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
On view June 2 — June 16
On view May 13 — June 5
On view April 15 — July 3, 2010.
05.19.10 Editor’s Note: We would like to welcome James S. Russell, FAIA, a long-time member of the AIANY Oculus Committee, on board as e-Oculus and OCULUS Editorial Advisor.
– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
Stay tuned! The next issue of e-Oculus will be published on Thursday, 06.03.10 — an entire issue devoted to the AIA Guide to New York City launch and tributes to its late editor, Norval White, FAIA. Also, be sure to RSVP for the 06.02.10 AIA Guide to New York City Launch Party at the Center for Architecture (hosted by the AIANY OCULUS Committee), including remarks by AIANY leadership, Oxford University Press, Editor Fran Leadon, AIA, and a tribute to late authors Norval White, FAIA, and Elliot Willensky, FAIA.
Note: Be sure to follow Tweets from e-Oculus and the Center for Architecture.
Also, check out the latest Podcasts produced by AIANY.
I was interested to see how the economy has affected the global furniture industry this past weekend as I attended the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). While the whole show was scaled back — it did not take up as much space, and I noticed the absence of the ICFF tote bags — I was disappointed in how few booths indicated any consideration for new, creatively cheaper ways to develop the craft. I know the ICFF does not usually cater to the financially challenged, but among the typical limited-edition, high-end furniture, I expected more for less.
The one group that did seem to be considering an economy of means was the British European Design Group. From Qurz Inc’s recycled paper bowls to Papillon Designs’ furniture and light fixtures made from repurposed blue jeans, it is apparent the British are not immune to the recession. There were other exceptions, too, including Tim Byrne’s inventive and pragmatic tables made from re-used industrial mill machinery, and BRC Designs’ furniture, which included a chair made from used Las Vegas decks of cards and a couch made from old zippers and silk ties (although the price point for all of the furniture is much higher than most can afford these days).
Highlights for me included the booths set up by Pratt and Parsons The New School. At Pratt, students explored industrial design that featured different cultures. Fernanda Fajardo chose to transform tires with twine in a “do-it-yourself” musical instrument referencing New York’s HardCore culture. At Parsons, Chelsea Briganti’s “Mademoicell” was a kit of test tube-like devices made from medical-grade silicone that women may collect and store their own stem cells from menstrual blood.
Material ConneXion’s booth stood out (as it usually does at ICFF) as a testing board for innovative, sustainable, and new affordable materials. This year, the company teamed with Puma and designer Yves Béhar to create more sustainable packaging that supposedly will save more than 60% of paper and water annually compared to typical packaging. Cleverly, the bags on display stated “I’m half the bag I used to be.” Material ConneXion was also introducing ActiveMATTER, a box with 15 selected materials with technical information that they ship to subscribers quarterly.
Overall, ICFF seems to have changed very little from last year. Perhaps the furniture industry is in a rut; perhaps the more innovative designs are currently on hold until the economy recovers. No doubt, though, ICFF could use a refresh. Maybe next year…
05.04.10 Editor’s Note: The deadline is approaching to contribute to the special issue of e-Oculus for Norval White, FAIA. 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.
Last week, the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP) announced the beginning of public review for new zoning to expand the use of car sharing in the city. With the success of Zipcar, one of three such programs in the city (along with Connect by Hertz and Mint Cars On-Demand), hopefully new regulations will clarify where the vehicles can be located and, ultimately, provide space needed for the programs to expand.
Under the proposal, car share vehicles will be permitted to park in greater numbers both in higher density neighborhoods and in public parking facilities. Based on the type of residential, commercial, manufacturing, or community facility districts, a certain percentage of vehicle spaces may be reserved for car share parking. According to the chart DCP released with the announcement, in most cases if a parking facility has 20 or more spaces, it could allow up to 10% of the total vehicle spaces for car share parking. In a public lot or garage, though, up to 40% of the total spaces may be reserved for car share vehicles.
The press release cites San Francisco as a model, where it’s been proven that roughly 40-50 members typically share one vehicle, rather than one or two people per household. That, and the fact that car share members typically plan to complete multiple errands in one trip, San Francisco claims that the amount people driving over the course of several years was reduced by two thirds.
While LEED has given credits for providing spaces for car sharing vehicles since its inception, I am excited to see that the city is once again integrating sustainable practices into new regulations. Over-congestion has long been a serious issue in the city, and while I think we’re still a long way off from everyone giving up their cars for public transportation, this is a major step in the right direction.
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.
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.
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…