Google DeepMind has announced an impressive grab bag of new products and prototypes that may just let it seize back its lead in the race to turn generative artificial intelligence into a mass-market concern. Top billing goes to Gemini 2.0the latest iteration of Google DeepMinds family of multimodal large language models, now redesigned around the ability to control agentsand a new version of Project Astra, the experimental everything app that the company teased at Google I/O in May. MIT Technology Review got to try out Astra in a closed-door live demo last week. It was a stunning experience, but theres a gulf between polished promo and live demo. Astra uses Gemini 2.0s built-in agent framework to answer questions and carry out tasks via text, speech, image, and video, calling up existing Google apps like Search, Maps, and Lens when it needs to. Its merging together some of the most powerful information retrieval systems of our time, says Bibo Xu, product manager for Astra. Gemini 2.0 and Astra are joined by Mariner, a new agent built on top of Gemini that can browse the web for you; Jules, a new Gemini-powered coding assistant; and Gemini for Games, an experimental assistant that you can chat to and ask for tips as you play video games. (And lets not forget that in the last week Google DeepMind also announced Veo, a new video generation model; Imagen 3, a new version of its image generation model; and Willow, a new kind of chip for quantum computers. Whew. Meanwhile, CEO Demis Hassabis was in Sweden yesterday receiving his Nobel Prize.) Google DeepMind claims that Gemini 2.0 is twice as fast as the previous version, Gemini 1.5, and outperforms it on a number of standard benchmarks, including MMLU-Pro, a large set of multiple-choice questions designed to test the abilities of large language models across a range of subjects, from math and physics to health, psychology, and philosophy. But the margins between top-end models like Gemini 2.0 and those from rival labs like OpenAI and Anthropic are now slim. These days, advances in large language models are less about how good they are and more about what you can do with them. And thats where agents come in. Hands on with Project Astra Last week I was taken through an unmarked door on an upper floor of a building in Londons Kings Cross district into a room with strong secret-project vibes. The word ASTRA was emblazoned in giant letters across one wall. Xus dog, Charlie, the projects de facto mascot, roamed between desks where researchers and engineers were busy building a product that Google is betting its future on. The pitch to my mum is that were building an AI that has eyes, ears, and a voice. It can be anywhere with you, and it can help you with anything youre doing says Greg Wayne, co-lead of the Astra team. Its not there yet, but thats the kind of vision. The official term for what Xu, Wayne, and their colleagues are building is universal assistant. Exactly what that means in practice, theyre still figuring out. At one end of the Astra room were two stage sets that the team uses for demonstrations: a drinks bar and a mocked-up art gallery. Xu took me to the bar first. A long time ago we hired a cocktail expert and we got them to instruct us to make cocktails, said Praveen Srinivasan, another co-lead. We recorded those conversations and used that to train our initial model. Xu opened a cookbook to a recipe for a chicken curry, pointed her phone at it, and woke up Astra. Ni hao, Bibo! said a female voice. Oh! Why are you speaking to me in Mandarin? Xu asked her phone. Can you speak to me in English, please? My apologies, Bibo. I was following a previous instruction to speak in Mandarin. I will now speak in English as you have requested. Astra remembers previous conversations, Xu told me. It also keeps track of the previous 10 minutes of video. (Theres a remarkable moment in the promo video that Google put out in May when Astra tells the person giving the demo where she had left her glasses, having spotted them on a desk a few seconds earlier. But I saw nothing like this in the live demo.) Back to the cookbook. Moving her phone camera over the page for a few seconds, Xu asked Astra to read the recipe and tell her what spices were in it. I recall the recipe mentioning a teaspoon of black peppercorns, a teaspoon of hot chili powder, and a cinnamon stick, it replied. I think youre missing a few, said Xu. Take another look. You are correctI apologize. I also see ground turmeric and curry leaves in the ingredients. Seeing this tech in action, two things hit you straight away. First, its glitchy and often needs correcting. Second, those glitches can be corrected with just a few spoken words. You simply interrupt the voice, repeat your instructions, and move on. It feels more like coaching a child than butting heads with broken software. Next Xu pointed her phone at a row of wine bottles and asked Astra to pick the one that would go best with the chicken curry. It went for a rioja and explained why. Xu asked how much a bottle would cost. Astra said it would need to use Search to look prices up online. A few seconds later it came back with its answer. We moved to the art gallery, and Xu showed Astra a number of screens with famous paintings on them: the Mona Lisa, Munchs The Scream, a Vermeer, a Seurat, and several others. Ni hao, Bibo! the voice said. Youre speaking to me in Mandarin again, Xu said. Try to speak to me in English, please. My apologies, I seem to have misunderstood. Yes, I will respond in English. (I should know better, but I could swear I heard the snark.) It was my turn. Xu handed me her phone. I tried to trip Astra up, but it was having none of it. I asked it what famous art gallery we were in, but it refused to hazard a guess. I asked why it had identified the paintings as replicas and it started to apologize for its mistake (Astra apologizes a lot). I was compelled to interrupt: No, noyoure right, its not a mistake. Youre correct to identify paintings on screens as fake paintings. I couldnt help feeling a bit bad: Id confused an app that exists only to please. When it works well, Astra is