Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more Although it dates back to ancient agriculture, the Southeast Asian karambit knife is most closely associated with tactical usage. While appreciated by military personnel, its typically aggressive design has limited its everyday carry practicality The chief difference between this Karambit and others While other karambits have a hawkbill blade this one has a recurve blade — essentially the “flipped” version of a hawkbill wider cutting belly that’s much more practical in EDC settings is still very much in line with traditional karambits each varying in handle material (either G10 or Ultem) The blade shape swap isn’t the only thing that makes this knife special It also has a pretty spectacular deployment — or rather which is ambidextrous for easy “flick”-style openings it also has what the brand calls a flipper — although it’s so much more The flipper deployment isn’t a flipper in the traditional sense it’s designed to hook the edge of your pocket as you remove the knife deploying the blade as you extract it simultaneously It’s the same concept as the Emerson Wave Other important features on the Jaw include a pocket clip liner lock and caged ceramic ball-bearing pivot The knife measures 7.4 inches (although it’s curved so it seems smaller) and weighs either 4.45 or 4.77 ounces The timer on Sebastian Hernandez’s watch sounded Monday afternoon somewhere over Kansas That familiar ding meant it was exactly three hours into a cross-country flight for the Cal men’s basketball team at the tail end of its first season as a member of the ACC Just as he’d done during the team’s three previous five-to-six-hour flights that hop three time zones Cal’s athletic performance coach asked the flight crew to flick on the cabin lights Coaches were already awake ready to dissect film of their next opponent He told them to swig the large bottles of SmartWater filled with electrolytes and handed out snacks time can both be a blur and of the essence The objective seems simple: Keep your body’s schedule on its own time zone It’s the best way to keep the Bears feeling fresh and competitive as they explore their new league which has demanded a new level of travel during a 20-game ACC season that has taken them to Atlanta and Pittsburgh and Raleigh joined the far-flung ACC to keep a place among the power conferences after the dissolution of the Pac-12 knowing full well jet lag would be among the consequences “The price to play in the conference for us It’s heavy,” Cal second-year coach Mark Madsen said But we’re doing the very best that we can because we love being in the conference.” 6-13 in ACC play) close out their regular season Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame The ACC tournament starts Tuesday in Charlotte learned the ins and outs of circadian rhythm Members of the Cal athletic department listened intently to a sleep expert’s presentation on combating significant travel stress on the body Madsen knew that this season could demand as many as five trips to the Eastern time zone and he wanted to utilize all possible avenues to prepare for long flights A sleep expert who has worked at NASA to help astronauts prepare for space travel would fit the bill He had to look no further than the guy making the presentation one of the school’s primary superfans at sporting events He’d sport a gold and blue polo shirt on football Saturdays during the program’s heyday featuring Marshawn Lynch and Aaron Rodgers He went on to spend seven years working as a sleep consultant for NASA helping astronauts understand the importance of prioritizing sticking to a circadian rhythm for optimal performance Kubey spent time at the Johnson Space Center in Houston when he worked on designing lights for the International Space Station and educating astronauts on the importance of sleep He’s had studies published on sleep deficiency in astronauts traveling both to outer space and in the months prior to launch and helped astronauts prepare their circadian rhythm for long trips to Kazakhstan where launches to the space station routinely take place A physics major at Cal who later pulled double duty at NASA while also attending medical school in Philadelphia Kubey said he found a connection with NASA engineers and physiologists when it came to the science of sleep Kubey said there was a trope used among engineers that astronauts were often the root of the problem in training exercises They called the astronauts “squishy pink things.” The physiologists would quickly point out that the whole point of the machinery was for the benefit of the “squishy pink things” to safely explore the galaxy “I used to be a mind over matter guy but have since realized to optimize performance we have to remember we are all squishy pink things embrace and engage our physiology — both its strengths and its weaknesses — to optimize our performance in whatever venue that might be That is what makes this so fun and interesting.” Kubey is now a hospitalist at both Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota Kubey’s presentation to all Cal athletic staffers last summer opened the eyes of not only Madsen Madsen and Cal women’s basketball coach Charmin Smith dominated the Q&A portion looking for any way to adjust optimally “We had concerns of course,” Hernandez said of initially following Kubey’s suggested travel outline “but we were also excited for the challenge of trying to find an edge and maximizing the circumstances was a motivating factor for us.” Kubey has been an invaluable resource to any Cal staffer with a question Hernandez said there were countless rough drafts in the fall floated back and forth between programs and Kubey to enhance what these week-long trips that always feature two road games would look like “Anyone can call or text him,” Cal associate athletic director Josh Hummel said Prioritizing the body’s circadian shift across several time zones Disruptions cause the body to feel more lethargic on game days or throw off sleep patterns that lead to likely performance drop-offs During Cal’s East Coast swings so far this year the Bears leave two days before their first road game of the week which typically comes on Wednesdays Cal’s charter flight will take off from Oakland International Airport bound for Chapel Hill or Pittsburgh or Louisville the performance difference can go as high as 10 to 20 percent from your low to your high,” Kubey said “That’s often comparing the middle of the night to your peak if you can get a few percentage points difference on peak speed or peak alertness that may be part of the sauce to squeak out that road win.” The Cal women’s basketball team is having its best year since 2014-15 having won 25 games in Year 1 in the ACC and went 3-5 in Eastern time “I think it really helps with the mental part of things,” Smith said “Having a plan and having something that we can show as a justification as to why we’re telling our players to go to bed or wake up at certain times or to not look at their phones or eat at certain times or nap at certain times Hernandez plans in-flight naps depending on the travel destination The body is ready for a nap or sleep anywhere from five to eight hours after waking up Monday morning practice before a trip East players will naturally be ready for a nap around the time the flight leaves Oakland Once the wheels touch down around 8 or 9 p.m it’s not time to decompress at the team hotel To secure the positive impacts of the circadian shift players do not prepare for sleep that night until at least 1 a.m Players are allowed to sleep until as late as 11 a.m the following morning to stay on schedule and are encouraged to walk outside the hotel to catch sunlight one of the most pertinent factors to avoiding jet lag as it resets your body’s internal clock do not follow the same meticulous routine and are typically up and eagerly waiting to get the day underway as players sleep in For the second leg of these long road trips — from either Pittsburgh to Clemson or Durham to Atlanta — Hernandez said they gradually shift time zones by 30 to 60 minutes each day depending on the start time of those weekend tipoffs Saturday for a potential shootaround that morning Madsen won two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers playing alongside Hall of Famers like Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant He is no stranger to road trips — East Coast swings in the NBA for a West Coast team last anywhere from five to 10 days A week on the road for college athletes at an elite academic university who have class to attend has changed Madsen’s stance on his typical intense practices he wants as a feature of the program And Cal has to stay flexible — and patient After Cal’s 80-68 loss at Clemson on Saturday the charter flight was slated to leave around midnight from South Carolina but a mechanical issue forced a three-hour delay The Bears didn’t get back until Sunday at 6 a.m The Bears are 1-7 back east this year but still managed to squeeze into the ACC tournament as the 15th and final team in the 18-team league Madsen is utilizing this new reality to introduce to supporters of Cal athletics what it’s like to be behind the scenes for lengthy road trips Madsen saved 20 seats on the team’s charter for the Feb 3 Duke for prominent alumni to capture the demands of what his Bears have in front of them and plans on continuing the practice He was also reminded of those demands every Monday when the ACC hosts a head coach’s conference call to discuss the week ahead Madsen likes to listen sometimes just out of curiosity Coaches bound for the Bay Area for the Cal-Stanford swing are asked by media members how they’ll manage the arduous travel (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos courtesy of CK Hicks/Cal Athletics) Christopher Kamrani is a college football enterprise writer for The Athletic. He previously worked at The Salt Lake Tribune as a sports features writer and also served as the Olympics reporter. Follow Christopher on Twitter @chriskamrani 1);}}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-wjxay9-SquareButton{transition-property:background-color;transition-duration:0ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0 1);}}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-152q15n-SquareButton{transition-property:background-color;transition-duration:0ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0 1);}}.css-x340e0-SquareButton{margin:0;padding:0;display:inline-grid;-webkit-column-gap:8px;column-gap:8px;grid-template-columns:repeat(3 1);}}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-x340e0-SquareButton{transition-property:background-color;transition-duration:0ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0 1);}}.css-v6oqvx{margin:0;font-family:Lato,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:20px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0px;font-style:normal;text-transform:none;font-stretch:normal;padding:0.5px 0px;}.css-v6oqvx::before{content:'';margin-bottom:-0.4973em;display:block;}.css-v6oqvx::after{content:'';margin-top:-0.4463em;display:block;}Listen “I will turn 70 in January,” said Kubey, who lives in New York but has clients around the country. “I had it on my calendar for four months before — that’s what they say to do.” She has been a certified financial planner (CFP®) since 2018 she was a personal finance columnist and editor at Reuters an editorial director at Fidelity and editor-in-chief ofWalletpop.com she was a film critic and entertainment business reporter The Dallas Morning News and many more publications FEMA.gov is being updated to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders Thank you for your patience and understanding An official website of the United States government Quick to a smile and eager to educate those around him Aaron Kubey is a positive