eOCULUS 12.19.03

CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
M-F 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sat 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve Closed at 1:00 pm
Christmas and New Year's Day Closed

In honor of Pritzker Prize Laureate James Stirling (1926-1992), the Canadian Centre for Architecture and the Cities Programme of the London School of Economics and Political Science - in association with NYC's Van Alen Institute - have launched a new lecture competition: The James Stirling Memorial Lectures on the City. The Stirling Lecturer will be selected every other year by an international jury of architects and urban planners, and will receive an award of 5,000 $CAD, plus travel expenses in connection with Montreal and London presentations, and a colloquium in New York City. Applications are due March 15, 2004. Click on the link above for details and the call for submissions.

Theme: "If…Then." Every architectural project, at any scale, is preceded by an act of imagination, an architectural fiction that speculates on future events in a space that does not yet exist.

Deadline: February 6, 2004. Projects of all types, either theoretical or real and executed in any medium, are welcome. Entrants must be 10 years or less out of graduate or undergraduate school; students are not eligible. The competition is open to residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico only. Click on link above for details.

The Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship, offered by The Enterprise Foundation, funds visionary partnerships between non-profit organizations and new architects with the goal of making improvements in struggling communities nationwide. Rose Fellows partner with organizations that need their skills and services to design and build a range of community-based projects, including affordable housing. Each Fellow receives a $40,000 stipend plus benefits and extensive training opportunities for each of the three years required under the Fellowship.

Eligible candidates must have, at a minimum, a professional degree in architecture from an accredited college or university or expect to graduate before the fellowship begins. Applications must be completed by March 29th, 2004. Click on above link for details.

Frank Gehry, FAIA, has joined forces with Forest City Ratner Companies and landscape architect Laurie Olin, ASLA, AIA, of Olin Partnership, to design a master plan for the $2.5 billion, 21-acre Brooklyn Atlantic Yards, a mixed-use urban complex that includes transit redevelopment, new residential, commercial, office, and landscaped public space. The master plan was unveiled to the public last week.

In "Courtside Seats to an Urban Garden" in the New York Times on December 11th, Herbert Muschamp called the project "the most important piece of urban design New York has seen since the Battery Park City master plan was produced in 1979."

Plans include four office towers totaling 2.1 million square feet, 3,000 new parking spaces, about 4,500 apartments (much of it earmarked as affordable housing), and six acres of public open space designed by Olin. The centerpiece of the project is the $435 million Brooklyn Arena.

The 800,000-square-foot, 19,000-seat multi-use complex would be topped by a park and running track/ice rink. The arena would also be the new home of the Nets - should developer Bruce Ratner's team win the heated bidding war currently being waged for the basketball franchise. According to Ratner, "If we don't get the team there will not be a project." All the hoopla - and lots of images - can be reviewed at the aptly named site: www.brooklynhoops.net.

Also last week, NYC2012, the committee leading New York's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, announced the five finalists selected out of more than 130 entries from 20 countries - for an Innovative Design Study for the proposed 2012 Olympic Village in Queens West, directly across the East River from the United Nations.

The finalists are: Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects (New York); Henning Larsens Tegnestue A/S (Copenhagen); MVRDV (Rotterdam), Morphosis (Santa Monica); and Zaha Hadid Architects (London).

The Design Review Panel included Gary Hack, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Fine Arts; Con Howe, Planning Director for the City of Los Angeles; Ronay Menschel, Chairperson of Phipps Houses; Laurie D. Olin, ASLA, AIA, Landscape Architect; Will Rogers, President of Trust for Public Land; Moshe Safdie, FAIA, Architect; Dejan Sudjic, Architecture Critic; and Cristina Teuscher, Olympian.

Now comes a 14-week planning and design study. The finalists' submissions will be presented to the public in March through an exhibit and interactive website. The final round will include an evaluation and public comment period. The winning design will be announced in May 2004, and submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on November 15, 2004.

