Built Environment Blog - DIT Library Bolton Street

New film tribute to Norman Foster

2012-02-10T04:17:00.001-08:00

Below is a trailer for the new film "How much does your building weigh, Mr. Foster?" which is playing in New York at the moment.
Architectural Record describes the film as "a starry-eyed, unabashed love letter to one of the world's leading starchitects".

Story courtesy of Architectural Record.
Trailer clip courtesy of YouTube.

Series of lectures about Christ Church Cathedral

2012-02-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

The Irish Architectural Archive will be hosting a series of lunchtime lectures related to Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin throughout February.

To Read the full schedule of lectures click here.

All of the lectures are free and open to the public. They will all take place in the Irish Architectural Archive at 45 Merrion Square, Dublin.

Story courtesy of the Irish Architectural Archive.

Image courtesy of Flickr.

Draft plan for improving Dublin City Centre

2012-01-04T03:29:00.000-08:00

Dublin City Council has issued a draft plan for improvements to the City Centre.

The plan is titled Your City, Your Space; Draft Dublin City Public Realm Strategy.pdf .

You can view the document by clicking on the link and submissions are invited from the public until 25th January 2012.

Image courtesy of theJournal.ie.

DIT Bolton Street Library hours over Christmas

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Library will open until 9:30pm on Monday 19th, Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st December.

The library at Bolton Street will close at 1pm on Thursday 22nd December.

The library will reopen on Tuesday 3rd January 2012. Term time hours will apply:
Mon. – Thurs. 9:30am – 9:30pm
Fridays: 9:30am – 5:15pm
Saturdays: 10am – 5pm.

Happy Christmas to all DIT students and staff.

Image courtesy of LA Times Hero Complex.

Architecture of 2011

2011-12-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

Click here to view the Observer's best architecture of 2011, including No. 8 Spruce Street (pictured), New York's tallest residential building.

Building with bamboo

2011-12-06T03:29:00.000-08:00

The food company Big Tree Farms has built what is believed to be the largest commercial bamboo structure in the world at Sibang in Bali, Indonesia.

Bamboo has a tensile strength comparable to mild steel and greater compressive strength that many concrete mixtures.

You can read more about this building at World Architecture News.

Image and story courtesy of World Architecture News.

New documentary: Urbanized

2011-11-22T03:41:00.000-08:00

Below is a trailer for Gary Huswit's new documentary film Urbanized. The film explores the development of cities in the 21st century. It includes interviews with Rem Koolhaas, Sir Norman Foster, former mayor of Bogotá Enrique Peñalosa, and Edgar Pieterse from the African Centre for Cities.

Urbanized went on limited release in October. You can read more about the film at Architectural Record.

Story courtesy of Architectural Record.
Clip courtesy of YouTube.

Vertical forest under construction in Milan

2011-10-12T03:50:00.000-07:00

The Bosco Verticale under construction in Milan will be the world's first vertical forest.
Each apartment in the 27 storey tower will have a balcony planted with trees. These will provide shade in the Summer as well as filtering dust from the atmosphere (Milan is one of the most polluted cities in Europe). In Winter the bare branches will allow sunshine through.
The tower is the vision of architect Stefano Boeri. You can read more about the project and other similar developments on the Financial Times website.

Story and image courtesy of Financial Times.

Glass LEAF Award 2011

2011-10-07T03:40:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Emirates LEAF award has been won by the Q1 building in Essen, Germany.

It was designed by JSWD Architekten and its innovative shading system consists of 3000 motorised metal feathers which can follow the sun.

You can read more about the structure at worldarchitecturenews.com.

Story courtesy of worldarchitecturenews.com.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

pods

2011-10-07T02:29:00.000-07:00

So farewell Steve Jobs. "thank you for the work you make possible every day" tweeted Obama. To him we give thanks for decently designed technology for people, not anoraks. the iPhone, iMac, iPad, iStuff and iPod. The bolton st library can't compete with that but we have recently unveiled our libPod. There is an increasing demand for spaces and rooms that students can work together in on projects, assignments etc. There was 1 bookable room in the library and this celtic swirl design now gives us 2 more areas for group study. It's open plan, but the sound proofing should give privacy and quiet both for those on the inside, and the out. AND if you leave pencils in them overnight they will mysteriously sharpen themselves.

time savin life changin essay helpin info findin

2011-09-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

This year we've taken a different approach to those library tours of yore in which peoples eyes glaze over and fall asleep on their feet after being told by their lecturers to go up and get a tour of the library. It is an essential part of college life to know how to get the best from the library and learn simple thinks like just finding a book or using the photocopier. But this year we have arranged over the course of 4 weeks (19th sept - 13th oct) a series of short sharp (10-15ish minutes)drop in sessions. They will focus on all you need to know to

survive your 1st assignment,

write killer essays

ultimately leave this college with a 1st class hons degree

Full details of times (no booking required) HERE - scroll down to the 2nd page

Carbon negative cement named material of the year

2011-09-14T05:07:00.000-07:00

Material ConneXion, the global material consultancy and library, has awarded material of the year to Novacem's Carbon Negative Cement.

The production process of traditional cement means it is responsible for up to 5% of man made Carbon Dioxide. Novacem's cement replaces calcium carbonates with magnesium silicates and also uses lower temperatures in production. This results in up to 95% less CO2 being produced.

You can read about Novacem's cement and the other nine materials on the shortlist by clicking here.

Story courtesy of Architectural Record.

Image courtesy of Novacem.

Homebond withdraws offer of compensation for pyrite damage

2011-09-02T03:08:00.000-07:00

Homebond have withdrawn any offer of compensation for homeowners who have suffered structural defects due to pyrite used in construction of their homes.

Pyrite, when present in infill can cause swelling or cracking when it comes into contact with moisture. It is estimated that 20,000 Irish homes are affected by the problem.

According to the Homebond website: "Homebond is the leading provider of structural defect cover in the Republic of Ireland..."

You can read more on this story in the Irish Times.

Image courtesy of Google Images.

Story courtesy of the Irish Times.

Carbuncle Cup 2011

2011-09-01T05:38:00.000-07:00

The BBC's new home at Media City in Salford has been awarded the Carbuncle Cup 2011. Media City will also be home to Granada TV and to the media faculty of Salford University.

The prize is awarded by Building Design magazine for the ugliest new building in the UK.

You can read more about this story and the other buildings shortlisted at guardian.co.uk.

Image courtesy of Ed O'Keefe Photography.

