Replacing a 1970s bungalow, the house is set within a row of detached houses of the same period on the outskirts of Harpenden in Hertfordshire.Graeme Williamson Architects, set up by the former London director of Nord Architects, was appointed to develop preliminary ideas for the clients: a family of four.Inspired by the surrounding conservation area, which is full of Arts and Crafts architecture, the practice was drawn to the surrounding brick chimneys and asymmetric cat-slide roofs. The house therefore takes references from both periods Arts and Crafts and 1970s architecture featuring corbelled brickwork and a monolithic chimney stack.AdvertisementWrapped in brick, the house also features internal details that reference its 1970s context with a traditional layout allowing for generous separation between office and guests.The plan is arranged around two axes. A front-to-rear axis is visible on entry while a transverse axis bookends the kitchen with a stairwell and an interior garden room. These have both been designed to bring lots of natural light and cross ventilation to the centre of the plan.Architects viewThe site in Harpenden falls within a conservation area rich in established examples of Arts and Crafts architecture. The immediate context of the house, however, is a run of detached 1970s homes. We were drawn to this period of house-building, with its distinctive brick chimneys and asymmetric cat-slide roofs and this provided a good starting point for discussions with planning.Formally, the design acknowledges both periods, borrowing corbelled brickwork, a monolithic chimney stack and an asymmetric roof form. The house feels generational and timeless in its language but contemporary in its detail and materiality.Rieder concrete panels are used on the roof and upper storey creating definition in the building's profile. Vande Moortel bricks bring the form to ground wrapping around the perimeter and, as a nod to its 1970s context, appear inside the house in key details.Public and private functions are split traditionally between ground and first floor. A generous separation between office and guests was also sought to allow for space both perceptual and tangible between these additional uses.Organisationally, the plan is arranged around two axes: a front-to-rear axis visible on entry and a transverse axis book-ending the kitchen with the stairwell and an interior garden room, both of which are designed to bring light and cross ventilation to the centre of the plan.Graeme Williamson, director, Graeme Williamson ArchitectsClients viewWe appointed Graeme Williamson Architects to create a home for our family following a recommendation from a family member who had worked with Graeme at Nord Architects in Glasgow. We had not embarked on this kind of process before but felt we developed trust from an early stage and that Graeme Williamson Architects' designs spoke to our brief and offered an enticing vision of what it might be like to live here.The garden room we took some convincing on and some of the external material proposed for the upper storey was something we hadnt expected but both have been innovative and thoughtful additions.While it was certainly stressful in its delivery, and had many challenges along the way, the resultant building is incredibly enriching to live in for our family. The building is generous and welcoming in its social spaces and cosy and quiet where it needs to be. The house is filled with sunlight even on dull days and the materials used are durable but refined. It is a pleasure to live in.Private clientProject dataLocation Harpenden, HertfordshireStart on site October 2021Completion date January 2024Gross internal floor area380m2Form of contract or procurementrouteJCT IntermediateConstruction cost UndisclosedArchitect Graeme Williamson ArchitectsClient PrivateStructural engineer David Carr EngineersQuantity surveyor MeasurSustainability consultant EAL ConsultPrincipal designer Graeme Williamson ArchitectsCDM co-ordinator Graeme Williamson ArchitectsApproved building inspector Prime GroupMain contractor Datum Point ConstructionCAD software used Vectorworks, Rhino

