New York studio Of Possible has designed Sheffield House in Massachusetts to replace the resident's childhood home with cedar walls as the "picture frame of the spaces of memory".

The residence is located in Sheffield, a town in Massachusetts' Berkshire County, replacing the client's parents' property, which was moved to another site and is now the home of their sister.

Brooklyn architecture studio Of Possible punctured the pale cedar walls of the 3,600-square-foot (334-square-metre) home with large glass doors and windows to offer views of its lush settings – reminiscent of the client's childhood.

"The clients were looking for an architecture that engaged the memories of the original home on the site from their youth, which included an apple orchard, barn, and horse corral to the east, a long yard and gardens to the south, an evergreen and wetland ravine to the north, and a grand maple tree with a 70-foot (21-metre) canopy to the west," said Of Possible.

"The result is a home where every window and door is a floor-to-ceiling picture frame of the spaces of memory throughout the property," it added.

Sheffield House is covered in boards of Western Red Cedar finished with a mix of bleach and pre-weathering stain, in order to create an even weathering and to contrast the lush surrounds.

"The architectural finishes are a sober palette chosen to enhance the effect of these frames against the ever-changing seasonal New England landscape," said the studio.

"The finish will 'live' through the life of the building and eventually weather to a silver-blond-grey."

The slim vertical planks cover the house in three parts: the edge of the floor, the walls and the low-slung gabled roof. They line up to create continuity across the exterior, with just two black horizontal lines forming a break between them.

Other details are the edge of the ground floor designed to hang over the foundation to give the appearance that the house is "floating".

The roof is metal standing seam to reference to nearby agricultural buildings and has no gutter to maintain a seamless look. Instead, gravel and subsurface drain manage runs around the perimeter of the house on the floor.

Sheffield House is laid out so the open-plan living area and a terrace are placed on the southern side, and the bedrooms and a library are placed on the northern side.

Large sliding glass doors interspersed with chunky cedar-clad columns run along the southern wall, culminating in a large terrace in the southeastern corner that faces the apple orchard.

Chalky blue-grey stone tiles sourced from a quarry in New York State cover the floor of the east-facing terrace to complement the subdued material palette to feature across the property. The outdoor space is finished with a hanging black fireplace, a rustic, dark wooden table and low-slung, rough wooden chairs.

A sliding glass door opens into the open-plan lounge, kitchen and dining room, which have polished concrete flooring whose thermal properties work to cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Pale wooden cabinetry runs along the interior wall complementing the frames of the glass doors. The kitchen counter, meanwhile, is built into the rear wall with a glass window forming the splashback.

Three hallways lead from the southern side to the bedrooms and the library on the north. They run between a series of bathrooms that form the central spine of the house.

White-oak boards cover the floors in these rooms as contrast to concrete, while walls, ceilings and doors are all painted white. There is also a basement on the northern side with a wine cellar.

Of Possible completed Sheffield House with Kent Hicks Construction and Energy Efficiency Associates in Massachusetts to achieve Passivhaus standards of low-energy design, although it is not certified. Details chosen to achieve this are super-insulated walls, Passivhaus certified windows and discrete motorised shades so the house doesn't overheat.

According to the firm, the house is a blend of the agricultural aesthetic of the local area and contemporary advancements.

"The timeless craft of traditional New England construction is met with the most advanced building science principles and technologies resulting in a contemporary expression of rural American architecture that will last for generations," Of Possible said.

Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the United States. Other projects in the area include the three-storey "creative sanctuary" or a couple to write, garden and repair antique scooters. and an angular house wrapped in aluminium shingles.

Photography is by Rory Gardiner.

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New York studio Vondalwig Architecture has overhauled the exterior of a 1960s house in Hudson Valley with blackened wood, and updated the interiors with features like white-painted brick and a curved pink wall.

Called House 23, the residence comprises a two-storey dwelling and a detached studio that was built in 1967 in Bedford in Westchester County. The area is known for its natural surrounds that are only an hour drive from New York City.

The house sits on 13 acres (five hectares) and overlooks a small pond. It is complete with a deck, outdoor swimming pool, single-storey addition and three-car garage that were all added during a renovation in 2009.

Vondalwig Architecture was tasked to refurbish the property with a modern aesthetic that enhanced its original design.

The studio overhauled the exterior in wood cladding blackened using the traditional Japanese technique shou sugi ban and black window frames. Previously the three structures on site were pale grey and had white window frames.

Other updates included reconfiguring the floor plan and adding large windows. A cohesive palette guides the interiors with white walls and pale wood floors.

Upon entering is a double-height sitting area with an existing brick fireplace that has been white painted and two CH25 Easy Chairs by Hans J Wegner.

A free-standing cabinet serves as a room divider for an open-plan dining room and kitchen. Blue barstools add a pop of colour in the otherwise white space.

"Our approach was to allow the parts – the buildings, the landscape – to unfold and connect to the whole both inside and out, spatially and programmatically – and to establish relationships between spaces that builds a 'stage' allowing a programmatic 'dance' for the owners to visually and physically connect to the beautiful exterior setting," the studio added.

Also on the ground floor, the studio created a curved wall to enclose a new powder room while working around the windows. It is painted a pale pink.

The extension that was added in 2009 includes another sitting area with a pale pink chaise, as well as a spacious bathroom with a wooden Japanese-style bathtub and walk-in shower.

Wood-panelled walls and portions of grey terrazzo tiles complete this space.

Vondalwig Architecture also redesigned the home's existing switchback staircase and catwalk with half-height walls to replace wire railings.

Four bedrooms and three bathrooms are on the first floor. A detached guest house rounds out the 3,670 square-foot (341-square-metre) property.

GRT Architects has also renovated midcentury home nearby in Croton-on-Hudson village, and Drake/Anderson has revived Columbia County residence in the town of Ghent as well.

In addition to this project, Vondalwig Architecture has also designed House 22 in New York City and expanded a Brooklyn townhouse in Park Slope. The studio is based in Brooklyn and led by husband-and-wife team Philip and Kit VonDalwig.

Photography is by Alan Tansey.

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New York practice Format Architecture Office has reorganised a 1920s apartment with custom millwork in the city's Upper West Side.

The renovated apartment by Format Architecture Office is in a Gothic Revival building on Riverside Drive, giving the project its name, Riverside Apartment.

Completed before the second world war, the original apartment building had large residences that were later converted into smaller homes, which the studio said formed "a series of unconventional layouts".

"The building was originally constructed in 1926 and arranged around opulently scaled residences with multiple bedrooms and gallery spaces," Format Architecture Office added.

"It was converted to cooperative ownership in 1968, which created a large variety of accessible unit types, but also a series of unconventional layouts, as formerly single apartments were subdivided into two or even three different units," it said.

The renovation reorganised the existing one-bedroom unit to include another bedroom that doubles as an office, as well as a powder room and a reorganised galley-style kitchen. The decor was updated with custom cabinets and enlarged wood-clad corridors across the 1,000-square-foot (92-square-metre) space.

