thrive » architecture

Unfinished Rooftop Rollercoaster Is Both Strange & Insteresting

Todd — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:35:39 +0000

Here’s something for your coffee break. Deputy Dog has an interesting story about an abandoned rooftop rollercoaster in central Tokyo. Looks like the coaster is ready to go, but opposition from local residents in one of the world’s most densely populated cities combined with unforeseen lateral forces closed it down before it ever opened. Still, it looks pretty cool even if it does look like a half-complete Stargate.

Green Office Blocks Reduce Carbon Footprint & Might Even Make Work Interesting

Todd — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:56:00 +0000

When you spend 8 hour days at a desk, it doesn’t take long to get thoroughly bored with your surroundings. Especially if those surrounding are a typical office cubicle in a typical bland office building. It’s even worse when you consider their jumbo-sized carbon footprint. But there is a new breed of office block with more green credentials than you can shake a rather large stick at. These green office blocks show just what can be achieved when architecture meets sustainability, breaking free from the characterless and insipid working environments of the past.

Add Value: Create An Outdoor Room

Todd — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:47:50 +0000

If you live in a part of the world where you are fortunate enough to actually have a climate, ie. distinct seasons, and not ‘weather’ then you should consider creating an outdoor room. Some people like to bring the outside in by incorporating large expanses of glass in their homes, flooding the interior with light and visually connecting with the outdoors. While that’s a great option if you live somewhere wet and windy most of the year, taking the inside out is ideal for reliably sunnier climes. Here are seven examples of what your outdoor room could look like.

Abandoned Hotels: Not Where You Want To Stay!

Todd — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:05:18 +0000

Have you ever pulled up at a hotel and thought that it looked so decrepit that it was in actual fact abandoned? I’ve been there, but have yet to see anything as bad as these abandoned hotels. I would say, however, that many popular holiday resorts frequented by Europeans such as Costa Adeje in Tenerife are littered with abandoned shells. One other case that springs to mind is the area around Balangan on the Bukit Peninsula in Bali where they started building an entire resort in the middle of nowhere, which was, of course, abandoned. One wonders what these ‘planners’ are smoking: if it looks like people won’t spend their money then don’t approve it in the first place!

Shovels At The Ready: Massive Earth Moving Projects

Todd — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:05:31 +0000

I’m a sucker for huge construction projects: the bigger it is, the better. And if it happens to be on the Discovery Channel then that’s even better again! Here are 6 of the biggest earth moving projects ever from the NYC Subway and Boston’s big dig to the Panama Canal.