Raising Moses

Cross Bronx Expressway, The Bronx, 2006
Photograph © Andrew Moore, courtesy Museum of the City of New York

Event: Lessons of Robert Moses
Location: The New York Academy of Medicine, 02.01.07
Speakers: Hon. Daniel Doctoroff — Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding; Majora Carter — Executive Director & Founder, Sustainable South Bronx; Anthony Coscia — Chairman, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Tony Hiss — author, lecturer, urban restoration consultant; Robert Yaro — President, Regional Plan Association; Moderator James S. Russell, AIA — writer
Organizer: Museum of the City of New York

It's revival time for Robert Moses, that combination of Baron Haussmann and Napoleon Bonaparte who ruled the construction world of New York City from the 1920s through 1968. Reacting to the city's love affair with Jane Jacobs, a number of planners, architects, and plain citizens are beginning to see limitations to Jacobs' somewhat elitist focus on walking neighborhoods and impassioned opposition to sweeping plans, in favor of a modified but more aggressive, large-scale planning mode that in the past managed to alienate a lot of folks.

That's the theme that Daniel Doctoroff, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding, played in his remarks to a huge gathering in the main hall of The New York Academy of Medicine. Pointing out the challenges raised by Moses, who reportedly said, "I defy any chef to make an omelet without breaking eggs." Doctoroff highlighted a more user-friendly policy aimed at making the omelet without breaking eggs.

The single most prolific builder in NYC's history, Moses, according to Doctoroff, was successful because he had a master plan, a vision of the future, the authority and money to make his ideas happen, and a total disregard for public opinion. Urban growth has slowed in the last 40 years because we have been waiting for the next man-with-a-master-plan to come in on his white horse and save us all from devastation, stated Robert Yaro, President of the Regional Plan Association. Perhaps that man is Mayor Bloomberg with his plaNYC — an urban renewal proposal to create a sustainable city by 2030.

Cont'd . . .

Structural damage in percentage categories as designated by post-storm FEMA damage assessments.
Courtesy unifiedneworleansplan.com

Locations of all demolition, renovation, and new construction permits approved by New Orleans.
Courtesy unifiedneworleansplan.com

New Orleans Eight Plans Later
By Kristen Richards

Event: New Orleans Now
Location: Center for Architecture, 01.18.07
Speakers: Steven Bingler, AIA — Principal, Concordia Architecture and Planning; Joseph E. Brown, FASLA — President and CEO, EDAW; Paul Lambert — Principal, Lambert Advisory; Frederic Schwartz, FAIA — Principal, Frederic Schwartz Architect; Michael Sorkin — Principal, Michael Sorkin Studio; Anthony Fontenot — architect and Ph.D. candidate, Princeton University School of Architecture; Carol Reese — Professor of Architecture, Tulane University; Jed Horne — Metro Editor, New Orleans Times-Picayune and author of Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City (moderator)
Sponsors: AIA New York Chapter; AIANY Disaster Preparedness Task Force

Three days before New Orleanians endorsed the basic tenants of the Unified New Orleans Plan (UNOP), many of the players gathered at the Center for Architecture to discuss the city's rebuilding efforts: the often-times contentious history and processes, and what lies ahead. "My mission here is to convince you and myself that the rebuilding effort is not a train wreck," is how Jed Horne of the Times-Picayine introduced himself. He said the "intensely political city and process" has included some "clumsy, convoluted, and top-downish efforts," to others that were more "deferential to the local population and provided guidance in a grassroots upwelling." In reference to the then upcoming citizens' congress regarding the UNOP, he commented, "It is sure to enrage some, but at the end of the day, it will be a triumph of consensus — it's the best we can do."

EDAW's CEO Joseph E. Brown, FASLA, who served on the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) special panel to develop recommendations for New Orleans, pointed out that Hurricane Katrina was not one disaster, but rather a sequence of natural, engineering, and leadership disasters exacerbated by existing social, economic, and racial crises. And the "catalogue of challenges...doesn't have a happy ending yet — the social abandonment is still overwhelming." The initial ULI strategy that established sequential investment areas was, according to Brown, basically misunderstood. In hindsight, he said, the technical issues "didn't resonate. We needed a micro-local public support program and an advocacy language that made things clear. We needed to tell them what would happen if there were no plan, and we didn't do that."

Project New Orleans, presented by Carol Reese, Anthony Fontenot, and Michael Sorkin, is the result of planning and design studios at local and national universities — many in association with local and community organizations and neighborhoods. The exhibition and online project intends to be the definitive archive of the thousands of proposals generated to redevelop New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Sorkin exhorted every professional, student, and civilian who created a plan on any scale to submit it to the archive.

Cont'd . . .

SOM Urges Solving Sustainable Design at All Scales
By Bill Millard

The Infinity Tower is designed to make a simple statement and effectively resist wind loads.
Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Event: Environmental Contextualism: Strategies for a Dynamic Sustainable
Architecture: MIXED GREENS Lecture Series
Location: New York Academy of Sciences, 01.25.07
Speakers: Ross Wimer, AIA — design partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Organizers: The Skyscraper Museum, New York Academy of Sciences

After setting a green tone by displaying the CO2 offset certificate he purchased for his flight from Chicago, Ross Wimer, AIA, design partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), described a series of efforts to rethink fundamental design archetypes at all scales (the streetlight, the museum, and the airport) before moving on to skyscrapers. Wimer's proposed solutions — a sleek stalk integrating the skylight's lighting and signage functions with photovoltaics to take it off the power grid; a cylindrical science museum for the desert environment of Doha, United Arab Emirates, with a glass skirt directing air upward to a rooftop turbine; louvered, metered, operable skylights for the Singapore airport, entirely obviating artificial lighting during the day — reflect an attention to place-specificity that one might not have expected from the firm that once seeded the landscape with International Style corporate boxes.

