As the United States takes its first steps toward mandating that power companies generate more electricity from renewable sources, China already has a similar requirement and is investing billions to remake itself into a green energy superpower. Through a combination of carrots and sticks, Beijing is starting to change how this country generates energy. NYT
He may not have the fame of Frank Gehry or the kudos of Rem Koolhaas, but this versatile Canadian architect leaves a far-reaching legacy. Guardian / Images
Marmol Radziner Prefab recently installed their brand new Hollywood Hybrid, a 2576 sq. ft. sustainable, modern prefab home with killer views and a minimal carbon footprint. Responsible materials are used throughout, from the insulated glass to the denim jean insulation. Solar panels generate electricity and can feed excess power back into the grid. Decks, large sliding glass doors, and well-placed shading devices allow for cooling cross ventilation and seamless indoor-outdoor living. Head on over to Inhabitat to see first-hand photos of the installation.
Ever since plans for the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center were scaled back, at which point Richard Rogers departed, the project has been a pariah. But FXFowle Epstein are set to transform the convention center on Manhattan's Far West Side with far less than would be thought possible. You'll get a new green roof, high performance HVAC, crystal clear curtain wall, landscaping by Ken Smith, LEED Silver, and all at 1/10th the cost. The Javits like you've never seen it before. The Architect's Newspaper
Denver International Airport redesign plan in the works.
Plan includes making Great Hall [aka "the tent"] a secure area and adding a light rail station and hotel. Denver Post
Jews and Muslims unite against Jerusalem MoT to derail the planned Frank Gehry designed museum, which is currently being built in Jerusalem on the site of a Muslim cemetery. Haaretz
The Seasteading Institute is an organisation dedicated toward creating sustainable sea platforms where people can choose to live if they’re unsatisfied with life on solid ground. They recently held a design contest for people to come up with new deep-sea micronations like Sealand, and the winner has been announced. Sealand News
Grady Lewis, a Virginia native who closed on his 2.67-acre lot in 2007 and moved into his 1,800-square-foot house at Bundoran with his wife, Diane, this spring, responded to Qroe’s idea of preserving “rural quality.” NYT
Part Bauhaus shelter, part Bedouin tent, “afterparty” is a simple construction of silver mesh stretched on a skeleton of standard aluminum poles and brackets and then topped off with a thick brown toupee of ijuk, or palm fibers. Meredith described this material, which is commonly used throughout Indonesia for roofing, as “very Arte Povera.” NYT
The Rudy Bruner Foundation has chosen the Inner-City Arts project, a downtown Los Angeles education facility which provides art instruction to a large population of at-risk children and youth in LA, to receive the Gold Medal Award for Urban Excellence. Design by Michael Maltzan and Nancy Goslee Power. Bustler
The newest creation by Innovative Designs, in collaboration with Hoberman Associates and Buro Happold, is a 50 Ton expanding video screen that operates continuously throughout the duration of the concert. Videos remain proportional in scale to the size of the screen at any stage of its deployment. + full entry...
Argentine ants living in vast numbers across Europe, the US and Japan belong to the same interrelated colony, and will refuse to fight one another. BBCNews
