The Conservation: Coronavirus: an architect on how the pandemic could change our homes forever. “As an architect and researcher in housing and sustainability, my research examines adaptations ranging from extensions and loft conversions, through to the installation of renewable technologies and retrofits. Many homeowners view their homes in desirable areas as a financial asset they plan later to cash in. For this reason, renewable and energy efficiency measures are often not included in adaptations, due to uncertainties about how these will be valued when they come to sell. But with fewer people now commuting and more people working from home, where people choose to live and how they want their houses to function may change after this prolonged period of lockdown.”
architecture
Hindustan Times: Milan’s La Scala opera house ‘re-opens’ via Google virtual tour during coronavirus lockdown
Hindustan Times: Milan’s La Scala opera house ‘re-opens’ via Google virtual tour during coronavirus lockdown. “Milan’s famed La Scala opera house on Thursday unveiled a virtual journey through its ornate premises and rich archives via Google Arts & Culture, with serendipitous timing as theaters throughout Italy and the western world remain closed due to the coronavirus.”
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Social media influences architectural design
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Social media influences architectural design. “Instagram culture is redefining architectural design across the country, in both commercial and residential spaces. In recent years, architecture and design firms have been introducing a new concept referred to as ‘Instagram spots’ in their designs to keep up with the growing social media trends.”
Archinect: AIA publishes COVID-19 database to share best practices in hospital conversion design
Archinect: AIA publishes COVID-19 database to share best practices in hospital conversion design. “The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is currently assembling a database containing information on the health care facilities, both traditional and temporary, and the design professionals around the world mobilizing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, AIA announced the creation of an internal COVID-19 task force that seeks to provide expert advice on how existing buildings can be rapidly converted for temporary hospital use.”
Hampshire Chronicle: Nine decades of Winchester Cathedral Record goes online
Hampshire Chronicle: Nine decades of Winchester Cathedral Record goes online. “The Friends of Winchester Cathedral have published The Winchester Cathedral Record annually since 1931. Every edition has now been scanned and placed online in a new open access as part of the Friends’ 90th anniversary celebration next year.”
Rochester Beacon: Preserving the history of cobblestone architecture
Rochester Beacon: Preserving the history of cobblestone architecture. “The concept for cobblestone masonry wasn’t new to the world of course, but the bounty of cobblestones in the region south of Lake Ontario offered a great opportunity. As a result of that architectural trend, our region now has the largest collection of cobblestone structures in the nation. It’s estimated that more than 1,000 cobblestone structures have been built in the United States, and approximately 700 of those exist within an hour’s drive of the city of Rochester.”
Historic New England: Historic New England is making the archive of a famous architectural firm accessible to the public for the first time.
Historic New England: Historic New England is making the archive of a famous architectural firm accessible to the public for the first time.. “This collection documents the history and work of the Boston-based architectural firm founded in 1925 by Royal Barry Wills, one of America’s most popular architects and master of the Cape Cod-style house. From the 1920s to the 1960s, Wills designed 2,500 single-family residences, authored eight books about architecture, hosted a radio program, lectured widely, received numerous awards, supplied ‘Home Building Plans’ for a number of newspapers, and was the subject of feature articles in Life, The Saturday Evening Post, and Good Housekeeping. In 2013 Wills’ son Richard donated the majority of the company archives to Historic New England.”
