The James Webb Space Telescope’s first images of the distant universe shocked astronomers. Is the discovery of unimaginably distant galaxies a mirage or a revolution?
Architectural Digest – Today on AD Architect Lynda Dossey leads us on a walking tour of Chicago, highlighting the captivating details found in its storied architecture.
From exploring The Loop and Marina City to detailing the history of The Thompson Center and iconic Willis Tower, discover the history behind Chicago’s most famous buildings and neighborhoods through Lynda Dossey’s expert eye.
The Local Project – With breathtaking views across Herne Bay, the architect designs a modern apartment that takes elements of suburban life and introduces them into apartment living. Allowing for an evolving brief, Artifact Property approached Monk Mackenzie to collaborate on a mixed-use development that positively contributed to Auckland’s built environment.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the Modern Apartment 01:05 – The Brief 01:28 – Similarities of a Jigsaw Puzzle 01:44 – Contributing in a Positive Way Through Architecture 01:58 – The 8 Apartments 02:20 – The Layout of the Building 02:45 – Separation of Functions 03:45 – The Site Itself 04:16 – The Material Palette 05:06 – The Kitchen Design and Appliances 05:28 – Minimalistic Features of Fisher & Paykel 06:01 – Proud Moments
Encompassing eight units in total – one commercial space, six apartments and a penthouse – Jervois Apartments is simple, elegant and timeless. Due to the location of the site, the architect designs a modern apartment to fit a 33-metre length block that rises 15 metres above. Taking advantage of as much space as possible, the project uses the length of the site to its benefit and, in turn, offers occupants the opportunity to live spaciously.
Sitting high on the ridgeline and facing north, each apartment has been cleverly planned out. From the façade, a winter garden deck with views of nature greets those who enter and sets the scene for what is to come. From this, a long view of the apartment imbues a similarity to the openness that suburban homes offer. Positioned at the southern end of the apartment, the street-facing bedrooms and private spaces offer a unique placement that defers from other apartment designs.
Monk Mackenzie and Artifact Property employed an interface between private and public domains with metalwork screens. By employing the screening on the façade, the exterior design offers varying degrees of transparency and opacity. Through this unique use of materials, the architect designs a modern apartment that offers a different experience from opposite sides of the building. From the bedroom, a direct sightline of the surrounding landscape is offered to the occupants through the screens, whilst from the street below, the façade strikes a wave-like form that seamlessly blends into the built environment.
At the north end of the apartments are the living and dining spaces, kitchen and enclosed deck where the occupants can sit outside during winter whilst being sheltered from the elements. Though Jervois Apartments sits on a narrow site, the architect designs a modern apartment that optimises space to create a spacious interior environment. In the kitchens, the incorporation of natural stone, oak and metal work into the material palette has been seamlessly styled together with Fisher & Paykel appliances – such as the vertical column fridge-freezer, wine fridge and ovens.
With the insertion of minimal and clean appliances, Fisher & Paykel products blend into the kitchen without taking away from other elements of the apartments. Contributing to Auckland’s built environment, an architect designs a modern apartment that allows the occupants to live a city life whilst being surrounded by suburban comfort.
A letter from Tom Standage, editor of “The World Ahead 2023”
1. All eyes on Ukraine. Energy prices, inflation, interest rates, economic growth, food shortages—all depend on how the conflict plays out in the coming months. Rapid progress by Ukraine could threaten Vladimir Putin, but a grinding stalemate seems the most likely outcome. Russia will try to string out the conflict in the hope that energy shortages, and political shifts in America, will undermine Western support for Ukraine.
2. Recessions loom. Major economies will go into recession as central banks raise interest rates to stifle inflation, an after-effect of the pandemic since inflamed by high energy prices. America’s recession should be relatively mild; Europe’s will be more brutal. The pain will be global as the strong dollar hurts poor countries already hit by soaring food prices.
3. Climate silver lining. As countries rush to secure their energy supplies, they are turning back to dirty fossil fuels. But in the medium term the war will accelerate the switch to renewables as a safer alternative to hydrocarbons supplied by autocrats. As well as wind and solar, nuclear and hydrogen will benefit too.