During the 2012 Olympic Games, the village would house 16,000 athletes and coaches - after which the city would gain what would undoubtedly be some pretty nifty housing for up to 18,000 New Yorkers. All that's needed is the IOC to give the A-OK to NYC…

And again, last week, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art announced the selection of Thom Mayne, AIA, of Santa Monica-based Morphosis fame as designer of the school's newest academic building; Gruzen Samton LLP will be the Associate Architect for the project. The nine-story full block building at 46 Astor Place in the East Village will include facilities for Cooper Union's Albert Nerken School of Engineering and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, as well the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture and the School of Art. Construction is scheduled to begin early 2006 and be completed in 18-24 months. The project will be Mayne's first major building in New York City.

The academic facility is part of a three-building, multi-year master plan that includes a residential project at 26 Astor Place designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, and a future mixed-use commercial building at 51 Astor Place.

And for those of you who don't frequent the pages of the New York Daily News, on Saturday, its chief drama critic Howard Kissell wrote a rave thumbnail review titled "Oren hatches a witty play." He went on to say: "Amidst the heated debates on how to honor the space at Ground Zero, Safdie's sendup of architects' pretensions seems especially pertinent… The unusually witty play is extremely well-acted. It is being presented in the appropriate setting of the new home of the Center for Architecture, which, as if to illuminate the play, has an interesting exhibit about public projects for New York."

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has assembled quite a lineup to design its new Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, dubbed eMPAC, in Troy, NY. The team includes: Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners (design architect); Davis Brody Bond (architect-of-record); Fisher Dachs Associates (theater consultant); Kirkegaard Associates (acoustical consultant); and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (landscape architect).

The 203,000-square-foot, $142 million eMPAC will include a variety of flexible venues including a 1,200-seat concert hall, a 400-seat theater, a 3,500-square-foot studio, and a 2,500-square-foot studio. All will accommodate both the traditional performing arts and contemporary works that incorporate digital and other media. The building will fit into a hillside slope, concealing much of its bulk. Every program area, including a soaring atrium, is designed to be used for performances, and all venues will be wired to production and post-production suites. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2006 with an opening festival in spring 2007. Click on the link above for more details and images.

Sage and Coombe Architects' renovation of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum is almost complete; the museum and garden, located in Long Island City, Queens, will reopen on April 17, 2004. The work includes added amenities for museum-goers, space for temporary exhibitions, and a gallery for Noguchi's interior design work. Programming will put Noguchi's work in a dialogue with that of other designers, beginning with "Isamu Noguchi: Sculptural Design," designed by artist and theatrical designer Robert Wilson and organized by the Vitra Design Museum in collaboration with the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum.

The New York Foundation for Architecture relies on dedicated volunteers to work with students in New York City schools through our Partnership Program. We look for enthusiastic architects with a desire to share their knowledge about the built environment, design, and the profession all while connecting to kids through hands-on activities and lively discussions.

Our volunteers commit to teaching six 90-minute workshops (one per week) at a local school in coordination with a classroom teacher. NYFA provides training, resources, and on-going support as you develop and implement your curriculum.

Last year, architects from 21 local architecture firms and city agencies taught over 450 kindergarten through 12th grade students in schools citywide. The Brooklyn Borough President awarded the program an Excellence in Educational Initiatives Award for 1997 as a model partnership between the city's business and school communities.

Please join us in our efforts to expand built environment education in New York City by contacting Hannah Smith, Program Director, at 212-358-6133 or hsmith@nyfarchitecture.org. We look forward to sharing the thrill of teaching with you.

'Tis the season for AIA members to confirm that they have obtained sufficient Continuing Education credits to satisfy both New York State and AIA requirements. The NY Chapter's Professional Practice Committee has prepared an in-depth article explaining an architect's mandatory Continuing Education fulfillment, as well as suggestions for evaluating the myriad courses offered and tips on how long to retain records. To review, please click: Practice Tips.

Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America (ICA&CA) will merge with the Institute for Traditional Architecture (ITA), it was announced recently. This move has been reflected in the changes in the ICA&CA's leadership. This past fall, Ray Gindroz, FAIA, one of the ITA's founding members and John Montague Massengale, AIA - formerly on the ITA's board - were elected to serve on the ICA&CA's board of directors. The two organizations hope to pool their resources and experience in order to promote the teaching and practice of traditional and Classical design.

The 3rd Annual New Roofs for a New Century International Conference (NRNC) will take place March 29th-30th in New York City. The NRNC is looking for presentations of case studies, research, and policies relating to the use of vegetated, photovoltaic, reflective, and metal roofs and their effects on energy, the economy, and the environment. The deadline is Friday, January 2.

The conference is organized by the Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc. (CEEP). Co-hosts include: the Graduate Center at CUNY, Earth Pledge, the Environmental Business Association of New York State, Inc., and Go2Buildings. For details, click here.

For those of you who remember "Manhattan Unfurled," artist and architect Matteo Pericoli is back with "Manhattan Within," a drawing of a 360-degree view of the Manhattan skyline as seen from Central Park. The 32-foot-long drawing will be at the Urban Center Galleries from December 18th through January 27th, along with Pericoli's journal and more than 2,000 photographs used in completing the drawing. The exhibit will open with a reception at 5:30 pm on December 17th with remarks by Dan Menaker, Editor-in-Chief at Random House, which has published the drawing as an accordion book). For more information, contact Aimee Molloy, the Municipal Art Society's Director of Exhibitions at 212-935-3960.

Artist and architect Dan Dubowitz's exhibition "Three Sanctuaries" - part of an international series on "Wastelands," the abandoned spaces of the western world - will be on view through January 25th at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Dubowitz presents photographs of Pugin's Gorton Monastery (Manchester, UK), the convent of San Gimignano (Italy) and the abandoned Modernist Seminary in Cardross (Scotland). The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is located at 1047 Amsterdam Ave (by 112th Street) in Manhattan. For hours, call 212-316-7540 or go to www.stjohndivine.org.

It's fun, colorful…and useful (and only $10)! The 2004 CANSTRUCTION calendar features 12 canstructed structures from the first decade of competition. The proceeds will go towards underwriting the cost of producing CANSTRUCTION each year. Click here to download an order form.

For the 2003 CANSTRUCTION Competition, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects teamed with students from the Pablo Neruda Academy for Architecture and World Studies . Their entry, "CANnecting across the City" - a glittering concoction of canned peas, black beans, corn, pork & beans, mackerel, fruit cocktail, milk, Pringles, pasta, tomato puree, mixed vegetables, and rice - depicted the IRT No. 6 train. The subway line was selected to celebrate the centennial of the NYC Subway System, and because it connected BBB office to the school in the Bronx. The structure was named "Best Meal."

The BBB/Pablo Neruda connection was made through the Salvadori Center, a partner of the academy, which is a New Century High School with a focus on architecture and social responsibility that opened this past September.

By Sherida Paulsen, Chair, and Raymond Gastil, Executive Director of Van Alen Institute

For New Yorkers, the driving issue for the renewal of the World Trade Center site and Lower Manhattan is whether we care enough to harness the time and talent to create successful public spaces. The no-holds-barred debate about the design of the Freedom Tower and the harsh reviews of the memorial finalists are distractions from the urgent work at hand. What matters most now are the planning and design decisions about public space that will make or break the site's promise to become a paradigm of urban regeneration. It is urgent for the project's public leadership to put this challenge first and foremost on their agenda.

To date, it is not clear that the master plan will create memorable, successful public spaces, whether in its sidewalks, squares, or connections to the memorial. Instead of fully resolving significant questions about these places, inordinate resources have been directed to calculating curtain walls and negotiating authorship. These exercises in compulsory origami may be of theoretical interest, but they avoid the more serious task of preparing a compelling plan for the public spaces on the ground around them. If no one has confidence in the public space on the ground, no one is going to bother to design, much less finance these speculative structures.

