architecture

Renowned Architect Cesar Pelli died last Friday at the age of 92. For Deborah Berke, Dean of the Yale School of Architecture, Pelli’s influence on the school and its faculty will be long lasting.

“I can't say enough what an extraordinarily lovely and generous human being Cesar Pelli was,” said Berke. “He cared about scholarship, he cared about students, and he cared passionately about architecture. He was an exceptional human.”

The Trump administration is considering a rollback of protections for transgender people under civil rights law. Those who want to limit trans people’s access to bathrooms say it’s a question of public safety. Others say restrictions are discriminatory.

Nobody likes the termite. They get into the wood in our homes that can lead to infuriating and expensive repairs. What's to like.

It turns out, there's a lot to like about the termite; scientists study how termites build their "mounds" for clues to solving some of the world's most pressing problems, like mitigating the effects of drought, building colonies on Mars, and the creation of biofuels. 

With climate change come looming questions about the future of Connecticut's shoreline. Among them: How will sea level rise and extreme weather events alter the shape of the state's coast? And what will happen to the residents -- the people and native species -- who live there?

Coming up, local experts join us to offer some insight and talk about the ways municipalities are planning for the challenges that lie ahead. 

This hour, we talk about two Connecticut dance halls, each springing from the vision of two very different men who took their respective dance halls down very different paths. One's dream soared, bringing thousands of concert-goers to over 3,000 acts over an eleven-year history. The other's dream stalled, his elaborate dance hall sitting idle for decades.

President Trump wants to "Make America Great Again," by turning back the clock to a time he believes was safer, purer, and removed from the dangers of modern society.

He's not the first president to evoke nostalgia for the Rockwellian image of small town life where everyone knew one another, had a good job, and raised a family. The mental scene may vary but the nostalgia for something lost remains constant.

Old asylums give us the creeps. The reality of asylums may pale in comparison to the horrors we conjure in our minds. Yet, they were awful. They were dark and dirty and overcrowded. Diseases were rampant and deadly. Staff was abusive. Food was scarce and inedible. Death and suicide were common.

So, why does President Trump want to bring them back? 

President Trump wants to "Make America Great Again," by turning back the clock to a time he believes was safer, purer, and removed from the dangers of modern society.

He's not the first president to evoke nostalgia for the Rockwellian image of small town life where everyone knew one another, had a good job, and raised a family. The mental scene may vary but the nostalgia for something lost remains constant.

A recent study called “Out Of Reach” finds that someone working full-time, earning the federal minimum wage, would be unable to rent a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in this country. But a new partnership in New Haven is trying to address the problem, one house at a time.

The violence in Charlottesville last month over whether or not to remove a statue of Confederate soldier Robert E. Lee rekindled a heated debate that's more about national identity and race than about statues. But, it's easier to fight about statues than begin a long-overdue national discussion over how we remember our collective and complex national past - especially in the context of slavery.

They're in the books we read, the shows we watch, and the art we hang on our walls. They conjure notions of might, magic, romance, and more. Castles, perhaps as much as any other architectural structure in history, define the landscape of our fantasy and imagination.

The Yard Goats are scheduled to open play on April 13 at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford. But a lawsuit between the city and the ballpark’s former developers has caused problems in the run-up to opening day.

War and poverty displace millions of people around the world.

This hour, we hear from two Connecticut artists who have personal experience with the global refugee and migrant crisis.

"Accessibility" is a word that we maybe too quickly file away as having something to do with the disabled or something like that. But it's really about "designing all products and the built environment to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life."

It's about seeing the world around us as for everyone, all at once.

War and poverty displace millions of people around the world.

This hour, we hear from two Connecticut artists who have personal experience with the global refugee and migrant crisis.

Officials in charge of the state’s XL Center in Hartford have approved a $250 million transformation of the building. But whether it happens and how to pay for it now falls to lawmakers and the governor. 

George Leonidas Leslie robbed the Manhattan Savings Institution of $3 million in 1878. At the time, it was considered one of the safest buildings in the world. He made detailed models of the bank and its vault from blueprints he charmed from a bank employee. 

Connecticut is home to many historic landmarks -- among them is the former residence of American architect and icon Philip Johnson. Since it opened to the public in 2007, Johnson's Glass House has welcomed thousands of visitors from across the country and around the world. 

Connecticut is home to many historic landmarks -- among them is the former residence of American architect and icon Philip Johnson. Since it opened to the public in 2007, Johnson's Glass House has welcomed thousands of visitors from across the country and around the world. 

Think of them like magic portals: tiny architectural models transporting you directly onto Syria's streets and forcing you to look at the bombed-out buildings and homes hit by the worst of that country's civil war.