enthralling. The experience of striking up a conversation with your phone about whatever youre pointing it at feels fresh and seamless. In a media briefing yesterday, Google DeepMind shared a video showing off other uses: reading an email on your phones screen to find a door code (and then reminding you of that code later), pointing a phone at a passing bus and asking where it goes, quizzing it about a public artwork as you walk past. This could be generative AIs killer app. And yet theres a long way to go before most people get their hands on tech like this. Theres no mention of a release date. Google DeepMind has also shared videos of Astra working on a pair of smart glasses, but that tech is even further down the companys wish list. Mixing it up For now, researchers outside Google DeepMind are keeping a close eye on its progress. The way that things are being combined is impressive, says Maria Liakata, who works on large language models at Queen Mary University of London and the Alan Turing Institute. Its hard enough to do reasoning with language, but here you need to bring in images and more. Thats not trivial. Liakata is also impressed by Astras ability to recall things it has seen or heard. She works on what she calls long-range context, getting models to keep track of information that they have come across before. This is exciting, says Liakata. Even doing it in a single modality is exciting. But she admits that a lot of her assessment is guesswork. Multimodal reasoning is really cutting-edge, she says. But its very hard to know exactly where theyre at, because they havent said a lot about what is in the technology itself. For Bodhisattwa Majumder, a researcher who works on multimodal models and agents at the Allen Institute for AI, thats a key concern. We absolutely dont know how Google is doing it, he says. He notes that if Google were to be a little more open about what it is building, it would help consumers understand the limitations of the tech they could soon be holding in their hands. They need to know how these systems work, he says. You want a user to be able to see what the system has learned about you, to correct mistakes, or to remove things you want to keep private. Liakata is also worried about the implications for privacy, pointing out that people could be monitored without their consent. I think there are things I'm excited about and things that I'm concerned about, she says. There's something about your phone becoming your eyestheres something unnerving about it. The impact these products will have on society is so big that it should be taken more seriously, she says. But its become a race between the companies. Its problematic, especially since we dont have any agreement on how to evaluate this technology. Google DeepMind says it takes a long, hard look at privacy, security, and safety for all its new products. Its tech will be tested by teams of trusted users for months before it hits the public. Obviously, weve got to think about misuse. Weve got to think about, you know, what happens when things go wrong, says Dawn Bloxwich, director of responsible development and innovation at Google DeepMind. Theres huge potential. The productivity gains are huge. But it is also risky. No team of testers can anticipate all the ways that people will use and misuse new technology. So whats the plan for when the inevitable happens? Companies need to design products that can be recalled or switched off just in case, says Bloxwich: If we need to make changes quickly or pull something back, then we can do that.

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Bluesky has an impersonator problem Melissa Heikkil Like many others, I recently joined Bluesky. On Thanksgiving, I was delighted to see a private message from a fellow AI reporter, Will Knight from Wired. Or at least thats who I thought I was talking to. I became suspicious when the person claiming to be Knight said they were from Miami, when Knight is, in fact, from the UK. The account handle was almost identical to the real Will Knights handle, and used his profile photo. Then more messages started to appear. Paris Marx, a prominent tech critic, slid into my DMs to ask me how I was doing. Both accounts were eventually deleted, but not before trying to get me to set up a crypto wallet and a cloud mining pool account. Knight and Marx confirmed to us these accounts did not belong to them, and that they have been fighting impersonator accounts of themselves for weeks. Theyre not alone. The platform has had to suddenly cater to an influx of millions of new users in recent months as people leave X in protest of Elon Musks takeover of the platform. But this sudden wave of new users and the inevitable scammers means Bluesky is still playing catch up. Read the full story. MIT Technology Review Narrated: ChatGPT is about to revolutionize the economy. We need to decide what that looks like. You can practically hear the shrieks from corner offices around the world: What is our ChatGPT play? How do we make money off this? Whether its based on hallucinatory beliefs or not, an AI gold rush has started to mine the anticipated business opportunities from generative AI models like ChatGPT. But while companies and executives see a clear chance to cash in, the likely impact of the technology on workers and the economy on the whole is far less obvious. This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which were publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as its released.The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Cruise is exiting the robotaxi business Once one of the biggest players, it says it costs too much to develop the tech. (Bloomberg $)+ The news came as a shock to Cruise employees. (TechCrunch)2 Google asked the US government to kill Microsofts cloud deal with OpenAI It wants the opportunity to host the firms models itself. (The Information $)3 The season of coughs and sneezes is upon us Heres what will actually keep a cold at bayand what wont. (Vox)+ RFK Jrs alternative medicine movement is unlikely to help. (The Atlantic $)+ Flu season is comingand so is the