force for inclusivity and effective communication where he provides American Sign Language (ASL) interpretations of important messages He currently serves as a Certified Deaf Interpreter and communication access specialist for FEMA’s Office of External Affairs He went on to work as an interpreter at multiple organizations before he began his career at FEMA as a Certified Deaf Interpreter in 2016 “My focus since I've joined the agency has been to provide effective communication access to our survivors and the FEMA workforce It is also my mission to guide the agency on how to make effective accessible communications a part of how we operate every day,” Kubey said Kubey was deployed to Baton Rouge soon after he started at FEMA where he provided ASL support to Deaf/Hard of Hearing survivors in Louisiana he has deployed to many other states across the country to help disaster survivors Kubey is deployed to help Hurricane Ian survivors In addition to providing ASL support in Florida he is also doing community outreach with the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community to make sure they are getting access to FEMA programs and services Kubey is hard at work making other parts of FEMA as accessible as possible he’s helped create a FEMA Accessible library This growing library houses more than 150 videos in ASL Kubey says he is proud when he hears from interpreters across the country who are using these FEMA Accessible videos as models for how to interpret in the emergency management world Kubey’s long list of accomplishments center around his passion for creating a world that is better at communicating in every way “Communication can be a tricky thing,” he said You just need to be open to understanding what effective communication means and how to provide it successfully Kubey emphasized the importance of FEMA using plain language that everyone can understand during disaster response This helps FEMA  reach as many as survivors as possible This determination to reach everyone is what drives him to do the work he does “The Deaf/Hard of Hearing community is more often than not a community that has been an afterthought or neglected when it comes to disaster response,” he said “Being able to try and do my part to provide communication access to them is extremely important to me.” What’s next for Kubey?  Whatever it is “There's still a lot more I need and want to accomplish in the agency so I don't plan on leaving anytime soon,” Kubey said you're not getting rid of me that easily!” To see more of Kubey’s work, you can watch the YouTube playlist of ASL videos featuring many of his ASL interpretations Get real-time weather and emergency alerts Aaron Kubey says he has three meaningful achievements in the arts: 1) being director of artistic sign language (DASL) at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and other theater companies 2) being the first Deaf and youngest executive director/president of the National Theatre of the Deaf and 3) being the first Deaf student to be accepted at and graduate from the DePaul Theatre School Kubey was the DASL of A Monster Calls and Dear Evan Hansen for Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre and the Kennedy Center he interpreted King George at the Kennedy Center in 2022.  Kubey works to ensure that the sign language being used within a theater production is not only accurate in its translation Kubey’s arts career began when he was a child performing in school plays and talent shows before becoming part of a traveling theater variety show troupe in high school “That built the path for my career in theater and film over the past 30+ years,” he said he worked as the DASL for the Kennedy Center’s production of Dear Evan Hansen a musical in which a misfit teenager makes his way into a grieving family’s life through lies and deceit ‘Just imagine you’re Jackson Pollock and I’m a white canvas’… Do what feels right I want them to be as creative as they can be.” advocating for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community in all his past and current roles In an interview with the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts he talked about the increase in inclusion of the Deaf community in media but the requirement that they still speak “While I applaud the fact that more roles are being created for these actors I am a bit disappointed in the attitudes and opportunities for them,” he said “It appears that the roles that are being created for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing actors still require them to speak and sign rather than naturally using ASL If you look back at recent roles performed by Deaf actors you’ll find the majority of them spoke at times while signing There are some Deaf actors who can speak clearly you remove them from their natural comfort zone Kubey credits being Deaf with much of his creative ability “My deafness allowed me to be creative in how to express myself and my characters in other ways than the spoken language,” he said “It’s taught me how to maximize using my facial expressions he credits the interpreters who have supported him when needed and his good fortune of being able to work with others who know ASL Kubey’s advice to aspiring artists with disabilities: “Own your space in the arts don’t allow your disability to prevent you from pursuing your dream and passion Use that ‘no’ as motivation to prove your naysayers wrong and as a teaching moment for them to see you are fully capable of accomplishing your dreams.” Join us for Vanguard Philadelphia! Application deadline extended Join Next City for our new online seminar series with guest Karen Kubey architectural educator and editor of “Housing as Intervention: Architecture towards Social Equity.” “Housing as Intervention” is a 17-essay volume of Architectural Design (AD) that examines how housing projects around the world might be interventions toward greater social equity Join this seminar to learn about how housing projects can create greater social equity and how collaborative work in housing can reposition the architectural profession at large Trained as an architect at the University of California Kubey began her career in affordable housing design Kubey went on to co-found the Architecture for Humanity New York chapter and New Housing New York and became the first executive director of the Institute for Public Architecture This online seminar is pay what you wish to register Pay any amount that you would like or nothing at all Those who become sustaining members paying at least $5 a month will receive “Housing as Intervention” as a thank-you gift Pay any amount to become a Next City member and receive all the membership benefits Your contribution toward this webinar will be used to find amazing guests and organize seminars even more frequently « Previous Event Next Event » View all → and support the spread of solutions that liberate cities Critical Conversations: bridging pathways forward to greater understanding and creative solutions Listen to thought-provoking discussions on ocean conservation From designing wearable technology for outer space to examining the loss of fish in the ocean the expertise at Pratt covers a range of issues and topics impacting the world Here are 10 recent podcast appearances from the Pratt community showcasing this knowledge and creativity being explored on campus and beyond: “I’m very interested in housing because it’s at the center of our lives and it makes up the majority of the built environment in our neighborhoods.” “I entered the project trying to understand what decision-makers in positions of power were doing in order to create the conditions for an ocean emptying of wild fish.” “El futuro lo inventamos en cada salón de clase en cada discusión aparecen nuevos futuros.” “There’s something changing in this country about the way we see guns and that change isn’t coming from the National Rifle Association.” Amanda Huynh, assistant professor of industrial design, was interviewed on the Context podcast that engages in dialogues on design and life. Huynh focuses her practice on community-building and social innovation, and shared what being a food designer means in her work. Listen on Spotify. food design lives under the industrial design umbrella which is so deeply what we do in industrial design.” “If you can demonstrate the impact of the issues on human lives then you can find ways to get past the audience’s defenses or bias regarding these important topics.” “The future is somewhere where I can let go of expectations and just run with an idea we don’t have anything to lose because it doesn’t really exist yet “I’m attracted to painting and to certain painters and I see the connection between cinema and other disciplines and I get inspired and I push things so ideas come from all those interactions.” Jean Shin, adjunct professor-CCE of fine arts, was interviewed on the Beyond the Studio podcast. She discussed using her role as an artist to increase representation and expand ideas of community, as well as the challenges of creating large-scale installations and public art projects. Listen on the Beyond the Studio site.  Jon Otis, professor of interior design, shared the design lessons he wants each student to have on the Imagine a Place podcast that explores how interior design shapes human experience. He discussed the joys of learning, making a positive impact, and the importance of education in his practice. Listen on the Imagine a Place site. “I try to emphasize with my students that to really experience a space is to experience it with all of your senses and not just with your eye If you just stay on a screen and you select objects to be in your spaces you never really know what they feel like Today, nowhere is immune to housing crises: Developed and developing nations; cities, suburbs, and rural areas; prosperous regions and economically struggling ones. And there’s a common refrain echoing around the world: housing is a human right How—in the face of considerable population and spatial hurdles—can we boost supply to those who need it and do it in a considered “Housing as Intervention: Architecture towards Social Equity,” a recent volume of Architectural Design explains how architects around the world are responding to social equity and justice issues through housing Guest editor and housing expert Karen Kubey scoured the globe to find forward-thinking solutions that are specific to the problems in their respective cities but hold lessons for architects everywhere “Today we are experiencing unprecedented increases in urban populations,” Kubey writes in the volume’s introduction combined with the withdrawal of public funding from social housing provisions in Western countries and forced migration due to conflict and disaster worldwide has led to precarious housing conditions for wide swathes of society Severe income inequality is making housing insecurity impossible for even the upper classes to ignore...housing has become unaffordable for middle-class residents all over the world.” By addressing housing’s intersections with rapid urbanization the book outlines avenues for architects who actually want to make a difference Curbed asked Kubey about some key insights from the collection of essays and reports which are written by architects working on the bleeding edge of housing Social inequity is the product of large-scale political and economic systems that will have to change to make broad sweeping improvements But that doesn’t mean architects are fighting a losing battle In the essay “Demapping the Automotive Landscape,” Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan, associate professor Marc Norman looks for opportunities for more space to build by examining land allotted to parking He investigates how policy change can allocate more buildable space for housing and new construction