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05.13.08
The 2008 AIA Convention is upon us this week. Still haven’t decided what events to attend? Check out the AIA Convention Preview in the Around the AIA + Center for Architecture section.
- Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
SAVE THE DATE: This year marks the 5th anniversary of OCULUS. Help us celebrate with a party following the Annual Meeting.
Location: Center for Architecture
Date: 06.03.08, 8:30-10:00pm
To RSVP, click the link. See you there!
Event: Design Awards Winners’ Symposium: Architecture Winners
Location: Center for Architecture, 05.07.08
Speakers: Will Bruder, AIA — Architecture Design Awards Juror & President, will bruder + PARTNERS (Moderator and Speaker); Andrew Berman, AIA — Principal, Andrew Berman Architect; Duncan Hazard, AIA — Partner, Polshek Partnership Architects; Thomas Lanzelotti, AIA — Principal, Gensler; Philip Ryan — Senior Associate, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
Organizers: AIANY Design Awards Committee
Sponsors: Benefactors: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Syska Hennessy Group; Patrons: F.J. Sciame Construction; Goldman Sachs; HDR; HOK; Langan Engineering & Environmental Services; O’Connor Capital Partners; Richter+Ratner; Thornton Tomasetti; Lead Sponsors: Arup; Consulting for Architects; Gensler; KI; Lutron Electronics; Mancini Duffy; RMJM Hillier; STUDIOS architecture; Turner Construction Company; Sponsors: Armstrong World Industries; AKF Engineers; Building Contractors Association; Cosentini Associates; Costas Kondylis & Associates; Flack + Kurtz; Forest City Ratner Companies; FXFOWLE Architects; Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti; James G. Kennedy & Company; Jaros Baum & Bolles; JCJ Architecture; John Gallin & Son; MechShade Systems; Microsol Resources; New York University; Pei Cobb Freed & Partners; Perkins+Will; Peter Marino Architect; Polshek Partnership Architects; Ricci Greene Associates;
Rogers Marvel Architects; Swanke Hayden Connell Architects; Toshiko Mori Architect; Weidlinger
Associates
The only 2008 Architecture Honor Award went to Steven Holl Architects’ Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Andy Ryan, courtesy AIANY
The jurors had not met each other until the day of the 2008 AIANY Design Awards judging, but it turned out that David Adjaye, RIBA, Will Bruder, AIA, and Ada Karmi-Melamede, AIA, IIA, had a similar set of parameters for selecting the award-winning projects among 150 submissions. They were looking for “ordinary tectonics done extraordinarily well. We did not want to devalue the award by honoring too many,” stated Bruder. As a result, only one Honor Award and five Merit Awards were given.
Bruder was the only juror to experience the Honor Award-winning Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO, designed by Steven Holl Architects. He described the building as iconic, both day and night, and the spatial choreography was welcoming, starting from the approach by car and ending in the old wings of the museum. The building reflects the skyline from a distance, and the sculptural form directly relates to the museum’s sculpture garden. The double-skin glass wall sandwiches raw fluorescent strip lights — a simple assemblage that emanates a translucent glow. The entry chamber consists of “light vessels” and its volume fully integrates both light and mechanical systems.
The Private Library and Writing Studio in Long Island, NY, by Andrew Berman Architect, and the Salt Point House in Salt Point, NY, by Thomas Phifer & Partners, won Merit Awards for their simplicity and subtlety, Bruder said. Andrew Berman, AIA, wanted to design a building that is a mystery to outsiders while creating intimacy and shelter for the client. He sited the cabin at a threshold between a field and forest, emphasizing the contrast between horizontal and vertical. Time is a major element of the design, and light carves and animates the space affecting the appearance of the exterior copper cladding. The Salt Point House also incorporates illusion in its design. The exterior consists of two parallel sheer walls that create a sense of both privacy and voyeurism, according to Bruder. The scrims add layers to an otherwise simple kit-of-parts construction.
“Corrugated metal is the material of our time,” said Bruder, a material used in the Salt Point House as well as The New York Times Building by FXFOWLE Architects / Renzo Piano Building Workshop with interiors by Gensler. Here, the design team borrowed conveyor belt technology for the exterior ceramic rods to create a translucent screen of its own. Collaboration drove the interior design, according to Gensler principal Thomas Lanzelotti, AIA. The firms worked together to integrate the interior with the exterior — from the interior garden and art installation viewable from the street, to the exterior signage, designed by Pentagram, located at newsroom level. Transparency was as important for sustainability (this is the only LEED-certified awarded building in this category) as ideology. The movement on the street relates to the activity of the reporters and production inside.
Continues…
Event: Sustainable Streets: Highlights from the Strategic Plan for the New York City Department of Transportation 2008 and Beyond
Location: Municipal Art Society, 04.28.08
Speakers: Janette Sadik-Khan — Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation; Edward Skyler — Deputy Mayor for Operations, Office of the Mayor (introduction)
Organizers: Municipal Art Society of New York
In the wake of the state legislature’s refusal to bring Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing proposal to a vote in time to secure federal funds, the mood at the launch of the Department of Transportation’s (DoT) new strategic plan might have been subdued. However, Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan energized the crowd by promoting local independence in transit policy. The congestion pricing program would have adapted a “London model,” Sadik-Khan noted, and debate has also drawn attention to ideas from other international cities, but she favors a “New York City model” building on local strengths like mass transit, pedestrianism, and democratic procedure.
Described by Deputy Mayor of Operations Edward Skyler as a “transportation visionary,” Sadik-Khan introduced the plan as a way to “treat streets as valuable public places rather than utilitarian corridors.” Citing safety statistics including last year’s lowest number of traffic fatalities since annual recordkeeping began in 1910, she outlined further traffic-calming measures focusing on schoolchildren, seniors, infrastructure inspections, and public education. The goal is to cut fatalities in half by 2030, which would win NYC the title of “safest city in the world” given PlaNYC’s projected population growth to nine million.
A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project on Fordham Road in the Bronx is the first segment of a plan to add new BRT lines and incorporate BRT-like features such as dedicated bus lanes into the existing system. Bicycle infrastructure expansion will extend some of the innovations tested in Chelsea’s Ninth Avenue cycling zone, aiming to double citywide bike commuting by 2015. New parking policies will strive to raise curbside vacancy rates and reduce space-hunting time. Selected sites such as the three-way intersection of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street will see low-performing square footage reclaimed as destination plazas — in Sadik-Khan’s phrasing, “putting… the ’square’ back into Madison Square.”
Like other PlaNYC green initiatives, the full Sustainable Streets publication is thorough and detailed, presenting the potential of public-sector activism. Instead of a single attention-getting plan like congestion pricing, Sustainable Streets offers a broad range of nuts-and-bolts reforms that may ultimately be more effective at restoring civility to vehicle-ravaged civic space. (The talk wasn’t just for the anti-auto faction, though: Sadik-Khan also hailed DoT’s road-resurfacing operation, a division that saves the annual equivalent of nearly a million barrels of oil by recycling used asphalt.)