risk of an all-new bird flu. (MIT Technology Review)4 Trumps new Commerce Secretary champions a stablecoin favored by criminalsTether regularly crops up in international criminal cases. (FT $) + The crypto industry is obsessed with debanking. (NBC News) 5 A Russian influence operation probably used AI voice generation modelsElevenLabs technology was highly likely to have been abused by the campaign. (TechCrunch) + How this grassroots effort could make AI voices more diverse. (MIT Technology Review)6 These satellites are designed to create solar eclipses on demandItll allow scientists to study the suns outer atmosphere. (WP $) 7 WhatsApp is for so much more than just messagingIts been repurposed by communities across the world. (Rest of World) + How Indian health-care workers use WhatsApp to save pregnant women. (MIT Technology Review)8 Paris is turning its parking spaces into tiny parks Cars are out, trees are in. (Fast Company $)9 How AI is shedding light on an ancient board gameOddly enough, they didnt come with instructions 4,500 years ago. (New Scientist $) 10 What a quarter-century of robotic dogs has taught us The Aibo is one of the few robots thats made it into homes worldwide. (IEEE Spectrum)+ Generative AI taught a robot dog to scramble around a new environment. (MIT Technology Review)Quote of the day In case it was unclear before, it is clear now: GM are a bunch of dummies. Kyle Vogt, founder of robotaxi firm Cruise, criticizes parent company General Motors decision to exit the industry in a post on X. The big story Inside NASAs bid to make spacecraft as small as possible October 2023 Since the 1970s, weve sent a lot of big things to Mars. But when NASA successfully sent twin Mars Cube One spacecraft, the size of cereal boxes, in November 2018, it was the first time wed ever sent something so small. Just making it this far heralded a new age in space exploration. NASA and the community of planetary science researchers caught a glimpse of a future long sought: a pathway to much more affordable space exploration using smaller, cheaper spacecraft. Read the full story. David W. Brown We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.) + This fascinating tool creates fake video game screenshots in the blink of an eyegive it a whirl.+ Where and how did the people of the submerged territory of Doggerland live before rising seas pushed them away thousands of years ago? Were getting closer to learning the answers.+ Home Alone is a surprisingly brutal movie, as these doctors can attest.+ Cats love boxes. But why?

WAC's Top 10 Architecture Books Of 2024html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"In our third annual review of 2024, we have selected the best architecture books published on WAC Books for our readers. As part of our annual tradition at WAC, we select books that explore a wide range of topics.This year's selections feature a groundbreaking vision of the future of AI, a comprehensive monograph exploring the work of photographer Hlne Binet, a series of carefully chosen case studies on schools as regenerative spaces, and innovative concepts for the future of energy in architecture and design. Additionally, there are captivating dreamscapes and interiors created with the help of AI.American art and architecture critic Aaron Betsky's The Monster Leviathan: Anarchitecture, Zupagrafika's Kiosk: The Last Modernist Booths Across Central and Eastern Europe, Marc Treib's Noguchi's Gardens, Landscapes As Sculpture, gestalten and Sam Lubell's American Icons: The Architecture Of The United States: Visions And Defiance are among WAC's most captivating books of 2024.Explore our extensive archive of WAC Books and choose your favorite book below to enhance your bookshelf (in no particular order):Image courtesy of Amazon1. Transform! Designing the Future of Energy byMateo Kries (Editor),Jochen Eisenbrand (Editor),Daniel Barber (Contributor),Donatella Germanese (Contributor),Carola Hein (Contributor),Stephan Rammler (Contributor),Catharine Rossi (Contributor)Energy is one of the biggest problems of our day and it is directly related to architecture and design. It is not just a physical asset but also an ethical and political value that must be considered.Published by Vitra Design Museum, from the perspective of design, the 195-page book examines the current, drastic changes in the energy sector, from products that capture renewable energy to solar house and wind turbine designs, and from intelligent mobility ideas to future visions of self-sufficient communities. It highlights the world's energy needs and poses important questions, such as how design may help us use renewable energy sources more effectively and use less energy overall.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.Image courtesy of Amazon2. AI Sapien: Variations On Architecture And The Future by Robert Cha (Author)Author Robert Cha has documented a set of 128 unique AI-generated artworks, as well as thought-provoking conversations and moving poems produced in partnership with AI, set to Bach's Goldberg Variations.Published by ORO Editions, the 192-page book investigates the future of architecture and its connection to these ontologically enigmatic technologies that are starting to mimic sentient through this mixed-media approach. This book offers new insights into the mysterious "Black Box" of AI and presents a future in which habitat and AI are inexorably interwoven.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.Image courtesy of Amazon3. Hlne Binet (Architectural Photographers) byMarco Iuliano (Author), Martino Stierli (Author)Hlne Binet is one of the most important photographers of the 20th century. The book is the full monograph of Hlne Binet's work, which includes two in-depth analytical essays. Binet has photographed both modern and old architecture over the course of forty years.The 160-page book was published by Lund Humphries. According to Marco Iuliano, Hlne Binet's family history includes her early "discovery" of architectural photographer Lucien Herv, her upbringing in the Italian fishing village of Sperlonga and Rome, her partnerships with Daniel Libeskind and John Hejduk, and her introduction to Zaha Hadid at the Architectural Association (AA) in London. The essay delves into Binet's method, archive, and attitude to photography.