Pal's Sudden Service, a Tennessee fast food chain, commissioned a larger-than-life tribute to its food: a hamburger, hot dog, fry, and soda-shaped restaurant made of brick. Weighing a total of 6,500 pounds, the unconventional structure in Johnson City is the product of city leaders' reluctance to have the chain's usual "giant, fiberglass hot dog and burger atop the vibrant, blue-painted block building," according to a press release by Pal's. The alternative design, built entirely in brick masonry, is based on a napkin doodle by Andy Warhol contemporary Tony Barone, and created by Lincoln, Neb.–based artist Jay Tschetter of Images in Brick. "The giant hot dog and burger might be a little different, but the food and service will be the same that our customers have grown to know and love," said Pal's Sudden Service president and CEO, Thom Crosby, in the press statement. [Pal's Sudden Service]
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is set to spend $4.4 billion on new flood prevention systems due to the massive amount of rain the region receives year round. [Curbed]
ICYMI: The Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture's biennial conference revealed new connections between the two disciplines. [ARCHITECT]
Gravity Sketch, a smartphone app by the synonymous London-based startup, is a 3D printer-like experience without the gear, using virtual reality (VR) instead. When used with a VR headset, Gravity Sketch makes it possible to virtually draw on the environment around you—in other words, the world becomes your canvas. [Wired]
Archaeological treasures from the Northwest Palace in Nimrud, Iraq, that were destroyed by ISIS have been recreated using 3D printing techniques. They are now on display at the Colosseum in Rome. [The New York Times]
California-based energy company SolarReserve's new plant in Nevada has the potential to power 1 million homes, according to a Las Vegas Journal-Review interview with CEO Kevin Smith. [EcoWatch]
Finnish company Cajo Technologies has come up with a new way to dye metal: by laser burning it into the material. [Core77]
New York-based Perkins Eastman and Philadelphia-based EwingCole have collaborated on the whitepaper "Where Are We Now?: Elevating Design Practice through Design Research," detailing the challenges design researchers face and discussing how the industry could improve its practices. [Perkins Eastman]
