by Witold | Jul 4, 2012 | Housing
This is the definitely the year of the Chinese architect. Wang Shu wins the Pritzker Prize, the dissident Ai Weiwei’s takes part in the design with Herzog & de Meuron of this year’s Serpentine Pavilion (which Paul Goldberger tweeted is “thoughtful, pleasant,...
by Witold | Mar 27, 2012 | Housing
A recent report (read it here) on the shelter situation in Haiti by Ian Davis of Lund University points out a troubling aspect of post-disaster reconstruction. Following the earthquake of 2010, more than 100,000 temporary shelters have been erected. These lightweight...
by Witold | Mar 11, 2012 | Architecture, Housing
Last summer I visited Charleston and saw an interesting house designed by George Holt and Andrew Gould. It’s basically a tiny version of Palladio’s Villas Saraceno, or at least its central portion, with the characteristic triple arch. No room for a loggia here, just a...
by Witold | Feb 29, 2012 | Housing, Modern life
Every small rebound in the number of new houses built is followed by a flurry of articles about how the housing industry is poised to make a comeback. But if my developer friend Joe Duckworth is right, the U.S. housing market is not experiencing a correction but a...
by Witold | Jan 21, 2012 | Architecture, Housing
524 West 19th Street in New York’s Chelsea District is a small residential building designed by Shigeru Ban, with Dean Maltz. The 11-story block contains only 8 units which the developer calls “houses,” since they are two-story duplexes that extend through the...
by Witold | Jun 1, 2011 | Housing
An op-ed in today’s New York Times, by Matias Echanove and Rahul Srivastava of Mumbai, comments on a proposal for a $300 house as a solution for slum-dwellers in Third World countries. The authors correctly criticize the idea. Architects never cease to be fascinated...
