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04.20.10 Editor’s Note: We are still collecting tributes to Norval White, FAIA, for a special issue of e-Oculus. Please send anecdotes, images, and remembrances to eoculus@aiany.org by Friday, 05.14.10.
- Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
Note: Be sure to follow Tweets from e-Oculus and the Center for Architecture.
Also, check out the latest Podcasts produced by AIANY.
The OCULUS Committee and the AIA New York Chapter will be hosting an event celebrating the release of the newest edition of the AIA Guide to New York City on 06.02.10. In memory of author Norval White, FAIA, e-Oculus will be publishing a special tribute issue to coincide with the celebration. We are seeking personal anecdotes, images, and remembrances — any and all are welcome. Please e-mail them to eoculus@aiany.org by Friday, 05.14.10.
I am writing to share the news that Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Chris McEntee will leave the Institute July 23, 2010 to become Executive Director of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), an international non-profit scientific association dedicated to furthering the sciences of geophysics through individual efforts and in cooperation with other scientific organizations. In her new capacity, Chris will lead a professional society that is a global leader of scientific knowledge within the Earth and space science communities and expand AGU’s global reach and scientific excellence for the benefit of humanity.
This is a professional challenge that will afford Chris new areas in which to learn and grow in her career of leading professional associations. Chris is embracing an opportunity of great personal and professional interest and I invite you to join me in wishing her every future success.
As you already know, Chris leads a staff of seasoned professionals who capably manage the AIA’s daily operations. As a first next-step, I will be forming a search committee that will work under the guidance of the AIA Board Executive Committee and engaging an executive search firm to help us identify the right qualified candidates. Chris will work closely with the AIA leadership and staff to ensure a smooth transition.
Chris and I agree that the AIA is strong and poised to take advantage of new opportunities. The AIA will continue to offer programs and experiences that deliver member value and expand upon new opportunities, such as those represented by the current discussions with Hanley Wood.
There will be time in the upcoming three months for appropriate farewell activities where we can learn more about this important and exciting next challenge for Chris. Her new role will find her building the framework necessary for the AGU to become the authoritative voice of scientific knowledge to policy makers, media, and the broader public, with an increasing emphasis on mitigating the effects of climate change. This is a challenge for which Chris is well-suited, after having successfully accomplished a similar result during her time at the AIA.
And, as you speak to or respond to questions from your AIA and professional colleagues, you can be confident in sharing the message that the inherent strength of the AIA lies squarely in the passion and commitment of our members, you and me. Our rich history encompasses many significant individual contributions, but collectively, it is we who shape our future. If you would like, you can reach me via e-mail: gmiller@aia.org.
I look forward to keeping you informed and involved as we continue working together throughout the year and, in particular, hope to be seeing you at our national convention in Miami.
Event: 2010 Design Awards Luncheon; 2010 Design Awards Exhibition Opening
Location: Cipriani Wall Street, 04.14.10; Center for Architecture, 04.15.10
Speakers: Mark Robbins — Dean of the School of Architecture, Syracuse University; Sherida Paulsen, FAIA — Immediate Past President, AIA New York Chapter (Luncheon Chair); Anthony Schirripa, FAIA, IIDA — President, AIA New York Chapter
Organizer: AIANY
Sponsors: Chair’s Circle: Foster + Partners New York; Benefactor: STUDIOS architecture; Patrons: Mancini Duffy; Peter Marino Architect; Studio Daniel Libeskind; Trespa; Lead Sponsors: A.E. Greyson+Company; Arup; Building Contractors Association; Dagher Engineering; F.J. Sciame Construction Co., Inc.; Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson; FXFOWLE Architects; Gensler; Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti; Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; MechoShade Systems, Inc.; New York University; PERMASTEELISA NORTH AMERICA; Port Authority of New York & New Jersey; Rudin Management Company, Inc.; Structure Tone, Inc.; Syska Hennesy Group; Toshiko Mori Architect; VJ Associates; WSP Cantor Seinuk; WSP Flack + Kurtz, Inc.
Courtesy AIANY
“Economic downturns provide opportunities for new creativity,” stated Mark Robbins, dean of the school of architecture at Syracuse University at this year’s Design Awards Luncheon. While he referenced work generated during previous downturns — such as the projective ideas of Archigram and Superstudio in the 1960s and the “paper architecture” of the 1980s — Robbins sees this particular time as a time for younger practitioners, people he calls “stealth architects,” to uncover new, innovative ways to make their work visible to broader audiences. Perhaps this is the reason that many of the 2010 AIANY Design Awards recipients are lesser known, younger firms.
“This year’s awards prove that good design does not have to be expensive design,” according to AIANY Executive Director Rick Bell, FAIA. And as one peruses the exhibition, on view at the Center for Architecture through 07.03.10, work completed in NYC and by NYC-based firms is truly diverse, even if much of it was completed on a tight budget. Award winners include established firms such as Steven Holl Architects (winning Architecture Honors for both the Knut Hamsun Center and the Vanke Center/Horizontal Skyscraper) and Kohn Pedersen Fox (winning an Unbuilt Work Merit Award for the Tianjin Hang Lung Plaza), as well as emerging firms like OBRA Architects (winning two Unbuilt Work Merit Awards for the Korean Cultural Center New York and The Great Hall at Grace Farms), and Ginseng Chicken Architecture (winning an Unbuilt Work Merit Award for Open Paradox).