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereFortnite ban has been one of the most popular topics in the community over the past few days. Epic Games has made some changes that have sparked controversy, and players are now even worried about their accounts. Fortunately, the panic is unjustified. The game developer just addressed ban wave rumors, ensuring players that there is nothing to worry about.For context, Epic chose to give cheaters a second chance while cracking down harder on account sellers. As a result, some rules, like playing Fortnite from different locations, have become stricter.The Fortnite developer ensures players that ban waves are not unfairFortnite accounts have become some of the hottest-selling items on the black market. Some of them go for thousands of dollars, which incentivizes account hacking. Due to this, Epic Games is cracking down even harder on account sellers, even suing some of them. However, all of this has caused panic in the community, with many players believing they would get banned unfairly.Sharing devices to play Fortnite has never been an issue, which is what Epic recently clarified. The game creator also ensured players that ban waves are never done on IP address. We dont do ban waves based on IP address, FortniteStatus posted on X (formerly Twitter). When we find accounts we believe are compromised, well disable it to protect the owner and so the account can be recovered.Fortnite players will not receive a ban for playing on the same device. Image by VideoGamerIn other words, its perfectly fine to play on a shared device or from multiple locations. Players who move or travel frequently have nothing to worry about. However, these stricter rules will make it more difficult for account sellers to access accounts while also speeding up account recovery.While Epic has previously banned some players unfairly, theyve admitted the mistake and offered compensation. In the end, the Fortnite developer isnt interested in banning rule-abiding players, so the community has no cause for concern. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereFortnite Festival is gearing up for its eighth season. Since launching in December 2023, this game mode has attracted millions of players and featured some of the biggest names in music. Season 8 promises to continue this trend, and it looks like the next artist may have already been leaked. With the new season set to kick off on April 8, anticipation among players is building.In this article, we will take a look at the leaked star for the next season of the Festival mode. However, keep in mind that the artist hasnt been confirmed. Epic Games will most likely tease the artist in late March and reveal them a few days before the new season begins.Who is the next Fortnite Festival artist?According to Shiina, one of the most reputable Fortnite leakers, the next star featured in the Festival mode could be Post Malone. The artist is one of the top 20 Spotify artists, and adding him to the game makes a lot of sense. Furthermore, Post Malone already has three Jam Tracks in Fortnite: I Had Some Help, Better Now, and Circles.For now, this is just an unverified leak. However, Epic should start teasing the upcoming artist in late March, so we will have to wait for a bit longer to get an official confirmation. Sabrina Carpenter, who is also one of the most popular singers on Spotify, is another artist rumored to come to Fortnite Festival in Season 8.Post Malone might be a Fortnite Festival Season 8 artist. Image by VideoGamerWhile we are waiting for Epic Games to confirm the next artist for Fortnite Festival, lets take a look at the stars featured in previous seasons.SeasonArtist1The Weeknd2Lady Gaga3Billie Eilish4Metallica5Karol G6Snoop Dogg7Hatsune Miku FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Here's a quick tutorial on the steps to create an simple mysterious environment.moAidy Burrows writes:KISS Keep It Simple Stupid, or Keep It Stupid Simple if you prefer, a good Blender exercise for reducing distraction and endless iteration is to just keep it simple.Take a simple blockout object and have fun with it. See the world in a grain of sand! A civilization from a DNA strand.See you out there! :)Aidy & Gleb.

In BriefPosted:12:56 AM PDT March 11, 2025Image Credits:Alexander Pohl / NurPhoto / Getty ImagesApples next major OS updates will bring the biggest design overhaul in yearsApples next set of major updates for the iPhone, iPad and Mac operating systems could bring the biggest design changes across the companys platforms in years, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources.The revamp, set to come in with iOS19, iPadOS 19 and macOS 16, will refresh icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons while simplifing navigation and control, the report said. The new design is reportedly loosely based on VisionOS, the operating system for Apples VisionPro VR headset, which uses circular icons and translucent panels for navigation.The changes, said to be a major focus for the software and UI teams in Apples design department, are being overseen by Apples VP of human interface design Alan Dye, Bloomberg said.The company will first show off iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June, the report said. Topics

