A couple of months ago, Dutch architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars announced that he was building a curvy, loopy and for some reason, largely see-through building, to be made with the help of Enrico Dinis D-Shape 3D printer. The project would cost up to 5 million euros ($6.4 million) and be completed in 2014.

Another group quickly piped up, declaring that a similar project they were working on would be done even faster and cheaper. London-based Softkill Design intends to fabricate a web-like building and whats more, it says it will need just three weeks to print the structureand only a single day to assemble it, which it plans to do at some point later this year.

This month, another Dutch company jumped into the fray. DUS Architects plans to use a 20-ft-tall 3D printer to build a house along an Amsterdam canal. Its also going to do it by the end of the year. Take that, Ruijssenaars.

3d house-printingit certainly sounds like a brilliant idea. Why bother hiring masons and carpenters and plumbers when you can buy a machine and print out your own abode? Goodbye, apartment blocks. Hello, homemade homes.

But what does this 3d house-printing actually mean? And if its so groovy, how com no one has done it yet?

First, the basics: Simply put, 3D printing works through a process of layering. The printer reads a file, much as a deskjet would read an image, and then translates that into a physical object the way your printer spits out ink on a pageone strip at a time.

The ink in a 3D printer is a materialoften plasticthat shoots out of a nozzle and onto a platform. If a printer is making a coffee mug, for instance, it will gradually layer up a ring until it reaches the top. You could call it a bottom-up process.

But you would never want to print a coffee mug, not even a silly one. For the moment, the cool thing about the technology is that its better suited to protoyping shapes rather that reproducing existing ones. Plus,gift shops the world over have shown us that novelty mugs are always a bad idea.

Say you were a design enthusiast, though, and wanted to make a chair in an unconventional form. With a 3D printer, that would cost the same to produce as the sort of vanilla chairs you pick up at Ikea. Thats because 3D printers dont constrain the imagination with mundane restrictions like molds, human labor or cost. If you can dream itand get a design for ityou can print it. It gives designers the freedom to imagine all sorts of kooky things in much the same way that advances in printing equipment freed graphic artists from the tyranny of movable type.

Things get tricky when it comes to large-scale projects, such as houses. The most obvious problem is one of scale. Just as you cannot print a billboard on a laserjet that can, at most, accept A3 sheets, you cant print a entire house on existing 3D printers.

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Architects are starting to 3D print buildings—and not in the way you’d expect

IT pros with skills in Microsoft Dynamics project management and architecture can look forward to healthy raises this year, according to a survey of more than 10,000 respondents worldwide.

Full-time technical architects working on Dynamics stand to earn a 14% salary increase, and project managers are in line for a 9% raise, according to the Microsoft Dynamics Salary Survey 2013 from Nigel Frank International, a firm specializsng in recruitment of Dynamics professionals.

Increases for other Dynamics IT professionals are less, and 4% is the average salary increase across all categories, the survey says.

The survey dealt with professionals with expertise in four products: Dynamics AX and NAV are ERP platforms; Dynamics GP is accounting/ERP software; and Dynamics CRM is customer relationship management software.

Technical architects also pull down some of the largest salaries among Dynamics professionals, with salaries in the US of $148,000 for those versed in Dynamics AX, $115,000 for NAV, $144,000 for CRM and $115,000 for GP, the survey says. Freelancers can earn up to $1,100 per day.

The average freelance wage increase over the next year is 12%, and that is so attractive that 39% of full-timers would leave their current jobs to freelance.

Still, many (30%) Dynamics workers are dissatisfied with training and career development as well as their compensation. A larger percentage (48.1%) describe themselves as satisfied with their jobs and 8.5% describe themselves as very satisfied.

Of those end users who responded to the survey, 41.9% had competency in Dynamics AX, 21.8% in Dynamics NAV, 18.9% in Dynamics CRM and 17.4% in Dynamics GP.

There should be a lot of openings for those with the right expertise since 35% of those surveyed plan to switch jobs in the next year, and most of them (58%) are looking for other positions because their current jobs lack career prospects or don't promise large enough salary increases to suit them, the survey says.