Story courtesy of Guardian.co.uk.

Underground football stadium

2011-08-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

Architects Marazzi Architetti are designing a new stadium for Italian football club Siena.
Siena are recent arrivals to Serie A of the Italian league. The 21,000 seater stadium is to be almost entirely underground as you can see from the computer rendering on the left. This is so it will not disturb the stunning Tuscan scenery.
You can see more images on the architect's website.
Image and story courtesy of Eurosport.

Namarama

2011-08-09T01:47:00.001-07:00

Summer was always traditional slow news season but not so this August, stirred from our summer reverie by scenes of London burning and tumult in the financial markets.
On the home front, last week saw the publication (i hadn't opened an irish paper since 24th June) from NAMA of a list of irish and UK properties that the agency has taken enforcement action against. It runs to 37 uncomfortable pages. That's it in its basic form but the info is mapped and displayed in a more interesting way HERE. I'm fairly sure that not all the sites have so far been mapped but the whole visualisation of the data makes it so much more accessible, and gives it greater impact. The nearest nama property to Bolton st that i can find is the large site waiting for development on Upper Oconnell street, but loads of others to choose from in the area.
Then there was NAMAlab, a collective of DIT arch grads and their tutors which was looking at the potential of some namasites, and alternatives for their development that respond to dublin city "in a societal rather than fiscal way". Over the summer Namlab moved on to Cope St. so i assume it is ongoing

more academic stuff straight to phone

2011-05-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

WOW as Mary MacAlleese would say. Avery Index to Architecture Periodicals and Business Source Premier are 2 of the librarys' most used electronic resources. Both come from the EBSCO stable (which you don't really need to know), but the company has recently added an iphone/ipod touch application which allows you do all sorts of cool things. Well no cooler than what you could do before - Search for quality articles, save the best, get the full text, spend it, lend it send it rolling around etc etc. But now all can be done on the move on demand on de mobile. You'll see the link to download the app once you click into the respective database, down at the bottom toward the left. For some, 1 more reason not to visit the library when you can do it elsewhere, but for everyone, 1 more way the library makes studying easier and more convenient

World's largest wooden structure

2011-05-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

The Metropol Parasol in Seville is the world's largest wooden structure.

You can read more and see more images by clicking here.

Image and story courtesy of Yatzer.

The beauty of maps

2011-04-29T06:20:00.001-07:00

The BBC documentary "The Beauty of Maps" is available on youtube in HD. It's in four parts and each part is broken into sections of about 10 minutes each.

All the sections can be found on one page at a site called visual news.

Story courtesy of Visual News.

Image courtesy of BBC.

Easter Rising hours

2011-04-15T04:58:00.001-07:00

The library will open as usual until Thursday 21st April, when we will close at 5pm. Reopening on tuesday 26th 9:30 - closing that day at 5. The library will open Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th until 9:30pm. Bolton St. Library will be closed on Saturday the 30th but other DIT libraries will be open.

The painting is my favourite easter representation - The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden, hanging in the Prado, Madrid. For the non christians try the opening line of Patti Smiths' Gloria

Don't wear your stilettos to Cork

2011-03-31T02:35:00.001-07:00

While listening to Ray D'arcy this morning a Councillor from Cork upset rang him to complain about Cork City's plan to cobblestone specific pedistrian streets. She said she could not walk on cobbles with stilettos. More practical listeners talked about the impossibilty of managing buggies. Cobblestone looks great but makes life difficult for anybody with mobility problems.

Another listener suggested she wear wedges. Yes stilletos are out this season and the 70's look with very high wedges are in I purchased a pair yesterday.

Have a Trendy English Holiday Home

2011-03-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Tired of Programmes about quaint English Houses well welcome to Alain de Bottons avant guarde holiday homes. Living Architure has currently 5 houses to rent in England from £156 at night.

Its an non profit organisation which plan to build more chalet homes in England which will challenge contemporay architecture.

Source: Time Magazine

2011-03-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

Rialto Rights in Action found residents of the Dolphin House Complex in South Inner Dublin worried about their health because of the presence of damp and sewage in their homes. Samples of mould and mildrew have being gathered for examination.

Dolphin House which has 425 apartments is one of the biggest and most dilapidated local authority housing projects.

Plans have being put on hold for a regeneration scheme. Dr Maurice Manning spoke of the "International Convenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights " which the state is clearly in breach of. Lorna Fox O Mahony of Durahm University said the link found in the 19th century between poor housing and poor health is relevant today.

Some residents of Dolphin Barn House told Matt Cooper of Today Fm they do not want to be relocated to one of the NAMA estates as they feel the community would be broken up having a determental effect.

Source: Irish Times

Sex and Blogs and DIT

2011-03-26T06:19:00.001-07:00

did you know that the senior vice-president of global startegic marketing at Playboy Enterprises was a DIT graduate? And a woman

Replicators in DIT

2011-03-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

The age of Star Trek is in DIT. Architectural clay models can be scanned and then printed. This has enormous uses especially as these images can be sent to other users. These are used in the Biomedical and the Product-Design programme.
Michael Ring, a lecturer in the school of manufacturing and design at D.I.T. believes the technology is underused, but Conor MacCormack of Mcor Technologies, in Co Louth, is trying to change this. A former Trinity research engineer, MacCormack and his brother Fintan have designed a more cost-effective machine.

“There have been different technologies which use lasers and resins – very complicated and expensive machines,” he says. “We wanted to bring it to a mass market. The problem with the other machines is that they’re really expensive to run, so we came up with one that uses standard A4 sheets of paper, which makes it 60 times cheaper than the market-leading machine.”

The Mcor machines have been used by architects, artists and designers to build prototypes, but some big manufacturers are beginning to use their own state-of-the-art, top-of-the-range machines to produce finished, working parts.

