The New York Times' fall architecture preview is centered around a pretty important and relevant theme, namely the relationship between the built environment and the natural one.

Some of the projects that they profile include Dock 72 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which was raised up in order to lift it out of a floodplain; the "solar carve" tower by Studio Gang, which was designed to prevent shadows from casting along the adjacent High Line (pictured above); and the recently completed Casablanca Finance Tower by Morphosis.

This last one, pictured below, uses thick aluminum beams to shade the building. That's a pretty important feature in North Africa.

Photos by Nic Lehoux and Hakim Wiseman Joundy (via the New York Times)

Monocle recently published a short 4 minute video tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It covers a bit of the area’s history and the kind of businesses that are flocking to the area today.

One of the reoccurring themes in the video is a feeling of stability. The local businesses feel secure in their space and some even believe that the area is somehow immune to gentrification.

Monocle doesn’t allow embedded videos, so you’ll have to click here to watch.