-
Testing Buildings to Destruction
Japan has engineered the world’s largest earthquake simulator, the nation’s first line of defense in a geophysical war. Many older homes in Japan don’t meet modern earthquake code and have proven a major liability in deadly earthquakes like Kobe suffered in 1995. Full-scale testing to destruction at E-Defense gauges their widespread risk to society and…
-
Follow-up to Freakonomics: What about Financing?
I listen to a lot of podcasts. They keep me in touch with what’s happening in the US and UK. I recently suggested to the team at WNYC’s Freakonomics Radio that they look into Japan’s weird housing economics. They liked the idea and did some research. You can listen to the episode below. I’m impressed by…
-
Japan Will Rebuild
(Reuters/Kyodo) British ‘Architects Journal‘ (AJ) asked me to comment on the recent earthquake and tsunami. I took the opportunity to write the following reaction to the events of March 11, 2011…