From Dubai's Infinity Tower to Chicago's projected lakefront Olympic Village for the 2016 Games, among others, SOM's projects are comparable in terms of simple forms and straightforward solutions. Outlining the Freedom Tower's evolution (deftly sidestepping Ground Zero politics), Wimer explained how the sharp ship's-bow corner will cut prevailing northwestern winds. A Yokohama residential high-rise's undulating balconies contribute to structural efficiency through the aerodynamic phenomenon of "vortex shedding," which reduces air friction increasing the tower's wind stability. In an office/hotel tower in Zhengzhou, China, a large industrial city where the epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) exacerbates air-quality problems, an atrium with an operable heliotropic roof aids circulation.

Finding contextualism in a few of these projects is a stretch. The Tyrol Tower in Wörgl, Austria, sits inside a traffic circle on the Autobahn, where outlet stores compete with the scenery; the "vertical village" concept (two hotels, a casino, retail, and residences) and the ovoid shape (based on wind analyses) are logical, and the tower's carbon-neutrality is a positive factor, but it is not surprising that there is local controversy over the construction — even the cleanest and greenest of landmark skyscrapers would look jarring against the Austrian Alps. Still, it is encouraging to see the world's largest firm offering ambitious responses to ecological challenges of demanding sites.

Bill Millard is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in Oculus, Icon, Content, and other publications.

Today's Dilemma: Balancing Building Security and Openness
By Aaron Slodounik, LEED AP

The design of 7WTC incorporates many levels of security.
Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

Event: The Quest for Perfect Security: New York New Visions Public Forum
Location: Center for Architecture, 01.22.07
Panelists: Carl Galioto, FAIA — Technical Architecture Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Gerard McCarty — General Manager, Emergency Management, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Ethel Sheffer, AICP — President, American Planning Association New York Metro Chapter; Hollice Stone, MS, PE — New York Director of Operations, Hinman Consulting Engineers; Barbara Nadel, FAIA — Principal, Barbara Nadel Architect
Moderators: Mark Ginsberg, FAIA — Founding Partner, Curtis + Ginsberg Architects; Ernest Hutton, Assoc. AIA, AICP — Principal, Hutton Associates Inc. & co-chair, New York New Visions
Organizers: New York New Visions; AIANY Planning & Urban Design Committee

Creating a balance between security and openness while maintaining design excellence has become a serious concern for professionals responsible for protecting urban infrastructure and buildings. In response to increased threats, both civic and private buildings post-9/11 have been reinforced with bunker-like barriers in an attempt to bolster security. Designs that use physical barriers may create the perception of security; however, this comes with a psychological cost that limits social interaction and perpetuates fear.

In an effort to provide advanced safety technology, design professionals are coordinating rings of defense in buildings. An integration of design, technology, and operations is required for a comprehensive approach to building security. 7WTC, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, uses multiple levels of security starting from the outside protecting the site perimeter, and working in to the building envelope, core, and finally emergency access. Measures used include retractable and fixed bollards and utilizing adjacent buildings for barrier protection. A secure lobby ensures a measure of safety within the building as well.

When cities undertake security strategies at a regional level, a layer of protection is relieved from urban planners allowing for more flexible urban design. For example, government spending on immigration controls and airport screenings can mitigate security requirements of an airport building. With so many different local, state, and federal agencies working to protect New Yorkers, any shortage of cooperation and coordination among agencies could be detrimental. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey works extensively with local jurisdictions to ensure safety for its neighbors, and vice versa to make certain its neighbors are not liabilities to the Port Authority. Such cooperation allows greater security and the opportunity for better design.

Aaron Slodounik, LEED AP, is a freelance art and architecture writer.

Architect Duel: Inspiration Made of Green Cheese
By Bill Millard

Field Operations explains the sustainable systems behind their green roofs on their cheese model.
photo by Susan Surface, courtesy of Archinect
Balmori Associates craft their Stuy Town out of plastic cheese containers as well as cheese.
photo by Susan Surface, courtesy of Archinect

Event: Master-Disaster Architect Duel III
Location: Broad Street Ballroom, 01.23.07
Competitors: Maura Rockcastle & Sierra Bainbridge — Field Operations; Killian O'Brien & Sarah Wayland-Smith — Balmori Associates
Organizer: LVHRD

For this year's Master-Disaster Architect Duel III, contestants received a brief more functional than visual: projecting a food-challenged future. Not unlike the post-oil-peak scenario of James Howard Kunstler's Long Emergency, the assignment asked for a network of green roofs atop Stuyvesant Town, with cash-crop capabilities and bridges between rooftops. The kicker: for basic materials, in place of the concrete substitute Reduraflex 768 (not yet on the market), each team received 25 pounds of cheese.

Since when did architecture become a spectator sport? Since two years ago, actually. The LVHRD social organization (pronounced "live hard"), which uses secretive flash-mob-style communications to organize creatively themed events, has extended the concept of the architectural competition to an extreme. In the "Master-Disaster" format, two-person teams from design firms receive a surprise program, a set of materials to build models, and compete under a time limit. The audience votes by cell phone to pick a winner. It's both a hot, loud, boozy party and a small, aggressively whimsical charrette.

The horizontal orientation of the projects and the constraints of building atop Stuy Town's recognizable forms, oddly enough, placed the emphasis more on function than spectacle. This assignment called for low-key competence in organizing systems. Field Operations won the poll with a well-thought-out plan managing water, shade, and hydroponic crops, plus a complex of folded parasols giving one of the buildings a Gehry-ish profile; in a variation on the sustainability theme, they also recycled patches of fabric from their own kimonos into their model. Balmori Associate's team made creative use of the plastic packaging as well as the cheese — a retractable roof design usable year-round, evoking the inflatable buildings of Archigram.

