It appears that I will be too busy to write a real article this week as well. So, for the sake of convenient education, here is another set of links for your brains to munch on.
| This is an interesting article from a blog that is tailored more specifically to Pittsburgh but also looks at broader trends across the country. In this case Building Pittsburgh has an interesting analysis regarding the interplay between residential and commercial real estate. https://buildingpittsburgh.com/2020/01/24/how-the-housing-shortage-impacts-commercial-real-estate/ |
| Interesting article on how China is managing to mute the impact of labor shortages by extremely rapid adoption of new technologies. New technology may be a palliative for a shrinking workforce but there are still issues. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/20/opinion/china-technology-economy.html |
| Awesome table top and wireless blender. No need for those pesky cords. And it also seems they have an amazing concept for a flexible kitchen cooking surface that can be used for cooking or blending. https://getmillo.com/pages/accessories |
| Although I don’t think robotics will be the primary solution to the construction labor shortage they will definitely play a part. This article explores some of the potential applications and has a nifty graph charting the intersection of labor required and construction cost to identify what robotics developers may go after first. https://www.forbes.com/sites/columbiabusinessschool/2019/07/31/the-construction-labor-shortage-will-developers-deploy-robotics/ |
| This is a link to a recent video article on the Bullitt Center office building and a link to the website made for the building. I was super excited when this building was first built and I have been following it for many years and advertising to everyone who is willing to listen. I am glad to see the Living Building Challenge continues to grow. http://www.bullittcenter.org/building/building-features/ https://www.voanews.com/episode/seattles-bullitt-center-green-building-inspiring-visitors-3794801 |
| Speaking of the Living Building Challenge. Here is a link to the website of the best standard out there for holistic and truly sustainable building construction that takes everything into account and makes wise trade-offs that are very specific to the site. https://living-future.org/lbc/ |
| As a frequent traveler myself I found this trend alarming but not quite Orwellian. Traveler beware! Your fellow humans like watching you when you think no one is looking. https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/01/27/why-you-should-start-screening-for-hidden-spy-cameras-when-you-travel/ |
| Great article on rental rates, profit margins, and poverty in the United States. https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/03/housing-rent-landlords-poverty-desmond-inequality-research/585265/ |
| Interesting article on plastic pollution in the environment and the impact of the pollution on wild-life and humans. We really need to address our addiction to plastic before we continue to destroy and sicken the web of life around us. https://daily.jstor.org/we-consume-a-spoonful-of-plastic-a-week/?utm_term=We%20Consume%20a%20Spoonful%20of%20Plastic%20a%20Week |
| When you design your brand new dream house or building you want it to last. Good design can help make your building more resilient in the face of natural disasters meaning cheaper repairs if any. Better yet, insurance companies like homes that won’t have claims so they will give you a discount. The authors of this article figured out how much for what. https://youngalfred.com/blog/top-10-secret-home-insurance-discounts-from-an-industry-expert-ya |
Hope you enjoyed the link-fest!