Category Archives: New Utopia

New York Times

On Italy's Coast, a Forsaken Village Is a Tale of a Paradise Lost New York Times What remains today looks less like a utopia than a paradise lost, a site of abandonment and degradation, and a concentration of southern Italy's abiding troubles: criminality, lax local governance and extreme poverty. The section originally designed ...

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On Italy's Coast, a Forsaken Village Is a Tale of a Paradise Lost - New York Times

Cecile Baird and Simon Chan are founding partnersof Blockchain For Good (BC4G), a think tank that aims tobring together minds from around the world to explore and debate the development of blockchain, for the greater good of humanity, society, economy and the environment.

In this opinionpiece, Baird and Chanargue that weneeda duty of care today, for a humanised blockchain future tomorrow.

Blockchains public interface, at its most basic, is a string of shared data made up of a series of uniquely ordered alphabetical letters and numbers, timestamped and immutable.

Yet, through this, blockchain can fundamentally change existing organisational structures, not merely as an evolutionary development, but potentially as a transformational technology. While it continues to develop, we need explore the opportunities that blockchain technology can offer and the consequences of not getting it right.

To do this, we believe we should zero in on one area that has not yet received the same level of attention or investment: the humanaspect of the blockchain, and how it could underpin the technologies that impact our everyday lives.

Together, we need to identify some guiding principles on how we can shape an underlying duty of care,bringing together greatminds in the fields of entrepreneurship, investing, academia, sustainability, charities and policymaking to tackle this challenge.

We are living in a world where for good has become zeitgeist and is often interpreted as 'social good'. However to set the scene of the discussion it is really important to note that 'for good' is not limited to non-profit activities or the third sector.

There are incredibly varied views of what 'for good' means for creative industries, it is transparency and fair distribution of royalties; for refugees, it is establishing or protecting identity; for charities, it is about accountability; and for government, it is about delivering better services to the public.

But what was interesting is the commonality between the interpretations of 'for good' the notion of creating new value, under a framework of ethics and clear moral intentions. When considering how blockchain can be used for good, it is important that we look at its relationship with creating new value.

Businesses that will continue to thrive tomorrow, will be those with a clear purpose underpinned by a commitment thatbalances the triple bottom line of people, profit and planet.

Where there is a vision of utopia, there is an equal possibility of dystopia. We have already seen cases where bad actors have manipulated projects based on blockchain technology quicker than the community can prevent attacks.

There is a second way where we do not get blockchain right, which can be equally systemic. Unless there is an unambiguous and clearly definedethical system, there can be no ethics.

A lack of an ecosystem and, perhaps worse still, a manipulated ecosystem, would fundamentally undermine the principles on which blockchain has been built: a transparent, immutable and distributed ledger.

The best-case scenario is that we end up with a large number of unconnected, private blockchain networks. But the worst-case scenario is that see the emergence of monopolies that shape the development of blockchain technology that benefit the privileged few at the cost of others.

Blockchain can recast trust relationships between government, people and business. As the Edelmans Trust Barometer, a survey of over 30,000 individuals globally, suggests, there is a widening trust gap between these three groups. Blockchain technology offers a new model thatcan help solve this point of crisis.

We believe we have distilled five areas that should be considered when developing a duty-of-care manifesto:

Distributed power

Blockchain technology does not allow vested interest in any one individual and power is given by consensus. As such, this creates network integrity and enables transparency by design. The principle of users being able to use, but not to manipulate, the system should be an underlying principle for enabling the technology to be used for good.

Authentication and new trust

One aspect that needs to be considered is how a distributed ledger would impact data privacy, data ownership and misuse of data.

Transparency and balance

How can these functionalities be used to enable good? There must be balance and compromise. There is no point using blockchain with the same frame of mind as withour existing economy and system.

Incentivised and accelerated value

The decentralised structure of blockchain technology passes value through to individuals. As such, there is no central authority setting economic policies or regulating the distribution, the incentive for action is open and put in the hands of everyone as there is a fair value exchange.

The role of communications

If were integrating blockchain technology into government infrastructure, it is essential that we focus on deployment in places where it is needed most. It is important that decision makers and policymakers are properly engaged. To safeguard the future of blockchain technology, ensuring it is being used for good and trusted, there is an onus for everyone industry and government, and those communicating on its behalf to do so responsibly.

What is clear is that we do require a federated model a guiding hand, to set the vision and principles to enable its success, for the greater good whilst allowing verticals or countries to govern their specific areas. To be clear, this is not a government, a centralised organisation or even regulation, but policy and principles that document a duty of care for blockchain technology.

The Blockchain For Good white paper and manifesto can be read here.

Hands on a chain image via Shutterstock

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, CoinDesk.