Reshape Energy is betting on a more integrated approach to accelerate the decarbonization of the built environment. Founded in Munich, Germany back in May 2024, the startup is led by a team with expertise scaling energy businesses, including the German division of Octopus energy and energy price comparison platform Verivox. Its focusing on selling energy system upgrades to commercial real estate, targeting property owners with portfolios of buildings.Carbon emissions from heating buildings significantly contribute to climate change. Therefore, accelerating the transition to lower-carbon forms of heat management, such as heat pumps and solar panels, is a key piece of meeting climate goals. Hence why, in Europe, theres considerable regulatory pressure being applied to building owners to carry out energy upgrades.At the same time, accessing the specialist skills required to pull off these energy upgrade projects or even just understand what needs to be done to optimize a particular building can slow momentum for installing low-carbon solutions.Reshape Energy is hoping a one-stop-shop model will help to vent some of the friction out of the system starting in the German market but with its eye on expanding elsewhere in Europe as it scales the approach.Tackling energy upgrade inertiaWhy isnt enough happening was a key question the founders kicked around as they were thinking how to structure a business targeting commercial buildings with energy upgrades, CEO and co-founder Benjamin Stanzl tells TechCrunch.Weve seen a lot of momentum on [energy upgrades for] single family homes But when you look at commercial real estate, which is really our focus, its very, very slow, he says. The biggest [competitive] threat is definitely the do nothing option.The reasons why the sector has been so slow on the uptake are complex, he suggests its not one single missing piece which, say, a new piece of tech could fix; rather its the systemic complexity of orchestrating all the various bits needed to successfully deliver such projects thats holding back the pace of change.The complexity of executing these projects is unbelievably high, he argues. Commercial property owners just dont have the expertise. And some of them dont even want to deal with it, because its not their core business.Stanzl also points out that construction is a sector that hinges heavily on trust so a low level of trust can also slow down progress. The startup is taking on this energy upgrade inertia via an acquisition model that sees it buying existing companies in the sector to bring key capabilities and customer relations in house powering up an energy-optimization-as-a-service offering.The idea is to cover all stages of a project from initial assessments and determining whats needed, to installation of the new systems and ongoing servicing and maintenance. It also includes financing when customers want to spread the up front cost of installing new energy systems.By covering the full chain of whats required for an energy upgrade, the startup believes it can unlock efficiencies of scale while also leaning into (and leveraging) trusted customer relationships. It is breaking out of the siloed workflow that more typically characterizes the sector, per Stanzl.He says the startup has picked up some more piecemeal energy upgrade project work so far, attached to the capabilities it has brought in house. But the idea is to continue to expand what it can offer and work towards taking on projects with many moving parts and much higher complexity say, such as district heating installations as they continue to build out the business. Funding injectionReshape has already made some acquisitions to build out its offering. More are on the cards and the company will be using some of a new 5 million funding round for this purpose, its first external capital raise.By buying up smaller, often regional companies it can shortcut customer acquisition and plug into relationships and contacts these other businesses have amassed over the years, as well as onboarding key skills to deliver projects. An acquisition model also gives it full control of where and how skills are deployed, says Stanzl.Over the life of these businesses, theyve served hundreds if not thousands [of customers], he notes of the businesses Reshape has brought in house. So far, its picked up an energy consulting business and a commercial solar planning, installation and maintenance company.The control piece is critical, because we do need these companies all to work together and we need them to use common systems and common technology, he adds, sketching out their strategy to unlock efficiencies in project delivery by pooling trust and risk.The founders are putting their money where their mouth is, contributing some of their own funds to the 5 million raise, which is being loosely labelled as a seed round. Although Stanzl says theyre not convinced that a typical venture funding model is for them, other approaches, such as Private Equity, might be a better fit, he posits.Other investors in the round include PostScriptum Ventures, Vireo Ventures, and some unnamed industry insiders.Different modelsGermany has seen a boom in energy upgrade startups in recent years, following Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the resulting spike in gas prices. But the first wave of energy upgrade activity much of which focused on single family homes that followed that shock has definitely calmed down, says Stanzl.Players in the space have more incentive to get out of their lanes and take a more joined up approach to delivering the next wave of upgrades, he says. In turn, it enables tackling more complex challenges like commercial real estate upgrades.You cannot deploy heat pump if you dont know what the electrical infrastructure of a building is, right? And if you do it, all of a sudden you may promise your customer a whole bunch of savings and then they come back and you realize they need to upgrade their transformer or something like that. Then all your savings are out the window, he suggests.So I think a number of people are realizing that if they just sort of focus on their little silo its just not enough anymore.Reshapes model of offering energy optimization services to building owners looks more capital efficient than some other approaches such as those that involve buying up real estate to transform via modernizing its energy infrastructure.German startup Reneo, for example, recently closed a 600 million funding round for building out another decarbonization play but which involves it buying up target real estate to improve. Though, on the flip side, Reneos ownership model means it is positioned to benefit from any increase in real estate value whereas Reshape remains purely a service provider, but with far lower capital requirements to spin up its business.Stanzl says as they were developing the business they did consider taking on property ownership which would have meant needing to do things like property and tenant management services, too but they decided it was not core to the energy transition mission. He also points out that commercial real estate owners may not want to sell their buildings which would have created barriers to scaling. Another element thats often associated with energy transitions is upgrading building insulation as better insulation can be a boon to energy system performance. Asked about this, Stanzl says that while they can provide it they dont necessarily seek it out again, since it may amp up project complexity. They have also categorically decided against involving themselves in cosmetic improvements to buildings. Were energy focused, right? We want to look at the energy infrastructure and the energy fabric, he emphasizes. So the issues [for target customers] are more how can we use the waste heat? How do you optimize that, along with the cooling loads less so around how do you insulate the walls?

Researchers behind the MASK benchmark found that more knowledge doesn't mean more moral virtue. See which model lies the most.

Almost one in four tech jobs in the US need people with AI skills, according to recent job data.

