Search

MAIO, a Barcelona-based architecture firm, has designed a new social housing scheme in the Sant Feliu de Llobregat neighborhood of Barcelona. The scheme features lightweight metal exoskeletons that support heavy textile curtains made from PVC-backed canvas, which help control solar heat gain. The 40 housing units have an average floor area of 65m2 and a mean monthly rental cost of €550, significantly lower than the standard price for rental units in Barcelona. The building also incorporates passive systems, such as an internal courtyard and terracotta blocks for the facade, to reduce energy consumption. The design prioritizes inclusivity and non-hierarchical spaces, departing from traditional housing plans. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on Manuel Cervantes Estudio's housing project for rubber workers in Chiapas, Mexico, exploring the tension between transience and rootedness in the design. Topics include the poor living conditions of workers in rubber plantations, the architect's approach to providing improved housing, and the unintended consequences of the project, with some families choosing to settle permanently, highlighting the complexities of addressing housing issues in transient communities.

The article covers the Ontario government's search for a temporary location for the Ontario Science Centre following its sudden closure. Topics include the costs and logistical challenges of relocating to a temporary site versus making necessary repairs, the extended timeline and potential delays associated with finding and renovating a new space, and the significant reduction in exhibition space at the temporary location compared to the current Science Centre.

The article focuses on the strategy of acquiring existing properties to address the temporary housing crisis, includes rising costs of temporary accommodation; benefits &flexibility of using existing stock for housing needs; and potential pitfalls such as acquisition strategy and maintenance costs.

The article reports on how Hastings Borough Council (BC) in England is dealing with temporary accommodation crisis. Topics discussed include increase in temporary housing costs in 2023, recruitment of Chris Hancock as the borough's head of housing, and estimated number of people in Hastings living in temporary accommodation.

Contractors have begun the second phase of debris removal in Lahaina, Hawaii, following last year's wildfires that caused $5.5 billion in damage and resulted in the deaths of at least 100 people. The cleanup effort, estimated to cost $1 billion and take a year, is being coordinated by federal, state, and local officials. Hazardous materials have already been removed from the site, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has hired a contractor to remove the debris. Temporary housing and a temporary elementary school campus are also being constructed to aid in the recovery efforts. Cultural monitors are present during debris removal to ensure the protection of any cultural resources that may be uncovered. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the diminishing availability of council housing, describing it as a myth, and the challenges faced by councils, particularly in Salford, in managing expectations of residents seeking housing support, exacerbated by the lack of a housing safety net and increasing pressures from factors like asylum seeker transitions. It author calls for urgent action to improve the transition process for new refugees.

The article focuses on the multifaceted housing crisis, highlighting Salford City Council's efforts to increase affordable housing availability, the challenges faced, and the call for national intervention, emphasizing the need for central government prioritization of council housebuilding.

The article discusses Graniterock's swift response to a nearby blaze threatening their Wilson Quarry and surrounding properties in Aromas, Calif. Quarry Manager Nick Wenzel mobilized haul truck drivers Tracy Rego and Robert Ramirez, who provided 17,000 gallons of water, crucial for containing the fire. Topics include Graniterock's assistance, noted contributions by Rego and Ramirez, and community support efforts following the blaze.

BOOKS Bringing Down the House Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing, by Diana Lind. The lack of viable and sustainable housing choices, combined with exclusionary housing regulations, has made housing grow more expensive every decade. This is an exciting moment to rethink homeownership as the primary source of wealth creation for Americans, Lind believes, and it is past time to elevate consideration of housing to a national dialogue. [Extracted from the article]

The executive directive requires that, within 20 days, Bass's office be provided with "an inventory of unused and underutilized city property that could be used for temporary or permanent housing with on-site services", according to a statement. A few months after taking office in December, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass directed administrators this week to provide her with an inventory of city properties that could shelter unhoused residents. [Extracted from the article]

With control of the House and the Senate hanging in the balance, Americans will take to the polls Tuesday for this year's highly anticipated midterm elections. Along with closely watched national contests, 34 of the nation's 100 largest cities by population are holding mayoral elections - which could influence policy decisions impacting some of the most difficult challenges mayors face, like homelessness. [Extracted from the article]

The legislation, which was approved unanimously in the Senate last October, "would provide additional flexibility under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds that was included in the American Rescue Plan Act and assist with the implementation of this major new program", the letter reads. Trade organizations representing state and local governments have joined forces in urging the House and Senate to pass legislation creating more flexibility under the American Rescue Plan Act. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the construction of temporary housing designed by architects Masayuki Harada and Daisuke Sugawara for the town of Rikuzentakata, Japan, where 48% of homes were destroyed by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The article discusses the construction of temporary housing made from shipping containers designed by architect Shigeru Ban for the town of Onagawa, Japan, where 3,800 out of 4,500 homes were significantly damaged or destroyed by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The article presents information about migrant workers in Beijing, China. It discusses the difficulty of providing houses for the many men who migrate to the city for work. Information about the wages received by the workers is provided and the seasonal differences relating to the labor market are discussed.

An image of a multi-storey temporary housing for disaster victims in the town of Onagawa-cho, Japan, by Chris McGrath is presented.