"The primary goals for the project were to create flexible connections between spaces, enhance access to natural light and maximise storage," the studio continued.

Upon entering is a foyer with a coat closet, and a cabinet with a glass portion above that pulls natural light in from windows in a home office. A bedroom adjacent is complete with an ensuite and walk-in closet.

A sliding wood door separates the office from a living and dining room. The pocket door is in one of the home's corridors, which are intended to mark different areas.

"Large thresholds between public spaces celebrate transitions and become extensions of different wood-clad storage solutions that complement the myriad needs of a small domestic space," said the studio.

All of the millwork at Riverside Apartment, including the corridors and custom cabinets, are made from Anigre wood – an African hardwood commonly used for furniture and cabinetry.

Other corridors are in the entry and kitchen, while built-in bookshelves are prominent in the living room and office.

Contemporary details are accompanied by the apartment's existing elements, like original wood-panelled doors with the glass transoms.

Format Architecture Office aimed to emulate the early 20th-century style through other details to create "a mixture of clean lines and pre-war inspired details to celebrate the eclectic tastes of its owner".

The glass wall in the entry is a reinterpretation of existing glazing, which bring light through the home. Another ribbed glass detail partially conceals the dining room from the kitchen.

A wood table, 1950s Eames Wire Chairs and a minimal white light fixture furnish the dining room, while the living room has a blue sofa and an Eames moulded plywood lounge chair from the second world war.

Off-white walls are paired with white moulding and new oak flooring for a pared-down aesthetic, while an orange-painted front door adds another pop of colour that complements teal accents.

Format Architecture Office founded in 2017 by architects Andrew McGee and Matthew Hettler, who met as undergraduates at the University of Michigan. The studio is based in Brooklyn and has also designed an office for a tech company in New York's Midtown area with cafe-style seating and muted interiors.

Other renovated homes in the Upper West Side are an apartment with a built-in bed by Stadt Architecture and a townhouse by Space4Architecture with a white spiral staircase.

Photography is by Nick Glimenakis.

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A historic waterfront building in San Francisco that weighs 2,075 tons, the equivalent of 20 space shuttles, will be hoisted up over three metres above ground to protect it from flooding caused by climate change.

Building 12, which was completed in 1941 for America's shipbuilding effort during the second world war, is being lifted up in advance of a renovation by architecture firm Perkins and Will.

The historic structure will be elevated 10 feet (3.1 metres) above the ground as part of the wider strategy to bolster a new 23-acre (nine-hectare) neighbourhood against rising sea levels – which are expected to increase between 30 and 130 centimetres by the year 2100.

Preparation to lift up the massive structure has taken nine months, while the actual lift process is expected to take two weeks.

Sixty-eight shoring towers have been installed on either side of steel columns to prop the building up, with 136 hydraulic jacks used to lift it up.

The hydraulic jacks pump a liquid that can't be compressed, like oil, to lift the steel and wood building in increments of 5.5 inches over two hours. They are monitored by computers that ensure that they don't lift the building more than necessary and shut down the operation if they do.

Other processes involved in the major elevation project include creating a new foundation to anchor footings to bedrock, and placing steel beams between columns to stabilise the building.

After each lift, wood cribbing is stacked underneath the building and then replaced by steel support towers.

Featuring large openings for ribbon windows and an irregular roofline, Building 12 was originally used for the production and fabrication of steel plates for ships' hulls on the former shipbuilding site.

Once raised Perkins and Will will extend the building from 118,890 square feet (11,045 square metres) to 230,000 square feet (21,367 square metres), adding a new basement, second level and mezzanine.

It will be turned into workspaces for local manufactures, makers and artisans, shops and events space for the Pier 70 development. Another two historic buildings on the site will be overhauled and accompanied by new builds forming housing and waterfront parks.

Pier 70 broke ground in 2018 and is expected to be completed by 2022. The wider plan is designed in response to the estimated rise of sea levels and includes raising the site near the shoreline by five feet (1.5 metres).

The level of the existing shoreline will be left untouched. It will be updated with a pathway that is intended to be lost when water levels change.

Pier 70 is among a number of coastal neighbourhoods and developments designed to be more resilient to the effects caused by climate change, like rising sea levels, flooding and earthquakes.

Architecture firm BIG has also developed a proposal to protect the San Francisco Bay from flooding – including building floating villages connected by ferries, a red-hued cycle route, and a highway for autonomous vehicles.

Last year, New York mayor Bill de Blasio revealed plans to extend Manhattan shoreline in response to climate change.

Photography courtesy Brookfield Properties/ Plant Co.

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Long roofs extend from this cedar residence in California that architect Alec Petros designed for a client he met in a bookstore.

Seaside Reef House is situated on an irregularly-shaped lot nearby to beaches in Solana Beach, California, a coastal city north of San Diego.

Petros met his Australian client in a local bookstore when the two picked up the same architecture book by chance and discovered they had a similar taste.

The design focused on building a house that would offer privacy from neighbours while still framing views of the ocean landscape.

"Initially, our main focus related to the best and most thoughtful use of this particular property with its parameters considered," Alec Petros Studio said.

"There were a number of concerns related to ensuring privacy in a densely populated coastal area, as well as meeting the needs of the programme," it added.

"The clients wanted to maximise views with an open floor plan, but also wanted to avoid feeling like they were in a fishbowl."

Since the owners are from Australia, the studio aimed to integrate elements of Australian architecture into the design, like indoor-outdoor living spaces and the expansive roof overhangs.

Each of the rectangular volumes that form the two-storey residence is clad with vertically laid cedar slats and is topped with a flat roof that projects beyond the walls. The wood used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

The slender boards are attached using a horizontal sleeper system that allows for an air gap between the wood siding and the water-proofing. This system reduces the house's energy use as the sunlight hitting the cedar does not transfer inside.

In addition to its passive structure and durability, the building material will also weather over time, a detail the studio embraces.

"With so many of the homes that are designed on the coast, the intention relates more so to stopping the natural aging of a structure, however, in this case, we wanted to use that to our advantage and choose a material that would age gracefully," the studio added.

Seven-foot-long (two-metre) eaves extend over the edge of the structure to shelter the entryway and the wraparound decking on the upper level and rear of the house overlooking the swimming pool.

Massive pocket doors on the southern and western elevations open the indoor living spaces to the outdoor deck. The placement of the openings are oriented to face the ocean views and allow for cross-ventilation and cooling air to enter the interiors.

As well as providing shade along the perimeter of the house the long roof overhangs also blends the residence into its surroundings. "The roof eave creates the illusion that the room keeps extending to the landscape," it said.

Large windows across the house's faces have minimal or no mullions and have black frames to match the doors and fascia boards.

Inside, the kitchen and dining area have white walls and hardwood floors. Two long island counters in the kitchen provide ample space for preparing food and entertaining guests.

