Jessica Sheridan Assoc. AIA LEED AP – Page 3 – News – What’s New at AIANY and the Center for Architecture.

11.15.11: The “Zoning the City” conference sponsored by the NYC Department of City Planning, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and The Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute of Baruch College took place at the McGraw-Hill Conference Center. Co-chaired by NYC Planning Department Director Amanda Burden, FAICP, Hon. AIANY, and Harvard University Professor Jerold S. Kayden, the daylong event addressed the role that zoning plays into meeting challenges in NYC.

Co-chairs Jerold S. Kayden, and Amanda Burden, FAICP, Hon. AIANY.

Rick Bell, FAIA

11.17.11: The NY Chapter of NOMA hosted a seminar, “LEED-ing Affordable Housing,” at the Steelcase Showroom.

(L-R): David Danois AIA, Danois Architects; Victor Body-Lawson AIA, Body-Lawson Associates; and Terrence O’Neal AIA, LEED AP, TONA-Terrence O’Neal Architect.

Heather Philip-O’Neal, AIA

11.21.11: NYU School of Professional and Continuing Studies (NYU-SCPS) dedicated its newly redesigned building by Mitchell | Giurgola Architects at 7 East 12th Street.

(L-R): Carol Loewenson, AIA, Partner, Mitchell | Giurgola Architects; Ife Onatunde, NYU-SCPS Undergraduate Student Council President; Dr. Bjorn Hanson, Interim NYU-SCPS Co-dean and Divisional Dean of the NYU-SCPS Tisch Center; Congressman Jerrold Nadler; and Dennis Di Lorenzo, Interim NYU-SCPS Co-dean and Associate Dean of Administration.

©NYU-SCPS / Mark McQueen

11.02.11: The Design Trust for Public Space’s 2011 Art+Design Benefit Auction was held at Center 548 in West Chelsea.

(L-R): Joshua David, Friends of the High Line co-founder; Design Trust board member Claire Weisz, AIA; Friends of the High Line Co-founder Robert Hammond; Design Trust Founder Andrea Woodner; and Design Trust Executive Director Susan Chin, FAIA.

Courtesy Josh Wong Photography

11.03.11: Blair Kamin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic for the Chicago Trubune, presented In Terror and Wonder: Architecture in a Tumultuous Age as part of the monthly Oculus Book Talk series.

Kamin with Kirsten Sibilia, Assoc. AIA, chair of the AIANY Publications Committee.

Kristen Richards

Kamin with Tracy Hummer and Frederic Schwartz, FAIA.

Kristen Richards

11.14.11: The winners of Canstruction NYC were announced at the annual gala, benefiting City Harvest.

Suzanne Mecs, Hon. AIA NYS, AIANY Director of Member Services; Jennifer Greene, Assoc. AIA; Kristen Richards, Hon. AIA, Hon. ASLA; and George Calys, Architecture Critic for the San Francisco Examiner.

Sunny Norton

“Loaded Dice” by Gensler and WSP Flack + Kurtz (Jurors’ Favorite).

Canstruction/Kevin Wick

“Suspending Hunger” by Skanska (Structural Ingenuity Award).

Canstruction/Kevin Wick

“Root Against Hunger” by Dattner Architects (Best Meal Award).

Canstruction/Kevin Wick

“QR-CAN: Link to Fight Hunger” by Gruzen Samton – IBI Group (Best Use of Labels Award).

Canstruction/Kevin Wick

“Shredding Light on Hunger” by Leslie E. Robertson Associates (Honorable Mention).

Canstruction/Kevin Wick

“NepTUNA the HippoCANpus Against Hunger” by Gilsanz Murray Steficek (Honorable Mention).

Canstruction/Kevin Wick

“Strike Out Hunger” by Eleanor Roosevelt High School / Sandra Forman Design (Cheri Award).

Canstruction/Kevin Wick

The Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction has put together a video featuring the annual Iron Designer Challenge. Click here to listen to students, architects, designers, and engineers talk about their collaborations and how working on their projects have influenced their educations.

11.11.11

11.11.11 This issue celebrates Heritage Ball honorees Gary Barnett, Leslie Koch, and Janette Sadik-Khan. Enjoy!

Also, OCULUS is still looking for NYC-based single practitioners and small firms to submit article suggestions to its Spring 2012 issue, “Small is Big: Can small firms act big?” Go to the New Deadlines section for more information.

– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

Note: The digital edition of the Fall 2011 issue of OCULUS magazine, “Interior Motives,” is online now! Click here to read.