Source: Irish Times

Should i stay or should i go

2011-03-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

....following on from the last post, a rather more upbeat assessment of the employment situation did appear on saturday in the IrishTimes article Gis a job, Nama The opening sentence asks why are students still enlisting at all on property economics courses? Well of 49 DIT Real Estaters who graduated last year, 19 are now working in the industry, 11 are doing Masters while it's believed that 17 are gone abroad. Interestingly some of those students secured Nama related work for private companies.
And of those just starting the degree course there is a general feeling that this is an ideal time to be in the industry - a time when innovation imagination and competiveness will pay off - the Michael OLeary school of entrepreneurship which holds that recessions are there to be grasped for business opportunities.
The article quotes our college students, Brian Martin and Colin Kelly and academics, Tom Dunne and Martin Hanratty

Dear sir or madam,

2011-03-18T02:44:00.000-07:00

I don't usually have much time for the letters page of the IrishTimes but the brother did show me this one from wednesday.
Madam,
"This morning at 7.25am (March 14th) I spotted your paper's advert for an architect's job. Is this the first sign of spring?"
I suppose all the demand for architects and construction professionals in the next few years will be in New Zealand and Japan. Go East young man,

Yours etc

visceral miscellany visual miscellaneum

2011-03-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

TWO of the greatest pleasure of working at a library issue desk and not relying solely on machines, is the good natured banter with students and the variety and spice of books you see passing thru your hands. all the better when coming back, than tantalizingly slipping thru your fingers as they go out. Yesterday brought another gem. Information is beautiful by David mccandless. the idea of representing data, figures, facts, info by something better than letters words and prose. It's not wholly scientific it's not comprenhsive, it's not new, but its informative, it gets the message across, it gets you engaged. Heres the website.

There are a couple of atlases that we've ordered for the library which get information across in a similar way and heres another example, NEWSMAP of a different representation of breaking news stories. Enjoy, i hope

Guangzhou Opera House

2011-03-01T03:16:00.000-08:00

You can view pictures of the new Guangzhou Opera House, designed by Zaha Hadid, on the Guardian website.

There is also a report on the new building by Jonathan Glancey.

Image and stories courtesy of the Guardian.

In every dream home a heartache

2011-02-25T03:46:00.000-08:00

They just wouldn't publish books like THIS today. des/IRE: designing houses for contemporary ireland. would not have been writable in ireland after 2007. I came across a returned copy in the library yesterday. On the cover, a fold out glossy affair, a sulty domestic goddess in an evening dress sprawls across a solid oak worktop in her chrome and stainless celtic kitchen, a ripe strawberry suggestively at her lips. And inside a gushing foreword by Minister Martin Cullen. How times have changed.
For the updated 2011 edition i suggest a title change dropping the es from Desire.
One ominous warning line from the introduction though ..."a nation of private property speculators will inevitably find it has foundations as flimsy as those of a pyramid sales scheme."
And One coincidence - a lot of the books' content is lifted from a conference held during the election weekend of May 2007. This weekend too is a weekend election . One piece of advice - VOTA eary VOTA often.

DIT / Oklahoma University team achieve first place in international design/build competition

2011-02-23T05:16:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the DIT/Oklahoma University team which took first place at the recent Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region V/TEXO Design Build competition sponsored by Speed Fab-Crete.

The competition took place in Dallas, Texas. The DIT representatives (pictured) were Peter Whoriskey Final year DT117 Construction Management, Brendan Towey Final year DT117 Construction Management and Simon Harrington Year 4 DT101 Architecture. They were joined by team coach Lloyd Scott.

The DIT team was joined by Oklahoma University students Molly Lyons and Dan Grasham (Construction Science) with Brandon Coates (Architecture).

You can read more about the competition either at the team's blog or at the competition website.

The Venice Project

2011-02-09T01:32:00.000-08:00

The Venice Project - It makes it sound like some sort of clandesdine cold war spookout. This Thursday our 5th year architecture students will present work and "installations" from their pre-Christmas study trip to Venice. With a series of small interventions which they did in the city. I remember before they went they were all trying to borrow Italo Calvino's Invisible cities and some of the larger arch books on the architecture and heritage of venice - most of which weigh over 12kgs and would have counted as an extra bag on RyanAir. What we don't have in the library which i recommended to them was the Nicolas Roeg film Don't Look Now and the novel by John Berendt, City of Fallen Angels.

Anyway back to tomorrow - The 5 day exhibition is opening at 6pm with a masquerade reception, of course, in darcspace gallery

Ireland's financial disaster - "created by the sort of men who ignore their wives' suggestions that maybe they should stop and ask for directions"

2011-02-07T01:38:00.000-08:00

It's long but worth reading From Vanity Fair of all places When Irish eyes are crying. Construction and property madness, financial and economic meltdown. If you want to know who knew what when before Ireland became a basket case and those who knew what when and chose to ignore it.
Glad to see that the library has a subscription to Vanity Fair.

SOME QUOTES....

"The Irish construction industry had swollen to become nearly a quarter of the country's gdp"

"Competitiveness didn't matter - from now on we were going to start getting rich building houses for each other"

"1hundredbillion euros or basically the sum total of all irish publicbank deposits had been handed over to Irish property developers and speculators"

"The Irish nouveau riche may have created a Ponzi scheme"

"In their rush to freedom, the Irish built their own prisons"

"The Irish banks have borrowed 86billion euros from the ECB to repay private creditors"

"Making the collapse of the Irish economy as uninteresting as possible...... is now a meaningful part of the job of being Ireland's finance minister"

"the Irish banks were making far riskier loans in Ireland than they were in britain, but even in Britain the (Merrill lynch) report revealed, they were the nuttiest lenders around"

"in the general frenzy all of Ireland had become subprime"

"if the Irish wanted to save their banks, why not guarantee just the deposits"

IT'S OFFICIAL - the whole worlds gone mad today

2011-02-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

You know the story. Every thursday in the property section of the ITimes they feature a house currently on sale in ireland and what you could buy for the same amount abroad.

So today there is a scutty Barbie style haucienda in Delgany and for the SAME price you can get....a 3800 sq ft house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Who says the property prices have bottomed out? If you're not in the market currently to buy there's still all the glorious books on Wright in the library...for free

Solar Roadways

2011-01-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

Scott and Julie Brusaw are the founders of Solar Roadways. Their idea is to replace roads with solar cells. These could also house LEDs which could be used to paint road markings. The scope of the idea becomes apparent when you realise that the roadways would then replace the power grid and make power stations and power lines unnecessary.
Watch the clip below to learn more and see the prototype they built:

Strange buildings

2011-01-17T04:49:00.000-08:00

At the Village of Joy website you can see a list of fifty of the strangest buildings in the world.

Pictured is the Wonderworks building, an indoor amusement park at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, US.

Image and story courtesy of Village of Joy.

Access to standards

2011-01-14T08:31:00.001-08:00

DIT Library has recently purchased a subscription to NSAI. This will provide access to Irish and international standards. You can access the page from the databases page (look for "Standards (Irish and ISO)" ).

Our subscription to British Standards Online has now ceased, however you should still get access to construction related British Standards through info4education.