The sliding pockets open the kitchen area and living room to the wraparound deck. Concrete steps extend from the house to the patio surrounding the rectangular swimming pool.

A translucent glass door leads from the deck area to a small bathroom with a shower. The space has black hexagonal-shaped tiled floors and greyish-blue walls.

Other houses in California wrapped in cedar slats include a holiday house in Manhattan Beach with unusual geometries renovated by Blue Truck Studio and a multi-level house overlooking San Francisco by John Maniscalco Architecture.

Photography is by Tim Melideo.

Project credits:

Designer: Alec Petros Studio
Builder: Nielsen Builders
Lighting designer and interior collaborator: Ryann Swan Design
Structural engineer: Patterson Engineering
Landscape designer: Schnetz Landscape

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Texas firm Magic Architecture has covered this Vietnamese restaurant with white corrugated metal to make it stand out from the "busy and graphic mess" of its location in Austin.

The local practice designed Sip Pho eatery for a first-generation Vietnamese family on a plot that was formerly home to a barbecue restaurant. It is located on 29th Street in the Texas city near a ballroom and a taco shack.

While the other buildings are decorated in bright colours and graphics, the restaurant has a bold and simple white exterior.

"Located north of the University of Texas, the building's quiet composition is a reaction to the busy and graphic mess of the surrounding landscape," said Magic Architecture.

White off-the-shelf cladding covers two volumes that form Sip Pho, described by Magic Architecture as a gable and a box. The restaurant is housed inside the gabled volume, while the kitchen is located inside the box.

The gabled roof has deep overhangs to help with rain management and also shade windows from strong sunlight.

Magic Architecture created long glazing at the front of the restaurant by inserting windows in between exposed Douglas fir wood studs. Doors made from matching woodwork flank either side.

Matching windows also run on the opposing walls, which, in addition to a series of north-facing skylights, bring natural light into the dining portion of the restaurant.

The open-plan space features white-painted steel and drywall that matches the exterior and contrasts the exposed wood studs, rafters and polished concrete floors.

"As a whole, it's rather simple; three materials and a reflection of the owner's ask," said the studio. "Make ordinary things become extraordinary."

Long white metal tables with matching dining chairs are laid out in rows in the 1,200-square-foot (111-square-metre) restaurant. Above, white lighting is discretely taped to the rafters to illuminate the restaurant during night time dining.

The kitchen is placed to the rear in a boxy volume the studio designed to hide the systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Sip Pho joins a number of recently completed restaurants in Austin, the capital of US state Texas. Others include the Eberly restaurant and tavern, decorated with hanging plants, used books and a bar salvaged from New York.

US firm Olson Kundig also recently completed Comedor, which is topped with a big glass box to bring natural light inside.

Photography is by Chase Daniel.

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Three gabled volumes form this residence that perches on a cliff in the Hollywood Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles, designed by local practice Standard Architecture.

The 10,000-square-foot (929-square-metre) house was designed by Standard Architecture and developer Viewpoint Collection.

Located at 1471 Forest Knoll Drive, it occupies a one-acre (0.4 hectare) plot of land that features a promontory for sweeping views over Los Angeles and the Sunset Strip.

Three, parallel white volumes are linked together with a trio of dark metal gabled roofs. Standard Architecture said it based the repetitive construction on the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, which was completed by Louis Kahn in 1972.

"The Kimbell Art Museum is composed of rows of vaulted structures with lower volumes between the vaults," said the firm's co-founder Jeffrey Allsbrook. "Like the museum, Forest Knoll is a series of high, gabled spaces with lower sections between."

In each volume, large windows open up the top of the gables to expansive views – a feature the firm said also draws from Kahn's art museum.

"The lower volumes contain the service areas like stairs and powder rooms, similar to the Kimbell, which allows the vaulted spaces to be more open and airy," the studio added.

"At the Kimbell, the ends of the vaults are not structural, which allows them to be open," it continued. "At Forest Knoll there are large steel frames at the ends of the gabled structures, allowing for amazing views of Los Angeles."

Windows and sliding glass doors are placed on the front and rear walls of the residence. The back garden features patios, grassy areas and a trapezoid infinity pool that cantilevers past the edge of the property.

The central volume is double-height, rising 30 feet (nine metres), and contains an open-plan dining room and living room. The other two volumes are split into two storeys.

Four bedrooms are located upstairs, with three housed in one of the volumes. Each is accessed by a shared, triangular terrace. The master bedroom is housed in the other upstairs portion and is complete with a walk-in closet.

Minotti Los Angeles and MASS Beverly decorated the interiors with contemporary furniture and accessories to match the exteriors. Items are in cream, white and grey tones.

In the main living area, wood panelling extends from the ceiling to the walls and floors. Other sitting areas are incorporated onto the ground floor, as well as a home theatre room and a kitchen with grey counters.

A two-car garage with a bedroom above it rounds out the residence.

In addition to this house, Standard Architecture has also designed a Helmut Lang store in Hollywood and a colourful, modular megastructure proposal for P.O.D.System Architecture – a collaboration between Dezeen and adidas Originals.

The studio is led by Allsbrook and Silvia Kuhle, and the duo partook in Dezeen's Screentime series in May as part of Virtual Design Festival.

Other clifftop houses in Los Angeles include Olson Kundig's Collywood residence, a wood-clad home by Kristen Becker of architecture firm Mutuus Studio, Carla House by Walker Workshop and SPF Architects' Orum Residence.

Project credits:

Team: Jeffrey Allsbrook, Silvia Kuhle, Ryan Ripoli, Mohamed Nazmy, Sarah Etaat, Wren Hoffman, Ashley James

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The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to reduce the amount of glass used for federal buildings in a bid to protect birds from death by collision.

The bill, named Bird-Safe Buildings Act, passed on 1 July as part of the wider Moving Forward Act or H R 2 and it will now be introduced in the Senate. If passed by a two-thirds majority it will become law.

Birds, often migratory ones, fly into the reflective facades of buildings and almost one billion are killed annually from collisions in the US, according to a study by Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

At night, these migratory birds are also attracted to the glowing lights inside during nocturnal flight.

Bill would affect federal buildings

The proposed bill calls instead for bird-friendly materials to be used for new federal buildings, which include local offices and government departments. It would also affect public structures being renovated when more than half of the facade is changed.

Minimising the amount glass on lower levels and preventing transparent passageways and corners are among the bird-safe modifications in the legislation.

"At least 90 per cent of the exposed facade material from ground level to 40 feet (12 metres) shall not be composed of glass or shall be composed of glass that employs a combination of bird-safe modifications," it states.

"At least 60 per cent of the exposed facade material above 40 feet (12 metres) shall meet a modified glass standard."

The glass standards would also apply to walls around a courtyard with water features, plants and "materials attractive to birds", while other regulations include shielding outside lights.

Bird-friendly design trend is "increasing momentum"

According to the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the progress of the bill shows traction is gaining for bird-friendly architecture.

