tjs282
Stone \ Cold / Fish
Be a bit tricky to pop down to the shop for a carton of milk tho, innit? 
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Unusual architecture
- Thread starter Kyriakos
- Start date
danjuno
Cole Phelps, Badge 1247
You could try milking said polar bear.
Architecture at the Speed of Disaster
DXA Studio’s modular homes for Lahaina wildfire survivors prove that emergency housing can deliver dignity, beauty, and permanence—not just shelter.
When the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century tore through Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2023, housing survivors became the state’s most urgent design brief.
Today, nearly 170 factory-made housing units offer shelter to the displaced with more units to yet to come. They’re situated along a stretch of Maui coastline—small, bright colored dwellings that look permanent and communal. That’s by design.
New York-based DXA Studio launched Liv-Connected with the goal of deploying disaster-relief housing that doesn’t sacrifice design, health, or durability. In Maui, the result is FEMA’s first prefabricated, modular temporary homes built to the International Building Code and local amendments. One-, two-, and three-bedroom units meet Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), are fully furnished on delivery, and can serve as either interim or permanent housing.
Inside the homes, Liv-Connected specified low- to no-emitting materials, generous daylight, and cross-ventilation to support indoor-air quality and thermal comfort in a tropical climate. A warm palette and high ceilings keep the small footprints from feeling cramped; windows are sized and placed to frame views and keep residents connected to the landscape.
The Conexus line uses Liv-Connected’s Component Linked Construction (CLiC System)—a kit-of-parts strategy that locks repeatable elements (structure, MEP, smart tech) into a manufacturing flow, then allows finish and plan variations. That modular approach reduces rework, absorbs supply variability, and keeps field labor focused on siting and hook-ups rather than stick-building. For public clients, the predictability is as important as speed: fewer unknowns, fewer change orders, and better odds of hitting deadlines when a community is still displaced.
DXA Studio’s modular homes for Lahaina wildfire survivors prove that emergency housing can deliver dignity, beauty, and permanence—not just shelter.
When the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century tore through Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2023, housing survivors became the state’s most urgent design brief.
Today, nearly 170 factory-made housing units offer shelter to the displaced with more units to yet to come. They’re situated along a stretch of Maui coastline—small, bright colored dwellings that look permanent and communal. That’s by design.
New York-based DXA Studio launched Liv-Connected with the goal of deploying disaster-relief housing that doesn’t sacrifice design, health, or durability. In Maui, the result is FEMA’s first prefabricated, modular temporary homes built to the International Building Code and local amendments. One-, two-, and three-bedroom units meet Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), are fully furnished on delivery, and can serve as either interim or permanent housing.
Inside the homes, Liv-Connected specified low- to no-emitting materials, generous daylight, and cross-ventilation to support indoor-air quality and thermal comfort in a tropical climate. A warm palette and high ceilings keep the small footprints from feeling cramped; windows are sized and placed to frame views and keep residents connected to the landscape.
The Conexus line uses Liv-Connected’s Component Linked Construction (CLiC System)—a kit-of-parts strategy that locks repeatable elements (structure, MEP, smart tech) into a manufacturing flow, then allows finish and plan variations. That modular approach reduces rework, absorbs supply variability, and keeps field labor focused on siting and hook-ups rather than stick-building. For public clients, the predictability is as important as speed: fewer unknowns, fewer change orders, and better odds of hitting deadlines when a community is still displaced.
The engineer wanted to prepare for the crises and built his home inside the rock
This is for sale if you want to live in a fairly comfortable cave in Finland.
The front door
The back yard
Inside
This is for sale if you want to live in a fairly comfortable cave in Finland.
The front door
The back yard
Inside
How they live: Queens "dolls house" future uncertain now Randy Andy is not there to look after it
Y Bwthyn Bach – Welsh for The Little Cottage – was built in Cardiff and presented to Princess Elizabeth's parents, the then Duke and Duchess of York, for their daughter's sixth birthday.
