eOCULUS 11.14.05

Editor's note: Another full issue of news and reviews for your consideration. We'll see you next right after Thanksgiving—enjoy!

ABOVE THE FOLD

AIA New York Chapter Members Continue to Support Katrina Relief
In addition to the Chapter's $5,000+ contribution to the Displaced Architects Fund, individual members and firms continue to support the AIA New York Chapter's Katrina Relief Fund which was set up through our affiliate foundation, the Center for Architecture Foundation, shortly following the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

Most recently, Mancini Duffy donated $20,000 in matching funds to the Center for Architecture Foundation Katrina Relief Fund. Anthony Schirripa, AIA, Vice President for Mancini Duffy and Chapter Treasurer said this of his firm's generous donation, "we [Mancini Duffy] felt compelled to give, and to focus the giving where it would do the most good. Our staff contributed a significant amount of money and we matched it. We're glad to do it."

If you would like to learn more about what the Chapter and other related organizations are doing to help, please attend tomorrow's special panel discussion hosted by the Disaster Preparedness Task Force. Featured speakers will present their findings, lessons learned and next steps from the recent national conferences convened in the Gulf States. This event will take place tomorrow, Tuesday November 15th at the Center for Architecture from 8:00–10:00am. For more information, see aiany.org/calendar/.

If you would like to pledge your support for Katrina Relief, please send checks made out to the Center for Architecture Foundation Katrina Relief Fund.

Reassessing Ground Zero
On November 1, the Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York joined the American Planning Association NY Metro Chapter, New York New Visions, and the Labor Community Advocacy Network in issuing a statement on the current disarray in the Lower Manhattan planning process. The statement calls on the City of New York to take a greater role in the planning process, and calls on the Port Authority to revisit the WTC program and lease agreement with Larry Silverstein, among other recommendations. See Planning, Politics, and the Public at Ground Zero to read the full statement.

(For those reading eOculus via email, please note that clicking on a link in the Table of Contents may open this issue in your Web browser).

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

A Greener Ground Zero: WTC Sustainable Design Guidelines Debate
by Annie Kurtin

The "World Trade Center Sustainable Design Guidelines Reference Manual" encompasses an urban environment quality, and the guidelines are still open for interpretation. In addition, these guidelines are tied to larger objectives for the site and are performance based. Not to mention they define a road map for LEED 3.0 certification.

An event had been in the works for some time. Finally, on October 25, New York New Visions and the Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York invited their members and the general public to an open forum at the Center for Architecture to address the WTC Guidelines.

The reference manual, a 350-plus-page document to aid in facilitating and implementing the Guidelines, was prepared by Randy Croxton, FAIA, LEED AP, and his firm, Croxton Collaborative Architects, P.C. It is intended for use by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC), the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ), and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for WTC Redevelopment Projects, including both commercial and cultural components.

According to the LMDC's web site, "The objective of the Reference Manual is to clarify the purpose of the Guidelines by providing a clear context for each subject, a brief discussion of the relevant issues, and clarification of a number of approaches by which the proposed environmental goals can be achieved."

Getting to Great: A New Look at Tools and Tactics
by Michele Renda, Assoc. AIA, Kristen Richards, and Stephen A. Kliment FAIA

The keynote speech "Confronting the Brutal Facts: Why the Future Won't Need Today's Architects," presented by James P. Cramer, Hon. AIA, Hon. IIDA, opened the national conference, "Getting to Great," co-sponsored by the AIA Practice Management Knowledge Community and the AIA New York Chapter, held at the Center for Architecture October 26 to 28.

Cramer, chairman of The Greenway Group, argued in his keynoter: "The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed," he mused. "Growth opportunities abound." The challenge in growth, he said, isn't in the marketplace—it's in the mind of the architect. "We are an industry of cycles and trends and these can be predicted and placed into strategic scenarios."

Cramer pointed out that there will be casualties, due for the most part to limiting beliefs and "victimization attitudes" such as: "Architects don't manage businesses very well so we won't either"; "We're large so we can't be fast"; and "I'm too old to learn BIM and 3D CAD."

2005 Ratensky Lecture: A Housing Practice by Theodore Liebman, FAIA
by Kristen Richards

The lecture hall at the Center for Architecture was filled to overflowing on November 7 for the 2005 Ratensky Lecture. "2005 has been a very good year," said this year's honoree, Theodore Liebman, FAIA, a founding partner of The Liebman Melting Partnership (TLMP). He is particularly proud to have been a part of the June symposium and exhibition, "Policy and Design for Housing: Lessons of the Urban Development Corporation 1968-1975," and the tribute it paid to his mentor and UDC head Edward J. Logue. "Logue really shook things up in seven short years," Liebman said. (A web site hosting the symposium proceedings and images will be online in a few months.)

"In 1963, there was a feeling we could do anything," Liebman continued. "The public sector was an option with a lot of action." He talked about his time with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, then headed by Logue. "We were remaking a stodgy city, and Logue showed me I could have great impact on design quality, and that design has a lot to do with explorations of livability."