"The bill's success is the latest evidence of increasing momentum in bird-friendly building trend," it said. "This bipartisan bill is designed to reduce bird mortality by calling for federal buildings to incorporate bird-safe building materials and design features."

Last year, New York passed a bill that changes the city's building code with requirements to make new glass structures safer for migratory birds.

Before New York City passed its bill, other cities in North America introduced guidelines to make buildings more bird-friendly, including Toronto with a "best practices" guide in 2007 and San Francisco in 2011.

Photograph is by Olga Gavrilova.

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New York's High Line park has reopened to the public following coronavirus lockdown with 1,000 painted green dots graphic designer Paula Scher created as markers for social distancing.

The High Line reopened on Thursday 19 July over four months after it closed due to the pandemic with a one-way system starting at Gansevoort Street.

Scher, a principal at Pentagram, designed the spots to cover the benches, seats and ground of the public park in repeated intervals to mark safe distances.

Dots on the path, which was created along an elevated railway, are placed in rows that expand as it widens.

"The dots help users judge the way forward and how they should space themselves along the path as it becomes wider and narrower," Pentagram said.

Scher has also designed signage with symbols in dots that illustrate three key instructions: stay six-feet (two metres) apart, wear a mask and move one way.

Additional measures have also been introduced to maintain the safety of users during the coronavirus pandemic.

Previously freely accessible from many entrances, the park now operates one-way starting from Gansevoort Street. Other former entrances are now used as exits points.

"The pattern of circles organises the space and makes the experience of social distancing as easy as possible for visitors, showing them where to walk and stand in line as they wait to enter on Gansevoort," Pentagram added.

Visitors must also obtain free, timed tickets to enter in order to reduce the amount of people in the park – formerly an often packed tourist attraction – and also wear a mask.

The updates to the park joins a number of examples of ways that outdoor spaces have been adapted to meet social distancing requirements following the pandemic.

Brooklyn's Domino Park was similarly updated with white circles to promote social distancing.

Other designs include a gridded system Caret Studio installed inside an Italian piazza and Paul Cocksedge' designed social-distancing picnic blanket.

Scher joined New York graphic design firm Pentagram in 1991, becoming its first female principal.

She has designed graphic identifies for a number of well-known companies and institutions including the system for the New York's Museum of Moden Art, the identity of the New York City Ballet and the logo for Microsoft Windows 8.

In 2000, she created the identity for Friends of the High Line, the organisation behind the park. Her firm Pentagram then developed the signage for the park, which was designed by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and opened its first section in 2009.

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Apple has released a 10-year roadmap to ensure that every device it produces has a net-zero climate impact by 2030, as part of its plans to become carbon neutral.

The company announced today its commitment to achieving a net-zero carbon footprint across its product life cycles and manufacturing supply chains in 10 years' time.

Apple said its global corporate operations are already carbon neutral but plans for its entire business, including all of its devices, to have a net-zero climate impact by 2030.

Outlined in its 2020 Environmental Progress Report, the goal is to reduce its emissions by 75 per cent and to develop carbon removal solutions for the remaining 25 per cent to create a net zero sum.

"Climate action can be the foundation for a new era of innovative potential, job creation, and durable economic growth," said Apple's CEO Tim Cook.

"With our commitment to carbon neutrality, we hope to be a ripple in the pond that creates a much larger change."

Apple publishes 10-year climate roadmap

Apple has created a 10-year climate roadmap as part of its report, which details the interventions and changes it intends to make by 2030.

The measures are developed around five pillars: low-carbon design, energy efficiency, renewable electricity, direct emissions abatement and carbon removal.

As part of its plan to create low carbon products, Apple is developing a carbon-free aluminium smelting process that releases oxygen instead of greenhouse gases. It is currently working with aluminium suppliers to create the new production method, which it claims is the first of its kind.

The first batch of this low-carbon aluminium is currently being used to produce a 16-inch MacBook Pro.

"The innovations powering our environmental journey are not only good for the planet – they've helped us make our products more energy-efficient and bring new sources of clean energy online around the world," Cook said.

Disassembly robot Dave to aid recycling effort

Apple will also expand the deployment of its recycling robot called Dave to disassemble the Taptic Engine of old iPhone devices to recover rare earth magnets, tungsten and steel.

According to the company, all iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watches released this past year are made from recycled rare earth elements from the old hardware.

Apple also plans to partner with Pittsburg's Carnegie Mellon University to develop electronics recycling technologies at its Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas.

In addition to these measures, Apple announced it will expand its energy efficiency and use of renewable energy, including investing $100 million (£78.5 million) in projects for suppliers through the US-China Green Fund. Others suppliers will also shift to more renewable energy.

Apple to develop renewable power plants

Apple said the environmental effect of this change is equivalent to "taking more than three million cars off the road each year".

"Apple now has commitments from over 70 suppliers to use 100 per cent renewable energy for Apple production – equivalent to nearly eight gigawatts in commitments to power the manufacturing of its products," it added.

It currently has its own plants in Arizona, Oregon, and Illinois and each year they produce over one gigawatt of renewable energy – equal to powering 150,000 homes. More than 80 per cent of the renewable energy Apple uses is sourced from its plants.

On top of its own operations, Apple also plans to develop new renewable systems for communities in the Philippines, Scandinavia and Thailand.

Emissions will be offset by environmental nonprofits

Apple plans to offset further emissions by donating to nonprofit environmental organisations, such as Conservation International.

It currently invests in conservation projects in China, the US and Kenya, and will now help restore a mangrove forest in Colombia that stores almost 10 times the amount of carbon compared to traditional forests.

"Businesses have a profound opportunity to help build a more sustainable future, one born of our common concern for the planet we share," said Cook.

By implementing all of these measures, Apple expects its entire business can be carbon neutral. Last year it reduced its carbon footprint by 4.3 million metric tons, and reduced emissions from man-made fluorinated gases used in manufacturing that contribute to global warming by 242,000 metric tons.

News follows Microsoft and Google climate commitments

Apple's corporate operations are already completely based on renewable sources, and its data centres have been powered by renewable energy since 2014.

Apple's goal aligns with that of Microsoft, which plans to be carbon negative by 2030, and Google, which also announced to have zero emissions by 2030.

Ivy Ross, Google's vice president of hardware design, has mirrored Cook's sentiments that big tech companies "have an obligation" to do more for climate change in an interview with Dezeen.

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The interiors of Studio Gang's Mira residential building have been revealed in these new photographs, as the project is finished in San Francisco.

Photos capture the interiors and exterior of the 40-storey apartment complex, whose facade is formed by twisting rectangular columns punctured with windows. Balconies are nestled within the spirals and scale the tower with glass railings.

Studio Gang, which is based in the city, designed the 400-foot-high (122-metre-high) structure for developer Tishman Speyer in the Mission Bay neighbourhood.

The twisted and curved windows that form the exterior of Mira are intended to be a reinterpretation of the city's bay windows. Inside, they offer views of San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge that connects to Oakland.

