DescriptionSubscript is an early-stage startup focused on making life better for B2B SaaS finance leaders.Were backed by top-tier investors like First Round Capital as well as execs from Looker, Gusto, Postman, Plaid and others. Were looking for our first Growth Marketing Manager to help continue our rapid growth!In this role youll wear a lot of different hats and continue to grow your marketing career with us!The way we work:At Subscript, we do things differently and we're proud of that:First, you should know that every job at Subscript (including this one) is completely remote. You can truly work from wherever you want! Youll have co-workers in San Francisco, Portugal, Brazil, England, Vietnam, Canada and many other places. We are an asynchronous team - we don't do scheduled internal meetings, and we rely on each team member to communicate clearly in writing and with recorded videos. If you're sick of pointless meetings, this is the place for you! In fact, youll soon notice that most of this interview process is going to be asynchronous. We told you we do things differently!We're a team that loves working together - we love playing board games (these we do synchronously ). Full-time team members meet up multiple times per year for live offsites around the world (expenses paid!)Like all start-ups we're scrappy, but not scrappy on compensation: Subscript is committed to paying our awesome team members at market rate!The role youll play on our team:Subscript has grown fast in the last year and its up to you to help us continue that growth in 2025! Were counting on you to be a well-rounded marketer who can launch and scale new growth channels across both Paid and Organic.You need to be flexible enough to work across multiple marketing disciplines. For example, one day you might be launching LinkedIn ads, the next day you might be optimizing cold email campaigns, and another day you might be creating an SEO strategy. We dont expect you to be an expert across all of these channels, but we do expect you to have the right marketing fundamentals, and an eagerness to learn.Youre joining as the second marketer on our team. Youll partner with our Head of Marketing and youll be a key reason that Subscript is successful.To be a good fit for this role you likely need 2-5 years of marketing experience. Ideally, a lot of that experience is at a B2B SaaS company.Traits youll need to be great in this role:A sponge - To excel in this role youll need to be a great learner who is eager to become an even better marketer.A well-rounded marketer - We dont want a performance marketer, or a SEO specialist, or a LinkedIn influencer. We straight up need some marketers. We want someone who can (and is eager to) flex into multiple disciplines of marketing.Good with math - You dont need to be an engineer, but you do need to be a numbers person. You need to be able to say, This experiment isnt worth running because in the best case scenario it will generate x visits to our site which will likely only turn into y customers.Strong writer - Its hard to be a great, well-rounded marketer unless youre a strong writer. And, its impossible to work in a culture like Subscript unless you can document your work and persuade others to take action through writing.Resourceful - Youre great at figuring things out!The interview processWe like to be really transparent about everything at Subscript, including our interview process!Our interview process is designed to focus on the traits listed above, as well as your ability to communicate clearly (both written and via recorded video). We're a fully asynchronous company, so that's how we will mostly communicate in this interview process too .1. First, youll fill out the application. This also involves answering a couple of questions.2. Next, youll complete an exercise where you get to demonstrate how youd approach learning something new. The output of your work here will be 1-2 pages of writing.3. Then, youll complete your final exercise designed to help us learn more about how you approach marketing and growth. The output of your work here will be 1-3 pages of writing.4. Lastly, youll meet with Phil Sharp, our Head of Marketing. This will be a casual conversation where hell have some questions for you, but will also save a lot of time for whatever is on your mind!5. And finally, hopefully we'll send you an offer. And hopefully you'll accept!BenefitsUnlimited vacationCompletely flexible work schedule work literally anytime (and anywhere) you want!Benefits appropriate to your location (health/dental/vision in the USA)Company-wide retreats multiple times per yearLike all start-ups we're scrappy, but not scrappy on compensation: Subscript is committed to paying our awesome team members at market-rate, including benefits. Related Jobs See more Sales and Marketing jobs

Last week, this space was all about OpenAIs 12 days of shipmas. This week, the spotlight is on Google, which has been speeding toward the holiday by shipping or announcing its own flurry of products and updates. The combination of stuff here is pretty monumental, not just for a single company, but I think because it speaks to the power of the technology industryeven if it does trigger a personal desire that we could do more to harness that power and put it to more noble uses. To start, last week Google Introduced Veo, a new video generation model, and Imagen 3, a new version of its image generation model.Then on Monday, Google announced a breakthrough in quantum computing with its Willow chip. The company claims the new machine is capable of a standard benchmark computation in under five minutes that would take one of todays fastest supercomputers 10 septillion (that is, 1025) years. you may recall that MIT Technology Review covered some of the Willow work after researchers posted a paper preprint in August. But this week marked the big media splash. It was a stunning update that had Silicon Valley abuzz. (Seriously, I have never gotten so many quantum computing pitches as in the past few days.) Google followed this on Wednesday with even more gifts: a Gemini 2 release, a Project Astra update, and even more news about forthcoming agents called Mariner, an agent that can browse the web, and Jules, a coding assistant. First: Gemini 2. Its impressive, with a lot of performance updates. But I have frankly grown a little inured by language-model performance updates to the point of apathy. Or at least near-apathy. I want to see them do something. So for me, the cooler update was second on the list: Project Astra, which comes across like an AI from a futuristic movie set. Google first showed a demo of Astra back in May at its