Both Sadik-Khan and Skyler expressed long-range optimism about congestion pricing as an idea whose time has come: “We do believe that ideas, just like cities, can be sustainable,” Skyler said, “and that there’s going to be a coalition built around that.” The near miss may have galvanized a community’s resolve to take back the quality of its street life. Long timetables, though, put the enthusiasm of Sadik-Khan and her team to serious tests: how much of the DoT program can be realized during this administration’s remaining months, and how much of it will be upheld by its successor?
Bill Millard is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in OCULUS, Icon, Content, The Architect’s Newspaper, and other publications.
Event: Forum on Sustainable Urbanization in the Information Age
Location: United Nations Headquarters, 04.23-04.24.08
Speakers: For a full list of Chairs, Panelists & Respondents click here.
Moderators: Rick Bell, FAIA — Executive Director, AIANY; Professor Urs Gauchat — Dean, New Jersey School of Architecture; Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, FIUD — ACSA Distinguished Professor, City College of New York School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture
Organizers: UN-Habitat; UN-Global Alliance for ICT and Development; Regional Planning Association; AIA New York Chapter
Partners: The City of New York; The Institute for International Urban Development; The City College of New York School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture; New Jersey School of Architecture; IT4ALL; United Cities and Local Governments; ISOCARP; New York New Visions; World Architecture Community
Topics ranging from planning for smart growth to sustainable urbanization in the information age occupied the Forum on Sustainable Urbanization in the Information Age for two days. It included sessions linking cities from countries including: Brazil, Columbia, Madagascar, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Tunisia, and USA. At the end, all urged greater concern for Least Developed Countries (LDC), urban dwellers and population growth, and rural/urban linkage. In addition, the problems of limited budgets for basic social needs must be addressed.
Throughout the forum, many championed using the Internet to connect nations, not just to distribute information. An online blog was set up through the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UN-GAID) website for attendees to report on issues throughout the conference. It also serves as spur to a potential follow-up event or annual summit.
Below are key quotes by participants:
“The role of the mega-region seems to be the vehicle that will connect the local to the global.”
- Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, FIUD, ACSA Distinguished Professor, The City College of New York School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture
“The mayors and responsible executives from different cities have to [deal] with similar issues, but the contexts and the economic, environmental, social situations in those cities are hugely different. Therefore, the differences translate to politics and political agendas. I think we have to be aware that this is the case.”
- Ambassador Peter Maurer, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Untied Nations
“Whether there are enough resources to do everything we need in the future, I think the issues discussed show that there is a commonality and a vision plan…. We can truly learn from each other.”
- James McCullar, FAIA, 2008 AIANY President
Megan S. Chusid, Assoc. AIA, is the co-chair of the AIANY Emerging NY Architects (ENYA) Committee and director of operations for Richter+Ratner.
Project: Medical Area Renovation, Morningside Heights, NY
Designer: Architecture for Humanity NY
Client: Care for the Homeless
Volunteers: Shelby Doyle, LEED AP; Deborah Buelow, LEED AP; Pollyanna Rhee
Sponsors: Häfele; 3form; Elkay Companies; Evans + Paul; AFM Safecoat; Gateway Plumbing and Heating; Bettencourt Green Building Supplies; Aura Lighting
When Care for the Homeless (CFH), a non-profit that provides medical services to at-risk populations, received a grant in 2007 from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funding did not cover the entire cost of much-needed renovations. Located in the basement of Broadway Presbyterian Church in Morningside Heights, CFH takes up 500 square feet in a space it shares with multiple homeless outreach services, including a soup kitchen and shelter operated by Broadway Community Incorporated. Providing new designs and renovations for CFH, the NY Chapter of Architecture for Humanity (AFHny), with NY-based contracting firm GO Construction Corporation, were able to maximize the budget and pursue donations and price reductions needed to start construction.
In addition to crammed quarters, CFH had long been operating in sub-par conditions — the medical and counseling team, provided by The Institute for Family Health, did not have private space to advise clients or even easy access to a sink. AFHny’s design concept applied architectural strategies to help make health care available and accessible. The renovation includes: a new exam room, triage space, two counseling rooms, two offices, reception, copy center, and storage. Translucent sliding doors tuck into pockets to maximize the limited space, built-in desks are topped with Corian for durability, and new lighting brightens the renovation. A refinished floor and steel plates cover what was once an open plumbing trough. Since the space is occupied 24 hours a day, it was important to use non-VOC paint and formaldehyde-free insulation, as neither product off gasses toxic volatile organic compounds.
While the project is too small to consider LEED certification, AFHny took into account cultural, economic, and ecologic factors, supporting its mission to sustainably provide architectural solutions to communities in need. Volunteers fostered new relationships between the non-profit clients and local building community, and the resulting renovation will hopefully prove that even when resources are scarce, sustainable and collaborative design can make a difference.
Shelby Doyle, LEED AP, is a designer at Cook + Fox Architects and volunteers with AFHny.
Event: 2008 National Conference for the Intern Development Program (IDP)
Location: Albuquerque, NM, 04.11-12.08
Speakers: For a full list of speakers and presentations, go to the conference website
Organizer: AIA Emerging Professionals Committee
This year’s IDP conference introduced many changes to the process that may cause ripple effects throughout the profession. The Intern Development Program, hosted by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), has been around for some 33 years, not long when compared to the 150-year-old AIA.
One major change to IDP involves the time period that interns have to report their Training Units. If approved during NCARB’s June 2008 Annual Meeting, Resolution 2008-G will require interns establishing a new IDP record on or after July 1, 2009, to report their Training Units in periods of no longer than six months. Beginning July 1, 2010, all interns enrolled in IDP will need to report their hours every six months. Upon implementation, retroactive reporting will become a thing of the past. This new policy is being introduced in conjunction with NCARB’s new online IDP reporting system, which itself is expected to be complete before July 1, 2009.
In addition to IDP reports, the New York State architectural licensure process will soon allow interns enrolled in IDP to concurrently take the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE). Other states have already adopted this practice, and upon approval by the New York State Board of Regents this fall or winter, candidates will be able to take the ARE at the same time they are completing their hours for IDP.
