StructureCraft’s Post

Per Tuesday's news, a blockbuster proposal for United Center-adjacent land represents a giant step toward "restoring the traditional neighborhood development pattern," in the words of Chicago planning commissioner Ciere Boatright. Fifty-five acres of surface parking lots that have long severed the Near West Side would be redeveloped with a mix of up to 5,000 housing units (20% affordable), a 6,000-seat music venue designed by Los Angeles architecture firm RIOS, and a hotel with 2.5 acres of elevated park space. Field Operations and Chicago-based site design group, ltd. and are other key members of the project design team, placing deserving emphasis on landscape and the pedestrian experience. United Center CEO Terry Savarise describes the approach as more neighborhood infill than entertainment district. It's a model one could imagine deploying for the Guaranteed Rate Field environs in Bridgeport. We agree with the Sun-Times Editorial Board that the project must be done carefully and with community participation and that it's encouraging that no public moneys are being sought initially. If tax dollars do come into the picture, we hope the primary use is for construction of a new CTA Pink Line station. The project, led by Michael Reinsdorf and Danny Wirtz, targets a 2025 start with the hotel & park component (including underground parking), and progresses through several phases toward a 2035 completion. #megadevelopment #LoopAsLab #stadiums #UnitedCenter #1901Project Link to Sun-Times column: https://lnkd.in/ghWVXcsW

"62% of UK waste comes from construction - mindlessly tearing down and replacing good solid buildings like Smallbrook." #DontWasteBuildings It's a shocking statistic from the take-make-waste approach of most of the property development industry. And that's before we understand the huge damage to the climate, currently tottering on the edge of an unstoppable slide into oblivion, that's endangering our lives today. Most policy makers in the UK are lagging horribly behind the curve when it comes to the climate damage caused by new build development. Some, like The Labour Party led Westminster City Council are leading the way. "Our new retrofit-first policy will prioritise the retrofit and refurbishment of existing buildings to meet future needs over unnecessary demolition and redevelopment, reducing the impact of development on climate change." Birmingham City Council can make a political choice to get on to the right side of history. Fighting in court to promote climate destruction by an offshore owned entity isn't a good look today, never mind tomorrow.

Oh dang, Edwin Slipek telling it like it is re: some of the issues holding #downtown City of Richmond, Virginia back. Y'all, it's not about the next big, shiny project. It is about #corridors, filling #vacantbuildings, and addressing the #blight and #disinvestment that currently overwhelms the area. Kudos to the intrepid #smallbusinessowners who are investing, the #developers who are #developing #residential and #commercial spaces, and to the #downtownresidents who add to the #vibrancy of the area.

**The Heartbeat of Nashville: A Dynamic Construction and Development Scene** The construction and development industry in Nashville is more intense than ever! 🚧🏗️ As our city continues to grow and evolve, the demand for innovative, sustainable, and community-focused projects is skyrocketing. From the soaring skyscrapers redefining our skyline to the thoughtful urban spaces that enrich our neighborhoods, Nashville is a hub of relentless activity and visionary planning. It's not just about building structures; it's about creating spaces that resonate with the spirit of our city and its residents. Every blueprint, brick, and beam is a testament to the hard work, creativity, and collaboration of countless professionals who are passionate about shaping the future of Nashville. The intensity of this industry reflects our commitment to excellence and our dedication to a vibrant and thriving community. Kudos to all the architects, engineers, contractors, and developers who are making Nashville not just a place to live, but a place to love. #Nashville #Construction #Development #UrbanPlanning #SustainableBuilding #CommunityGrowth #Innovation #Architecture #BuildingTheFuture

This is one the renderings for the new Chicago Bears' stadium..There are about 9 or 10 proposed renderings you can find in various articles about this subject matter..You can say a lot about the picture below..The new stadium looks similar to the shapes of the current NFL stadiums in Dallas or Las Vegas..The columns of the old Soldier Field stadium would still be standing..The current Soldier Field stadium seating bowl would be torn down, and multiple recreational fields would take place of that..You saw a similar situation with the new Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY..Recreation fields are in the place of the old Yankee Stadium..The recreational field or practice fields would benefit the Bears and the residents of the Chicago, IL area.. 🌳 💺 🆚 🏈 ⚾ 🧢 🏟 🚜 🌆 🏙 #sportbusiness #facilitymanagement #eventmanagement #urbanplanning #landscapearchitecture #architecture