developer conference, and it was the talk of the show. But, since demos offer companies chances to show off products at their most polished, it can be hard to tell whats real and whats just staged for the audience. Still, when my colleague Will Douglas Heaven recently got to try it out himself, live and unscripted, it largely lived up to the hype. Although he found it glitchy, he noted that those glitches can be easily corrected. He called the experience stunning and said it could be generative AIs killer app.On top of all this, Will notes that this week Google DeepMind CEO (the companys AI division) Demis Hassabis was in Sweden to receive his Nobel Prize. And what did you do with your week? Making all this even more impressive, the advances represented in Willow, Gemini, Astra, and Veo are ones that just a few years ago many, many people would have said were not possibleor at least not in this timeframe.A popular knock on the tech industry is that it has a tendency to over-promise and under-deliver. The phone in your pocket gives the lie to this. So too do the rides I took in Waymos self-driving cars this week. (Both of which arrived faster than Ubers estimated wait time. And honestly its not been that long since the mere ability to summon an Uber was cool!) And while quantum has a long way to go, the Willow announcement seems like an exceptional advance; if not a tipping point exactly, then at least a real waypoint on a long road. (For what its worth, Im still not totally sold on chatbots. They do offer novel ways of interacting with computers, and have revolutionized information retrieval. But whether they are beneficial for humanityespecially given energy debts, the use of copyrighted material in their training data, their perhaps insurmountable tendency to hallucinate, etc.is debatable, and certainly is being debated. But Im pretty floored by this weeks announcements from Google, as well as OpenAIfull stop.) And for all the necessary and overdue talk about reining in the power of Big Tech, the ability to hit significant new milestones on so many different fronts all at once is something that only a company with the resources of a Google (or Apple or Microsoft or Amazon or Meta or Baidu or whichever other behemoth) can do.All this said, I dont want us to buy more gadgets or spend more time looking at our screens. I dont want us to become more isolated physically, socializing with others only via our electronic devices. I dont want us to fill the air with carbon or our soil with e-waste. I do not think these things should be the price we pay to drive progress forward. Its indisputable that humanity would be better served if more of the tech industry was focused on ending poverty and hunger and disease and war. Yet every once in a while, in the ever-rising tide of hype and nonsense that pumps out of Silicon Valley, epitomized by the AI gold rush of the past couple of years, there are moments that make me sit back in awe and amazement at what people can achieve, and in which I become hopeful about our ability to actually solve our larger problemsif only because we can solve so many other dumber, but incredibly complicated ones. This week was one of those times for me. Now read the rest of The Debrief The News Robotaxi adoptionis hitting a tipping point. But also,GM is shutting down its Cruise robotaxi division. Hereshow to use OpenAIs new video editing toolSora. Blueskyhas an impersonator problem. The AI hype machine iscoming under government scrutiny. The Chat Every week, I talk to one of MIT Technology Reviews journalists to go behind the scenes of a story they are working on. This week, I hit up James ODonnell, who covers AI and hardware, about his story on how the startup defense contractorAnduril is bringing AI to the battlefield. Mat:James, you got a pretty up close look at something most people probably havent even thought about yet, which is how the future of AI-assisted warfare might look. What did you learn on that trip that you think will surprise people? James:Two things stand out. One, I think people would be surprised by the gulf between how technology has developed for the last 15 years for consumers versus the military. For consumers, weve gotten phones, computers, smart TVs and other technologies that generally do a pretty good job of talking to each other and sharing our data, even though theyre made by dozens of different manufacturers. Its called the internet of things. In the military, technology has developed in exactly the opposite way, and its putting them in a crisis. They have stealth aircraft all over the world, but communicating about a drone threat might be done with Powerpoints and a chat service reminiscent of AOL Instant Messenger. The second is just how much the Pentagon is now looking to AI to change all of this. New initiatives have surged in the current AI boom. They are spending on training new AI models to better detect threats, autonomous fighter jets, and intelligence platforms that use AI to find pertinent information. What I saw at Andurils test site in California is also a key piece of that. Using AI to connect to and control lots of different pieces of hardware, like drones and cameras and submarines, from a single platform. The amount being invested in AI is much smaller than for aircraft carriers and jets, but its growing. Mat:I was talking with a different startup defense contractor recently, who was talking to me about the difficulty of getting all these increasingly autonomous devices on the battlefield talking to each other in a coordinated way. Like Anduril, he was making the case that this has to be done at the edge, and that there is too much happening for human decision making to process. Do you think thats true? Why is that? James:So many in the defense space have pointed to the war in Ukraine as a sign that warfare is changing. Drones are cheaper and more capable than they ever were in the wars in the Middle East. Its why the Pentagon is spending $1 billion on the Replicator initiative to fieldthousands of cheap dronesby 2025. Its also looking to field more underwater drones as it plans for scenarios in which China may invade Taiwan. Once you get these systems, though, the problem is having all the devices communicate with one another securely. You need to play Air Traffic Control at the same time that youre pulling in satellite imagery and intelligence information, all in environments where communication links are vulnerable to attacks. Mat:I guess I still have a mental image of a control room somewhere, like you might see inDr. StrangeloveorWar Games(orStar Warsfor that matter) with a handful of humans directing things. Are those