As more firms embrace IDP, AIA and NCARB have introduced two award programs: the IDP Firm Award and IDP Outstanding Firm Award. Recognizing firms that demonstrate exemplary efforts to support interns, the AIA hopes these awards will become a catalyst for IDP awareness. This year’s recipients of IDP Firm Awards include: BRR Architecture (Merriam, KS), Centerbrook Architects and Planners (Centerbrook, CT); Hendon + Huckestein Architects (Birmingham, AL); James Hundt Architecture (Clifton Park, NY); KTGY Group (Irvine, CA); Scott&Goble Architects (Tulsa, OK); Seay Seay, & Litchfield (Montgomery, AL); and Williams Blackstock Architects (Birmingham, AL). No NYC-based firms were given awards this year. The IDP Outstanding Firm Awards Program is still accepting submissions. The Summer 2008 cutoff deadline is July 15. Click here for more information.
Mark Behm, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, is an intern and auxiliary IDP Coordinator at Mancini Duffy Architecture & Interior Design, and co-chair of the AIA Professional Practice Committee.
Event: Project Team Collaborations: No. 7 Subway Extension; part 3 of Architects in Training 2008
Location: Dattner Architects, 04.30.08
Speakers: Judith Kunoff, AIA, LEED AP — Chief Architect, MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) (CCM); Kieran Spillane, PE — Senior Supervising Engineer, Certified Project Manager — Parsons Brinckerhoff (prime consultant to NYCT); Beth Greenberg, AIA — Principal, Dattner Architects (architect, consultant to Parsons Brinckerhoff)
Organizer: AIANY Emerging NY Architects (ENYA) Committee
The proposed 34th Street entrance of the No. 7 Subway extension.
Dattner Architects/PB Americas
As mega projects are being planned and constructed internationally, NYC has its own mega project burrowing beneath its surface. Dattner Architects, as consultants to PE Parsons Brinckerhoff and MTA New York City Transit (NYCT), has been developing the No. 7 Subway extension since 2003. With ground broken at 27th Street, large drills will soon be inching their way to Times Square.
The $2.1 billion project will add two new transit stations, five power plants, ventilation buildings, and two miles of new train tunnels to the city’s infrastructure. The team believes it is a vital intervention to the city’s rezoning and redevelopment plans. Indications of its potential impact are taking shape as many developments are springing up along the Far West Side.
Unlike most development projects, the entire team is located in one office; architects, engineers, consultants, and even client representatives — collectively more than 80 professionals — work within a few feet of each other. This facilitates the process, allowing for multiple parts of the project to move forward simultaneously. For example, in 2002, the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and conceptual design were developed concurrently.
In planning the extension, the team was faced with challenges that addressed not only surface interactions, but also below-ground obstacles, such as the multiple Hudson River crossings and West Side transit corridors (Amtrak, NJ Transit, and two Lincoln Tunnel tubes). The deepest tunnels in NYC will make up the No. 7 Subway extension.
Circulation studies, or “frustration level diagrams” as stated in the PowerPoint presentation, analyzed how to move thousands of riders through the stations most efficiently. Once in the tunnels, riders will be greeted with state-of-the-art metallic finishes and creative lighting. Walls will be covered with murals integrated with directional signage. Taking cue from many European stations, access-ways will also feature diagonally moving elevators — a first in NYC, and multiple escalators will add to fluidity of movement.
The stations above ground will consist of metal-and-glass canopied entries surrounded by park spaces and pedestrian-friendly plazas. The ventilation and power stations will incorporate metallic façades. These elements are still being designed.
Overall, the presentation emphasized the team effort required to develop the No. 7 Subway extension. The proposal attempts to create solutions for a better living standard in the city.
Harry Gaveras, AIA, is the principal of Propylaea and the co-chair of the AIANY Emerging NY Architects committee.
Event: This Will Kill That? A reading forum with Alex Kotlowitz
Location: Center for Architecture, 05.07.08
Speaker: Alex Kotlowitz — Author, There are no Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in The Other America (Anchor Books)
Organizers: AIANY Emerging NY Architects (ENYA) Committee
When Alex Kotlowitz, author of There are no Children Here; The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in The Other America, first visited Chicago’s Horner Homes to write about the lives of the Rivers family, he expected to find a strong sense of community. Instead, he found “a community that had begun to unravel.” Lafayette, the older Rivers boy, explained to Kotlowitz that he has only “associates,” not friends. Having studied the problems of public housing in urban America, Kotlowitz believes that while architecture may have contributed, the real core of the problem is a mix of politics, race, drugs, violence, and a scarcity of work — “the thread that holds the social fabric together.”
While architecture may not be the primary problem or solution, Kotlowitz thinks super-block planning and the lack of public streets enables gangs to control neighborhoods relatively surveillance-free. In recent years, Chicago has razed several super-blocks aiming to decentralize public housing. Old towers will be transformed into low-rise mixed-income housing. Despite these efforts, however, many of the former residents have simply moved to similarly troubled communities. “The stubborn persistence of violence” among the poorest cities has not abated, argues Kotlowitz.
One of the greatest challenges in addressing safety problems is to overcome the profound “physical and spiritual isolation” that Kotlowitz sees defining communities such as Horner. By improving access to educational and cultural institutions, as well as improving the quality of public architecture in poorer neighborhoods, cities can encourage re-integration. Ultimately, however, Kotlowitz believes that to create change, people must tell their stories making them known outside of their communities.
Gregory Haley, AIA, AICP, LEED AP, is a project architect and urban designer at Studio V Architecture, and has taught at the Boston Architectural Center and NYIT School of Architecture.
Event: Mario Botta — Recent Projects
Location: Steelcase, 04.28.08
Speaker: Mario Botta — Principal, Mario Botta Architetto
Organizer: School of Architecture and Design at New York Institute of Technology
Sponsors: Consulate General of Switzerland; AIANY
The Wellness Centre — Berg Oase by Mario Botta incorporates leaf-life skylights that blend with the landscape.
Urs Homberger
Swiss-born architect Mario Botta is best known for his rigorous use of symmetrical massing, pure geometric forms, and the mystery he evokes by using masonry as his primary medium.
For Botta, architecture is an expression of its locale, through ideas, aesthetics, history, and tectonics. In the Nuova Sede della Banca Nazionale (the new site for the national bank) in Athens, Greece (1998-2001), local limestone is the main construction material. A nearby archeological site influenced the decision to create a grand entry with direct views and public access to the excavation, referencing the city’s history yet re-framing it in contemporary space.
“Architecture is not born through program, but through a specific situation of space,” according to Botta. In the Biblioteca Municipale in Dortmund, Germany (1995-2000), he conceived the building as two contrasting joint volumes made from different materials and geometric forms. A transparent and open semi-circular glass structure faces the main street and a new part of town, while an opaque, rectangular stone form faces the old neighborhoods. Botta sited the latter to act as a fort protecting the old town from new development.
Botta believes in the healing power of architecture and landscape. For the Wellness Centre — Berg Oase (2003-2006), commissioned by the Grand Hotel Tschuggen, in Arosa, Switzerland, all of the program is buried underground in response to the “extraordinary geographic configuration of natural bowls surrounded by mountains.” The only visible element is a series of vertical, “leaf-like” skylights that breach the tree line acting as light wells and providing views of the surrounding terrain.