Canny CANstructions
With heartfelt thanks to the New York Design Center, showrooms, and sponsors—and more than a few bad puns—the winners of the 13th annual CANstruction design/build competition were announced on November 10. CANstruction national executive director Cheri Melillo, Hon. AIA, opened the ceremony by saying that 13 was a lucky number—a record 132,000+ cans of food used by the 35 competing teams would be heading to the Food Bank for New York City when the exhibition closes on November 23 (she also noted that 13 was an unlucky number for three of the entries that suffered "structural failures"). National spokesperson Stanley Tucci introduced the first juror, Craig Dykers of Snøhetta, by joking "He's putting a carport on my house. And the Freedom Center in New York—good luck!" Other jurors presenting awards were: Michael Arad, AIA, Partner, Handel Architects; Susan Chin, FAIA, President, AIA NY Chapter; Guy Nordenson, PE, Partner, Guy Nordenson & Associates; and Ronnette Riley, FAIA, Principal, Ronnette Riley Architect (additional jurors included: chef Mario Batali and Mitchell Owens, Sr. I.D. Editor, Traditional Home).

The second of four AIA NY Chapter Design Awards 2005 public programs held November 1 at the Center for Architecture focused on the five exceptionally different projects that received Honor Awards for Architecture. The symposium was moderated by Denise Scott Brown, RIBA, principal of Philadelphia-based Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates.

Claire Weisz, AIA, and Mark Yoes of weisz + yoes architecture + urban design, introduced their project—Bronx Charter School—with a short video that captured the energy, color, light and, life that the team brought to the 20,000-square-foot, $2.3 million gut renovation, which sparkles in jewel tones.

Polshek Partnership Architects' Richard Olcott, FAIA, design partner for the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, AK, had the opportunity to work with a substantial budget of $165 million because he "was working for the greatest fundraiser in the history of the world." The former president wanted his library to be situated on the banks of the Arkansas River among six bridges that span the river to breathe new life into the downtown area. According to Richard Olcott, their first idea for the Center was drawn on a napkin in the White House.

Baden-Baden has among the highest percentage of millionaires in Germany. One in particular, Frieder Burda, needed a home for his collection of 500 20th-century paintings and sculptures. Bernhard Karpf, AIA, associate partner and project architect at Richard Meier & Partners, designed a gleaming white aluminum and glass, skylit building for the Frieder Burda Collection Museum in the middle of an 18th century park. The Burda connects to the existing public museum, the Neoclassical Kunsthalle.

Chris McVoy, partner and project architect for Stephen Holl Architects' Whitney Water Purification Facility and Park in South Central Connecticut, explained that in a facility such as this, engineers usually drive the process—but in the case, it was the other way around. The 360-foot "sliver" was inspired by a water drop—but inverted. Collaborating with landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh, the project is a fusion of landscape and architecture in a rural setting to be enjoyed by the public.

How do you begin to talk about a project that consumed 10 years of your life? Richard Rosson, AIA, associate principal and project architect at Eisenman Architects for Berlin's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, couldn't recount all of the problems that the firm encountered working on this project, which finally opened on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The 19,000-square-meter memorial field is open 24/7, and is being "used" by Berliners of all ages.

The third 2005 Design Awards Symposium: Interior Architecture, will be November 16, 6:00-8:00pm. Representatives of Davis Brody Bond, Voorsanger Architects, Richard Meier & Partners, and Bentel & Bentel will present their winning projects, moderated by Susan S. Szenasy, editor-in-chief, Metropolis.

SMPS-NY Area Chapter Looks at the Future of K-12
On October 19, New York Area Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS-NY) sponsored "Meet the Decision Makers: The Future of K-12 Schools." The event, one in a series of breakfast programs, was attended by nearly 70 principals and marketers from the New York Metropolitan Area's top firms. With a strong understanding of the market and insight into recent trends, Jane Kolleeny, Senior Editor at Architectural Record moderated a lively dialogue between the four panelists: Barbara Gavasto, Senior Director of Contract Administration, New York City School Construction Authority (SCA); Kenneth Levien, President, Levien & Company (project management); Donald Moore, Managing Director of Design and Construction, New Jersey School Construction Corporation; and Steven Nelson, Head of School, The Calhoun School in Manhattan.

The discussion included the future of the New Jersey public schools contracts; although activity has decreased recently, Moore assured the audience that more than 50 contracts are moving forward and new funding is anticipated to meet the educational requirements of the State's school-aged population. Gavasto of the SCA noted that they have budgeted more than $10 billion in capital projects, the majority of which will be used for capital improvements. Levien and Nelson talked about trends in independent schools: The majority of private school expansion work is taking place not because of increased enrollment, but in a push to upgrade the quality and amount of space they have for the existing student population. The design and construction work in private schools often runs counter to the overall economic cycle; the recent boom in activity has been driven by low interest rates and private profits generated during the last stock market high.

The panelists agreed that incorporating technology into educational facilities is a requirement—and that it often demands a high percentage of the budget to fulfill expectations. Another interesting point of discussion was environmental sustainability and the USGBC's LEED rating system. All public school projects in New Jersey are done to LEED certification level, and Moore felt strongly that this improved the quality of the buildings—and had not necessarily increased the cost of their projects. Nelson noted that the new Green Roof on top of The Calhoun School expansion was the least expensive part of the project—especially considering that the weather barrier also serves as a vegetable garden and a play area for the students.