strategies can leverage that land more effectively When the Philadelphia-based firm ISA embarks on new projects it often frames them through the lens of how much design can address racial disparities in the city In the article “Designing for Impact,” ISA principals Deb Katz and Brian Phillips explain how their multi-family projects—both built and conceptual—support physical activity and health equity issues that our book takes on are incredibly complex more affordable housing can play an important role in addressing them,” Kubey says fulfilling lives only when we have a stable home; housing makes up the majority of our cities’ built environment; and housing is central to global financial markets as well as personal budgets So for architects who want to make increased social impacts housing is a critical site of intervention.” “One lesson is that we can do better,” Kubey tells Curbed “American architects are leading excellent work in housing and we have profiled inspiring domestic projects and practices in the book but there are so many economic and political factors that make that work difficult We as a country have a lot to learn from international housing examples.” Kubey points to the work of Karakusevic Carson Architects in London the city has invested in new public housing which is referred to as “social housing” in the United Kingdom To make sure the developments were attuned to what people want and need and didn’t repeat urban renewal’s mistakes KCA worked closely with communities where the homes would be built They ended up designing projects that could accommodate a variety of tenures and had multiple building types in them “In many cases the American public and even architects have accepted low standards for housing design,” Kubey tells Curbed for instance—can create outstanding social housing In Los Angeles, architects are exploring how accessory dwelling units (ADUs) can increase the availability of affordable homes through context-appropriate density in single-family neighborhoods disaster relief experts and designers are experimenting with resilient multi-family developments in flood zones Development agencies in Rwanda are experimenting with flexible building prototypes to fill the gap between rapid urbanization and limited construction capacity architects are finding ways to personalize affordable housing in the wake of a federal building program that added millions of standardized homes As these housing challenges and solutions show no two situations are the exactly the same “It would be naive to think that any one approach to greater social equity through housing would offer ‘The Answer,’” Kubey tells Curbed more equitable housing solutions and design processes prove as diverse as the problems they address.” It also appears to be the theme of this week’s EDC knife and multi-tool releases There was even a wild, opulent drop from the folks at Craighill Whether you missed them the first go-around or you just want to do some more gawking and gazing CODEPINK Women for Peace mobilizes to protest the bailing out of banks instead of homeowners This is your first of three free stories this month Become a free or sustaining member to read unlimited articles Register here to attend the pay-what-you-wish event; if you become a sustaining Next City member you will receive “Housing as Intervention” as a thank-you gift In the face of persistent social inequities worldwide how can architects make a meaningful contribution economies and the built environment makes it a natural site of intervention in the complex fight against systemic injustices “Housing First” policies acknowledge that the pursuit of a healthy fulfilling life is possible only when we have a stable home; while a growing body of research demonstrates that people with affordable happier lives than those who are rent-burdened or ill-housed Beyond policies and data showing the generative value of housing people across the world seek a sense of dignity and identity through their homes can be interventions towards greater social equity defined here broadly as fair access to opportunities and resources for an economically stable Despite its potential for impact in residents’ lives — and though it was Modernism’s central project — “housing” is often considered separate from “architecture.” As architect Susanne Schindler puts it housing is thought of as a “socioeconomic product to be delivered at the least possible cost,” while architecture is considered a “cultural endeavor.” Amid regulatory constraints the architecture of housing can seem less relevant than the economic or social drivers of its production Existing housing systems leave resident needs unmet with too few affordable options supporting current and emerging demographic shifts and types of households The privatization and commodification of housing have helped to drive massive gaps in income and health outcomes providing fertile ground for alternative approaches to its design and delivery These ground-floor apartments at Dujardin Mews have internal courtyards that provide extra outdoor amenity space and allow natural light and ventilation deep within the plan Design by Karakusevic Carson Architects with Maccreanor Lavington These factors have also largely eroded the role of the architect While architects of the postwar period such as the late Neave Brown led the creation of new forms of housing serving a wide range of city dwellers designers today have paid the price for the perceived failures of social housing and Modernism Procurement systems that favor real-estate profits above all else combined with design and construction processes that involve architects only in discrete ways have further foreclosed architects’ engagement with the full design and delivery process especially in terms of collaborative interactions with potential occupants limiting their capacity to intervene positively in residents’ lives architects around the world are bringing their unique expertise to bear on complex housing challenges addressing them collaboratively and head on These designers are helping to reform building regulations promoting creative solutions to community needs and developing new typologies and materials strategies Their housing projects do not follow the typical model that serves capital and often involves no architects at all Helping us to envision a future with fair access to opportunities and resources this collaborative work — in partnership with residents and allied professions — offers a way forward for more equitable housing and more meaningful roles for architects Neither urbanization nor the “housing crisis” are new phenomena As German philosopher Friedrich Engels wrote in “The Housing Question of 1872:” “The so-called housing shortage … is not something peculiar to the present; it is not even one of the sufferings peculiar to the modern proletariat in contradistinction to all earlier oppressed classes all oppressed classes in all periods suffered more or less uniformly from it.” Nineteenth-century housing reforms in industrialized cities like London and New York — in the form of model housing designs and building codes that increased access to light and air — were fueled by fears of the spread of infectious diseases like tuberculosis from the crowded tenements into wealthier neighborhoods Today we are experiencing unprecedented increases in urban populations along with income inequality so extreme that the 42 richest people in the world control as much wealth as the 3.7 billion who make up the poorest 50 percent combined with the withdrawal of public funding from social housing provision in Western countries and forced migration due to conflict and disaster worldwide has led to precarious housing conditions for wide swaths of society Severe income inequality is again making housing insecurity impossible for even the upper classes to ignore a fire that started in a homeless encampment destroyed 160 hectares (400 acres) one of Los Angeles’s richest neighborhoods while nearby San Diego experienced a hepatitis outbreak emanating from unhealthy conditions in growing homeless camps STEALTH.unlimited won the MILD Home competition for ecologically sustainable housing with this proposal for a non-profit cooperatively owned and developed settlement of 188 units designed to be socially and economically sustainable as well combined with its energy-efficient materials and systems would reduce housing and utilities costs to 15 percent or less of household income (Image credit: project “Nova Moba Za Ovo Doba” by Smarter Building team housing has become unaffordable for middle-class residents of cities all over the world In London the average tenant pays 49 percent of his or her pre-tax income towards rent while neighborhoods in Sydney lost 10 to 20 percent of their teachers firefighters and other ‘key workers’ from 2006 to 2016 as housing prices soared and those residents moved to further-flung locales History tells us that improvements in housing for people with lower incomes often come not from benevolence towards vulnerable populations but out of the self-preservation of the more powerful against the spread of disease or to prevent uprisings Today’s predicament has grown severe enough to reach those with the political capital to improve housing for the poor and middle classes a critical shift towards the larger redistribution of resources needed to meaningfully reduce inequality potentially bolstering efforts by and for those who are ill-housed systemic factors that have led to our current state are well beyond the scope of architecture the profession is implicated in inequitable forms of urban planning the best predictor of our health is where we live making housing improvements especially urgent Introducing this issue and providing a historical and economic context Matthew Gordon Lasner argues that architects have played central roles in housing betterment since the 19th century while Robert Fishman charts how decades of neoliberal housing policies in developed countries have contributed to today’s instability The re-emergence of architects’ engagement with social justice in the form of the public interest design movement born during the recession of the early 2000s and championed by organizations including Architecture for Humanity and Public Architecture has now been embraced by mainstream institutions The 2014 Pritzker Prize was awarded to Shigeru Ban an architect known for his humanitarian structures confronted social and environmental issues civil rights-era work led by community design centers and more recent public interest or “social impact” design the work highlighted in this issue strives to contribute to the public good like many early public interest design projects but rather substantial built and speculative work primarily integrated into professional This issue focuses on housing for people who are not served by the prevalent modes of shelter provided by the private market Since terms for the range of publicly and privately funded types of housing covered differ regionally — for instance “affordable housing” is typically defined in the U.S as costing no more than 30 percent of a household’s income as 80 percent of market rate — terminology is defined within the articles themselves the question for communities facing displacement amid skyrocketing market-rate rents is “affordable for whom?” Housing units designated as affordable by governments the product of negotiations between developers and local authorities often remain out of reach for low-income residents the architects featured in this AD are working cleverly within existing housing systems while advocating to change them Some designers are attempting to increase affordability by cutting housing development costs often finding that the most promising strategy is not to produce cheaper housing structures but rather to reduce or eliminate