“The technical aspect of architecture is just the beginning. The choice of form and material in relation to a specific situation is imperative to transmit strong emotions and give the architecture a meaning beyond programmatic requirements,” Botta said. Architecture “builds a roof for humanity.”
Lucas Correa-Sevilla is an architectural designer and Brooklyn-based freelance writer.
On May 6, the Governmental Operations Committee of the New York City Council tacitly agreed with the architects and engineers packing the City Hall committee hearing room that we were right — a registered architect or professional engineer should continue to head the NYC Department of Buildings. This was done not by a vote, but by avoidance of a vote, or, in fact, by lack of any visible support for Intro 755, which, if passed, would eliminate this requirement about the experiential and training requirements for the Buildings Department head. By cogent and probing questions, the Government Ops members present, including Councilmembers Joseph P. Addabbo, Inez E. Dickens, Erik Martin Dilan, Dominic M. Recchia, Jr., and Larry B. Seabrook, put the Administration’s representative, Anthony Crowell, in the position of defending the indefensible. Crowell, in essence, said that it didn’t matter whether or not a Commissioner who knew anything about
buildings could head the Buildings Department so long as the nominee was a good manager and good
communicator.
Other council members not on the committee holding the hearing, including Jessica Lapin, John Liu, Rosie Mendez, James Oddo, and David Yassky, sat at the hearing table to aggressively challenge Crowell’s arguments. Liu, for one, stated that the proposed legislation was “absurd” on the face of it. In times of heightened concern about building safety, the idea that the Buildings Commissioner did not need to be trained and tested on how buildings are made safe seemed wrong to all of the council members speaking — and to 100% of those members of the public who came to testify.
Many industry leaders, including Michael Macaluso, RA, President of the Architects Council of New York, and Anthony Schirripa, AIA, AIANY Vice-President for Public Outreach, were joined inside and outside the room by other chapter leaders from all five NYC borough components. The American Council of Engineering Companies New York Chapter was represented at the meeting by its national chair, John F. Hennessey, III, PE, and its local chapter head, Hannah O’Grady. A letter from Christine McEntee, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the AIA national component was read into the record by AIANY Policy Coordinator Laura Manville.
The Chapter’s position statement also became part of the testimony and is attached to this summary. It was accompanied — think Miracle on 34th Street — by petitions signed by more than 3,000 individuals saying the same thing, “No PE’s, No Justice.” More signatures are needed. Click the link, add your name and e-mail it to the AIANY.
The fight is not over. A compromise bill, asking to temporarily put aside the needed experiential requirements, is within the realm of possibility, and could come back to the City Council’s Committee within the next two weeks. Please write or e-mail your Councilmember now, whether she or he is on the Governmental Operations Committee or not. It makes no sense for the City’s Health Commissioner to not be a doctor, whether for four years, four months, or four weeks. It makes less sense, given the professional needs for code and zoning interpretation, action, and decision-making, for the Buildings Commissioner not to be a licensed design professional. New York needs a Buildings Commissioner who knows how buildings stand up.
Following in the footsteps of France, Spain, and Scandinavia, Washington D.C. this month launched a bike-sharing program it calls SmartBike DC. Made possible by Clear Channel Outdoor and the District Department of Transportation, 10 modular, self-service bike stations are located in the city’s central business district. After paying an annual fee of $39.99, subscribers receive a card that works like a MetroCard, and they can rent a bike for up to three hours at a time.
Since May is “Bike Month” in NYC, I have been looking at a number of proposals on the table to increase bike access in the city — from expanded cycling zones to better bridge access and increased bicycle parking. I have not come across many proposals for bike-share programs, however. Storefront for Art and Architecture hosted a temporary program last year (See “NYC Looks to Pop a Wheelie,” by Carolyn Sponza, AIA, LEED AP), which launched the New York Bike-Share Project website, but that website has not had much activity since. The only current proposal I could find is the free bike-share program planned for Governors Island, with bikes designed by the West 8/Rogers Marvel Architects/Diller, Scofidio + Renfro/Quennell Rothschild/SMWM team.
Even though many bike-share programs in other countries have failed due to vandalism and theft, I think bike sharing is a great way to ease congestion, both in subways and on the streets. It also encourages exercise and healthy lifestyles, and it can be affordable. With a reasonable annual fee, using D.C.’s example, the program becomes cheaper than taking the subway. Without having to pay for and maintain a bicycle, I can see such a program taking off in NYC. I hope D.C. will prove a successful model.
Please comment and let me know what you think about bringing bike-sharing to NYC.
In this issue:
· Whitney Heads Downtown
· Ad Agency Fosters Creativity Through Design
· A Contemporary Take on Bond Street
· LEED Gold Restoration Preserves Texas Treasure
· R&D Goes Green in China
· A New Great Wall for China
Whitney Heads Downtown
The entrance to the proposed downtown Whitney Museum of American Art designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop.
Courtesy Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art recently unveiled Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s design for a second 185,000-square-foot museum in the Meatpacking District. The six-story downtown museum will include 50,000 square feet of galleries, affording the Whitney to show more of its 20th- and 21st- century American art. The third-floor special exhibition gallery will be approximately 17,500 square feet, one of the largest free-span exhibition spaces in NYC.
Approximately 15,000 square feet of rooftop galleries will be situated on various levels of the building for dynamic outdoor exhibitions. The building also will contain an education facility, research library, conservation area, multi-use space for film and performing arts, 175-seat theater, study center, restaurant, café, bookstore, and a ground-floor exhibition gallery. The upper stories will spread beyond the building’s base, stretching toward the Hudson River to the west and stepping back from the elevated High Line park on the east. A cantilevered entrance along Gansevoort Street will shelter a public plaza steps away from the southern entrance to the High Line. Cooper, Robertson & Partners is collaborating on the project, slated to begin construction in Spring 2009 with an anticipated opening in late 2012.
Ad Agency Fosters Creativity Through Design
Dentsu America.
Chuck Choi
The New York office of TPG Architecture has completed the renovations to the global advertising agency Dentsu America’s NYC flagship office in Tribeca. The office, at 32 Avenue of Americas, is a landmarked 27-story art deco building designed by Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker in 1933, and built as the world headquarters for AT&T. The 40,000-square-foot office has an industrial loft-like aesthetic and features an open plan and glass-front offices. The client wanted a workspace that fosters creativity, so TPG developed solutions such as two brainstorming rooms, or think tanks, constructed on 30-inch platforms that appear to be suspended above the sunken staff area. LED lights installed at the base of each structure to further enhance the floating effect. A raised café, compete with a 10-foot, 800-gallon Koi fish tank, offers uptown views.