days over? James:I think a couple things will change. One, a single person in that control room will be responsible for a lot more than they are now. Rather than running just one camera or drone system manually, theyll command software that does it for them, for lots of different devices. The idea that the defense tech sector is pushing is to take them out of the mundane tasksrotating a camera around to look for threatsand instead put them in the drivers seat for decisions that only humans, not machines, can make. Mat:I know that critics of the industry push back on the idea of AI being empowered to make battlefield decisions, particularly when it comes to life and death, but it seems to me that we are increasingly creeping toward that and it seems perhaps inevitable. Whats your sense? James:This is painting with broad strokes, but I think the debates about military AI fall along similar lines to what we see for autonomous vehicles. You have proponents saying that driving is not a thing humans are particularly good at, and when they make mistakes, it takes lives. Others might agree conceptually, but debate at what point its appropriate to fully adopt fallible self-driving technology in the real world. How much better does it have to be than humans? In the military, the stakes are higher. Theres no question that AI is increasingly being used to sort through and surface information to decision-makers. Its finding patterns in data, translating information, and identifying possible threats. Proponents are outspoken that that will make warfare more precise and reduce casualties. What critics are concerned about is how far across that decision-making pipeline AI is going, and how much there is human oversight. I think where it leaves me is wanting transparency. When AI systems make mistakes, just like when human military commanders make mistakes, I think we deserve to know, and that transparency does not have to compromise national security. It tookyearsfor reporter Azmat Khan to piece together the mistakes made during drone strikes in the Middle East, because agencies were not forthcoming. That obfuscation absolutely cannot be the norm as we enter the age of military AI. Mat:Finally, did you have a chance to hit an In-N-Out burger while you were in California? James:Normally In-N-Out is a requisite stop for me in California, but ahead of my trip I heard lots of good things about the burgers at The Apple Pan in West LA, so I went there. To be honest, the fries were better, but for the burger I have to hand it to In-N-Out. The Recommendation A few weeks ago I suggestedCa7riel and Paco Amorosos appearance on NPR Tiny Desk. At the risk of this space becoming a Tiny Desk stan account, Im back again with another. I was completely floored byDoechiis Tiny Desk appearance last week. Its so full of talent and joy and style and power. I came away completely inspired and have basically had her music on repeat in Spotify ever since. If you are already a fan of her recorded music, you will love her live. If shes new to you, well, youre welcome. Go check it out. Oh, and dont worry: Im not planning to recommendBillie Eilishs new Tiny Desk concertin next weeks newsletter. Mostly because Im doing so now.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"We have listed the top 5 most viewed WA Award-winning projects in 2024 as the new year approaches. Our selection, entirely based on the number of individual page views, their page views show that our readers highly interested to those projects.The 5 projects, ranging from 46th Cycle to 48th Cycle of WA Awards 10+5+X, includes projects Korean architecture practice Mind Architects' Cafe Soom in South Korea, MAS Architecture's Draco Hotel & Suite from Vietnam, Direction Architects' House Symbiosis from Greece.While the four projects are selected from the 46th Cycle of WA Awards, and one project is selected from the 47th Cycle of WA Awards. WAC's list mostly focuses on the Realised categories, while only one project is selected from the Student category.Do you want to be on this list? We have extended the deadline for the WA Awards 49th Cycle. The WA Awards 10+5+X 49th Cycle is open for entries until Thursday, 19December, 2024 (23:59 GMT +0).Start your entries from here.Scroll down to see WAC's 5 most viewed WA Award-winning projects in 2024 (listed by the number of page views):Image Ryu JunyeolWA Awards 10+5+X 46th Cycle winner: Cafe Soom in South Korea by Mind ArchitectsDesigned by Mind Architects, the building has a bare concrete skin that highlights the sculptural and geometric mass that the studio produced, which is reminiscent of natural rocks. The building's outside features are closed and introverted.The courtyard on the east side of the building provides enough natural light for the inside while providing a complete view of the surroundings. The site's external and vivacious courtyard merges perfectly with the natural surroundings."It is hoped that users of Cafe Soom will pass through the desolate retaining wall like a castle wall and enjoy nature while breathing in a warm and cozy space," the office explained.Cafe Soom in South Korea by Mind Architects won the WA Awards 10+5+X 46th Cycle in the Architecture/Realised category.The project received 18,080 page views at the time of this writing.Image courtesy of MAS ArchitectureWA Awards 10+5+X 46th Cycle winner: Draco Hotel & Suite in Vietnam byMAS ArchitectureDesigned by Vietnamese architecture firm MAS Architecture, the idea behind the project is to create an oasis in hospitality where guests are completely comfortable in both open and closed spaces. From this angle, the minimalist and consistent design is evident in every area.The Draco Hotel & Suite has a scale of 50 rooms with an absolute view to the sea together with the surrounding area. In order to optimize the landscape's area and provide the most focused view of the sea, those bedroom blocks are oriented with priority in one direction. The open-plan interior design also prioritizes aesthetic appeal and sensory pleasure. usually dismantling the traditional separation between sleeping and bathroom areas and establishing a seamless connection to increase the visual perception of space in a limited space.Draco Hotel & Suite in Vietnam by MAS Architecture won the WA Awards 10+5+X 46th Cycle in the Architecture/Realised category.The project received 12,247 page views at the time of this writing.Image Studio Naaro/Marcela SpadaroWA Awards 10+5+X 47th Cycle winner: House Symbiosis in Greece byDirection ArchitectsDesigned by Greek architecture practice Direction Architects, the House SymbiosisThe facades' volumetric displacement creates cantilevers and