Reykjavík Turns Off Street Lights for the Aurora Borealis

Usually people have to travel far from cities to escape light pollution and see the Aurora Borealis clearly, but this week, the city of Reykjavík switched off and dimmed street lights for one hour so city-dwellers could enjoy the beautiful phenomenon. Many buildings followed suit, turning off lights inside. This week’s Northern Lights were predicted to be especially stunning, which is why the decision was …

Repurposing the Old Mills of Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Thanks to a major boom back during the Industrial Revolution, Rhode Island has dozens of magnificent old mills—many of which have long been abandoned. While nine of those mills have been redeveloped as residential spaces, eight have been repurposed as studio spaces for artists and small businesses. And while the converted mills don’t employ nearly the same number of people as they did back when …

PTT Family’s Katamama Hotel

Bali’s incredible boutique digs built by artisans and envisioned by a young company determined to give ancient Indonesian crafts a place in the future

Over 1.8 million. That’s how many bricks were handcrafted to create Katamama, an extraordinary boutique hotel in Bali realized by Ronald Akili and his team, the PTT Family, alongside Indonesian architect Andra Matin. Each brick is individually fabricated, from formation to finish, using an artisanal production process that includes firing them in a kiln heated by dried coconut shells. It took two years to make …