— AIA New York

July 7, 2010
by: Murrye Bernard Assoc. AIA LEED AP

06.26-07.03.2010: AIANY and Classic Harbor Lines have circumnavigated Manhattan three Saturdays, on their “Around Manhattan Official NYC Architectural Tour,” with more cruises planned for July and August. See this issue’s Rhetorically Speaking “Ahoy AIA” for more on these exciting new boat tours.

Boat cruise organizer Abby Suckle, FAIA, and Deborah Young, AIA, a volunteer docent.

Florence Schmitt

Michael Sillerman, Jessica Harris, and Rick Bell, FAIA, on the deck.

Natalya Nikolaeva.

Captain Jim Chambers and Rick Bell, FAIA, discussing the route.

Natalya Nikolaeva.

06.10-13.10: AIA Convention in Miami, FL.

(l-r): Charles Thanhauser, AIA, Principal, TEK Architects; Lisa Chapman, Ibex Construction; James McCullar, FAIA, James McCullar & Associates, 2008 AIANY President; and Margaret Castillo, AIA, LEED AP, Partner, Helpern Architects, AIANY President-Elect at the “Sand in Your Shoes” AIA Miami Host Chapter Party.

Kristen Richards

AIA Miami’s sandcastle competition results: 1st Place: “The Vitruvian Homer Simpson” by Florida International University Department of Landscape Architecture.

Kristen Richards

(l-r): Mike Mense, FAIA, mmenseArchitects, presented The Architect’s Newspaper Publisher Diana Darling, and Editor-in-Chief William Menking with an AIA Institute Honors for Collaborative Achievement for supporting the profession of architecture and architects over the years.

Kristen Richards

At the Faith & Form/IFRAA International Awards for Religious Art and Architecture program, NYC-based Lichten Craig Architects received a Merit Award for the restoration of the Christ Church Tower in Poughkeepsie, NY; (l-r): Editor-in-Chief Michael J. Crosbie, FAIA, with Senior Architect Barry Donaldson, RA, LEED AP, and Principal Kevin Lichten, AIA.

Kristen Richards

Robert Ivy, FAIA, editor-in-chief of Architectural Record and Ned Cramer, editor-in-chief of Architect magazine, enjoy the 2010 AIA Convention in Miami (without the slightest hint of any grudges).

Joan Capelin, Hon. AIA

Newark Airport heading to Miami.

Kristen Richards

06.17.10: desigNYC introduced its 12 pilot projects with an exhibition at Pratt Gallery, on view through July 31. The program connects projects submitted by nonprofits, community groups, and city agencies with designers who work pro bono to see the projects through. Collaborations include the Broadway Mall Association with Joel Sanders Architect, Balmori Associates (landscape/urban design), and Domingo Gonzalez Associates (lighting design); the Lower East Side Ecology Center with Andrew Berman Architect; and three projects for Enterprise Community Partners with Robin Key Landscape Architecture, Sohbr Studio, and Andre Kikoski Architect.

(l-r): Brian Lewis of Andre Kikoski Architect, desigNYC advisor Sara Bengur, and Joan Montbach representing the client, Palladia.

Kristen Richards

06.17.10: The Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction hosted The Iron Designer Challenge. A fundraising event for the school (raising a total of $20,000), 10 architecture and engineering firms competed for the title. Jurors included David Burney, FAIA, commissioner of the NYC Department of Design and Construction; Gregg Pasquarelli, AIA, principal of SHoP Architects; Caroline Payson, director of education at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum; and Joel Towers, dean of Parsons The New School for Design. Diana Williams, anchor for WABC-TV Eyewitness News hosted the event.

In the end, Gensler reigned supreme and was named Iron Designer. Also, Omni Architects won a Structural Innovation prize; Robert Silman and Associates won Best Use of the Secret Material (3 Form resin tiles, and glass tiles by Galaxy); and Gensler won the People’s Choice Award.