This Week in Tech & Culture: Building with Mass Timber and an Exhibition Curated by Carol Ross Barney

Exhibitions on Building with Mass Timber
The Chicago Architecture Center opened two exhibitions, entitled REFRAMED: The Future of Cities in Wood and ReCovered: Chicago’s Urban Tree Canopy, that explore the benefits of wood in the built environment.

REFRAMED—presented by the Softwood Lumber Board, an industry-funded initiative that promotes the use of softwood lumber in construction—is a learning pavilion constructed from mass timber that highlights the material’s best qualities such as its strength, lightness, and ability “to withstand fire,” according to a press release on the exhibition.

“REFRAMED tells the story of a reimagining of one of humanity’s oldest construction materials into something that meets the urgent sustainability needs of our world and the construction needs of modern cities,” Eleanor Gorski, AIA, president and CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center, said in the release. “Mass timber is [as] much a revolution as it is a return to the past, and the Chicago Architecture Center is excited to feature mass timber and its potential impacts on the present and future of people living in urban environments.”

With ReCovered, architects Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, and Ryan Gann, AIA curated an immersive tree canopy installation at the center that educates guests on native Chicago trees and local tree-planting initiatives. “Trees are essential to our experience as city dwellers, bringing much-needed green spaces and shade to urban areas,” Ross Barney said in the release. “Ross Barney Architects is thrilled to partner with the Chicago Architecture Center to showcase the value of trees and recreate the feeling of being among the urban tree canopy for visitors.”

Both exhibitions will be open to the public through Oct. 2023. [Chicago Architecture Center]

A Win for Philadelphians with Disabilities

On May 2, a U.S. federal judge approved a class-action settlement between Philadelphia residents with disabilities and the city of Philadelphia. The judgment helps right the city’s wrongs caused by exclusionary barriers at citywide pedestrian facilities that violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Under the settlement agreement, the city will be required to install at least 10,000 curb ramps within the next 15 years; fix non-compliant ramps; establish a Curb Ramp Request System where Philadelphia residents can inquire about installing and fixing ramp-related issues; and keep the public up-to-date on the city’s progress with these measures.

Disability Rights Advocates—a nonprofit legal center with offices in California, New York, and Illinois, and counsel for the class action lawsuit—and disability rights attorney David Ferleger will monitor the city’s compliance with the agreement. “Our clients’ dedication to improving access in their city has resulted in this excellent outcome that will be enjoyed by thousands of Philadelphians and visitors,” said Meredith Weaver, senior staff attorney at Disability Rights Advocates, in a press release on the nonprofit’s website. “Having achieved this victory, we will now make sure that the city meets its commitments.” [Disability Rights Advocates]

Research on how Cities can Revitalize Office-centric Downtowns

The Brookings Institution, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that conducts research on micro- and macro-level problems facing society, published a new report that debunks industry-fueled myths about regarding converting offices into housing and shares ways AEC professionals can help revitalize office-centric downtowns. Some of the myths they discuss include that: offices are dying; mixed-use buildings are a better use of space; office conversions will solve the housing crisis; and “cities are about to go broke,” the report states. However, according to Brookings, offices aren’t going anywhere. In the report, the nonprofit shares six recommendations for revitalizing downtowns including that cities should: provide tax incentives for conversions and new construction projects alike; consider office conversions in diverse districts, not just downtown; and make it easier to erect new buildings and renovate existing ones.

“Cities need an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ strategy to revitalize downtowns,” the study reiterates. “Rushing to reduce the current challenge of office vacancy with a one-size-fits-all solution of office-to-residential conversion will create its own set of problems. This is a critical moment to recognize the unique benefits of centrally located, economically productive, and dense downtowns as job centers, social and activity destinations, as well as places for living. The task ahead is to find creative ways to ensure their ongoing vitality and relevance.” [Brookings Institution]

Wellness Structures on HBCU Campuses

The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, a Los Angeles-based organization that encourages mental wellness in Black communities, has partnered with Kate Spade New York on a program that will provide mental health resources for women on HBCU campuses, starting this spring at Alabama State University. Both organizations are working with Saudah Saleem Interiors and Kiyonda Powell Design Studio in Maryland, and S.I. Container Builds, an Illinois-based woman-owned modular construction company, to produce She Care Wellness Pods. These structures will provide a range of services for women students including free therapy sessions, workshops, hangout spaces, and rest pods.

“In this revolutionary endeavor, Black women on HBCU campuses will be afforded the opportunity of empowerment through the modality of self-regulation experiences,” said Tracie Jade, executive director of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, in a press release. “Soon they will enter a world, essentially not designed to support them. A world where the value of women and women’s rights are still being challenged. This is a space for respite, preparation, and for actualizing joy.” [Business of Home]

Reimagining the Bus Stop

Vibrant, sculptural architecture may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of public bus stops. But that could change thanks to a new Architectural Digest article, in which 12 of the world’s most unique bus stops—comprising structures from Abkhazia, Austria, England, Georgia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, and the U.S.—redefine the waiting area as a functional space of beauty that can inspire deep thought. [Architectural Digest]

Warehouses Causing Pollution and Health Problems

According to new research from the Environmental Defense Fund, a New York-based nonprofit organization that works towardcreating a safer environment, an influx of new warehouses across the U.S. is causing upticks in pollution and truck traffic in residential neighborhoods. “While trucks perform an essential role in the goods supply chain, most trucks today also contribute to noise pollution, traffic and safety concerns, and, notably, harmful air pollution,” the study says. “In fact, goods transport is the fastest-growing driver of greenhouse gas emissions and the largest absolute contributor to emissions in many regions.”

The study, entitled “Making the Invisible Visible: Shining a Light on Warehouse Truck Air Pollution,” identified 17,600 warehouses across 10 states including California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington. Around 15 million Americans live within a half-mile of these warehouses, with Asian, Black, Latino, and Native American communities disproportionately affected compared to white residents. The study also found that more than one million children under the age of five live in these pollution-heavy areas. “Local air pollution causes health harms at all stages of life, including pre-term and low birth weight births, respiratory illness, heart disease, and stroke, and there is increasing evidence of impacts on brain development and function, dementia, and diabetes,” the study shares. [Environmental Defense Fund]

Las Vegas’s Emerging Architectural Vernacular

ARCHITECT columnist Aaron Betsky discusses the major contributions Las Vegas-based architect Eric Strain is making to Sin City’s emerging architectural vernacular outside of the famous Strip. In his latest, he writes, “architects must recognize that, if [Las Vegas] and other Southwest cities are going to survive and thrive, they need community spaces that are sheltered and shaded, but also open and shared to serve and help shape a diverse community. This recognition will be the key to a future Las Vegas architecture.” [ARCHITECT]

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