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.Image courtesy of Amazon4. Creating the Regenerative School by by Alan Ford (Author), Kate Mraw (Author), Betsy del Monte (Author)With designs that are not only aesthetically pleasing learning spaces but also embrace restorative principles, the Regenerative School book profile highlights case studies from around the globe that demonstrate best practices in developing healthy, climate-appropriate learning environments for early learners through high school, improving the lives of the occupants, the environment, and the community in which they live.Published by ORO Editions, eight pages of content, including numerous photos, plans, diagrams, and over 1,000 words of text that highlights the distinctive solutions, are included in each project profile. Five criteria were used to analyze case studies: Strategies for Net-Zero Energy and Carbon Features of Regenerative, Healthful Buildings Post-occupancy data; Occupant satisfaction; Evidence-based informed design.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.p.232 Carlos Baon Blazquez, Living in a Dream, gestalten 2024, courtesy of gestalten5. Living In A Dream: Dreamscapes, Imagined Architecture, And Interiors bygestalten (Editor)This collection is presented as a powerful celebration of the transformational power of design and unbounded imagination. The 265-page book was published by gestalten.Living in a Dream is an amazing collection of interior and architectural marvels. Every page of this carefully chosen compilation reveals a new area of creative innovation, inviting readers to explore the halls of boundless imagination. The book goes beyond accepted bounds, providing an insight into the thoughts of creative visionaries who have dared to think outside the box.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.Image courtesy of Amazon6. The Monster Leviathan: Anarchitecture by Aaron Betsky (Author)American art and architecture critic Aaron Betsky explores an architecture through twentieth- and early twenty-first-century texts, art, and design in The Monster Leviathan. He contends that these fleeting evocations are actual suggestions in and of themselves. They are scenes that are either imaginative enough to open our eyes or realistic enough to convince us that they exist; they are neither functioning models nor ideas for new forms.The 464-page book was published by The MIT Press.Students and architecture enthusiasts, as well as people who aspire to build a better, more sustainable, and socially just future, can envision that such alternate worlds are achievable with the help of the Monster Leviathan. An architecture already existing and does not exist at all, as Betsky so eloquently states. All we need to do is locate the myth of building.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.Image courtesy of Amazon7. Noguchi's Gardens, Landscapes As Sculpture by Marc Treib (Author)Noguchi considered landscape design to be a formal and spatial art, and he was successful in creating a number of noteworthy locations from his early environmental initiatives to his later mature works.Renowned landscape historian Marc Treib details and evaluates projects ranging from his early unfinished plans for playgrounds and monuments to a sizable park in Sapporo, Japan, whose construction was only finished after his death, in this thorough and beautifully illustrated analysis of Noguchi's gardens.The 304-page book was published by ORO Editions.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.Image courtesy of Amazon8. Cities Of Repetition: Hong Kong's Private Housing Estates by Christian J. Lange (Author), Jason F. Carlow (Author)The greatest housing complexes in Hong Kong constructed by private developers between the late 1960s and the early 2000s are thoroughly documented and analyzed graphically by the Cities of Repetition book.The ultra-dense, mass-produced, highly repetitive constructed surroundings that hundreds of thousands of people in Hong Kong live in are depicted and contrasted in the original drawings and diagrams. In addition to showing the vast scope of the city's housing complexes, drawings, diagrams, and photographs also highlight the hundreds of identically designed housing units and their minor variations.The 144-page book was published by ORO Editions.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.Image courtesy of Amazon9. American Icons: The Architecture of the United States: Visions and Defiance byAmerican Icons is a tribute to the country's architectural wonders, ranging from skyscrapers to residences, from airports to museums, and more. It includes amazing pieces by well-known architects John Lautner, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, and many more.Published by gestalten, the 288-page American Icons reveals the tales of some of the greatest architects of the 20th century that shape the American skylines through meticulous, expertly shot photographs and engrossing readings by Sam Lubell, writer for The New York Times.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.Image courtesy of Amazon10. Kiosk: The Last Modernist Booths Across Central and Eastern Europe by Zupagrafika (Author)This 208-page photobook offers unrivalled documentation of the final modernist kiosks that witnessed the socio-political upheaval of Central and Eastern Europe in the late 20th century, with over 150 kiosks from Belgrade to Berlin and from Ljubljana to Warsaw. Some have been abandoned or have gradually disappeared from the urban scene, while others have been rebuilt or are still in use.Martyna Sobecka and David Navarro, the founders of Zupagrafika, took the pictures in this one-of-a-kind collection during the past ten years. Architectural historian Anna Cymer's introduction and urban explorer Maciej Czarnecki's foreword provide important insights into the history of these movable buildings.Read more and purchase the book on WAC Books.