Some of the award-winning projects were to be expected — James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s High Line won the only Honor Award for Urban Design, which was a new category for the annual design awards program; and Morphosis Architects and Gruzen Samton won Architecture Honors for 41 Cooper Square. However, other projects that garnered awards were just as ambitious, if not as well-known, such as dlandstudio’s Urban Design Merit Award for the BQE Trench: Reconnection Strategies in Brooklyn that proposes turning the Brooklyn Queens Expressway into a lush, green landscape.
A few of the awards were given to bold designs, such as Peter Gluck and Partners’ Architecture Honor Award-winning East Harlem School that features a graphic façade of offset rectangles. While other awards were presented to subtle, quiet designs, like Butler Rogers Baskett’s Interiors Honor Award for the Trinity School’s Johnson Chapel.
When visiting the Design Awards exhibition, the large-scale photographs and images showcase the variety of projects that have been recently built or proposed. Robbins, in his keynote, urged audience members to “be creative against all odds.” And all of the award winners have done just that.
The full list of award winners can be found on the 2010 AIANY Design Awards website, and the Winners’ Symposia will take place at the Center for Architecture on 05.08.10 (Architecture and Interiors), 05.10.10 (Unbuilt) and 06.17.10 (Urban Design). Click the links to RSVP.
Event: Greening a Giant: The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Location: Center for Architecture, 04.12.10
Speakers: Bruce Fowle, FAIA, LEED AP — Founding Principal, FXFOWLE Architects; David Choy, PE — Senior Vice President, WSP Flack + Kurtz
Moderator: Margaret Castillo, AIA, LEED AP — President-Elect, AIA New York Chapter
Organizer: AIANY Committee on the Environment
The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
FXFOWLE Epstein
Although the structure of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is sufficient, stated Bruce Fowle, FAIA, LEED AP, founding principal of FXFOWLE Architects, there is a laundry list of issues that must be addressed as the first phase of renovations begins. Rusting rooftop units, staining on the concrete base, and an entry that is prohibitive to pedestrians are just some of the challenges facing FXFOWLE Epstein, a collaboration between FXFOWLE and A. Epstein & Sons International, not to mention the water leakage, which is costing the building $1 million in water removal annually.
FXFOWLE Epstein’s goals are simple: the firm wants to restore the 1986 building to I.M. Pei and Partners’ original vision while making necessary performance and operational enhancements to meet — and surpass — current codes and standards. The new design will enhance the pedestrian experience by relocating fire stairs to clear the approach to the building (creating a “Piazza Navona on the West Side,” as Fowle described), adding canopies to emphasize the building entrances, and improve wayfinding with new signage.
Daylighting will be improved not only with more efficient fittings and lamps with daylight dimming capabilities, but also by replacing the existing, highly reflective glass with more transparent, fritted glass that has a selective solar coating. A gantry system on the interior will provide access to the glass for the maintenance staff, as well. And the mullions will be painted a lighter color, which will also improve the light quality on the interior. Deeper in the interior, portions of the floor slab will be removed, the escalators will be stacked, and spaces that are currently windowless will be opened to the atrium complete with tree bosks.
The bulk of the exterior will be clad with stainless steel panels, and added insulation throughout the envelope will improve thermal performance. Fowle sees the roof as “the fifth façade,” as so many surrounding buildings look down on it. A seven-acre green roof will be planted to both improve its aesthetics and energy consumption — David Choy, PE, senior vice president at WSP Flack + Kurtz claims that the U-Value of the roof will almost double that of the existing one. Although security and structural concerns prevent the roof from being inhabited by visitors, the sedum will significantly reduce water run-off, as well.
While the team is confident the new Javits Center will meet LEED Silver requirements, Choy and Fowle believe LEED Gold is achievable, mainly because of the many planned energy improvements. Carbon dioxide sensors, motion detectors and occupancy sensors, thermally improved walls, and demand controlled ventilation all contribute. In concert with an energy model by Ellana, an in-depth study of LEED requirements, ASHRAE standards, the NYS Energy Code, Executive Order 111, and Local Law 86, the team believes the building will save an additional 26.3% of its current annual energy consumption. During the discussion, Fowle frequently referred to the Javits Center as a glass pavilion. Calling it a “jewel in a high-density context,” hopefully the renovations will reveal its true crystalline nature.
Event: #FUTURTECTURE
Location: Mohawk, 04.08.10
Speakers: Dan Kaplan, AIA, LEED AP — Senior Partner, FXFOWLE Architects; Mustafa K. Abadan, FAIA — Design Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Marianne Kwok — Director, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Todd Schliemann, FAIA — Design Partner, Polshek Partnership Architects; Scott Johnson, AIA — Associate Partner & Acting COO, Richard Meier & Partners
Moderator: James S. Russell, FAIA — Architecture Critic, Bloomberg
Organizer: IDNY; Designer Pages
Sponsors: OCULUS/e-Oculus
Understandably for a panel entitled #FUTURTECTURE, there were questions concerning the future of architecture in light of the economy, the recovery, or lack of recovery; but other concerns involved computer programs vs. drawing by hand, innovation, collaboration, and why errors happen even to the best of architects.