the cost of land Marc Norman explores speculative projects adopting this approach to “designing affordability,” which create new units within existing buildings or on parking lots and proposes policies that allow this type of development Through a decade-long obsession with accessory dwelling units has developed design prototypes and urban analyses and co-authored successful legislation that recently eased the way for backyard homes throughout the state Working closely with people displaced by disaster and creating designs simple enough to be built by them has led or influenced the building of 45,000 disaster-relief structures Each of the 270 Green KaravanGhars flood-resistant low-cost homes made of environmentally sustainable local materials was constructed by community members artisans and volunteers in just eight days architects are taking on expanded roles in housing design and development processes as a means to produce more equitable project outcomes or projects that contribute to the health and wellbeing of residents and neighbors in need Karakusevic Carson Architects has led robust resident engagement processes for its regeneration projects ultimately creating beautifully designed social housing built with the needs of current residents in mind Philadelphia’s Interface Studio Architects (ISA) has partnered with health researchers to develop housing designs that might better support desired health outcomes for residents such as reduced rates of chronic disease and improved mental health Emily Schmidt and Rosalie Genevro present the work of Architects for Social Housing (ASH) Frédéric Druot Architecture and Lacaton & Vassal and ERA Architects/Tower Renewal Partnership instead of following a private developer’s brief have invented solutions to housing challenges that they have self-identified Fatou Dieye charts the emergence of a new kind of “architect/environmental-urbanist-planner-value-chain expert,” providing a vital response to growing housing demands The search for affordable housing cannot be separated from new ways of living and the growing environmental and political challenges affecting where and how we live Only a small percentage of households comprise the nuclear families for which much of global urban housing stock was built while conflicts and natural disasters are reshaping the housing landscape Neeraj Bhatia and Antje Steinmuller examine new cooperative domestic typologies where sharing common spaces such as dining areas gives residents access to “a form of luxury” they can afford Na Fu profiles Urbanus’s work in rapidly urbanizing China which supports rural forms of community through a hybrid housing typology and urban village infrastructure As more and more people are displaced by natural disasters and conflicts Deborah Gans and Rosamund Palmer ask how post-disaster housing might contribute to long-term equity while Kaja Kühl and Julie Behrens present work on housing for refugees that promises to improve neighborhoods for newcomers and long-time residents alike Meir Lobaton Corona examines celebrated low-cost housing prototypes from Mexico alongside specific housing needs in diverse locales Pollyanna Rhee looks at how architects’ experiments with timber construction may go beyond environmental sustainability to support social and economic outcomes And San Francisco Bay Area housing leaders Carol Galante Michael Pyatok and Joshua Simon give us a glimpse into their advocacy for more equitable housing systems and offer opportunities for architects to make greater impacts in residents’ lives As sociologist David Madden and urban planner Peter Marcuse assert: “The built form of housing has always been seen as a tangible visual reflection of the organization of society It reveals the existing class structure and power relationships.” The pursuit of a more equitable society and the creation of new forms of housing have long gone hand in hand It has never been more urgent for architects to work towards reducing economic While the long-term impacts of the projects in this issue will only reveal themselves with time and inquiry they help us to reimagine architects as collaborative leaders More equitable housing solutions and design processes prove as diverse as the challenges they address engaging in these interlinked issues has the potential to shift design practice at large allowing designers to contribute to the common good From “Housing as Intervention: Architecture towards Social Equity,” a 17-essay volume of Architectural Design (AD) Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Reproduced by permission of John Wiley & Sons Ltd Karen Kubey is an urbanist and architectural educator specializing in housing and health She co-founded the Architecture for Humanity New York chapter (now Open Architecture/New York) and New Housing New York and was the first executive director of the Institute for Public Architecture Karen guest-edited the current volume of Architectural Design (AD) Housing as Intervention: Architecture towards Social Equity and has recently collaborated with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York City Housing Authority Karen began her career in affordable housing design She is a visiting associate professor at the Pratt Institute School of Design and has received support from the New York State Council on the Arts and The MacDowell Colony.  She was a 2015 Next City Vanguard Become a free or sustaining member to continue reading Or you can join for free—because we never want to create a financial barrier to information about fostering greater equity U.S. donations are tax-deductible minus the value of thank-you gifts. Questions? Learn more about our membership options Free gifts cannot be shipped to locations outside of the United States All members are automatically signed-up to our email newsletter You can unsubscribe with one-click at any time What can past solutions teach us about solving today’s housing crisis the year that famously whispered of revolution was also an optimistic one for reform in New York City and an aging building stock demanded the attention—and the dollars—of both a state and city governments a moment of relative political progressiveness The New York State Urban Development Corporation opened its offices with its standards set to “the highest ambitions of twentieth century development.” Among mandates like housing for the poor the UDC set out to build low-rise high-density communities During its seven year run the organization facilitated an unprecedented bedfellowing of academics and city officials in a plan to design and build affordable public housing As real estate prices in New York City continue their climb and prompt new experiments in alternative housing—from Bloomberg-touted space-compromised micro-units to new alliances in mixed-income public/private development—a small show at the Center for Architecture looks back on Low Rise High Density housing and its baring on how we face housing crises today Much of its materials—quotational wall text detailed plan and section drawings—is culled from oral histories its curator Karen Kubey began five years ago as a Columbia graduate student had been elemental in the architectural education of her professors Following what had once been an architectural pilgrimage of sorts she traveled to Siedlung Halen the famed low-rise high-density development hemmed by a riverbank outside Bern Kubey draws out the stories of its creation and the ripple effects of the typology Anecdotes about the party-proof thickness of walls or the cultivation of an urbane attitude outside the zoning codes and land prices of the city give the little show a fitting intimacy is enchanting—a kind of European counterpart to a tropical brutalism and alternate height units and floor-to-ceiling windows allow for a dense linking of light-filled private spaces high-density offered an answer to the mounting problems of suburbia combining the common sense benefits of density like public transportation and commercial amenities as suburbs began to reach their limits architects were imagining a host of alternatives to urban growth “These are all projects where the architect is making an obvious choice [to build low-rise high-density],” Kubey explained and site plans articulate the obvious choices of the designers and provide continuity between display panels which progress chronologically from Siedlung Halen to Marcus Garvey Village in Brownsville is a low-rise high-density public housing project designed by Kenneth Frampton in consultation with the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies The building is many things Siedlung Halen is not: highly urban inhabited by low-income families in a disinvested neighborhood it supports more density than its surrounding public housing high-rises while offering courtyard spaces From the catalog for Another Chance for Housing Low-Rise Alternatives Intended as the first project in a program of urban renewal spearheaded by the UDC Garvey’s architects were known to sleep in the building after its opening to investigate its progress launched an exhibition into the typology concurrent with its opening “Another Chance for Housing: Low Rise Alternatives.” But the seventies were tough financially for New York State What’s been left is a community with some issues to blame the architecture would be to overlook the years of disinvestment that has lead to high crime rate in the neighborhood and the private management that neglects the property It was an anomalous moment in the history of architecture to be sure an architect and director of the Institute for Public Architecture that Kubey directs and sponsors the show put it this way: “Who would have thought Peter Eisenman would have started the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies with social housing?” In 1976 the year the project was completed the IAUS was an avant-garde intellectual think tank but surprisingly its leaders saw themselves launching their practices with public housing so the question stands: What does this mean for architecture today Bringing together work of the past 40 years from a striking sun bleached Alvaro Siza to west coast developments like Swan’s Market in Oakland by Pyatok Architects what Kubey calls the “catch-all” panels of the show’s last wall chronicle the reach and continued relevance of a perhaps neglected form of housing It’s a lot of material packed into a tight space not given nearly extensive treatment that Siedlung Halen and Marcus Garvey receive While the center’s library is an apt location for the archive-based material there is less room for large drawings and photographs But as a launching point the material makes its point and augmented series of talks by low-rise high-density architects and academics could merit a future life in publication like Making Room organized by the Architectural League of New York and MoMA’s Foreclosed demonstrate that housing still demands consideration and retooling The suburban lifestyle that architects were imagining in the 1970s their way out of And while “density” and “urbanization” have more cache than ever how to accommodate people is a perennial problem like the ones floated in the Making Room competition New Yorkers in particular have already carved up space and opened their homes; a cruise of craigslist is evidence of that Foreclosed as well as the show Rising Currents are proof of MoMA’s desire to take a speculative in the expansive if vaguely defined Expo 1 makes gestures towards a discussion of public space are working towards models of affordability through publicly subsidized mixed-income buildings capitalizing on design as a critical amenity But the housing question is forever an open one the exhibition’s final program will turn to the importance of low rise high density now advancing the questions of public architecture through discussion