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Designing Accessible Communities

Anne Saunders

April 22, 2020 |

Business NH Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Design students are being taught about accessibility and the challenges faced by those who live with disabilities at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. While new construction must comply with basic accessibility standards, the course is taught in an effort to make accessibility a bigger factor when architects and designers build new developments.

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Energy efficient homes mean less air pollution. But are they affordable?

Heather May

March 09, 2020 |

The Salt Lake Tribune |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kearns, Utah

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and air pollution, Habitat for Humanity Salt Lake Valley is building airtight homes that will also reduce energy costs and be affordable for people experiencing economic hardship. The home are largely being built by volunteers, so the process has been slow and there have been mistakes in building the homes. However, the homes are estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4.9 tons a year.

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What Would a World Without Prisons Look Like?

Patricia Leigh Brown

March 06, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Deanna Van Buren and her nonprofit firm Designing Justice/Designing Spaces use architecture to advance social justice and criminal-justice-reform ideas, designing workplaces, meeting places, and homes nationwide founded on the notion of "what a world without prisons could look like." The firm's projects, often planned with input from the people directly affected, have included privacy-enhancing temporary living units for people recently released from prison, a "peacemaking" space in Syracuse, N.Y., and two of the first restorative-justice meeting places for crime victims and those who harmed them.

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Using Trauma-Informed Design, Buildings Become Tools for Recovery

Daliah Singer

January 22, 2020 |

Colorado Trust |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

In Denver, Colorado, one homeless shelter is using trauma-informed design to make residents feel more at home and less likely to sleep outside. Architects building Sanderson Apartments considered past traumas when choosing the layout, colors, furniture, and building materials. As a result, the physical environment is helping with the recovery process.

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Digital platforms help to save traditional Nepalese homes

Deepak Adhikari

December 15, 2019 |

Nikkei Asian Review |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Nepal, Kathmandu

A Nepalese company called Traditional Homes was formed in order to restore traditional Newari homes to prevent them from being demolished. The houses are by the indigenous Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley and boast beautiful latticed windows and courtyards. These small restoration projects have taken off thanks to websites like TripAdvisor and Booking.com. Not only does the money go directly to the locals supporting the new bed-and-breakfasts, but tourists also receive an authentic and homey experience.

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Some building works threaten Turkish antiquities. Others save them

The Economist

November 14, 2019 |

The Economist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Turkey, Antakya

After discovering historic artifacts on land preparing to become a hotel in Antakya, Turkey, owners chose to develop a combined hotel and history museum, a rare act of collaboration between preservationists and developers. The developers, who incorporated ancient relics like a bathhouse and the world's largest mosaic floor, work consciously to preserve and memorialize the land they are building on to ensure culture significance is not lost among new developments.

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Displaying, not Hiding, the Reality of Slave Labor in Art

Alina Tugend

October 23, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Norfolk, Virginia

Coming to terms with the past requires reexamining the way we represent both history and art. The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA, is on the forefront of correcting the absence of enslaved craftsmen in representations of art. The museum’s exhibit on the architectural work at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home presents a fuller story by illuminating the presence and work of enslaved laborers.

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How solar ‘skin' helped an Indiana homeowner win a fight for rooftop panels

Kari Lydersen

October 15, 2019 |

Energy News Network |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Indianapolis, Indiana

After the homeowners association denied his request to install solar panels on his roof due to their aesthetic, Indianapolis-resident Joey Myles used SolarSkin to disguise the panels to look like asphalt shingles. The company Sistine Solar makes these films that coat solar panels in various images that can be used to blend in with roofs or other forms of artwork. The panels with skins only generate about 85 percent of energy as those without skins, but they can withstand extreme weather.

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Innovative open jail design changes San Diego inmate experience

Jennifer Kastner

September 26, 2019 |

KGTV-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Santee, California

San Diego County’s Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility was redesigned to look less like a jail and more like a community. The newly designed facility prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment by providing educational facilities, like a fully stocked library, and mental health services. While the impact is still unknown, the goal is to make reentry transitions easier and decreasing recidivism rates.

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Termite and ventilation system

Patrick Aryee

May 20, 2019 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Zimbabwe, Harare

Buildings with permeable surfaces increase energy efficiency, mimicking natural structures. In Harare, Zimbabwe, the Eastgate Centre employs methods borrowed from termite mound construction to efficiently regulate the building's temperature. By employing insights that scientists had gained by studying the airflow in termite mounds, the Centre’s architects used materials with a high thermal mass, increased surface area, and maximized ventilation.

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