If you have any queries please contact the library.

Library opening hours

2010-12-20T08:58:00.000-08:00

Course we're not open late nights this week. Anyway it's starting snowing again

Amazing tree houses

2010-12-10T03:08:00.000-08:00

For a list of ten of the world's most impressive tree houses go to oddee.com.
The list includes the largest tree house in the world (pictured). It is located at Alnwick Castle in Scotland, it is 6,000 square feet and boasts a café, and a restaurant which can cater for 120 people as well as classrooms, turrets and bridges. It cost over €5m.

Story and image courtesy of www.oddee.com.

Paved roads rolled out like a carpet

2010-11-19T05:15:00.000-08:00

The Tiger-Stone is a Dutch innovation which removes much of the labour involved in laying paved brick roads.

As with all great innovations it is a simple solution that uses gravity and a slanted plane to align the bricks.

You can read more about the machine at Inhabitat.com or view a clip of it in action on Youtube.

Story and image courtesy of Inhabitat.com .

Irish Architects design to help abused children

2010-11-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

Burke Culligan Deegan have won a competition to design a special refuge to help abused women and children. Aoibhneas commissioned the £1million centre in Coolock Co. Dublin. The idea came from the impact violence was having on women and children. The winning design answered the brief required in giving public/private space. It integrates the childrens refuge into the existing site of the the refuge.

Source Irish Times

Picture RIAI

New Blog Launched for Department of Construction Technology and Management

2010-11-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

A blog for the Department of Construction Technology and Management has been launched, the department intends using as an electronic notice board / communication tool. If there is anything you would like to bring to the notice of the students or staff it can be used as an effective communication tool.

The use of blogs in the classroom very helpful and beneficial to the students. It is a way for the students to develop their computer skills and communicate with each other effectively on topics directly related to their course. Social networking sites have become very popular in the last number of years and from my research most of our students are on Facebook, bebo or myspace. It is important that as educators we harness this enthusiasm for using the web as a communication tool.

I look forward to the successful implementation of the new Blog and it being closely linked to the Built Environment Blog.

Please see attached link to blog

http://deptofconstruction.blogspot.com

Sustainable Building Show

2010-10-05T03:08:00.000-07:00

The Irish Sustinable Building Show is taking place in the RDS from the 7th to 9th of October.

Click on the image on the left for more information.

future starchitects - the class of 2010

2010-09-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

It didn't need the Irish times today to remind us that 1/2 of the country's architects are either out of a job or underemployed. However there was a "feelgood" article in the paper "Students with designs on our future" asking 5 (undaunted) 1st year arc students about their love of the subject. The famous five include Sophie El Nimr who has just taken the plunge here in Bolton st. Why the others didn't choose Bolton st. is not explained. So we get to know why they decided to study architecture, and in a recession to boot. - it's not all just about getting a job - , their ideas on what buildings of the future may look like, and the role of design in society. For the record Sophie is a big fan of Scott Tallon Walker's Commissioners of Irish Lights building in Dun Laoghaire.

They've all got fresh , interesting and, glad to see, differing things to say about what buildings of the future might be like. "Loads of glass, i just see glass" says one. "I hope we've turned the corner from glass and steel" says another. Good luck to all

Recycled gas tanks in Vienna

2010-09-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

In 2001 four large gas tanks in Vienna were redesigned as living space. They each have areas to live on the upper floors, areas to work on the middle floors and entertainment and shops are to be found on the lower floors.

The tanks were built in 1896 but had become obsolete in 1984. A design competition in 1995 resulted in four architects submitting different designs for each of four tanks.

To read more information and see more photos of the four gasometers click here.

Story and images courtesy of 1800recycling.com.

Architonic - Design and Architecture Resource

2010-09-09T04:35:00.000-07:00

Architonic is a great resource that brings together all the latest in architecture and design.

All aspects are covered whether they be indoor or outdoor. You'll find sections filled with furniture, fittings, lighting, ceilings, walls and all aspects of interior and exterior design as well as information on the work of many individual architects.

Find out more at http://www.architonic.com/.

Bolton Street Graduate head of RIBA

2010-08-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

On September 1st Angela Brady will become the 74th President of the British body RIBA. She is a graduate of Bolton Street. She had worked in Arthur Erickson in Torornto and set up a private practice with husband Robin Malalieu in 1987.

Story courtesty of Architecture Now

Picture Irish Times

RIAI Irish Architecture Awards

2010-07-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

The RIAI awards took place on Monday 21st June at Farmleigh where the new Criminal Courts was awarded the Public Choice award. A full list of the winners can be found at Irish Architect Foundation

Story courtesy of Irish Architect Foundation
Image courtesy of Architecture Now

Bolton Street Library Refurbishment

2010-07-09T05:53:00.001-07:00

The library at DIT Bolton Street will be closed from Monday 12th of July 2010 to facilitate essential and extensive refurbishment.

We apologise for the inconvenience this will inevitably cause but staff will be on site if you have an urgent query. You can phone the library on 01-4023681 and we will do our utmost to assist you with anything library related.

Books may still be returned to the drop box outside the library.

DIT's other library sites will be open as normal for borrowing and study purposes

Watch this space for updates on when your new and improved library will re-open.

Completion of Aviva Stadium

2010-05-15T03:50:00.000-07:00

The Aviva stadium was officially opened by Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday. Below you can view a Sisk animation of the construction process.

For all the facts and figures about the stadium and its construction go to the Aviva Stadium website.

Photo courtesy of Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times.

Clip courtesy of 4DLandsdowne on YouTube.

Developing net zero-energy buildings

2010-05-07T03:50:00.000-07:00

The US Department of Energy is devising new design-build project-delivery model for fast-tracked, net zero-energy buildings.
The first application of the model is the new research support facility for the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. The complex will be the largest net zero-energy building in the US.
The Department of Energy is also determined to spread the model to other projects and into the private sector.
You can read more about the detail of the project at the NREL website.
Story courtesy of Architectural Record.
Image courtesy of Sources + Design Magazine.

Anglo Irish Bank "toxic"

2010-04-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Peter Bacon of the Bacon Report and NAMA supporter today called Anglo Irish Bank the Celtic Chernobyl. See the full story at Irish Examiner

Source Irish Examiner
Image Very Good service

Draft Dublin City Development Plan 2011 - 2017

2010-04-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Dublin City Council is creating a new development plan this year that will take the city into 2017.

The draft plan as well as all the zoning maps can be viewed online by clicking here.