Designed by architect Edmund Willmott, the cottage was built by Welsh craftsmen from materials left over from the construction of Llandough Hospital in Vale of Glamorgan, which opened in 1933.
It was a carefully planned miniature version of a real-life house, with four 5ft-high rooms – two upstairs and two downstairs.
It even included its own working telephone, electric cooker, fridge and running water in the kitchen, luxuries even for real homes in the 1930s.
But with the removal of Andrew's titles, the future of the cottage is unclear.
Queeny with it in 1933
Princess Beatrice shows Andrew Marr around
Y Bwthyn Bach – Welsh for The Little Cottage – was built in Cardiff and presented to Princess Elizabeth's parents, the then Duke and Duchess of York, for their daughter's sixth birthday.
Designed by architect Edmund Willmott, the cottage was built by Welsh craftsmen from materials left over from the construction of Llandough Hospital in Vale of Glamorgan, which opened in 1933.
It was a carefully planned miniature version of a real-life house, with four 5ft-high rooms – two upstairs and two downstairs.
It even included its own working telephone, electric cooker, fridge and running water in the kitchen, luxuries even for real homes in the 1930s.
But with the removal of Andrew's titles, the future of the cottage is unclear.
Queeny with it in 1933
Princess Beatrice shows Andrew Marr around
'Spider robot' promises to build entire houses in less than 24 hours
A spider-shaped construction robot named Charlotte is being developed in Sydney to 3D print a full-size house in roughly a day. Developers say the machine can autonomously form structural walls for about a 2,150-square-foot home using locally sourced materials.
Instead of cement and bricks delivered by truck, Charlotte compacts sand, soil, and clean waste into layered walls on-site. Researchers argue that this single-machine approach removes long supply chains and many high-carbon steps.
Charlotte, the construction robot
Charlotte is a mobile, legged system that pairs robotics with additive manufacturing, building objects layer by layer with a printer.
The prototype shown in Sydney is not a finished product, but its architecture offers a clear view of where construction automation is heading.
The work was led by Clyde Webster, founding director at Crest Robotics in Sydney. His work centers on agile field robots for construction tasks that are hard, repetitive, or risky. Momentum comes from the housing crunch and a push to cut carbon.
“The building materials that we use today – even a simple brick has so many processes involved and some of them very – very carbon-intensive,” said Dr. Jan Golembiewski, co-founder of Earthbuilt Technology.
From soil to structure
Crest describes an undercarriage-mounted system that gathers sand, earth, and crushed brick, binds the mix in textiles, and then compacts it into successive layers.
At the core is extrusion – pushing a material through a nozzle to form layers. That lets a robot produce continuous courses without mortar joints, guided by digital plans.
“It will work at the speed of over 100 bricklayers,” said Dr. Golembiewski. The team stresses speed as much as simplicity.
Range of motion matters, too, since legs can step over uneven ground where wheeled rigs bog down. A compact, folding frame also makes transport easier, which is essential for remote sites.
Charlotte robots can cut carbon
Buildings use a lot of energy and materials. A UN Environment Programme report notes that in 2022 the sector accounted for 37 percent of energy- and process-related carbon dioxide emissions.
Cutting the most carbon-heavy steps in early stages can have outsized effects later. That is where embodied carbon, the total emissions from making and moving materials, becomes a key metric for builders and regulators.
Charlotte’s creators claim their method avoids cement entirely while turning clean waste into durable walls. If performance and safety data hold up, that would cut both cost and emissions on the same job.
There is a workforce angle as well. Automation that handles repetitive, high-risk tasks could reduce injuries while letting smaller crews do more skilled work.
Balancing robots and workers
Automation in construction raises deep questions about the future of human labor. In countries already facing worker shortages, robots like Charlotte could relieve pressure by taking on repetitive or dangerous tasks.
However, in regions where construction jobs are a lifeline for millions, the shift toward machines could reshape livelihoods and require large-scale retraining programs.
Analysts warn that full automation might widen income gaps between those who design and those who operate or maintain these systems.