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Crypto Utopia? Defining the Greater Good in a Blockchain World - CoinDesk

Cardboard Utopia's deck and dice RPG Children of Zodiarcs stormed Kickstarter earlier this year by accumulating more than five times its original ask. Part of the Square Enix Collective, it's now got a launch dateJuly 18and new trailer to boot.

The latter looks something like this:

Citing everything from Final Fantasy Tactics to Shinning Force, Tactics Ogre and board games and collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering, Children of Zodiarcs' raison d'etre is to "both recapture and build upon the spirit of the tactical RPGs that so captivated gamers during the 16-bit and 32-bit eras," so says its creators.

Although Cardboard Utopia is a new indie studio, its staff has worked on a number of big budget games, not least Eternal Darkness, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, The Warriors, and Far Cry 3. With Children of Zodiarcs, the team is clearly moving in a different direction but being smaller in size allows it to be more personable in its approach.

Creative director Jason Kim speaks to that point in a statement: "Having built a community of loyal fans thanks to our Kickstarter campaign, it feels really exciting to lift the lid on just when gamers will be able to get their hands on Children of Zodiarcs."

He adds: "Its also a nervy time, too. Weve put everything into delivering an experience that recaptures the joy people felt playing those tactical RPGs all those years ago, and because were a small studio, you can see the influence of each and every one of us in the game."

Over on the PlayStation blog, Kim describes he and his team's game as "turn-based, light-hearted with good character development but which [isn't] filled with an overly serious cast that would probably die if they cracked a smile!" With that, Children of Zodiarcs aims to tell a rich story, which also breaks "away from the norm."

Children of Zodiarcs is due July 18.

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Children of Zodiarcs is the next Square Enix Collective game, release date set - PC Gamer

So Paolo is a small aquaponics farming settlement where residents and visitors gather medicinal compounds from the surrounding jungle. 2100: A Dystopian UtopiaThe City After Climate Change, by Vanessa Keith/StudioTEKA(New York: Urban Research, 2017). Courtesy of Terreform.

In the not-so-distant future, what remains of So Paulo is something like an ecoresort medical crop farm for ewoks. People from all over the world travel to its lush, frequently flooded rain forest and set up shop in ovular pods in the treetops connected by open-air skywalks. They farm fish, grow sugarcane, and harvest rare, medicinal compounds from the surrounding jungle. Crews deconstruct the old city, leaving more room for this life-saving flora to reassert itself.

A continent away, the city of Phoenix, Arizona, is also in the process of unbecoming. Residents of its single-family houses are cannibalizing their neighborhoods at the stern urging of statist security forces. (Lets say something like United Nations troops, perhaps wearing black helmets instead of blue ones.) The nations sixth-largest city will be shrunk to a tiny fraction of its former size to make way for more massive solar energy farms that dominate the desert landscape. Former Arizonans are invited to move themselves along with the bricks and mortar of their communities to a burgeoning megacity in Vancouver. Some people dont want to go, and are meeting in secret to talk about what to do if theyre forced.

Those companion (but tonally opposed) visions of the future begin with the same book, Vanessa Keiths 2100: A Dystopian UtopiaThe City After Climate Change, published by Terreforms Urban Research, Michael Sorkins publishing imprint. It envisions a world where preventing the two-degree Celsius change in global temperatures to forestall a total ecological collapse is a quaint memory. In 2100, global temperatures have risen by four degrees Celsius. Much of North America and Europe is a largely uninhabitable desert. Humanity races toward the poles, purposefully melting glaciers for freshwater and establishing a new stock exchange in Greenland. Many millions of people are displaced by climate change, yet the global population reaches 10 billion. Carbon is sequestered from the air into carbon fiber, and concrete megastructure biomes in Antarctica are filled with pleasure gardens and fresh fruits and vegetables. Is this a resilient techno-utopia or a tomb for the dying days of humanity? Its presented as neither, exactly, with the direct, matter-of-fact tone of exhibition wall text, and with no political undercurrents inherent in mass relocation induced by climate change. Keith, an architect whose practice is StudioTEKA, puts this contradiction up front. This work is intended to be both a resounding call to action, she writes, and an optimistic proposal for the difficult future we stand to inherit if we do not act.

Much of Phoenix, Arizona, is given over to solar power farms as the city is largely deconstructed. 2100: A Dystopian UtopiaThe City After Climate Change,by Vanessa Keith/StudioTEKA (New York: Urban Research, 2017).Courtesy of Terreform.