Image courtesy of Google images.

"Floating" University

2010-03-29T01:58:00.000-07:00

Pritzker Prize winners SANAA, have created the Rolex Learning Centre at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EFPL).

It is conceived as a fully integrated learning environment. It provides a learning environment,with a seamless network of services, libraries, information gathering, social spaces, study services, cafes and beautiful outdoor spaces.

This highly experimental building is one fluid space undulating around a series of internal patios with almost invisible supports for a curving roof. The official opening is planned for May.

Image courtesy of SANAA

Story Reuters

Prefabs by Daniel Libeskind

2010-03-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

Daniel Libeskind has teamed up with German builders Proportion to develop high end, green, prefabricated homes.
The two story, four bedroom houses are covered in pre-weathered zinc panels affixed to a wooden frame.
Named "Villa Libeskind", the aim is to construct 30 of the dwellings around the globe with no more than one in any one city. They are expected to cost between $2 and $3.5m.
You can read more about the project on Architectural Record.

Image and story courtesy of Architectural Record.

Easter Library Opening Times

2010-03-22T08:17:00.001-07:00

The library at DIT Bolton Street will close at 9:30pm on Wednesday 31st March and reopen at 9:30am on Wednesday 7th April.

We will open our normal hours Monday 29th -Wednesday 31st March and from Wednesday 7th April onwards.

To view our normal opening hours click here.

New London building to generate 8% of its energy needs

2010-03-16T03:44:00.000-07:00

The Strata Tower in London's Elephant and Castle will use three wind turbines built into its structure to generate electricity.

This is a particularly important development in the UK where government policy now specifies that all new buildings must be carbon neutral by 2019.

The building, nicknamed the razor, is not the first to use the idea of built in wind turbines. The Bahrain World Trade Centre uses turbines mounted between its two towers.

You can read more at Guardian.co.uk.

Image and story courtesy of Guardian.co.uk.

School for Passive Houses

2010-03-02T10:39:00.000-08:00

The Irish Passive House Academy opens its doors in Co. Wicklow in March. They will offer a variety of courses leading to qualification as accredited certified European House Designers.

Passive houses take the popular notion of energy efficient construction to the next level. Scandinavian Homes is credited as building the world's first standardised prefabricated house in Moycullen in 2005.

story courtesy of Irish Examiner

image Scanhome

Digital Ordnance Survey Maps at DIT Bolton Street Library

2010-03-02T06:05:00.001-08:00

We are delighted to announce that ordnance survey maps are now available in digital format from Bolton Street library. The maps will be made available to staff and students as and when required.
To get the maps you need you'll be required to fill out an application form, the digital data will then be provided to you and you will be required to delete it by a specified date and to undertake not to make it available in a commercial setting.
The maps that are available are:

Dublin:

1:50,000 coloured raster tiles of Dublin County

1:5,000 black and white raster tiles of the north city area

Orthophotos in colour circa 2000 vinatge - same area as covered by the 1:5,000 map tiles

1:1,000 vector tiles of the city centre

Knocksink/Glencullen

1:50,000 coloured raster tiles of Dublin County

DTM - regular grid @10m for same coverage as 1:5,000 raster tiles

1:5,000 black and white raster tiles of the Glencullen catchment

Orthophotos in colour circa 2000 vintage - same area covered by the 1:5,000 map tiles

DIT construction students in international design / build competition

2010-02-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

Best of luck to David Breen, Sean Keegan and Edward Walsh. The three final year construction students will this week compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC)/TEXO Design Build competition in Dallas, Texas.

The three will team up with students of Construction Science at Oklahoma University to make the first international team to compete at this annual competition.

You can read more at the DIT website or at the TEXO website.

Also pictured are Head of Department Lloyd Scott (left), and Head of School Louis Gunnigan (right).

Image and story courtesy of DIT Newsroom.

Old/New addition to Dublin's skyline.

2010-02-11T06:58:00.000-08:00

Trade union Siptu reveal plans to replace Dublin's Liberty Hall, above. To read more click here.

Thanks to The Irish Times

This is how the building originally looked

The proposed

"new"

Liberty Hall

Dublin's new theatre experience

2010-02-10T04:23:00.000-08:00

Dublin has at last the theatre to stage large scale

productions. In six weeks the Daniel Libeskind designed Grand Canal Theatre will open. There are 2,111 seats and yet it feels intimate. It has a 48ft proscenium arch, depth of 47ft width of 106ft and an orchestra pit in front.

Light shafts inspired by Venetian mooring poles line the red carpet. Audiences will be able to take a barge from the Charlemont Luas stop down the canal to the theatre.

Story Irish Architect

image courtesy of Today FM

Glasgow to trial amphibious buses

2010-02-08T03:15:00.000-08:00

The transport group Stagecoach is today beginning a two day trial of an amphibious bus on the river Clyde in Glasgow.

It is envisaged that the service will replace the 500 year old ferry service which runs at a loss due to its limit of four passengers per journey.

The Dutch-built craft has already been trialled in Rotterdam and its hefty £700,000 price tag compares favourably to the £12-15 million cost of a new bridge.

Image and story courtesy of The Scotsman.

Magnificent maps at the British Library

2010-02-03T03:41:00.000-08:00

The British Library will exhibit its impressive collection of maps in an exhibition running from April to September 2010.

The collection includes large scale maps from the 1400s to the present. Also included will be the Klencke Atlas, which is still the largest book in the world.

The Magnificent Maps exhibition will also investigate the reason behind the construction of some of these maps.

For more information check the British Library website.

Image and story courtesy of Guardian.co.uk.

Public Transport in Dublin

2010-01-27T06:59:00.000-08:00

Complicated and not user-friendly, our public transport system needs to put the consumer first...read more here :
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/pricewatch/2010/0118/1224262561518.html
courtesy of The Irish Times

Clare looks to a sustainable future

2010-01-27T03:43:00.000-08:00

County Clare has published its draft Development Plan for 2011 -2017. The emphasis on this is a green environment.

Firstly there are 2 electric vehicle charge points and a wind energy strategy. The Shannon is to be rezoned for both economic and recreational purposes. Heritage is very important in this plan, there will be a detalied record of protected structures.

The draft developent plan is available for viewing in public offices, libraries and Clare County Council from the end of January for 10 weeks. All opinions are welcome.