The trend towards incorporating community facilities into schools was also discussed. At independent schools this seems to happen less formally, but inviting the parents and alumni for lectures and performances is often a vital part of a school's mission. The public schools in New Jersey are designed to serve the community after hours and are careful to evaluate the program effect of the shared facilities in order to assess if third-party financial support is needed.

The next program in the SMPS-NY breakfast series, "Winning Hotel Work, an Overview of the Hotel Market Place in the Tri-State," will be held January 18, 2006, at the Penn Club of New York, 30 West 44 Street.

Sighted: A glamorous crowd gathered at the New York Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) President's Award Dinner at Central Park's Loeb Boathouse on November 3 to celebrate this year's honorees, environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, for "The Gates." Pictured: the artists with AIA NY Chapter President Susan Chin, FAIA.
Kristen Richards

As a bright November 2nd afternoon became a crisp fall evening, the Center for Architecture was the venue for a private screening of the Checkerboard Foundation's new film, "Sir John Soane: An English Architect, An American Legacy." Directed by Murray Grigor, considered Britain's leading architectural filmmaker, it is a lyrical and moving look at the legacy of the architect (1753-1837), and his impact on post-war American architects.

After a welcome from Chapter President Susan Chin, FAIA, and Checkerboard Foundation President Edgar Howard, special guest Michael Graves, FAIA, reflected on Soane's genius and influence on a generation of America's foremost practitioners, after which the audience of 150-plus settled in to watch Charles Jencks and Christopher Woodward's lively tour through the best known of Soane's surviving masterpieces, including the luminous Dulwich Picture Gallery, and his idiosyncratic house on Lincoln's Inn Field in London—his best-known surviving work, now the Sir John Soane's Museum. The film also engages many of the giants of modern American architecture—including Graves, Henry Cobb, Philip Johnson, Richard Meier, Robert Stern, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown—each acknowledging Soane's genius and the larger lessons they drew from his reinterpretations of the architecture of antiquity that affected their own work.

This is the first in a series of screenings at the Center being developed by the Checkerboard Film Foundation, founded in 1979 to document individuals who have made important contributions to the American Arts, including "In Search of Clarity: The Architecture of Gwathmey Siegel," and "Philip Johnson: Diary of an Eccentric Architect."

The subject of a forthcoming documentary by Sydney Pollack, Frank Gehry, FAIA, presented his thoughts on architecture, sculpture, and architectural immortality at a Columbia University event on October 31.

There was a decidedly self-effacing attitude in the air when Gehry sat down with Kelvin Shawn Sealey, founder of the Film and Education Research Academy at Columbia University's Low Library to discuss "Architecture in the Public Imagination." Mark Wigley, dean of Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, introduced Gehry as someone who can delight any audience with charm and humility—and the architect seemed set to prove Wigley right. But the presentation, a preview of the documentary, and the person, brought about a key question: Is the real Frank Gehry more like the compelling persona on display that evening or the ambitious, provocative, even outlandish creator shown in his work?

When asked how he broke the architectural mold, Gehry explained his desire for his work to compete with sculpture and, in the custom of great sculptors, to demonstrate movement in his materials. In fact, the Toronto-born Californian who said he "accidentally fell into architecture" admitted he didn't even get to finish his first project, a beach house, because the owner became frustrated with Gehry's attempts to personify wind.

Material ConneXion Connects
Material ConneXion Bangkok officially opens on November 14 at the Thailand Creative & Design Centre. It is the latest in the company's international outreach that includes resource centers in Cologne and Milan.

On the home front, Material ConneXion held the fourth in a quarterly series of public jury sessions at the Center for Architecture on October 26. Vetting a selection of new materials being considered for inclusion in the Material ConneXion resource library were: George Beylerian, Material ConneXion Founder and President; Karin Carter, Global Apparel, Nike; architect and industrial designer Matthew Hoey; textile maven Susan Lyons; Richard Penney, Richard Penney Group; Satyendra Pakhale, Satyendra Design for Industry & Craft; and Hazel Siegel, Atelier Hazel Siegel. Materials included: low-cost rigid honeycomb polymer panels; FSC-certified hardwoods from Argentina; non-PVC molded interior wall components; large footprint laser etching of any surface; plastics that have the density and feel of metals; and compressed particleboard from straw that uses no binder materials. A process for hardening softwoods such as pine to give the properties of hardwoods using only corn starch-derived chemicals won "Best in Show."

IN THE NEWS + NEW DEADLINES

Deadline December 6: Request for Proposals: Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage and Salt Facility
The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) wants to be a good neighbor. It intends to build a new structure to maintain and store vehicles on Spring Street between Washington and West Streets, adjacent to the upscale boutiques and loft residences of Soho and Tribeca, and directly north of the entrance to the Holland Tunnel. According to the DSNY RFP, this is "an opportunity to explore unique adjacencies between building types, and to create a strong, positive presence in the neighborhood…a chance to build an extraordinary municipal structure that will be an expression of civic pride, express NYC's support of environmentally responsible, resource efficient, and innovatively designed public buildings, and contribute to an inspiring and evolving urban image of the city." Click on link for a copy of the two-stage RFP; reference: Capital Project No. S219/233, Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage and Salt Facility, PIN 82705RR00068.

