Above: the SmartScreen’s shape-memory strands at different stages of transformation

Last week’s unseasonable temperature spike on the East Coast found many of us scrambling to get out of the 100-degree sun. So it seems appropriate that we just got word from Martina Decker, one of our Next Gen alums, about new developments with her SmartScreen shading system. Her design could potentially have a profound impact on the amount of energy resources our buildings consume. Read more…

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced the winners of the 2009 Young Architects Awards today. Among the eight honorees is Jinhee Park of SINGLE speed DESIGN (Ssd) who along with partners John Hong  (who won the Young Architects Award in 2006) and Erik Carlson won the first annual MetropolisNext Generation award in 2004 for the Big Dig House.

Jinhee Park (front) and others from the firm of SINGLE speed DESIGN among dismantled sections of Interstate 93 at Leverett Circle in Boston, the inspiration for their Big Dig House

(Portrait by John Goodman for Metropolis)

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The Milky Way as seen from Cherry Springs State Park. Photo by Dave Wymer.

It seems stargazers have their feet firmly on the ground when it comes to light pollution: You’ve heard all about the great work that last year’s Next Generation winner, Civil Twilight, is doing to keep the night sky dreamy and this summer the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has been going to bat for natural nighttime brilliance. Read more…