Story courtesty of Irish Times

Image Clare County Council

Juhani Pallasmaa lecture at DIT

2010-01-22T06:28:00.000-08:00

Dublin School of Architecture at DIT will host a lecture by world renowned Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa on Thursday 11 February in the Michael O'Donnell theatre in Bolton Street at 18:30.

Pallasmaa is a former professor of architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology and a former director of the Museum of Finnish Architecture. He runs his own architecture practice, Arkkitehtitoimisto Juhani Pallasmaa KY, in Helsinki.

Story courtesy of Dit.ie and Wikipedia.

Image courtesy of Google Images.

UN using remote sensing in Haiti

2010-01-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

The UN is using remote sensing to gauge the damage caused by the earthquake in Haiti. Sites were assessed for damage using GeoEye-1 satellite imagery.

To view the images go to the UNOSAT page.

Story courtesy of Engineering News Record.

Image courtesy of Geology.com.

EndNote Web on YouTube

2010-01-08T04:44:00.001-08:00

Below is a youtube video giving examples of direct exports from a database into EndNote Web.

Open for business

2010-01-07T06:06:00.000-08:00

Bolton St. Library are happy to report we are open for business as usual today Friday 8th Jan from 9:30 am until 5:15 pm.

Exam Papers at the DIT Library website

2009-12-22T02:49:00.001-08:00

To find exam papers online:

-Go to the DIT Library Catalogue.

-Click on Exam Papers

-Enter your course code e.g. DT001 or alternatively click on the Quick Link to recent Exam Papers

-This should bring you to a list of exam papers for different academic years and different course years

-Click on the paper you want and you can print, save or email the PDF.

Things to note:

* Accessing exam papers from outside DIT you will need to have your student ID, your library PIN and a password for the exams

* You can get the exam papers password from the Library A-Z (under 'exam papers') BUT you'll need to have your ID number and PIN to access it.

* If you don't have a PIN click here for instructions on setting it up.

* If you have a PIN but don't recall what it is (which happens a lot) you'll need to contact the library.

* You can contact the library at Bolton Street at 01 402 3681 until 5:15pm Tuesday 22nd, until 1pm Wednesday 23rd.

* After the holidays we will be available from 9:30am on Monday 4th January 2010.

*We will be opening full term time hours from the 4th January(9:30am - 9:30pm Monday -Thrsday; 9:30am - 5:15pm Friday; 10am - 5pm Saturday)

Image courtesy of the hire business.

The Guardian's best buildings of the noughties

2009-12-08T04:01:00.000-08:00

Check out The Guardian online for Jonathan Glancey's best buildings of the last decade.

Christmas Library Opening Times

2009-12-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

Closing Wednesday 23rd December.

Reopens Monday 4th January 9.30am.

Please note the library will close at 5.15pm on Monday and Tuesday the 21st and 22nd of December.

Out of Africa

2009-12-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre winner of the World Building of the year blends the landscape with the centre. Jonannesberg based architect Peter Rich took the award.
It is set on the side of a mesa, an elevated area with a table top and steep sides . This has being fromed from dramatic geoglogical events that resulted in the Limpopo River changing its course from flowing into the Atlantic and and into the Indian Ocean. It is a proverty relief project using ecological materials.
The center is designed to house artifacts from the pre-history of the region. The gold rhino displayed is the most spectacular of the gold discoveries there.
The beauty of the domes and the routes provide the visitor with a mutitude of wonderful experiences

story courtesty of Cork Examiner
image Design Boom

National grid helped by solar house

2009-11-18T06:24:00.000-08:00

The Solar Decathlon was won this year by Technische Universitat in Darmstat. The Competition is run every two years and sets out to raise the profile of solar power and zero energy buildings.

Team Germany started with a focus in the facade. The surface of their building is covered with solar cells. The 11.1 kilowatt photovoltaic system is made up of 40 silicon panels on the roof and about 250 CIGS panels on their sides which perform better in cloudy weather. This produces 200% of the energy needs and can sell energy to the national grid. Team Germanys' house produced a surplus of power even during three days of rain. Construction costs are £500,000 which would reduce significantly during mass production.

story courtesy of Irish Examiner

image of Architecture Lab

Tall building height calculator

2009-11-13T06:27:00.000-08:00

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has developed a calculator to determine the height of tall buildings when only the story count is known.
The calculator is divided into three categories namely,

Office
Residential / Hotel
Mixed Use

As the characteristics of tall buildings will obviously vary it is suggested that it is better utilised for determining the heights in multiple buildings or statistical surveys.

You can read the process behind the calculator here or use the calculator itself by clicking here.

Image of the Burj Dubai under construction is courtesy of jonasmueller83 on Flickr.

Electronic books

2009-11-11T04:06:00.001-08:00

Did you know there is a growing collection of books available to you electronically through the DIT library website?

If you click the ebooks link on the library website you'll see a selection of ebook providers.

The Knovel database has many engineering related databases available electronically.

If you are interested in the construction or building services areas you'll find a huge amount of material at the info4education database. All CIBSE information is available here electronically through the construction information service.

If you need any more information or you're having any difficulties please contact the library at Bolton Street.

Image courtesy of edwardjohnphotography on Flickr.

Students Sevices Go Green

2009-11-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

Designed by Christensen Architects, the Green Lighthouse in Copenhagen is Denmarks first carbon neutral building. It will serve as the showhouse for the sustainable building at the UN's Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December. It is designed for Student Services in the University of Copenhagen.

The elegant cyclindercal structure operates as a cabon neutral sundial ( hence the nickname the Sundial). The cyclinderical and adjustable facade louvers allow light to twist around the building following the sun. Heating and electricity are provided by a combination of solar energy and heat pumps. The need for artifical lighting is reduced and the roof has solar panals

The building was designed to maximise solar resources. It was built in less than a year and was officially inagurated in October 20th 2009

story courtestyof Irishexaminer

image World Architecture News

Maggie's Centre gets RIBA Award

2009-11-05T08:39:00.001-08:00

This years RIBA Stirling Prize was won by the Maggie's Centre at Charing Cross Hospital in London. The jury chaired by Irish architect John Tuomey concluded that this beautiful and unique structure by Rogers,Stirk Harbour and Partners exceeds at every level a difficult brief to create a sanctuary for terminal cancer sufferers.

The centre is surrounded by designed garders and internal courtyards. There is a "floating roof" and a double height space which is a kitchen annexed from a main space which acts as a meeting sitting and consultation room.