Deadline December 10: 8th Annual Berkeley Prize Undergraduate Essay Competition
The annual international Berkeley Prize Undergraduate Essay Competition, established by the Department of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, is a three-stage essay competition and a travel fellowship competition. This year's competitions focus on "Children and the City," dedicated to the UNESCO Growing Up In Cities Programme. Essay competition winners will share in a $6,000 purse; semi-finalists will be invited to compete for the travel fellowship to participate in a workshop at the UN Habitat World Urban Forum in Vancouver in June 2006. Click link for details.

Deadline December 16: Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America's 25th Annual Arthur Ross Awards 2006
Established in 1982, the Arthur Ross Awards for Excellence in the Classical Tradition recognize the achievements and contributions of architects, landscape designers, artists, educators, and others dedicated to preserving and advancing the classical tradition. The awards are given for a career or body of work and the nominee—individual, firm, or organization—need not be at the end of his/her career. Up to five recipients will be selected from 14 categories. Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, FAIA, is chair of the 2006 jury. The Awards reception will be held on May 1, 2006, at the University Club. Click link for details.

Governor Vetoes Interior Design Title Legislation
Design organizations in New York have been trying to pass interior design legislation with Title Acts or Practice Acts, requiring proper education, experience, and examination in order to use the title "interior designer." The legislation has been supported by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), but for the second time, Governor Pataki vetoed New York's Interior Designer Title Act, sponsored by the Interior Designers for Legislation in New York (IDLNY). New York State has legislation restricting the use of the title "Certified Interior Designer," but current law does not prohibit anyone from using the title "interior designer." IDLNY argues that the general public is not aware of the certified title, but the governor feels the current law is adequate.

New "Social/Economic/Environmental Design" Network
A group of 30 leading architects, designers, and other experts, representing more than 100 organizations, design advocates, and social activists, convened in late October for a two-day roundtable at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Sponsored by the Loeb Fellowship Alumni Council, the Rudy Bruner Foundation, and the Richard Driehaus Foundation, the roundtable was called to support and promote a more relevant role for architecture and design in social, economic, and environmental issues, and to strengthen those roles in communities where they're needed most. The participants will convene again in New Orleans in January to create a platform of common values and shape an action plan to support others wanting to become involved in this effort. For more information, contact Bryan Bell, Founder & Executive Director, Design Corps: 919.637.2804 or bryan@designcorps.org.

Elizabeth FelicellaPolshek Partnership Architects: Louis Kahn 1953 Yale University Art Gallery Renovation
Louis Kahn once said, "Every time a student walks past a really urgent, expressive piece of architecture that belongs to his college, it can help reassure him that he does have that mind, does have that soul." With that in mind, Polshek Partnership Architects will return the 1953 Yale University Art Gallery to Kahn's initial concept. The $44 million renovation, which is expected to be completed in 2007, will improve the environment and conditions needed for art conservation and handling, and return the galleries to their original, uncluttered expanse of space—partitions will be removed and a newly engineered version of Kahn's pogo wall unit will be installed. Repairs will be made to the building's windows and interior and exterior walls, including the complete replacement of the five-story glass window-wall. The roof and climate, electrical, fire-protection, and security systems are also being repaired and upgraded. The project team is led by Duncan Hazard, AIA, a Yale alumni, with James Polshek, FAIA, and Richard Olcott, FAIA.

Audrey Matlock ArchitectsAudrey Matlock Architects: Chelsea Luxury
Madison Equities in partnership with Rockwood Capital will begin construction on a new residential building, designed by Audrey Matlock, AIA, located on West 18th Street, along the burgeoning 10th Avenue corridor in Chelsea. The 12-story building will feature an undulating, blue and clear glass façade. The rippling curtain wall will give each of the 47 apartments an individual character. Four ground-floor duplex units are designed as live/work/display spaces for artists. At street level, translucent glass will offer privacy while illuminating the entire base of the building. Each unit will have a private entrance and garden, and a five-foot-wide glass sidewalk will serve as a skylight to the lower level. According to Matlock, "This is an industrial area that has recently become home to the city's contemporary art scene, and this building will contribute to the artistic energy of the neighborhood." The building is scheduled to open for occupancy in early 2007.

Rafael Viñoly ArchitectsRafael Viñoly Architects: University of Arizona Science Center
Schematic design is underway for the University of Arizona Science Center, a 166,000-square-foot interactive learning center in downtown Tucson. The design team, led by Rafael Viñoly Architects, includes Ralph Appelbaum Associates and Tucson-based Gresham & Beach Architects. An 360-foot arch spanning Interstate 10 and the Santa Cruz River will be the tallest structure in the city, and will be the support structure for the science center and pedestrian bridge. The bridge will be about 1,200 feet long and 50-60 feet wide. The science center at either end will include a planetarium, observatory, butterfly vivarium, mineral museum and changing exhibits gallery, giant screen theater, and restaurant. The arch, destined to become an iconic landmark, will afford panoramic views of the city and its mountainscapes. Construction is scheduled to start in July 2006.