balconies, which purposefully reduce interior visual contact and provide exclusive outdoor areas. The front inner facade's sculptural ribbon-like geometry gives the appearance that the building is moving.House Symbiosis in Greece by Direction Architects won the WA Awards 10+5+X 47th Cycle in the Architecture/Realised category.The project received 6,959 page views at the time of this writing.Image courtesy of Merve rkeWA Awards 10+5+X 46th Cycle winner: Green Network in Turkey by Merve rkeDesigned by architecture student Merve rke, one particular focus of the Green Network project is encouraging people to live sustainably. The goal goes beyond simple urban growth; a city that thrives on sustainable green energy offers its citizens chances for social, cultural, and economic advancement. Energy is conceived as a comprehensive force that has the power to raise the city's standard of living.Bringing green energy to Basmane, zmir, Turkey, which has been identified as the crucial component for this transformation, is the starting point of this revolutionary reaction. In order to efficiently transfer green energy from passive energy systems along the train line that extends to Basmane, the Green Network project is a comprehensive infrastructure and superstructure undertaking. Green Network in Turkey by Merve rke won the WA Awards 10+5+X 46th Cycle in the Architecture/Student category.The project received 5,338 page views at the time of this writing.Image Hiroyuki OkiWA Awards 10+5+X 46th Cycle winner: SkyGarden House in Vietnam by Pham Huu Son ArchitectsDesigned by Vietnamese architecture studio Pham Huu Son Architects, SkyGarden House is a townhouse in Nha Trang City, located in Central Vietnam. Large glass walls create an infinite sense of openness by blending the inside with the garden outside. This improves comfort and fosters a closer bond between people and the natural world in addition to showcasing a beautiful surrounding area. In the most private region of the house, the bedroom transforms from a place to sleep to a place to enjoy the peace and beauty of nature.The potential of this house design to make the living area more natural is one of the advantages of this house. Large glass panels, a skylight above the staircase, and many glass doors allow natural light to enter the space, creating an artistic panorama while also drastically lowering the need for artificial lighting during the day. SkyGarden House in Vietnam by Pham Huu Son Architects won the WA Awards 10+5+X 46th Cycle in the Architecture/Realised category.The project received 3,579 page views at the time of this writing.Top image in the article: WA Awards 10+5+X 46th Cycle winner: Cafe Soom in South Korea by Mind Architects. Image Ryu Junyeol.

Submitted by WA ContentsKaira Looro is seeking for innovative designs for Nursery Schools in Sub-Saharan AfricaSenegal Architecture News - Dec 16, 2024 - 06:16 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"The Balouo Salo Non-Profit Organisation has launched the 2025 edition of the Kaira Looro Architecture Competition for Nursery Schools in the rural areas of southern Senegal, a country in western Sub-Saharan Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Mauritania, Mali, Gambia and Guinea.The 2025 edition of the Kaira Looro Competition invites architects, students, designers, engineers, and young professionals from around the world to design an architectural model for a Nursery School in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa.As the organization explained, the objective is to create a safe and inclusive environment that promotes children's well-being and development.The competition will select 3 winners, 2 Honourable Mentions, 10 Special Mentions, 35 Finalists, and 4 Internship Awards. The Internship Awards will include top architectural offices: Kengo Kuma & Associates in Tokyo, Benedetta Tagliabue EMBT in Barcelona, Amanda Levete Architects in London, and SBGA | Blengini Ghirardelli in Milan.World Architecture Community is official media partner of the 2025 edition of Kaira Looro Competition and will share the winners of the competition once the competition is closed."The lack of quality educational facilities in many rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa poses a significant barrier to children's development," said the Balouo Salo Non-Profit Organisation."Education plays a crucial role in nurturing cognitive skills, emotional growth, and social abilities, preparing them to face lifes challenges with resilience and creativity.""However, in many of these regions, children are deprived of these fundamental opportunities due to the absence of safe and stimulating environments," the organization added.Young professionals and students throughout the world will have the chance to influence the direction of education in Sub-Saharan Africa with this new initiative. In addition to being a creative challenge, this is an opportunity to help leave a legacy of sustainability, innovation, and community empowerment.Furthermore, Kaira Looro is the only competition with no profit-oriented objectives.All proceeds will entirely be donated to the humanitarian organization Balouo Salo, which is dedicated to improving access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure in these disadvantaged regions."By participating, entrants will also become witnesses to tangible change driven by solidarity," the organization continued.The 2025 edition invites participants to provide creative, affordable, and environmentally friendly solutions that combine learning, interacting with others, playing, and exploring in a single area.The use of regional resources, environmentally friendly building techniques, and community involvement in the construction process should be the main goals of proposals.In addition to being a lively and friendly environment for children, the completed project should be a model of sustainable development and a point of reference for the neighborhood.Participants must also consider the challenges of building in rural areas, where the lack of skilled labor and heavy machinery can pose significant obstacles.The Nursery School should cover a maximum area of 650 square meters and include classrooms, offices, educational and play areas, a medical room, a dining hall, storage, and sanitary facilities. All this should be achieved through a unique and innovative design that represents excellence in this educational field.As per tradition, the competition also aims to launch young architectural talents into the international arena by awarding prestigious prizes and professional growth opportunities.Some of the most significant awards include: the first prize winner will receive a cash of 5,000, with an internship at Kengo Kuma & Associates (Japan), and the realization of the project as a humanitarian initiative.The Second Prize winner will receive a cash of 2,000, with an internship at one of Benedetta Tagliabue EMBT (Spain), Amanda Levete Architects (London), or SBGA Blengini Ghirardelli (Milan).The Third Prize winner will receive a cash of 1,000, with an internship at one of EMBT (Spain), ALA (London), or SBGA Blengini Ghirardelli (Milan).The competition also recognizes special and honourable mentions, as well as 35 finalists. All awarded projects will gain international visibility and be published in prestigious architectural journals and the competitions official book.The jury of Kaira Looro is made up of some of the worlds most renowned and award-winning architects worldwide, such as Kengo Kuma (Kengo Kuma & Associates), Benedetta Tagliabue (Benedetta Tagliabue EMBT Architects), Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, Ramn (RCR Arquitectes), Mario Cucinella (Mario Cucinella Architects), David Adjaye (Adjaye Associates), Amanda Levete (Amanda Levete Architects), Manuel Aires Mateus (Aires Mateus Architects), Giancarlo Mazzanti (El Equipo Mazzanti), Agostino Ghirardelli (SBGA | Blengini Ghirardelli), Raul Pantaleo (TAM Associati), Emmanuelle Moureaux (Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture + Design), Saad El Kabbaj, Driss Kettani, Mohamed Amine Siana.First prize winner for the Maternity Centre Facility Competition, Bao Gia Luong from Vietnam. Image Bao Gia Luong, courtesy of BalouosaloEarly registrations will open on January 10, 2025Early registrations will open on January 10 and will be made until February 28, 2025. Regular registrations will open from March 1 to April 9, 2025, while late registrations will be made from April 10 to May 15, 2025.Project submission deadline will end on June 10, 2025. Jury evaluations will take place between June 23 and June 29, 2025.The organizaton plans to announce winners on July 8, 2025.The competition guidelines can be accessed from here: EN_Kaira Looro 2025.pdf.The competition brief can be accessed from here. Registrations can be made through this page.All images Balouosalo.> via Kaira Looro Competition

Recent posts on LinkedIn (including those by RIBA chair Jack Pringle and former NLA chief Peter Murray) suggest that working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has become an acceptable norm for UK architects and built environment consultants. While no questions are being asked, plenty of justifications are being offered. So let me address them here.We are designing at the forefront of sustainabilityWhile the buildings may comply with LEED and BREEAM certification, these accreditation systems are increasingly criticised for their methodology. LEED Platinum airports in the KSA are, for instance, a clear contradiction in terms. Beyond the questionable credibility of these schemes, buildings that claim sustainability often serve as mere band-aids (a term developed by MOULD, the research collective of which I am a member) which fail to cover, let alone heal, the wounds of climate breakdown.AdvertisementMore on this topicUK architects in the spotlight amid reports of 21,000 Saudi worker deathsIn KSA, these wounds run exceptionally deep. Saudi Aramco, the state oil company, is the worlds largest oil and gas extractor, and the national budget is heavily dependent on continued extraction and its resulting CO2 emissions. As Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman declared: We are still going to be the last man standing, and every molecule of hydrocarbon will come out. With these resources projected to last another 73 years at current extraction rates, any new KSA building inevitably becomes part of an ongoing campaign of intentional climate breakdown.The majority of KSA buildings are funded by a regime that is intentionally obstructing developments in climate justice at COP and other forums. For example, at COP 29, KSA was accused of unilaterally editing the main text. In this context, no new building can credibly claim to be sustainable such claims merely serve as surface greenwashing over an entrenched system of environmental destruction.In addition, any designs will have to mitigate increasingly intolerable temperatures. Saudi Arabia has warmed at a rate 50 per cent higher than the rest of the northern hemispheres landmass over the past four decades, and this trend shows no signs of slowing. Buildings designed to combat these temperatures create an ecocidal feedback loop, consuming ever more energy to offset the effects of burning fossil fuels. Moreover, the ongoing urban expansion perpetuates a cycle of endless growth that drives climate breakdown. For all these reasons, no new building in KSA can credibly claim to be sustainable.Our buildings will be an agent for social changeThis argument is commonly made, as exemplified by Stuart Latham, managing partner and senior executive partner at Foster + Partners, who wrote: Saudi Arabia is rapidly opening up to the rest of the world and through our work on these ambitious and innovative projects, we are at the forefront of progress, enabling society to embrace positive change.AdvertisementSnhettas Kjetil Trdal Thorsen expressed a similar view, stating about Snhettas KSA projects: You cant control the future completely but you can provide people with the right tools and, by providing them with the right tools, at least there is an opportunity to move one step ahead. Ina Tin, senior adviser and Saudi Arabia expert at Amnesty Norway, dismisses these stances as a blend of naivety and cynicism (in an article well worth reading).This argument, in all its hubris, misunderstands architectures limited agency and influence under an autocratic regime. It perpetuates modernist myths about architecture as the sole driver of social change, casting architects as heroic geniuses who can reshape society at will.In reality, architecture in KSA serves merely as window-dressing for progress while repressive policies continue unabated underneath. Architectures powerlessness to effect social change is further reinforced by developers who control the supply chain, reducing buildings to vessels for capitalist extraction. Any building project thus sits far down the regimes chain of command; they have far more effective levers to pull to maintain control.Buildings will do nothing absolutely nothing to save the lives of the 198 people executed in the first nine months of 2024. It will not help overturn policies that brutally discriminate against women and LGBTQ+ people. It will not stop the genocidal war in