This is an archived week of our news feed from December 21 to December 30, 2015.

For the latest news, check out our daily real-time News Roundup.

December 30, 2015


Predictions for 2016 Interior Design Trends   Black metals, rounded furniture, and old-world ornamentation are decorating trends to look forward to in the new year. [The Wall Street Journal] i360 Viewing Tower Breathes New Life Into Brighton Seafront   The newest structure to appear in Brighton, a popular English seaside resort, measures just 13-feet-wide, but stretches 531-feet-high, making it the world's slenderest tower. The British Airways i360 viewing tower, which the local council hopes will be the "catalyst for change for fitting out the seafront for the next 150 years," is designed to boost tourism in the city and attract more commercial and residential developments. A new conference center, leisure facilities, shops, and tourist attractions are already in the works. The tower, designed by London-based Marks Barfield, the same firm that created the London Eye, carries passengers in a pod to the top of the structure. Once visitors get there, they'll be able to see 26 miles in all directions. A small restaurant serves produce that has been grown or caught within this 26-mile radius. [The Guardian]

Architecture is Good for Your Health, Really!   A recent University of Warwick study suggests that scenery, not just greenery, is an important element in a positive environment.The study used 212,000 pictures of Britain to determine which types of landscapes offer the biggest boost in health and happiness levels. Participants were asked to rate  the "scenicness" of the photos, and compared the ratings to how residents in those areas felt about their health. While previous research stated that those living in green areas live longer and are happier, the University of Warwick research found that the most scenic images contained large proportions of gray, brown, and blue. [The Telegraph]

AIA Detroit's Honor Awards   The Midwestern architectural chapter doled 11 awards to projects involving new construction, renovations, historic preservation, and urban design. [ARCHITECT]

The Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will rise more than 3,300 feet into the air.
Courtesy Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture The Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will rise more than 3,300 feet into the air.

Tech Highlights of 2015   Instead of doing our normal weekly roundup, associate editor Hallie Busta gathered some of the biggest stories from this past year to highlight the key architectural trends in technology and materials. [ARCHITECT]

The Year of Fear   Columnist Aaron Betsky mulls over how the built environment plays a role in societal fears seen in the 2015's headlines. Subjects such as supertalls accommodating the super rich, exclusion perpetuated by walls for both college campuses and immigrants, and the acceptance of mediocrity in architecture are just some of the few things he touches on. [ARCHITECT]
Times Square visitors take in the scene from the red steps of the TKTS booth and Snøhetta’s granite benches
Giorgio Galeotti Times Square visitors take in the scene from the red steps of the TKTS booth and Snøhetta’s granite benches

Establishing Times Square as Its Own Public Space   Contributing editor Karrie Jacobs explains how the wonder of the landmark area, and some topless ladies, or desnudas, helped the New York City space become more established in a literal sense. [ARCHITECT]

How Does Camping Relate to Cities?   Canadian firm Later Office, lead by principals Lola Sheppard and Mason White, talk about their Chicago Architecture Biennial project for this edition of AIA Voices. Their observations in "Making Camp" explore the traditions of recreational camping. [ARCHITECT]

Awards and Competitions

AIA|DC is accepting entries for the Sarah Booth Conroy Prize for Journalism and Architectural Criticism to reward excellent reporting of architecture and urbanism in Washington, D.C. The annual prize is $5,000. The deadline is Dec. 31.

New York's Storefront for Art and Architecture recently announced its Taking Buildings Down call for ideas (to which it cheekily refers as 'The competition of the competition of competitions"). Recognizing that spatial limitations often require some buildings be removed in order that others might be built, Storefront asks for proposals that recognize strategic destruction as a creative act. Registrations must be received by Jan. 12, 2016. 

The AIA Committee on the Environment is now accepting submissions for the COTE Top Ten and Top Ten + awards for 2016.  The Top Ten celebrates the most sustainable buildings designed by architects licensed in the U.S. The Top Ten + award is given to a past COTE Top Ten winner who has proven through post-occupancy and time to exceed even its initial lofty expectations. Find out more info and submit your entry today. Deadline for entries is Jan. 19, 2016.

The 23rd annual Ceramic Tiles of Italy Competition is now open for submissions. If you've used Italian ceramic tiles in a project finished between January 2011 and January 2016, enter it for a chance to win a portion of $15,000 in prizes and one of three trips to Italy. Deadline to enter is Jan. 15, 2016.

The Copper Development Association is accepting submissions for its 9th annual North American Copper in Architecture awards program. The deadline is Jan. 31, 2016.

The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is now accepting submissions to its fourth Wheelwright Prize, an open, international competition for early-career architects that supports travel-based research. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 8, 2016. Read more about the Wheelwright Prize. 

The Architectural League has announced a call for entries for its Architectural League Prize for Young Architects and Designers, focused this year around the theme of (im)permanence and time as a defining characteristic of architecture. Entries are due Feb. 17, 2016. 

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