Apple is poised to issue iOS 18.3.2, a mystery new iPhone update that will come ahead of its major ... [+] point upgrade iOS 18.4.Getty ImagesApple is poised to issue iOS 18.3.2, a mystery new iPhone update that will come ahead of its major point upgrade iOS 18.4.The news of iOS 18.3.2s release comes via Apple-focused site MacRumors, which says Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to its visitor logs.The release of iOS 18.3.2 comes hot on the heels of iOS 18.3.1, which was issued in Feb. containing important security updates.So, as we await the release of iOS 18.3.2, whats in Apples mystery new iPhone update and when will it arrive?iOS 18.3.2 Security UpdatesWhen Apple issues iPhone upgrades in between major point updates such as iOS 18.3.2, its often to patch major security issues. A timely patch is especially key if adversaries are using the vulnerabilities in iPhone software to perform real-life attacks. This was the case with iOS 18.3.1, which patched a flaw in Accessibility that where a physical attack could have disabled USB Restricted Mode on a locked device, allowing unauthorised devices to connect with your iPhone.Theres also quite a big gap between Apples big point updates and its been a month since iOS 18.3.1. That makes it highly likely that Apple has security updates to patch in iOS 18.3.2.Something else to note is, Apple is no longer issuing security updates to older devices. Therefore, when it does release iOS 18.3.2, you need to apply it if your device is compatible. Apples iOS 18.3.1 was compatible with iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later. You can expect the same from iOS 18.3.2.iOS 18.3.2 Bug FixesIts also possible that Apple will use iOS 18.3.2 to fix bugs plaguing iPhone users since the release of iOS 18.3.1. According to reports on forums, these include an iPhone storage bug, while others are having issues with iMessage.iOS 18.3.2 ArrivalApples iOS 18.3.2 is coming soon, so when should you be looking out for it? The iPhone update could arrive this week, but its more likely next week or perhaps the week after, towards the mid to end of the month. Keep checking your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update or keep checking my Forbes page for updates on iOS 18.3.2s arrival.

LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 11: Downtown highrise buildings are shown cloaked in dirty air shortly ... [+] after sunrise September 11, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. Although air quality in Los Angeles has improved in recent decades, smog levels remain among the nation's worst. Numerous wildfires in the region have also contributed to Los Angeles' air pollution problem. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)Getty ImagesFewer than one in five (17%) of global cities are meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) air pollution guidelines, according to a new analysis.The 2024 World Air Quality Report by monitoring company IQAir also found just seven countries, including Australia, Iceland and New Zealand met WHO annual average guidelines around PM2.5 particle pollution, which is sometimes referred to as soot.According to the report, the five most polluted countries in 2024 were Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and India.It also found wildfires in the Amazon rainforest impacted vast areas of Latin America in 2024 with PM2.5 levels in some cities across Brazils Rondnia and Acre states quadrupling in September.And it judged Los Angeles, California as the most polluted major U.S. city, while Seattle, Washington was judged to be the cleanest major city in the U.S in terms of PM2.5 pollution.The report was based on data from more than 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories, and regions.Overall, it found there has been notable progress in expanding air quality monitoring across various countries, but considerable gaps still exist in many parts of the world.IQAir Global chief executive Frank Hammes said many cities are showing signs of better air quality, as more people switch to electric transportation, in an interview.Hammes added there were signs of progress in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, but there is still a long way to go and air pollution has actually got worse in cities like Islamabad in Pakistan and Sarajevo in Bosnia.He said increasing rates of air pollution could be due to a lack of suitable infrastructure and fossil fuels still being burnt in large numbers to provide heating and energy.There are 7 million people dying every year around the world from air pollution, and most of them are dying from PM 2.5 exposure and combustion-related activities, said Hammes.Sometimes people point their finger at governments and say you are to blame but air pollution is caused by everyone. Everybody who's basically participating in an economic activity is causing air pollution, as we can see in places like India and Pakistan.Hammes added technology is playing a key role in making people aware of the issue at a grassroots level, but there needs to be more monitoring put in place.He said about 5% of all the data they are using for the World Air Quality report comes from schools, who have installed monitoring equipment.We are seeing a tipping point has been reached where there are more of these private air monitoring stations are out there than government stations, he told me. We now have informed citizens putting air pollution higher on the agenda that governments could be spending effort and money on.It follows a separate report by the American Lung Association, which warns stronger monitoring and protections are needed to protect communities impacted by nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution.The study says NO2 pollution disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families because they are more likely to live near major emission sources.It adds there are gaps in the current monitoring network, with fewer than 500 NO2 monitoring sites operated by state, local, and tribal air agencies in collaboration with the Environmental Protection AgencyAssociation president and chief executive Harold Wimmer said the use of satellite data is critical because it provides a more detailed picture of who may be impacted in a statement.This is also an important tool to highlight the urgent need for stronger air quality standards and more comprehensive monitoring to protect families across the U.S, added Wimmer.In November, a report by experts from the Universities of Edinburgh and Essex warned more air pollution monitoring and research across Africa was urgently needed to help save lives on the continent.