4. Peak China? Some time in April China’s population will be overtaken by India’s, at around 1.43bn. With China’s population in decline, and its economy facing headwinds, expect much discussion of whether China has peaked. Slower growth means its economy may never overtake America’s in size.
5. Divided America. Although Republicans did worse than expected in the midterm elections, social and cultural divides on abortion, guns and other hot-button issues continue to widen after a string of contentious Supreme Court rulings. Donald Trump’s formal entry into the 2024 presidential race will pour fuel on the fire.
6. Flashpoints to watch. The intense focus on the war in Ukraine heightens the risk of conflict elsewhere. With Russia distracted, conflicts are breaking out in its backyard. China may decide that there will never be a better time to make a move on Taiwan. India-China tensions could flare in the Himalayas. And might Turkey try to nab a Greek island in the Aegean?
7. Shifting alliances. Amid geopolitical shifts, alliances are responding. nato, revitalised by the war in Ukraine, will welcome two new members. Will Saudi Arabia join the Abraham accords, an emerging bloc? Other groupings of growing importance include the Quad and aukus (two American-led clubs intended to deal with China’s rise) and i2u2—not a rock band, but a sustainability forum linking India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
8. Revenge tourism. Take that, covid! As travellers engage in post-lockdown “revenge” tourism, traveller spending will almost regain its 2019 level of $1.4trn, but only because inflation has pushed up prices. The actual number of international tourist trips, at 1.6bn, will still be below the pre-pandemic level of 1.8bn in 2019. Business travel will remain weak as firms cut costs.
9. Metaverse reality check. Will the idea of working and playing in virtual worlds catch on beyond video games? 2023 will provide some answers as Apple launches its first headset and Meta decides whether to change its strategy as its share price languishes. Meanwhile, a less complicated and more immediately useful shift may be the rise of “passkeys” to replace passwords.
10. New year, new jargon. Never heard of a passkey? Fear not! Turn to our special section, “Understand This”, which rounds up the vital vocabulary that will be useful to know in 2023. nimbys are out and yimbys are in; cryptocurrencies are uncool and post-quantum cryptography is hot; but can you define a frozen conflict, or synfuel? We’ve got you covered.
National Geographic – December 2022: Clad in protective gear, military emergency specialist Armando Salazar makes his way across sizzling rock as he helps scientists collect samples during the fall 2021 volcanic eruption on La Palma, one of the Spanish Canary Islands.
Many visitors to Schloss Neuschwanstein combine their visit with the Museum of the Bavarian Kings, also located in Hohenschwangau in the former Grandhotel Alpenrose. The museum that opened in 2011 offers more than 1000 m2 of exhibition on the history of the dynasty of the Bavarian Kings.
Old objects, interesting stories and interactive media take you into the history of the Wittelsbach dynasty. In particular King Maximilian II, who made the Hohenschwangau Castle into a summer residence, and King Ludwig II, who built Neuschwanstein , play a central role in the museum. From the first floor you have a magnificent panorama over the Alpsee lake.
MICHELIN Guide – The MICHELIN Guide makes you travel to Estonia to discover the treasures of this country and their products. Following the launch of the first MICHELIN Guide Estonia in May 2022, we take a closer look at this popular Baltic region.
We hear from several of the forward-thinking chefs whose restaurants feature in the first MICHELIN Guide Estonia. They tell us about culinary traditions and classic recipes passed down through generations, as well as the importance of the seasons, foraging and fermentation in Estonian culture. Discover why now is an exciting time to be a chef in Estonia, as the country’s diverse cuisine finally gets the international recognition it deserves.
We report as world leaders meet in Bali for the G20 summit. Plus, Kurdish militants deny involvement in the weekend’s Istanbul attack, the Taliban move to implement sharia law in Afghanistan, Austria’s political scandal and Karen Krizanovich wraps up headlines in film.
The American and Chinese leaders invoked years of personal contact as they met before the G20, seeking to pull back from outright conflict on a host of issues.
Boomers Daily 