“Rising costs in construction and other areas require the development of more units per project for profitability. This economic pressure has led to a reduction in the average size of new apartment units, which dropped by 6% from 2013 to 2022. Additionally, the scarcity of large land parcels has prompted a vertical expansion strategy, particularly evident in cities like Dallas, where developers are opting for towering structures over sprawling complexes.” Article by The Wall Street Journal #apartments #multifamily #development #dallastx

They say that ‘A good deed never goes unpunished.’ It’s mad to think that Sir Christopher Wren (1632 — 1723), designer of the beautiful St Paul’s Cathedral, is also partly the reason behind some of London’s more recent carbuncles, such as the Walkie Talkie and the Cheesegrater… These behemoths aren’t just architectural folly. It’s all down to ‘St Paul’s Heights’, a statute that protects the viewing corridors of the Cathedral. It states that the view of the dome cannot be obscured from Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park or Richmond Park, where there’s a special hole cut in a hedge to preserve the view. In all, there are eight protected views that crisscross the capital. So, the Walkie Talkie, all curved up in its top-heavy-car-incinerating-sun-reflective-shape, is that way to allow for the corridor view, and equally, the steep incline and leaning back to the North of the Cheesegrater owes its shape to the same reason. It’s remarkable how what we create now can echo through the centuries. This underscores the immense power of design and its ability to shape a future that is yet unknown. ‘St Paul’s Heights’ was ostensibly aiming to do a good deed, but it has had unexpected and, some might say, negative results. I’m sure Wren would be flattered by the statute, but I wonder what he’d think of the architectural anomalies it helped create. #stpaulsheights #designforthefuture #gooddeeds

Sunlit Shelter: A House Above the Car Park In Leeds, atop the urban sprawl, A house emerges, standing tall, A primitive hut, as if in a dream, With a roof to shelter, or so it may seem. Above the car park, open to the sky, Where elements dance as time flies by, A testament to Laugier's vision grand, In architectural history, where it all began. But this house, it holds a secret deep, A nod to the past, where shadows creep, For on this site, where darkness fell, Once stood the prison of a Yorkshire tale. Where Peter Sutcliffe, the Ripper grim, Was first confined, his deeds so grim, But now, above the car park's din, Stands a house with a new story to begin. For it embraces the sun's warm light, With solar cells gleaming, shining bright, Harnessing energy, a beacon of hope, In a world where sustainability we must cope. So here it stands, amidst history's tale, A house atop a car park, strong and frail, A fusion of past and future, intertwined, In Leeds, where innovation's light shall shine. #SolarHutPoetry #UrbanArchitecture #SustainableLiving #LeedsLandscape #RenewableEnergy #ClimateConscious #ArchitecturalHistory #RooftopRefuge #acmespace #victoriagateleeds

What is better than one student activities complex? Two student activities complexes!   The Socorro ISD Student Activities Complex II will allow the six schools within the school district more flexibility in scheduling sporting events and special events, including concerts, movies, festivals, and banquets. The facility will also support fine arts, career and technology programs, and administration.   In collaboration with HKS, Inc., Parkhill served as associate architect for the multi-level District Building on the south end. The terrace and floor-to-ceiling windows in the banquet hall offer premium stadium views.   Parkhill also provided civil and landscape architectural design which artfully celebrates the local landscape aesthetic by integrating the 6500-seat stadium into the topography with terraces behind the end zones, accessibility guided by the landscape, and stadium fencing which blends into the facility. The field’s design allows for competition-level play including a separate field events zone. Site development unifies the site creating efficient event parking, safe pedestrian and traffic circulation, and proper drainage improvements.   City of Socorro, Texas Socorro ISD HKS, Inc. Banes General Contractors Inc. Hector De Santiago Jacob Hernandez Lynda Macias, EIT, CNU-A Landon Bell, RLA, ASLA Hector Rodriguez II, Assoc. AIA   #BuildingCommunity #RibbonCutting #TeamSISD #K12Education #Architecture #SiteDevelopment #LandscapeArchitecture”

Conwy Civic Hall I agree with the 20th C society. "It is the Society’s view that the 1960s- additions to the site are of historic and architectural significance. It is of architectural value as an interesting and characteristically 1960s response to the site, of historic and evidential value as the latest part in the multi-phased evolution of this public building, and the involvement of Gwilym Parry-Davies furthers its interest. The applicant has overlooked the post-war work (providing little to no information on its design and construction and failing to name the architect responsible) and as a result has massively downplayed its significance. It is wrongly assessed as “detrimental” and its demolition claimed to provide a heritage benefit. It is our view that the loss of the post-war work would in fact cause serious harm to the significance of the listed town hall."