Yemen. And so on.If we pulled out of KSA, someone else would do it anywayThis follows the same flawed logic as statements like If I stopped flying, planes would take off anyway which misses the point that fewer planes would fly if more people stopped flying. Those working in KSA often implicitly assume that, if they withdrew, less capable designers would take their place, and therefore their continued involvement provides a better service. However, as argued above, no building in KSA can be considered beneficial.History shows us clear examples, most notably the apartheid regime in South Africa, where boycotts proved to be powerful catalysts for change. Pulling out is the best course of action.We just design the buildings; we dont build themThis is the standard get-out clause for architects and consultants to absolve themselves of responsibility for the deadly conditions in KSA construction. The excuse is too often traced back to Zaha Hadid and her infamous I have nothing to do with the workers,but anyone working in KSA is complicit.Architects cannot simply look away from the estimated 21,000 deaths and 100,000 missing migrant construction workers who build their designs. They cannot dismiss the brutal conditions and illegal contracts that amount to forced labour, as documented in a complaint to the UNs International Labour Organization.Architects cannot ignore the outcry from US Senators, African Trade Unions, and Amnesty International about FIFAs likely rubber-stamping of the 2036 Football World Cup to KSA. Indeed, it is more likely that architects working in KSA are complicit in what Barney Ronay describes as corporate manslaughter in his brilliant, excoriating article.Every building in KSA is part of a lethal and exploitative supply chain and architects working there must decide if they are willing to be complicit in this system.We would not work on NEOMThis claim is often heard from architects working in other parts of KSA, away from the infamous Line and associated projects. It is an argument that attempts to claim moral high ground while demonising the NEOM architects. NEOM is indeed at the pinnacle of social and spatial vileness and no one with any conscience should be working on it, as Kate Wagner has so lucidly expounded in her various articles.But it is only the tip of a much larger despotic system that oversees all development in KSA. Perhaps NEOM designers are more honest in not even trying to make moral claims and instead just indulging in architectural self-gratification on behalf of their Saudi masters.The RIBA and ARB codes dont stop us from working in KSAThis is true, but only because these codes are so ineffectual. As I argued in Architecture Depends, my hairdresser could meet both codes, yet she isnt responsible for other peoples lives and the planets future, as architects are. The codes are feeble primarily because they focus on defining the architects relationship with the client. The architects primary responsibility is to the client, states the ARB code. When that client is embedded in an autocratic regime, any ethical responsibility is simply washed away.A more compelling statement emerged from the 2018 RIBA Ethics and Sustainable Development Commission: RIBA Council reasserted the Institutes unequivocal commitment to placing public interest, social purpose, ethics and sustainable development at the heart of its activities.If taken at face value, this declaration should preclude any work in KSA. Yet the unequivocal has become decidedly equivocal, as evidenced by 20 RIBA members exhibiting at the 2024 Cityscape Global event in KSA, the worlds largest development event.Professional conduct follows codified rules, focused not on broader societal obligations but on serving clients and employers. Ethical conduct, however, cannot be reduced to universal rules it requires individuals to face their specific circumstances and determine what they can morally accept. As Zygmunt Bauman concludes in his Postmodern Ethics: If in doubt, consult your conscience.The matter of individual conscience should be at the front of any decision about working in KSA. Anyone working in KSA should inform themselves about the human rights, environmental and political context and then face these conditions from an ethical viewpoint. Architecture does not stand outside these moral conflicts; it is part of them. I applaud the UK practices that have decided on ethical grounds not to work in KSA, and despair of those who try to justify their engagement with spurious arguments.Jeremy Till is a writer, educator and recovering architect. A version of this article was first published on Substack on Wednesday 11 December.2024-12-16Jeremy Tillcomment and share

Gardner Stewart Architects proposals for Dorrington Gardens, near Upminster, were submitted last month on behalf of the London Borough of Haverings housing arm, Mercury Land Holdings.The scheme proposes a mix of 12 family homes and 22 apartments alongside sensitively integrated landscaping and 24 car parking spaces.But in a statement of community involvement put to the planning committee, residents hit out at the proposals over the size of the development, which opponents said could put pressure on local infrastructure, including GP services.AdvertisementOne resident said: This is a sad bloody day; Hornchurch is coming to an end as a decent suburb [and] the safe, friendly, family area will be wiped out of this happens. And if it does, I am gone.Another argued: I dont want any more properties in this area. This area is becoming more and more overpopulated [and] they will not be occupied by people from Hornchurch anyway.The planning documents recorded that 67 per cent of the 885 households consulted on the new homes said they had a negative view of the development, while 33 per cent supported it.One resident who backed the plan said they accepted the proposals as long as access to the new homes was not from the cul-de-sac on nearby Bruce Road.Havering has an average population density of 2,332 persons per square kilometre, compared to 5,640 people per square kilometre (km) for London as a whole, according to ONS statistics.AdvertisementIn September, the government announced plans to introduce a brownfield passport to give proposals which meet design and quality standards automatic planning approval when it involves development on already used land, as part of efforts to build 1.5 million homes in this parliament.Those changes are part of tweaks made to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which is still to be formally published after a consultation this summer.Gardner Stewart Architects and Havering have been contacted for comment.