Maggie Keswick Jencks who died of cancer in 1995, had had too much bad news delivered in cold clinical settings. She felt good buildings make us feel better so before she died she reviewed plans for the first cancer caring centre in Edinburgh. The six centres are know for their modern design and are often designed by famous architects like Frank Gehry

story Irishexaminer

image BD online

Worlds Tallest Order

2009-11-04T02:04:00.000-08:00

The worlds tallest building the Burj Dubai is due to to open on December 2nd. It is 818 meters tall and soars half a mile into the sky. There are 160 floors and you can't see the top from the bottom. It is a mixed used tower featuring residences corporate suites and the the world's first Armani Hotel and Armani residences. The top of the reinforced concrete tower has a steel frame capable of being extended to beat any other tower vying for the title of the tallest.
It breaks all sorts of records. It has the most floors, the fastest lifts, highest vertical concrete pumping and the highest insallation of an aluminum and glass facade. The shimmering exterior minimises heat transmission and saves energy. It is rotated by 120 degrees to allow less stress from the prevailing winds.
It is located in Dubai at the centre of the Downtown Burj Dubai. The architect is Adrian Smith who is based in Chicago. It is being constructed by South Korean company and Samsung Engineering Construction and developed by Emaar Properties

Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi

2009-11-02T04:19:00.000-08:00

Anyone who watched yesterday's inaugural Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix couldn't but be impressed by the complex. The state of the art floodlit circuit along with the pit and paddock facilities, not to mention the stunning Yas Marina Hotel which was draped in LED panels that changed colour throughout the race.

The facilities are all the more amazing when we realise that just over two and a half years ago there was nothing but a barren, flat desert island.

The project was overseen by development company Aldar. You can read more about the details of the project at The National.

Images courtesy of F1 Pulse.

Health and Safety Authority launch third level students competition

2009-10-30T05:41:00.001-07:00

The Third Level Student Health and Safety Competition details are available to view on HSA web site at the following address;

http://www.hsa.ie/eng/

Worth a look to see if you should enter

UK sustainable development indicators

2009-10-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

When the UK government outlined its sustainable development strategy Securing the Future they identified 68 indicators by which progress could be measured. These indicators are in four priority areas:

Sustainable consumption and production
Climate change and energy
Protecting natural resources and enhancing the environment
Creating sustainable communities and a fairer world

You can monitor progress on these indicators with the document Sustainable development indicators in your pocket 2009. This document is available at the DEFRA website.

Image courtesy of algo on Flickr.

1st Year Construction Management Students Site Visit

2009-10-16T04:17:00.000-07:00

As part of the first year induction the Construction Management students went on a site visit to a social housing development in Tallaght, Dublin. This is the second year that this visit has taken place and is an integral part of the first year induction. The visit was a great success mainly due to the enthusiastic participation of the staff of MDY Construction Jason Nolan, Stephen Redmond and John McKeever. Each of them gave very informative talks to the students and the feedback from the students was very positive. I have attached the link of the top two blogs that were created by the students. A presentation will take place in November to the students with the highest graded blog.

The winning blog was constructed by Aidan O’Kelly, Alan Southern, Martin Murphy, and Rob Breslin.
http://cookstownsitetrip.blogspot.com/

The runner up was constructed by Jacek Guzowski, John McGrath and Ross Collins. http://underconstructiondt117.blogspot.com/

Other participants blogs can be viewed below

http://dt117-construction-project09.blogspot.com/

http://www.blogger.com/www.construction-mgt.blogspot.com

http://const-site-visit-tallaght-dit117.blogspot.com/

I would like to thank everyone who participated in the visit especially Ger Flynn who was an central part of the organisation of the trip and hope that we can complete the visit again next year.

An Architectural Voice

2009-10-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

Norman Foster and senior design partner Spencer de Gray have engineered specifically for performances of operas and musical theatre the Winspear Opera House in Dallas. It also has stages equipped for for ballet perfomances. The closed off hierarchical form is done away with and replaced by a transparent publicly welcoming series of spaces. These open spaces warp around the rich restained drum of the auditorium. It is designed to become a destination in its own right for the non-opera going public, while being fully integrated with the cultural life of Dallas.

The opening of the Winspear Opera House is the completion of a 25 year vision for a self contained, pedestrian-friendly oasis in the city. Dallas Arts District is an unique 68 acre 19 block neighbourhood in the heart of the city. There are four venues in the new AT &T Performing Arts Centre. Dallas is the only city in the world with buildings designed by four Pritzker Prize winnning architects in one contiguous block. The architects are Rme Koolhaus, IM Pei,Renzo Piano and Norman Foster

Open House Dublin 2009

2009-10-05T02:44:00.001-07:00

Open House Dublin 2009 will run from October 8th to 11th. Presented by the Irish Architecture Foundation, it is a free event giving people the opportunity to discover the city's architecture. There will be over 150 events over the four days. The events include tours, debates and some special events aimed at a younger audience.

For all the information on what's going on, when and where, visit the Open House website.

Quality of Life - The design of Swedish innovations

2009-09-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Quality of Life - The design of Swedish innovations is an exhibition about contemporary Swedish innovations with an emphasis on design.

The exhibition presents some 30 objects which range from the simple but ingenious to advanced technology.

You can see the exhibition at DIT Bolton Street from September 29th to October 3rd and at DIT Aungier Street from October 7th to October 15th.

Pictured is the Brighthandle which you can read more about here.

Fresh Design Concept

2009-09-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

Mantioba Hydro Place in Winnipeg Canada is located in one of the most extreme climates in North America. Temperatures fluctuate from -35C to +34C. The 23 story structure reduces energy consumption by 60%. Measures to achieve this include a 22 story, 115 metre tall "thermal chimney" to promote natural ventilation and an innovative strategy for humidifying the building in Winter and dehumidifying it in Summer.

Every feature of this building was intergrated to make it one of the most energy efficient office towers in the world.

It is designed by KPMB Architects with Smith Carter Architects. Transsolare of Stuttgart Germany provided the climate-engineering design. It was completed last December.

It is the Americas winner of the Tall Buildings Award

For more information go to: http://dcnonl.com/article/id34913

Opening doors to buildings

2009-09-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

Open House which allows people to experience buildings up close, and in a new and exciting way runs in Dublin from October 8th-11th and in Galway from 16th-18th. It is the first year the concept has been extended beyond Dublin. It features 160 building tours, events, talks and workshops.

This years themes of Next Generation Architecture takes a look at the legacy of the Celtic Tiger years, showing innovative buildings that could point the way to more sustainable development. Work by the current young generation of architects can also be seen.