Maura Rockcastle of Field Operations has been working on the High Line project for two years; she contrasted the unique restrictions of that site with the lightheartedness of the Duel, citing "the fact that it's green space introduced into an existing urban fabric" as the only real similarity. Rumors that the High Line's pedestrian ramp will be constructed of laminated strips of fly ash concrete and Gouda could not be confirmed at press time.

Architecture's Future: Brandism
By Linda G. Miller

(l-r): Gensler Vice President Patric O'Malley, AIA; Daniel Goldner, AIA, Goldner Architects; Sharon Zukin, Broeklundia Professor of Sociology, Brooklyn College; Gregory Beck, AIA, Principal, Architecture + Experience Design; and moderator Peter Slatin, Editor, The Slatin Report.
Kristen Richards

Event: Brandism Series: Event as a Brand
Location: Center for Architecture, 01.30.07
Speakers: Patric O'Malley, AIA — vice president, Gensler; Daniel Goldner, AIA — Daniel Goldner Architects; Gregory Beck, AIA — Gregory Beck Architecture + Experience Design; Sharon Zukin — Broeklundian Professor of Sociology, Brooklyn College; Peter Slatin — Editor, The Slatin Report
Organizers: Anna Klingmann, Assoc. AIA; AIA NY

Brandism™. No, that's not a typo. It's a new term trademarked by Anna Klingmann, Assoc. AIA, and principal of KL!NGMANN, a creatively driven agency for architecture and brand building. For the first in a series of six, she assembled a panel of practitioners and an academic, with a real estate expert as moderator, to discuss the global trend of branding cities, commercial and residential architecture, and architects themselves. There seemed to be no right or wrong answers, just a free flow of ideas and opinions. For example, take the Seagram Building. Did it brand Mies van der Rohe, Seagrams, or liquor? Does the new New York Times building reflect the values of the paper? How does brand affect Donald Trump's empire, or the Richard Meier signature design style? Some architects welcome marketers into the design team. Daniel Goldner, AIA, thinks the good marketers have their fingers on the pulse and now that the market is tightening, developers are relying more on their expertise. Patric O'Malley, AIA, vice president of Gensler, remarked that architecture is becoming formulaic and unoriginal, pointing out that restaurants like Pastis are designed to look like a well-preserved French bistro. It might take years to build a brand, but once it's done, it's a design shortcut. Is standardization and architectural repetitiveness in our future? Andy Warhol made it popular in the 1960s and he had his 15 minutes of fame...

OEM HQ Takes Silver
The OEM is helping launch the greening of the city's government facilities.
Swanke Hayden Connell Architects The new downtown Brooklyn headquarters for the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) designed by Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA) is complete. The project, undertaken on behalf of the NYC Department of Design and Construction, replaces the former headquarters destroyed on 9/11 with the collapse of the original 7 WTC. The project involved a re-skin, gut-renovation, and addition to a former American Red Cross building. The new 65,000-square-foot, 100-person emergency operations center contains a watch command with several workstations, a citywide warning desk, full audio and video recording capabilities, a 15-foot video wall, and state-of-the-art communication tools. The facility is the first NYC government agency headquarters to receive a LEED Silver rating.

New Senior Housing Respects Inhabitants' Ways of Life

La Casa de Felicidad is designed to compliment seniors' social lives.
Magnusson Architecture and Planning In collaboration with Phipps Houses, the oldest and largest not-for-profit developer/owner of housing for low- and moderate-income families and We Stay/Nos Quedamos Committee, a nonprofit community development corporation, Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) designed an innovative residence for seniors. The six-story HUD 202-funded project provides 85 one-bedroom apartments for seniors. Each floor has a large day room with double-height windows that face onto Third Avenue — an idea inspired by neighborhood seniors who often sit on lawn chairs in front of their apartment buildings in pleasant weather. Nos Quedamos lobbied successfully for the use of breathable cavity wall due to the high incidence of asthma in the neighborhood.

Construction Starts on Affordable Housing in Bronx

Casa Del Sol provides affordable condominiums for low-income families.
Melzer/Mandl Architects Construction has begun on La Casa del Sol, a 12-story, mixed-use development at Third Avenue in the Bronx, designed by Meltzer/Mandl Architects and funded by the NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC). The multi-colored masonry façade is divided into two condominiums: one with 114 studios and one- to three-bedroom rental units available to families at or below 60% of the Area Median Income; and a second that includes over 10,000 square feet of retail space and a community center. Thirty-four units have been reserved specifically for formerly homeless residents.

Bloomie's Gets a Make-Over

Kevin Kennon Architects transforms an old Filene's for Bloomingdale's.
Kevin Kennon Architects Kevin Kennon Architects has completed the design of a new Bloomingdale's in Chestnut Hill, an affluent suburb of Boston. The circa 1970s big box, formerly a Filene's, closed due to corporate consolidation, and many elements were surgically removed and replaced to suit the Bloomingdale's aesthetic and merchandising style. The new façade features a two-story glass panel that marks the store's main entrance. A translucent glass curtain wall makes up the showcase window, which is dressed with a sheer curtain indicative of the Chanel boutique behind it that draws in natural light throughout the day.

Busy Week for New York City Landmarks
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has given landmark status to two turn-of-the-20th century Italian Gothic-style Roman Catholic churches. East Harlem's Church of All Saints, including its parish house and school and St. Aloysius in West Harlem received unanimous approval. James Renwick Jr. designed the former, and his nephew, William W. Renwick, designed the latter.

On the same day, the commission gave landmark status to a former Horn & Hardart Automat Cafeteria on the Upper West Side designed by Frederick Putnam Platt & Brother. Since it closed in 1953, the building has been used as a coffee shop, supermarket, pizzeria, and is currently a drug store. The commission's recommendations wait the approval of city planners and the New York City Council.

Finally, in a reversal of fortune for developers, the City Council supported the LPC voting unanimously to reverse a decision by the now defunct Board of Estimate of the City of New York to revoke the landmark status of two six-story buildings on the Upper East Side that were part of a Progressive Era model tenement complex.