The One-Meter-Deep Cafe Invites Customers With Its Patina Color On Its Facade In Kyotohtml PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"G Architects Studio, a Japanese architecture practice, has built a one-meter-deep cafe in Kyoto, Japan, featuring a patina-colored facade that attracts customers from afar.Named Suetomi AoQ Cafe Stand, the 10-square-metre cafe stand is part of AoQ, a new brand established by Suetomi, the renowned confectionery shop in Kyoto.Takeout counterThe coffee stand is situated on the ground floor of a two-story wooden building at an intersection encircled by hotels and office buildings on Karasuma-dori street, which goes from the Kyoto train station.The coffee stand is so small and modest that it is nearly invisible on the crowded street, with a depth of barely one meter. Its shallow depth allowed for a quick decision to be made regarding the floor plan.Main elevationAlong the street in front, the kitchen and the resting area were set placed side by side. Despite the fact that the floor plan was chosen almost instinctively, much consideration was given to the elevations, as G Architects Studio explained.Despite the stand's exterior and interior features, the vertical side was selected for study, and efforts were made to chemically slow down the aging process of the copper.View looking back over the main streetThe wall was taped with copper foil that had been oxidized using chemicals and soy sauce. In addition to giving it a rusty patina color reminiscent of "Suetomi blue," which has been Suetomi's corporate color for the past 70 years, this was done to create a front that would look appropriate for Suetomi's, a long-standing candy store in Kyoto.Main elevation"Suetomi's flagship store is located just three minutes away on foot, so the desire was for the whole stand to function as a signboard, 1 meter thick, with the color, leading customers to the main store from the busy street," said G Architects Studio."The patina color was used in two areas: the eye-catching side facing the intersection, as well as in the resting area. Cityscape regulations control the use of facade colors except for natural materials.""The use of the colors was permitted by the local government as it was not painted, but rather was created by the oxidation of the copper," the studio added.View looking back over the main streetBoth ammonium chloride and soy sauce were applied in sufficient amounts that led the copper to corrode rapidly, producing the patina color, and slowly, producing the reddish brown color.In the absence of these materials, the copper would have taken roughly three months to become this reddish brown and ten years to turn patina if it had merely been exposed to wind and rain.View from streetWhen the cafe is closed, a roll screen constructed of mesh sheet that was initially used for a temporary scaffold during building construction covers the resting area.It looks like a bamboo blind that was once used by Japanese noble homes and allows customers to see through to the wall's patina color when it is lit at night. It serves as both a billboard for the store and a "street lamp" for onlookers.View from main streetView from streetRest spaceRest spaceView from streetBench and small Japanese gardenDetail of rest spaceClosingNight scene of elevationDetail of wall panel (gradation)The goal of Ryohei Tanaka / G Architects Studio in their design approach is to establish a new harmony between the past and the present, moving beyond mere nostalgia. Japan, their home country, has a rich history.However, similar to some other Asian nations, parts of the city center feature modern, characterless buildings, leading to a decline in the overall cityscape quality.Project factsProject name:Suetomi AoQ Cafe StandLocation:Map pointer 316-2 Tamatsushimach, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8427, JapanDesign:Ryohei Tanaka | G Architects StudioClient:SuetomiFloor area:10.17m2Completion:2022Architect:Ryohei Tanaka/ G Architects StudioArt direction:Issay Kitagawa / GRAPH Co. LtdConstruction:Takanori Yoshida/ YOSHIDA INTERIOR CO., LTDGarden:Shota Ogino/ Ogino Landscape DesignFabric:Makino Horiguchi/ fab-Lighting:Mariko Hayashi/ ModuleX Inc.All images Daisuke Shima.> via G Architects Studio

Eight-day public inquiry into transformation of former Royal Mint to start in FebruarySource: David Chipperfield ArchitectsDavid Chipperfield Architects proposals to transform Royal Mint Court into Chinas new London embassyTower Hamlets council has refused David Chipperfields plans to transform the former Royal Mint into Chinas UK embassy in a symbolic move following Angela Rayners decision to call in the scheme.Councillors voted unanimously to refuse the scheme in a special meeting of the councils strategic development committee on Monday despite the plans being recommended for approval by planning officers.Rayner called in the 600,000 sq ft scheme in October and notified the council of her intention to hold a public inquiry with the planning inspectorate, which will start on 11 February and run for an initial period of eight days.The secretary of states intervention came three months after Chipperfield resubmitted the application for the scheme, which had been rejected by Tower Hamlets in 2022 due to security and heritage concerns. The new application contains no major changes.The purpose of the councils vote to approve was to demonstrate how it would have determined the scheme if it had the opportunity to do so. The decision will form the basis for the councils case at the upcoming inquiry.Overview of the embassy proposalsRayner did not give specific reasons why she took charge of the scheme but was said in a letter sent to the council by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to want to look into the extent to which the proposed development is consistent with the development plan for the area.The letter also listed the extent to which the scheme is consistent with government policies for Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment in the National Planning Policy Framework as among issues the secretary of state particularly wishes to be informed about.Under Chipperfields plans for the site, the grade II*- listed Johnson Smirke Building would be refurbished as the main embassy building to host formal reception spaces and offices.The grade II-listed Seamans Registry would also be refurbished under the scheme with various additions to both buildings, which were carried out as part of the mints redevelopment in the 1980s, due to be replaced.Two linked blocks constructed as part of the 1980s redevelopment, Dexter House and Murray House, would be separated and reconfigured, with Murray House stripped back to its frame to create a new ceramic-clad cultural centre.

