The built legacy of Dolly Parton, Foster + Partners enlists robots for timber construction, and how the world’s cities are tackling climate change. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Dolly Parton: Country star, movie star… and champion of affordable housing
The entrance to Dollywood in; photo by Joseph Hendrickson/Adobe Stock
One thing became clear after we lost Dolly Parton last week at the age of 80: her legacy went far beyond country music. Her impact on the design industry best manifests in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where Dollywood continues to attract more than four million annual visitors and generate nearly $1.8 billion each year. The amusement park also remains the largest employer in Sevier County with nearly 4,500 staffers. In 2021, Dollywood partnered with Holtz Builders on a $20 million residence hall, designed by MBI Companies, to address housing needs among guest workers, including seasonal and international staff and interns.
According to Architect’s Newspaper, the four-story, U-shaped housing complex accommodates 756 student housing beds alongside executive suites and communal spaces like lounges, laundry rooms, and gaming facilities. Parton, who famously never became a billionaire due to her philanthropy, extended this generosity beyond her employees. Following Hurricane Helene in 2022, she donated $1 million to flood relief in Tennessee, while the Dollywood Foundation’s My People Fund distributed monthly stipends to families who lost their homes, ultimately raising $12 million and providing $5,000 rebuilding grants to affected households. Parton’s longtime cabin in Idyllwild, California was also transferred to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California to house families of children undergoing medical treatment at nearby hospitals. Boundless generosity and inclusive politics is exactly what we should have expected from the woman who penned the workers rights anthem “9 to 5.” Rest east, Queen.
The best and worst C40 Cities
Nyhavn in Copenhagen; photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Founded in 2005, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group unified nearly 100 major cities in the shared mission of urban climate action. The network has since evolved into an established framework to help cities set targets, develop climate plans, report emissions, and share policy tools to reach net zero by 2050, set interim goals for 2030, and more. So, how are these cities performing in 2026? C40 has identified 27 cities whose emissions peaked before 2012 and have since achieved sustained reductions, including Barcelona, Berlin, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, New Orleans, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Rome, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC. Analysis confirmed that this cohort reduced direct emissions by an average of nearly 2 percent per year after reaching peak emissions as populations and economic output continued to grow. Cities like Copenhagen have reduced emissions through decarbonization of district heating and electricity systems, though it hasn’t been without its challenges. Cities like Oslo, meanwhile, have integrated a climate budget into its overall financial budget to task municipal departments with specific reductions, while Tokyo has introduced requirements for large commercial and industrial facilities to meet mandatory emissions targets. Take a look at Designboom’s comprehensive breakdown.
Kengo Kuma awarded the 2027 Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award
The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, with architecture by Kengo Kuma; photo courtesy of St. Regis Hotels
The Créateurs Design Awards (CDA) has named Japanese architectural maestro Kengo Kuma the 2027 recipient of the Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award. One of two legacy awards bestowed by the organization, the prize recognizes careers that have influenced architecture and the built environment across generations and geographic contexts, ArchDaily reports. Named after the French designer Andrée Putman, the prize has previously been awarded to Norman Foster, Tadao Ando, and Christian de Portzamparc. Kuma will be formally recognized during the CDA Awards Ceremony at the Shangri-La Paris on January 16th.
Foster + Partners announces robot construction project
Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners
Foster + Partners has secured funding to develop an autonomous fleet of robots and drones for onsite timber construction. Dezeen reports that the firm won an approximately $4.7 million, three-year research grant from the European Innovation Council’s Pathfinder funding program to begin development on its swarm of robotic assemblers and lifting units dubbed Swarm-based Inverted Fabrication for Timber Buildings (SWIFT-Build). Say that five times fast! Once developed, SWIFT-Build will be deployed to oversee modular timber structures in an effort to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of automated construction. What will we think of next?
Enter the Best of BDNY Product Design Competition
Layered from HBF Textiles, a 2025 Best of BDNY Product Design Competition winner
Recognizing manufacturers whose products demonstrate functionality, aesthetic progress, and innovation, the Best of BDNY Product Design Competition returns this year as part of the trade fair at the Javits Center in New York. Submissions are open through October 21st, with entry fees starting at $800 for the first submission and $150 for each subsequent entry. An additional $800 upgrade is available for enhanced exposure along the main aisle at BDNY. Companies that are not exhibiting at BDNY may enter but are not eligible to win. Products must have been introduced to the marketplace no earlier than December 1st, 2025. Additionally, one product from the submitted entries will also receive digital placement in Boutique Design’s Winter 2026 issue, while winners and finalists will be featured in the Source products section and receive promotional opportunities from Hospitality Design. Sign up today, and see you in November!