The latest example of how far off-topic we have come is the news that the builders of 7 World Trade Center plan to close off Greenwich at Vesey Street. The public was promised that Greenwich Street would go through, not just as an open vista but also as an open route to the site. It was time, as everyone from community members to elected officials and design professionals agreed, to reconnect the site to the rest of downtown. This surprise street closing has enormous implications for the WTC site just to the south, and the master plan team should be focused on responding to this, not distracted by building design.

For the memorial, the eight finalists were asked to envision a commemorative space - no skateboards, no vending carts, no rallies - and did so. For now, we cannot judge their connections to the rest of the site and the city, because they had to prepare their designs in the context of no context, trying to work with a master plan still in flux.

The master plan team is responsible for defining the public spaces that are not in the memorial precinct, and the team's intelligence and vision should be generating spaces that are both everyday and celebratory, where concerts and cafes, and commuters, tourists, and residents, and maybe even skateboards and vending carts, are all part of the mix. Urban critic Jane Jacobs' inspired mid 20th-century analysis of New York's "sidewalk ballet" needs to be thought through and put into action for this site and this century. The public sector needs to state forcefully, in terms of planning and design and finance, that their first priority is to make this a place where people want to be, with the freedom and variety for which the city is rightly famous. For New Yorkers, this is the main event.

This statement represents the views of its authors, and is not a policy statement of Van Alen Institute.

With the noticeable decline of strictly architectural press and the din of recent debate over Lower Manhattan's architectural future, many members of the design community feel the lack of appropriate venues for constructive discourse about architecture. In November, the AIA New York Chapter's Marketing Committee brought together five leading voices of the New York metropolitan design community in a panel entitled, "The Role of the Architectural Critic and Architectural Press."

Moderated by Paola Antonelli, curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art, the panel - Phillip Nobel, freelance critic; George Ranalli, AIA, Dean of the School of Architecture at City College; Cathy Lang Ho, Co-Founder of The Architect's Newspaper; and Kevin Lippert, Publisher, Princeton Architectural Press - discussed the causes and impact of this lack of architectural discussion, as well as the places where it does and should occur.

The panel noted that along with several major architectural publications closing their doors, very few newspapers have a design critic, let alone one devoted solely to architecture. Lippert mentioned the very small market for books of architectural criticism, and that his company's most successful publications are those that reach a larger audience, combining beautiful architecture with a social and environmental angle, for example. Ranalli cited the lack of balance in the press between the "stars" and everyone else. "Sex sells," Nobel agreed, saying, "98% of the attention goes to 2% of projects." Cathy Lang Ho hopes that her new publication will be a place for this discourse to occur.

In discussing the role of the architectural critic, the panel noted the distinction between writing for the public and writing for architects. While Lippert felt that critics have done the field a great disservice by pitting academia against the general public, he also referenced a lack of great writers able to excite the public about architecture. Nobel expressed the need for honest critics rather than great ones, and the need to address the true client base through publications that they really read.

The panel had mixed views on the impact of the increased architectural debate focused on the World Trade Center site. While some believe any attention is beneficial, others feel that the emphasis on the star system, the design competition mentality, and the perceived poor management of the process will be detrimental to the field.

Beyond the press, the panel felt that more architectural criticism needed to happen informally as well: in architect's offices, and also in client's kitchens, for example. Ranalli noted his surprise at the level of criticism happening in the interview process at CUNY; the discussion of the role of the object building on campuses has become increasingly significant.

The panel concluded with the question, "Does better criticism make better architecture?" An audience member confirmed the influence of today's well-known critics and called on them to elevate the discussion and become activists. Critics should function as the check and balance of the field, Nobel concluded. In an ideal world, no criticism is needed.
-- Abigail M. Carlen

The Byland Solar House was recently destroyed in a freak electrical fire. The house was my second design for the Byland family - the first was a dental clinic with several expansions. I was always proud that the house was included in the Columbia University Centennial Exhibition "The Making of an Architect 1881-1981" along side the Empire State Building and other notable designs by its many alums.