Mitchell/Giurgola Architects Mitchell/Giurgola Architects/Fletcher Thompson: Western Connecticut State University Science Building
Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) recently completed a $48-million, 122,000-square-foot science building in Danbury, CT, designed by NYC-based Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and Shelton, CT-based Fletcher Thompson. The building houses the Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Astronomy and Meteorology Departments, and the WCSU Weather Station. In addition to laboratories, classrooms, lecture halls, offices, and administrative spaces, there is an observatory and a greenhouse. The design promotes a cooperative learning experience with group gathering spaces throughout the research corridors and facilities shared between departments to encourage intra-departmental interaction. According to Jan Keane, FAIA, of Mitchell/Giurgola Architects, "The New Science Building embodies the 21st century goal of humanizing science." The building is the second Department of Public Works-constructed building at the University to be eligible for LEED certification.

PKSB William Fellows Architects/Pasanella + Klein Stolzman + Berg Architects: Allen-Stevenson School
William Fellows Architects and Pasanella + Klein Stolzman + Berg Architects (PKSB) recently completed a total renovation and expansion of the Allen-Stevenson School for boys on East 78 Street. Since 1924, piecemeal additions of adjacent townhouses and a carriage house had turned the school for just under 400 K-9 students into a rabbit's warren of circuitous passageways and fragmented divisions. The renovation expands its size by 50%, and includes considerably larger classrooms and spaces for art, theater, science, music, and sports. For the first time, Lower, Middle and Upper divisions are located on their own floors, each with its own identity, with classrooms that wrap around common spaces or "town centers." The main floor entry takes the place of a traditional schoolyard with a new lobby—a large interior piazza (pictured)—mediates between the interior spaces of the school and the street.

Shortlist of 15 in Competition to Transform Rutgers' Historic College Avenue Campus
In February 2005, Rutgers University, in partnership with the City of New Brunswick, NJ, released "A New Vision for the College Avenue Campus," which detailed a multi-year project that would convert city-owned College Avenue into a more welcoming, pedestrian friendly public space combining historic and architecturally distinctive new structures. In September, the University issued an RFQ to 45 architectural firms around the world, and recently announced an all-star shortlist of firms who responded. In the running from NYC: Beyer Blinder Belle; Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects; Eisenman Architects; FXFOWLE Architects; Steven Holl Architects; Richard Meier & Partners Architects; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; and Rafael Viñoly Architects. From elsewhere: Goody Clancy, Boston; Michael Graves & Associates, Princeton; Hillier, Philadelphia; Koetter Kim & Associates, Boston; Morphosis, Santa Monica; Antoine Predock Architect, Albuquerque; and Enrique Norten/TEN Arquitectos, Mexico City. The university will announce five finalists in December and each team will receive a $50,000 stipend to prepare conceptual designs. The winning design team will be selected in April 2006, and will have the opportunity to design a signature academic building and develop the landscape design for the campus.

Names in the News
Jack Esterson, AIA, and Martin Kapell, AIA, former principals of TEK Architects, are now heading Studio A at WASA, a new design practice of Wank Adams Slavin Associates… Joan Blumenfeld, FAIA, LEED, and 2007 president of the AIA NY Chapter, has joined Perkins + Will as director of Interior Design; Robert Goodwin, AIA, LEED, has joined the firm as director of Architectural Design… Gensler managing principals Andy Cohen, FAIA, David Gensler, and Diane Hoskins, AIA, have been named executive directors of a new leadership team for the firm's 28 offices; Walter Hunt, FAIA, was named vice chair of Gensler's board of directors and will lead the firm's global accounts practice area… Leslie E. Robertson Associates senior associate Benjamin Cornelius is in charge of the new LERA branch office in Stamford, CT… Meredith Berman Lovejoy has joined Inspection Valuation International as Marketing Director; most recently she was an Associate Partner and Director of Business Development at Gruzen Samton.

T'is the Season for Awards: AIAWMH • USGBC • SIAEA • IIDA/NY • IFAI • SEGD • Interior Design 2005 Hall of Fame
AIA Westchester/Mid-Hudson (AIAWMH) honored 10 projects at its annual "Celebration of Architecture" Gala on November 3. First Honor Awards: Polshek Partnership Architects, Heimbold Visual Arts Center, Sarah Lawrence College, Yonkers (also special Sustainable Architecture Honor Award); and OpenOffice Arts + Architecture/Robert Irwin. Honor Awards: Murphy Burnham & Buttrick, School of the Holy Child Library and Classroom Addition, Rye; Leroy Street Studio Architecture, Residential Gym, Scarsdale; Amy Lelyveld Architect, House Addition, Gardiner; Ferris + Partners, RK Restaurant, Rye, and Morgan Stanley Financial Center, Purchase (also special Lighting Honor Award). Citation Awards: Fredrick Schwartz Architects, "Rising," Westchester County's 9/11 memorial, Valhalla (unbuilt); and Visconti Architecture, Maryknoll Visitor's Center Film Theater. The first annual Celebration of Architecture Award: ESTO Photographics. Special posthumous Service to the Profession Award: Louis Goodman, long-time head of the New Rochelle Building Department.

