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Articles on Buildings

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A housing complex in Thailand with air conditioners. Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters

The global impact of air conditioning: big and getting bigger

Global temperatures are poised for another record-breaking year. As incomes rise around the world and global temperatures go up, the use of air conditioning is poised to increase dramatically.
The cracks are starting to show. Dean McCartney

The problem with reinforced concrete

Reinforced concrete is everywhere. But unlike plain concrete, which can last for centuries, reinforced concrete can deteriorate in decades as the reinforcing bars succumb to rust.
The freedom of the space outside can be a seductive distraction. from www.shutterstock.com.au

Why the million-dollar view is bad for our body and our soul

Had the Romans, Chinese and English of old seen our buildings, built around views that distract from the interior and our interior lives, they would not have been surprised by modern discontent.
The initials ‘ES’ on the parapets are those of Elizabeth Talbot, who built Hardwick Hall. adteasdale

Five incredible old English homes built by women

Women played a far greater role in designing, commissioning and building country houses, gardens and parklands than was once imagined.
Different inside and out. BBC/Company Productions Ltd

Wolf Hall cut and pastes architecture – so is it authentic?

It is 1529. Cardinal Wolsey leaves his palace at York Place, giving way to the triumphant Anne Boleyn, who holds court in the long gallery. But this York Place is not the princely residence of the Archbishops…
City planners are looking to redevelop the eastern part of midtown Manhattan. How can they preserve its character, economic importance, and functionality? Wikimedia Commons

Hong Kong on the Hudson?

Good historians know that history rarely teaches clear lessons. When it does, we should heed them. In the 1920s, urban visionaries completely refashioned midtown Manhattan, making it the most modern and…
Is Doomsday Preppers simply a freakish version of Grand Designs? National Geographic Channel

Architecture of doom: DIY planning for global catastrophe

Environmental catastrophe, economic collapse, global pandemic … does it feel like the world is ending? If you think Armageddon is near and are trying to get ready, you are not alone. National Geographic…
The growth of the French suburbs is critiqued in France’s pavilion – Modernity: promise or menace? Andrea Avezzù, la Biennale di Venezia

The Venice Architecture Biennale avoids lessons from the past

The 14th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice – la Biennale di Venezia – which runs until November 23 is best tackled in bite-sized chunks. It’s vast and expansive – both in theme and scale…
The 85-year-old Frank Gehry has no intention of stopping, despite the controversy. AAP/Paul Miller

Iconic building alert: waiting for the Frank Gehry effect in Sydney

Last month, Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry delivered a defiant middle finger to a Spanish journalist who asked if his designs were “just about spectacle”. It’s a criticism that has dogged Gehry…
McIntyre House, a 60-year-old building, is a prototype of a well adapted response to the Australian climate. AIA

Enduring beauties: when buildings look good for their age

This year’s Australian Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2014 National Architecture Awards – to be awarded on November 6 – include a category called “Enduring Architecture”. Where a fast-paced “build and…
The 798 Factory in Beijing has been developed into the 798 Art Zone. dominiqueb

Industrial sites of old can be the cities of the future

The buildings from our recent industrial past can offer some exciting new places for the future, with a heritage character and sense of place. With some creative thinking and ambition, these sites can…
Centenary Pool, Spring Hill, architect: James Birrell. James Birrell private collection

Queensland’s hot modernist architecture shows bold city vision

When most people think of Brisbane architecture, they usually picture a Queenslander: high-set, timber-and-corrugated iron houses that are ideally suited to subtropical conditions. Modernism fits into…
Do architectural competitions lead to unrealistic design directions? AAP/ Paul Miller

Architecture competitions are risky … but we can build on that

There’s a perverse irony in the apocryphal tale of the design competition for the Sydney Opera House in 1956. The story goes that, after the selection of the group of finalist designs for the competition…

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