The house was an integrated active and passive solar design, with solar collectors and a summer cooling system that used an undersized AC unit that chilled the water/rock storage at night and circulated cool air during the day. The silent circulation of air gave the impression that the interior cool was the result of the sunshades and insulated window shutters alone. A two-story octagon solarium filled the house with sun during the winter, and light pored in through skylights and clerestories during the summer. The ever-changing interiors were a wonderful but unexpected bonus. In an article for OZ Journal of Architecture, I described it as a "Solar Monticello."

The house was product of the energy conscious Carter presidency years. The components were all low tech, built from locally available materials. The owner remarked that if the Carter incentives had remained in place, the majority of homes today would be solar oriented. The family took the loss much better than I did, and we are now looking at a new design reusing the old foundations.

In the Fall 2003 "Around the Corner: Southtown, Roosevelt Island by Gruzen Samton," Schuman Lichtenstein Claman Efron Architects should have been credited as the Architect-of-Record.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation ("NYCEDC") on behalf of the Coney Island Development Corporation ("CIDC") is seeking a multi disciplined consultant team to complete a strategic development plan for Coney Island. Building on work that has been done to date, the team will devise a strategy for the implementation of short and longer term improvements to the Coney Island community that encompass physical and economic changes. The plan will consider all aspects of the community, with a focus on building on the existing business base, developing vacant property for a variety of uses including housing, and marketing the area for year round use.

The strategic plan will comprise four tasks: assessment of current conditions in the Coney Island community and as compared with other urban seaside communities; a real estate analysis to identify development opportunities; recommendations for area-wide physical improvements; and, crafting an implementation strategy for the plan.

Detailed submission guidelines and requirements are outlined in the RFP, which is available on Dec. 19, 2003 at the offices of NYCEDC located at 110 William Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10038 or by calling 212.312.3969. Please refer to Coney Island Strategic Development Plan: Request for Consultant Services. The deadline for submission of proposals is January 29, 2004 at 4 p.m.. Proposals are to be submitted to Paul J. Tamboia, Agency Chief Contracting Officer, 110 William Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10038

New York City - has an Executive Position - Director of Digital Design (CAD) Services
One of the world's leading architecture and design firms is seeking a digital design leader who can envision and deploy a cutting edge CAD capability within the firm. Reporting directly to the CIO, the Director of Digital Design Services will be a part of the management team with firm-wide responsibility for planning, managing and directing all staff and resources within the Digital Design Services Group. Qualified candidates will be knowledgeable of 3D technologies and tools within the architectural industry, as well as those outside the industry, that may be used to develop a best-in-class service to the firm's architects.

Candidate must be familiar with the concept of business information modeling and the applicability to the architecture and/or design industries. A minimum of 10 years design experience in an architectural firm or design firm required. Project management, staff management, internal selling, and CAD technology planning and implementation experience a must. Position located in New York or Chicago. No relocation assistance available. Competitive salary and benefits. Potential partner track position. Contact: Lisa Gallo, Director of Executive Search for The MAC Group, a division of CFA, Inc. Call Lisa at (212) 532-4360 or email her at lgallo@cons4arch.com

Bonus
Earn free points every hour a CFA consultant works and redeem your points for free software. Sign up by December 31, 2003 and get 500 free points.

CFA, Inc., Autodesk, American Express, and CFA are pleased to bring back by popular demand, 0% Software Financing & Leasing. This program makes software purchases more affordable, the Leasing Program will allow more CFA customers to profit from the latest advances in design technology and the 0% rate can be bundled with CFA training and implementation included in the lease. Compared to typical bank loans, the Leasing Program conserves cash by requiring no large down payment or compensating bank balances. Additionally, customers will have low, predictable monthly payments, and an additional source of credit outside of their banking lines. Call Stan Bernard at (212) 532-4360 or email him at sbernard@cons4arch.com

AIA Contract Documents (electronic format 3.0 plus)
AIA Contract Documents are also available electronically through a meter-based, pay-per-document program or through an unlimited annual licensing fee. For a free CD-ROM with a quick tour of the program, demo, FAQ and ordering instructions, contact the AIA New York Chapter at 212-683-0023 or info@aiany.org. To order directly, visit www.aia.org.

