Oculus

Oculus magazine, AIA New York’s quarterly print publication, is an important means of asserting the identity and advocacy of architects in New York.
Oculus Fall 2020 Cover 770px
Fall 2020: Climate Change + Social Justice

A publication of AIA New York, Volume 82, Issue 4. Cover: Sponge Park, designed by DLANDstudio has won Cooper Hewitt’s 2020 National Design Award for Climate Action. Located in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn, the park is a new form of green infrastructure that captures and cleans dirty urban stormwater and mitigates waterway pollution. Photo: Courtesy of DLANDstudio.

Table of Contents
Articles & News
Photo: Dean Kaufman.
Letter from the President
Anticipating NYC 2021
by Kim Yao, AIA
Molly Heintz, Editor-in-Chief. Photo: Nir Arieli.
Letter from the Editor
The Right to Climate Justice
by Molly Heintz
Beyond the Center

Black Landscapes Matter

Virtual End of Year Show
DineOut NYC, a communal-dining prototype designed pro bono by Rockwell Group, has been installed in Manhattan's Chinatown (above left) and in Elmhurst (above right), as well as in other areas of Queens and the Bronx. Photo: Emily Andrews for Rockwell Group.
Street Level
Thought for Food
by Paul Makovsky
In Print

An Underground Guide to Sewers or: Down, Through & Out in Paris, London, New York, etc.

Novel Houses: Twenty Famous Fictional Dwellings
by Stanley Stark FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Photo: Sam Lahoz.
Letter from the Executive Director
At the Center of Activity and Change, Virtually
by Benjamin Prosky, Assoc. AIA
Features
Introduction
The Human Scale of Climate Justice
Members of the Solar Libre Puerto Rico team installing solar technology at a community center in the mountain town of Lares. Photo: courtesy of Walter Meyer.
Faces of Change
Progressive action in climate justice can take many forms and begin in many different corners of the world.
by Fred A. Bernstein and Julia van den Hout
Energy-efficiency improvements at the Marcus Garvey Apartments in Brownsville, Brooklyn, added solar panels and a storage battery to the affordable housing complex. Managed by Enel X, the power system generates 1.1 megawatts, cutting down on renters' energy costs. Photo: Courtesy of Enel X.
Environmental Justice Begins at Home
Investing in sustainable, affordable housing would be New York City’s own Green New Deal.
by Patrick Sisson
In late 2017, public officials and advocates joined the Friends of the BQX to unveil a prototype of the streetcar that would run between Astoria and Sunset Park. Photo: Courtesy of Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector.
Is Trackless Tram NYC’s New Equitable Transit Option?
Emerging streetcar technology is changing critics’ minds and offering a new possibility for the city’s underserved communities.
by Lisa Chamberlain
A rendering of MNLA's Pier 42 proposal, which would transform an eight-acre parcel of East River waterfront on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Image: Courtesy of MNLA.
Shoring Up
Waterfront revitalization has measurable positive impacts on marginalized communities. But amid the pandemic, funding is at risk to continue vital long-term projects.
by Polly Adams
OP-EDS
2020 CrossRoads
The COVID-19 crisis has exposed what many have known but rarely acknowledge:...
by Max Driscoll, AIA, LEED AP
Guiding the Way to Sustainability and Equity
As the theme for this issue of Oculus reveals, our community’s conversations...
by Mark Ginsberg, FAIA, LEED AP, and Crystal NG, RA, LEED AP, CPHC
On the Boards
A graphic depicting how placemaking can foster a sense of community and rectify the potential risk of heat death when coupled with cooling strategies. Image: courtesy of Perkins Eastman Architects.
Cool Communities
COVID-19’s impact on all industries and aspects of day-to-day life has made...
by Perkins Eastman | Design Strategy
A proposal by Garo Gumusyan Architects would construct a soccer stadium on Randall’s Island and connect a bridge between the island and East Harlem, increasing that neighborhood’s access to green space and recreational resources. Rendering courtesy of Garo Gumusyan Architects.
Bringing Fútbol to the Skyline and Green Spaces to Uptown
What if a new infrastructure project could accommodate several of New York’s...
by Garo Gumusyan Architects
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