Yet some experts see a more balanced path: using robots to supplement, not replace, skilled human crews. That model could speed up work while keeping human decision-making at the center of each project.
Safety, code, and the limits ahead
Any structural system must pass code reviews, fire tests, and inspections. This takes time and hard data, including load tests, durability under heat and flooding, and reliable quality control.
Early use will likely focus on low-rise buildings where code paths are clearer. Each jurisdiction will also set limits on where, when, and how a robot can operate near people.
Material consistency will be a central test. Soil and waste streams vary from site to site, so calibration and verification are essential for predictable strength.
Proponents say digital recipes can adjust mix ratios in real time. Independent testing will need to confirm that claim against standardized benchmarks.
Charlotte, robots, and the future
Charlotte’s folding, lightweight design is also pitched for lunar work. A separate design from AI SpaceFactory and NASA describes shielding strategies for surface structures, including self-shading geometry and a 2.7-meter (about 8.9-foot) regolith cover to block radiation and micrometeoroids.
That lunar material is called lunar regolith, loose dusty soil covering the Moon. It behaves differently from Earth soils, so any printer must adapt to vacuum, low gravity, and extreme temperatures.
Lab research hints at practical paths. One peer-reviewed paper reports that regolith based geopolymers can reach structural strengths suitable for protective shells and pavements under controlled conditions.
If those results translate outside the lab, autonomous printers could help build the first durable service bays, storage, and shelters on the lunar south pole.
A spider-shaped construction robot named Charlotte is being developed in Sydney to 3D print a full-size house in roughly a day. Developers say the machine can autonomously form structural walls for about a 2,150-square-foot home using locally sourced materials.
Instead of cement and bricks delivered by truck, Charlotte compacts sand, soil, and clean waste into layered walls on-site. Researchers argue that this single-machine approach removes long supply chains and many high-carbon steps.
Charlotte, the construction robot
Charlotte is a mobile, legged system that pairs robotics with additive manufacturing, building objects layer by layer with a printer.
The prototype shown in Sydney is not a finished product, but its architecture offers a clear view of where construction automation is heading.
The work was led by Clyde Webster, founding director at Crest Robotics in Sydney. His work centers on agile field robots for construction tasks that are hard, repetitive, or risky. Momentum comes from the housing crunch and a push to cut carbon.
“The building materials that we use today – even a simple brick has so many processes involved and some of them very – very carbon-intensive,” said Dr. Jan Golembiewski, co-founder of Earthbuilt Technology.
From soil to structure
Crest describes an undercarriage-mounted system that gathers sand, earth, and crushed brick, binds the mix in textiles, and then compacts it into successive layers.
At the core is extrusion – pushing a material through a nozzle to form layers. That lets a robot produce continuous courses without mortar joints, guided by digital plans.
“It will work at the speed of over 100 bricklayers,” said Dr. Golembiewski. The team stresses speed as much as simplicity.
Range of motion matters, too, since legs can step over uneven ground where wheeled rigs bog down. A compact, folding frame also makes transport easier, which is essential for remote sites.
Charlotte robots can cut carbon
Buildings use a lot of energy and materials. A UN Environment Programme report notes that in 2022 the sector accounted for 37 percent of energy- and process-related carbon dioxide emissions.
Cutting the most carbon-heavy steps in early stages can have outsized effects later. That is where embodied carbon, the total emissions from making and moving materials, becomes a key metric for builders and regulators.
Charlotte’s creators claim their method avoids cement entirely while turning clean waste into durable walls. If performance and safety data hold up, that would cut both cost and emissions on the same job.
There is a workforce angle as well. Automation that handles repetitive, high-risk tasks could reduce injuries while letting smaller crews do more skilled work.
Balancing robots and workers
Automation in construction raises deep questions about the future of human labor. In countries already facing worker shortages, robots like Charlotte could relieve pressure by taking on repetitive or dangerous tasks.
However, in regions where construction jobs are a lifeline for millions, the shift toward machines could reshape livelihoods and require large-scale retraining programs.
