Author: mmarani

Home2Suites, a subsidiary of Hilton, is currently constructing the brand’s first modular construction hotel. On August 15, executives from Hilton, Southern Hospitality Services, and Ashlar Development began construction of the project adjacent to San Francisco’s Airport North by placing pre-fabricated elements into position. Adrian Kurre, global head of Home2 Suites, states “staying at the forefront

Navigating vast infrastructure and retail hubs, as well as urban environments, can prove to be a daunting task. Blippar, a London-based technology company, is easing wayfinding in these environments through AR-technology. In 2017, Blippar launched ARCity – AR Navigation, an app that allows users to explore hundreds of cities across the world. The app runs

Chiara Vailati, a doctoral student at ETH Zurich’s Institute for Building Materials, has developed an adaptive shading system that functions without sensors or motors. The shading system is composed of multiple pairs of parallel wooden planks which open and close autonomously. The system can be installed as a type of pergola, or horizontally across a

Last week, Office Depot opened its first co-working space, dubbed the Workonomy Hub. The first location of this service is located in the chain’s supply store in Los Gatos, California. The American office supply company owns approximately 1,400 locations servicing just under 30 million customers. According to Propmodo, Office Depot is offering their new co-working

A research team led by Jamin Dillenburger, an assistant professor at ETH Zurich, has recently produced and installed a concrete ceiling shaped by 3D-printed sand formwork. Dubbed the “Smart Slab,” the 1000 square-foot ceiling is significantly lighter and thinner than comparable concrete ceilings. According to ETH Zurich, Dillenburger’s research group “developed a new software to fabricate the formwork elements,

On July 30th, WeWork announced its large-scale renovation of UBS’s Weehawken, New Jersey Lincoln Harbor campus. WeWork’s renovation is largely focused on a 100,000 square-foot common space area. The company’s team of designers and architects relied on qualitative and quantitative data, employee interviews and spatial analytics to create their proposal. Similar to WeWork’s shared office

For the fastidious traveler, research and planning are essential first steps to a relaxing vacation. On June 19th, to provide the curious tourist a glimpse of potential destinations, Marriott Caribbean & Latin American Resorts launched the iOS application “Portal to Paradise.” The iOS app is an augmented reality simulation allowing consumers to explore eight of

On August 6th, Walmart announced the pilot launch of Alphabot, an automation system that will assist employees in filling online grocery orders. The rollout is a result of a two-year collaboration with retailing startup Alert Innovation. Walmart is testing the automated grocery pickup at its supercenter in Salem, New Hampshire. The new warehouse and grocery

To compete with online retailers, brick-and-mortar retailers are turning towards augmented and virtual reality tools to attract consumers. Lowe’s Innovation Labs is experimenting with virtual and augmented reality to boost retail sales. Programs such as Holoroom How-To and Holoroom Test Drive allow users to visualize and experience products prior to purchase. The Innovation Labs are

The management of hotels, from general room keeping to office administration, requires scores of employees coordinated around the clock to service guests needs. Multinational-hospitality company Intercontinental Hotels Group is experimenting with artificial intelligence to streamline customer service across its hotels. In July, the company rolled out the AI hotel rooms for its Sanlitun, Beijing location,

Imverse, a Switzerland-based 3D computer graphics company, is pushing forward with immersive virtual reality experiences with potential architectural applications. Imverse’s Elastic Time, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, is a mixed reality documentary experience that allows the user to see their own body hologram with unlimited freedom of movement. The volumetric 3D environment provides

The University of the West of England’s Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR) is experimenting with a six-axis Mitsubishi Electric MELFA RV-Series to create 3D printed forms that move beyond simple CAD models and slicing algorithms. Unlike conventional 3D printers which deposit material according to rigid algorithms, the six-axis Mitsubishi robotic arm is geared for

In 2018, San Francisco-based software company Monograph launched its project-planning platform, Dashboard for Architects. The objective of the platform is to shift the myriad planning tools used by architects to a singular and cohesive application. The Dashboard for Architects allows firms to manage their practice and projects in a visually straightforward format, with an emphasis

On July 18th, Chattanooga-based architectural fabricator Branch Technology unveiled the world’s largest 3D-printed structure, a bandshell pavilion measuring 20-feet-tall and 42-feet-wide. The pavilion was first announced in Cambridge, Massachusetts during MIT’s 2018 International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures. The structure is located in Nashville’s emerging smart-city neighborhood, OneC1TY. Reported by Architect Magazine, the carbon

On July 19th, GRAPHISOFT’S “By Design” series amassed a series of recognitions from Architectural Record, the Academy of Interactive & Visual Artists (AIVA), and the Summit International Award (SIA). The awards, such as Best Branded Content Series from SIA and Highest Social Media Management from Architectural Record, highlight the series’ strength in both publishing and

Amsterdam-based firm MX3D has completed the full span of its 3-D-printed stainless steel bridge, designed by Joris Laarman Lab, a multidisciplinary team located in the Netherlands. The bridge will cross one of the city’s oldest canals, the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, and is approximately forty feet in length and over twenty feet wide. Often using digital fabrication and

Sketchfab, an online platform for the publication and exchange of 3D models and content, has just launched the Sketchfab store. The store, which has been operating in beta up to this point, will allow the 1.8 million member community to effectively monetize and share their 3D products. Since launching in 2012, the Sketchfab platform has

The growth of smart technology is fundamentally reshaping urban systems and planning. Through the expansion of wireless networks, interactive surveillance systems, autonomous vehicles, and reactive environmental infrastructure, cities are further attached to a new form of tech management. Reported by MIT Press, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is launching a new Urban Science major in

Founded in 2003, Alice Technologies is a construction engineering software used by developers and contractors to improve the efficiency of construction projects. As reported by Construction Today, the development of Alice Technologies’ software required mapping out the relationship between building sequence and schedule. First, the software trawls through building information software to collect data related

ORDERFOX, the Lichtenstein-based online platform for the CNC industry is now expanding its services to the CNC Woodworking marketplace. Launched in 2017, ORDERFOX allows for the seamless order of CNC goods across the world. Specifically, this expansion into CNC Woodworking will allow for buyers to directly place orders for customized furniture or wood parts. The

Amsterdam’s MX3D-printed bridge, designed by Joris Laarman Lab in collaboration with ARUP, has been awarded the STARTS Prize 2018. The STARTS Prize recognizes innovative projects built along interdisciplinary principles combining art, science and technology. Crossing Amsterdam’s Oudezijds Achterburgwal, the stainless steel pedestrian bridge is approximately forty feet in length and over twenty feet wide. The

In Constructuring: An Unstoppable Trend, a white paper by Borealis Ventures’ Ian Howell, speculates as to which practices holdback the construction industry’s ability to build housing on-time and within budget. Citing a McKinsey & Company study which found that “large projects across asset classes typically take 20 percent longer to finish than scheduled and are

Artist Mel Chin is bringing two new installations to Times Square’s Broadway plazas this summer. Wake and Unmoored are part of Mel Chin: All Over the Place, a multi-location exhibition produced by the Queens Museum and the public art nonprofit No Longer Empty. Other locations involved with the citywide exhibition are the Queens Museum and the Broadway–Lafayette/Bleeker Street subway station, which is hosting a May

At this year’s South by Southwest Festival (SXSW), Austin-based startup ICON unveiled the first residential permitted 3-D-printed house in the United States. ICON is partnered with the non-profit New Story, which has constructed homes for thousands of displaced residents across Haiti, El Salvador, and Bolivia. The young firm views their technology as an practical tool to address the sheltering needs of the