A Contemporary Take on Bond Street
48 Bond Street.
Deborah Berke & Partners Architects
The Deborah Berke & Partners Architects-designed 48 Bond is about to be completed. Located in NoHo, the 11-story building shares a cobblestone street with Herzog & deMeuron’s 40 Bond. Interpreting the neighborhood’s 19th century architecture, the building has zinc and glass at street level, segueing into a flamed charcoal grey granite and sheet glass. A contemporary take on the bay window, the building has narrow panes tilting out from the façade allowing for a play of shadows throughout the day. The building has 17 units.
LEED Gold Restoration Preserves Texas Treasure
The Nix House, before and after renovation.
Portico Residential LLC
New York-based Portico Residential, a real estate advisory and development firm, has been awarded the “Treasure of Texas” by Preservation Texas, a partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The award was for its work on the Nix House, a circa 1899 Victorian mansion designed by Texas architect Atlee B. Ayers located in the heart of San Antonio’s King William Historic District.
The restoration incorporated over 20 green design principles for greater energy efficiency and minimal environmental impact, most notably solar chimneys, non-vented roof/attic, rainwater harvesting system, and an upgraded utility grid. The project is expected to be certified LEED Gold for a historic home. Portico Residential’s president, architect and attorney and AIANY member Roy R. Pachecano, AIA, spearheaded the project with his father, both of whom are San Antonio natives. The house is currently for sale.
R&D Goes Green in China
Genzyme.
RMJM Hillier
RMJM Hillier, the North American division of U.K.-based RMJM Group, has been selected as design architect and laboratory planner for a 200,000-square-foot, $90 million Beijing research and development center for Genzyme Corp., one of the world’s leading biotech companies. Located in Zhongguancun (ZGC) Life Science Park, an area dedicated to academic and government research centers as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, the new facility will be used for research and development activities.
Green features include a narrow foot print and four-story atrium to maximize natural ventilation; a living roof to reduce pollution from storm water runoff; a solar thermal system to provide a significant portion of the building’s hot water and reduce its energy consumption; low-flow fixtures; a high-performance exterior glass system to enhance natural light; and a sensored motorized blind system to control light and heat gain. The research and administrative portions of the building are connected via the atrium in which a series of horizontal bridges and staircases of varying heights and dimensions aim to promote productive and playful movement of people, light, and air.
A New Great Wall for China
GreenPix – Zero Energy Media Wall.
Simone Giostra & Partners Architects
New York-based Simone Giostra & Partners Architects has designed the GreenPix – Zero Energy Media Wall at Xicui Entertainment Complex in Beijing, near the site of the 2008 Olympics. The project applies sustainable and digital media technology to a curtain wall and features the largest color LED display in the world, composed of 2,292 color (RGB) LED’s, comparable to a 24,000-square-foot monitor screen. The technology transforms the building envelope into a self-sufficient organic system, harvesting solar energy by day and using it to illuminate the screen after dark, mirroring the day’s climatic cycle. Giostra, along with Arup, developed a new technology for laminating photovoltaic cells in a glass curtain wall and oversaw the production of the first glass solar panels by Chinese manufacturer SunTech. The wall will have its premiere performance in June showcasing videos, installations, and performances, organized by a team of independent curators,
art institutions, and benefactors, lead by curator/producer Luisa
Gui.
In this issue:
· AIA Convention Preview
AIA Convention Preview
The 2008 AIA Convention kicks off this week at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC). As AIANYers migrate northward, here is a preview of events that might be of interest, and seminars in which local chapter members are participating. To download the full convention program, go to the AIA website.
WEDNESDAY 5/14
8:00am-12:00pm:
* WE09 Designing a Regenerative Hospital: An Imperative for the 21st Century (Robin Guenther, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP; Ray Pradinuk, MRAIC, LEED AP; Scott Slotterback; Jerry Smith, ASLA, LEED AP)
* WE13 Project Finance for Project Managers and Managing Principals (Jim Sawyer, AIA, NCARB)
THURSDAY, 5/15
7:00-9:00am
* TG02 Run for Fun ($20) Westin Hotel next to BCEC to BCEC
8:15-10:00am
*GS01 Keynote Theme: Millard Fuller on Sustainable Design
10:00-10:50am
* Candidate Speeches, Grand Ballroom, BCEC
11:00-12:30pm
* Regional Caucuses, Room 210-A, BCEC
2:00-3:30pm
* TH27 Civic Architecture: Design and Identity in a Changing Society Edward A. Feiner, FAIA; Barbara A. Nadel, FAIA; Les Shepherd, AIA; Richard N. Swett, FAIA)
* TH30 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture (Peter G. Kuttner, FAIA; Marsha Maytum, FAIA; Mark Reddington, FAIA; Michael Ross, FAIA)
* TH31 New York Times Building (Bruce S. Fowle, FAIA, LEED AP; Rocco Giannetti, AIA; Jeremy Moss; David Thurm)
* TH37 International Architecture Practice and Design: Honorary Fellows International Forum (Judith D. Mitchell, AIA)
4:00-5:30pm
* TH54 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award Forum (Norma Sklarek, FAIA; Jack Travis, FAIA)
* TH58 AIA Architecture Firm Award Presentation (Mike Mense, FAIA)
* TH59 BIM: Best Practices, Best Results (Stephen R. Hagan, FAIA, CCM; Kristine K. Fallon, FAIA; Tony Rinella, Assoc. AIA)
4:00-5:00pm
* E15 AIA International Committee and AIA Overseas Members Meeting
4:00-5:30pm
* E16 Honors and Awards Ceremony
6:00-7:00pm
* TH78 The Next Generation of Ideas on Water (Susan Szenasy)
* TH84 The Value of Architecture Centers (Rick Bell, FAIA; Diane Filippi; Lynn J. Osmond, Hon. AIA)
6:00-7:30pm
* International Committee Reception
7:00-9:00pm
* AIANYS Party sponsored by Ibex Construction at Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Place, Budweiser Right Field Roof, Gate B. Rain or shine. Help us “bury the jersey” and honor our new Fellows and design award winners.