Keiths most ingenious idea is the pairing of city types that organize the book and form closed resource loops in its world. There are extraction cities (often located in a very wide equatorial band with extreme weather) thatare cannibalized for materials, mined for energy, and staffed by a skeleton crew of residents. These formerly great cities, like Manila and New York, harvest wind energy from constant tropical storms or take advantage of other extreme weather for energy generation. Each extraction city is paired with a compact megacity: ultradense settlements closer to the poles that welcome climate refugees (and energy generated in the depopulated zones) into hive-like high-rises. Sleepy Siberian outposts become thick with biomorphic megascrapers. In Vancouver, acres of trees and understory march up sloped skyscrapers. In Wellington, landscrapers burrow into the earth and also funnel wind energy. Johannesburgs buildings are covered in facades that allow all manner of vines and animal habitats to dig in, acting as a huge carbon sink. Theyre also a vital element of ecological preservation, since half of all animal species have gone extinct.

In Johannesburg, building facades that act as habitats for plants and animals provide refuge in a world where half of all species have already gone extinct. 2100: A Dystopian UtopiaThe City After Climate Change,by Vanessa Keith/StudioTEKA (New York: Urban Research, 2017).Courtesy of Terreform.

This key pairing is what allows Keith to stop short of a total Malthusian collapse for humanity. Securing resources and habitable land in such a tight city-to-city connection across international borders also seems implicitly to call for the dissolution of the nationstate as the fundamental organizing unit of government, and for the re-emergence of the citystate.

Keiths book tears down disciplinary divisions and assumed divisions between the natural and the urban. It reaffirms the omnipresent need in the climate change era for all infrastructure to serve multiple functions. All the technology she mentions either exists or is being researched. For decades now, ecologists and environmental designers have been reminding the world that humans must find ways to live more in concert with natures design. But in 2100, were forced to pound ourselves out on the climate change anvil of our own design. Keith talked with LAM about what these hammer strokes might look like.

So is this a utopia or a dystopia?

Were trying to get away from binary thinking of a dystopia or a utopia. Its really hard to separate. What were trying to really do is focus on hybridity. Things can be this and that. We can have a utopia within a dystopia. We took as our site this world at four degrees of warming, which is arguably dystopian. And its far from ideal, but if we keep going, it may very well happen. The utopian part of the book is that, while we have not been able to stop global warming, weve been able to prepare for itin away that is orderly andin a way that hasnt caused chaos and death on a massive scale.

Troll is Antarcticas first large city. 2100: A Dystopian UtopiaThe City After Climate Change,by Vanessa Keith/StudioTEKA (New York: Urban Research, 2017).Courtesy of Terreform.

Outside of the habitable megastructures that several of these projects use, what you see in these scenarios pretty broadly falls under the definition of landscape architecture or landscape urbanism. What can these design practices do that others cant in this extreme climate?

I feel that landscape architecture has an enormous role to play, and that we need to have more collaboration and interdisciplinary work across our fields. In Troll [Antarctica], the landscape is inside the building. So, is that interior design or landscape design? Who does that? Is that the architect or the landscaper? We need to think beyond these categories.

Were going to have to work together internationally, and were going to have to work together across the divides in our thinking that act as a blindspotpreventing us from seeing solutions. The city is not separate from nature. Theres nature in citieswe just dont choose to see it that way. Whats really required is a new perspective and work that is trulyinterdisciplinary. Why is it that the architect makes the building, the interior designer does the inside, and the landscape architect does the outside? Maybe nature [forces us to] rethink these artificial positions we have.

In Beijing, former landfills are mined for precious metals. 2100: A Dystopian UtopiaThe City After Climate Change,by Vanessa Keith/StudioTEKA (New York: Urban Research, 2017).Courtesy of Terreform.

The challenge is to create intermediate spaces that are neither fully urban nor fully of the biosphere. If you look at the example of Beijing, I wanted to have a site wherewe couldlook at the issue of polluted environments, and how we deal with waste.Eco-System, a recycling plantnearTokyo,produces around 600 pounds of gold per monthas much gold as a small gold minefrom oldcell phones and circuit boards. I really feelthat in the future well go back to our landfills and mine them like we currently mine for gold. Theres so much value inthe thingswethrow away.

Which of these places would you really want to visit? Which sound terrible to you?

Id like to visit all of them! I love New York, and I live here now, but if we go to a four-degree world, I dont know if anyone is going to want to be in a coastal area during hurricane season. Wellington is very interesting. The climate is supposed to be pretty mild there, even with four degrees of warming.I really like the idea that we have this radial city over a gorge with these furry bridges that collect wind energy, and I like the public outdoor space in the stacked rambla.People might also want to tour the energy installations in Manila and New York, andspending timein So Paulo in the rain forest either as a vacationer or a volunteer looks like it would be great. The places youre going to want to spend the most time are the compact megacities. We envisioneda world of dense urban settlements, smaller-scale outpost settlements, and a lot of wilderness, farming, and renewable energyfarms in between. Not a lot of urban sprawl.