Discussing the economy, Dan Kaplan, AIA, LEED AP, senior partner at FXFOWLE Architects, noted that he actually benefited from the recession of the early 1990s because many of his coworkers left traditional forms of practice and became clients. “If we can get beyond the short term,” he said, “there will be a need for architects who can deal with complex situations in the long term.” One way Europeans are dealing with the lack of work in the short term, he explained, is that architectural graduates are assuming leadership positions in business and government, which ends up helping the built environment in the long term.
Innovation, and the potential for making errors due to experimenting with new technology, is always a hot topic when discussing the future of the profession. Since buildings are imprecise, mistakes are inevitable. Also, the construction trades are using the same paradigm as they have for years without adjusting to new technology. “Unlike a car, where there are tests and mock-ups before construction, you can’t do that with architecture. The building is the beta-test,” Kaplan explained. When asked about modular construction as an economic solution that uses innovative processes, Scott Johnson, AIA, associate partner and acting COO at Richard Meier & Partners, didn’t think the quality was there yet, and cautioned: “What if the fabricator went out of business?”
About collaboration, the panelists agreed that crossovers can be very productive, and it is natural for architects to work in an interdisciplinary way. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was founded on collaboration, as its namesakes included two architects and one engineer. Because of this, according to Design Partner Mustafa K. Abadan, FAIA, “we don’t have to wait for the next collaboration to happen.”
Todd Schliemann, FAIA, a design partner at Polshek Partnership Architects, praised architects’ ability weather down markets by exploring different disciplines. Being trained as an architect teaches one to be an organizer, a choreographer, and to be articulate, he believes. “We build models, we’re good at computers, we can be hired guns, and there are options.”
Marianne Kwok, a director at Kohn Pedersen Fox, was optimistic about the future, and said her firm has been fortunate during the downturn. They have diversified their work and have sought out work on a more global scale, especially in China. “Architecture graduates have a lot to look forward to,” she stated optimistically.
Speaking of recent graduates, most on the panel expressed concern that students today view architecture in a different way. Panelists bemoaned students’ lack of drawing skills, and worried that some don’t even have plans in their portfolios. So what can future architects take away from this discussion? Have a broad education and love what you’re doing, said Johnson. Vary your skill set and learn to be articulate, commented Abadan. Perhaps Schliemann summed it up best: “Nothing beats talent.”
To view the program in its entirety, visit http://vimeo.com/10929128.
Linda G. Miller is a NYC-based freelance writer and publicist, and a contributing editor to e-Oculus and OCULUS.
Event: Airports of the Future: Emerging Issues in Airport Planning, Design & Construction
Location: Center for Architecture, 04.09.10
Speakers: William A. Fife, PE — Principal, The Fife Group
Organizers: AIANY Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Saarinen’s TWA Terminal has suffered the pressures of a changing airline industry.
Jessica Sheridan
Attendees expecting tips on how to design airport terminals at the “Airports of the Future” presentation by airport planning expert William Fife, PE, may have been surprised to learn instead about the larger trends shaping the aviation industry. Fife made it clear, in fact, that to build an effective airport, architects and engineers must first understand the industry and all its complexities.
Thanks to 9/11, said Fife, “there is a new normal, and that new normal is always changing.” The terrorist attacks affected passenger volume, airlines’ finances, and airport security requirements — but that’s only for starters.
He stated the number of passengers is expected to double by 2025, from 750 million to 1.5 billion (despite the delays and other hassles of air travel). And the new planes built to accommodate these people will force changes in airport planning. For instance, when Boeing’s next-generation Dreamliner becomes available, it will carry half as many passengers as today’s long-range aircraft, necessitating twice as many terminal gates for the same number of passengers.
Also increasing in importance are environmental factors: planning for alternative-fuel support vehicles; constructing energy-efficient facilities to save on operating costs; building enough lead time in construction schedules to secure environmental permits (”It takes twice as long as you’d expect,” Fife cautioned); and accommodating the concerns of nearby residents who worry about noise issues.
But security needs are paramount, and the devices and screening procedures are always changing. Fife recalled the lessons learned from a peer review conducted with the Charles de Gaulle airport authority in Paris: “What we’re having in the future is a large ‘baggage box’ with security stuff in it, surrounded by retail. On the outside you have some places for planes to park, and on the other side places for cars to park. So you have to make it big, and flexible…. Baggage handling and security and safety have become the determinant sizing factors in terminal design.”
Carl Yost is the marketing and publicity coordinator for Gabellini Sheppard Associates. He has written for Forbes.com, Architectural Record, and The Architect’s Newspaper, among other publications.
First Deputy Mayor Patti Harris welcomed mayors from several U.S. cities to New York last Wednesday, April 13th, by offering to sell them the Brooklyn Bridge, a municipal asset whose value, she said, has been increased by adjacent design enhancements such as the Brooklyn Bridge Park. After brief introductions, including eloquent remarks by Ron Bogle, Hon. AIA, president and CEO of the American Architectural Foundation and Rocco Landesman, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, the First Deputy Mayor told those assembled for the meeting of the Mayor’s Institute on City Design (MICD) that “the choice of where to live has never been more critical.”