Mira has 392 apartment units as two- and three-bedroom condominiums. In the photos, apartments have white walls, wood floors, white counters and dark wood kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities.

Structural pillars have angular shapes with eight or six sides.

San Francisco's Jeff Schlarb Design Studio has decorated model units at Mira, and Mexico City studios Esrawe and EWE also collaborated on custom-made pieces to furnish the lobby and lounge.

Other amenities include a rooftop deck, fitness centre, children's playroom, attended lobby, conference room and valet parking. There are also shops located on its ground level.

Mira, which was first unveiled in 2018 and topped out last year, is among a series of buildings Studio Gang has designed for San Francisco.

Others include a proposal for a 23-storey dark grey building for the city's Mission Rock development and a centre for California College of the Arts.

Studio Gang has offices in San Francisco, New York and Chicago and was founded by American architect Jeanne Gang in 1997. Gang was named world's most influential architect of 2019 by Time magazine.

The firm has also recently completed Solar Carve Tower on New York City and a Chicago building clad in concrete panels.

Photography is by Scott Hargis.

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Rhode Island School of Design president Rosanne Somerson has announced a series of initiatives to address the racism that has "pervaded systems and structures at RISD for decades", following pressure from students and staff.

Somerson revealed the school's plan to tackle racism in an open letter sent to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) community, following a call for the school to do more for social equity and inclusion amid racial unrest in the US.

"As the leader of RISD, I take responsibility"

"Over recent weeks BIPOC [black, Indigenous and people of colour] students, faculty, staff and alumni have voiced outrage about RISD's multiple racist issues centered around deeply embedded practices and structures as well as how white voices and Western perspectives dominate our curricula," Somerson wrote.

"Unfortunately, these issues are not new; they have pervaded systems and structures at RISD for decades, largely unchanged," she added. "As the leader of RISD, I take responsibility for having allowed a culture to continue to exist that does not fully live up to our values."

RISD, a private art and design school in Providence, created its anti-racist plan in response to issues highlighted by the student-led RISD Anti-Racism Coalition (risdARC) and a group of BIPOC faculty members.

"We are committing to a new set of actions to inspire a better RISD"

The letter highlights four key aims: cultivating an ever-more diverse community; expanding and diversifying curriculum and pedagogy; implementing research on issues of social equity and inclusion in art and design; and embedding anti-racist and anti-discriminatory infrastructures.

"Today we are committing to a new set of actions to inspire a better RISD – a RISD where students, faculty and staff of all races, ethnicities and cultures are supported, nourished and honored without the impediments of systemic racism," Somerson said.

RISD plans to create a created a faculty-led Social Equity and Inclusion (SEI) committee that will spearhead change.

RISD to improve the diversity of school body

Ambitions include expanding the diversity of the school body by cluster-hiring 10 new faculty members that specialise in issues of race and decoloniality in the arts and design, and increasing the number of students of colour.

Changes will also be made to the school curriculum, such as requiring students to take courses on issues related to social equity and inclusion, engaging the non-Eurocentric world and developing courses on systemic inequity.

The school also plans to bring in a new interdisciplinary course focused on decoloniality and race in art and design by fall 2021 and hire two SEI research and teaching fellows.

Other aims include repatriating work in RISD Museum "with problematic histories" and using the majority of its budget to acquire works by underrepresented artists. The school has also created an Office of Discrimination Reporting.

RISD anti-racist initiatives follow others in architecture and design

Somerson's plan for RISD comes amid a greater focus on racial inequality in architecture and design, sparked by the death of George Floyd in police custody in May this year.

Members of the industry have established a number of initiatives in the aftermath to address and improve racial equality in the profession. Examples include a Google Docs spreadsheet listing black-owned studios and anti-racism design conference Where are the Black Designers?.

Somerson, who has been president of the design school since 2015, recently discussed the ways RISD had reinvented itself in the wake of coronavirus during in New York gallery Friedman Benda's Design in Dialogue interviews that Dezeen published for VDF as part of Virtual Design Festival. She said the pandemic was "the biggest challenge we've faced in our entire history as an institution".

Read on for the full letter from Somerson:

Dear RISD Community,

Over recent weeks BIPOC students, faculty, staff and alumni have voiced outrage about RISD's multiple racist issues centered around deeply embedded practices and structures as well as how white voices and Western perspectives dominate our curricula. Unfortunately, these issues are not new; they have pervaded systems and structures at RISD for decades, largely unchanged.

Artists and designers are vital contributors to local and global communities, and as such it is our responsibility to be fully committed to building more democratic and equitable practices. Those practices must first be amended in our own institution. As the leader of RISD, I take responsibility for having allowed a culture to continue to exist that does not fully live up to our values.

This plan is a commitment to action, and its initiatives are in response to the student-led RISD Anti-Racism Coalition (risdARC) and the group of BIPOC faculty that has been working passionately to instigate much- needed change at RISD. Together, their demands have deeply informed our planning.

Today we are committing to a new set of actions to inspire a better RISD – a RISD where students, faculty and staff of all races, ethnicities and cultures are supported, nourished and honored without the impediments of systemic racism. RISD must reflect the complexity of the world and demonstrate the critical role of artists and designers in advancing change.

Each action outlined here will lead us on a progessive path forward. Yet this set of initiatives is just a beginning. We must and will take many more steps to fundamentally advance change. To that end, I am fully empowering Senior Advisor to the President and Associate Provost Matthew Shenoda with additional, meaningful authority to oversee this transformation. We will work closely together in partnership with Provost Kent Kleinman, the deans, the full Cabinet and our faculty, students and staff to ensure that SEI's work impacts every aspect of RISD.

We repeatedly heard from our community that the most definitive transformation we could make would be to increase the diversity of our faculty and that of their scholarship and pedagogy. I am pleased to announce that through the support of one of the largest gifts in our history, RISD will launch a cluster-hire initiative – the hiring of multiple scholars based on shared, interdisciplinary scholarship and research interests. This will bring 10 new faculty members to RISD in academic year 2021/22 with expertise in issues of race and decoloniality in the arts and design. This initiative will launch a fundamental transformation toward diversifying and expanding our curricula. Additional details regarding the gift and the cluster hire will be announced soon.

We are committed to consequential, scaled change. Evolving our college, museum and community is not just about eliminating racism; it is about being proactively anti-racist. These next steps for moving RISD forward are just that: critical next commitments. They should not and cannot be viewed as a simple checklist with a near-term endpoint. In the past few weeks we have heard from numerous voices that make clear the complexity and interrelationships of these issues. These will require ongoing, full-on efforts to make substantive, meaningful and durable change. This is the beginning of that change.

Sincerely,
Rosanne Somerson

Top photo is courtesy of RISD.

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US architecture firm Olson Kundig has connected three pavilions with covered glass walkways to form this house in Utah surrounded by mountains.

Wasatch House is located in Salt Lake City, Utah on a site that faces the Oquirrh Mountains, Wasatch Mountains and Mount Olympus.