and research Subscribe to our mailing list to receive the latest updates subscription deals delivered straight to your inbox Connect with usTwitterFacebook Why on earth would private companies be interested in renovating and running public housing in New York From the headlines about conditions and crime it is hard to imagine why private interests would want to touch a NYCHA housing project Yet the conversion to private management is well underway and NYCHA has proposed the conversion of thousands of additional units to Section 8/private management Two articles consider strategies underway for both small and large projects visited during 2016-2017 In the heart of the Bronx’s Melrose district known for its successful program of affordable housing an experiment crucial to the future of New York City is underway The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and designers have remodeled a public housing tower block for another generation of deeply subsidized living the city is swimming against the national tide of public housing destruction With so many New York City residents in NYCHA housing developments (at least 400,000 people) and so much of that high-rise housing decaying the outcome of the experiment matters more than ever is representative of the design strategy for six small sites recently transitioned into a public-private partnership a similar strategy is in the process of implementation and the other sites had been managed by NYCHA for decades even though they were always Section 8 funded projects that normally would have been managed by the private sector NYCHA entered into a long-term agreement with Triborough Partners the development team of L&M Development Partners (a well-known affordable housing developer and manager in the city) with Preservation Development Partners that put the private developers in charge of rehabilitating and maintaining buildings on the six NYCHA sites in Manhattan The renovation was financed through a combination of public and private financing including tax-exempt city bonds Armed with a relatively robust budget for a small project and freed from many NYCHA and federal public housing guidelines and rules the development team and the designers rethought the Bronxchester project from the ground up The architecture and branding firm GDS led a design intervention big enough that Bronxchester now looks more like private affordable or even market-rate housing than it does a typical NYCHA tower that were applied around the edges of the buildings’ façades Intended to bring down the scale of buildings the frames stop two floors above ground level The renovation also provided larger windows for ground-floor community spaces GDS principal Michael Kirschmann told us that while “people dismiss affordable housing as not cool...there are a lot of opportunities to be thoughtful.” Indeed The building’s new contemporary look complements its neighbor the well-known below-market housing development Via Verde designed by Dattner Architects and Grimshaw Architects and built in 2012 are subject to much more strict fire codes than London had in place before the tragic Grenfell fire designed straightforward interior renovations that aim to generate a pride of place and “market” feeling for buildings typically outfitted with standard-issue NYCHA furnishings along with integrated heating-cooling window units The tenants are also benefitting from bright and spruced up community spaces for meetings and parties New elevators and roofs were installed to address essential quality of life issues The strategies make the most of good looking off-the-shelf products (light fixtures ceramic tile) typical in hotels and market apartment buildings that NYCHA has usually avoided because of their lack of durability The private managers simply intend to replace these elements as they are damaged factoring these replacement costs into operating expenses The strategy opens up a much wider range of possible design solutions The most striking aspect of the renovation is the transformed courtyard Landscape architect Joanna Pertz wanted the site’s open spaces to feel “safe but free.” Her first instinct at Bronxchester was to make the site as open as possible to the adjacent neighborhood After residents told her they wanted a defined semi-private space she created a final design that “hardens the edge most of which are for residents and their guests only are designed with zones for different age groups preteens sitting and drawing on the amphitheater steps teenagers playing basketball at the new full-sized court Where there was once 7,000 square feet of play space at Bronxchester there is now a 24,000 square foot courtyard Many of the architectural decisions address security rather than looks management gated the interior spaces described above particularly at entry and gathering spaces Tenants now use key fobs to access the buildings and private outdoor areas Increased funding for operations allows private security staff to be on site at the entrance for nearly all hours of the day Cameras also keep an eye on interior and exterior spaces but the enhanced tenants’ sense of safety and new renovations make the ground plan more intensively used by residents and their guests Tenant leaders have seen a difference since security was increased Tenant Association President at Bronxchester Houses “Seniors are sitting outside and getting fresh air tenants don’t have to watch drug dealers coming into their building and trying to sell The problem is the people who are not on the leases.” There is still some ground-level space accessible to the general public Neighbors and residents now mingle in the unsecured areas in front of the building making them more attractive to most tenants have also benefitted from surrounding neighborhood investments that have contributed to public safety and neighborhood livability Bronxchester is now managed by C+C Apartment Management L+M Development Partner’s management subsidiary which has increased on-site maintenance and management staff at all sites The small NYCHA staff that was on site before the renovations was relocated to other sites responsive management contrasts with what tenant leaders characterize as NYCHA’s “band-aid approach.” tenant leaders describe living with the same regulations as they did under NYCHA While manager and tenants alike feel the new management has improved tenants’ lives C+C has also helped to restore tenant faith so that rent can be regularly collected Triborough and C+C must still comply with applicable Section 8 and LIHTC rental management regulations under the terms of their 25-year contract have not increased and will remain at their current (low) levels L+M also gave payment plans to tenants who owed back rent payments the private managers made clear that rent collection is a priority While the improvements at Bronxchester are encouraging the long-term impacts of the public-private agreement are unknown for resident families especially given the current federal administration The same type of vigilance housing advocates apply to NYCHA will probably need to be applied to the private managers in the long term Early successes at renovated NYCHA sites like Bronxchester come not from one strategy but from a combination of architectural upgrades all made possible by the increased subsidies opened up through the Triborough public-private agreement The tenants we spoke with were all thrilled finally to have well-maintained apartments and common spaces Bronxchester shows what is possible with increased investment for housing rehabs and room for design experimentation It also gives the chance to evaluate existing regulations hundreds of thousands of residents across NYCHA properties could benefit from improved conditions and better designs Read part two of this series: With Federal Help, A Big Project Reset Shows the Way at NYCHA ***Nicholas Dagen Bloom is an associate professor at the New York Institute of Technology and author of "Public Housing That Worked." Karen Kubey is an Architectural and Housing Consultant at karenkubey.net © 2025 Citizens Union Foundation 501(c)3, All rights reserved | Citizens Union Foundation Privacy Policy contractors, and policymakers involved in housing these architects believe in paying closer attention to voices in the communities where they work   September 20 (Credit: Karakusevic Carson Architects) urbanist Karen Kubey began thinking about harnessing architecture for social equity “We were sort of fringe characters,” she says of the urbanists architects and planners who believed architecture could serve as an important piece of more equitable cities In ensuing years, as the world moved toward urbanization and a global housing crisis has emerged “I’m interested in how some of that thinking has become a part of the way major firms are working and how profitable work is happening,” she says “The field of architecture is paying much more attention to housing.” It’s with that in mind Kubey served as guest editor for the latest issue of Architectural Design, titled Housing as Intervention: Architecture Towards Social Equity The issue includes 17 essays tackling how housing projects and their design processes could serve as interventions towards greater social equity in cities and how that work could potentially reposition the architectural profession at large “Despite its potential for impact in residents’ lives – and though it was Modernism’s central project – ‘housing’ is often considered separate from ‘architecture,’” Kubey writes in her introduction She points out that regulatory constraints NIMBYism and supply-chain challenges often take center stage in discussions around housing can be powerful voices in the complex housing challenges increasingly dominating cities Each essay offers a unique perspective taking up that challenge “Architecture’s Progressive Imperative: Housing Betterment in the 19th and 20th centuries,” presents a historical look in architect’s roles for social change especially in such a diffuse arena as housing,” Lasner writes developers and lenders tend to shape the larger contours of the system.” He believes architects are still critical in catalyzing progressive housing policy: their importance “lies equally in their ability to engender public support for housing intervention by translating social concerns especially about the negative effects of modernity on family life and public health into new physical forms that capture the public and political imaginations.” the early history of the multi-family apartment building a common housing type for centuries in Scotland but virtually unknown in England and the United States British architects promoted the idea of the multi-family building as a solution to the high cost of urban housing; a parallel campaign in the United States Other writers offer modern-day examples of architects serving as equitable housing advocates Kaja Kühl and Julie Behrens highlight the work of architects in Berlin in their essay “Spaces of Migration: Architecture for Refugees.” In a 2014 housing plan Berlin called for 100,000 housing units over the next 10 years to meet the city’s need for affordable housing But by 2017 the estimate was considered insufficient — without including the arrival of an estimated 65,000 refugees under the federal government’s resettlement program Local architects rejected the concept of emergency dormitory-style shelters for refugees and instead advocated for units with private kitchens and bathrooms that could be converted into permanent affordable housing they challenged the mindset of “architecture for refugees” to instead design “architecture for all.” The authors add that these times of crisis offer opportunities “for architects and their clients to leverage this publicly funded effort as long-term contributions to the city.” architects pushed for a better resiliency