Nearly half (45%) of those looking to change jobs would consider moving to another country, with the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and Germany scoring as the top choices.

Read the original post:
Survey: Microsoft Dynamics technical architects in line for 14% rises

Architects and designers may be on the frontlines of the war against garbage, suggests a new University of British Columbia study, which found that people in "green buildings" are more likely to act in an environmentally responsible manner regardless of their past habits.

WATCH: Hidden cameras show 2 lunchrooms' recycling habits

A group of UBC psychology students used a hidden camera to record other students' recycling decisions at two Vancouver campus cafeterias: the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability, a so-called "living laboratory" for sustainability research, and the Student Union Building, a relic from the late 1960s.

At the CIRS cafeteria, 86 per cent of users properly recycled their waste, according to the findings. While, at the noticeably darker, dingier SUB lunchroom, only 58 per cent chose to recycle.

"The design of a building can be a powerful tool to shape behaviour," Alessandra DiGiacomo, a UBC graduate student and co-author of the study, said.

To weed out any potential bias from people occupying the environmentally friendly building, researchers administered surveys in both buildings and found that CIRS patrons didn't have more of a vested interest in the environment in general. DiGiacomo said this means that context is important.

Perkins+Wills designed the CIRS building, which is a well-lit, mostly wooden space that ventilates natural air throughout.

"Design can absolutely influence people," Susan Gushe, a principal with the firm, told CBC News.

She says there are several things designers take into consideration when integrating recycling and garbage receptacles into buildings, such as:

Locating them in areas where people are likely to use them, such as the CIRS's kitchenettes.

See the rest here:
Architects change recycling habits with design

IT pros with skills in Microsoft Dynamics project management and architecture can look forward to healthy raises this year, according to a survey of more than 10,000 respondents worldwide.

Full-time technical architects working on Dynamics stand to earn a 14% salary increase, and project managers are in line for a 9% raise, according to the Microsoft Dynamics Salary Survey 2013 from Nigel Frank International, a firm specializing in recruitment of Dynamics professionals.

[ COMPENSATION: How different tech degrees measure up by salary

RAISES: Tech salaries jump 5.3%, bonuses flat

2013 IT SALARIES: The 15 job titles getting the biggest pay raises ]

Increases for other Dynamics IT professionals are less, and 4% is the average salary increase across all categories, the survey says.

The survey dealt with professionals with expertise in four products: Dynamics AX and NAV are ERP platforms; Dynamics GP is accounting/ERP software; and Dynamics CRM is customer relationship management software.

Technical architects also pull down some of the largest salaries among Dynamics professionals, with salaries of $148,000 for those versed in Dynamics AX, $115,000 for NAV, $144,000 for CRM and $115,000 for GP, the survey says. Freelancers can earn up to $1,100 per day.

The average freelance wage increase over the next year is 12%, and that is so attractive that 39% of full-timers would leave their current jobs to freelance.

Still, many (30%) Dynamics workers are dissatisfied with training and career development as well as their compensation. A larger percentage (48.1%) describe themselves as satisfied with their jobs and 8.5% describe themselves as very satisfied.

Read more here:
Survey: Microsoft Dynamics technical architects in line for 14% raises

OKLAHOMA CITY -

We are getting our first look at the most controversial project of MAPS 3 will look like. Architects have released their first conceptual renderings of the new convention center and hotel.

Three concepts were presented to a convention center subcommittee Tuesday.

11/27/2012 Related Story: New OKC Convention Center Could Cost Taxpayers More Money

The 470,000 square foot building will sit south of the Myriad Gardens and west of Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Architects say every direction of the new convention center will accommodate openness for pedestrians.

The hotel will go directly next to the new convention center or across the street on the what is now the Cox Convention Center.

"I think this can be a significant addition to that area and a real catalyst for addition and private development," said OKC City Councilman Pat Ryan, who saw the renderings Tuesday.

The same architectural firm designing the $250 million convention center has worked on convention centers in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Qatar.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2016.