Source: Marcus QuigleySource: Marcus QuigleySource: Marcus QuigleySource: Marcus QuigleySource: Marcus QuigleySource: Marcus QuigleySource: Leo CinicoloSource: Leo CinicoloSource: Leo CinicoloSource: Leo Cinicolo1/10show captionThe first phase of the Ebury Bridge Estate regeneration in Belgravia, led by London-based architectural practice astudio, has been completed. The project, commissioned by Westminster council, seeks to set new benchmarks for sustainable and socially inclusive estate renewal. It delivers 226 homes, including 100 council homes for social rent, in one of central Londons most exclusive postcodes.Located in Knightsbridge and Belgravia, the scheme is part of Westminsters wider strategy to address housing needs through community-centred redevelopment. The regeneration of the 1930s estate is intended to create a mixed-tenure neighbourhood while prioritising environmental performance.Astudios founding director, Richard Hyams, commented:This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a whole new estate of this scale in the centre of London. From the outset, our client was dedicated to creating a national exemplar to demonstrate how affordable homes can be provided with design quality and environmental performance at its heart. It has been a privilege to work on such a transformative project.> Also read:Westminster council orders redesign of controversial Ebury Estate to add second staircases> Also read:Westminster green lights controversial Ebury Estate redevelopmentThe first phase introduces four new public squares, 100 council homes for social rent, and additional homes for private sale and leasehold returnees. The overall masterplan will deliver 781 homes across three phases, with more than half designated as affordable housing.The development has achieved BREEAM Communities Outstanding certification and integrates sustainable features such as a ground source heat pump system, greywater recycling, and blue roofs designed to manage stormwater across the site.Visualisation of how the completed scheme will lookSource: astudioTypical floorSource: astudioTypical lower level floor planSource: astudioTypical upper level floor planSource: astudio1/4show captionThe masterplan employed daylight modelling and wind studies to optimise building form and orientation, reducing energy demand and enhancing the usability of outdoor spaces. The design team used parametric modelling to adapt to evolving requirements during the projects development, ensuring flexibility within the overall massing.A council spokesperson highlighted the focus on community engagement, noting that original residents were closely involved in shaping the proposals through workshops and events. Returning residents will be supported in moving into their new homes, with officers assisting 90 families over the coming weeks.Councillor Matt Noble, cabinet member for regeneration and renters at Westminster council, said:This is the start of a new chapter for Ebury Bridge. The completion of the first phase of this scheme, which sees over 200 homes built, half of which are new council homes, showcases our commitment to building more truly affordable homes that are high-quality and fit for purpose in our community and demonstrates that were delivering on our Fairer Housing commitments for the residents of Westminster.The scheme also includes community facilities such as a nursery, fitness centre, and retail spaces, alongside an expanded high street. Construction of the second phase, delivering 334 additional homes, is set to begin in 2025.Project teamWestminster City Council (Client)Bouygues (Main Contractor)astudio (Architect)ARUP (Fire, Sustainability, Underground Drainage, Civils, Facades, Landscape, Structures)Garner and Theobold Project Manager, Quantity SurveyorEnergist (Energy Consultant)Maynard (Wayfinding)Pace Consult (Acoustics)Playle & Partners (CDM consultancy)Shockledge (Temporary Works Design)

From home extensions to workspaces, pavilions to shop fit-outs, restaurants and small houses, AJ Small Projects has always celebrated great architecture on a budget.Since the award was conceived, it has proved a fantastic showcase for the depth of design talent across the UK and has highlighted the work of often new and smaller practices, many of which have later gone onto greater or larger things. Previous winners include Chris Wilkinson, Haworth Tompkins, Mole Architects, Carmody Groarke and Hawkins\Brown.Enter AJ Small Projects 2025 now!Tthe AJ Small Projects Award has charted a quarter of a century of Britains architects seeking to harness big ideas to small budgets.Past winners have ranged from luxury home renovations, extensions on tiny