Landscrapers in Wellington help funnel wind energy. 2100: A Dystopian UtopiaThe City After Climate Change,by Vanessa Keith/StudioTEKA (New York: Urban Research, 2017).Courtesy of Terreform.

Are these places to thrive as a species or places simply to survive? Or are both of these ways of living happening at the same time?

I think theyre places to thrive. I dont want to see a world where were focused only on survival. I think that if we have a world where were able to harness our smarts and our technology, that we would do it in such a way to have a better quality of life.

So why not shade this more intensely as a pure, joyous utopia or completely dismal hellscape, instead of a more middle-of-the-road approach?

I wouldnt say that its middle-of-the-road. Again, its utopia within dystopia. It would be horrifically irresponsible of me to say, Lets just go on the way we are. Right now business as usual is six or seven degrees by 2100. At six degrees [warming], with very warm oceans, hurricanes can circumnavigate the globe multiple times. That is not something that we want. What we want to emphasize is, look at all this great stuff thats going on. Look at all these wonderful people that are doing this research to solve our problems. Why dont we start using that now, and maybe we can have something thats better than were imagining?

Compact megacity Moscow is a vertical maze of old and new high-rises. 2100: A Dystopian UtopiaThe City After Climate Change,by Vanessa Keith/StudioTEKA (New York: Urban Research, 2017).Courtesy of Terreform.

But why not scare people the other way with UN storm troopers and mass relocation to the Antarctic? Theres the carrot, and the stick.

Within the arc of a few years weve gone from thinking that driving a hybrid SUV and recycling was doing enough to [solve] the problem, to [thinking] its so big I cant do anything. People get crisis fatigue. Everythings a crisis. If you cant do anything, you may as well party while the world burns. I didnt want to do the storm trooper vision of the future because it makes people feel overwhelmed and that theres nothing we can do, and thats not true. I dont want people to feel disempowered and that they have to wait for a top-down state solution.

Zach Mortice is a Chicago-based architecture and landscape architecture journalist. Listen to his Chicago architecture and design podcast A Lot You Got to Holler, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

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THRIVE OR SURVIVE - Landscape Architecture Magazine

Some of the best pop music comes out during the summer, but only one track can reign supreme as the Song of the Summerthe ubiquitous, wildly catchy tune that even your grandmother knows by heart. Past winners include "California Gurls" by Katy Perry and "Umbrella" by Rihanna, but, for whatever reason, the title usually goes to a male artist. That's a shame because female artists consistently put out stellar work every year around this timeand 2017 is no exception. These 15 newish tunes are particularly great, and all deserve a shot at being 2017's Song of the Summer (because the last thing we need is another "Party Rock Anthem").

Miley Cyrus, "Malibu"

"Malibu," a bright (and very romantic) tribute to Cyrus' fianc, Liam Hemsworth, sounds nothing like the bizarre electro-pop from her last two albums. The "Can't Be Tamed" singer reins it in here, swapping shock-and-awe antics for a lovely acoustic-based melody and some genuinely heartfelt lyrics. ("Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning and you're there to save me," she sings.) But don't think "Malibu" isn't catchy: A thumping baseline kicks in 60 seconds into the song and catapults it to beach-party utopia. (And her vocals, as always, are beautiful.)

MisterWives, "Drummer Boy"

Yes, MisterWives is a co-ed band, but it's fronted by the supremely talented Mandy Lee, so "Drummer Boy" earns a spot on our list. The song, which is Lee's ode of sorts to her real-life fianc (and MisterWives drummer) Etienne Bowler, expertly weaves between backyard indie rock and gleeful eighties dance. It's an unexpected but incredibly satisfying progression.

Katy Perry, "Bon Apptit"

"Bon Apptit" is a departure from Perry's typical brand of bright disco candy, but that doesn't make it any less sweet. The newly blond pop queen swaps effervescent hooks for slick, R&B-tinged beats and food metaphors galore. Granted, "Bon Apptit" doesn't deliver instant pleasure, like "Teenage Dream" (or even "Roar"), but its grimy, groove-heavy sound will eventually seep into your brain and stay there. Enjoy the meal.

Emmalyn, "Phone Off"

You probably know Emmalyn best from G.R.L, the L.A.-based pop group known for bubblegum hits like "Ugly Heart" and "Vacation." But on "Phone Off," one of Emmalyn's first singles post-G.R.L, she substitutes sugar with sex. Lots of it. Specifically, she wants the scrub in this song to put his damn phone down and pay attention to her (which, let's be real, same). This midtempo jam exudes nightclub bombast; its slow-burning hook harks back to Cassie's "Me & You"R&B that's practically tailor-made for grinding (or, ya know, other stuff).