The MICD is a partnership of the NEA, the American Architectural Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. At each of its meetings, mayors present to each other the major design challenges confronting their cities. Architects and designers join in to identify possible solutions and ways of proceeding, heightening the design consciousness of the elected officials in so doing. To this audience, Harris spoke of the success of the Bloomberg Administration in creating public spaces and physical amenities that are not just cosmetic improvements. Participants in the New York City session included Mayor Carl Brewer of Wichita, KS; Mayor George K. Heartwell of Grand Rapids, MI; Mayor Lori C. Moseley of Miramar, FL; Mayor Joseph C. O’Brien of Worcester, MA; Mayor Dayne Walling of Flint, MI; Mayor A C Wharton, Jr of Memphis, TN; and Mayor Jay Williams of Youngstown, OH.
Structural changes in New York, according to its First Deputy Mayor, include the reinvigoration and empowerment of the Art Commission as the Public Design Commission, and the creation of the Design and Construction Excellence Program led by the NYC Department of Design + Construction. Such initiatives show that New York City has “embraced good design, going beyond just new construction.” Governors Island, in particular, was singled out as the “jewel of the harbor” in the same week that Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Patterson announced the City’s new leadership in determining and managing its future.
Other achievements described included the creation of 693 acres of new parkland and the designation of more historic districts than in any prior administration. More than 100 rezoning actions have helped preserve neighborhoods and the 44 million square feet of commercial space in New York. The work of individual city agencies was spelled out in her remarks, intended largely for those coming from out of town who might not have noticed the DOT-created public spaces for pedestrians at Times Square and Herald Square. She spoke of the importance of culture to New York, saying that “cultural organizations contribute mightily to the quality of life in every neighborhood and are also large employers throughout the city.” Speaking more generally, she said that “our commitment is to go beyond business as usual and bring quality and commitment to the work of every city agency.”
Deputy Mayor Harris said that attention to design detail is important, that “sweating the small stuff matters not only in urban design, but even in the detailing of the full-length mirrors in the new Marriage Bureau.” Recalling her own marriage in the former facility in the Municipal Building, she said, “The Marriage Bureau used to be an experience brought to you by Franz Kafka, but now there are full-length mirrors.” She concluded by saying that there has been much discussion about the question: “What is the fate of commitment to good design during an economic downturn?” Responding to her own query she said: “The only answer it can be is that good design doesn’t have to be more expensive, it just has to be more good. In New York we’re investing for the long haul. The city will shine.”
This week, Bravo TV launched the new reality show, “9 By Design.” Featuring two wealthy self-taught designers who flip homes and their seven children, I knew this would be a show I would love to hate. After cringing while watching the entire preview special and first episode, I’m sure I had the reaction Bravo was expecting from viewers.
The show follows the Novogratz family through the process of selling their current apartment and renovating a new home. It is obvious the couple tries very hard to follow trends, whether through their clothing or design. Bob’s assortment of woolen hats and Cortney’s graphic wrap dresses achieve the “Brooklyn Chic” they are currently going for in their designs. The home they are renovating, which is just north of Atelier Jean Nouvel’s new 100 11th Avenue and Gehry Partners’ IAC Headquarters, will feature a painted façade by British artist Richard Woods on the exterior with an IKEA kitchen on the interior. There are eight episodes this season, and throughout viewers will watch them build four projects, including a boutique hotel and a beach house. If only struggling architecture firms could be so lucky in this economic climate.
I don’t know what’s more infuriating about the show — watching Cortney tear through a home pointing frantically at random walls exclaiming they all need to be demolished, or listening to Bob’s quips and words of wisdom about design (”You can bring charm to any four walls,” and “Life’s not perfect. That’s our philosophy in life and design”). As a design professional who takes architecture very seriously, to watch the two of them proclaim how they simply have a knack for design and how easy it is if you put your mind to it, devalues the field in so many ways it is depressing. I found myself wanting something to go wrong to prove to them, and other viewers who may be inspired to haphazardly gut-renovate their apartments, that the field of architecture is much more complicated than reading up on the subject in magazines and getting rich friends to buy into the idea that you are idiot savants in the field.
I don’t know if I’ll last the whole season, but I know I’ll keep watching for the first disaster…
In this issue:
· Trump SoHo Goes SoHi
· Passaic River Inspires Conceptual Design for Visitor’s Center
· DC Opens First in a Series of New Libraries
· North Carolina Museum Vaults Open
· Canceled Building Gets New Life in Istanbul
· Five Rivers to Join at Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge
Trump SoHo Goes SoHi
Trump SoHo.
Handel Architects
The 46-story, 386,000-square-foot Trump SoHo New York, designed by Handel Architects, recently opened. Clad in a silver-and-glass curtain wall with skybox windows projecting from the façade, the hotel contains 391 guestrooms and suites and has more meeting and event space (including SoHi, an event space on the 46th floor) than any hotel in SoHo. Handel Architects also designed an adjacent landscaped urban plaza featuring a continuous green wall offset by a series of garden rooms. Other designers contributed to the interior spaces: Studio A designed Quattro Gastronomia Italiana; DIGuiseppe Architect designed The Spa at Trump and Bar d’Eau, a seasonal indoor-outdoor bar along the pool on the seventh-floor roof deck; Kastel designed an exclusive cocktail lounge; and the Rockwell Group designed the guestrooms, lobby, and library.