9:00-10:30pm
* E32 AIAS Nightcap ($35)
9:00-midnight
* E33 Movies at EpiCenter ($50)
FRIDAY 5/16
7:30-8:30am
* AIANYS Breakfast Meeting at Marriott Copley Plaza Vineyard Room
8:15-9:45am
* FR21 The United Nations in the 21st Century (Anthony Cohn)
* FR39 2007 Latrobe Prize
10:00-11:30am
* GS02 Keynote Theme: Urban Security in the 21st Century (Ambassador Henry A. Crumpton; The Honorable Douglas P. Woodlock; Thomas Vonier, FAIA, RIBA)
2:00-3:30pm
* FR42 The Need to Negotiate: How to Take Your Career to the Next Level (Roy Abernathy, AIA, IFMA; Giles Jacknain; Bradford Perkins, FAIA, MRAIC, AICP; Ed Tsoi, FAIA)
* FR48 Organizing Professional Response to the Mayor’s PlaNYC 2030 (Rick Bell, FAIA; Ernest W. Hutton, Assoc. AIA, AICP; Jessica P. Strauss, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB)
4:00-5:30pm
* FR61 The New Housing New York Legacy Project (Lance Jay Brown, FAIA; Mark E. Ginsberg, FAIA, APA; Holly Leicht)
* FR71 Showcasing the Melting Pot: The Successful Design of Museums and Cultural Facilities in the United States (Philip Freelon, FAIA; Nicholas P. Koutsomitis, AIA; Andrew Sebor, PE)
4:00-6:00pm
* Investiture of New Fellows at Old South Church, 645 Boylston
Street
6:00-7:00pm
* FR89 LEED Gold Landmark at the University of Illinois (Craig G. Copeland, AIA, LEED AP; Paul E. Parry, PE, LEED AP)
* FR95 Developing Your Own Client Base: What’s the Secret? (Michael Ayles, AIA, NCARB; David Koren, Assoc. AIA, CPSM; Jean R. Valence, Hon. AIA, FSMPS)
7:30-10:30pm
* E47 Host City Celebration ($150)
SATURDAY, 5/17
7:00-8:00am
* SA07 Drivers of Change: Urbanization and Land Use (Francesca Birks; Jessica P. Strauss, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB)
8:15-9:45am
* SA31 Sustainable Health Care Architecture (Robin Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, NCARB; Gail Vittori, LEED AP)
2:30-4:00pm
* GS03 Forty Years: The Anniversary of Whitney Young’s Presentation to the Institute (Ambassador Andrew Young)
n
With the AIA Convention this week, what type of seminars/events most interest you?
Note: Results from this poll are non-scientific.
n
Are you planning on attending the AIA Convention in Boston May15-17?
Note: Results from this poll are non-scientific.
Architecture for Humanity (AFH) is raising funds to support reconstruction efforts in Myanmar (was known as Burma). Work will focus on rebuilding sustainable clinics, schools, community centers, housing, and other critical infrastructure. To make a donation (85% of donations are directed toward design and construction), go to the AFH website.
Out of nearly 10,000 submissions, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) won the 2008 People’s Voice Webby Award for the America’s Favorite Architecture (AFA) website…
Co-editors Donald Albrecht and Eeva Liisa Pelkonen accepted the Society of Architectural Historians Philip Johnson Exhibition Catalogue Award for Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future…
R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects‘ renovation and restoration of the historic U.S. Post Office and Courthouse on Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, with associate architect/historic consultant Wank Adams Slavin Associates has won two awards: The New York Landmarks Conservancy Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award and the Preservation League of New York State Excellence in Historic Preservation Award… Other Preservation League Award Winners include: Eldridge Street Synagogue, project architect Walter Sedovic Architects and architects Wiss Janney Elstner Associates; Model Development Block in New Rochelle by Susan Doban Architect; and a special citation honoring Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City’s Landmarks (Routledge 2007) by Anthony C. Wood…
NY-based Thomas Kosbau and Tyson Gillard were runners up in the 2008 Metropolis Next Generation Design Prize…
Ron McCoy, FAIA, has been selected as the new Princeton University architect; he succeeds Jon Hlafter, FAIA, who retired after 40 years at the post…
04.30.08: The AIANY 2008 Design Awards Luncheon took place at Cipriani on Wall Street in honor of this year’s Design Awards and Building Type Awards, co-sponsored with the Boston Society of Architect. A reception followed the next evening at the Center for Architecture, celebrating the Design Awards & Building Type Awards 2008 exhibition opening.
Keynote speaker Peter Eisenman, FAIA.
Sam Lahoz
2006 AIANY President Mark Strauss, FAIA, AICP, and 2008 AIANY President James McCullar, FAIA, toast the Spring issue of OCULUS at the exhibition opening.
Kristen Richards
(l-r): Rick Bell, FAIA, AIANY Executive Director; Ronnette Riley, FAIA; and Abby Suckle, FAIA, LEED AP, AIANY Secretary.
Kristen Richards
(l-r): Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, chair of the AIANY Planning & Urban Design committee; Andy Frankl, president of Ibex Construction; and Rick Bell, FAIA.
Kristen Richards
05.05.08: On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners held a panel discussion among senior firm members about the firm’s past, present, and future, and the AIANY Chapter presented it with a special proclamation, at the firm-designed Rubin Museum of Art.
(l-r): Frederick A. Bland, FAIA, AICP, Managing Partner; Founding Partners John H. Beyer, FAIA, AICP, and John Belle, FAIA, RIBA; New Yorker columnist Adam Gopnik (who moderated the discussion); James McCullar, FAIA, 2008 AIANY President; Rick Bell, FAIA, AIANY Executive Director (with proclamation).
Kristen Richards
05.07.08: Openhouse newyork (OHNY) held its annual benefit cocktail party and silent art auction at The Explorer’s Club to help raise funds to ensure that the OHNY weekend in October remains a free event.
(l-r): Robert Hammond, co-founder of Friends of the High Line; Scott Laurer, OHNY founder; William Menking, editor-in-chief of The Architect’s Newspaper.
Odette Veneziano
Caroline Otto, OHNY board president (center) with Everardo Jefferson, AIA (left), and Sara Caples, AIA (right), principals of Caples Jefferson Architects.
Odette Veneziano
The NY Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS-NY) held its 12th Annual Honor Awards to recognize excellence in marketing and the public, development, and media sectors. The winners (l-r): Media Honor Award honoree Lockhart Steele, president of Curbed.com; Marketing Champion Award honoree Maxinne Rhea Leighton, Assoc. AIA, principal of business development/director of marketing, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners; Marketing Mentor Award honoree Kirsten Sibilia, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, principal and director of marketing and communication, FXFOWLE Architects (and OCULUS Committee chair); Marketing Achievement Award honoree Judy Pullar, former vice president / director of business development, Cannon Design; and Public Sector Award honoree David Burney, FAIA, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Design and Construction.
Elliot Kaufman Photography
Oculus 2008 Editorial Calendar
If you are an architect by training or see yourself as an astute observer of New York’s architectural and planning scene, note that OCULUS editors are looking for writers for the Fall and Winter issues. The themes:
Fall OCULUS: Practice. Focus of this year’s Practice issue is on the architectural office — the culture and decision-making structure of NY-based practices, how the office’s design reflects the culture, along with the views key players in the firm.
Winter OCULUS: Competing for Space. Explore the growing competition between expansionist institutions on limited sites and the interests of adjacent communities, many in residential areas with moderate-income families.
If you’re interested, please contact OCULUS editor-in-chief Kristen Richards. with a brief outline and full contact information.
