Press Releases

NEW YORK, New York, February 3, 2014 – On Monday, January 27, 2014, the New Practices Committee of the AIA New York Chapter welcomed the New Practices New York 2014 competition jury to the Center for Architecture, where they announced the competition’s six winners. New Practices New York serves as the preeminent platform in New York City to recognize and promote new and innovative architecture and design firms. The announcement was followed by a lively discussion of the winning entries, moderated by AIANY New Practices Committee co-chairs Philipp von Dalwig, Assoc. AIA, and Christopher Leong, Assoc. AIA.

Six promising and pioneering new architecture and design firms working in New York were chosen as the New Practices New York 2014 competition winners. To qualify for the competition, practices had to be founded since 2004 and be located within the five boroughs of New York City. The New Practices New York competition is open to multidisciplinary firms, widening the field of entrants to designers and young professionals in the process of becoming licensed architects. The distinguished panel of jurors selected the competition’s winners from sixty-four entries. Jury members were: Alejandro Zaera-Polo, architect, AZPA, and dean of architectural design at Princeton University’s School of Architecture; Elaine Molinar, AIA, director of strategic planning and business development at Snøhetta; Jing Liu, principal, SO-IL; and William Menking, editor-in-chief of Architects Newspaper, and professor at Pratt Institute.

“We are once again excited to present the winners of the New Practices New York competition at the Center for Architecture,” said Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, AIANY 2014 President. “The jury members’ discussion of the selection process and the issues that surfaced during the question and answer period both illuminate aspects of current practice in New York and offer encouragement to young practices in the city. The competition and awards serve to recognize the achievements and potentials of emerging professionals, a critical component for advancement in our increasingly competitive environment. We applaud the winners and look forward to seeing them tackle the new challenges of our environment.”

NEW PRACTICES NEW YORK COMPETITION WINNERS
The New Practices New York 2014 competition winners are:
Bittertang (http://bittertang.com)
dlandstudio architecture + landscape (http://www.dlandstudio.com)
Fake Industries Architectural Agonism (http://www.fakeindustries.org)
form-ula (http://www.form-ula.com)
NAMELESS Architecture (http://namelessarchitecture.com)
PARA-Project (http://www.para-project.org).

With more than 5,000 members, the AIA New York Chapter is the oldest and largest chapter of an 80,000-member national organization. With this history, the Chapter remains committed to supporting and promoting young and emerging talent. “With its fifth biennial competition, the AIA New York Chapter and the New Practices Committee continue their commitment to serving as a platform for new and innovative models of architecture practice. The winners of this year’s New Practices New York competition represent the diversity and talent that makes up the community of emerging design practices in New York City. These firms demonstrate a persistent and critical engagement with the environmental, social, and technological issues that shape our contemporary culture. We congratulate these six winners and look forward to presenting their work in the upcoming year,” said Christopher Leong, Assoc. AIA, and Philipp von Dalwig, Assoc. AIA, AIANY New Practices Committee Co-Chairs.

This is the fifth iteration of the biennial New Practices competition. AIANY’s New Practices winners have also been exhibited in London (2007) and San Francisco (2009), and São Paulo (2011) and those cities have brought their works to NYC.

EXHIBITION ON VIEW
The New Practices New York 2014 exhibition will be designed by Pentagram and will be on view at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York City from October 1, 2014 – January 17, 2015.

PRESS RECEPTION
Media are invited to attend the opening reception on October 1, 2014 from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York City. Write cschaulsohn@aiany.org or call 212-358-6114 to RSVP or arrange an interview with the featured architects.

EXHIBITION OPENING PARTY
The exhibition opening for New Practices New York will be held October 1, 2014, from 6:00-8:00pm at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York City, and is free and open to the public.

Bittertang
Bittertang is a small design farm run by Antonio Torres and Michael Loverich, who strive to bring happiness into the built world by referencing the pleasurable world that surrounds us. Our work explores multiple themes, including pleasure, frothiness, biological matter, animal posturing, babies, sculpture and coloration, all unified through bel composto. Explorations are based in digital and visceral matter. Although trained as architects, our interests and methodology associate us closely to the organization of a farm. Bittertang material is bred, coaxed and grown to yield tasty morsels, beautiful new exotic beasts, and fertilizer for future growth.