Original post:
Architects Release Conceptual Renderings Of MAPS 3 Convention Center

27 March 2012

New Zealand Institute of Architects announces new Chief Executive

The New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), the professional organization representing more than 90 per cent of New Zealands registered architects, has appointed Teena Hale-Pennington as its new Chief Executive.

Announcing the appointment, NZIA President David Sheppard said Ms Hale-Penningtons background in local government and resource planning would be invaluable in assisting the architectural profession meet its current challenges.

Our new Chief Executive also has a strong track record as a strategist in sustainable development and the provision of affordable housing, two areas of immediate concern, especially in New Zealands major cities.

Ms Hale-Pennington was formerly Wellington City Councils Director of Strategy, Planning and Urban Design. Prior to that she was Manager of Strategy for Auckland City Council, where she prepared the Councils submission to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance.

In her earlier career Ms Hale-Pennington held strategic planning and project management positions in the private sector and in the New South Wales public service. She was educated at Griffith and Wollongong Universities in Australia.

Im very much looking forward to assuming the chief executive role at the NZIA, Ms Hale-Pennington said. The work of the NZIAs members is integral to the making of the high quality urban environments that New Zealanders want and that this country needs.

Public awareness of the importance of architecture has never been stronger, Ms Hale-Pennington said, and the challenges architects confront have seldom been more complex.

The rebuild of Christchurch, housing affordability and the related debate about more intensive urban development, and the regulatory environment affecting the construction industry are some of the issues facing New Zealands architects.

Continue reading here:
NZ Institute of Architects announces new Chief Executive

By LORI WINCE

ThisWeek Community News Tuesday March 26, 2013 11:21 AM

Architects from Moody-Nolan of Columbus are on track to present a new school building design plan to the New Albany community from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the 2-5 elementary building.

The building will be designed for 1,200 students in grades 2 to 8 and include a gymnasium, said Superintendent April Domine.

It will be located between the 2-5 elementary building and the middle school cafeteria. District officials hope to break ground this spring and open the building by the fall of 2014.

The architects narrowed their design options to three for a March 20 public meeting, which 45 people attended to offer their feedback.

The first option designers presented was a two-story building oriented east to west that could include one-story sections for rooftop gardens.

The second was a one-story building with a square footprint that would occupy more of the land between the elementary and middle school.

The third option was a two-story building oriented north to south which would have more outdoor green spaces surrounding the building.

After the architects present the first draft of the design April 4, it will be reviewed by the school board, the superintendent's facilities committee and community members in a board work session at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 8, in the Jefferson Room at New Albany High School.

Go here to read the rest:
Architects to present design plan April 4

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Portal Architects, Inc. today announced the general market availability of SkySync. SkySync is an incredibly-simple unified file management solution that enables users to find, synchronize, and move files across any number of linked storage systems including Microsoft SharePoint, Cloud platforms and network storage.

Steve Woodward, Portal Architects CTO said; "Many organizations want to integrate cloud storage by either migrating or synchronizing files with their existing on-site file storage systems, or require a sensible coexistence strategy across all of their current storage platforms. SkySync makes either approach simple and easy."

Woodward continues; "SkySync starts by linking to and unifying your storage system files including all versions of SharePoint, network-stored files and cloud-based storage systems. Within one amazingly-simple user interface, system administrators can create fully-automated file synchronization or migration jobs between any number of systems.

Mark Brazeau, Portal Architects co-founder adds; "Since it no longer matters where files are stored, SkySync by design, makes users more productive. You can execute a single search that spans across multiple systems as well as create multi-system, predefined views of your files. Users can also easily move, copy, or organize files and their underlying properties, to or from any system. It's as simple as drag-and-drop; and nothing gets lost."

The current release includes connectors for Microsoft SharePoint 2007, SharePoint 2010, SharePoint 2013, Microsoft Office 365, Huddle, Box, DropBox, SkyDrive, Citrix ShareFile and network file systems.

While the focus of the initial release is on businesses of all sizes, future releases and features will be geared toward consumers as well as the introduction of a SaaS model. A nocost trial version can be downloaded from the website.

You can learn more at http://www.skysync.com

Tweet this; Just released- Unified File Manager for #SharePoint & #CloudStorage http://bit.ly/Yuby1g @skysynced

About Portal Architects, Inc.