U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Fourth Annual Leadership Awards 2005 winners included: Education: Croxton Collaborative, and Traci Ryder/Alliance Architecture; Organizational Excellence: Gensler and Ross Spiegel/Fletcher-Thompson; Advocacy: Tim Carey, former president and CEO of the Battery Park City Authority, current CEO for the New York Power Authority, and Global Green; LEED Award: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), citing project manager Craig Kneeland, and Paul von Paumgartten/Johnson Controls; Community: Bob Berkebile/BNIM Architects; Research: Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Office Buildings, and G. Z. Brown, professor of architecture and director of the University of Oregon Energy Studies in Buildings Laboratory.

The Society of Indo American Engineers and Architects (SIAEA) Architect of the Year Award was presented to FXFOWLE Architects principal Sudhir Jambhekar, AIA, at the organization's 25th annual dinner.

The New York Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA/NY) hosted its 4th annual Color Invasion Dance Party at the Puck Building, and presented the 2nd Annual Lester Dundes Interior Design Awards; the winners are: HLW International for HBO Santa Monica offices (best commercial over 50,000sf); Mancini Duffy for Apollo Real Estate Advisors office, NYC (best commercial under 50,000sf); Toronto-based II BY IV for Izakaya restaurant, Toronto (best hospitality), and Milli, Toronto (best retail); Gensler received Special Recognition: Adaptive Reuse for the Graham Capital Management building in Rowayton, CT.

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) honored FTL Design Engineering Studio and Taiyo Birdair with Awards of Excellence for a tension structure under 10,000sf, and for another between 10,000 and 30,000sf; FTL also received an Outstanding Achievement Award in the category of air structures.

L. Richard Poulin, a principal of Poulin + Morris has been awarded this year's Fellow from the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD).

Among the Interior Design's 2005 Hall of Fame inductees are architects Gisue Hariri and Mojgan Hariri of NYC-based Hariri & Hariri; others include: LA-based architect Clive Wilkinson, Piero Lissoni of Italy, interior designer Kitty Hawks, and Barry Sternlicht, founder of Starwood Capital Group. The awards will be presented on November 30, and a portion of the proceeds will go to FIDER and Architecture for Humanity.

ON VIEW

At the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place:

Elsewhere:

eCALENDAR
eCalendar now includes the information that used to be found in eOculus' Around the Center, Around the AIA, and Around Town sections. Click the above link to go to to eCalendar on the Web.

DEADLINES

Oculus 2006 Editorial Calendar and Ideas/Submissions Deadlines (projects can be anywhere, but architects must be New York-based). Contact: Kristen Richards kristen@ArchNewsNow.com.
December 20: Spring: Beyond Manhattan
March 20: Summer: Infrastructure New York
June 20: Fall: Architecture as Public Policy
September 20: Winter: The Business of Practice

CLASSIFIEDS

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Computer support
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Employment Services
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AIA Contract Documents
The American Institute of Architects has Released Twelve New Contract Documents
New Documents Include a Design-Build Family, Six New Standard Forms of Architects' Services Documents, and a Request for Information (RFI) Form
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Paper Documents
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Bruce Fowle, FAIA, LEED AP, the evening's moderator, welcomed the packed house by quoting the fifth principle from New York New Visions' "Principles for the Rebuilding of Lower Manhattan":

Design Excellence and Sustainability for New York City: Demand design excellence with an emphasis on sustainability to create long-lasting economic and social value. Create the highest quality urban design and architecture. Require decreased life-cycle costs and energy use. Promote long-term flexibility. Provide robust and redundant energy, security, and telecommunications systems.

Fowle then introduced the evening's speaker, Randy Croxton, FAIA, LEED AP, and the respondent panel which included: Hilary Brown, AIA, LEED AP, New Civic Works (formerly New York City Department of Design & Construction); Craig Kneeland, LEED AP, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); and Reed Super, Senior Clinical Staff Attorney with the Environmental Law Clinic at Columbia University School of Law.

"Sustainability is a powerful concept," Croxton exclaimed as he began his presentation. "It is our common future." He introduced several LEED-certified projects his firm has completed over the years, including Rinker Hall in Florida, which received the AIA COTE National Green Project Award this year.

Before speaking about his work at the WTC, Croxton credited New York New Visions with its critique of the planning process and moving it beyond building to consider other, more comprehensive issues. The "Principles for Rebuilding," quoted above, created an interactive process and anticipated the potential for the site. Furthermore, Croxton noted it was New York New Visions and specifically the subcommitee on Sustainability, that defined the evolution of these guidelines. Eventually the guidelines were incorporated into the Environmental Impact Statement and adopted into the Record of Decision.

However, as respondent Hilary Brown remarked, "Guidelines are absolutely meaningless without an implementation strategy." But these sustainable guidelines for the WTC site include vivid examples and case studies which not only inspire and motivate, but also serve to ease the implementation process.

Brown also noted that these guidelines pay special and close attention to how people will use the outdoor spaces, by treating the site as a collective and connected campus. She also commented that the guidelines provide the framework for all the work on the site by bringing community and urban scale to the fore. But does it have enough teeth?