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AROUND THE AIA + THE CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE

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COMIC RELIEF

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THE MEASURE

Submit your response for the latest poll:
What best describes Robert Moses in your opinion?

Results from last issue's poll:



Note: Poll results are not scientific.

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OF INTEREST

Philip Johnson's Glass House in New Canaan, CT, a National Trust for Historic Preservation site, is hiring. Applicants should respond with a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to Wendy Cunney. Two positions are available:

Glass House Guide:
Guides are responsible for leading tours of the house and grounds, interpreting the site's architecture, landscape, art, and sculpture collections, as well as assisting with educational activities, special events, and shop sales. Qualifications required include a BA or advanced degree, and knowledge and enthusiasm for 20th century American history, art, architecture, and design. Candidates must have verbal communications skills and enjoy working with the public. Previous education or interpreter experience is preferred. Part-time work calls for flexible schedules, with possible work on weekends and holidays. You must be able to work outdoors in all weather conditions.

Visitor Center Manager:
A position is available to manage all operational aspects of the 2,000-square-foot Visitor Center located in downtown New Canaan. Responsibilities include: managing ticketing, tour scheduling, cash management oversight, site maintenance and management of Visitor Center personnel. A minimum of three to five years of professional experience is required. Individuals with museum education or interpretation background are preferred. Members of AIA NY and CT chapters and graduate students of architecture strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be able to work in fast-paced environment, and working on weekends and holidays is required. Must have outstanding verbal communications and client service skills. Retail experience is also valuable but not necessary.

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NAMES IN THE NEWS

The Chicago Architectural Club awarded its 2007 Chicago Prize to New York designers Richard Alomar, ASLA, Kenji Suzuki, AIA, and Yonghyun Yu of di Domenico + Partners... Carmi Bee, FAIA, principal of RKT&B and Professor of Architecture at CCNY, received the John Hejduk Award from the Cooper Union Alumni Association...

AIA Westchester/Mid-Hudson Chapter 2006 Design Award recipients include several AIANY member firms: Perkins Eastman, First Honor Award and Citation Award; Frederic Schwartz Architects, Honor Award; Wank Adams Slavin & Associates, Honor Award; and Peter Gisolfi Associates, two Citation Awards...

The Architectural League of New York announced the speakers for its Emerging Voices 2007 lecture series including J. Meejin Yoon and Eric Höweler, AIA, of NYC- and Boston-based Höweler + Yoon Architecture/MY Studio, and Jared Della Valle and Andrew Bernheimer, AIA, of Brooklyn-based Della Valle Bernheimer...

Amanda Burden, Hon. AIANY, Chair of the City Planning Commission for the NYC Department of City Planning, named Alexandros Washburn, AIA, as Chief Urban Designer for the Department. Thomas Wargo was appointed as the Department's Director of Zoning... Swanke Hayden Connell Architects has named Roger Klein, AIA, a principal of the firm overseeing the firm's U.S. Workplace Strategy consulting... Frances Gretes, former Director of New Business at Rafael Viñoly Architects, recently resigned to focus on her own research consulting firm, Gretes Research Services, which provides information, new business, and strategic marketing services to global architectural firms...

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SIGHTED

Edward Larrabee Barnes alumni (l-r): Martin E. Rich, AIA, Tino Zago, Dolores Zago, Thomas Czarnowski, AIA, FAAR
Kristen Richards

Carmi Bee, FAIA, with Robert L. Geddes, FAIA
Kristen Richards

Brown with the Very Reverend Dean James Parks Morton of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Kristen Richards

01.24.07: AFHny directors (l-r): Cynthia Barton, Andrew Burdick, and Chel O'Reilly at the opening of "Architecture for Humanity New York's NetWorks," on view at the Municipal Art Society through March 7.
Kristen Richards

01.31.07: Washington Square Park lit up like a Christmas tree for filming of Will Smith's new thriller "I Am Legend" — the same flick that had the Brooklyn Bridge "under siege" a few days earlier).
Kristen Richards

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SITED

The Journal News: Lower Hudson Online published an interview with Russell A. Davidson, AIA, 2007 president of AIA New York State, on Saturday 02.03.07. To read about issues at the forefront of his agenda, including liability reform, smart growth, and public bidding reform click on "Building a Legacy," by Jay Loomis.

NEW DEADLINES

Oculus 2007 Editorial Calendar
If you have ideas, projects, opinions — or perhaps a burning desire to write about a topic below — we'd like to hear from you! Your input is most welcome and appreciated; deadlines for submitting suggestions are indicated; projects/topics may be anywhere, but architects must be New York-based. Please send suggestions to: Kristen Richards
Deadline extended: 02.02.07  Entry Forms and Fees Due
02.09.07     Summer 2007: AIA NY 2007 Design Awards
06.01.07     Fall 2007: Collaboration
09.07.07     Winter 2007-08: Power & Patronage

2007 AIA New York Chapter Design Awards
The AIA New York Chapter Design Awards Program seeks to recognize and promote design excellence in three categories: Interiors, Architecture, and Projects. Please note the new submission dates for 2007:
02.09.07     Submissions Due
02.12.07     Symposium: Jurors' Announcement of Award Recipients
04.11.07     Design Awards Luncheon for Award Recipients and their clients
04.12.07     Design Awards Exhibition Opening at the Center for Architecture

02.08.07     Submission: Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World
This student design competition involves the use of concrete to achieve sustainable design objectives. Winning students, faculty sponsors, and schools will receive cash prizes and software totaling nearly $50,000.

02.16.07     Submission: Building Brooklyn Awards
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce calls for submissions of construction projects that have positively affected the borough's economy and quality of life. Projects must have received a Certificate of Occupancy prior to 12.31.06.

