Let’s face it, every profession creates jargon. Think of the secret handshake, only in terms of language. When conversing with each other, people in the same profession can understand words and expressions the rest of us would find bewildering. Architects are no different. If you’ve ever worked with an architect, some of the “jargon” they
In the past weeks, I’ve written about the environmental, economic, and social benefits of repurposing buildings – also known as adaptive reuse – and about some of the most popular types of buildings currently being adapted. Over the next few posts, I’d like to take a look at some of the other kinds of structures
That question became a mantra of sorts, to highlight the achievements of women architects. On October 1, 2023, we lost the pioneering woman behind that often-asked question, Beverly Willis. She became an architect, industrial designer and inclusion advocate at a time when women were effectively excluded from a myriad of professions. She passed away
The Seaholm District in Austin, Texas, is an adaptive reuse project centered around the former Seaholm Power Plant, a series of late Art Deco-style buildings completed in 1955 that have lain dormant since 1996. The redevelopment, which started in 2013 and is ongoing, has taken the property from abandoned industrial site to a vibrant example
An architectural challenge facing many cities in the US is how best to convert commercial office buildings into housing. Some might wonder why conversions of empty office buildings aren’t happening faster. Cities like San Francisco face a lack of affordable housing and a growing homeless population. The same is true even for smaller cities like
Adaptive reuse is the ultimate urban (or suburban) recycling project. Adapted buildings are terrific for their communities from a social, economic and environmental standpoint, and they offer business owners unique spaces to conduct and showcase their work. In many areas, industrial and manufacturing buildings that have historically been cornerstones of their communities are in danger
Lessons in History, the Phoenix and Circular Architecture History repeats itself, with lessons for all of us. A recent exhibit in Warsaw, Poland, reminds us of the legend of the phoenix. The tale reveals that this immortal bird died by fire, only to be reborn again out of the ashes. After World War II, Warsaw
In any bathroom retrofit for aging in place, the bathtub and shower are likely to be key considerations. Getting into and out of the tub or shower presents challenges and risks for those with limited mobility or vision, so selecting the right product for your abilities and lifestyle is important. General Safety Recommendations Regardless of
Neighbors and trees How controversial do those words, neighbors and trees, sound to you? If you enter them into your browser, you might be surprised at the variety of sources that populate the search results. Many of them pointing to areas of contention when to comes to neighbors and trees. Nextdoor.com brings the controversies into
Kitchen remodeling continues to be one of the hottest trends in home renovation, and kitchen islands are more popular than ever. Why? Older kitchen layouts may not fit the way we live and work today. Creating a space that is beautiful and functional is high on the list of needs when renovating a kitchen. How