Tuesday, 01/06/2004, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
The Evolution and Expansion of the Museum of Jewish Heritage Museum at Battery Park City
Location: The Center for Architecture 536 LaGuardia Pl. Lecture Hall (between Bleecker and W 3rd Street)
Sponsored by: AIA New York Chapter Cultural Affairs Committee
Description: A slide show and discussion of the construction of the recently completed expansion of the Museum of Jewish Heritage at Battery Park City
Speakers:
Kevin Roche, Pritzker Architecture Prize winning architect
David Marwell, Museum of Jewish Heritage director
Frank Sciame, principal of FJ Sciame Construction Company
Introductions by:
James Ballard, A.I.A. Vice Chair of the Cultural Affairs Committee
Registration Contact: AIA New York Chapter
Reg. Tel: (212) 358-6111
Member Price: $5 Associate Membership; $10 Full Membership
Nonmember Price: $25
CES Lus: 2, CES HSW: 2

Tuesday, 01/06/2004, 6 pm to 8 pm
Lighting Design for the Beginning Designer
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place
Sponsored by: IESNY
Description: A comprehensive course created for Architects, Interior Designers, and Engineers. This six-week course is presented in a basic and straightforward style, written and presented by Bonny Whitehouse - IESNY/AIA Liaison and Education Chair and Randy Sabedra - IESNY Vice-President. Lighting Design for the Beginning Designer is specifically for the non-lighting designer OR beginning lighting designer, in order to give them a better understanding of the field of Lighting Design. Topics covered are: vision (Lights and Colors and Shapes, Oh My!), lamps (Stuff You Need to Know About Lamps), luminaires (How to Use Lighting Fixtures, Inside and Out!), practices (Applications in Lighting), lighting calculations (Not so Scary Lighting Math), and creating the finished documents (The Execution). Tuesdays from January 6 thru February 10.
Registration Contact: Judith Nadel, elsltd@worldnet.att.net
Reg. Tel: 718-951-6773
Member Price: $400 for IES Members
Nonmember Price: $450 for non-IES Members
CES Lus: 12
More Info: 914-523-1661 or bw@whitehouselightingdesign.com

Monday, 01/12/2004, 5:30 pm
What's Wrong with the NYC Code?
Location: Hafele Showroom - 25 East 26 Street @ Madison Square
Sponsored by: Housing Committee Co-sponsored with the Real Estate Board of New York
Description: Drinks 5:30 PM / Program 6 PM / Reception to Follow New York city has established the Model Code Program to engage in the review and modification of the International Building Code (IBC) to facilitate its adoption by the city. The Program includes a series of technical committees created to investigate various areas of code coverage. As one aspect of this process, the committees will have the opportunity to incorporate measures which will rectify elements of the present code which we feel have been either deficient, confusing or missing.The forum is being convened by the Residential Committee of the Model Code Program to hear your input on issues of concern related to residential buildings. The panel will consist of three professionals who are involved in the deliberations and will be in a position to make recommendations for modifications of, additions to, and or/or deletions from the IBC prior to its presentation for adoption. Please join us to share your thoughts.
Registration Contact: rsvp@aiany.org with date and time of event
Free
CES Lus: 1.5, CES HSW: 1.5

Saturday, 01/17/2004, 10 am to 3 pm
LEED Certification Study Course
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place
Sponsored by: IESNY
Description: The 4-hour session will explain the LEED™ program in detail, and help to prepare the attendees to take the LEED™ accreditation exam. There will be an overview on sustainability, and how LEED™ came to be through the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The LEED™ process will be dissected and explained in detail topic by topic. Case studies, explorative information, and research will act as a base for detailed descriptions of the LEED™ rating system. Cost includes handouts and breakfast.
Registration Contact: Judith Nadel, elsltd@worldnet.att.net
Reg. Tel: 718-951-6773
Member Price: $80 for AIA and IES members
Nonmember Price: $100
CES Lus: 4, CES HSW: 4
More Info: 914-523-1661 or bw@whitehouselightingdesign.com

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