In this issue:
· AIANY President’s Column: January at the Center
· NCARB Releases Monograph: Sustainable Design II

AIANY President’s Column: January at the Center
By James McCullar, FAIA

In the 01.09.08 issue of e-Oculus I described the 2008 theme Architecture: Designs for Living. The concept of an overarching annual theme reflects the remarkable transformation of our mission since the Center for Architecture opened in 2003. With 15,000 square feet of gallery and lecture spaces, the Center provides a public forum for the presentation and discussion of current architecture and urban design issues that affect our neighborhoods and city. Throughout the country, AIA chapters are developing Centers for Architecture and public programs like ours. At the national level, Marshall Purnell, FAIA, is the first African-American president of the AIA, and his theme “We the People” reaches out to increasingly diverse audiences. At the international level, the Union of International Architects, whose theme is “Communicating Architecture,” will hold its triennial conference in Turin, Italy, designated as the 2008 World Design Capital. NYC is part of an emerging global community, which places us at the epicenter of world architecture.

January at the Center included a mix of excellent programs and the first theme exhibition opening — Project Showcase: The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park. The opening was preceded by a presentation in Tafel Hall by the design team with an audience that filled the Center. The innovative exhibition design leaves the center of the First Floor space open and visible from the street, emphasizing the floor and wall surfaces, and places the core of the exhibit information in the newly designated Margaret Helfand Gallery. The exhibition space worked really well for a reception held for the Fontainebleau Schools (of which I am an alum) on January 29 and drew rave reviews.

The debut of the Public Lecture Series — New Design Directions for Education drew a standing room audience and generated a lively discussion on the need for more innovative school design in NYC. The next Public Lecture, New Justice / New York, will be on February 11, so do plan to attend.

There were also excellent committee-sponsored events that drew large crowds. From New Issue for Senior Housing: What do Baby Boomers Want? I learned that this demographic, comprising 75 million people with substantial economic influence, prefer to retire in urban settings centered on public transit — a positive trend for the revitalization of older cities. In Sustainable Healthcare Architecture, Robin Guenther, FAIA, presented her book featuring new best practices in healthcare design from around the world. Green Affordable Housing showcased Jonathan Rose Companies projects including Via Verde (winner of the New Housing New York competition and AIA150 legacy project) and other green housing in the latest Design e2 film series.

Berlin-New York Dialogues Film Screenings drew diverse audiences to the Center. The series is part of the current Berlin-New York Dialogues exhibition that closed January 26 and re-opens at the German Architecture Center (DAZ) in Berlin on March 6. Design Heriox presented an amazing “green” laptop developed for children in emerging countries that costs only $100 and can be powered by mini solar panels, bicycles or even animal power — a vanguard of a green global revolution.

February promises to be just as exciting. Look at the calendar for upcoming programs, and don’t miss the Building China: Five Projects l Five Stories exhibition opening February 26. I look forward to your comments. Please contact me at president@aiany.org anytime.

To read more about January events check out the following articles:

Education Takes New Design Directions, by Murrye Bernard, Assoc. AIA, 02.05.08.
Housing: Aging Baby Boomers Know What They Want; But What Do They Need? by Anne Lefferson, IIDA, 01.22.08
One Laptop Combats Large Corporations to Provide for All, by Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, 02.05.08.
Sustainable Affordable Housing Is No Myth, by Max Driscoll, 02.05.08.

NCARB Releases Monograph: Sustainable Design II
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) published a monograph on building green. Sustainable Design II examines important new developments, tools, and techniques that have occurred since the publication of NCARB’s Sustainable Design in 2001. The monograph takes an in-depth look at the green building rating systems, most notably the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification. It also examines the costs and benefits of green buildings and integrated design strategies. Included is a web-based quiz that earns 12 professional development units (PDUs) and/or AIA learning units in health, safety, and welfare. Order online at the publication section of NCARB’s website. NCARB record holders receive a discount.