The 18,140-square-foot (1,685-square-metre) residence comprises three buildings bridged together with enclosed hallways and a pool house that "weave" the landscape among the separated spaces.

"This is a relatively large family home, but the clients' desire was for it to feel intimate," said Olson Kundig design principal Tom Kundig."So the central design concept was to split the building into three pavilions."

"This does a couple of things – the rooms between the various functions of the house are more intimate, and the landscape is able to weave in and out between the rooms," he added.

Each of the three main buildings is framed with black metal beams and columns. Large glass windows and sliding doors front the rectangular volumes, which are topped with flat roofs that span over the edge of the structures.

The first pavilion houses a sitting room, library and a central hallway that cuts through the space to lead to the second building, where the main living spaces like the kitchen and dining are located.

In the library, bookshelves on either side of the bronze fireplace open to reveal a hidden office space with a blackened steel desk, leather chair and more book lined shelves.

The dark tones used in the first pavilion contrast with the lighter colours and textures featured in the main building. In the kitchen pale wood cabinets are paired with light grey counters and stainless steel appliances.

A pulley system in the living room lowers one of the massive windows to the height of the guardrail that surrounds the upper level of the structure.

To extend the living space the studio has added a deck off the dining room. The expansive roof overhangs shade the outdoor space which is outfitted with a built-in grill, a firepit and banquette seating designed for large gatherings.

From the terrace a series of staggered steps lead to the pool house, topped with a 40-foot-long (12-metres), cantilevered roof similar to the shape and style used on the rest of the property.

A kitchenette, changing rooms and outdoor showers are located inside the rectangular volume behind bi-fold doors.

The third pavilion houses the master bedroom with views of Mount Olympus and connects to the other structures via a raised glass walkway. Utilities, an exercise space and guest bedrooms are located on the lower level of the main building and master suite.

Shrubbery and trees are planted across the grassy lawn and between each of the pavilions to blend the house into its natural surroundings.

Furnishings and decorative items, including the green dining chairs and circular art sculptures in the living room use hues of deep red and green that match Salt Lake City's forested landscape.

Olson Kundig was founded in 1966 by architect Jim Olson. Its other residential projects in the United States that comprise separate structures include a house in Hawaii constructed over lava fields and a residence in Wyoming with wood shutters.

Photography is by Matthew Millman.

Project credits:

Design principal: Tom Kundig
Project architect: Ming-Lee Yuan
Architectural staff: Kozo Nozawa, Mark Wettstone, Jordan Leppert, Megan Quinn and Paul Schlachter
Interior design: Laina Navarro
Interior design staff: Irina Bokova
Gizmo design: Phil Turner
General contractor: Edge Builders
Structural engineer: MCE Structural Consultants
Mechanical and electrical engineer: Nielson Engineering
Civil engineer: Stantec
Landscape architect: LOCI
Lighting design: HELIUS Lighting,
Geotechnical consultant: Gordon Geotechnical Engineering
Timber fabrication consultant: Spearhead Timberworks

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Architects have designed these five houses for themselves in New York State to escape city life, including a Catskills home with concrete-block walls and a retreat on Shelter Island.

Camp O by Maria Milans Studio

Spanish architect Maria Milans del Bosch who is based in Manhattan designed this two-storey home in the town of Claryville in the Hudson Valley. Built into a hill, it comprises two long volumes with roofs that slant in opposite directions.

Interiors feature exposed concrete walls, large windows and wood beams, while two grey sofas by Hay surround a fireplace.

Find out more about Camp O ›

Mount Tobias House by IDS/R Architecture

Partners Todd Rouhe and Maria Ibañez de Sendadiano of architecture studio IDS/R conceived this holiday home for themselves for a wooded site in the Catskills Mountains.

In the kitchen is a black, freestanding Vipp counter that houses a sink, stovetop and refrigerator. It was selected by the couple after struggling to find a concept that did not compromise the minimalism of the space.

Find out more about Mount Tobias House ›

Catskills House by J_ spy Architecture

Architect Jason Shannon and his wife and designer Paola Yañez of J_spy Architecture built this dwelling for themselves with concrete blocks on a six-acre (2.4-hectare) property in Upstate New York.

The home contains two bedrooms, a galley kitchen and an open-plan living and dining room. A geothermal pump powers radiant concrete floors by heating water from a well on site.

Find out more about Catskills House ›

Eco House by Vibeke Lichten

This project, called Eco House, was created by Danish-born architect Vibeke Lichten on Long Island's Shelter Island that is accessible only by ferry.

A single-storey home and a detached guesthouse in an L-shape enclose an outdoor saltwater swimming pool. A rooftop vegetable garden, small vineyard, electric car chargers, rooftop solar panels and dry wells that collect rainwater complete the design.

Find out more about Eco House ›

Shokan House by Jay Bargmann

Jay Bargmann, vice president at Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly's New York studio, designed this glass-enclosed house in the Catskill Mountains for his family.

Overlooking the Hudson River, the residence has pared-down and industrial interiors with tile floors, bare furnishings, a metal staircase, and stainless steel and walnut details.

Find out more about Shokan House ›

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The United States Space Force has unveiled a black and silver logo, following an earlier design released by president Donald Trump that proved controversial.

Revealed 22 July, the logo comprises a delta symbol with a silver border intended to represent defence against "adversaries and threats emanating from the space domain". It encloses a black centre indicative of deep space.

Four grey bevelled elements break up the black centre to symbolise the four armed forces the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps, which will support the space mission. They encase the star Polaris, also known as the North Star.

Trump released a logo design in January 2020 on Twitter based on the delta symbol, just one month after the Space Force military branch was created. This design composed a circular seal around an arrow-shaped spaceship and a white swoosh with a universe backdrop.

The design was met with criticism on social from design figures including Pentagram partner Michael Bierut and UK graphic-design studio MHD. Others likened the design to the Star Fleet logo from the cult TV show Star Trek.

At the time, Space Force officials defended the logo in a statement posted on Facebook, highlighting the historic use of the delta symbol in the US armed forces.

"The delta symbol, the central design element in the seal, was first used as early as 1942 by the US Army Air Forces; and was used in early Air Force space organization emblems dating back to 1961," it said.

"Since then, the delta symbol has been a prominent feature in military space community emblems."

In addition to the new logo, the US Space Force has also unveiled its motto as Sempa Supra, which translates from Latin as Always Above.  "The logo and motto honor the heritage and history of the US Space Force," it said.

The US Space Force was established in December 2019 as part of a $738 billion (£564 billion) military spending bill passed by the US Congress. It is the first new US military branch to be introduced since the launch of the Air Force in 1947, and now forms part of the existing Air Force department.

The objective of the new force is to protect US and allied interests, including assets such as satellites, in space.

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Brooklyn's Wythe Hotel has teamed up with workplace designer Industrious to create rentable offices in its guest suites to cater to those who are working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

With many offices still closed due to the city's coronavirus lockdown regulations, the Industrious at Wythe Hotel project is intended to offer remote workers with access to flexible, clean and well-equipped workspaces.