Summer 2008: closed
Fall 2008: closed
08.01.08 Winter 2008-09: Competing for Space
05.19.08 Call for Submissions: AIA National Healthcare Design Awards
The AIA Academy of Architecture for Health recently began the AIA National Healthcare Design Awards program, which will showcase the best of healthcare building design and healthcare design-oriented research. Projects should exhibit conceptual strength and solve aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns as well as the requisite functional and sustainability concerns of a healthcare facility.
06.02.08 Call for Submissions: Red Hook: The Bicycle Master Plan Design Competition
Red Hook is underserved by public transportation; this design competition seeks to promote bicycling in the area. The competition has three components: 1. Retrofitting a bike garage (or “loft”) at the Smith/9th Street Station, 2. Connecting this elevated train stop to the rest of the neighborhood via dedicated bike lanes and other bike amenities, and 3. Identifying funding sources such as the reauthorization of federal surface transportation legislation, foundations, and commercial sponsors. Prize total is $8,500 divided among five finalists. Registration ends 6.02.08 and submissions are accepted through 07.31.08..
06.05.08 Request for Proposals: NYCEDC Alternative Fueling Facility
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a developer for the construction and operation of an alternative fueling facility within the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center. The site, located along Food Center Drive and Halleck Street in the Bronx, is approximately 127,800 square feet and zoned for heavy manufacturing uses. It is anticipated that NYCEDC will offer the site for a long-term lease with a term of 30 years with two five-year renewals. Proposals should provide the retail sale of at lease one type of competitively priced, sustainable alternative fuel; however, proposals that include more than one type of alternative fuel are strongly encouraged.
06.20.08 Call for Entries: How Green are You?
AIA and Dwell invite you to prove “How Green Are You?” Simply provide four images of your green or sustainable project and write a 250-word essay highlighting the most important green elements. Projects will be assessed on their sustainability, functionality, originality, cost effectiveness, and design. Dwell.com editors, AIA architects, and Dwell.com site visitors will vet the submissions and be evaluated by our editorial staff and AIA architects. Three winners will receive a gift certificate from the AIA to apply toward their next big Green Project.
06.20.08 Call for Entries: 2008 World Architecture Festival Awards
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) will celebrate the work, concerns, and aspirations of the international architectural community during a three-day event taking place in Barcelona, Spain from 10.22.08-24.08. The 2008 awards are for buildings completed between 01.01.07 and 06.20.08. Buildings can be in any country and by architects of any nationality. International juries will shortlist the best entries in 96 building types, grouped into 16 categories. All shortlisted architects will present their work to live juries and audiences at the festival. Category winners will compete against each other in front of a super-jury, to win the ‘best in show’ prize, the first architectural Prix de Barcelona.
06.24.08 Call for Entries: Live the Box
This national architectural design competition addresses the issue of thousands of unwanted shipping containers that clog ports and the land around them. AIA Newark and Suburban and Young Architects Forum challenges designers to re-invent the box by utilizing shipping containers as the primary construct of an urban multi-family mixed use project. The selected site is adjacent to a major train station, and walking distance to the downtown and major cultural centers of Newark, NJ.
06.27.08 Request for Qualifications: Situated Technologies: Toward the Sentient City
The Architectural League of New York invites architects, artists, designers, technologists, engineers, urbanists, or teams thereof, to submit qualifications for an exhibition that will critically explore the evolving relationship between ubiquitous/pervasive computing and urban architecture. The League will commission five to seven teams to develop urban interventions — to be installed in and around NYC in spring 2009 — that will imagine alternative trajectories for how various mobile, embedded, networked, and distributed forms of media, information, and communication systems might inform the architecture of urban space and/or influence our behavior within it. Commissioned projects will receive support ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.
06.27.08 Call for Entires: Emirates Glass LEAF Awards
These awards are open to all companies, technologies, and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the world of architecture, and who continue to set the benchmark for the buildings of tomorrow. This year’s awards will be presented at a gala dinner on 10.23.08 at the The Dorchester in Central London.
Center for Architecture Gallery Hours
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-8:00pm, Saturday: 11:00am-5:00pm, Sunday: CLOSED
Join an Architalker for a Hosted Tour of Center for Architecture
Exhibitions
Join us for free Architalker-hosted tours of the Center for Architecture exhibitions Fridays at 4:00pm. To join one of these tours, meet in the Public Resource Area on the ground floor of the Center for Architecture.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
May 1 — June 28, 2008
Design Awards & Building Type Awards 2008
Galleries: Kohn Pedersen Fox Gallery, HLW Gallery
The AIA New York Chapter 2008 Design Awards exhibition is a showcase of the 2008 award-winning projects in three categories — Interiors, Architecture, and Projects. Selected from international, national and local submissions, these projects spotlight the extraordinary achievements in architectural design excellence in New York City and around the world.
The AIA New York Chapter 2008 Biennial Building Type Awards program has been established to recognize excellence and innovation in specialized design fields and to honor the architects, clients, and consultants who work together to improve the built environment. The 2008 design categories are: Educational Facility Design, Sustainable Design, and Urban Design. The program is co-sponsored with the Boston Society of Architects.
Design Awards 2008 is organized by the AIA New York Chapter and the AIA New York Chapter Design Awards Committee.
Building Type Awards 2008 is co-sponsored by the AIA New York Chapter and the Boston Society of Architects. The 2008 program was organized in collaboration with the following AIA New York Chapter Committees: Architecture for Education, Committee on the Environment, and Planning & Urban Design.
Exhibition Design: Graham Hanson Design
The 2008 Design Awards Program was made possible with support from the following organizations:
Benefactors
Patrons
Lead Sponsors
Arup
Consulting for Architects
Gensler
KI
Lutron Electronics
Mancini Duffy
RMJM Hillier
Robert A.M. Stern Architects
STUDIOS architecture
Turner Construction Corporation
Related Events
Monday, May 19, 2008, 6:00 — 8:00pm
Design Awards Winners’ Symposium: Interiors Winners
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 6:00 — 8:00pm
Design Awards Winners’ Symposium: Projects Winners
February 26 — May 31, 2008
Building China
Five Projects, Five Stories
Galleries: Judith and Walter Hunt Gallery, Mezzanine Gallery
The People’s Republic of China is undergoing a phenomenal transformation. Since 1978, with the adoption of an open-door policy, the country has developed a thriving market economy, out of which existing and new cities are experiencing rapid and aggressive growth. A new generation of architects is active in the vanguard of this construction, developing their own architectural identity.
