AEC News You Can Use Blog

On Jan. 7, architect Greg Chasen rushed to his childhood home in Pacific Palisades, a well-off Los Angeles neighborhood tucked between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, to remove any flammables and turn on the sprinklers. “You could hear exploding propane tanks and see the flames reflected in the smoke. I was sure that fire was going to tear through overnight,” he says. At some point, there was nothing left to do but go home and wait.

At dawn the next day, Chasen jumped on his bike to inspect the damage, bracing for the worst. While just a few degrees of wind direction had saved his parents’ home from the flames, other streets weren’t as lucky. Next, he went to check on a house he had finished building for a friend only six months earlier. As he got closer, the magnitude of the destruction hit him—almost the entire neighborhood was gone. “More houses were going up in flames, and everything had this acrid smell of burning plastic,” he says. But there it was, the newly built two-story house, remarkably untouched. While 120 houses farther down the street had been transformed into piles of ashes, Chasen’s fire—resistant design had withstood the heat from the flames.

The wildfires that ripped through L.A. in January claimed the lives of 29 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. These types of disasters are only set to become more frequent and intense as climate change drives warmer and drier conditions. According to NASA, parts of the western U.S., Mexico, Brazil, and East Africa now have fire seasons that last more than a month longer than they did 35 years ago. And the U.N. estimates that the number of wildfires globally will increase by 50% by the end of the century.

Last year marked the first year global..Read More

There’s much to be said about what an architecture award functionally does: The AIA Gold Medal recognizes cumulative impact; magazine awards provide opportunities for emerging practices by showcasing design talent or lesser-known projects. But the Pritzker Prize is a little different, better understood as a "Nobel Prize" for architecture that honors an expression of design values over one’s career. Recent awardees, for example, include Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal (2021), recognized for their devotion to adaptive reuse, and Frances Kéré (2022), whose focus on design and social justice has brought his practice significant acclaim.

This year, the 2025 Pritzker Prize has been awarded to Chinese architect Liu Jiakun, 69, founder of Jiakun Architects. He’s known for his process—understanding specific nuances of a particular site, including its social and material histories—and portfolio, which are defined by an ethos, not any particular style.

For many Americans, Jiakun’s work has flown under the radar. The Guardian’s Olly Wainwright notes that he is only the second Chinese architect to have won the prize in its 46-year history, working exclusively in China on cultural and academic institutions, as well as civic spaces, many of which inject dense, urban conditions with natural features. But what makes his work so unique is how each project cracks open the site’s unique heritage and challenges, producing buildings that, according to the award announcement, "philosophically [look] beyond the surface to reveal that history, materials and nature are symbiotic."

Perhaps this idea is most evident in his "Rebirth Brick Project" that began after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake that destroyed nearly four-fifths of all buildings in the affected area. The research premise was simple: to reuse rubble as an aggregate mixed with cement and straw fibers in rebuilding after the disaster; since then, these bricks have been used throughout his work including the Shuijingfang Museum, which celebrates the world’s oldest..Read More

Cabins, homes, military compounds, and outhouses, oh my! The oldest buildings in Wisconsin date back to the 1700s and run the entire utility gamut.

Wisconsin officially became a U.S. state in 1848, but many of its oldest buildings actually predate its statehood. This goes for many states in the Midwest, the South, and New England, as these were the first areas that Europeans settled on before moving westward. Naturally, this means that Wisconsin and other Eastern states have some of the oldest buildings in the nation, often dating back to the mid-to-late 1700s and early 1800s, while the oldest structures in Western states like Nevada only date back to the mid-nineteenth century and later. 

With Wisc. possessing so much rich history, we knew we had to take a closer look at which buildings across the Badger State have stood the test of time and are still standing nearly two centuries later, in some cases. For instance, one of the most interesting buildings in the state is the St. Joan of Arc Chapel; however, this building was erected in France circa the fifteenth century and didn’t cross the Atlantic to reach New York and later Marquette University in Wisconsin until the 1900s. While it’s certainly a sight to behold, we’ve excluded it from our actual list since it wasn’t originally built in Wisconsin, but if you can go see it in person, we recommend it. It’s the oldest building in the state, and it’s both gorgeous and carries such a storied past. 

With that established, let’s look at 10 of the oldest buildings in Wisconsin, from cabins and hotels to military buildings and even an outhouse (yes, you read that right).

1. Roi-Porlier-Tank Cottage (c. 1776)
Address: 2640 South Webster Ave, Green Bay, WI 54301

The Roi-Porlier-Tank Cottage is the Badger State’s oldest still-standing building, enduring in Wisconsin since the mid-1770s (aka prime Revolutionary War time). It hasn’t always occupied the same space, however..Read More

We’re living in a time where the once-impossible visions of science fiction are becoming our everyday reality. It’s perplexing and somehow confusing because everyone is now scared that artificial intelligence will replace them. When you think about the potential of machine learning in architecture, it seems impossible to compete with algorithms that can calculate massive, complex structural and environmental data in a split second. But the problem lies in how we look at it, AI can not replace human thinking it can only enhance and push it further.