prototype post-Hurricane Sandy former housing recovery program manager at the New York City Emergency Management Department and architects Deborah Gans and Rosamund Palmer of GANS studio wrote of their collaboration around effective models of modular design and community engagement after a storm devastates a community The challenge to house people quickly — without relegating them to emergency shelter — resulted in a prototype that demonstrated how “purportedly short-term housing can offer aspects of permanence after disaster and become a long-term asset that is integrated into the community,” the team writes in their essay “Beyond Temporary: Prototypes for Resilient Communities.” where city government has re-invested in its public housing stock the role of architect as advocate has never been more important “A New Era of Social Housing: Architecture as the Basis for Change.” He cautions against a “one-size-fits-all approach” to build or rehabilitate public housing and pushes architects to forge close relationships with residents’ associations and local authorities and use it as the basis for their work worked to rehabilitate a public housing project with “a community left disillusioned and disengaged after 18 years of stalled schemes,” he writes approximately half of the estate was demolished leaving behind a rubble-filled wasteland.” The firm kicked off its design process in 2013 with the resident’s association at the center He writes that “through regular steering-group meetings and public-consultation events the residents were heavily engaged throughout; from the site planning of new streets right through to the internal specifications.” Kubey hopes that by presenting a wide range of examples of housing and architecture for the common good it’ll inspire further change within the profession The editing process of Housing as Intervention began in 2015 and the need for architectural advocacy has only grown “The housing crisis is not going away — it’s only getting worse,” she says “This material has felt more and more urgent for me and I’m heartened that the field is paying more attention.” we’ll send you the best of Next City’s reporting on how communities are building power through art and simply making life more interesting Learn more about creative placemaking in cities how communities are reimagining monuments and memorials and how museums and other legacy cultural institutions are reshaping themselves for the 21st century. Subscribe now to never miss a story Emily Nonko is a social justice and solutions-oriented reporter based in Brooklyn She covers a range of topics for Next City '&#'));while (--j >= 0)if (el[j].getAttribute('data-eeEncEmail_duzRoaacaM'))el[j].innerHTML = out;/*]]>*/ Tags: new york city, affordable housing, architecture, london This direct message was the opening statement of the Architecture and the Right to Housing panel discussion at the University of Toronto’s John H Hosted on March 21 as part of the Faculty’s Winter Program the discussion brought out a crowd of architects and students to listen and learn about what the right to housing actually looks like in practice and the often understated role that architects can play in making it a reality an assistant professor at the Daniels Faculty global director of advocacy agency The Shift founding partner of Karakusevic Carson Architects a UK-based firm specializing in public-housing design Supported by the Irving Grossman Fund in Affordable Housing the discussion was part of an ongoing series of round tables that Kubey is hosting across the Americas to continue her work in advancing housing justice Addressing the audience to kick the discussion off Kubey said “I hope that by the time you leave the room tonight you will have a better understanding of what a right to housing really means The discussion opened with a presentation from Leilani Farha Against a backdrop of questions to ask ourselves to better understand the housing crisis Farha highlighted the internatial human rights laws that support the right to housing and the importance of holding those who make decisions accountable to upholding these laws As a former UN special rapporteur on the right to housing advocating for government accountability on housing issues has been Farha’s focus for years and continues to be part of her mandate at The Shift the implementation of the principles and central ideas that inform human rights law could be used to successfully address the failings of Canada’s housing system,” she asserted “This means that our housing system must produce results in line with human rights outcomes not economic ones.” She also emphasized the need for more thorough representation in the process of developing public housing we need to take a step back to play less of a directorial role so that those most at risk can have a voice.” Karakusevic took the stage with a presentation that walked the audience through the design and funding processes behind several of his firm’s successful public housing projects Now working entirely in the public sector building new social housing as well as refurbishing existing developments at Karakusevic Carson Architects have found that projects that incorporate as many housing types as possible and remove distinctions between different income levels lead to the healthiest outcomes Karakusevic also expressed the designing to prioritize the spatial needs of the residents is reliant on a specific funding structure it allows for a long-term approach to funding and management that deters profit-motivated decisions and instead supports thoughtful consideration of livability The ideas shared throughout the panel demonstrated that Canada’s current approach to housing development is not structured to support the creation of quality public housing The speakers asserted that if we wish to create truly affordable and habitable housing we need to make more noise and demand more meaningful action from our politicians The discussion ended with an optimistic view of Toronto’s future perhaps the city can reset the discussion on affordable housing and allow new ideas to lead to positive changes OAA Study Highlights Urgent Need for Site Plan Approval Reform Architecture and design firms announce promotion of staff members Recipients of 2024 Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards announced Turenscape Announced as 2025 RAIC International Prize Recipient 07mayAll Day14sepGroundwork Exhibition - Canadian Centre for ArchitectureMontreal, Quebec Groundwork is a three-part film and exhibition series exploring the conceptual development and field research of contemporary architects cultivating alternative modes of engagement with new project sites the CCA will take a critical look at how designers across diverse geographies and contexts engage with their environments in preliminary phases of projects and stages of transformation will be highlighted as revelatory aspects of architectural work that help to deepen our understanding of new critical modes of practice and engagement the project questions how different architects situate themselves in relation to changing natural and disciplinary boundaries The exhibition is on from now until September 14 For more information, click here 13febAll Day11mayElana Herzog - ExhibitionToronto, Ontario This exhibition surveys the 35 year career of Toronto-born Brooklyn-based artist Elana Herzog and is curated by internationally Canadian artist Jessica Stockholder It features a new site-responsive installation made This exhibition surveys the 35 year career of Toronto-born Brooklyn-based artist Elana Herzog and is curated by internationally Canadian artist Jessica Stockholder It features a new site-responsive installation made using wallpaper designed by the artist Part of Herzog’s process is to encrust textiles onto – and into – different surfaces explains “while working in the building trades I became intimately acquainted with the built environment and how it is constructed On a very personal level I learned about how systems interact and are installed in buildings – what’s behind the walls and under the floors.” Her work can be described as a form of domestic archeology often engaging architecture and other more intimate forms of material culture For more information, click here 01mayAll Day30Arthur Erickson: Design in MindVancouver, British Columbia The Arthur Erickson Foundation has announced the world premiere of ArthurErickson: Design in Mind The immersive pop-up exhibition will run from now until May 30 This experience marks the culmination of the AE100 Centennial Celebration a year-long series of events honouring the life and work of architect Arthur Erickson For more information, click here 08mayAll DayTMU Department of Architectural Science Year End Show 2025Toronto, Ontario Toronto Metropolitan University's Department of Architectural Science encourages its students to test boundaries and apply their skill to prevailing issues present within their evolving surroundings Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Architectural Science encourages its students to test boundaries The annual Year End Show presents the culmination of the 2024-25 academic term showcasing the impressive and cutting-edge works of our top students in all four years of study and at the graduate level For more information, click here To view this year’s thesis booklet, click here 08mayAll Day14University of Montreal - Cohort 2025Montreal, Quebec The annual exhibition of graduates from the Faculty of Planning at UdeM will soon be back for an extended 2025 edition A full week to admire the innovative projects of future architects For more information, click here 09mayAll Day11housed…[un]housed...[re]housed… 2025 SymposiumToronto, Ontario The housed…[un]housed...[re]housed… symposium will shine its academic light on our affordable housing and unhoused crisis in Toronto Given our recent pressing issues and experiences with affordability issues The housed…[un]housed…[re]housed… symposium will shine its academic light on our affordable housing and unhoused crisis in Toronto the symposium will probe and discuss precedents with a critical and multi-disciplinary lens and expand on the Fair Housing Act discourse which prohibits discrimination and the Ontario Human Rights Commission that housing is a human right For more information, click here 09may7:00 pm10:00 pmPresence roma XLV exhibition - CambridgeCambridge, Ontario The University of Waterloo School of Architecture class of 2025 is proud to reaffirm its  long-standing Presence in Rome with an exhibit of our design projects For more information, click here 13mayAll DayUniversité de Montréal School of Architecture's 60th anniversaryMontreal, Quebec Come and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Université de Montréal School of Architecture on Tuesday the school is preparing a commemorative catalog and visuals to reminisce on the school’s 60-year history since joining the Université de Montréal To register for the event, click here 14mayAll Day24City Building 2025 - Call for SubmissionsToronto, Ontario This is an exhibition of contemporary works by artists who explore our changing urban environment while looking at local architecture and urban issues Artists interested in participating are being asked to send a image list, current CV /artist statement, and 4 to 6 jpegs to [email protected] Selected artists will pay $40 per selected work The exhibition will be on display from May 14 to 24 For more information, click here 24mayAll Day25Doors Open TorontoToronto, Ontario Doors Open Toronto invites the public to explore the city’s most-loved buildings and sites The event provides rare access to buildings that are not usually The event provides rare access to buildings that are not usually open to the public and free access to sites that would usually charge an admission