Cities in the US are embracing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to address the nationwide housing crisis. Often built on existing single-family home lots, ADUs offer an affordable option for increasing housing availability in established neighborhoods. However, like any new housing development, effective regulations are critical for widespread adoption. Los Angeles has emerged as a testing ground in using ADUs to address its housing shortage, providing valuable insights for other cities. The city's experience underlines the challenges of establishing regulations, while also promoting the benefits of ADUs as an affordable housing solution.

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This article was originally published on Common Edge.

I am by no means an expert on public-private partnerships. But for about 10 years, as the University of California Berkeley’s campus planner and then campus architect, I watched these developments play out in higher education—sometimes from a front-row seat, sometimes as a participant. During that time, this strategy, promoted with great enthusiasm and optimism, was touted as the answer to whatever problem arose. And yet the definition of a public-private partnership was slippery. The concept itself seemed to be all things for all people, depending on what was needed, who was recommending it, and what equivalents (if any) existed outside the university. The bandwagon continues to play today, making it ever more important to nail down the pros and cons of this development strategy, not only for colleges and universities, but for all public decision-making.

When a brief to design a new office space asks for something fresh, energetic, and modern – a space where employees enjoy being and, crucially, enjoy working in, which helps them to focus on individual tasks but also to relax, collaborate, and create – there are few better places to begin than a color wheel. As the world of work and the varied environments it takes place in become less formal and restricted in their design, architects, designers, and, more importantly, their clients are handing the boring, monotone office its redundancy papers and looking outside the establishment at more expressive colorful options.

While blue’s ability to improve concentration, stimulate thinking, and provide mental clarity helps to increase productivity, the human body needs regular periods of rest and relaxation, too. For this, warm colors like yellows provide relaxation through warmth and comfort – perfect for break-out areas. Meanwhile, reds and oranges promote creativity and expression, meaning they can be useful for areas designated for social collaboration, whilst green encourages a calmer, more balanced approach, for a different kind of meeting.

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Four years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, its effects are still felt in the construction and real estate sectors in the United States. Accelerated remote work and hybrid schedules are leading to a sharp decline in demand for traditional office space in cities across America. In major metros like New York and San Francisco, occupancy rates have dropped, property values have diminished and rents have fallen significantly. As architects design for the future of work, the real estate market faces divided perspectives on whether to invest in the country's growing inventory of vacant office buildings.

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Covering all regions of the world, the continental winning projects of the 2023 Prix Versailles have been revealed. With 18 selected establishments in the categories of stores, hotels, and restaurants, as well as 15 shopping centers, the projects are grouped into six regions: Africa and Western Asia; Central, South America, and the Caribbean; North America; Central and Northeast Asia; South Asia and the Pacific; and Europe.

Some of the most picturesque projects are those built in the mountains; the rustic cabin wrapped with a floor-to-ceiling glass panel that overlooks the snow-covered trees. Visually, the architecture exudes an enchanting feeling, but is it truly a habitable space? When houses are built on an elevation of 3,000 meters, installing a fire element alone is not efficient or sustainable. Spaces on such altitudes or particular geographic locations require to be treated thoroughly, beginning with the architecture itself. Whether it's through hydronic in-floor heating systems or wall-mounted chimneys, this interior focus explores how even the most extreme winter conditions did not get in the way of ensuring optimum thermal comfort.

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How do we create buildings that use energy efficiently? Traditionally, efforts to green the built environment have centered on the physical infrastructure, often overlooking the relationships between people and space. The emergence of the technological era has ushered in "Smart Buildings." that employ machine learning and automation. These innovative structures are designed to operate with impressive energy efficiency, however, they are largely disconnected from their occupants. What if buildings could be made smarter and more sustainable by engaging with their occupants?

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How many times have you been faced with the challenge of designing a cultural center? While this may seem like quite a feat, many architects have had to design a program that blends a community center with culture.

Among the projects published on our site, we have found numerous examples that highlight different responses, from flexible configurations to sites that prioritize central gathering areas for citizens and activities. See our series of 50 community centers and their plans and sections below.

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Los Angeles is a city of dreams. Known across the United States and the world, L.A. embodies both freedom and experimentation, defined as much by its freeways as its diversity. It is also a city of houses. Single-family homes cover almost half of Los Angeles, and as the city continues to evolve, architects have explored new ideas on modernity and daily life through the single-family typology.

Around 10 million people live in L.A. County, and Los Angeles itself has become one of the world's most ethnically diverse cities. The built environment reflects the nature of its residents, home to some of the most iconic residential and cultural architecture in the world. Los Angeles has its own dose of Lautner, Schindler, Wright, and Neutra. It's a city that has long embodied multiplicity and progressive forms, from the Eames House and Gehry's Residence to the iconic Stahl House. Through the lens of photographer Julius Shulman, many homes came to represent not only new residential styles but also the postwar culture of Southern California.

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This article was originally published on Common Edge.

A famous skyline can evoke rich associations and unleash imagination, but the real experience of a city is in its streets. Early humans evolved to see the first 20 feet in front, above, and around them so they could identify potential threats in the landscape. In our modern urban environment, this is still how we experience buildings and places. While aerial views and Google Earth imagery are useful for reference, the main experience of the outside of a building is what we pass by on the street, up to about the second or third story. The height of a building doesn’t necessarily matter if the street experience is rich and accessible. 

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“Creating an equitable city implies that every citizen has their needs met”, states architect Wanda Dalla Costa at a time when metropolises were noticing change. Architects and the public have started to acknowledge the gender-driven design of public spaces. Across the world, urban areas have been a site of discrimination and danger to the LGBTQ+ community. Gender is demonstrated in public zones that promote visibility and interaction between people. An arduous challenge lays upon architects and planners to design fair environments and equitable spaces.

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