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As an architect and educator, I love to study da Vinci’s Codex (“manuscript”), a series of portfolios of richly detailed drawings and writings. Historians estimate that some 30 of the Codex’s 90-odd portfolios survive in some form. Each sheet reveals a new set of incredibly intricate images depicting anatomical sections, mechanical devices, fortifications, buildings, and studies in mathematics and geometry. The Italian notes and texts were written backwards (right to left) so they could be read in a mirror. Digitally leafing through the Codex portfolios invites surprise and wonder. da Vinci composed the panoply of drawings, diagrams and texts in … Continued

A Glimpse into a Greener Future: The “Swiss-US Innovation Days” Conference in Zürich By Paul Lukez   Introduction As majestic alpine profiles come into full view, Daniel Lepori, CEO of Designergy, a building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) manufacturer, warns us as we glide onto the highway on-ramp, “Keep your heads up against the headrest, unless you want to bruise your brain.” But suddenly Nico Lauer and I find ourselves traveling over 100 km (≈ 62 miles) per hour – all in 3.2 neck-snapping seconds. Absent was the growling baritone of the Ferrari Testarossa. Instead, with noiseless efficiency the electric power generated by … Continued

The latest “2.0” proposal for the Boston Olympics 2024 received mixed reviews from the press and public. While its images and renderings are stunning, many big questions in many quarters remain about the proposal’s finances.[1] According to 2.0, the Olympics will bring in about $5 billion in revenue through ticket sales, TV rights and other revenue streams. After budgeting for all expenses (new construction, amenities, operations, and services), an anticipated profit of $210 million, or just under 5%, is projected.[2] The organizers note that design and construction contingencies are built into the budget, as is an insurance plan to cover … Continued

Professor Jan Wampler’s work as an educator and architect was prominently featured in New Architecture – a prestigious Chinese architectural journal. Jan asked me to write an introduction about him and his work. I was very fortunate to have counted Jan as one of my mentors. Jan inspired hundreds, if not thousands of students during his long tenure as a Professor of Architectural Design at MIT, propelling his students to advance their design abilities beyond what they might have otherwise thought possible. I have come across many students from different generations and locations who attributed Jan’s guidance as being instrumental … Continued

By: Paul Lukez Boston’s 2024 Olympics nomination presents a unique opportunity to invest its vast educational, technological and athletic resources toward not only hosting this time-honored international sports spectacle, but also heightening the city’s climate-change resiliency. Boston can now build on its historic harbor city identity while facing environmental threats to its future by combining an Olympic City’s required infrastructural investments with those needed to protect its coast. Better yet, let’s harness the harbor’s amenities as a focus for Olympic upgrades, as a means of linking its future development to its rich heritage by making the harbor a model metropolis … Continued