fee it has attracted more than two million visits to nearly 700 unique locations and remains the largest event of its kind in Canada For more information, click here they observe Bulgarian traditions and put delicious Bulgarian dishes on their table Kubey is also known as the birthplace of the renowned linguist and advocate for the purity of the Bulgarian language Bulgarians came to these parts more than 200 years ago but to this day they keep a strong connection with their roots For weddings and other major celebrations they must serve kavarma (seasoned fried meat) wrapped in vine leaves in summer and in winter - in cabbage leaves The recipes have been passed down from generation to generation they like to cook a vitamin-rich vegetable stew - gyuvetch the housewives serve bulgur with sushki (dried fruit) or with potatoes and stewed dried fruit This was told to Radio Bulgaria by Anna Arabadji We contacted her to talk us through the ins and outs of Bessarabian cuisine Her father is Bulgarian and her mother is Gagauz (a Turkic-Orthodox Christian people) Bulgarians and Gagauz have always coexisted in Kubey which was once a large village as some of them have gone to the city in search of a living Anna tells the following legend about the name of the village: One was called Ku and the other was called Bei One day the river came up and to keep it from flooding the village the two brothers wove a wall of wool and vine sticks Bulgarians in Kubey love to get together on holidays - to talk "My mother used to sing songs about the Turks and the Bulgarians," Anna Arabadji recalls her mother singing a sad song from the time of the Turkish yoke "Turks have marched into the village./ They have taken young maiden Tudorka..." From generation to generation the ethnic Bulgarians in the village pass on the memory of past traditions and customs This is how traditional recipes were preserved to this day She explains that in Kubey mutton is their favourite meat and that savoury is the most used spice and red pepper  And here is how the Bulgarians in Kubey cook their favourite Kavarma: We then add wine and let it boil for about an hour add the spices and let it simmer in an open pot until it's cooked," says Anna An integral part of the Bulgarian cuisine in Kubey is the banitsa pie but in summer they also prepare it with lots of onions "We roll and stretch the phyllo sheets and let them dry a little we put cottage cheese and feta mixed on top so that it is not too salty from the cheese then we roll them up and put them in the tray On top we again spread a little lard or margarine and put in the oven for 10-15 minutes to dry the crusts nicely we pour the mixture over the pie and bake." Banitsa with lucky charms is part of the festive dinner menu on New Year's Eve Whoever gets the twig will be successful in farming and whoever gets the coin - wealth awaits him Radio Bulgaria wishes peace and prosperity to this region with beautiful people - keepers of traditions May good fortune be their constant companion According to Bulgarian Orthodox tradition it is customary on major Christian feast days to make a voluntary offering known as kurban this involves the distribution of food among Christians Only on the Day of Bravery and Holiday of the Bulgarian Army (May 6) we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three of perhaps the most interesting machines from our outdoor exhibition Dozens of enthusiasts and nature lovers will kick off the 44th edition of the Move and Win campaign with a spring hike to Bozhur Hut The meeting point will be the Vladishki Bridge in Veliko Tarnovo we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three. english@bnr.bg 2017Photo: Michael Brennan / Getty ImagesSave this storySaveSave this storySaveSenior citizens make up the country's fastest-growing population They’re outpacing the growth of the general population at a rate of 15.1 percent to 9.7 percent and the total number of individuals over 65 is projected to nearly double before 2050 who edited the guide in collaboration with the DFTA and AIA New York Chapter Design for Aging Committee emphasized that design professionals have an important role to play alongside government efforts “While social and health services for seniors are critical even the smallest residential design retrofits can have potentially life-saving impacts,” she said “From preventing falls through something as simple as choosing the right kind of carpet welcoming shared spaces to help address social isolation architects and interior designers have the chance to improve the lives of seniors.” Kubey is an urbanist whose practice specializes in housing and health Designer David Kleinberg added a pergola-covered walkway at the front of his Hamptons house.Oberto GiliAging in place is strongly linked to greater health and happiness outcomes for seniors particularly when social isolation concerns are addressed but it has historically been perceived as a viable option only for those who can afford home health aides or whose family members can provide full-time care Gruzen Samton Architects and a member of the AIA New York Chapter Design for Aging Committee “That’s not the situation for most Americans I want my mom to be able to stay in her house It’s really traumatic for people to be forced out of their homes.” Wright advises homeowners in their 50s and 60s to consider aging-in-place principles when renovating “nobody likes to think about it.” But Wright and the Aging in Place guide emphasize how subtle design choices can have a profound impact on how long you can comfortably live in your own home Opt for mechanisms that are easier to operate when mobility is impaired Light switches with a rocker panel are preferable to a toggle switch Awning-type window units are the easiest to open and close When working on a modern house in Aspen, Colorado, Joe Nahem found H Theophile’s HT6006 lever to be an ideal fit so we wanted something that felt really nice and substantial and provided a reassuring grip,” he says “That little curve on the back of the lever just fits perfectly in the hand.” Levers also offer a slightly more European flavor than knobs and this particular design has a streamlined shape that would be a good match for a range of interiors but I could also see it on a two- or three-panel door.”Photo courtesy of H TheophileConsider how technology-powered devices can facilitate aging in place or thermostats that you can control with a smartphone can be easier to operate in advanced age and whether they can be operated on a device with a larger screen Icons can be difficult for the visually impaired to navigate on a smartphone screen or shelves that protrude from the wall can aid balance as long as they are thick enough to grip and securely attached to the wall A group of 18th-century engravings hangs on Studio Printworks wallpaper in the gallery of a Paris apartment designed by Jean-Louis Deniot.Derry MooreTo reduce glare and shadows which create trip hazards for seniors with faultier depth perception To reduce how often you’ll need to change light bulbs The Aging in Place guide recommends a color temperature between 2,700 and 3,000 so you can turn the light on upon entering through the doorway Install electrical outlets at 18-to-24 inches off the ground to reduce how far you’ll have to bend down to access them locate the master bedroom on the ground level These softer surfaces will be kinder to joints but won’t pose a trip hazard like high-pile or excessively padded carpets can Cork floors make this dining room designed by DISC Interiors 10x cozier.Photo: Laure Joliet/Courtesy of DISC InteriorsKeep flooring smooth and level but avoid strong patterns or shiny surfaces that may interfere with depth perception Architect Peter Pennoyer added Ionic columns and classical details to the staircase and landing of a New York City townhouse and the hall wallpaper is a Mauny design.Pieter Estersohn“Just be a little bit conscious of how level changes will impact someone with impaired vision who is more susceptible to tripping,” Wright suggests you know what’s a really quick and cheap fix Grab a can of paint and paint it in a different color.” Include a surface where you can sit to prepare meals Standing for long periods of time may become more onerous as you age so that the position could be adjusted to provide clearance for a walker or wheelchair and a rolling island make for a stylish kitchen in this Parisian residence designed by CUT Architects.Photo: David FoesselDon’t install cabinets over the stove Leaning over a hot surface can pose a hazard The kitchen cabinetry in the Los Angeles home of Dinah and Bill Ruch is painted in Benjamin Moore's Enchanted Forest; the pendant lamps are all by Paul Ferrante and the sink fittings are by Perrin & Rowe.Nikolas KoenigD-type pulls are the easiest to grip when opening and closing cabinets An adjustable-height showerhead with a handheld wand can extend your ability to bathe independently an activity that can have a demonstrable impact on preserving emotional wellbeing and sense of dignity It’s all about natural light,” architect Mark P Finlay says of the master bath he designed in a Southport The centerpiece—a capacious six-by-nine-foot glass-enclosed shower—acts like a prism and every other element in the room was selected and placed to maximize its effect a subdued palette for the custom Urban Archaeology honed-Calacatta marble floor and vanity counter and tile shower floor A partition wall hides the Waterworks sinks over which hang double-sided Waterworks mirrors he positioned Waterworks showerheads and polished-nickel controls so that the vista was uncluttered and fashioned a simple honed-Calacatta marble bench as a relaxing spot to enjoy it Finlay found a clever solution: By siting the shower away from the wall he was able to create a configuration whereby the bather can see out but no one outside can see in The secluded location of the second-floor bath which looks out to the yard and Long Island Sound beyond it “This room is a world of its own,” he says.Photo: Durston Saylor/Courtesy Mark P Finlay ArchitectsIf you’re building a new shower choose a no-threshold or walk-in shower and consider incorporating a seat into the design base-row wall tiles that contrast with the floor tiles can help you distinguish between wall and floor more readily a shower curtain is preferable to sliding shower doors Shower door tracks should not be installed on the bathtub rim Standard towel bars are not designed to support body weight but many manufacturers do offer grab bars specifically designed to replicate the appearance of a tower bar and aid mobility Thermostatic shower controls and anti-scald water devices can help protect against injury The Aging in Place guide recommends a maximum water temperature of 120 degrees For more information, consult the NYC DFTA’s Aging in Place Guide for Building Owners. 