Dlandstudio architecture + landscape
Dlandstudio presents a new model of design practice that transforms urban infrastructure systems for storm water capture, climate resilience and park creation. We ferret out broken systems, proposing alternative visions across scales, and act as a catalyst for change to improve the resilience of environments from the unit, to the neighborhood, to the campus, to the city with significant grant funding. Dlandstudio is a State and City certified WBE founded by Susannah Drake FASLA, AIA.

Fake Industries Architectural Agonism
Fake Industries Architectural Agonism is an architectural office of diffuse boundaries and questionable taste, orchestrated by Cristina Goberna and Urtzi Grau from their offices in New York, Sydney, and Barcelona, that explores the power of Replicas, i.e. both literal reproductions of existing works of architecture and, in a sense denoted in romance languages, responses to previous statements.

form-ula
form-ula’s core design principal explores the play between “culture of performance” and “performance of culture.” These interchangeable conceptual frames of “culture” and “performance” are driven by scale, program, global postioning, energy, and material flow. Form-ula was founded by three individuals coming from three very different places, but sharing a common interest to be part of a design process that takes a multitude of ideas and relationships to produce exciting architecture: Ajmal Ismail Aqtash, Richard A. Sarrach, and Tamaki Uchikawa.

NAMELESS Architecture
NAMELESS Architecture is a concept-based design practice run by Unchung Na, Sorae Yoo and Kiseok Oh. After establishing NAMELESS in New York, the practice has since expanded into Seoul, South Korea. By exploiting synergies created between the two cities, NAMELESS Architecture primarily responds to locality, while employing an inter-urban nomadic approach as a physical strategy in the global era. Ranging from ephemeral pavilions to more enduring buildings and cultural infrastructures, their works explore new possibilities for architecture at the edges of the discipline.

PARA-Project
PARA-Project is an office for architecture based in New York City with a commitment to speculation and collaboration. PARA works on projects of varying scales and media: from commercial, institutional, and residential work, to events and international competitions. Led by Jon Lott, PARA is currently working on two projects for Syracuse University, a private residence on Skaneateles Lake, and the new home for Van Alen Institute (with the Collective-LOK).

The New Practices New York 2014 competition and exhibition are made possible with the generous support of the following organizations:

UNDERWRITERS:
Häfele [pronounced HAY-fell-leh] is a leading worldwide supplier of furniture and architectural hardware components that improve the functionality of cabinets, doors, kitchens, bathrooms, and other living and working environments. Decorative hardware, opening and closing mechanisms for doors and drawers, LED lighting, furniture fittings, and electronic locking systems are but a few of the essential items Häfele provides to manufacturers, architects, designers, contractors, and construction professionals in more than 150 countries. Through our extensive manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution capabilities, Häfele delivers solutions that add exceptional functionality and performance to projects of every size, shape and scope. For more information, visit www.hafele.com/US.

MEDIA SPONSOR:
The Architects Newspaper

About the AIA New York Chapter
AIA New York is the oldest and largest chapter of the American Institute of Architects, with over 5,000 architects, allied professionals, students, and public members. AIANY is dedicated to three goals: design excellence, public outreach and professional development, and towards these aims, AIANY runs the Center for Architecture, a storefront exhibition space in Greenwich Village, sponsors public programs, publishes a magazine, and works with its charitable affiliate, the Center for Architecture Foundation, to provide scholarship and educational opportunities. For more information on AIANY, please visit www.aiany.org.

About the Center for Architecture
The Center for Architecture is a destination for all interested in the built environment. It is home to the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter and the Center for Architecture Foundation, vibrant nonprofit organizations that provide resources to both the public and building industry professionals. Through exhibitions, programs, and special events, the Center aims to improve the quality and sustainability of the built environment, foster exchange between the design, construction, and real estate communities, and encourage collaborations across the city and globe. As the city’s leading cultural institution focusing on architecture, the Center drives positive change through the power of design. For more information, please visit www.aiany.org

About the AIANY New Practices Committee
The New Practices Committee of the AIA New York Chapter is dedicated to serving as a forum for new and evolving models of architecture and design practice. For more information please visit www.npny-aia.org.