Welcome to the future of architecture, where machine learning isn’t just a tool but a collaborator, a designer’s trusty companion. Long before the first blueprint is ever drawn, ML algorithms integrated with BIM can predict how a building will interact with its environment. So, should we be afraid of where we are heading or rather excited and welcome this new era of unimagined reality?

Explore the latest techniques in leveraging machine learning to optimize design decisions by enrolling in the PAACADEMY course.

In this article, we’ll explore how ML’s cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing design processes, enhancing decision-making, and ultimately redefining the very fabric of our built environment.

John McCarthy, credited as the father of AI, defined artificial intelligence in the 1950s as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs.” Machine learning falls under the broad umbrella of artificial intelligence and focuses on developing algorithms capable of learning from and making decisions based on data. In 1959, a pioneer in the ML field, Arthur Samuel, defined it as the “field of study that gives computers the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed.”

To better illustrate how ML works, consider the simple example of Instagram algorithms. Obviously, you don’t tell the platform which reels you are interested in (no instructions were given), but the ML algorithm carefully watches your..Read More

Any fan of Frank Lloyd Wright knows his architecture is centered around harmony between indoors and out. On a recent, crisp summer evening, as I stood barefoot, in a towel, lost in the courtyard of what was once Wright’s personal home in Spring Green, Wisconsin, this principle had never been more apparent. I felt the judgmental gaze of his tall, cast-concrete garden sculptures of mythological female figures, called Sprites, their arms crossed, eyes gazed downward, but still seeming to wonder, what was *I* doing *there*? I hoped the guided tour in the living room couldn’t see me as I emerged from a dark, skinny hallway, where I’d showered in a yellow-lit bathroom next to a handful of bedrooms once used by Wright’s apprentices. But after a 6 a.m. flight and a corridor of identical doors, I couldn’t find my way back to mine.

I’m probably not the first person who has ended up lost at Taliesen, but I’m likely one of the first journalists. While there are many options for guided day tours of the 800-acre rural estate where Wright lived and worked for nearly five decades, staying overnight is a rare privilege. In 2021, Taliesin Preservation added weekend workshops with classes in crafts like baking, photography, and painting, which, for $1,500, grant everyday Wright fans the chance to stay on the grounds. In early June, though, for the first time in the property’s 113-year history, journalists were invited to spend two nights there for the reopening of its Hillside Theater after a five-year $1.1 million restoration.

Since the start of fellowships at Taliesen in 1932, the Hillside Theater served as a multiuse entertainment space for Wright’s apprentice program, which hosted movie screenings and concerts for the public on Sundays. (The theater is housed in the same building as the drafting studio used by Wright’s protégés.) In the mid-’50s, Taliesin fellows made a few structural updates to the theater following a fire. But since then, it remained unchanged. Though Wright is arguably the most famous American architect, and one of the most influential of our time, his buildings have..Read More

$700 million redevelopment in Milwaukee could be set to result in the tallest mass timber building in the world and the tallest building in Wisconsin.

The project, led by green developers The Neutral Project and designed by Michael Green Architecture (MGA), is set to transform the Marcus Performing Arts Center parking garage into a mixed-use development featuring up to 750 residential units, 190,000 square feet of office space, 40,000 square feet of retail space, 300 hotel rooms, 1,100 structured parking spaces, and public plazas and walkways.

"As mayor, I have not been shy about my goal to grow our city's population to one million Milwaukeeans," said Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

"To do that, we need to be aggressive and reach for new heights. This project will help us do just that, literally aiming to set local and global records, but just as importantly add density and activity to an underutilized City-controlled parcel in downtown Milwaukee. It also represents a forward-thinking Milwaukee, open to outside investment and ideas, and I thank The Neutral Project for their confidence in Milwaukee's future."

The Marcus Center seeks to build on Milwaukee's record – the city is already home to the world's tallest mass timber tower – the 25-story Ascent MKE.

A press release shared with Newsweek suggested that The Marcus Center could be up to 55 stories. The Neutral Project is also developing The Edison, which is set to be 32 stories tall.

A mass timber tower is a type of high-rise building constructed primarily using engineered wood products, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), glulam (glued laminated timber), and laminated veneer lumber (LVL).

These materials are engineered for strength and stability, allowing for the construction of tall structures that were traditionally built using concrete and steel.

Mass timber towers are considered more environmentally friendly compared to traditional construction methods. Wood.. Read More & See Videos

There’s nothing else like this architect-designed octagonal home, which dates from 1972 and is on the market for the second time ever.

The three-bedroom home is located just north of Milwaukee and was designed by local architect James G. Plunkett for his family. It’s said to be inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and features a vast open-plan great room housing the living room, kitchen, and dining room. This space has soaring 20-foot-high ceilings with an oculus skylight, timber beams, and a huge brick fireplace.

The seller bought the 4,440 sq ft River Hills home in 2021 and has updated it to keep with its 1970s design. The kitchen has new porcelain counters, an infinity-edge island contrasting the exposed brick walls, and all new appliances. New bookcases have been installed, and the entire space is ringed by windows and sliding glass doors that offer views of the woodland.