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This is a key focus of the Irving Grossman Fund in Affordable Housing which supported this timely and packed out event Affordable housing appears increasingly difficult to reach for those Torontonians with median wages of around $50,000 Panelists Leilani Farha and Paul Karakusevic which is transforming the primary function of housing from a place to live into a financial asset and tool for investor profits.” Housing advocacy that strives for secure and accessible housing no matter one’s income requires bold transformations the housing sector is not representative of those who are most vulnerable and whose rights are at stake too old,” this group being perceived as dominating the discourse and where ceding power and decision-making authority is a difficult conversation Farha described a need to create a cross-sectoral Right to Housing movement that is better integrated in civil society and less splintered than now Gathering diverse sectors to take action requires less emphasis on politeness and more on having bold and gutsy discussions to “ask the right questions about the project” She urges architects to use their relationships to push for affordability and habitability (R) KCA is an architecture practice at the forefront of a new era of public housing and local authority-led projects Paul Karakusevic described KCA’s mission to work in the public sector on council (municipally provided) social housing: to help residents have a decent life through better quality housing and improving the public realm The 25-year-old practice started with a small community housing project in London’s east end It is now 100% engaged by public sector clients The UK’s post-war housing program ended decades ago following which there has been 50 years of chronic neglect in the public sector in the UK Fast forward to 2024: Councils have better funding powers and ‘free reign’ over their housing estates and are now beginning to consider major new build programs and extensive refurbishment of their housing stock [This is partly driven by the need to reduce ongoing rent subsidies and payments to low-income tenants in a period of declining revenues and reserves for much of local government.] Karakusevic related that in 1979 all housing responsibility had been given to the private sector i.e the government in effect asked the private sector to solve society’s housing issues To illustrate how KCA is challenging that approach Karakusevic presented design-led housing projects in London Kings Crescent Estate master plan combines carefully refurbished and new social housing within an ambitious public realm and civic amenities Kings Crescent Estate in North London is a major renewal project which combines renovated council homes and important civic uses within a people-focused public realm strategy For a council that hadn’t built in 30 years Hackney Council took a leap of faith to lead the project This began with an open conversation with residents about the complexities of newbuild Through this deep engagement the council regained residents’ trust by talking through every aspect of the project from masterplanning right down to storage and finishes in every flat He has previously noted that councils (municipalities) must act as developers but hopes that mixed-tenure estates will make for more balanced communities than the stigmatised ghettos many have become The design re-links important pedestrian connections encouraging chance encounters and neighbourliness With its renewed powers, Enfield Council tackled a challenging site at Dujardin Mews building new social and intermediate homes of different typologies: 2- and 3-storey homes This variety responds to local housing needs while contributing to the distinct character of the street “By having Council as our client and not having anyone in between us civic and financial value from the project,” said Karakusevic “All the key design decisions survived the (small) value engineering process because Council was in control and there was no private sector partner telling them what to do.” KCA returns to interview the residents every two years to find out which aspects they really like –from the mews right through how their kitchen functions– and feed that information back to their new projects the urban design framework for Regent Park Phases 4 & 5 re-envisions the site to create a new neighbourhood of mixed-income housing extensive civic infrastructure and open public spaces KCA and partners were charged were charged with the master plan for the final part of the comprehensive revitalization of Regent Park in Downtown Toronto The design envisions a new finer grain public realm that responds to the rest of the site and reintegrates Regent’s Park into the wider neighbourhood “Often housing estates can be seen as monocultural no mix of uses.” The team met with residents many times presenting models and evolving sketch plans “Residents of Regent Park were incredibly supportive of the process these huge estate transformations can be seen as top-down Toronto Community Housing wanted to work very closely with the resident association and the different groups within the community to evolve a scheme which would respond to everyone’s housing needs while responding to civic and social requirements as well,” said Karakusevic The scheme incorporates a new public library and boiler house re-purposed as a community space helping to create an active ground floor and an animated public realm Urban design strategy of Regent Park Phases 4 & 5 includes an east-west landscaped way envisioned as a pedestrian and cycle-friendly recreational space Many global cities are experiencing a rise in homelessness sub-standard homes and strained infrastructure despite buoyant stock markets and a heavy reliance on those markets Re-Balancing Housing for Public Good provides a strong argument for community-inspired and community-driven approaches; making room for more voices and more influence for those increasingly underserved by the market The Q&A raised questions about what is considered affordable how a city can lead as a long-term landlord Farha referred to a ‘jurisdictional quagmire’… “we’re a federal state. it’s often used as a reason something can’t be done when you need to address an urgent situation you can skip over federalism.” Panelists looked to other cities for example setting: Vienna’s century-old Housing Model city-led housing programs have resulted in hundreds of beautiful dwellings: community Oftentimes these were initiated through competitions helping to highlight newer teams and innovative approaches from emerging firms Both speakers issued calls to action for architects architects should be front and centre of the delivery process bringing design-led ways to solve problems “We can’t reverse 50 years of neglect in housing stock if architects are not engaged in the subject community-based projects make a huge amount of sense from a social and civic level and from a financial sense,” said Karakusevic make sure councils and cities can build again properly at scale and keep housing in their ownership We need to design housing that meets people’s needs Beauty and quality should be accessible to everyone regardless of tenure and affordability levels Create mixed cities with active ground floors and have an economic rebalancing where public sector community housing and land trusts take control to design and deliver their housing Only a public-led urbanism will directly address the housing crisis.” Farha stressed the homelessness urgency and particularly high rates in Canada She doesn’t think change is happening quickly enough to save and improve lives emphasizing the need for young people in particular to make noise to coax politicians to take meaningful action “You are getting a raw deal where housing is concerned.” Farha floated the idea of architects collaborating with residents of a tent city to build a vision for long-term housing that works for that existing community When prompted about what he thinks is possible in Toronto Karakusevic said that city agencies and TCH can start at a small-to medium scale (50-200 homes) to prove the concept of the city as social developer “They need to go through the process and work closely with the residents and community,” which aligns well with Farha’s idea of a community-architect-driven collaborative approach City agencies can start to build very cleverly “Cities like this need to bite the financial bullet I sense there is potential in Toronto to reset the table to lead from the front and to run public housing properly You can watch the talk online here that tracks projects from initial application.​ 6) – the extraordinary El Cerrito High School Class of 1967 will hold three 45-year reunions in one all three reunions will themselves be three reunions in one our class’s best athlete was not in our class Three reunions at each of the three reunion events Because the Class of ’67 has invited its two neighboring classes--’66 and ’68 are the best possible way to reconnect with friends from 45 years ago Our class’ “kids”--age 63 now--had enormous spirit when at El Cerrito all the way through Senior Activities: the Senior Banquet and (following graduation) the All-Night Party at Pauley Ballroom at Cal The long-time ECHS principal when we were there said our class was the last one he really enjoyed 1967 was pretty much before drugs and opposition to the school administration though we were becoming increasingly opposed to the Vietnam War and our legislature donated to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee You can arrange to attend by contacting Roddy Not as good but OK: you can pay at the door and we’re working hard to make the reunion night a memorable one Do you want to be sitting at home while “all” your classmates are rockin’ and talkin’ at Mira Vista The price for the dinner-dance--we hope to break even--is $85 the best we could do for this expensive venue That admission cost can be a profit center for you as you refresh old relationships and make new ones but our early reunions were before the e-mail / cell phone / smartphone revolution and we have “good” e-mail or U.S and--we apologize--some practicing lawyers Roddy knows more about the careers of our classmates Because we have good addresses for only a minority of the class those “missing persons” are a big reason for this article Maybe you are among the missing and would have wanted to attend the reunion if only you knew about it Maybe you are a relative or friend of a student who graduated in 1967 but who never received a reunion invitation One of our classmates was COO of Supercuts and a player in other important business ventures Another is the co-founder and manager (of the park in its current form) of the environmentally and historically important Rio Bosque Wetlands Park in Texas Yet another became an investment banker in NYC and was a major player in some of the biggest mergers and acquisitions of their time Still another has founded several successful Silicon Valley startups If you track sports at ECHS in and around 1967 you find greater success in track and field than in any other sport (And we also did well in the three basics--football and baseball.)  The success in track had a great deal to do with the fact that our coach He was a gentleman and had a strong sense of humor he was also better at his job than many prominent college track coaches we won 55 straight dual meets (meets between just two schools) sometimes by ridiculous scores like 116 to 12 Dave Masters from our class was the fastest high school sprinter in the United States for almost the entire 1967 season three times running the 220 in 20.9 seconds the equivalent of 20.6 in the 200 meters--fast enough to make the Olympic finals in many years He sprinted the 100 yard dash in 9.5 seconds--usually good enough to win State Meet--five times starred in the high and intermediate hurdles at Cal and ran for the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the 1972 Olympics in Munich and I don’t mean to Roddy) made it to State Meet in the 880 and competed successfully in the same event at Cal the best athlete in our class wasn’t in our class He graduated from Kailua High School in Hawaii the same month we left El Cerrito he was an active member of our class in 1964-65 when his dad was doing a sabbatical at Cal He was a soph phenom at EC in both cross-country and track He became the first Stanford athlete to run a mile in under four minutes He competed in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal he set the American record in the 5000 meters Imagine how many old friends whom you haven’t seen for years will be at the reunion El Cerrito Patch welcomes guest features and columns from members of the community. 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