San Francisco Should Always Have a Subway Under Construction
A couple of years ago, I was with my friend Adam Cohn when he made this simple yet important declaration — “San Francisco should always have a subway under construction.” My first reaction was to think of every possible objection to the concept — too expensive, too disruptive, too controversial, too many difficulties siting subway stations and determining alignments. But, I quickly realized that the statement was both insightful and correct.
San Francisco is experiencing unprecedented growth. The city has 200,000 more people than in the early 1980s and 100,000 more than in the early 2000s. We are growing by about 10,000 people a year and are projected to add another 150,000 residents by 2040. We see the results of this growth on our streets every day, with more and more auto congestion and a harder time for our extensive bus network navigating the streets and meeting schedules. Indeed, Muni buses travel at the slowest average speed of any urban bus system in the country, at just over eight miles per hour on average.
- Published in Art
Rio Tinto Unveils ‘Impossibly Rare’ Diamond
Melbourne, Australia–Last year, Rio Tinto made an astounding discovery at its Argyle mine in Western Australia and never said a word about it.
The diamond mining company unearthed a 9.17-carat piece of rough that yielded a stone Rio Tinto Diamonds’ Patrick Coppens describes as “impossibly rare”–a 2.83-carat fancy deep grayish blue violet diamond that it dubbed the “Argyle Violet.”
It is the largest violet diamond ever recovered from the mine. And now it will embark on a world tour, of sorts, as part of the 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender.
The Gemological Institute of America assigned the oval-shaped stone a color grade of fancy deep grayish blue violet. In a peer-reviewed article in the spring 2009 edition of Gems & Gemology, the GIA noted that the Argyle mine is the world’s only known source of type IaB hydrogen- and nitrogen-rich diamonds colored gray to blue to violet. The article also noted that the more violet-hued stones in this range are colored by nickel defects.
Rio Tinto said the Argyle Violet has a clarity of SI1.
- Published in Art
The Nest Collection by Form Us With Love
Form Us With Love recently created the Nest Collection for +Halle. The series provides an unpronounced divider to the traditional lounge area, by simply creating layers of both high and low seating. The heights offers a sense of privacy, whilst maintaining the comfort of a relaxed armchair.
“With Nest, you can create a perfect room-in-a-room feeling without having to add traditional tall room dividers or high back sofas,” commented Martin Halle, Brand and communication director at +Halle. “When first installed it was evident that people were sitting next to each other-at different levels-without being affected by their neighbors. With a minimal expression, the Nest Collection, keeps the room open in a new way.”
Fascinated by the typologies of pedestals, such as the Umpire’s chair on a tennis court, Form Us With Love has experimented with a lofty landscape, adding the element of dignity and softness to a seat with a view. “Our ideas of different height layers led, as they often do, into deeper research,” explained John Löfgren, Creative Director at Form Us With Love. “We analysed the activities and behaviours of a public spaces, and the upholstered furniture vs. bar stool seating scenario. Instead of putting the two characteristics next to one another, we merged them-creating a tall vertical Nest.”
- Published in Art, Design Competition, New York, Videos
Hidden Barriers to Construction Innovation
Form Us With Love recently created the Nest Collection for +Halle. The series provides an unpronounced divider to the traditional lounge area, by simply creating layers of both high and low seating. The heights offers a sense of privacy, whilst maintaining the comfort of a relaxed armchair.
“With Nest, you can create a perfect room-in-a-room feeling without having to add traditional tall room dividers or high back sofas,” commented Martin Halle, Brand and communication director at +Halle. “When first installed it was evident that people were sitting next to each other-at different levels-without being affected by their neighbors. With a minimal expression, the Nest Collection, keeps the room open in a new way.”
Fascinated by the typologies of pedestals, such as the Umpire’s chair on a tennis court, Form Us With Love has experimented with a lofty landscape, adding the element of dignity and softness to a seat with a view. “Our ideas of different height layers led, as they often do, into deeper research,” explained John Löfgren, Creative Director at Form Us With Love. “We analysed the activities and behaviours of a public spaces, and the upholstered furniture vs. bar stool seating scenario. Instead of putting the two characteristics next to one another, we merged them-creating a tall vertical Nest.”
