Virtual reality (VR) will be one of the biggest stories of 2016, what with the public launch of the Oculus Rift headset and avalanche of software that is sure to follow. Gaming is leading the technology, offering immersive experiences for shoot-em-ups and other virtual world experiences. But the real way that VR will change our world will be in...
Revivals in downtown urban living, tighter budgetary constraints – especially for Millennials – and a growth in green thinking have all neatly led up to one quirky, funny, cute and, perhaps, sad trend: Microdwellings. This growing breed of tiny house or apartment is cleverly designed for a single person and includes things like toilets tucked...
Creative, often technologically advanced, pieces of interactive public art seem to be popping up everywhere these days. The trend reflects a willingness and desire to utilize public space in playful, innovative ways that people find fun and inviting. One particularly exciting example is an interactive art piece in Granary Square in London...
In Vienna, Austria, architects are planning to build the world's first wooden skyscraper. At 24 stories, it will be the world's tallest wooden building, and house a hotel, apartments, offices and a restaurant. About 75% of the tower is expected to be made from wood and architects say it's construction will save about 28 hundred tons of CO2...
Every day now seems to bring yet another "first" object created by a 3D printer. We have seen super cool and colorfully printed shoes, canoes, candies and much more. Now, DUS Architects, a Dutch design firm, is in the process of creating the world's first 3D-printed building – a traditional looking Dutch house overlooking a canal in Amsterdam....
The Promenade plantée in Paris and the Highline in New York are both elevated parks built atop obsolete elevated railway lines. Since their inaugurations they have become focal points of their respective neighborhoods and favorites with visitors and locals alike. So perhaps it's no surprise that city boosters and architects are now looking down...
Hot on the heels of our recent story about the world's first "smart mosques" comes word that the world's first eco-friendly mosque is opening soon in Dubai. Although they are rooted in tradition, ecclesiastical buildings are often on the forefront of modern design. That said, "green" mosques have been absent until now. Built to accommodate over...
In New York City designers are hard at work creating the Lowline, the world's first underground park. While this novel public space isn't even open yet, London is looking to best it by creating the world's first underground farm. We've written a lot about rooftop urban farming that answers the hyper-local trend with produce and herbs that are...
Large bridges are full with lights and electric signage and use a lot of electricity. More and more they are being outfitted with solar arrays designed to power all this. Now Blackfriars Bridge in London has taken all this energy creation a step further, generating enough electricity to help power the train station below it and claiming the...