02.20.07     Submission: Sustainable Design Awards
The Boston Society of Architects' Sustainable Design Awards Program (co-sponsored by the AIA New York Chapter) is open to any architect, designer, landscape designer, interior designer, engineer, planner, or other allied professional practicing anywhere in the world. Work will be honored that contributes to the creation of a sustainable world. All types of projects including buildings, urban, regional, and rural planning, landscape design, interior design, renovation, and rehabilitation projects are eligible.

02.22.07     URGENT! Recommendations: 2008 AIANY Board & Elective Committee
The AIANY 2007 Nominating Committee calls for candidates to guide the Chapter in 2008. The committee selects Chapter members to fill vacancies on the Board, the elective committees, and the Center for Architecture Foundation Board of Trustees. To view a list of positions click the link. If you wish to be considered for a position, or would like to nominate someone, e-mail a one-page resume and cover letter to Suzanne Mecs. [smecs@aiany.org] You may also mail correspondence to the Chair, 2007 Nominating Committee, 536 LaGuardia Pl., NY, NY 10012, or fax 212.696.5022.

02.28.07     Submission: International Ideas Competition for Carlsberg Site
Carlsberg Brewery in central Copenhagen, Denmark, will soon discontinue beer production. In order to generate ideas for the future use of its prominent, 33-hectare site, Carlsberg A/S is holding an international ideas competition open to urban designers, architects, engineers, students, and artists. In addition to prize money totaling EUR 400,000, the winner will be commissioned to prepare the final plan in collaboration with Carlsberg A/S and the city of Copenhagen, and then will act as a consultant throughout the project.

02.28.07     Submission: Michael Kahlil Endowment for Smart Design
Fellowships are awarded to both students and faculty of the Department of Architecture, Interior Design, and Lighting, at Parsons The New School for Design, as well as non-members of the school. Established in memory of designer Michael Kahlil, the fellowships seek to promote sustainable design.

02.28.07     Submission: Envisioning Gateway: A Public Design Competition
The Van Alen Institute has partnered with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) to generate design ideas for Gateway National Park. The competition's website is a comprehensive resource for competitors as well as the public at large.

03.12.07     Submission: George A. Fox Public Service Award
Established in 2002, this award is bestowed annually on one or more nominees who have exhibited outstanding public service or building industry service beyond their normal responsibilities.

03.12.07     Submission: National Endowment for the Arts Design Grants
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is offering Access to Artistic Excellence grants under the categories of Innovation and Stewardship. Innovation ranges from competitions, commissions, community workshops, exhibitions, publications, to gatherings that promote innovation in design practice. Stewardship covers historic preservation, exhibitions, publications, education and outreach, and gatherings that promote the heritage and conservation of design Grants average around $25,000 each.

03.15.07     Deadline: BWAF Fellowships & Grants
The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) seeks individuals and institutions that will advance the study and public recognition of contributions made by women architects, designers, urban planners, architectural historians, and critics active in the U.S. from 1950-1980. Fellowships of up to $10,000 and travel grants of up to $1,500 will be awarded.

03.15.07     Deadline: BWAF Library of Congress Fellowship
The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) is offering $5,000 for part-time research at the Library of Congress that will result in a detailed prospectus for a guide to the work of women architects represented in the collections.

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ON VIEW

At the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place:

Gallery Hours
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday – Friday: 9:00am–8:00pm
Saturday: 11:00am–5:00pm
Sunday: CLOSED

About Town: Exhibition Announcements

Photo by Carson Zullinger, courtesy Lucas Schoormans Gallery

Through 02.24.07
Light Showers
Using DuPont™ Corian® solid surfaces in Glacier White, this installation designed by Morris Sato Studio combines light with images by video artist and professor Paul Ryan. Light Showers explores the way environment can shape psychology and mood as visitors are invited to participate in the multi-sensory experience.

Lucas Schoormans Gallery, 508 W 26th St, 11B

Courtesy New York Public Library

Through 09.15.07
Lower Manhattan 2010: It's Happening Now
Lower Manhattan comes to Midtown in this free exhibition exploring the multitude of construction projects in one square mile of the city, from Houston to the Battery. Highlights include a webcam showing the construction of the World Trade Center site, panoramic images of developing projects, and documented transportation projects such as the South Ferry Terminal.

The New York Public Library's Science, Industry, and Business Library; 188 Madison (@ 34th Street)

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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.

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CLASSIFIEDS

ADVERTISE IN THE eOCULUS CLASSIFIEDS!
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW!

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Would you like to get your message featured in eOCULUS? Spotlight your firm, product, or event as a marquee sponsor of eOCULUS, the electronic newsletter of the AIA New York Chapter. Sponsors receive a banner ad prominently placed above the table of contents. Your message will reach over 5,000 architects and decision-makers in the building industry via e-mail every two weeks (and countless others who access the newsletter directly from the AIA New York web site). For more information about sponsorship, contact: listadmin@aiany.org or 212.358.6114.

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Looking for help? See resumes posed on the AIA New York Chapter website.

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Technology Coordinator at the Center for Architecture/AIA New York Chapter

Established in October 2003 by the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter and its charitable affiliate, the Center for Architecture Foundation, The Center for Architecture is New York City's premier public space for exhibitions, discussion and professional exchange on architecture and design. With multiple galleries, a lecture hall, public resource center, library and conference rooms, the Center serves as the place where the public and design professionals meet.

Job Description
• Program biweekly electronic newsletter (eOculus), weekly events newsletter (eCalendar), and event-specific web pages and e-mail using XHTML, CSS and PHP.
• Sell and create ads, maintain ad queue
• Maintain subscriber database
• Facilitate implementation of Chapter's web site redesign, which may include deciphering and rewriting legacy PHP code.
• Maintain Chapter's web site
• Provide technical support for Center's AV system
• Guide and champion technology projects. Define project scope, perform analysis for applications development, write documentation and procedures, evaluate, and revise.
• FileMaker administration including scripting, report writing, layout design and overall database development.

