New York–based real estate and relocation company Realogy has announced a partnership with tech giant Amazon that could give customers $5,000 in complimentary products and Amazon Home Services. Their new program TurnKey connects home buyers with affiliated real estate agents. Once the property purchase is complete, new owners are awarded between $1,000 and $5,000 in complimentary Amazon products and services, including a suite of smart home offerings and cleaning services. "Customers can be overwhelmed when moving, and we're excited to be working with Realogy to offer home buyers a simplified way to settle into a new home," said Amazon Home Services director Pat Bigatel in a press release. "The Amazon Move-In Benefit will enable home buyers to adapt the offering to their needs—from help assembling furniture, to assisting with smart home device set up, to a deep clean, and more." [Realogy]
MIT is remembering Steven Keating, a mechanical engineer and member of the Media Lab’s Mediated Matter group who died earlier this month following a battle with cancer. The 31-year-old focused on additive manufacturing and synthetic biology, developing a technology that could 3D print the foundation of a building. "Steve utilized humor while solving equations and inspired a sense of empathy when discussing ethical issues associated with robotics and synthetic biology,” said Mediated Matter director Neri Oxman in a press release. “The projects he left behind are very much alive and will continue to have meaningful impact on the physical and societal landscapes we inhabit.” [MIT]
To manage extreme weather, architects are turning to smart roof technologies that are able to change their reflectance and thermal emittance properties seasonally. According to contributor Blaine Brownell, AIA, although these technologies are relatively new in the marketplace, the promise of a genuinely climate-responsive roof is close at hand. [ARCHITECT]
According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, WeWork is looking to go public in September. While the company filed confidential IPO paperwork last year, it is unclear how much it will be valued following its $1.9 billion in losses last year. [WSJ]
This fall, SFMOMA will award American-Israeli designer and MIT Mediated Matter research group director Neri Oxman the 2019 Contemporary Vision Award. "This honor salutes creative minds across the globe who redefine contemporary visual culture and make the art of our time a vital and meaningful part of public life," according to an SFMOMA announcement. Past honorees include Kara Walker, Annie Leibovitz, and Christian Marclay. [SFMOMA]
In a collaboration with Knoll, New York–based design studio and software developer Morpholio and Chico, Calif.–based visualization studio Theia Interactive have harnessed augmented reality (AR) technology and Apple’s new USDZ 3D file format, which lets developers create models for AR, to enable iPad users to inspect, say, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair, down to the sheen of its leather upholstery and polish of its chrome frame, in their own space. Users will be able to place detailed, digital replicas of creations by Eero Saarinen, Warren Platner, Marcel Breuer, David Adjaye, Hon. FAIA, into their environments. [ARCHITECT]
Working with local collaborators MAP Architects and philanthropic foundation and additive manufacturing platform Danish AM Hub, GXN Innovation, the independent research company of Copenhagen, Denmark–based architecture firm 3XN, has introduced a new 3D-printing research initiative titled Break the Grid. Through this venture, GXN plans to conduct a series of hacks on current 3D printers that it hopes will allow for a more effective response to urban change. [ARCHITECT]
2019 R+D Awards: An update to an existing product, the sleek, intuitive Uplift Tech Cabinet by Bristol, Pa.–based Robern, a Kohler company, features an illuminated, upward sliding mirror, defogging, cantilevered glass shelving, tamper-resistant outlets, integrated USB ports, and several handle finishes, including chrome and matte black. The product received a citation in ARCHITECT's 2019 R+D Awards. [ARCHITECT]
