I’ve made a few changes around here. If you’re reading this post on the actual site (as opposed to via Tumblr, your email subscription, or some other feed) and you’re a regular reader, you might notice that I’ve completely redesigned the look and feel of Architect This City. If you can’t see it and want to take a look, click here.
It’s something that I’ve been meaning to do for awhile now. And it’s because I haven’t been happy with how this blog showed up on mobile devices. It wasn’t responsive. That made ATC less enjoyable to read on your phone and it made it a bit of a pain to leave comments. And since almost 35% of readers are on mobile (and that number is only going to go up), it was time to make a change.
This site now looks more or less the same whether you’re viewing it on your desktop or on your phone. I also made sure to make the font nice and big so it’s an easy read on mobile. I think it’s a big improvement. But I’d love to also get your feedback on the redesign. I hope you like it as well and I hope it leads to more frequent discussions in the comment section :)
This Tuesday evening at 630pm, WORKSHOP – which is a design studio, gallery, and retail shop located in Yorkville, Toronto – will be hosting a panel discussion titled: What is Smart Now?
On the panel will be a building scientist, a computer scientist, and two architects. The moderator will be Larry Wayne Richards, who is Creative Director of WORKSHOP and the former dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto. He was dean when I was completing my undergraduate degree and is one of my favorite people in the world of Toronto architecture.
Here’s a bit more on the panel:
For more than half a century, visionaries and companies such as Monsanto, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Samsung have promoted the concept of technologically smart homes with highly integrated, interactive systems. However few of these homes have actually been realized, leaving us to wonder why.
Meanwhile, architects, builders, and home owners have become aware of the advantages of being smart in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability, from using common sense to selectively employing high-tech.
But now, with the digital realm and software advancing rapidly, will sophisticated smart home systems merge with recent advances in high performance materials and energy-efficient construction, making “totally smart” (and affordable) homes commonplace? Will we finally be living in the magical future that was imagined 50 years ago? And what are the implications for architects and architectural education?
And here are the panelists:
PAUL DOWSETT, Architect and Founding Principal, Sustainable TO
SRINIVASAN KESHAV, Professor of Computer Science, University of Waterloo
TED KESIK, Professor of Building Science, University of Toronto
JANNA LEVITT, Founding Partner, LGA Architects, Toronto
LARRY WAYNE RICHARDS (Moderator), Creative Director, WORKSHOP
Given the current “Internet of Things” trend and the fact that software is creeping into so many non-tech fields, such as housing, I think this is a really timely discussion to be having. I also think it’s critical for these kinds of conversations to be cross-disciplinary. There are infinite opportunities in the housing market for people who are able to think in that way.
If you’d like to attend, click here to sign up. It’s free and open to the public. WORKSHOP is located in the lower concourse level of 80 Bloor Street West.
Image: WORKSHOP
Two weeks ago I gave a brief presentation at The Laneway Project’s inaugural summit here in Toronto. I then wrote about it here on ATC.
At the time, I wasn’t sure if the event was being filmed or not, but it turns out it was. So here is my presentation from the event. It’s just over 7 minutes. Click here if you can’t see it below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdMNC1BtUz8]
If you’d like to see the other 5 presentations and the Q&A session, click here.
Following the event, I was also interviewed by a radio show out of Calgary called Space + Place. If you are really into laneways and would like to listen to that as well, go here.
I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: I continue to be amazed by how much interest there is — both here in Toronto and elsewhere — in laneways. They may be overlooked today, but that’s going to change. It’s inevitable.