Requirements
Strong troubleshooting skills a must. The applicant will be the technical expert of the organization and will be asked to troubleshoot everything from the Center's AV system to presenters' laptops and DVDs. Must be conversant with both XP and OS X.

Able to hand code valid XHTML and CSS. Must be conversant in PHP, able to decipher legacy PHP web applications, and, ideally, familiar with AppleScript and JavaScript. Must have experience gathering requirements, designing and implementing MySQL and FileMaker databases; transferring data between them a large plus. In addition, the applicant must have website admin knowledge such as FTP, domain administration, and setting up e-mail accounts.

Familiarity with print and web graphic file formats and programs, e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, or open source equivalents is required. Experience with prepress specifications, online print production, and mailing houses a plus. Experience with video formats including DVD chapter extraction, conversion of video formats, stripping region encoding from DVDs and DVD players is also necessary.

Please submit cover letter, resume, URLs, 3 references and salary requirements to: gbyers@aiany.org

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HNTB Architecture ( www.hntbarchitecture.com), a national firm with specialty in public projects, is seeking to fill the following positions in its growing NYC office:

Senior Project Architect — Responsible for technical solutions, coordinating disciplines and management. Required: Architecture degree,10+ years experience, R.A., Autocad, strength in detailing and specifications, ability to supervise a team, project management and proposal experience.

Intermediate Architect (Architect III) — Candidate should be highly motivated and detail oriented with ability to work well on teams. Candidate must have a degree in Architecture, office experience, AutoCad and 3D modeling skills. Rev It a plus.

Send resume to HNTB Architecture, Attn: Evan Supcoff, 5 Penn Plaza, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10001 or fax to 212-947-4030. To apply on line: www.hntbcareers.com

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ARCHITECTURE FT/PermPosition
Tired of complaining about your limited influence? Seeking to expand your skill set? If so, Street-Works may be the place for you! Street-Works LLC, an entrepreneurial, award-winning, and design-oriented development & development consulting firm, is seeking architects, planners and urban designers to work on a range of exciting large-scale mixed-use, and retail-oriented development projects. The candidate must be geared toward working collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams. Architecture or planning degree req'd and 3-7 years of related experience. Hand drawing skills and Autocad-proficiency, Pshop, Illustrator & InDesign plus interest in the "bigger picture" a must. 3D-modeling a plus.

Street-Works is located in White Plains, NY adjacent to the N. White Plains train station. Excellent growth opportunities, competitive salary and benefits.
Send CVs to info@street-works.com

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Architect
Intermediate NYC, NY-Under direction of lic. arch, research, plan and administer building properties for clients. Consult w/client to determine functional and spatial requirements. Employ parametric modeling and sys to study and eval bldg exterior envelop.
Req: Masters in Arch + min. 2 yrs exp or 2 yrs as Jr. Arch; 2 yrs parametric modeling sys exp.
Email CV & work samples to KPF: dnmt@kpf.com. Ref job code NYI1. EOE.

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Senior Architect:
Cover Letter, Resume, 1-2 work samples (8½' x 11" .pdf or hardcopy format)
E-mail to hrtechnical@som.com

SOM is seeking senior level architects for involvement in both large and small scale projects. Applicants should have experience in a full range of project responsibilities. App licants should also have interest in the application of building science in the design process including investigating and developing materials, innovative building systems solutions, systems integration/interoperability and sustainable design initiatives.

Applicants must hold a 5 year professional degree or Master's degree in Architecture and have minimum of 5 years of professional experience. Knowledge in AutoCAD, 3d Studio Max and/or Rhino required. LEED accreditation and knowledge in BIM platforms, such as Revit, and analytical software and simulation tools, such as Ecotect and Simulex, are considered a plus.

Please send a cover Letter, Resume, and 1-2 work samples (8½' x 11" .pdf or hardcopy format) to:

Human Resources
SOM
14 Wall Street, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10005
ATTN: Wendy Chang

Or you may email all files to hrtechnical@som.com (.pdf or .jpg only please)
No phone calls. Work samples will not be returned.

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Intermediate Architect:
Cover Letter, Resume, 1-2 work samples (8½' x 11" .pdf or hardcopy format)
E-mail to hrtechnical@som.com

SOM is seeking intermediate level architects for involvement in both large and small scale projects. Applicants should have interest in a full range of project responsibilities including the investigation of innovative building systems, materials research and sustainable initiatives in the design process.

Applicants must hold a 5 year professional degree or Master's degree in Architecture and have 3 to 8 years of professional experience. Knowledge in AutoCAD, 3d Studio Max and/or Rhino required. LEED accreditation and knowledge in BIM platforms, such as Revit, and analytical software and simulation tools, such as Ecotect and Simulex, are considered a plus.

Please send a cover Letter, Resume, and 1-2 work samples (8½' x 11" .pdf or hardcopy format) to:

Human Resources
SOM
14 Wall Street, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10005
ATTN: Wendy Chang

Or you may email all files to hrtechnical@som.com (.pdf or .jpg only please)
No phone calls. Work samples will not be returned.

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Intermediate Architect:

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP New York is seeking intermediate level architects for involvement in both large and small scale projects. Applicants should have interest in a full range of project responsibilities.

Applicants must hold a 5 year professional degree or Master's degree in Architecture and have 3 to 8 years of professional experience. Knowledge of AutoCAD, Photoshop and 3d Studio Max and/or Rhino is required.

Please send a cover letter, resume and 1 - 2 work samples to:

Human Resources
SOM
14 Wall Street, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10005
ATTN: Intermediate Architect Posting

Or you may email all files to hrdesign@som.com (PDF or JPEG only please)
No phone calls please. Work samples will not be returned.

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Junior Architect:

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP New York is seeking junior level architects for involvement in both large and small scale projects. Applicants should have interest in a full range of project responsibilities.