Passaic River Inspires Conceptual Design for Visitor’s Center
Newark Visitor’s Center.
di Dominico + Partners
The conceptual design competition for a new Visitor’s Center in Newark, NJ, was won by a team led by Long Island City-based di Dominico + Partners. The structure consists of an undulating green roof that is a metaphor for the Passaic River. The competition, sponsored by AIA Newark and Suburban Architects in conjunction with its Emerging Professionals and Young Architects Forum, called for a multi-use 13,435-square-foot building that would fit into the surrounding community and reflect the city’s diversity. Uses include an information center, auditorium, interactive display area, gallery space, conference room, café, and a gift shop. Second prize went to a team led by NY-based PLT Design, and fourth was won by a team led by super-interesting! of Brooklyn. Newark-born Richard Meier, FAIA, FRIBA, was honorary jury chairman.
DC Opens First in a Series of New Libraries
Benning Library.
Paúl Rivera — archphoto
The Benning Library, the first in a series of new flexible and open libraries in Washington, DC, recently opened. Designed by Davis Brody Bond Aedas, the building is terraced into the sloping terrain, allowing access from both Benning Road at the upper level and a commercial shopping area at the lower level. The two floors of the 22,000-square-foot, $12 million facility are connected by an interior public stair, which creates a space that encourages pedestrian circulation through the library to connect one elevation to another. The facility features community spaces on the lower level, including a 100-person, multi-purpose room, two 12-person conference rooms, and a public gathering and exhibition space. The upper level houses the library’s collection of books, DVDs, CDs, and other library materials. The upper level also features separate reading areas for adults, teens, and children, complete with a children’s program area. The firm was commissioned in 2007 by DC Public Library to design both the Benning Library and the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, the latter of which is scheduled to open this summer.
North Carolina Museum Vaults Open
View of the Entry Canopy and Contemporary Galleries, North Carolina Museum of Art.
Photograph © Scott Frances; Courtesy the North Carolina Museum of Art
After a three-year expansion, the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA), designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners, will open to the public this week. Located on a 164-acre park in Raleigh, the single-story, 127,000-square-foot structure has a roofline defined by a rhythmic series of curves expressive of a system of vaults and coffers designed to bring daylight into the building. In addition to creating a significantly larger home for the collection, the new building, known as the West Building, also has multiple entries, a new restaurant, retail store, and other visitor amenities. The expansion project enables the NCMA’s 1983 East Building, designed by Edward Durell Stone, to become a center dedicated to temporary exhibitions, education, and public programs.
Canceled Building Gets New Life in Istanbul
REX Architecture took an abandoned skeleton of an unfinished hotel project in Istanbul and turned it into the now completed corporate headquarters for two sister companies — the Vakko Fashion Center and the Power Media Center. Construction began just four days after the firm received the commission because they were able to modify plans for the California Institute of Technology’s Annenberg Center, which had the same plan dimension, floor-to-floor height, and servicing concept, which had also recently been canceled. The project was divided into two structurally independent components — a U-shaped concrete structure, and the Ring, which contains a new, six-floor steel tower called the Showcase. The Ring houses flexible office space, and the Showcase includes an auditorium, showrooms, meeting rooms, and executive offices.
Five Rivers to Join at Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge
Xinjin Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge.
WXY Architecture
WXY Architecture and Weidlinger Associates have won the international design competition for the Xinjin Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. Located in China’s Sichuan Province, the idea for the design reflects the location of the bridge at the confluence of five rivers. The 600-foot-long bridge, based on a double helix configuration, will have new bridge landings and plazas and an interactive lighting design. Rotterdam-based MVRDV, Glasgow-based OLA Architects, and Ty Lin Shanghai were short-listed in the competition.
In this issue:
· AIANY is in the “News”
· Coming in May: The Bilbao Effect
AIANY is in the “News”
On 04.15.10, NY1 reporter Jeanine Ramirez paid a visit to “The New Domino” exhibition at the Center for Architecture. The project for the historic Domino Sugar refinery site on the Brooklyn waterfront, which is currently being reviewed by the City Planning Commission as part of the ULURP process, will be presented by the lead architect, Rafael Viñoly, FAIA, at the Center for Architecture on 04.22.10 , less than a week before the City Planning public hearing on 04.28.10. See the NY1 coverage here, on the AIANY’s new news page! Visit “News” to stay up-to-date with Chapter and Center headlines, and read the latest press releases from the Center for Architecture!
Coming in May: The Bilbao Effect
It’s been six years since Oren Safdie debuted his architecture-themed play, “Private Jokes, Public Places,” at the Center for Architecture. The playwright is back in NYC, and has begun rehearsing for “The Bilbao Effect,” the next installment in his architecture trilogy. In this fast, funny play, architect Erhardt Shlaminger is under fire for his mega-development on Staten Island. (More than a few parallels can be drawn to Brooklyn’s controversial Atlantic Yards development.) Could irresponsible architecture have driven a resident to suicide? What is the role of design in our 21st-century cities? It is up to the AIA to decide, as designers, critics, and residents hash out the role and responsibility of new buildings in NYC.
