From 1912 to 1948, architecture was an Olympic event. Beginning in Stockholm, the 1912 Games hosted competitions in architectural design, sculpture, painting, literature, and music in reference to the culture of the ancient Olympics. Although the events themselves were non-athletic, the entries were often inspired by sport. Such was the case for the entry that won the U.S. its first medal of the 1936 Games (the controversial “Nazi Olympics"). Within the architectural design subcategory of town planning, reports Atlas Obscura, New York landscape architect Charles Downing Lay earned the silver medal for his plan to redesign Brooklyn's 1,500-acre Marine Park with an eye toward athletics and a greater appreciation for the outdoors. His design, with an estimated cost of between $30 million and $50 million, would add a golf course, swimming pool, a 125,000-seat-stadium, and even space for mooring yachts, making Marine Park larger than the city's Central and Prospect parks combined. Back in New York, however, Lay's design didn't stick the landing. Legendary city planner Robert Moses, then the head of the city's parks department, was less impressed with the proposal than was the International Olympic Committee and would go on to hire two different architects for a less extensive-redesign of the park. [Atlas Obscura + Smithsonian]
ICYMI: The inventor of 4D printing and co-director of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab discusses the importance of failure in making big breakthroughs. [ARCHITECT]
Elon Musk—the leader of two recently merged green-technology companies, Tesla and SolarCity—hinted that the latter will be adding solar shingles to its lineup. An argument for why that’s a risky move. [MIT Technology Review]
The public health programs at Harvard University and Boston University are teaming up to explore how environmental factors like air pollution, weather, and housing are affecting the health of those living in low-income neighborhoods. [HSPH]
To what extent will the “smart” technology implemented for the 2016 Summer Olympics benefit the city of Rio de Janeiro in the long term? If history offers any precedent, not much. [CityLab]
From vibrant hosiery to durable place mats, the rise of New York–based housewares maker Chilewich, whose products recently earned a spot in the collections of the Cooper-Hewitt. [Fast Company’s Co.Design]
Italian fabricator WASP's (World’s Advanced Saving Project's) 40-foot-tall, 3D printer is at work on a 13-foot-tall, $55 shelter made from clay, straw, and lime. [New Atlas]
American journalist Sebastian Junger, who has reported on combat and its effect on soldiers, will address the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, held this year in Los Angeles from Oct. 5 to 7. [USGBC]
Companies are encouraging collaboration among employees, but they’re not necessarily providing the physical work environments that allow for it, says a new white paper from office furniture maker Haworth. [Dezeen]