Building China: Five Projects, Five Stories features five unique architectural case studies that were conceived, designed, and recently completed by Chinese architects. Located throughout China, many of these buildings, being exhibited in the U.S. for the first time, offer the public insight into China’s ever changing landscape. Through the stories of these five projects, themes emerge: Production of Contemporary Culture, Reinventing Urban Fabric, Making the Private Public, Reinterpreting Traditional Design Philosophy, and Hybrid Development Models. These case studies of contemporary architecture introduce critical voices from the People’s Republic of China, challenging the West’s stereotypical interpretation of China as a homogeneous society.
Organized by: The AIA New York Chapter and the Center for Architecture Foundation in collaboration with People’s Architecture and the AIA New York Chapter International Committee
Curator: Wei Wei Shannon, People’s Architecture
Co-Curator: Shi Jian
Exhibition Design: Popular Architecture
Graphic Design: Omnivore
Photography: Iwan Baan
Patron: Digital Plus
Supporters:
Beyer Blinder Belle: Architects & Planners
EDAW
Jerome and Kenneth Lipper Foundation
Friend: Häfele, Calvin Tsao
Related Events
Friday, May 30, 2008, 6:30 — 8:30pm
Film from the Da Zha Lan project, Sponsored by
the Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU and NYU’s China House
To register or for more information: www.aiany.org/calendar
CES credits available
Cabinet No. 8, 1994; yellow-lacquered maple with waterstain grain, natural burled elm, by Ettore Sottsass.
Courtesy Friedman Benda Gallery
Through 06.21.08
Archetypes
This exhibition is the second in a cycle of exhibitions devoted to the investigation of the limited edition and rare work of Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007). This exhibition features glass, marble, and furniture made from 1965-1995. Many of the works are on view for the first time outside European museums. Sottsass investigated the forms, patterns, and structures that underlie the rituals of daily life. On view is a selection domestic objects, photography, and architectural projects.
Friedman Benda Gallery
515 West 26th Street
Young Architects Forum 2008: Resonance.
Courtesy The Architectural League of New York
Through 07.11.08
Young Architects Forum 2008: Resonance
The Architectural League of New York presents a lecture series and exhibition of work by the winners of its 27th annual competition for young architects and designers. This year’s theme, “Resonance,” challenged entrants to consider expanded communication networks, in a time when architects’ productive power is increasingly strengthened by technological advances. Cross-fertilization with other disciplines and industries was encouraged as well.
The Urban Center
457 Madison Avenue
eCalendar includes an interactive listing of architectural events around NYC. Click the link to go to to eCalendar on the Web.
The Public Information Exchange (PIE) is an AIANY initiative designed to create an archive of NYC projects, proposals, programs, and exhibitions presented or discussed at the Center for Architecture. It is a forum for public discussion, both general and professional, that includes continuous commentary from users and participants. Click the link to take part.
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Looking for help? See resumes posted on the AIA New York Chapter website.
Hudson Square sublease. 1000 SF, 3-room downtown office suite just west of SoHo. Perfect for architects, designers, engineers. Move-in condition. Arched windows on Hudson St. with great light. Separate entrance, central A/C, hardwood floors, shared kitchenette. Easily convertible to 4 rooms. 24/7 attended lobby with 24/7 building access. Conveniently located near A, C, E and 1 trains. Available around July 1. Email Brian Steinwascher at bsteinwascher@laliremarch.com.
NBBJ, a growing international design firm, has opportunities for Medical Planners, Project Managers, and Project Architects to join teams working on innovative healthcare projects and exciting international commercial projects. To learn more or apply, please visit http://www.nbbj.com/#join/openings. EOE
What Makes Consulting For Architects Different?
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Stop by or call to speak with a member of our courteous and knowledgeable staff to review your portfolio and career goals and discuss professional opportunities available to you today. CFA, 236 5th Ave., NY, NY 10001 - 212.532.4360 Office. 212.696.9128 Fax. Send resumes / work samples to recruiters@cons4arch.com
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ARCHITECT - LEVEL 2
You may be supervisor of a capital construction project of great technical complexity and/or one that will have a significant impact on TA operations / infrastructure; or, relative to design, you may be an architectural team leader on a project of similar scope.
Requirements: A valid New York State registration as an Architect and five years of full-time experience in Architecture including experience with large-scale projects.
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DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY
The New York Landmarks Conservancy, a nationally recognized, 35 year-old preservation organization, seeks a senior level Public Policy Director.
Responsibilities
The Director of Public Policy reports to the President and collaborates with the President, Chairman, and Public Policy Committee to develop, and implement preservation advocacy initiatives.
The Director of Public Policy also:
· Creates position papers for public testimony.
· Represents the organization, and regularly testifies at public hearings.
· Directs the Conservancy’s annual Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards.
· Manages Endangered Buildings Online..
Qualifications
At least seven years of senior advocacy and public policy experience in a preservation setting.
B.A. or B.S. in Architecture or Historic Preservation. Masters’ degree preferred. Teaching experience is a plus.
Excellent organizational and communication skills, including strong writing and public speaking ability.
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.
Please send resume and cover letter with two writing samples to employment@nylandmarks.org
No phone calls.
Housing Architect
Mid-town office of an award-winning regional architectural firm has immediate opening for Project Architect with 10-15 years of experience with the design of multi-family residential projects within NYC in positions of responsibility. The successful candidate will have proven skills for project conceptualization, managing production teams, technical coordination, client coordination, and public speaking. AutoCAD proficiency is mandatory. Resumes only to ggarcia@dhkinc.com and lspellman@dhkinc.com. (www.dhkinc.com)
(continued from above)
Connectivity also drove Skirkanich Hall at the University of Pennsylvania as designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. Housing a bioengineering lab, this infill building is part of the school’s effort to connect engineering disciplines and use the building to link downtown Philadelphia to the heart of campus, according to senior associate Philip Ryan. By creating connections to adjacent buildings, the entry stair becomes a place for gathering. Most of building’s interior is black granite, but the cherry wood highlights and fields of green tiles are intended to encourage students to stop and think. The double-glazed, textured brick façade departs from the campus’s red brick standard, adding a sense of mystery, said Ryan, yet it relates to the color of the nearby Ginkgo trees and echoes the seasons.
For Bruder, it was an image showing the Louis Kahn-designed window detail next to the Polshek Partnerhsip Architects’ upgraded window detail that won the Yale University Art Gallery its Merit Award. And this challenge — to replace the window wall with modern technology and materials yet replicate the look exactly — is why the project took six years to complete, explained partner Duncan Hazard, AIA. Kahn’s glazing and metalwork were failing because the original design did not account for accumulative expansion and compression stresses. The museum climate created sweating on the inside of the glass, and the building did not meet modern wind-load requirements. Ultimately, the new wall is slightly thicker in some places, but otherwise appears as Kahn intended. In addition to the window wall, interior concrete work was repaired, and all of the building’s systems needed to be replaced (a challenge in itself because the ducts had to be reused as they
were installed before the space-frame ceiling was constructed, making them impossible to
remove).
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