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Urban regeneration: The takeover of ‘cappuccino urbanism’
Lucy Wallwork Construction & Building MaterialsCitizens of "regenerated" districts will find the sight of yet another boutique café opening up on their local main street familiar. But as the pavements in the "thriving" cities of the West fill up simultaneously with cappuccino vendors and a growing homeless population, the cognitive dissonance becomes hard to ignore. Some are starting to ask if what has become known as "cappuccino urbanism" papers over a shallow approach to urban regeneration and belies a crucial lack of imagination.
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Home construction recoups as sales slump
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsAfter taking a tumble in June, housing construction got back on its feet in July, with both the number of new starts and permit requests ticking upward. Home sales, on the other hand, continued to slip as prices in many markets approach record highs. Demand for housing remains high, but would-be buyers are having difficulty finding homes they can afford. Throughout the year so far, home construction numbers have yo-yoed up and down from month to month.
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Workplace design: Where play gets serious
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesBy now, the notion of designing playful workspaces or spaces at work for play is no longer novel. Some of the world’s top companies are renowned for providing playful environments for their workers and have testified to the many ways they benefit the company by enhancing employee satisfaction and encouraging creativity and camaraderie. But, as recent research shows, there is also a serious side to play at work that is embedded in these designs, tying them closely to the bottom line.
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McDonald’s flagship: An example of newly renovated space
Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementThe advance of technology has transformed the way restaurants and hotels operate their businesses. When almost everything, from reservations, productions, and service delivery, to the collection of payments, can be performed by machines, restaurants and hotels must also reconsider how they may better utilize the space for smooth operations. McDonald’s, for example, recently revealed a flagship store that looks like an Apple Store in Chicago, roughly two months after the company opened a brand-new, $250 million headquarters in an up-and-coming Windy City neighborhood known for its trendy restaurants.
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Robust remodeling trends holding steady
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesSome regional and seasonal fluctuations notwithstanding, remodeling activity held steady during the second quarter and appears to be on track to stay that way for the remainder of the year. Market conditions within the housing industry are favoring remodelers, some of whom are reporting backlogs of up to six months on some projects. On the whole, remodelers and designers are optimistic that business will grow in the coming months.
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Everything-as-a-service subscriptions are everywhere
Scott E. Rupp RetailIt seems everything is available "as-a-service" in our current age. We can subscribe to lighting, software, cars, offices and much more. As-a-service subscriptions are on the rise primarily because technology is now capable of supporting a variety services, solutions and the ability to perform tasks from a range of locales with few barriers, and because individuals and businesses want what they want when they want it. Additionally, such services are agile and require little more than a monthly fee and little commitment on the user’s behalf.
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Flexible learning starts with flexible classroom spaces
Brian Stack EducationThe latest craze with my New Hampshire high school teachers is to supplement, or in some cases replace, their institutional, inflexible classroom furniture with more student-friendly options. In a school with a very tiny furniture budget, my staff has accomplished this task by soliciting donations, applying for grants, and in some cases, building their own furniture. A walk through the few re-imagined spaces that we have completed thus far is reminiscent of a trip through a trendy Ikea showroom.
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The best methods for client presentations
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesWhile some still prefer the napkin sketch, architects and designers today have a battery of tools they can employ to convey their visions to clients and stakeholders. But which have the biggest impact on viewers? It may seem a no-brainer that animated digital representations such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial reality (AR) win hands down. That, however, is not always the case. What matters most is not the medium, but the message.
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How to re-enter the design job market successfully
Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesUnemployment is low, and firms are having difficulty filling positions. If you’ve been out of the job market for a while, perhaps raising a family or for other personal reasons, but are ready to start designing again, now might be an ideal time to get back in the game. Even in an employee-driven market like the current one, returning to work after a prolonged absence can be a challenge. You can increase your chances of landing a suitable position by doing some advance preparation before you start replying to job postings.
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Tariffs weigh on housing market
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsPresent and future U.S. tariffs on imported goods are taking their toll on housing, as both builders and would-be buyers worry about rising costs and the likelihood that economic growth will begin to slow next year. The impact can be seen in market indicators for June, which fell across the board. Dragged down by rising materials and labor costs, the rate of new home construction dropped 12.3 percent in June compared to May, a nine-month low. Single-family starts dropped by 9.1 percent.
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