- Published in Art, Design Competition, New York, Videos
Hennig Tendering Yellows from S. Africa, Ellendale
Antwerp, Belgium–Hennig Tenders is hosting two tenders this month that include rough diamonds of yellow color from both South Africa and Australia.
First, Hennig will tender a selection of single rough stones from Batla Minerals SA’s Superkolong diamond tailings plant in Kimberley, South Africa.
The viewings for the Superkolong stones will begin Tuesday (May 10) in New York. The sale will include a 112.22-carat rough diamond of yellow color, as well as other yellow diamonds ranging in size from 3 to 50 carats.
The Superkolong rough will be available for viewing in New York until Thursday (May 12), before moving on to Ramat Gan, Israel (May 15 to 19) and Antwerp, Belgium (May 23 to 26.)
Originally mined by De Beers, Kimberley is an area of the world known for producing yellow diamonds.
Hennig also will be hosting a tender of more than 17,000 carats of rough diamonds sourced from the now-closed Ellendale diamond mine in northwest Australia.
Ellendale was operated by Kimberley Diamonds Ltd. and was one of the world’s leading sources of yellow diamonds, even once signing a now-defunct deal to supply Tiffany & Co. with its stones.
The mine shut down abruptly last year, leaving more than a hundred people out of work and owed back pay and a line of creditors who were owed millions.
Kimberley Diamonds placed the subsidiary company that operated the mine into voluntary administration, and Sydney-based insolvency firm Jirsch Sutherland was brought in to liquidate the mine.
Since then, the future fate of the site, which once produced almost half of the world’s yellow diamonds, has remained tied up in court. And, according to news reports, the former head of Kimberley Diamonds, Russian mining magnate Alex Alexander, was arrested in September 2015 for allegedly misleading the stock market about the price Tiffany would pay for his mine’s yellow diamonds.
- Published in Art, Design Competition, New York, Videos
Archtober 2016 Building of the Day
Archtober is accepting nominations for projects to be included in New York City’s month-long festival of architecture and design. Each day in October 2016, the event will feature a Building of the Day as a noon-time, architect-led tour.
Building of the Day tours are the centerpiece of Archtober. With the goal of making exemplary architecture and the work of architects more accessible to the general public, the lunchtime tours, led by the project’s architect, generate international publicity and provide a platform for engagement in important issues in the New York City built environment.
The building can be located in any of the five boroughs of New York City and does not need to be a recently completed project. The building must be available for a lunchtime tour during October 2016. The building should be nominated by the architect, who is responsible for clearing the copyrights of the images submitted. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 29.
Drones Building ROI at Construction Sites
Archtober is accepting nominations for projects to be included in New York City’s month-long festival of architecture and design. Each day in October 2016, the event will feature a Building of the Day as a noon-time, architect-led tour.
Building of the Day tours are the centerpiece of Archtober. With the goal of making exemplary architecture and the work of architects more accessible to the general public, the lunchtime tours, led by the project’s architect, generate international publicity and provide a platform for engagement in important issues in the New York City built environment.
The building can be located in any of the five boroughs of New York City and does not need to be a recently completed project. The building must be available for a lunchtime tour during October 2016. The building should be nominated by the architect, who is responsible for clearing the copyrights of the images submitted. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 29.
30 Enchanting Engagement Rings for Every Bride
June is the most popular month to tie the knot, and those looking to plan their fairy-tale wedding next year need to start with the right ring—right now. Of course, not every girl is the same, so we gathered a selection of the best pieces to suit the style of every soon-to-be-bride. Fans of Downton Abbey will appreciate the period from labels including Cartier, David Webb, and Monique Péan. Minimalists should look to the designs of Asprey, Hemmerle, and Repossi, whose jewelry balance classic stones with subtle elegance. Those seeking out nonconformist bijoux should eschew the classic white diamond in favor of pearls, sapphires, and emeralds, or add a dash of color in blue, yellow, or and even green diamonds. On the other hand, purists prefer the return to simple grandeur of round and emerald cuts like those from David Yurman, Graff, and Harry Winston. Now that we’ve done all the work for you, the only thing left to say is yes.