budgets, arts and cultural studios and spaces, follies and more civic and community-minded market stalls.AdvertisementThe award was launched in 1995 with a garden pavilion by Anthony Grimshawwinning in 1996.Since then, winners have followed trends in architectural form, ideas and materiality, starting with the glazed box of the original winner to later schemes featuring Cor-ten as cladding such as Haworth Tompkins 2010 winner The Dovecote Studioora return to brick as seen in 2018s winning scheme,Wrong Houseby Matheson Whiteley Architects. Source:Peter LandersChris Dysons sensitively camouflaged Wapping extension to a Grade II-listed terrace was 2014s winning schemeThere has also been an increasing recognition of the value ofretrofitprojects, adapting and adding to in more ways than one existing structures: seen in Martin Edwards architects subtle and sensitive winning scheme, House in North Wales, which reworked a beloved home.Sustainability has been more and more embodied, as seen most recently in 2024s winner: the Farmers Arms Cold Food Store by Hayatsu Architects and Grizedale Arts. This was built on the side of a former pub in the Lake District for a local arts organisation specialising in crafts. Constructed as part of an annual building school at which international participants learned and exchanged craft skills, the structures design adapts traditional Japanese storage building typologies with locally sourced materials. It also used traditional Japanese shikkuiplaster.Although the eligible cost for entered completed projects has risen with inflation this years award will celebrate projects with a maximum contract value of 399,000 the cheapest winning scheme will most likely remain as 2004s Ola Mae Porch by Lucy Begg and Robie Gay. Completed for just 3,600, the project was a self-built porch for a trailer home in rural Alabama.The AJ Small Projects award-giving event and exhibition has also been held at many different venues over the years with 2000s selected schemes shown at the RIBA Architecture Gallery that spring. In 2012, it was held at New London Architecture, then located at the Building Centre, and more recently architecture practices including Apt, Studio Egret West and Morris + Co have kindly hosted it.AdvertisementAJ Small Projects 2025 is sponsored by Marley. The shortlisted projects will be published in the AJs April issue and all projects entered into the awards are featured on the AJ Buildings Library. More information on criteria and how to enter can be found here. Source:Charlie RedmanTo celebrate Small Projects turning 21 in 2016, three projects were named winners including The Welcoming Shelter, a kinetic structure by Bartlett student Charlie RedmanAJ Small Projects: past winners1996 Garden Gazebo by Anthony Grimshaw (57,500)Read more here1997/1998 Princes Club Ski Tow Pavilion by Chris Wilkinson (60,000)Read more here1999 Glover Flat by Wilkinson King (43,000)2000 10 Market Stalls by Hawkins\Brown (144,000)2001 Holland Park by Boyarsky Murphy Architects (120,000)2002 London House by Simon Conder Associates (98,500)Read more here2003 TFL International by Studio BAAD (217,000)2004 Ola Mae Porch by Lucy Begg and Robie Gay (3,600)2005 Bell-Simpson House by NORD Architects (80,000)2006 Three Seton Mains by Paterson Architects (200,000)Read more here2007 Wallace Road by Paul Archer Design (250,000)2008 Japanese Tea House by Mole Architects (7,000)Watch film here2009 Moonshine by Mitchell Taylor Workshop (150,000)Read more here2010 The Dovecote Studio by Haworth Tompkins (155,000)Read more here2011 Jellyfish Theatre by Koebberling and Kaltwasser (17,000)Read more here2012 Old Workshop by Jack Woolley (232,000)Read more here2013 Box House by Laura Dewe Mathews (245,000)Read more here2014 13 Wapping Pierhead by Chris Dyson Architects (210,000)Read more here2015 Maggies Merseyside by Carmody Groarke (217,000)Read more here2016 Contemporary lean-to by Doma Architects (101,800), The Welcoming Shelter by Charlie Redman (22,000), and Avon Wildlife Trust Cabin by Hugh Strange Architects (32,000)Read more here2017 Croft Lodge Studio by Kate Darby Architects and David Connor Design (160,000)Read more here2018 Wrong House by Matheson Whiteley Architects (93,000)Read more here2019 Conservatory Room by David Leech Architects (49,750)Read more here2020 House in North Wales by Martin Edwards Architects (120,000)Read more here2021 Common Room by Rashid Ali Architects (9,500)Read more here2022 Drovers Bough by Akin Studio (70,200) Read more here2023 Adelaide Street by OGU Architects and MMAS (340,000)Read more here2024 The Farmers Arms Cold Food Store by Hayatsu Architects and Grizedale Arts (35,000) Read more here2025 ?