Available for rent by the day, each office is located in one of the Williamsburg hotel's former loft-style bedrooms with access to a private outdoor space. They are designed to cater to up to four people with Wi-Fi, access to printing services and a smart TV.

Bedroom furnishings are replaced by sit or stand wood desks and rexford chairs from furniture rental provider Feather, and black metal table lamps.

The finishes complement the room's industrial aesthetic of exposed concrete floors and brick walls.

"Together with Industrious, we are offering remote workers a safe and comfortable place to be productive and escape the confinements of their apartments for a moment," said Wythe Hotel owner Peter Lawrence.

Industrious at Wythe Hotel provides an example of the way that traditional working lifestyles could be disrupted following the pandemic.

In its earlier stages, Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft said "the great work-from-home experiment" would mean remote working would no longer be unusual.

"The companies that best navigate the future of work are going to be the ones that put choices in their employees' hands, including the choice of where and how they do their job best," said Industrious co-founder Jamie Hodari.

"At Industrious, we think this is just one example of the types of innovation you'll begin to see in our industry and beyond."

Other architects and designers have similarly forecasted ways that offices will change. British interior designer Sevil Peach said they will get smaller, while Form4 Architecture co-founder Paul Fero believes that cubicles will become more prevalent.

Perkins and Will interior design director Meena Krenek said offices will balance "physical and virtual" work and proposed physical spaces for meetings and large gatherings. Global firm Woods Bagot also created diagrams of workplaces during coronavirus that merge working from home and office.

Wythe Hotel has made the office spaces available until 31 August. The boutique hotel provided accommodation for medical workers from Woodhull Hospital in Bushwick and NYU Langone Hospital in Sunset Park during the height of the city's pandemic, an experience it said has enabled them to develop safe practices.

"By working in collaboration with doctors and nurses on-property during the shutdown, our staff is well-equipped to ensure that all guests are staying in a healthy environment," it said.

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American artist Janet Echelman has installed a woven sculpture composed of blue fibres on a site in Florida with history that traces back to the American Civil Rights Movement.

Bending Arc is a permanent work suspended above a grassy park overlooking the Pier District in St Petersburg, Florida.

The piece is 72 feet tall (21.9 metres) at its peak and measures 424 feet in width (129.2 metres). Its shape constantly changes as it ripples with the movement of wind.

Echelman, a Florida native, took cues from the colours and patterns of beach umbrellas illustrated on old postcards and from marine barnacles that live beneath the pier to design the woven sculpture.

In her research she came across information about the site's historical significance during the Civil Rights Movement, which began in the 1950s, as a location where local citizens protested segregation. The outcry led to the 1957 US Supreme Court ruling that allowed people of all races to use the municipal beach and swimming pool.

"I wanted to celebrate the courage of the people whose work led to the freedom and inclusion we can all experience today at the new pier," Echelman told Dezeen.

Echelman has titled the work Bending Arc to reference words said by Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice".

"The title Bending Arc is important to me, and it embraces the goal of the new pier to welcome everyone – all ages, all backgrounds," she added.

"The colours of my sculpture reflect this – hues of blue like the sky in a full gradient from white to black."

Viewed from above the piece has a rectangular shape composed of geometric orbs. Its centre is filled in with blue- and white- striped threading to match the pattern used on parasol designs.

To create the piece the artist shaped polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), an engineered fibre, into a thread-like textile. The coloured strands are braided together and wrapped around sewing bobbins to form a mesh netting that is knotted by hand.

An additional set of netting, composed of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibre, is woven together by knots, following a method popularised by mariners. The mesh textile is 15 times stronger than steel and is attached by hand to the other piece.

On site cranes were used to install and pull the roping taut. The piece is designed to withstand Ultraviolet exposure and retain its strength under winds of 150 miles-per-hour (241.4 kilometres-per-hour).

At night low-energy LED lights project tones of pink and purple across the sculpture making it glow.

Echelman hopes the sculpture offers visitors a sensory experience and an appreciation for nature and humankind.

"My hope is that each person becomes aware of their own sensory experience in that moment of discovery, and that may lead to the creation of your own meaning or narrative," she said.

"When I look at the sculpture, I see a physical proof of humankind's ability to work together in shaping our physical world – and to 'bend the moral arc of the universe.' It's a reminder of our interconnectedness on every scale."

Janet Echleman has completed a number of woven sculptures in her career that have been installed all over the world.

In 2018, she hovered a pink and red textile over Madrid's Plaza Mayor in celebration of its 400th anniversary, and in 2016 she hung a similar design hung over an intersection in London's Oxford Circus.

Photography is by Brain Adams, unless noted otherwise.

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Wooden frames, moveable styling stations and plants are used to encourage social distancing in this New York hair salon, which local studio BoND designed during the coronavirus pandemic.

BoND, led by architecture duo Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger, began working on the design of Hawthorne Studio in January this year, just a few months before coronavirus lockdown in New York.

In response to the pandemic, they worked with salon founder Garrett Bryant to develop a design suited to public health regulations by promoting six feet (two metres) between patrons.

"In the past few months we are seeing retail spaces being adapted to social distance measures in varying degrees of success, installing floor stickers and roping to better control the number and flow of people," said Rauchwerger.

"Our approach was to introduce light interventions like wood frames, plants or lighting fixtures to mark off areas."

Hawthorne Studio opened this month inside the loft of a landmarked building in Manhattan neighbourhood Chelsea as part of Phase II of New York's reopening plan. The existing space is stripped back and decorated with stained-black wooden floors and bright white painted walls and ceilings.

Simple wooden frames separate spaces that lead into the salon to ensure clients keep safe distances. It starts with a foyer where their personal protective equipment and temperature are checked, with an adjacent bathroom for washing hands.

The next section is a lounge where one client is allowed to wait at a time.

"The idea was to allow the hairstylists to monitor people coming in and out of the space, without putting any walls up," said Dvir. "While light in appearance, the frames are impactful in creating distinct areas."

Moveable styling stations comprise arched mirrors in bronze frames set in marble stone plinths. Both the styling chairs and the mirrors are designed so they can be moved to six-feet apart and santised in between appointments.Over time, as restrictions ease, BoND intends to increase the amount of stations in the salon.

Other social-distancing features include large pots with Ficus trees and Monsteras sourced from a nearby flower market.

They are arranged to separate the main salon from the area for hair washing. The greenery picks up on murals on the walls of the salon, which BoND design to draw on the colorful papercut works of French artist Henry Matisse

Towards the rear of the salon, there is a wooden dining table and chairs for consultation, where only one client and hairdresser is permitted at a time. Additional furnishings include rice paper light fixtures from Hay and wall mount sconces from CB2.

A number of public spaces have been adapted in response to pandemic so they can reopen safely as lockdown measures ease. New York's The city's High Line park also reopened with 1,000 painted green dots graphic designer Paula Scher created as markers for social distancing.

