Trailblazing Women Architects: Natalie De Blois
When Natalie de Blois (1924-2013) completed her professional degree in architecture at Columbia University in 1944, only a handful of women had a substantial career in architecture in the United States. Starting her career in architecture’s so-called “Mad Men Era“, it comes as no surprise that she was once let go of a job as […]
How to Design the Post-Pandemic Office for Hybrid Workers
The concept of an office originates in the 5th-century monasteries, where monks lived to copy, translate, and preserve religious texts. The workspaces in these monasteries were very simple writing rooms, known as “scriptorium” in Latin, which included a table. Chairs weren’t even in the picture until Renaissance. The word “office” comes from a building called the […]
Beyond Timber: 5 Natural Construction Materials for Sustainable Homes
As a material, concrete has been the backbone of the modern construction industry thanks to its versatile and durable nature. It’d be hard to imagine the 20th century without concrete. However, there’s also a rising awareness about concrete’s significant adverse environmental impacts: Cement is the source of about eight percent of global carbon emissions. The construction and demolition of […]
Bats Can Help Us Design Better Cities. Here’s How.
Popular culture doesn’t always portray bats in a favorable light. In many of the stories we consume about bats, they’re spooky and scary animals commonly spotted in the horror genre. When bats populate a scene, it’s usually bad news for the characters. Most recently, the world’s only flying mammal species have been in the limelight […]
Faces As Boarding Passes: Top 3 Questions Answered
Despite the lingering misconceptions about facial recognition technologies, they’re becoming more and more prevalent in many areas of our lives where security is concerned. Especially since facial recognition can facilitate a touch-free process of access, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the widespread acceptance and adaptation of these technologies. In addition, many governments, airports, and airline companies took the […]
Here’s Why Japan Decided to Build Smart Cities From Scratch
Japan is arguably going through the biggest demographic challenge of modern history. After lingering around zero growth at the beginning of the 21st century, Japan‘s population has continued to shrink since 2010, with the decline rate accelerating in recent years. In 2022, the island nation, with a population of about 125 million, recorded its largest decline due to the combination […]