The showcase play will convert the Center for Architecture into a 99-seat theater, with showings Wednesday-Saturday, 05.12-06.05.10. Tickets are $18, and can be purchased in advance at Theatermania. Stay tuned for a podcast interview with the playwright in an upcoming of e-Oculus, and get your tickets for “The Bilbao Effect” today!
Event: Studio@theCenter — Theater Design
Location: Center for Architecture, 03.29-04.01.10
Educator: Jane Cowan — Design Educator
Tour of Rose Cinema, A Nameless Theater, designed by Tammuz (4th grade).
Photos by Glenda Reed
After getting behind the scenes tours of theaters around the city, young designers in the Center for Architecture Foundation’s Studio@theCenter program “Theater Design” created their own tabletop puppet theaters. The studio began at the Center for Architecture where design educator Jane Cowan facilitated a discussion on theater as a design typology. The group then headed to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) for a tour led by Sharon Lehner, director of archives, who pointed out architectural elements such as the trap doors and raked seating in the Howard Gilman Opera House and the signature red proscenium arch in the Rose Cinema, which was renovated by H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture in 1997. The next day, the studio group toured New York University’s Skirball Center led by Amy Coombs, director of operations. The two tours allowed students to compare and contrast a historic theater with a contemporary one.
At the end of the program students designed their own theaters. Tragedy Theater, designed by fourth-grader Lev, is a place where only tragedies are meant to be performed. A Nameless Theatre includes a trap door on stage, balcony seating, and a red proscenium arch inspired by the Rose Cinema. According to fourth-grade designer, Tammuz, the choice of the red proscenium was also influenced by Jean Guy Lecat’s theory (as described by Lehner) that the color red signifies the last color the human eye sees before darkness. The model for A Nameless Theatre will be on display at NYU’s Skirball Center for family performances on 04.17.10 and the weekend of 05.08.10. To see pictures of the theater design studio trips and projects, visit the Center for Architecture Foundation’s website.
The Center for Architecture Foundation holds architecture and design studios for students in grades 3-12 during school vacations. This year’s summer vacation offerings include a two-week architecture studio intensive for high school students; a bridge design workshop; and a number of digital design programs focusing on Google SketchUp. A list of upcoming summer studio programs can be found online here.
Have you watched the new Bravo show, "9 By Design"?
Note: Results from this poll are non-scientific.
Now that the weather is improving, what do you look forward to the most in NYC?
Note: Results from this poll are non-scientific.
Governors Island.
West 8 / Rogers Marvel Architects / Diller Scofidio + Renfro / Mathews Nielsen / Urban Design +
The Park and Public Space Master Plan, developed by a design team led by the landscape architecture firm West 8 along with Rogers Marvel Architects, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, and Urban Design +, reflects extensive input from New Yorkers over the past two years at meetings, workshops, and interactive exhibits, as well as an online display of design proposals and the Governors Island blog. A recently launched website presents the entire plan, including detailed renderings, and is open for more public feedback as the project moves into its next stages. The Park and Public Space Master Plan will also be exhibited in Building 110 on the island and in the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan beginning on 06.05.10, when the island opens to the public.
The winning team of the FIGMENT/ENYA/SEAoNY City of Dreams Pavilion competition is Ann Ha and Behrang Behin for their “Living Pavilion.” The design will be assembled on Governors Island this summer. The three finalists include ECHOMATERICO (Berardo Matalucci, Fabiano Spano, Guillermo Ivan López Dominguez, Enrico Crobu); Unchung Na and Sorae Yoo of NAMELESS ARCHITECTURE; and Lonn Combs, RA, of EASTON+COMBS. For more information, click here.
Design Trust for Public Space announced the selection of two fellows for their Five Borough Farm project: Nevin Cohen, an urban food policy expert, and Rupal Sanghvi, a public health evaluation expert…
Paul Lewis, AIA, Marc Tsurumaki, and David Lewis, the three principals of LTL Architects, have been honored with the annual Lawrence Israel Prize for outstanding architects and designers from the Fashion Institute of Technology…
Five teams have been selected to advance to the design phase of St. Louis Gateway Arch international competition, including NY teams: the MVVA Team led by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates; SOM, Hargreaves, BIG; and Weiss/Manfredi, Architecture/Site Design/Urbanism; for a complete list of finalists, click here…
Robert Ivy, FAIA, Editor-in-Chief of Architectural Record, has been named a “Master Architect” by Alpha Rho Chi… The Professional Women in Construction National Association 2010 Honorees include David J. Burney, FAIA, Commissioner, and David A. Resnick, AIA, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Design + Construction…
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded the Songdo Convensia, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, a LEED NC 2.2 “Certified” rating, making it the first building in Korea more than 1,000 square meters — and the first convention facility in Asia — to achieve certification…
Anna Torriani, AIA, principal of Atelier Pagnamenta Torriani and co-chair of the AIANY Public Architecture Committee, has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to serve on the Advisory Board of the United Nations Capital Master Plan… The National Endowment for the Arts announced that Jason Schupbach will become the Director of Design at the end of May…
04.08.10: Designer Pages and the IDNY Meet-Up organized the future-focused panel discussion, #FUTURTECTURE.