Applicants must hold a 5 year professional degree or Master's degree in Architecture. Knowledge of AutoCAD, Photoshop and 3d Studio Max and/or Rhino is required.

Please send a cover letter, resume and 1 - 2 work samples to:

Human Resources
SOM
14 Wall Street, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10005
ATTN: Junior Architect Posting

Or you may email all files to hrdesign@som.com (PDF or JPEG only please)
No phone calls please. Work samples will not be returned.

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Urban Designer — Junior Level:

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP New York is currently seeking junior level urban designers to participate in all phases of project design and development in the Urban Design and Planning Department.

Applicants must hold a 5 year professional degree and/or Master's degree in Architecture or Urban Design and have a minimum of one year of professional experience. Knowledge of AutoCAD, Photoshop, 3d Studio Max, Rhino, and GIS Arcview experience is preferred.

The successful candidate will:
• Contribute to general preparation of master planning and site planning;
• Demonstrate general knowledge and abilities in documentation, urban history, urban design and planning;
• Understand basic building programming and massing, open space and general design philosophy;
• Perform basic documentation and presentation work, including diagrams, scale comparisons and visualizations;
• Have the ability to create pedestrian level images from a 3D computer model, and;
• Work effectively with minimal supervision.

Please send a cover letter, resume and 3 - 5 work samples to:

Human Resources
SOM
14 Wall Street, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10005
ATTN: Junior Architect Posting

Or you may email all files to hrnewyork@som.com (PDF or JPEG only please)
No phone calls please. Work samples will not be returned.

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Urban Designer — Senior Level:

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP New York is currently seeking a senior level urban designer with an expertise in transportation design to participate in all phases of project design and development in the Urban Design and Planning Department.

Applicants must hold a 5 year professional degree and/or Master's degree in Architecture or Urban Design and have a minimum of five years of professional experience working on a wide variety of projects. Knowledge of AutoCAD, Photoshop, 3d Studio Max, Rhino, and GIS Arcview experience is preferred.

The successful candidate will:
• Have experience in leading the design efforts on large scale urban design projects;
• Demonstrate the ability to understand architectural typologies for completing comprehensive master planning exercises;
• Have experience working on a small team while working in the context of the larger Urban Design Department;
• Assist in developing master planning concept incorporating site, landscape, transportation and infrastructure;
• Coordinate information on drawings and calculations and work with urban design consultants including landscape architects, transportation engineers, civil engineers, etc;
• Demonstrate practical knowledge of zoning codes.

Please send a cover letter, resume and 3 - 5 work samples to:

Human Resources
SOM
14 Wall Street, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10005
ATTN: Junior Architect Posting

Or you may email all files to hrnewyork@som.com (PDF or JPEG only please)
No phone calls please. Work samples will not be returned.

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Project Manager

Empyrean International is a global leader of the contemporary and modernist prefab movement. We have 57 years experience in the design and construction of imaginative one-of-a-kind custom houses, including Deck House, Acorn, and the Dwell Homes by Empyrean.

We are searching for Project Managers in our San Francisco and New York area offices to work with clients who want unique architecture inspired by their site and by the way they live.

We want a person who:
• is excited by contemporary and modernist architecture
• can manage projects from design through construction
• is comfortable with multi-tasking as well as time and budget project management
• can work in a team environment with designers, builders, and clients
• can support, but not have to create, construction drawings and details
• communicates comfortably and clearly in writing and in person — including the effective use of computers and the internet and is highly organized

Additional specific skills/tasks include...
• Maintain Project Status Reports
• Maintain Sales Forecast Schedules
• Proficient with Microsoft Project

Empyrean International offers balanced compensation (salary and performance bonus), excellent benefits, high income potential, architectural innovation, and a team-oriented open working environment.

Respond to: rsmjob@empyreanapf.com

www.empyreanapf.com

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Assistant Project Manager

SOM is seeking applicants for an Assistant Project Manager position.

Applicants should have:
• A professional degree in Architecture;
• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible project experience;
• Proven knowledge of general architectural practice and process;
• Strong analytical, oral and written communication skills with the ability to build quick rapport with all levels of clients, consultants, employees and vendors, and;
• Architectural Registration, or in the process of completing requirements towards Architectural Registration.

The Assistant Project Manager's position will involve:
• Working under direct supervision of the Senior Project Manager;
• Managing projects to help ensure that the goals and priorities of the Client and SOM are being satisfied;
• Develop and maintain a Project Plan for each project;
• Serving as contact with Client, external consultants and vendors;
• Monitoring services vis-à-vis the contract requirements and identifies changes in project scope and construction cost and brings such changes to the immediate attention of the Client and Senior Project Manager and Project Partner, and;
• Maintaining project data in a timely fashion to insure accurate reporting of earnings and accurate billings.

Please send a cover letter and resume:

Human Resources
SOM
14 Wall Street, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10005
ATTN: Junior Architect Posting

Or you may email all files to hrnewyork@som.com (PDF only please)
No phone calls please.

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Come Join Callison at our NY Office!

Project Managers and Project Architect. Please see complete job descriptions at www.callison.com. Resumes and work samples to: employment@callison.com. We are an Affirmative Action/EEO Employer who values workplace diversity.

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HNTB Architecture
An award winning design practice is seeking an entry level architect to work on a mixture of project types. Ideal candidate will have strong CAD and 3-D rendering skills. Responsibilities include assisting with design development, contract drawings, specifications, etc.

Please apply on line at www.hntbcareers.com or submit resume to kduckworth@hntb.com or fax: 202.654.1000 EOE — M/F/D/V

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The AIA Contract Documents program
provides proven, consistent, and effective standard form contracts to the building design and construction industry. The program directs its efforts toward improving existing documents and developing new ones. In late 2005 the AIA introduced six new contract documents. These included two new agreements and four new scopes of service documents for use with owner-architect agreements.