Analysts warn that full automation might widen income gaps between those who design and those who operate or maintain these systems.
Yet some experts see a more balanced path: using robots to supplement, not replace, skilled human crews. That model could speed up work while keeping human decision-making at the center of each project.
Safety, code, and the limits ahead
Any structural system must pass code reviews, fire tests, and inspections. This takes time and hard data, including load tests, durability under heat and flooding, and reliable quality control.
Early use will likely focus on low-rise buildings where code paths are clearer. Each jurisdiction will also set limits on where, when, and how a robot can operate near people.
Material consistency will be a central test. Soil and waste streams vary from site to site, so calibration and verification are essential for predictable strength.
Proponents say digital recipes can adjust mix ratios in real time. Independent testing will need to confirm that claim against standardized benchmarks.
Charlotte, robots, and the future
Charlotte’s folding, lightweight design is also pitched for lunar work. A separate design from AI SpaceFactory and NASA describes shielding strategies for surface structures, including self-shading geometry and a 2.7-meter (about 8.9-foot) regolith cover to block radiation and micrometeoroids.
That lunar material is called lunar regolith, loose dusty soil covering the Moon. It behaves differently from Earth soils, so any printer must adapt to vacuum, low gravity, and extreme temperatures.
Lab research hints at practical paths. One peer-reviewed paper reports that regolith based geopolymers can reach structural strengths suitable for protective shells and pavements under controlled conditions.
If those results translate outside the lab, autonomous printers could help build the first durable service bays, storage, and shelters on the lunar south pole.
Bonyduck Campersang
Not staring into the distance
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2022
- Messages
- 4,895
Knights of Columbus Headquarters
An unusual way to use old architecture unlike so many stadiums that are just left to rot once they're no longer profitable.
Next to Yuanshan MRT station and hidden away from the site’s more popular attractions is this urban garden. First a baseball stadium, and then rebuilt as the Zhongshan Soccer Stadium, the site is now a community garden and more used than ever, even if it is crumbling a little around the edges.
Next to Yuanshan MRT station and hidden away from the site’s more popular attractions is this urban garden. First a baseball stadium, and then rebuilt as the Zhongshan Soccer Stadium, the site is now a community garden and more used than ever, even if it is crumbling a little around the edges.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
That's such a cool thing to do to an old stadium, a sort of intersection of urban revitilization efforts and practicality, both things I saw a lot of in Taiwan.
If you're going to post it in that thread, I don't suppose it'd be possible for you to wait until I return to Taipei? as it would be more topical. But then again, how are you supposed to know when that is.. I would welcome cool Taiwan subject matter, just make the picture a bit smaller plz as it would overwhelm the 1000px wide max stuff I post.
If you're going to post it in that thread, I don't suppose it'd be possible for you to wait until I return to Taipei? as it would be more topical. But then again, how are you supposed to know when that is.. I would welcome cool Taiwan subject matter, just make the picture a bit smaller plz as it would overwhelm the 1000px wide max stuff I post.
My suggestion was tongue in cheek, there is no reason to add the picture there. 
Stepwells were important in the history of India. In addition to their architectural beauty, they were used on purpose like providing water for people. Thanks to their huge water capacity, they served as indispensable water providers for daily usage. Stepwells were designed to fill and empty with the changing seasons, allowing access to the water via a series of cascading terraces, no matter how high or low the water level.
Here is a list of the most beautiful stepwells in India.
And a different one:
themindcircle.com
Here is a list of the most beautiful stepwells in India.
1. Chand Baori,
Chand Baori is one of the most known stepwells around the world. The lower tiers of Chand Baori were constructed by the Hindu king Raja Chanda in the 9th century. But the Mughals embellished the upper levels with pavilions and arcades in the 18th century, making the monument look more Islamic than Hindu.And a different one:
The Most Beautiful Stepwells In India
Stepwells were important in the history of India. In addition to their architectural beauty, they were used on purpose like providing water...
themindcircle.com
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