Mohawk Design Consultant Christopher Stulpin; James Russell, FAIA, Architecture Critic, Bloomberg; Todd Schliemann, FAIA, Design Partner, Polshek Partnership; Marianne Kwok, Director, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Scott Johnson, AIA, Associate Partner and acting COO, Richard Meier & Partners; Mustafa K. Abadan, FAIA, Design Partner, SOM; Dan Kaplan, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Partner, FXFOWLE Architects; Kristen Richards, Hon. ASLA, Editor-in-Chief of OCULUS and ArchNewsNow.com; and Mohawk Regional VP Steve Vosburgh.
Josh Wong Photography
03.23.10: Contract magazine’s 50th Anniversary fete at Perkins+Will office.
(L-R): Contract Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Busch, and Joan Blumenfeld, FAIA, IIDA, LEED AP, P+W Principal and 2007 AIANY Chapter President.
Kristen Richards
04.05.10: Publicolor’s star-studded Stir, Splatter + Roll benefit at Martin Luther King High School had architects, designers, celebrities, and city politicos side by side with Publicolor student members creating vibrant murals on canvas. The paintings became part of a silent-auction fundraiser for the non-profit, which mentors high-risk students through a number of initiatives including a school-to-work apprenticeship program and SAT and career/college prep programs. Publicolor also paints public spaces in schools in low-income neighborhoods.
Rogers Marvel Architects Principal Jonathan Marvel, AIA, and his Publicolor student team painted/taped up a storm.
Publicolor
STUDIOS Architecture Principal Tom Krizmanic, AIA, impressed Mayor Bloomberg with his team’s Hummer paint machine.
Publicolor
Editor-as-Canvas Kristen Richards, Hon. ASLA
AIANY
04.06.10: “On the Horizon,” an exhibition of the NY ASLA 2010 Awards, opened at The Horticultural Society of New York.
(L-R): NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe; NY ASLA President-Elect Tricia Martin, ASLA, LEED AP, Principal, WE Design; Horticultural Society Executive Director Sara Hobel; and Jane Cooke, NY ASLA Executive Director.
Kristen Richards
03.24.10: “Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Opportunities in the Transportation Sector” was a program held by the New York chapter of SMPS (Society for Marketing Professional Services).
(L-R): Patricia Grew, Director of Marketing, AKF Engineers, LLP; Gregory Del Rio, P.E., Associate, Director of Transportation, Langan Engineering & Environmental Services; Patricia Neumann, CEO and President, Accu-Cost Construction Consultants, Inc., and president of SMPS-NY; David Tweedy, Chief of Capital Planning, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey; Joseph F. Trainor, P.E., Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer, MTA Capital Construction; Joseph Jarrin, Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Contracting & Program Management, New York City Department of Transportation; Andrew J. Weinberg, CPSM, Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager, Langan Engineering & Environmental Services; and Arie Ben-Dor, Principal, Ben-Dor Group.
LVM Group
2010 Oculus Editorial Calendar
If you are an architect by training or see yourself as an astute observer of New York’s architectural and planning scene, OCULUS editors want to hear from you! Projects/topics may be anywhere, but architects must be New York-based. Please submit story ideas by the deadlines indicated below to Kristen Richards: Kristen@ArchNewsNow.com.
THE 2010 THEMES:
Spring: Architect as Leader: (CLOSED).
Summer: AIANY Design Awards 2010: (CLOSED).
Fall: Thinking Back / Thinking Forward and Understanding the Shift: The recession has given us the opportunity to reflect on the last decades of design and building — and what might be ahead. We will investigate trends in design, building, and marketing that are coming into play. What are the next steps in social media, BIM, sustainability, technology, competitions, stalled projects, adaptive re-use, design for flexibility, mergers and firm acquisitions?
Submit story ideas by 05.21.10
Winter: Practice without Borders: The world is growing smaller. New York is an international city, and it is easier than ever for overseas firms to work here and for New York City firms to work abroad. We will look into reciprocity, licensure, removal of boundaries to practice, and international competitions as ways to build renown.
Submit story ideas by 08.13.10
04.23.10 Call for Entries: New Practices New York 2010
04.30.10 Call for Entries: Iron Designer Challenge
05.03.10 Call for Presentations: AIA NYS Conference
05.14.10 Call for Entries: Re: Contemplating the Void
05.15.10 Call for Entries: The Generative Space Award
05.31.10 Call for Entries: Naef Cella Toy International Competition
06.01.10 Call for Entries: Conover Cottages
06.04.10 Call for Nominations: 2010 Greenwich Historical Society Preservation Awards — pdf
06.15.10 Call for Entries: Gustavino Biennial
06.21.10 Call for Entries: Build a Better Burb
07.01.10 Call for Entries: SADi Awards
07.02.10 Call for Entries: World Architecture Festival Awards
07.16.10 Call for Entries: Livable Communities Awards
09.24.10 Call for Entries: Design Against the Elements
Center for Architecture Gallery Hours and Location
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-8:00pm, Saturday: 11:00am-5:00pm, Sunday: CLOSED
536 LaGuardia Place, Between Bleecker and West 3rd Streets in Greenwich Village, NYC, 212-683-0023
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Through 04.30.10
Maya Lin: What is Missing?
Maya Lin, What is Missing? (2010, single channel video, color, no sound, 4:13 min).