Hey Violet, "Break My Heart"

"Break My Heart," the latest single from Hey Violet (formerly known as Cherri Bomb), is instant gratification in music formand that's not a bad thing. The track mixes glossy, synth-heavy verses and a truly orgasmic dubstep chorus to create a summer smash that demands your attention. And gets it. "Heart" is earworm ecstasy at its finest.

Lady Gaga, "The Cure"

"The Cure" marks Gaga's true return to sticky dance pop after going country with last year's Joanne. The song is not groundbreaking by any meansthe chorus is paint-by-numbers, and it follows trends rather than sets thembut, damn, it's effective. What "The Cure" lacks in originality it makes up for with its unyielding dedication to the hook. There's plenty of room in Gaga's expansive catalog for a simple slice of pop pie.

Nicki Minaj, "Regret in Your Tears"

"Regret in Your Tears" is a slightly more bummed-out version of "The Night Is Still Young." In lieu of an ear-crashing dubstep refrain, Minaj opts for simple, beat-driven production and a very clever use of echo and Auto-Tune. Catchiness with a side of feels.

Dorothy, "Down to the Bottom"

"Down to the Bottom" isn't a pop song, but its stomping, rebellious rock chorus is just as catchy as any Max Martinproduced smash. Dorothy's soulful vocals sound particularly powerful against the emphatic, guitar-laden instrumentals of "Down to the Bottom." A hit with a kick.

Hailee Steinfeld, "Most Girls"

"I don't want to be like most girls," Steinfeld exclaims on this very routine (but nonetheless fun) piece of top 40 EDM. The track doesn't hit the spot quite like "Starving" did last year, but its plucky and swirling chorus will certainly find a home in your subconscious.

Rebecca Black, "Foolish"

Yes, the gal who brought you "Friday" just delivered one of the season's best pop songs. (On that note: The hate Black received back then was uncalled-for. She was just a teenager having fun, and the Internet crucified her.) With "Foolish" Black trades in the shrill, plastic-pop sound of "Friday" for a luxurious, Daft Punkesque production. It's a smooth, twinkly track that will fit perfectly inside any smoky nightclub. You'd be foolish to skip.

Halsey, "Eyes Closed"

The Weeknd cowrote "Eyes Closed," an ominous and gritty jaunt from Halsey's forthcoming album. "Now if I keep my eyes closed, he looks just like you," Halsey sings over a lush (and deeply sensual) techno groove. "But he'll never stay; they never do." The song is one of Halsey's strongestand sexiestto date.

Haim, "Want You Back"

Haim's highly anticipated second studio album drops in July, and they've teased it so far with two songs: "Right Now," and "Want You Back," a positively jovial slice of summertime pop. Seriously, in a landscape dominated by moody, sexed-up midtempos, the breezy, funk-ified handclaps of "Want You Back" are more than welcome. It's just so damn happy.

Lorde, "Green Light"

Lorde puts exuberance in place of emotion on "Green Light," a dizzying dance tune that oddly combines piano beats and computer beeps. "Green Light" is the antithesis of "Royals," Lorde's gloomy, slow-boiling debut single that reached number one on Billboard's Hot 100. It's bonkers, but it works.

Alessia Cara and Zedd, "Stay"

"Stay" is the oldest song on this list, but it's getting a resurgence thanks to the film Everything, Everythingand cheers to that. Zedd works his standard magic on this zany, electronic confection, but it's Cara who really steals the show. Her robust, velvety vocals sound otherworldly against the song's zipping bells and whistles. If we had to predict Song of the Summer right now, this would be it.

Selena Gomez and Kygo, "It Ain't Me"

Gomez's last attempt at an EDM collab, 2015's "I Want You to Know" with Zedd, was lackluster and stale. The singer sounded lost amid Zedd's involved production, but she defiantly finds her voice on "It Ain't Me," which features beats from Kygo. The track is strong, straightforward, and immediateall the ingredients needed for good dance music. Studio trickery on Gomez's voice gives the song an extra jolt of electricity.

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Song of the Summer 2017: 15 New Tracks by Women That Deserve the Top Honor - Glamour

ROME - Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni on Friday addressed a meeting of presidents of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean in the Senate in Rome saying that, ''as well as working to try to govern the ongoing crises and to fight together against terrorism and migrant trafficking, there is a commitment'' to start creating a ''possible new order in the Mediterranean''.

The premier continued saying that ''talking now of this new order, looking at the current crises and difficulties, can appear a utopia'', but added that ''new social demands require a more stable region'' and ''we have huge potential''.

''Parliamentary diplomacy can accomplish a lot'' in this respect, said Gentiloni.

