Joy Through The Wall – Pink Seesaws Connect US-Mexico Communities:
Architectural studio Rael San Fratello has installed three pink seesaws, or teetertotters, between the metal slats of the US-Mexico border wall, so people on either side can play together.
The equipment was installed between El Paso in Texas and Ciudad Juárez in Mexico, in an opening event of “joy, excitement, and togetherness” says Rael.
It has been one of the “most incredible experiences” of the duo’s careers, he writes in the post.
“The wall became a literal fulcrum for US-Mexico relations and children and adults were connected in meaningful ways on both sides with the recognition that the actions that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side,” he says.
Rael, an architecture professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and San Fratello, an associate professor of design at San José State University, produced the installation with Taller Herrería, a workshop in Ciudad Juárez.
The studio first came up with the idea for the seesaw, named the Teeter Totter Wall, in 2009. Read more on Dezeen.
How Cities are Redesigning to Deal with Heat:
As cities get hotter, there are several ways to prepare for extreme conditions, from changes in infrastructure – like solar and battery ‘microgrids’ that can keep air conditioning on at cooling centres if the heat takes the grid down—to shifts to different cooling technology, like geothermal power, writes Adele Peters for Fast Company.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is number one priority, she writes. In the meantime three simple and helpful solutions are already being trialled by cities around the world.
Covering cities and building with trees. Melbourne, Milan, Dallas and Madrid are mapping their canopies and planning to plant more trees, or cover balconies and rooftops with greenery.
Coating streets and roofs with white, reflective finish. New York City has coated more than 10 million square feet. Tokyo and LA are also taking this approach.
Designing buildings to stay cool without air conditioning. Using automatic shades and windows, for example, and materials like concrete can be cooled in advance of a heat wave.
Photo: Proposed integrated design by Perkins and Will of green-blue urban streetscape at the Churchill Technology and Business Park in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Photo: Perkins and Will.
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Public punching bags placed around New York City: A US design studio, donttakethisthewrongway (dtttww), has installed bright yellow punching bags throughout New York City to help relieve tension and stress among residents. The bags were introduced in May at New York City Design Week in attempts to stop people from taking their frustrations out on each other. “The concept explores designing common spaces for the frustrations we all face. Frustrations that go beyond designed systems and happen, well, because we are human,” the design studio said. “The public punching bag offers an outlet for these emotions as a means to maybe develop a healthier way to address personal and collective issues in a public setting.” New Yorkers passing by tipped their hats to dtttww, welcoming the installation with fists and …
Norman Foster is 84 and he Instagrams better than you: Norman Foster only began to casually upload photos to Instagram in 2017. But don’t be fooled by his short tenure on the social media platform, writes ArchDaily. What makes his feed more charming, they say, than Bjarke Ingels’, more impressive that Richard Branson’s, is a mix of je ne sais quoi, athletic prowess, and a taste of ‘he’s just like us!’ Foster posts behind-the-scenes images that reflect a full life – of exercising, spending time with family and taking holidays – as well as working. If we are moving beyond the age of ‘cults of personality’ cultivated by the media, say ArchDaily, “it’s fascinating to see Norman Foster take full advantage of the one-to-one relationship between public figure and the …
A guide to surveillance in the city: Google sister company Sidewalk Labs has created a system of urban signage that reveals the technologies it is using to track people in public spaces. The signs are intended to be a visual representation of the privacy policies the company is developing to go along with its data collection technology. While the project goes some way to address privacy concerns around data collection, there’s still no way for people to opt out of being tracked in public. The signage is being trialled in Toronto, Canada, but could be taken up in other cities. To find out more about the signage design, purpose and placement, see the article by Fast Company. Image: Sidewalk Labs. Controversial designs for new Notre-Dame spire: The redesign of the …