Courtesy of Creative Time and the What is Missing? Foundation
A series of four videos about mass extinction precipitated by the degradation of natural habitats will be shown in Times Square. There will be an expanded schedule of screenings on 04.22.10 for Earth Day. Maya Lin is a participant in the Creative Time Global Residency Program, for which she has traveled to diverse parts of the world to connect with disappearing species for this project.
Creative Time
44 1/2-inch screen, Broadway between 44th and 45th Streets, NYC
(various dates)
Parsons Presents 2010 Thesis Exhibitions
Last year’s thesis exhibit
Copyright Martin Seck
April through June, a series of shows in the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center and venues across Manhattan highlight thesis work by undergraduate and graduate students in its architecture, communication design, design and management, design and technology, fashion design, fine arts, illustration, integrated design, interior design, lighting, photography, and product design programs.
Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
66 Fifth Avenue, NYC
Through 05.14.10
José Oubrerie
Miller House in Lexington, KY by José Oubrerie
Brian Wilson
On view are French architect and author (and Le Corbusier protégé) José Oubrerie’s best-known works, including the Church of St. Pierre in Firminy, France, and the Miller House in Lexington, KY. In addition, The School is producing the book on Oubrerie’s work that will feature many photos and drawings of the two buildings.
The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture (Spitzer School) at The City College of New York
141 Convent Avenue, NYC
Through 05.23.10
Fast Trash: Roosevelt Island’s Pneumatic Tubes and the Future of Cities
View of the control room and Jerry Sorgente, DSNY stationary engineer in charge of the AVAC facility
Kate Milford
Using Roosevelt Island’s underground garbage collection system as a model, this exhibition attempts to show how we can radically change the way garbage is moved through the city. On view are brochures, advertisements, and other ephemera from Roosevelt Island’s archives, as well as photographs and video interviews of the engineers and technicians at work at Roosevelt Island’s facility.
Gallery RIVAA
527 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, NYC
eCalendar includes an interactive listing of architectural events around NYC. Click the link to go to to eCalendar on the Web.
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Allergan, Inc. seeks a design professional for a national advertising campaign!
While prior acting experience isn’t necessary, the featured design professional must be a user of RESTASIS®, a prescription eyedrop. Filming takes place in mid-May 2010. Interested in being featured in a television commercial?
Please contact:
http://www.esthercasting.com/client/restasis
restasisusersearch@gmail.com
310.584.7030
We are a fast growing Architecture firm looking to hire for our diverse and exhilarating projects. We have a creative practice in service to the higher cause of our projects incorporating a wide range of cutting edge approaches to design. Current projects include mixed use residential buildings, Missions to the United Nations and religious institutions. We are looking for people with minimum 5 years experience in the NYC market and proficient CAD skills, who are motivated self-starters. Familiarity with NYC code and construction is a big plus.
Please forward resume and 2 examples of your work to: mail@gilmanarchitects.com
Model Shop Coordinator
Award-winning architecture firm seeks recent graduate to manage model shop and construct models for a variety of projects. Precision and craft-oriented with experience in wood, acrylic, metals, and other materials. Must be collaborative and goal-oriented. ACAD proficient.
s.dayton@tphifer.com
Thomas Phifer and Partners
New York, NY
212 337 0334
Penn Station Office Space
Workstations — Ideal for small firms (1-5 persons). Share conference rooms, copier, fax, kitchen and receptionist with architectural firm in loft building. Open view of skyline. Semi-private work areas. Call 212-273-9888 ask for either Jeff X204 or Larry X203.
NEW VISIONS ARE NEEDED FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF SUBURBAN CENTERS. The best ideas will be selected as finalists by a diverse jury of distinguished academics and professionals. Cash prizes totaling $22,500 will be awarded. See: www.buildabetterburb.org.
Creativity, technical prowess, people skills, internal drive and managing multiple priorities are skills that enable architects to develop projects at various stages and simultaneously work on more than one project at a time. Imagine being able to do that with your own territory of clients?
USG Corporation has an immediate opening for an Architectural Services Representative based in the New York City area.
Details: http://www.usg.com/careers/why-usg.html. Click > View Openings > Architectural Services Representative. USG offers a comprehensive salary/benefits package.
The Fund for Public Health in New York is seeking an Active Design Policy Developer/Design Analyst with Masters Degree in Architecture, Urban Planning or Urban Design and a minimum of two years of design work in the field, working on a variety of building and open space projects required. Familiarity with policy, regulatory and legislative work, sustainable design, and the NYC Building Code and Zoning Resolution. He/she will facilitate the advancement of the Active Design Guidelines through policy efforts that may include creation and promotion of incentives, green building certification credits, and potential code and zoning resolution changes.
Interested candidates should go to www.fphny.org and follow the link for a complete job description and information on how to apply.
The Fund for Public Health in New York is seeking an Active Design Training Coordinator with a Masters degree in Architecture, Urban Planning, Urban Design, or a related field, at least two years of design work experience in the field and experience in the field working with a variety of building typology projects. He/she will work closely with partners from other City agencies, particularly the Depts of Transportation and City Planning, and the Chief Architect of the Office of Management and Budget to develop a curriculum and materials for ADG training.
Interested candidates should go to www.fphny.org and follow the link to Opportunities for a job description and application information.
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