''Italy is a strip of land overlooking the Mediterranean'', Gentiloni went on to say. ''We have 8,000 km of coasts. And civilizations prospered in this sea, three great monotheistic religions, extraordinary cultural and commercial activities. We are today the heirs of this great heritage. This fundamental place of universal civilization has however been at the center, over the past few years, of a gradual process of instability.

And the Mediterranean has become a place where instability and conflicts have spread'', with very serious phenomena including migration flows ''managed by trafficking rings'', radicalization and terrorism.

Gentiloni said all this ''gives us a responsibility''.

''We have worked over the past few years to put the Mediterranean issue at the center of the European political agenda - he recalled - Europe needed to look at the south and Italy worked so that it would be understood how fundamental it is to look towards the south. And we are still working on this, both in our role as rotating presidents of the G7, which will meet in Sicily in June and will have as a focus relations with Africa'' and ''we are dealing with this also in our relations with Osce and the Mediterranean, in our role as rotating presidents, in the so-called Berlin process and in the summit to be held in Trieste in the coming weeks''. ''And when we talk about the Mediterranean - he observed - we cannot forget the issue of the development of the Balkans''.

According to the premier, the ''Mediterranean must be placed at the center of political agendas, not only because ongoing crises must be contained and resolved, starting with Syria'', but also because ''if all these challenges will not be confronted'' by finding an effective solution, ''a policy of peace and development in the region will be increasingly difficult''.

For this reason, he assured, ''it is necessary to start weaving the web of a new order in the Mediterranean'' although such an effort can appear unrealistic. ''We have great potential'', he said, recalling that next Sunday he will be in China ''for a summit on silk roads'' because trade with that part of the world ''has been a great opportunity for all of us for centuries''.

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UfM: New order necessary in the Mediterranean, Gentiloni - ANSAmed

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. Albert Einstein

The above quote seems pretty appropriate for the AEC industry at the moment. Everyone seems to agree that digital construction is the way forward, but were still struggling with adoption rates and realising the efficiencies that are available to us.

Theres a behavioural change that needs to happen across the industry to embrace a new way of thinking in order to successfully manage the delivery of our objectives.

While there are many examples of key tasks that can be delivered more effectively using BIM processes, there remains significant frustration and a lack of confidence as to how our processes align and work with technology, and this has created a lack of confidence right through the supply chain which needs to be overcome to achieve the true collaboration and information sharing that will transform the industrys productivity and efficiency.

Whatever your approach, digital empowers businesses to be more accurate and more efficient, and can facilitate the removal of waste, be that physical or process. But the opportunity of what you can realise is about you, your approach, your leadership and the commercial framework you work under.

The value a digital approach can bring is influenced by many factors at each phase of a project. The value can appear as a simple cost saving or as a benefit to reducing risk or realising greater opportunity, or simply by allowing tasks to be done quicker with or without a better outcome.

Invariably it is about simpler, more predictable business.

With the direct cost of enablement running at 0.2 0.5% of the project cost and the value created running in excess of 5% of the project cost, the commercial opportunity, if you have the resources and the tools to realise the outcome, are significant in an industry often only making 2-3%. While weve got some general rules based on our experience of using these methods on our own software and seeing the savings our customers are making, we are conscious that conclusively and unequivocally evidencing these savings remains complex.

If you believe in what youre doing, we believe the right thing to do is to look at a managed risk approach. This is not about taking on the risk as much as it is a more managed approach to that risk. Historically, we aim to pass the risk down the supply chain but at the same time simply expect some new utopia to be delivered, or leave insufficient time to deliver the improved outcome we want and expect. If youre using your tools correctly and have confidence in the information that youre producing on your projects, you should now feel comfortable taking on that risk and proving that BIM worksafter all, risk and opportunity are extremes of the same core challenge, managing the level of uncertainty.

Changing your approach is, of course, much easier when you have confidence in the ROI that you will achieve and you value the outcome rather than the simplicity of the completion. Its also easier to get the supply chain on board when they clearly understand the benefits and the ROI they themselves could achieve.

The savings are tangible and can be proved not only to you but also to the supply chain.

A managed risk approach is dominant in the process sectors and was dominant in the heady days of Construction Management in the 80s, or in the fully detailed design preferred by some Clients. But a combination of the technology and the new opportunity from BIM may well see such approaches return to the fore. For us, it was something we did years ago when our team directly delivered projects across the pharmaceutical sector. However, in those days the outcome, the content of the project, the surety of the time line and the continuous improvement mattered to owner occupier clients. That is not to imply that such outcomes dont matter now, it is just that there is a more short-term focus on the result to the detriment of a focus on the process which delivers it.