Holly Swezey and Aly Swezey of Coldwell Banker Realty/B Real Co Team hold the listing for the Wisconsin property, with an asking price of $1.777m.. See More Photos Here

Frank Lloyd Wright often gets all the credit for being an architect with Wisconsin ties.

But that’s only because he’s the most famous architect from Wisconsin. Wright (1867-1959) was very prolific, designing more than 1,000 structures — of which 449 were realized, according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. In Wisconsin, they include several public sites you can visit, including Taliesin, Monona Terrace, Burnham Block, Wingspread, SC Johnson, and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.

However, plenty of other architects were born in Wisconsin and designed projects within the state. For example, Erhard Brielmaier designed more churches and hospitals than any other architect, and dreamy Mediterranean-inspired estates designed by David Adler appear to be plucked out of Europe. Alexander C. Eschweiler’s innovation stretched from a Japanese pagoda-style gas station to a mansion built for Allis-Chalmers’ first president, which is now a Milwaukee art museum. Lastly, Alex Jordan Jr.’s House on the Rock has become one of Wisconsin’s top tourist attractions. 

Thanks to preservation advocates, you can see these architects’ works across Wisconsin.

Erhard Brielmaier (1841-1917)
This emigrant from Germany has an esteemed label: He’s designed more churches and hospitals than any other architect. Notably, he designed the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Erhard Brielmaier moved to Milwaukee with his wife and 13 children in 1873, getting his feet wet by working as a carpenter and sculptor. He also built quite a few altars. Creating an architectural firm with three of his sons, the team designed more than 1,000 Catholic churches across the country, as well as in Canada.

His most well-known project in Wisconsin is the Basilica of St. Josaphat on Milwaukee’s South Side, which was modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy.

For another church project, he designed a Gothic-style chapel for the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in St. Francis, Wis.. Read More and See Photos Here

Nine projects were recognised in the 2024 Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Nelson and Marlborough Awards on 7 June at Nelson’s Trafalgar Centre.

An epic house more than 10 years in the making, a utilitarian boat shed, and a public building that revitalises Blenheim’s town centre are among the 2024 winners.

“Projects in this year’s awards have weathered unprecedented conditions including extreme weather events, supply chain issues, spiralling costs and COVID,” says Euan MacKellar, convenor of the jury. “Despite the unforeseen challenges, architects managed to hold onto key concepts, maintain good design and foster strong relationships with their clients and builders — a credit to the profession.”

The Lookout, a home that stands out in the Tasman landscape like a piece of contemporary sculpture, thanks to its rusty red exterior and Brutalist form, is a fine example of the region’s award-worthy projects. Designed by Parsonson Architects, the building is bold, dramatic and meticulously detailed. Similarly, Longbeach Bay Boatshed by Arthouse Architects, a winner in the Small Project Architecture category, is striking in its modernity. A “very strong and well-proportioned form with a minimal material palette takes inspiration from the existing home and its triple gable,” said the jury. “While its primary function is boatshed, multi-use is its mantra. It’s a kitchen, bar, dining hall and wind break.”

In the Public Architecture category, Marlborough District Library and Art Gallery | Te Kahu o Waipuna is the sole winner. Designed by Warren and Mahoney, the civic building is reinvigorating Blenheim’s High Street with its bronzed exterior and flexible interior layout. It also received a Resene Colour Award. 

A jury of four judges — Matt Gutsell of Sheppard & Rout Architects, Magdalena Garbarczyk of Fineline Architecture, architect Helena Alexander from Alexander Romagnoli, and lay juror landscape architect, Heidi Stewart — assessed this year’s projects, along with convenor Euan MacKellar.. Read More and See Photos Here

The 2024 Pritzker Prize, widely regarded as architecture’s Nobel, has again been awarded to a Japanese architect.
In an announcement from Chicago on March 5, Yokohama-based architect Riken Yamamoto was named the recipient of this year’s award, which is dedicated to “a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.”

This makes Yamamoto, 78, the ninth Japanese person to be awarded the prestigious honor. No country has produced more laureates than Japan in the prize’s 45-year history, an indication of the high regard that its architects and architecture are held in globally.

The Pritzker’s jury citation identifies Yamamoto’s sustained focus on engendering human connection through built space as being his defining contribution to architecture.

“In his long, coherent, rigorous career,” the Pritzker jury writes, “Riken Yamamoto has managed to produce architecture both as background and foreground to everyday life, blurring boundaries between its public and private dimensions, and multiplying opportunities for people to meet spontaneously, through precise, rational design strategies.”

Unlike many other laureates, Yamamoto is not a household name. But his work and approach have long been admired within the Japanese architectural scene. His work is unostentatious, devoted to the plan rather than the concept or the image, and ultimately most concerned with that most fundamental “material” of architectural space: social patterns and human connection. His colleague and sometime collaborator, the late Kazuhiro Kojima, once wrote of his astonishment at hearing Yamamoto state that “museums and public halls do not excite me. ... Collective housing and schools are more interesting.”

Private and public
This interest in what the Pritzker citation calls “the responsibility of the social demand” can be seen from Yamamoto’s earliest works, which, as is the case for most young architects, were inevitably.. Read More Here