There is an open debate at Liberty Hall in Dublin on October 8th which asks "Can Architecture save the world"

The full programme for Open House Dublin is available at http://www.architecturefoundation.ie/openhousedublin and for Galway onhttp://www.architecturefoundation.ie/openhousegalway

Design-build network

2009-09-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

Check out the design-build network website. It's a good resource to keep up to date on all the latest construction industry news and all the most exciting projects in building design and construction.

You'll also find information for UK companies and services as well as jobs and careers information.

Tornado Tower kicks up a desert storm

2009-09-24T01:56:00.000-07:00

The Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has selected the Tornado Tower in Doha Quatar as the best tall building in The Middle East and Africa region.The CTBUH announced the winner for the four regions and the overall winner will be announced in October. The other regions are America Europe and Australia. Inspired by a desert storm, the Tornado storm is the most distinctive icon on a wealthy skyline. Apart from the distinctive shape inspired by Munich Architects SIAT Robinson, the outer steel structure of the tower will be accenuated by a special lightening system designed especially for the tower by renowned light artist Thomas Emde. The system can be programmed to produce 35,000 dazzling light displays, making it one of the landmark structures of the city especially at night.

All information at

http://www.qatarliving.com/taxonomy/term/27106

Have an input into new Building Regulations

2009-09-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Environment Minister John Gormley is inviting comments on amendments to Part M of the Building Regulation Act 1997 due to come into operation in July 2010.

The new conditions will make it mandatory for wheelchair/disability access to all dwellings. This previously had only applied to new residential builds. Any extension or renovation will now have to to follow the new guidelines set down for disabled access.

The closing date for submissions is 19th October 2009.

E mail all comments to buildingstandards@environ.ie

All information regarding Building Regulation M is at http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentandHousing/BuildingStandards/News/MainBody,20703,en.htm

Pecha Kucha Night

2009-09-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

Dublin's second Pecha Kucha Night will take place in the Sugar Club on Thursday 10th September.

The night occurs in many different cities. The idea is to bring designers together to exchange ideas.

But as the Pecha Kucha website explains, "give a mike to a designer (especially an architect) and you'll be trapped for hours". To avoid this the format of the evening is very simple. Each speaker is allowed 20 slides and can talk for 20 seconds on each one, giving a maximum of 6 minutes 40 seconds until the next speaker is up.

Click on the image for more information.

Liberty Hall to light up for theatre festival

2009-08-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Liberty Hall will be transformed into a giant display screen next month.

330 LEDs installed in the south and west facing windows will display animations from dawn to dusk every night during the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival (from 24th September - 11th October).

Members of the public are invited to submit animations at www.daft.ie/playhouse.

Story courtesy of The Irish Times.

Image courtesy of playhousedublin on Flickr.

Lego Architectural Models

2009-08-20T03:47:00.000-07:00

Lego has introduced a series of architectural sets which include not only building instructions but also historical material and photographs.
The main driver of the new collection is Adam Reed Tucker.
Tucker has been doing his own work with Lego which you can view at his site brickstructures.com. He also has an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago called ART + Science = Architecture. The exhibition consists of Lego models of famous buildings some of which are over 10 feet tall. Included are China's Jin Mao tower and the proposed Calatrava tower in Chicago. The exhibition will run until March 15th 2010.

Image courtesy of Good Millwork on Flickr.
Story courtesy of Architectural Record.

Breaking Barriers, Creating Connections - Final Report publication

2009-08-13T02:59:00.000-07:00

The Breaking Barriers, Creating Connections - Final Report, prepared by graduates of BSc Spatial Planning has been published.

The report, prepared by Fiona Egan, Kevin O'Brien, Niall Byrne, Sarah Culleton and Sean Byrne on behalf of the North West Inner City Rapid organisation and Dublin City Council, proposes an Environmental Action Plan for the North West Inner City, which includes Smithfield Square and Environs. The study makes a number of innovative proposals which, if implemented, will foster sustainable community development in the area, including: -

- improved information and networking

- a public realm strategy

- a sports and community development programme

- an economic development programme

- a "cultural coalition" for Smithfield Square

New Homes in UK too Small

2009-08-11T05:28:00.000-07:00

New research carried out by the British Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has established what many suspected: Many new homes are simply too small.
The survey was carried out with 2,500 people who lived in homes built between 2003 and 2006. Among the findings are the facts that 72% do not have enough room for the three small bins required to recycle properly and 35% don't have sufficient space for basic kitchen appliances such as toasters and microwaves.
You can read more on the research at the CABE site and you can download the full report here.

Story courtesy of Guardian.co.uk.
Picture courtesy of DerbyRed on Flickr.

Threat to Moscow's architectural heritage

2009-07-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

A new report called "Moscow Heritage at Crisis Point" has been published to underline the huge threat to Moscow's architecture. The report has been published by the Moscow Architecture Preservation Society (MAPS).
In the last five years, a thousand buildings have been destroyed. More than 200 of them had monument status. The Hotel Moskva (pictured) was built in the 1930s and lavishly decorated by some of Russia's finest artists. In 2004 it was demolished in order to build a modern reproduction.
You can read more on this at Guardian.co.uk and you can access the report in full on the MAPS website.

Image courtesy of jazzerton on Flickr.
Story courtesy of Guardian.co.uk and MAPS.

Cycling in Dublin ... slow progress

2009-07-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

Anyone who cycles regularly in Dublin will know two things. Firstly its the only way to get around the city and secondly that every journey without a fatality is an achievement.
The curious layout of the cycle lane pictured says it all. Indeed its not unusual for cycle lanes in Dublin to have car parking spaces painted over them.
The banning of cars on college green at peak time is one of the baby steps we need but it falls way short of any sort of committment to improving the situation.
We have been waiting upwards of two years for the long promised rent-a-bike schemes and we still wait for any progress on the Green Party's 10 Point Cycling Plan for Dublin .
Enforcement of traffic laws is still minimal and as a result road behaviour of both cyclists and motorists is still very poor.

Dublin at the Crossroads

2009-07-08T01:59:00.001-07:00

On Thursday 9th July at 12:45pm Dr Ela Krawczyk and Conor Skehan of The Futures Academy will present the recently published report, “Dublin at the Crossroads: Exploring the Future of the Dublin City Region”, to the Climate Change Group at the Institute of International and European Affairs.

The report examines four differing scenarios on how Dublin may develop over the next 20 years. It also outlines specific policy actions and recommendations.

You can read the report here.