Graeme Forbes

Managing Director

Clearbox

0800 085 9872

sales@clearboxbim.com

http://www.clearboxbim.com

@clearboxbim

Please note: this is a commercial profile

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Digital Construction - taking on the risk in construction - Planning & Building Control Today

BostonsBSA Spaceis exploring the evolution of inflatables at its newest exhibit, The New Inflatable Moment, on display through September.

The exhibition was inspired by The Inflatable Moment: Pneumatics and Protest in 68, a 1998 book and exhibition by Marc Dessauce and The Architectural League of New York, which explored the relationship between inflatable technology and utopia.

With this exhibition, we revisit the moment of the 1960s explored by Dessauce to suggest that utopian thought is re-emerging today in architecture and art as evidenced by projects involving inflatables, said curators Mary Hale and Katazyrna Balug in the exhibit description.

From the advent of the hot air balloon to the studies of inflatable houses on Mars, the evolution of inflatable structures will be displayed in an interactive timeline created by Boston-based design agency Certain Measures. The timeline provides context for the different projects on display, showing them adjacent to corresponding sociopolitical moments in history.

A series of installations, photos, videos, and models will also populate the exhibit, depicting the ways inflatables have embodied the radical and experimental thinking of architects and artists throughout history. Work by the likes of Buckminster Fuller, Ant Farm, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and many others, will explore the experimental designs of this bubble-like architecture as well as the advancements in technology that are pushing inflatables into the future, and into space.

The exhibition reveals some of the most visionary architectural minds working with new methods of display and communication, said Laura Wernick, chair of the BSA Foundation, on the exhibits web page. Its premiere at BSA space will empower designers to similarly think and work in new ways to create a better future and motivate the general public to believe in it.

An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Wednesday, May 17 at 6 p.m. The exhibition is currently open and runs through September 3, 2017. For more information about the exhibit please visit the BSA Space website here.

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BSA Space's new exhibition explores the past, present, and future of inflatable architecture - The Architect's Newspaper

Sitting majestically in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor, this gleaming 644 feet-long white vessel is the largest, and probably most exclusive, "residential yacht" on earth.

Home to the world's only full-sized at-sea tennis court, a 7,000-square foot spa and fitness center, and 12,000-bottle wine collection, this ship has visited 1,213 ports and sailed 641,000 nautical miles.

This year alone it has undertaken expeditions to two of the most remote regions on earth -- the Ross Sea, in Antarctica, and Melanesia, near New Guinea.

But don't get too excited.

None of the suites on this 12-deck beauty are available to rent.

Dubbed a "condo cruise liner," every one of the 165 luxury apartments on board -- worth between $3 million for a studio and $15 million for a three-bedroom pad -- are owned by residents who must have a net worth of $10 million. At least.

To get on board, you'll need an invite.

When The World was launched 15 years ago, it nearly floundered.

"Initially, the ship was partially owned by a hotel company," Lillian Veri, a Canadian who has owned a residence on The World for nearly 10 years, tells CNN.

The sixth floor of the ship, she explains, had initially been reserved for hotel rooms, the rental income from which was intended to subsidize the residential side of the business.

"Well, it just didn't work out that way," Veri says.

In 2003, the business model changed. There would be no tourists on board. Just residents of a very high net worth.

It became -- and remains -- the only entirely residential cruise liner in the world.

All residents are shareholders who vote on everything from the ship's route each year, to the type of fuel used and the Christmas decorations.

"The people who buy here are successful in one way or another. Lawyers, doctors, architects, entrepreneurs," says Veri. "They have opinions on how things should be run."

The change in business plan worked.

By 2006, all of the residences had sold out.

During CNN's tour of the boat's facilities, various residents float by.

Looking like passengers of a regular cruise ship, they all cheerfully greet by name our guide Lisa Spiller, who joined as residential director of The World six months ago.

Everyone who passes, I realize, is at least a multi-millionaire. Just how rich, I ask Spiller -- who herself is dripping in what appear to be diamonds -- are residents of The World?

She smiles. "Let's just say the type of people who buy here have private jets. They collect art. This is not their only residence."

The wrong kind of success, however, could see a wealthy candidate vetoed by the vetting committee.

"I don't think that Oprah Winfrey would be allowed to buy here," explains Veri, as we chat in her three-bedroom apartment. It boasts a wonderful wrap-around terrace that today has an unobstructed view of the Hong Kong Island skyline.

"There's a code of confidentiality and privacy ... We don't want paparazzi here. This (boat) is a refuge, a sanctuary.

"You will never find out who else lives here."

Today, 142 unidentified families reside on the ship, who all have undergone a strict vetting process before being allowed to buy. Roughly half of those on board are North American, about 45 are European and another 20 are South African. The average age is 64 years old.

General manager Sandra Mooney says that, on average, most residents spend about six months a year on board the ship, which flies the Bahamas flag and adheres to that country's rules when in international waters. Occupancy peaks at Christmas, when many guests invite their families and friends on board.