"It's a living document," Craig Kneeland retorted, and it will adapt to its changing environment. Indeed these guidelines have the teeth to make the right things happen - although many questions still remain about implementation and the endurance of the overseeing structure.

Words to live by. In his keynote address closing the first day, Bruce Fowle, FAIA, a founding partner of FXFOWLE Architects, cited the book that was the genesis of the title of the conference, "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don't" by Jim Collins, saying "As usual, I was resistant to the notion that I can learn anything from the way others do their business—especially if it's not the architecture business." He was surprised to find attributes of success in the book's case studies that he could relate to his business. Examples:

Where the book does not really apply, Fowle said, is in regard to the artistic temperament and the subjective creative process that is unique to the design field: "For us, it's the intangible balance between profitability, design quality, service, and respectability. Good design and service will get you the respectability, but they tend to work against the profitability." Adding to this, Fowle noted that the design profession is "generally underpaid, overworked, self-absorbed, and poorly organized." On the positive side, he said that architects' in-depth knowledge of building technology and infrastructure to sociology and psychology makes them a valuable resource to society.

Within Fowle's own firm, which he co-founded 27 years ago, there are now six partners and two associate partners. "By sharing the leadership and responsibilities, we have expanded our horizons and re-energized the firm," he said. What is a partner? Inspired by Jim Lehrer's farewell words to Robin McNeil, Fowle characterized a partner as one who:

For Fowle, "These are words we try to live by. You can apply them to any kind of partnership—whether marriage, business, or co-owning a boat."

Winning qualities of leadership. "Bring younger members along and stick to core values" was advice from John Belle, FAIA, as he supplied solid substance to the rather shopworn title "Building a Culture that Nurtures Excellence"—the title that Belle, founding partner of Beyer Blinder Belle, was assigned to start the second day of Getting to Great.

Belle's firm was born in the rambunctious days of 1968, and has grown from the original three to 170 staff today. Key to accommodating change is in the quality of the partners, Belle argued, as he laid down five qualities his firm looks for in partners:

As a great motivating device, Belle extolled his firm's Crit Pit, a central atrium surrounded by studios, which anyone in the office moving from one spot to another must cross. It's a place for chance meetings (Lewis Mumford-style), formal and informal get-togethers, and serves as the firm's social and professional hub.

The importance of good followers: The following day R.K. Stewart, FAIA, wound up the conference with an unexpected twist on the now de rigueur salute to the importance of leadership. Stewart (the incoming national AIA president-elect) focused on the critical role of the follower. Why do people follow their leaders, he asked (fear of retribution? blind hope? faith in their leader? intellectual agreement? buying into the vision?).

Managing change. A standout among the dozen or so breakout sessions was the one billed as: "Managing Change: Energizing the Transition process." Panelist Peter Piven, FAIA, principal in the Coxe Group, said it was crucial to understand the principle of risk taking because risk has always played a prime role in advancing a firm's fortunes. Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott president Carol Wedge AIA, said: "The past is history. We must turn down the volume on the past. Stories of the past may not be relevant to the future. Institutional memory is hard to hold on to." This was indeed a switch, coming as it did from the head of a 140-year-old Boston firm. Walter Hunt, Jr., FAIA, vice chairman of Gensler and managing partner of Gensler New York, warned listeners against the phenomenon where founding owners surround themselves with supporters who are often lacking in leadership material. Panel moderator was Joan Capelin, Hon. AIA, head of Capelin Communications.

A pinch of psychology and sociology entered the workshop led by Ralph Steinglass, FAIA, "Understanding Group Dynamics: The Key to a Team's Effectiveness." Steinglass, head of Teambuilders, Inc., probed why some teams work, why some fail, how to lead teams, and managing conflict.

Communications expert Joanne Linowes and panelists brought to life "The Nightmare Interview." Using the audience as the "selection committee," Andrea Cohen Gehring, AIA, LEED, Amy Yurko, AIA, James Sawyer, AIA, and Sara McCann, AIA, presented a fictitious project, with each one representing a stereotypical "what not to do" during the interview. Examples included: talking too much about yourself, not the project; expressing but not really showing enthusiasm; talking to the presentation boards instead of the selection committee; not talking loud enough; and not showing confidence. The biggest problem: not talking about the client issues or showing that you understand their issues. The panel then gave the presentation again, incorporating all the right things to do.

Elaine Kamm, a leadership development professional, presented "Knowing What It Really Means to Be a Leader," an insightful program about the differences between "managing" and "leading." Managing is about controlling and directing. Leadership is more about intangible qualities such as trust, honesty, and empathy—qualities, studies show, that employees rank well above competency. Just because you are a great manager, doesn't mean you are a good leader.

At the program "Marketing Who You Are," consultant Nancy Egan said it's not about "who you think you want to be," it's really about identifying the talents/personalities of the firm—the principals and staff—and marketing those strengths.

The full content of Getting to Great proceedings will be posted on the AIA web site by late November.

Several years after Liebman's Boston tenure, Logue asked him to join the UDC in New York. Before assuming the role of Chief of Architecture at UDC, he received a Wheelwright Traveling Fellowship from Harvard to research housing strategies and new technologies that were leading vigorous building and rebuilding efforts throughout Europe.

