On Dec. 5, Bjarke Ingels Group revealed plans for a new sports and entertainment center that will sit atop the current Travis County Exposition Center in Austin, Texas. Dubbed East Austin District and commissioned by local company Austin Sports & Entertainment in partnership with the nonprofit Rodeo Austin, the new 1.3 million-square-foot project is set to feature a rooftop covered in red solar panels. According to the firm’s press release, these panels could generate enough energy to power the entire complex and have the potential to distribute excess electricity to East Austin. [ARCHITECT]
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the largest annual technology convention in the U.S., is under fire for its lack of female keynote speakers at its 2018 show. GenderAvenger, a nonprofit organization that advocates for gender equity in public dialogue, has put out an action alert asking CES to reconsider its keynote speaker list for the show’s 51st iteration, which will take place in Las Vegas on Jan. 9 to 12. [GenderAvenger]
Courtesy Benton Johnson / SOM
ICYMI: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill continues to explore the viability of a timber-and-concrete composite floor system and opens its study to a composite floor system supported by a steel structure. [ARCHITECT]
A team of artificial intelligence researchers at Stanford University has used Google Street View’s images of cars to develop algorithms that would allow them to gather information about neighborhood demographics. The project used 50 million Street View images across 200 cities, which helped the team accurately estimate income, race, education, and voting patterns at the zip code and precinct level. [Proceedings of the National Academy of Science]
London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s “Draft London Plan” aims to eliminate the prevalence of cars from the city’s streets by 2019 through the implementation of strict parking rules that prohibit the creation of any new parking spaces within the densest areas of London. The same plan advocates for more bike parking spaces across the city. [Mayor of London]
ICYMI: Researchers at the University of Washington’s Networks & Mobile Systems Lab have created 3D-printed objects made of commercial plastics embedded with sensors that can communicate with Wi-Fi-connected devices. [ARCHITECT]