Still, a ship that was built for 600 people, says Mooney -- hotel rooms have a higher occupancy per square foot than residences -- only ever has 330 maximum on board.

That The World is impressive there can be no doubt.

On a clear night far out at sea, residents can choose to sleep under the stars on a collection of "Bali beds." Each apartment receives complimentary turn-down twice a day. Bvlgari toiletries appear in the bathrooms as if by magic.

There is wifi coverage wherever the boat is, doctors on board, and even a pilates teacher on hand.

But wouldn't individuals with such fabulous wealth, and who seem to value privacy so highly, prefer to buy and travel on their own yacht?

The appeal, explains Veri, lies in the adventurous itineraries The World's staff put together.

"I don't have the creativity these people have. It's a lot of work to put all that stuff together."

By the end of 2017, for example, the ship will have visited Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Hawaii, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Canada, Alaska, Mexico and Central America, rounding off in Miami.

Three times per year The World undertakes "expeditions" -- voyages into unusual destinations, which are joined by leading environmentalists and academics, who through a series of lectures, forum breakfasts and field trips stimulate educational discussions about the given destination.

"We did, a long time ago, (a trip to) Madagascar," says Veri. "We had a National Geographic photographer, an anthropologist, a marine biologist. It's like being at a university for a week. That you can't get anywhere else."

Plus, there's the sense of community, says Mooney, recalling numerous parties the residents have thrown on board for one another.

"We feel this is our family, too," says Mooney with a sparkling smile, of the relationship between the staff and crew. "We have our family at home and we have our family on board. It's lovely."

The World, it seems, is not enough. Other cruise ship operators are now eying a slice of the luxury floating city market.

Launching in 2021, The Utopia is a five-star residential cruise liner set to rival The World.

It will have cost an estimated $980 million to build, according to its owners, and its 190 residences will be listed for between $4 million to $36 million. The ship's route will be tailored to tie in with key events on the global calendar, such as Cannes Film Festival, Monaco Grand Prix, the Olympics, fashion weeks, the Melbourne Cup, and Rio de Janeiro's Carnival.

"Utopia will be a place for annual meetings of first ladies, philanthropists, Nobel laureates, festivals of thinkers, and missions where world leaders are bringing together conservatives and liberals to solve pressing issues and brokering peace treaties among feuding ethnic groups and cultures," The Utopia's PR team tell CNN over email.

Unlike The World, however, there will also be 165 hotel rooms on board.

Launching in 2019, The Marquette is a residential-only river cruise ship, with apartments on board selling for the more modest price range of between $310,000 and $1.9 million. The project was founded by David Nelson, who has lived on a houseboat on the Mississippi river in the United States for 29 years.

For Mooney, however, no ship will rival The World.

"People think of (The World) as a cruise ship," she says. "It's not."

The World, she explains, is a unique floating city of like-minded individuals with a passion for travel and learning, which over the course of 15 years has become home to a bonded family. That sort of chemistry is hard to replicate.

"You have to come on board. Within a short period of time you really feel the heart of soul of spirit of the ship."

Link:

The World: a floating city of millionaires - CNN

Grand Designs has something no other home makeover show has: host Kevin McClouds strong, dark eyebrows. The British designer frequently raises them to the sky as he ponders seemingly foolhardy schemes. The series, which launched in Britain in 1999 and focuses on one extraordinary building project in each episode, began streaming two seasons on Netflix in April. So U.S. fans can see the brows and the buildings for themselves.

In one show, Colin, who teaches flying, and his wife, Marta, a trapeze artist, decide to build a home on their airfield. They want it to mimic an aircraft hangar with materials like steel and as the British pronounce it a-loo-min-ee-um. Colin lays the foundation, guided by an online course. He has no real idea what hes doing, McCloud says. Up go the brows.

In the end, their hangar home comes to life. A poetic McCloud describes it as an airship straight out of the pages of some graphic novel.

Then theres the family who buys a run-down movie parlor. They aim to tear it down and build a new home but it turns out they must preserve the historic Edwardian brick facade. Curiously, they decide the new construction behind it will be made of concrete. McClouds brows appear skeptical. But somehow it works: The home blends brutalist concrete with rustic timber and architectural echoes from the cinema.

No HGTV show can compare with the bold visions on Grand Designs. The only downside is that my 1920s colonial now seems rather boring. Maybe cloaking it with a-loo-min-ee-um would be just the thing!

Read more of Marcs musings:

Whats making people tune into Southern Charm?

Can millennials create a new utopia in Jungletown?

Brockmire turns a crisis into a home run

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No HGTV show can compare to the visions on 'Grand Designs' - Washington Post