His research led to the Low-Rise High-Density Housing Prototype—and the UDC to change focus from Corbusian tower-in-the-park high-rise "cells for living." After further research in Tehran in the mid-1970s, Liebman developed what he calls the "housing cluster prototype" that still informs his designs today, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Since 1991, TLMP has been working in Russia developing office buildings and neighborhoods in Moscow, and residential villages built around town squares and schools—"not McMansions," Liebman quipped. "Russians live differently than we do," he observed. "They want an enclave where they can shop and enjoy activities, but, like Iran, they have a different attitude about privacy—smaller buildings and not a lot of neighbors on their floor—and spaces reserved for family only."

It has also been a good year for his firm, with commercial, housing, and community planning projects close to home and as far flung as Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Germany, Turkey, Brazil, China, and Saudi Arabia.

Liebman illustrated his talk with a number of past and current projects both here and abroad. Among them, Riverstones, an 828-unit new community located on 24.7 acres of a former factory site in suburban Moscow. Designed in collaboration with landscape architect EDAW and Moscow-based ABD Limited, the project includes four residential building types and a variety outdoor public spaces and neighborhood services from food shopping and dining to a health club and school. Other highlights: Qanat Kosar, a 370-acre low-rise community for 25,000 people in Lavizan New City, Tehran; The Landings at Harborside, a 2,100-unit, 55-acre redevelopment of Perth Amboy's historic waterfront; and the Tivoli townhouse/condominium complex in Philadelphia.

Asked whether accessibility issues are helping or hurting housing quality, Liebman responded that while 100% ADA compliance is now required, he hopes that one day a level of compromise will be reached that would allow special units not necessarily ADA-compliant. For a question about the difference between Europe and the U.S., Liebman answered, "Europeans think of permanent, adaptable spaces. Here, we just move—an indication of our 'throw-away' society."

The annual Ratensky Lecture was initiated by the AIA New York Chapter in honor of Samuel Ratensky (1910-1972), an architect and housing official who was responsible for major housing initiatives in New York from 1946 to 1972. The lecture series honors individuals who have made significant lifetime contributions to the advancement of housing and community design. The program is sponsored by AIA NY Chapter Housing Committee, with funding from the AIA NY Chapter George Lewis Fund.

The architect offered humorous anecdotes about his work on the Pritzker Pavilion, part of the $325 million Millennium Park in Chicago. The pavilion is credited with setting the innovative tone of the park. When asked how the corporate backdrop of the site influenced the pavilion's design, Gehry dismissed the question saying, "I saw the backdrop of the city and noticed it was mostly banal modernist designs." (Some critics complain about the pavilion's bland architectural neighbors as well.)

Sealey asked Gehry if he designs his buildings for eternity. Referring to some of his earlier work slated for demolition in California, Gehry quipped, "I've had a bad year for unbuilding."

But Gehry has also had a good year for building. A question from the audience touched on the Brooklyn rail yards project and the design process. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority recently approved the 800,000-square-foot mixed-use project, which features four office towers, residential units, and a 20,000-seat arena. Gehry admitted taking away pieces of the original design so that the project would better interact with the fabric of the neighborhood, but he was reluctant to discuss many specifics. "I'm always edgy until the first couple years after a building is built," he said.

Gehry is a man who cultivates connections among the world's social elite, but he still manages to convey a sort of down-home charm. Discussion about the apparent disconnect between public persona and the reality of what it takes to be one of the world's most powerful architects circulated quietly among members of the audience, who were then given a preview into that apparent disconnect.

Excerpts from the Sydney Pollack documentary, "Sketches of Frank Gehry," were shown. The film, which premiered in August at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, follows Gehry from his design studio to job sites, including a scene in which he and colleague Craig Webb design a model for the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi, out of cardboard and tape. Parts of the documentary seemed to cause the architect mild embarrassment. "It's a glimpse into my bedroom," he said.

11.14.05

ABOVE THE FOLD

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

IN THE NEWS + NEW DEADLINES

ON VIEW

At the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place:

Field Experiments in art-architecture-landscape: Hombroich spaceplacelab

Related Events

2005 AIA New York Chapter Design Awards

Everything Housing:
From Homeless Shelters to Luxury Living
AIA New York Chapter 2005 Housing Design Awards

Two Columbus Circle (plus): Museum of Arts & Design and Allied Works Architecture

Elsewhere:

DEADLINES

CLASSIFIEDS

11.14.05

ABOVE THE FOLD

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

IN THE NEWS + NEW DEADLINES

ON VIEW

At the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place:

Field Experiments in art-architecture-landscape: Hombroich spaceplacelab

Related Events

2005 AIA New York Chapter Design Awards

Everything Housing:From Homeless Shelters to Luxury LivingAIA New York Chapter 2005 Housing Design Awards

Two Columbus Circle (plus): Museum of Arts & Design and Allied Works Architecture

Elsewhere:

DEADLINES

CLASSIFIEDS

Everything Housing:
From Homeless Shelters to Luxury Living
AIA New York Chapter 2005 Housing Design Awards