The Architecture and Construction News Roundup

The latest news and data from the architecture and construction industry

In Data:

Architecture and Construction News in Numbers

71%

The percentage of people in the construction industry that believe digital transformation has sped up “a great deal” in response to Covid-19, according to research by Twilio. The survey also found that 60% of companies have increased their use of live chat as a result of the pandemic.

The number of stories in the Avenue South Residences in Singapore, which when completed in 2026 will be the world’s tallest prefabricated, prefinished residential construction. 80% of each module will be completed offsite, with only stacking and joining required onsite.

£3.8m

The amount raised in a crowdfunding campaign held by the UK Art Fund in order secure Prospect Cottage in Dungeness, Kent, as a protected public building. The Victorian fisherman’s hut is the former home of filmmaker and artist Derek Jarman, and is famous for its driftwood sculpture-laden garden. The fund will now ensure the garden, interior and furniture are protected and allow public access.

1 million

The number of passengers set to be carried each year by a proposed Saudi Arabian resort airport being designed by Foster + Partners. The project has drawn criticism of Norman Foster due to his previous signing of the Architects Declare manifesto on climate change, with critics arguing that helping the expansion of the aviation industry runs counter to the manifesto.

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369

The number of issues influential architecture and design magazine Blueprint ran for, before ending its print edition in July. The magazine, which ran for 37 years, is said to be relaunched in a “reimagined” digital format later this year. The magazine was launched by Peter Murray and Deyan Sudjic in 1983.

The Key Architecture News This Month

Trade Union Warns of Architect Exploitation

UK architecture studios have been illegally exploiting their staff during the coronavirus pandemic, the trade union United Voices of the World's Section of Architectural Workers has warned. It claims that a “small but significant number” of studios have being cutting pay and forcing staff to work while furloughed, which is against the law.

Source: Dezeen

Eva Franch i Gilabert receives vote of no confidence

Eva Franch i Gilabert, the director of the Architectural Association (AA) has controversially been fired after receiving a vote of no-confidence in response to radical changes she is believed to have been attempting to bring in at the AA. The move has been met with outrage from the wider architecture community, many of whom argue she has not been given enough time. Franch i Gilabert began the role in 2018.

Source: Architects’ Journal

Notre Dame spire “must” be exact replacement

The spire of the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathederal in Paris must be rebuilt as an exact replica of its former self, France’s chief architect for historic monuments, Philippe Villeneuve, has told the National Heritage and Architecture Commission. The commission is responsible for deciding how Notre Dame should be rebuilt, with some opponents favouring a modern, abstract alternative, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Source: The Guardian

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