There are plenty of reasons to treat yourself to a new pair ofnoise-canceling earbuds. Whether you're looking to block out a noisy office or just want to enjoy a good audiobook on your commute, there is no shortage of options. The Beats Studio Budsare a solid option at a competitive price, but this deal makes them impossible to ignore. Order now and you'll get your new wireless earbuds for just $80at Amazon, a price that is a match for the lowest we've ever seen them go. Act fast though, we don't expect it to last for long. The good news? The same $80 price is being matched at both Walmart and Best Buy right now, too.See at AmazonSee at WalmartSee at Best BuyBeats Studio Buds are small, lightweight, comfortable to wear, and fit most ears securely. Despite being made by Apple these days, Beats products work great with both iPhones and Android phones, and there are plenty of features to love, including quick pairing. CNET's David Carnoy said their sound quality beats out AirPods Pro and Powerbeats Pro in hisBeats Studio Buds review.Hey, did you know?CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Unlike some other Apple-made Beats products, the Studio Buds lack a few of the fancier features like in-ear detection and the ability to pair to all of your Apple devices via iCloud and switch between them automatically. That probably won't be a deal-breaker for most folks, though, especially given the price difference between the Studio Buds and something like the AirPods Pro. Plus, they still support a few crucial features like active noise cancellation and spatial audio. The Beats Studio Buds provide up to 8 hours of listening time on a single charge, with up to 24 hours when combined with the charging case. They are also IPX4-rated, making them sweat- and water-resistant, so they're a solid option to use on your commute or at the gym.These also make for great holiday gifts for loved ones. But if the Studio Buds aren't quite the right fit for you, you can also check out our full roundup of all the best headphone deals happening right now.Will this item arrive in time for Christmas?If you're ordering this as a holiday gift, you probably want to know if it's going to arrive on time. With Christmas and Hanukkah both taking place on Dec. 25 this year, and Kwanzaa kicking off the day after, it's important to note shipping deadlines for USPS, FedEx, UPS, Amazon and others.Guaranteed shipping deadlines at some of these delivery companies arrive as soon as Dec. 16, with others offering expedited services that may allow you to order as late as Dec. 23 or even Dec. 24. Where delivery is no longer possible, be sure to assess your in-store pickup options or check out these great digital deals for the holidays.Your new Beats Studio Buds will arrive before Christmas, according to shipping timelines provided by Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy. Pickup options are also available at the latter two. CNET is always covering a wide array of deals on tech products and much more. Start with the hottest sales and discounts on theCNET Deals page, and sign up for theCNET Deals Textto get daily deals sent straight to your phone. Add the freeCNET Shopping extensionto your browser for real-time price comparisons and cash-back offers. And peruse ourgift guide, which includes a full range of ideas for birthdays, anniversaries and more. See at CNET These Impulse Buys Under $25 Actually Make Great Gifts See all photos

Key Takeaways Today's best CDs boast APYs up to 4.70%.APYs have been falling since the Fed's recent rate cuts, and experts say another cut could happen this week.Opening a CD now allows you to lock in your APY and protect your earnings from additional rate drops. All eyes are on the Federal Reserve as it meets this week to decide what to do with interest rates. Annual percentage yields on CDs have plummeted since the Fed cut rates at its last two meetings. Whether it opts to cut rates a third time or hold them steady, one thing is clear: Today's APYs are likely the highest you'll find for some time.You can earn up to 4.70% with the top CDs. Since your APY is fixed when you open a CD, you'll be able to enjoy the same returns regardless of where rates go next. The longer you wait, the lower the APY you may be able to lock in.Here are some of the highest CD rates right now and how much you could earn by depositing $5,000.Today's best CD rates Term Highest APY*BankEstimated earnings6 months 4.70%Rising Bank$117.501 year 4.47%NexBank$223.503 years 4.15%America First Credit Union$648.695 years 4.25%America First Credit Union$1,156.73 Experts recommend comparing rates before opening a CD account to get the best APY possible. Enter your information below to get CNET's partners' best rate for your area.What this week's Fed meeting means for CD ratesThe Fed meets for a final time this year on Dec. 17-18. It doesn't directly set CD rates, the Fed's decisions affect how banks set their APYs on consumer products like CDs and savings accounts. When the Fed cuts the federal funds rate, banks tend to cut APYs on these products and vice versa.The Fed raised interest rates 11 times between March 2022 and July 2023 in an effort to tamp down post-pandemic inflation. As a result, the CD rates we track at CNET soared, reaching a high of 5.65% APY. Since the beginning of this year, CD and savings rates have been slowly decreasing.The Fed cut rates in September -- its first rate cut since March 2020 -- and again in November. Since then, CD and savings rates have fallen faster. At the start of 2024, the average APY on a six-month CD was 4.92%, but following September's rate cut, it was down to 4.38%. This week, it's 4.14%.Here's where CD rates stand at the start of this week compared to the start of last week:How CD rates have changed in the last week Term Last week's CNET average APYThis week's CNET average APY**Weekly change***6 months 4.15%4.14%-0.24%1 year 4.07%4.07%No change3 years 3.53%3.52%-0.28%5 years 3.46%3.46%No change CD rates could drop further if the Fed makes another rate cut this week. Right now, experts say it's likely that the Fed will cut rates again this month despite the latest Consumer Price Index report showing inflation is still rising.Should you open a CD now?If you're working on growing your savings, there's still time to earn an attractive APY. If you already have money saved that you won't need to dip into for a few years, you can lock in a high, guaranteed return with a CD now."CDs are a good, steady way to get a predictable return while controlling the amount of time you don't have access to your money," said Bobbi Rebell, Certified Financial Planner and Personal Finance Expert with BadCredit.org. "Rates are still high on a historical basis."In addition, "Locking in a CD rate now could be advantageous if the Fed takes a more aggressive approach to cutting rates in 2025," said Faron Daugs, CFP, founder and CEO at Harrison Wallace Financial Group.If you need ready access to your money, you can also earn a competitive rate with a high-yield savings account. HYSAs are better suited for things like your emergency fund because you can take out cash at any time without penalty.How to choose the best CD for youA competitive APY is important when comparing CD accounts, but it's not the only thing you should look at. To find the right account for you, consider these