The Manchester-based practice was chosen ahead of rival bids by Londons Studio Moren, Rome-based DCS + Architects and Australian outfit Hayman + Charlton Architects. It was selected anonymously out of 100 entries from 32 countries.Void Studios winning design blends traditional Maasai patterns with contemporary architecture. The judges called it a visually captivating experience that fosters curiosity and a sense of wonder.The US$750,000 tourism and visitor centre is for Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy, the philanthropic arm of travel company Abercrombie & Kent (A&K). It will provide a 485m focal point for people travelling to the Masai Mara National Reserve.AdvertisementThe two-stage competition sought proposals for an innovative and engaging facility which helps to educate, inspire, and create awareness about conservation and the traditions of the Maasai people.Proposals were asked to integrate elements of local Maasai culture and heritage, and harness eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient technologies, and renewable energy sources.The winning team is collaborating with Kenyan architect Paul Mungai and other local partners including Lawrence Mbugua and Johnpaul Muwanika. More than two-thirds of the project budget will be invested directly into the local economy through the use of local resources, materials and skilled labour.A&K Kenya director Reuben Makau said: At A&K Philanthropy, we believe in the power of partnership and the importance of honouring local knowledge. We are thrilled that Void Studios will be collaborating with a Kenyan architect on this landmark project.This collaboration ensures that the conservation centre will not only be a stunning architectural achievement but also a true reflection of Kenyas rich heritage and its commitment to a sustainable future.AdvertisementThe Masai Mara National Reserve is a large game reserve located in Kenyas Rift Valley Provence, close to the border with Tanzania and the neighbouring Serengeti National Park. The 1,510km2 conservation zone is bordered by Maasai farming settlements to the north, east and west.The Conservation Centre aims to provide a memorable and enjoyable experience for visitors of all ages and to reflect elements of Maasai culture and heritage to create a harmonious blend between the centre and its surroundings.Competition judges included Florence Nyole, president, Architectural Association of Kenya; Brian Heath managing director of the Mara Triangle; Fernando Delgado, chief product officer at A&K Travel Group; and Keith Sproule, executive director at Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy.Nyole said: The Architectural Association of Kenya congratulates the international architectural competition winner for the Maasai Mara Conservation Centre The winner has already made significant progress by collaborating with a team of registered Kenyan professionals. The involvement of Kenyan experts in finalising the design, overseeing construction, and completing the project will foster international knowledge exchange, ensure cultural sensitivity, and directly benefit local businesses in KenyaWe look forward to the final reveal of the built visitor centre and wish the team all the best in its realisation.Void Studios director and co-founder Ian Sanders said: Our proposed Masai Mara Conservation Hub and Visitor Centre embodies a holistic approach to ecological and cultural preservation.Local materials are weaved together with unique Masai cultural features, to create an engaging educational visitor experience whilst reinforcing the connection between conservation efforts and cultural heritage.Much of the success of the proposal is owed to the collaboration with our consultant partners in Kenya. We are grateful for their insight and professionalism throughout the design process, and we are excited to engage with the local communities to deliver a project of this significance in one of the worlds most iconic ecological and cultural landscapes, the Masai Mara.

Meta suffered a widespread outage across its social media and messaging apps on Wednesday, with Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads all affected. By the late afternoon, the apps were almost fully functional again."Thanks for bearing with us! We're 99% of the way there - just doing some last checks,"Meta posted on X at 2:26 p.m. PT/5:56 p.m. ET. "We apologize to those who've been affected by the outage."Instagram outage reportsbegan spiking at around 10 a.m. PT, according to Downdetector, and the same time frame hit onFacebook,Facebook Messenger,WhatsAppandThreads. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)Instagram was showing error messages on the web version, and the mobile app had a spinning wheel when users tried to refresh their feeds. Though Stories appeared to be working, the "following" tab was also showing a "couldn't load activity" message. Within a few hours, reports began dropping although pages were still slow to load, and only loading hours-old posts."We're aware that a technical issue is impacting some users' ability to access our apps," Meta posted on Xat 10:48 a.m. PT. "We're working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience."Cisco ThousandEyes is attributing the outage to "internal server errors and timeouts, which may indicate issues with Meta's backend services."Meta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on what caused the outage and when it'll be fixed.People took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to post about the Instagram outage, asking if others were experiencing the same loading errors and to share memes about the experience.

Our Experts Written by Tyler Lacoma, Macy Meyer David Anders Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement How we test What to consider Important features Does the Ring doorbell have two-way audio, motion detection and other key features? Are you willing to pay for a Ring subscription to get features like video storage and object detection? Latency Does the doorbell have any problems with latency and alerts? Can it be positioned close enough to your Wi-Fi network? Live view Does the Ring camera on the doorbell show a clear image with the right resolution for easy live viewing? Smart home Are you happy with Ring doorbells that are largely limited to Amazon Alexa compatibility? Table of Contents Home security is an essential part of everyday life. A video doorbell camera is a good entry point for those looking to get started on their security setup.Ring is one of the biggest names in home security thanks to its lineup of security cameras and doorbells. And the company has significantly expanded its portfolio over the years, offering many more options than before. We've been on top of the ever-growing list of the latest doorbell products from Ring, tracking all the upgrades and differences.We've put together a great roundup of home-tested Ring options for you. You'll find some affordable choices and even those living in apartments will have an option or two to pick from, as well. Our Picks View details $230 at Amazon View details View details $53 at Amazon View details View details $150 at Amazon View details View details $50 at Amazon View details View details $130 at Amazon View details Table of Contents What is the best Ring video doorbell? Our current top pick is the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro, offering bird's eye views, custom motion zones and a solid battery life via a removable battery pack. Today's security cameras Deals* No deals found for the current product category. Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.If you're looking to stick with your existing doorbell wiring and want to say goodbye to battery-powered doorbells, dont worry -- Ring has you covered there, too. Whether you want to get a Ring video doorbell for your own home or as a tech holiday gift for a new homeowner or renter, you'll find an option below. And while you're at it, take a look at our best video doorbell list and best outdoor cam guide to check out other brands like Nest and Arlo in addition to Ring.Note: Ring has come under criticism for its privacy policies in the past. As a result, the company has now removed an option that allowed police to request video footage from the company for any reason. It's a privacy improvement that makes Ring's policy more similar to Google and other security companies. Best Ring video doorbells of 2024 CNET/Tyler Lacoma Photo Gallery 1/4 The Ring Battery Doorbell Pro prior to our full installation. CNET/Tyler Lacoma $230 at Amazon $230 at Ring