This week, architects embraced "the timber age" and heralded the rise of "broken-plan" living
This week on Dezeen: the trend for open-plan living may be coming to an end, according to architects we interviewed this week, while other industry insiders told us that wood is taking over from concrete and steel as the architectural wonder material of the 21st century.
Open-plan properties have been favoured by homeowners for decades, but the proliferation of smartphones and tablets has prompted residents to seek out more secluded spaces in their homes. London-based architect Mary Duggan described the new trend as "broken-plan" living.
This week we investigated the possibility of building skyscrapers from wood. Once structurally impossible, timber high-rises are now a real prospect thanks to new techniques and stronger types of engineered wood. "This is the beginning of the timber age," explained UK architect Andrew Waugh.
In other news, Dubai announced its intention to fight fires in the city's tallest skyscrapers using jetpacks and American rapper Snoop Dogg launched his own edible marijuana brand.
New York's long-delayed World Trade Center Transportation Hub, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, sprang a leak, while plans were revealed for Brooklyn’s first super-tall tower.
The recent spate of tall skyscraper designs for New York sparked protests, as aggrieved residents took to the streets to voice their concerns about shadows cast over Central Park.
A row of skinny townhouses in Brooklyn’s most expensive neighbourhood were also completed this week, and British designer Tom Dixon opened his first showroom in Manhattan.
In an exclusive interview with Dezeen, BIG’s Kai-Uwe Bergmann said robots will transform the building industry in 50 years.
Popular projects this week on Dezeen included plans for a domed extension to one of Denmark's most-visited museums, a Ferrari-like tractor and a Swedish sauna raised above the waters in Gothenburg's port.
