Elora Hardy has been made an Honorary Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) for her pioneering work in architectural design, in particular for the design and build of bamboo structures. Hardy was born in Bali and spent 14 years of her life growing up in the US, where she received a degree in fine arts and went on to work in the fashion industry. In

Work has commenced on the restoration of the Grade II-listed Power Hall at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester – part of a larger, multi-million-pound project to create a more sustainable museum and a "beacon for contemporary science". The museum was forced to close the Power Hall in April this year due to urgent repairs that needed to be carried out on the roof. Following a grant of £6m

Architect Steven Holl has blamed “a crisis of ignorance in high places” for a lack of progress in adopting environmental building practices, reserving particular ire for US president Donald Trump, who he predicted will be impeached. In a sweeping interview with CLADglobal, Holl argued that politicians through to developers, architects and contractors must do more to “get free from our dependence on non-renewable fuels” throughout the design and construction process.

Architecture and design studio Rockwell Group have completed a 6,000 capacity music and arts venue in Washington DC, anchoring a new mile-long neighbourhood along a channel of the Potomac River. Designed in collaboration with developers PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette, The Anthem is a 130,000sq ft (39,624sq m) space dedicated to indie and alternative music as well as conventions, art exhibitions, seminars, banquets and fashion shows. Rockwell Group were inspired

The winners of this year's international architectural awards for sports and leisure facilities have been announced at a ceremony during the 25th IAKS Congress. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) presented the prizes last night (7 November) at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. The IOC/IAKS Award was created to celebrate exemplary buildings and complexes that integrate sensible sustainability

The architecture industry must address its diversity, gender, and equity issues by embracing fresh voices from all walks of life, former US first lady Michelle Obama has said. Speaking in conversation with the president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Thomas Vonier at the organisation’s annual conference, Obama urged those working in the profession to communicate what their work is about "So many kids don't even know what an

The architectural firm of Norman Foster have confirmed they plan to lay off almost 100 people as a result of “uncertainty in the construction market.” According to a company statement “a cross-section of the team” will be be affected, with staff working at the firm’s British headquarters in Battersea, south-west London, bearing the brunt of the restructure. Foster + Partners employ more than 1,250 people in London, and also have

Mia Kyricos, founder of strategic advisory firm Kyricos & Associates, told an audience at the World Spa & Wellness Convention in London that wellness communities grew by 19 per cent from 2013 to 2015, and are worth an estimated US$29bn (€27.5bn, £23.6bn) in Europe and US$48bn (€45.6bn, £39.1bn) in North America. Kyricos moderated a panel on wellness communities that also included Steve Nygren, president of Serenbe wellness community near Atlanta,

The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is marking its tenth anniversary by publishing a manifesto that identifies the key challenges architects face in the next decade. The ten areas covered in the document are: • Climate, energy and carbon • Water; Ageing and Health • Re-use • Smart city technology • Building technology • Cultural identity • Ethics and values • Power and justice • Virtual worlds The intention is to

Global sports and arena architects HOK have been tasked with designing “the world’s largest next-generation music and entertainment venue” in Las Vegas. Located on Sands Avenue in the heart of Vegas, the arena will feature a scalable seating capacity, enabling it to present a wide variety of shows – “from the largest touring concerts to specially designed residencies and full-blown productions and events.” The project is being funded by the

A new book devoted to the art of theme park design is to launch on 28 March 2016. Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment, aimed at designers, students and theme park fans, brings together a wealth of tips and advice from design experts from Disney, Universal and Merlin’s creative studios, as well as many more. The book promises to be a comprehensive study of experience design in

Gender inequality remains a significant issue in the architecture industry, according to a new survey of female architects working around the world. The fifth annual Women in Architecture survey, published by the Architecture Review, shows that of 1,152 respondents, 67 per cent felt the building industry does not fully accept their authority because they are female and 72 per cent said they had experienced sexual discrimination, harassment or victimisation during

A Seattle studio that specialises in creating culture and leisure buildings has won the 2016 AIA Architecture Firm Award; the highest honour bestowed by The American Institute of Architects. LMN Architects – founded in 1979 – have designed more than 50 modern, accessible and sustainable arts centres, concert halls, community theatres and music schools across the US. Their recent projects include The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San

Boston studio CBT Hospitality Design have drawn on an eclectic range of influences for a US$7.9m (€7.5m, $5.2m) renovation of California's Chaminade Resort & Spa. The property, located in the city of Santa Cruz, is transforming all of its 156 guestrooms to feature a more bohemian style, reflective of the local artisan community. Given Santa Cruz's close proximity to Silicon Valley – home to some of the world’s largest high-tech