Paper Documents
The AIA New York Chapter is a full-service distributor of AIA Contract Documents, which are the most widely used standard form contracts in the building industry. These comprehensive contracts have been prepared by the AIA with the input of contractors, attorneys, architects, and engineers. Typically, industry professionals and home/property owners use these documents to support agreements relating to design and construction services. Anyone may purchase and use the AIA Contract Documents. AIA Members receive a 10% discount. For a full list and order form, see www.aiany.org/documents/ list.pdf or call 212.358.6113 with your fax number.

Electronic Format Documents
The new AIA Contract Documents software is completely redesigned, based on Microsoft Word, and is easier to use than Word itself. Enter project and document information once and reuse it automatically. E-mail documents as Word or PDF attachments. Print "clean copy" final documents with all changes captured in a special report. Go to www.aia.org/ docssoftwaretraining for Contract Documents Software Training and www.aia.org/docs_purchase to download the AIA Contract Documents software.

If you already have the software, Version 2.0.5: Software Update is now available.

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AIA New York Chapter's HOME page
If you have any comments, questions or concerns regarding eOculus or would like to know about advertising in or sponsorship of eOculus, or would like to be included in our mailing list please write to us at rcanfield@aiany.org.

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Raising Moses - cont'd...
By Stephen A. Kliment, FAIA, and Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

Panelists discussed plaNYC as the first major planning project since Moses. Doctoroff is certain that the proposal will be a catalyst for urban growth echoing Moses' legacy. Yaro believes it seeks a comprehensive set of goals similar to Moses' plans, but moves beyond Moses by hinging on actions of many organizations and respect for community input. Anthony Coscia, Chairman of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, sees plaNYC as an opportunity for the Port Authority to step up to the plate in a Moses-like manner, and to make it work because it is a large organization with the capability and power to make a significant impact on city's development.

Author Tony Hiss believes plaNYC does not think big enough. Hiss proposes integrating parks into urban living that harks back to Frederick Law Olmsted's community-oriented Central Park, a project developed before Moses' time. By limiting car traffic and integrating park space with every street, a public park would be at the doorstep of every city inhabitant, not just within a 10-minute walk as plaNYC proposes. Car designers have successfully designed car interiors, while the only recent train improvements are to Amtrak's problematic Acela trains. By improving rider experience through redesigning subway interiors, people will want to use mass transit and not drive their cars to work.

Majora Carter, Executive Director and Founder of Sustainable South Bronx, appreciates plaNYC, but argues it fails to go far enough and is an exception in a city where the rich develop large complexes for their own benefit. If NYC is to be truly sustainable, neighborhoods must be consulted on a broad scale. People know what is best for them, and it surely is not a big box building or a jail or a sewage treatment plant. What they want is numerous small projects built around the needs of the local community. They also want city officials to physically visit their neighborhoods and listen in person to the citizens. Although the plaNYC website might have a place where people can e-mail an opinion, that is not enough.

Moses paved the way for wealthy developers, and Carter believes his actions cannot be excused because he was successful. If it were not for Moses, the South Bronx might still be a thriving community (Carter marked the irony of holding a panel about Moses on the first day of Black History Month). She points out that it is good that Moses did not succeed at everything; if he had, there would be no Bronx Botanical Gardens, and we would have an expressway through Washington Square Park.

Whether Bloomberg is the new Moses or not, the city is developing at a rate unseen since the Moses era. Clearly that community input is necessary for successful development, and Moses' mistakes should not be repeated, but the extent to which planners and developers can learn from Moses is still up for debate. Perhaps it is a sign that there was no time for questions and answers from the audience.

Robert Moses and the Modern City is a three-part exhibition currently on view at the Museum of the City of New York, Queens Museum of Art, and Columbia University Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery. Models, historic objects, plans, and photography are on display. Each venue examines a different facet of Moses' legacy within the context of contemporary New York. Also, the Panorama of the City of New York — the world's largest architectural scale model, made by Moses for the 1964-65 World's Fair — has been reopened at The Queens Museum of Art. Accompanying the exhibition is Robert Moses and the Modern City: The Transformation of New York, co-edited by Hilary Ballon, the exhibitions' curator, architectural historian, and professor of art history and archaeology, and Kenneth T. Jackson, Jacques Barzun Professor in History and the Social Sciences at Columbia University.

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New Orleans Eight Plans Later - cont'd...
By Kristen Richards

Paul Lambert outlined the goals of the Neighborhood Rebuilding Plan, based primarily on federal and state guidelines. He emphasized existing opportunities such as $100 billion to be invested in regional redevelopment over the next five years, and the historic, cultural, and tourism infrastructure is already generally in place. (On January 30, the UNOP reported that citywide recovery will cost $14 billion over the next 10 years.)

"It's 16 acres vs. 116,000 acres," an impassioned Frederic Schwartz, FAIA, began. "It's billions of dollars being spent at Ground Zero, and 200,000 people without homes in New Orleans." From there, he talked about major issues such as the public housing crisis, density, and where and what to build and not build. He illustrated how "knowledge sessions" at Harvard Graduate School of Design developed into real projects with 100 action plans. "All the work that's been and is being done," he said, "doesn't come close to what's needed in New Orleans."

The "big picture" was presented by Steven Bingler, AIA, who described the timelines of the eight major New Orleans planning initiatives, and explained how all of them have been integrated into the current UNOP. High on the list of priorities: safety from flooding; financial incentives; developing rental, low-income, and public housing, and providing an opportunity for all to return. "New Orleans is in an intensive care unit," he said. "All our systems are down. This isn't about a vision thing — it's about staying alive and getting the systems to function." The most important lesson learned from all the planning initiatives is the "power of deliberative democracy."

Kristen Richards is editor of OCULUS and ArchNewsNow.com.

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© 2006 The American Institute of Architects New York Chapter.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, in printed or electronic format, without written permission is strictly prohibited.