architects

Italian football is mourning Gianpietro Marchetti, who has died. He captained Atalanta in 120 matches, was a key figure in Piacenza's rise alongside Garilli and coach Cagni, and later served as a director of Triestina. Obituaries describe him as an architect of the strongest era of Piacenza football and a man who marked an epoch in Italian football.

PlayStation is in the news in Italy from two angles. Sony's new Pulse headsets are open for pre-order through Gamelife, promising immersive 3D audio, a built-in microphone and up to 30 hours of battery life. Meanwhile, PlayStation architect Ken Kutaragi has commented on Sony's push toward digital-only consoles, saying he understands the choice but believes it creates friction for players.

Reports say Qatar has put two billion euros on the table to buy the Parc des Princes, PSG's home stadium in Paris. Attention is also on the stadium's planned expansion: the daughter of the Parc des Princes' original architect is challenging the enlargement plans, raising questions about whether the project can go ahead and who will ultimately control the historic ground.

Cate Blanchett, the Australian actress and two-time Oscar winner, is a top trending search topic in Japan. No specific news event is attached to the trend; the surrounding coverage is dominated by unrelated Japanese stories, including Uniqlo launching its first literary magazine and architect Daniel Libeskind speaking at an awards ceremony. Why Blanchett is being searched now is not clear.

Amanda Nguyen, the activist and scientist known for her work on sexual assault survivors' rights, is being discussed in connection with the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Details beyond the association of her name with the organization are not available at this time. Observers are sharing and searching for information about what the affiliation involves.

The Escola d'Art in Ondara, Spain, is publicly calling for recognition and completion of architect and composer Anna Bofill's unfinished project. The school says the work remains a significant cultural contribution and is urging local authorities to revive it. The claim has drawn attention in regional coverage as debate continues over the project's future.

A leading architect of Indiana's education reform agenda has lost his seat in elections swept by a Democratic 'blue wave'. The result removes one of the state's most influential voices behind school policy changes, including testing, choice and accountability measures. Observers see it as part of a broader electoral shift with consequences for the future of education reform in Indiana.

An architect has developed an open source alternative to a VMware virtual machine migration tool that VMware has hidden from users. The replacement aims to restore functionality for teams moving VMs between environments, particularly relevant amid uncertainty following Broadcom's acquisition of VMware and changes to its licensing and product availability.

A cloud architect has developed OpenVDDK, a free replacement for VMware's VDDK toolkit that Broadcom has restricted. The open-source tool allows virtual machine migrations to continue despite Broadcom's access lockdown, supporting companies seeking to move away from VMware. The project is drawing attention as organisations look for ways to exit VMware without licensing obstacles.

An opinion piece in The Architect's Newspaper argues that architects should be recognized as the most imaginative creators of both the built and unbuilt environment. The author contends the profession's creative role extends beyond buildings to speculative, unbuilt ideas that shape how cities and spaces are conceived. The piece is prompting discussion within the architecture world about how the profession's identity is publicly understood.

Hal E. Kovert, an architect and business leader originally from Crothersville, Indiana, has died, according to an announcement by the Crothersville Times. The notice describes him as a native of the small southern Indiana town who went on to a career in architecture and business. No further details about his age, career or death were provided in the announcement.

Architect and forensic researcher Eyal Weizman has published a long essay, 'Necro-Economics: Death by Algorithm', in the London Review of Books. The piece examines how algorithmic systems shape decisions about life and death, with the discussion tied to Gaza, US politics and the question of genocide. Readers are sharing the article widely, framing it as a significant contribution to debates over technology's role in war and humanitarian crisis.

Client Solution Architects, a government contracting services firm, has rehired Bobby Brown to serve as vice president of business development. The company announced the move through GovCon Wire, a trade outlet covering the government contracting sector. Brown returns to the company in a senior role focused on winning new contracts and growing the business. No further details about the timing of his previous tenure or his responsibilities have been disclosed.

Architect Kae Ito has created a modular 'secret garden' installation for the bar at Art Week Tokyo, Japan's annual citywide art event. The design brings a hidden-garden concept into the venue through modular elements, blending architecture and hospitality. Coverage highlights it as part of the event's wider programme of artist- and designer-commissioned spaces.

Golf course architects are debating whether strategic design is dying in the modern game. Writing in Golf Course Architecture Magazine, designers weigh how shot data and analytics are reshaping course design, questioning whether angles and risk-reward choices still matter when players can optimize every decision. The discussion touches on how length, technology and numbers-driven play may be flattening the strategic character of classic course architecture.

A new essay argues that while AI can now generate large portions of code, software engineering remains essential: architects and developers must still design systems, define requirements, verify correctness, and manage complexity. The piece reflects a growing debate in the developer community about how AI-assisted coding changes day-to-day work without replacing the discipline of engineering itself.

Kecia Steelman, an Iowa-born retail operator who rose through Ulta Beauty's store operations ranks, now serves as the company's President and Chief Executive Officer. She is credited as the architect of Ulta's store operations strategy, and her elevation to the top job highlights the retailer's focus on operational leadership as it competes in the US beauty market.

The metal band Architect of Seth has released its new album, Solitude Solaire, and the full record is now available to stream in its entirety via Decibel Magazine. Fans of underground extreme metal can hear the complete album ahead of or alongside its official release. No further details about track listing, release date or touring plans were included in the announcement.

Fieldguide is hiring a remote Agent Architect for its audit division, with applications open through the Jobicy job board. The role blends AI agent architecture with audit and accounting workflows, reflecting the accounting software sector's push to embed AI automation into professional services. It is being shared across remote job listings tagged for corporate finance, accounting and fintech careers.

The Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC has unveiled a redesigned sculpture garden, led by artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. The project reworks the garden's original Brutalist landscape while aiming to make the space more open and accessible to visitors. Design and architecture writers are highlighting the redesign as a notable intervention in one of the capital's most distinctive museum spaces.

Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao has created a new rammed-earth installation at Art Omi, the sculpture and architecture park in Ghent, New York. The work uses compacted earth as its primary material, reflecting Bilbao's ongoing interest in local materials and low-carbon construction. Design and architecture media are covering the project, highlighting how the installation engages with the park's landscape and her sustainability-focused practice.

News agencies circulated images of Bhutan's Gelephu Mindfulness City, the kingdom's ambitious plan to build a special economic zone combining development with Buddhist values, sustainability and wellness. The project, designed with international architects, is intended to attract investment while preserving Bhutan's carbon-negative environment and cultural traditions.