Niccolò Baldi

in the Age of Design

[japan-architects @JapanArchitects]

【映画】ヴィム･ヴェンダース監督の「From Inside Out – The Architecture of Peter Zumthor」がヴェネチアビエンナーレで公開
ピーター･ズントーとその作品を3D撮影したドキュメンタリー。没入感のある3D映像はまるで実際に建物の中を歩き回っているかのように体験ができる
https://t.co/nwMmjoZbef

[Dylan Ratigan @DylanRatigan]

When I left MSNBC in 2012, I went to Louisiana to build equipment.
The idea was to turn shipping containers into self-contained resource stations: solar power, water filtration, food production, and wireless connectivity. Linked together, they could form a distributed infrastructure for basic human needs.
We built them in Louisiana and Texas, using local manufacturing and training returning combat veterans to deploy and maintain them.
The goal was simple: replace dependency with distributed local capacity.
The idea attracted attention. The New York Times wrote about it. Foundations, corporations, and governments met with us. Eventually, I presented it at the State Department.
People consistently liked the concept. Meetings went well. There was interest and encouragement.
But no one put it into practice.
It’s possible the technology wasn’t ready or that better systems existed. That would be a reasonable explanation.
What was harder to explain was the outcome: nothing.
More than a decade later, global resource infrastructure still largely revolves around centralized delivery—moving water, food, power, and equipment into places —rather than enabling local production.
One meeting at the State Department sticks with me and may clarified why.
I presented the system: power, water, food, connectivity—local resilience, using oil industry expertise for the resource hubs and veterans as the workforce.
It was met with the standard high level of enthusiasm, but with zero engagement beyond that.
A state department official took me aside and explained the problem with my idea.
“If we control peoples access to food, water, electricity and connectivity they need us and we can control them. If we build a distributed network of resource hubs, they don’t -- and we lose power.”
That reframed everything.
I had assumed the goal of aid was identical to its stated purpose: to solve the problem. By that logic, the best system would eliminate the need for itself.
But institutions operate under incentives as well.
A corporation gains value from being the controlling provider of resources.
A charity depends on perpetuating ongoing need.
A government program derives influence from administering temporary assistance that can be withdrawn as a punishment for non-compliance,
Actually, solving the underlying problem -- remove the institution’s role.
This doesn’t require conspiracy. It simply reflects how incentives align.
It raises a question I’ve thought about since:
Do our systems want to solve the problem?
Often the people inside it do.
But solving a problem -- and managing a problem to accumulate as much power and money as possible are not the same function.

[Earth @earthcurated]

We finally figured out why 2,000-year-old Roman concrete survives in seawater while our modern concrete crumbles in decades. The Romans used "hot mixing" with lime clasts. When the concrete cracks and rainwater seeps in, it dissolves the lime, recrystallizes it into the cracks, and literally heals itself. We need to start building like this again.

[南泰裕 @yas_minami]

建築家レム・コールハースのインタビュー。

一番好きな場所は公共プールだそうで、改めて読んでもいろいろ面白い。
建築家として生きていく上での、特殊解と一般解の絡み合い。
いずれにせよ読書が大事と。

昨年、建築学会大会で講演した時も、かくしゃくとして元気だった。 https://t.co/G1xOApsSpQ

[Natalie Winters @nataliegwinters]

Fauci in 2022: “I am very happy to testify before any congressional oversight committee.

I have nothing to hide. I can explain and validate everything that I’ve done.

I’m going to do what I need to do, and that is cooperate fully, because we have nothing to hide at all.”

[NBA @NBA]

THE NEW YORK KNICKS GET THE STOP TO COMPLETE THE LARGEST COMEBACK IN NBA FINALS HISTORY 🚨🚨🚨

THEY TRAILED BY 29.

THEY NOW LEAD THE SERIES 3-1.

[Architizer @Architizer]

Calling all students, emerging designers and studios aiming higher! 📢

In architecture, your visuals speak before you do. Your job is to make sure they’re saying the right thing.

How to Visualize Architecture breaks down the techniques behind the 2025 Vision Award–winning projects, explaining how they use representation to shape narrative, persuade juries and clarify intent.

Want to be among the first to get your hands on this guide?
👉 Pre-order your copy: https://t.co/Gs7ydtvE3U

[Niccolò Baldi @NiccoloBaldi]

@Rainmaker1973 Zak McKracken

https://t.co/K5R4tfnOzG

[Niccolò Baldi @NiccoloBaldi]

@Rainmaker1973 Monkey Island

[stefano boeri @StefanoBoeri]

The presentation of the ideas developed by the Roma050 Laboratory will be an opportunity to discuss and compare some of the future scenarios of the Capital. Speakers will include the Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri, councilor Maurizio Veloccia, Stefano Boeri and Rem Koolhaas.

[Niccolò Baldi @NiccoloBaldi]

@elonmusk I wouldn’t be surprised if the result is 80% yes

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

Schrödinger's Plates: they are both broken and not broken until you open the door

[City Aesthetics ⛩ @cityaestheticss]

Street for cars ➡️ public space for pedestrians

Would love to see downtowns in the US take this approach more

[Niccolò Baldi @NiccoloBaldi]

@alc2022 You’re missing energy - nuclear power

[Niccolò Baldi @NiccoloBaldi]

@CGasparino Trump just lost the 2026 midterm elections

[Niccolò Baldi @NiccoloBaldi]

@KobeissiLetter 3 min later |

[Ethan Evans @EthanEvansVP]

I was born and raised on a farm in a small town in Ohio. I've worked to get H-1B visas and green cards for my team members my entire career. There are three simple economic arguments for increasing legal immigration by highly educated workers:

[Ian Haworth @ighaworth]

I originally came to America on an H-1B visa to work in tech.

You know the real reason tech companies love foreign hires?

They practically own them, and can underpay them accordingly.

It has nothing to do with culture, and everything to do with cost.

[Niccolò Baldi @NiccoloBaldi]

@garyblack00 It’s up 36% YTD