SkySync is a wholly-owned product of Portal Architects, Inc., an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company. Portal Architects is a software development company comprised of senior .NET architects and engineers with extensive Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Microsoft SharePoint development expertise.

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Portal Architects releases SkySync, Unified File Manager for SharePoint and Cloud storage

CNET News Crave Amsterdam architects join race to build 3D-printed house

DUS Architects announces plans for a two-story canal house built by the firm's mobile printing facility that lives in a shipping container.

With 3D printing growing ever more powerful, it's really only a matter of time before a 3D-printed house arrives. So far, we've seen Dutch firm Universe Architecture announce its 3D-printed Landscape House, modeled after a Mobius strip. London firm Softkill pooh-poohed Universe's design, since it will use poured concrete in 3D-printed molds, and presented its own spiderweb-Skeletor ProtoHouse.

Not to mention the European Space Agency's plans to 3D-print a moon base, a sort of extraterrestrial abode for astronauts.

Now another Dutch firm has stepped up to the plate. DUS Architects has announced that it will make the world's first 3D-printed canal house, with work to start in the next six months.

Read more of "Amsterdam architects join 3D-printed house race" at Crave Australia.

Michelle Starr is special projects editor at CNET Australia.

We look into how MPG ratings are done, drive the 2013 Audi S7, and find out what happened to the hidden headlight.

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Amsterdam architects join race to build 3D-printed house

Hart Wright Architects recently completed a project that is a harmonious blend of the Mid-Century Modern Style and Hart Wright Architects' own unique, fresh and modern design style.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 21, 2013

The original kitchen in this Mid-Century Modern home needed to be updated. Also the floor plan was not working- flow was broken up and there were too many rooms yet still not enough space. To reinvent the Mid Century Modern style, Hart Wright Architects re-used existing features and incorporated them into the design. They kept a cabinet but moved it over two feet to allow a second walkway into the kitchen keeping the separation between kitchen and dining room but increasing the flow and transparency between the two spaces. This second passage is painted bright yellow and casts a glow into the adjacent spaces.

Hart Wright Architects designed the cabinetry in the kitchen to have a finish combination of both wood and paint, thereby complimenting, but not copying the existing cabinetry. The wood frames are white oak, and the blue painted cabinet doors match the Heath Ceramic Tile used for the backsplash. The orange was inspired by the clients' own Eames chairs, and the stove, from Blue Star, could come in orange, too.

Existing redwood tiles with alternating grain created a checkerboard pattern. Hart Wright Architects re-used them to create a seamless transition of old house and new remodeled space. Light valences with linear LEDs, flow from room to room, a modern feature that adds light and thoughtful detail.

The dining room table is a custom built piece designed by Hart Wright Architects and is made of walnut boards and maple veneer "Europly" plywood legs. The balance of the two materials together represented a refined casualness, similar to the balance of the refined yet casual elegance of the space.

In terms of the design process, this project went very smoothly. There was a lot of collaboration with the owners and the contractor. An important strength of Hart Wright Architects is their belief in the idea that owner, architect, and contractor are all part of a team working together. Hart Wright Architects emphasizes being on budget and schedule while still pushing the ideas for great design.

About Hart Wright Architects

Hart Wright Architects is a green architecture, urban and landscape design firm based in San Francisco serving clients in Palto Alto, Atherton, Napa, Mill Valley and most of the Bay area. Through all phases of design and construction, HWA is committed to excellence in architectural design solutions, active problem solving, and the highest standards of client service. They recently became certified DBE for being a woman owned architecture business.

Principal Eliza Hart is a licensed architect in San Francisco. She received a Master of Architecture and an MA in Urban Planning at UCLA. Hart Wright Architects has extensive experience spanning the full range of services from schematic design to construction documents to construction administration Eliza founded Hart Wright Architects in 2006, a firm that emphasizes quality, environmental sustainability and a team approach to solving problems and getting the job done well.

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Hart Wright Architects Combine Casual with Refined Elegance in their 1950s "Mid-Century Modern" Design