BoND was established by Dvir and Rauchwerger, former employees of OMA, in 2017. The studio's other projects include the transformation of a dark, divided Chelsea apartment into light-filled home.

Photography is by Nick Glimenakis.

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Architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro has arranged the galleries of the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado, which opens this week, around a spiralling ramp to make it one of the most accessible museums in the world.

Located in downtown Colorado Springs, the museum is composed of four aluminium-covered volumes arranged in a pinwheel formation that contain the galleries, an auditorium and events space.

The four volumes are wrapped in a steel superstructure that appears to fold over glazing on the ground floor, with vertical windows extending to the top of the building.

"We conceived of it as almost like a garment that was like a little bit like an Olympic athlete's costume stretched over the structure," said Diller Scofidio + Renfro partner-in-charge Benjamin Gilmartin.

"It warps and twists with these surfaces that give it a tautness. It is really meant to be a tailored garment on the outside of the building that is perfectly fitted."

The metalwork is composed of 9,000 diamond-shaped panels that are marked in the middle and lift up in the centre to create a play of light and shadow across the facade.

"The folding of the diamond into triangles was just the initial idea," Gilmartin continued.

"But then we played with the shaping, we did a lot of model testing, digital studies and things like that and found that it has a really nice reaction to light. The fold in the panels makes a highlight with the upper part that's tilted towards the sky, and a shadow to where it tilts down on the lower half," he added.

"We saw [the] possibility for the diamond scales or elements across the surface to really animate the surface as the light changes in Colorado Springs throughout the day."

Visitors ascend to the top level of the museum by elevator and then gradually move through the galleries on a downward-spiralling ramp, similar to circulation in New York's Guggenheim museum. In Diller Scofidio + Renfro's design, the ramp measures six feet (1.8 metres) wide to allow for side-by-side movement and wheelchairs.

"It is founded on the idea of a continuous path from the top to the bottom, so we started with a vision of  a Guggenheim but with a much more gentle sloping," said Gilmartin.

It is because of this circulation that the firm said the museum is one of the most accessible in the world.

"Everyone has a shared experience moving along that path regardless of ability or age, or differences between people," Gilmartin added. "That was a really important architectural organiser."

Accessibility formed a key element of the project, which is the only museum in the US dedicated to the legacy of the country's Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The New York practice consulted with Paralympic athletes and persons with disabilities, to create a museum in which all visitors could enjoy the same experience.

Smooth floors suited to wheelchairs, glass guardrails that allow for visibility from a low height, benches with guards for canes and moveable cafe seating are among other details designed to improve accessibility.

Walls around the skylight lit 40-foot (12-metre) tall atrium at the centre of the building is covered in white Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum screens, which are perforated towards the bottom to offer views of the rest of the lobby. Four glazed balconies in between the walls provide a place for pause for visitors as they move down the museum.

The US Olympic and Paralympic Museum has 20,000 square foot (6096 square metres) of galleries across the ground, first and second floor, interspersed with other elements of the programme.

A 130-person theatre is located on the ground floor with two rows seats that can be removed to accommodate 26 wheelchairs –  the equivalent of a full Paralympic hockey team.

On the first floor is a 1,300-square-foot (396-square-metre) events space with views of downtown Colorado Springs and the Rocky Mountain that opens onto an outdoor terrace. The second floor also has a boardroom with outdoor access.

A museum shop extends from the main museum to link to another building with a green roof on the other side of a terraced, outdoor plaza, which was placed to make the most of views to Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains.

This additional building contains a cafe with access to outdoor dining, that is designed to serve as a restaurant, as well a space to host educational programmes and meetings.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro also created a new 250-feet-long pedestrian bridge that extends from the museum over an active railyard to America the Beautiful Park. The bridge is composed of six prefabricated sections that will be assembled later this year.

The US Olympic and Paralympic Museum, which was first unveiled in 2015 and broke ground two years later, will open on Thursday 30 July 2020 with timed tickets as part of a series of safety measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

It marks the latest museum project completed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which Gilmartin leads with Elizabeth Diller, Ricardo Scofidio and Charles Renfro. Others in the US include the renovation of New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Broad Museum in Los Angeles and an art centre at Stanford University.

Photography is by Jason O'Rear, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Project credits:

Design architect: Diller Scofidio + Renfro, (Partner-in-charge: Benjamin Gilmartin)
Architect of record: Anderson Mason Dale Architects
Exhibition designers: Gallagher & Associates
Museum and content development: Barrie Projects
Structural engineer: KL&A in collaboration with Arup
Civil engineer: Kiowa Engineering Corporation
Fire engineering: Jensen Hughes
Mechanical and plumbing engineer: The Ballard Group
Electrical engineer: ME Engineers Acoustics, Audio/ Visual, Theater: ARUP Accessibility: Ileana Rodriguez
Lighting: Tillotson Design Associates
Landscape architects: NES, Inc. in collaboration with Hargreaves Jones Code: Advanced Consulting Engineers
Vertical circulation: Iros Elevators Design Services
Cost estimating: Dharam Consulting
Energy modelling: Iconergy
Exterior envelope consultant: Heitmann & Associates
Facade fabrication: MG McGrath
Construction manager and general contractor: GE Johnson

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The organisers of the Consumer Electronics Show have cancelled next year's event, expected to take place in Las Vegas in January 2021, and replaced it with an online version due to "growing global health concerns about the spread of Covid-19".

CES keynotes, product showcases and meetings will take place in an all-digital format from 6-9 January 2021.

"It is not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people"

The decision was made by the show's organisers – the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) – as the coronavirus cases continue to spike across the world, and the death toll in the US nears 150,000.

"With the growing global health concerns about the spread of Covid-19, it is not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person," said CES.

"An all-digital CES 2021 will allow the entire tech community to safely share ideas and introduce the products that will shape our future."

Keynotes, conferences and product showcases will be in digital format

CES is an annual showcase of technologies and products that takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 2020 event attracted 171,268 attendees, according to CTA, and featured cute and kitschy robots, Segway's latest self-balancing vehicle and Samsung's AI-powered virtual beings.

The association is currently developing the digital format for keynotes and conferences, live meetups and roundtable discussions, product showcases and demonstrations to ensure 2021 remains an "influential digital technology event".

"Technology has helped us all work, learn and connect during the coronavirus pandemic, and it has presented real solutions to help solve complex global challenges," CES said.

"We recognise that, particularly in these uncertain times, it is the partnerships of some of the most creative minds that bring the best solutions to life," it added.

Architecture and design events cancelled or postponed due to pandemic

CES said it plans to return to Las Vegas with a mixture of physical and digital events in 2022.

The coronavirus outbreak caused dozens of international events to be postponed or cancelled. Many are now are adapting their format for next year's events in response to coronavirus. The organisers of Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, for example, have unveiled plans for a more affordable and sustainable version for February 2021.

See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Photograph is by Maurizio Pesce.

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