rise and tall buildings.

Explore current opportunities and obstacles for cross-laminated timber, nail-laminated timber, glulam panels, laminated veneer lumber, and other mass timber construction in North America and how to execute projects today.

ArchXpo 2016

Co-Organised with Singapore Institute of Architect (SIA), ArchXpo 2016 will be it's 3rd Installation in the coming year.

See BIG’s W57 Approach Completion in this Stunning Aerial Video

BIG’s first foray into North America, the West 57th Street (W57) Building in New York is approaching completion. After initial releases of renderings, and photographs taken two months after topping out, a new video has surfaced, exhibiting the gradual realization of the firm’s vision. This 32-story tower with 709 apartment units combines a courtyard block and a skyscraper, affectionately dubbed a “courtscraper” by its designer. Reacting to an unorthodox, thin plot of land, the building generates its geometry from a combination of providing natural light, views to the Hudson River and maximizing living space for residents. From one angle, its almost pyramidal structure is clear, and from another, it appears to be glass spire. See the most recent developments in this new video.

From Seville to San Francisco: 3 Pelli Clarke Pelli Projects in Progress

US firm Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects is renowned for their iconic and sustainable designs, having won numerous awards, including the AIA’s Firm Award. They currently have several projects under construction, ranging from a transit center in San Francisco to an office and retail tower in Seville, Spain. Read on after the break for an overview of three of their current projects, all in various states of completion.

Study Shows that Timber Buildings Cost Less to Build

A new study shows that timber buildings can be up to 10-15% cheaper to construct than traditional designs in several different building types. The study, “Commercial Building Costing Case Studies – Traditional Design versus Timber Project,” was led by Andrew Dunn, chief executive of the Timber Development Association (TDA) in Australia. Part of a seminar series touring Australia, the report contains detailed designs of four building types in both timber and conventional construction, with a quantity surveyor comparing cost estimates between them. See how timber compared to conventional methods after the break.