Articles by AD Editorial Team

Citymapper, which is just over five years old, has become the go-to mobility app for the majority of the world’s major cities. It’s strength lies in its accuracy and integration: the app parses local data and always seems to deliver the fastest route, even in comparison to its leviathan, data-rich competitors – Google Maps and Apple Maps. Having always focused their attention on public transport, as opposed to cars and taxis, Citymapper has become embedded into the way large amounts of urbanites navigate cities both familiar and foreign. As of today, they are building buses—and bus routes—of their own.

Earlier this year, BDOnline released the 2017 edition of the WA 100, their annual survey of the world’s largest practices. Ranking the firms by the number of architects they employ, the full report also investigates these firms’ financial records and industry trends. The top spots show only slight changes from last year’s rankings, with Japan’s Nikken Sekkei taking second place from AECOM being perhaps the most notable change. However, the big story behind this year’s WA 100 is the rapid growth of #1 firm Gensler, with the firm increasing their lead from last year. The firm now employs almost 800 more architects than any other firm in the world.

In 1855 the German machinery manufacturer Carl Schlickeysen issued the patent he had recently created, the “Universal Patent Brickmaking machine”, the first machine created to manufacture bricks by extrusión as an industrial process. 

Throughout her career, social activist and urban writer Jane Jacobs (May 4, 1916 – April 25, 2006) fought against corporate globalization and urged post-war urban planners and developers to remember the importance of community and the human scale. Despite having no formal training, she radically changed urban planning policy through the power of observation and personal experience. Her theories on how design can affect community and creativity continue to hold relevance today – influencing everything from the design of mega-cities to tiny office spaces.

In the sixth episode of GSAPP Conversations, Jarrett Ley (a current GSAPP student) speaks with Sir Peter Cook. They discuss architecture as a tool for shaping radical thought, the relationship of the current political climate in Britain, Europe, and the United States on architectural education and practice, and how the most interesting contemporary architectural projects appear to stem from “unknown architects in smaller countries.”

The Obama Foundation today unveiled the design of former President Barack Obama’s Presidential Center, reports The Chicago Tribune. Designed by Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the center’s design comprises three buildings. At the north of the site, the tallest building will contain the center’s museum, while buildings to the south will house a library, auditorium, and restaurant, arranged around a public garden.

How do you start your day? Chances are that between opening your eyes, getting out of bed, heading for a cup of coffee and brushing your teeth, you’re part of the majority of people who check their email within 15 minutes of the alarm clock sounding. It’s a pretty intense way to begin the day, so we thought we’d share some daily email newsletters that lift our spirits, make us wiser, and give us the positive energy needed to tackle a long day’s work. The best part is that you never stop learning.

Coffee behemoth Starbucks has announced plans for their third U.S. “Roastery” store to be located on North Michigan Avenue along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, one of the most well-known retail streets in the world. When completed in 2019, the four-story, 43,000-square-foot space will constitute the largest Starbucks location in the world.

We’ve all reached that point in a stressful project where you need to take a step back and take a breather before refocusing on the task at hand – for many, this process can be aided by the liquid motivation of a nice, cold beer.