things too:When you'll need your money: Early withdrawal penalties can eat into your interest earnings. So be sure to choose a term that fits your savings timeline. Alternatively, you can select a no-penalty CD, although the APY may not be as high as you'd get with a traditional CD of the same term.Minimum deposit requirement: Some CDs require a minimum amount to open an account -- typically, $500 to $1,000. Others do not. How much money you have to set aside can help you narrow your options.Fees: Maintenance and other fees can eat into your earnings. Many online banks don't charge fees because they have lower overhead costs than banks with physical branches. Still, read the fine print for any account you're evaluating.Federal deposit insurance: Make sure any bank or credit union you're considering is an FDIC or NCUA member so your money is protected if the bank fails.Customer ratings and reviews: Visit sites like Trustpilot to see what customers are saying about the bank. You want a bank that's responsive, professional and easy to work with.MethodologyCNET reviews CD rates based on the latest APY information from issuer websites. We evaluated CD rates from more than 50 banks, credit unions and financial companies. We evaluate CDs based on APYs, product offerings, accessibility and customer service.The current banks included in CNET's weekly CD averages include Alliant Credit Union, Ally Bank, American Express National Bank, Barclays, Bask Bank, Bread Savings, Capital One, CFG Bank, CIT, Fulbright, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, MYSB Direct, Quontic, Rising Bank, Synchrony, EverBank, Popular Bank, First Internet Bank of Indiana, America First Federal Credit Union, CommunityWide Federal Credit Union, Discover, Bethpage, BMO Alto, Limelight Bank, First National Bank of America and Connexus Credit Union.*APYs as of Dec. 13, 2024, based on the banks we track at CNET. Earnings are based on APYs and assume interest is compounded annually.**Weekly percentage increase/decrease from Dec. 2, 2024, to Dec. 9, 2024.More on CDs

Hideki Kamiya's "artistic spirit would die" had he stayed at Platinum GamesPlus the meaning behind new Okami studio Clovers.Image credit: Clovers News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Dec. 16, 2024 Hideki Kamiya has stated if he'd continued working for Platinum Games his "artistic spirit [would] die".The former Platinum vice-president has launched a new studio with another former Platinum employee, Kaneto Koyama, as discussed in a new interview with Japanese outlet denfaminicogamer.The pair have set up Clovers, which will develop a sequel to the much-loved Okami, originally developed by Kamiya at Clover Studio.Okami sequel - Project Teaser TrailerWatch on YouTube"This is purely my personal opinion, but I thought, 'If I continue working here, my artistic spirit will die'," said Kamiya on his reasons for leaving Platinum last year (via machine translation)."I can understand the way PlatinumGames is as a company and its logic, and I was in the position of vice president myself, but as an individual named Hideki Kamiya, I was unable to embrace that way of thinking."As vice president, Kamiya was "field-first" at Platinum Games - he described himself as the muscle and CEO Atsushi Inaba as the brains."The signals sent from the cerebrum are essential for muscles," Kamiya continued. "At the same time, those signals must be reliable for muscles. Until then, I had received those signals, trusted them, and worked to maximize my own strength...but with regards to the future direction of Platinum with Inaba at the helm, I was no longer able to place my trust in them and exert my strength as a muscle."Kamiya has been quite vocal about his decision to leave Platinum Games, previously stating there were issues of "trust".He then launched a YouTube channel where he discussed his next project. "I already have a clear idea in mind," he said. "I would like to translate this vision in my head into a full proposal as soon as I am able to do so. And of course, I also have an idea of what I can do to make the project a reality. But if you ask me specifically what kind of game it will be, all I can say at this stage is, 'It'll be a Hideki Kamiya game'."It's unclear if that project is the new Okami sequel, announced as in-development at this year's The Game Awards last week. Teaser artwork for the Okami sequel | Image credit: CloversIn this new interview, Kamiya and Koyama explained the Clovers name of the new studio. It's been interpreted as "C lovers", with four Cs relating to the four leaves of a clover.Only three Cs are set in stone though: challenge, creativity, and craftsmanship. The fourth C is for employees to decide upon themselves.In a previous interview, Kamiya stated Okami's sales were a "huge failure" and that had the game been more successful Clover Studio probably would have continued.Little is known about the new Okami game, beyond the above teaser image.

Black Myth: Wukong producer on The Game Awards top prize snub: "I came all the way here for nothing!"Still won two awards.Image credit: Game Science News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Dec. 16, 2024 Black Myth: Wukong producer and Game Science CEO Feng Ji has posted a lengthy statement following the action game's apparent snub for the top prize at this year's The Game Awards."The games nominated this year were all exceptional, but honestly, I still can't figure out what the criteria were for Game of the Year. I feel like I came all the way here for nothing!" he wrote in a post on Weibo (translated on reddit).Black Myth: Wukong did come away with the Best Action Game and Players' Voice awards, so he didn't leave empty handed.Black Myth: Wukong - Confront DestinyWatch on YouTube"Since last night, I've seen a lot of strong dissatisfaction and frustration in players' comments - often expressed humorously or ironically, which made me laugh," the producer continued."I completely understand these feelings and share the frustration, because behind these emotions lies not pain or malice, but dignity and confidence."Feng Ji even admitted he wrote his Game of the Year acceptance speech two years ago, "only to never get the chance to deliver it".It's unclear how joking he has been in his statement, especially considering the machine translation, but some have read it as rather salty. Eurogamer has contacted Game Science for further comment.The producer continued to express his confidence in the game and his hopes the success of Black Myth Wukong is the beginning of a new wave of high-quality, engaging games from Chinese developers.Former Sony Santa Monica writer Alanah Pearce shared in a stream she witnessed a person from the Game Science team crying in the audience when the game didn't win. "It clearly meant a lot to them, they did an amazing thing, but I did find that surprising," said Pearce.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Black Myth: Wukong lost out to Astro Bot for the Game of the Year award, which also won Best Game Direction, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Family Game. Balatro and Metaphor: ReFantazio also came away with multiple awards.An update for Black Myth: Wukong released last week ahead of the awards, finally bringing a much-requested map, as well as a boss rush challenge mode.Its Xbox release is still unknown.