Sadik-Khan, Byrne Discuss Infrastructure, From NYC to Bogotá

Event: Oculus Book Talk: Janette Sadik-Khan in Conversation with David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries
Location: Center for Architecture, 10.24.11
Speakers: Janette Sadik-Khan — Commissioner, NYC Department of Transportation; David Byrne — Musician, Visual Artist, Filmmaker, Author, Bicycle Diaries
Organizers: AIANY Oculus Committee; AIANY Public Architecture Committee
Sponsor: Kramer Levin; McNally Jackson Books

Pedestrian plazas and new bike paths are improving NYC.

Jessica Sheridan

It was apparent during the discussion between David Byrne, artist and author of the Bicycle Diaries, and NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan that positive change is happening on a global scale due to multi-modal transportation strategies implemented in cities of all scales. For Byrne, his realizations solidified as he recently biked through Bogotá, Columbia; for Sadik-Khan, it is continues as improvements are made throughout the city.

As Byrne biked through Bogotá, he saw first-hand how infrastructural improvements have helped improve favelas. Paved bicycle and pedestrian paths have given downtown access to inhabitants, allowing them to find work in the city that was inaccessible in the past. “Improvised bike repair stations” — individuals who sit curbside with tools to help repair bikes — are now scattered along those paths. In addition, the TransMilenio bus system is a viable alternate to owning a car, as express bus lanes give uncongested priority on highways leading to downtown. Community centers are also popping up in the form of large-scale libraries. Byrne cited the Biblioteca El Tintal, designed by local architect Daniel Bermúdez, as an example of a library/auditorium/meeting space/cafeteria that is part of this new network, which has also become a source of pride for local communities.

Although NYC may not appear to have gone through major infrastructural change, Sadik-Khan pointed to Times Square just a few years ago, before the pedestrian plazas were established. She recalled naysayers who were concerned about increased traffic congestion and those who did not believe the plazas would improve the cityscape. Now, visitors and locals alike regularly meet up and spend time in Times Square; safety has improved dramatically with fewer accidents caused by automobiles; and traffic has not become more congested along the periphery, she noted. Throughout the city, new bike lanes and pedestrian plazas have made the city much more livable. Next summer, with the launch of a bike share program, which has received positive reviews at the pop-up information sessions, Sadik-Khan is looking forward to seeing New Yorkers take to the streets on two wheels and enjoy the increasingly fresh air.

Occupy Wall Street Is Calling for Design Ideas

As Occupy Wall Street (OWS) persists into the growing colder nights, I have been wondering when architects would become more involved with efforts to shelter protestors. I am excited to see the results of Storefront for Art and Architecture’s recent call for ideas, Strategies for Public Occupation, which has a 12.01.11 deadline, although there is no promise that the winning entry will actually be constructed. This seems like a perfect exercise for designers at all experience levels, and a great opportunity for experimentation with new materials and ideas.

The one blog that I found dedicated to sheltering protestors is the recently launched “alt shelter.” On this site, bloggers suggest using foam insulation, military tents, and storage crates. One proposal elevates a small structure on crates to maximize storage and provides vent holes to minimize water condensation. Pods are lined next to each other in another proposal, similar to a row of sleeping bags. One post describes principles of snow huts (or quinzees) to provide warmth from the cold. Although I do not believe that this website is run by architects, it is the only one I have found that describes feasible and achievable construction methods.

There are a number of existing temporary shelter strategies — often used in disaster relief efforts or to develop refugee camps, for example. But I think that OWS is a unique opportunity for Lower Manhattan to become a test bed for architectural exploration. If a shelter is unsuccessful, there are resources available to fine-tune or alter designs according to various needs. If one idea fails, there is still time to make adjustments before the freezing weather kicks in. We may be experiencing an economic crisis, but this is a flush time for creativity. I hope to see new ideas flourish that could be similarly implemented in other locations throughout the world.

The Cooper Union’s founding principle that education should be “as free as air and water” is in danger. As the board of trustees prepares to vote on whether or not the school will remain tuition free, tell President Jamshed Bharucha if you believe in Peter Cooper’s ideals that the Cooper Union needs to stay free. Click here to sign the petition: http://signon.org/sign/save-cooper-union-without?source=s.em.mt&r_by=1489714

10.26.11

10.26.11 OCULUS is looking for NYC-based single practitioners and small firms to submit article suggestions to its Spring 2012 issue, “Small is Big: Can small firms act big?” See the New Deadlines for more information.

Have you heard about the “Sustainability By Design” programs at the Center? Developed in cooperation with Architecture 2030 and Seattle AIA+2030, these continuing education events are aimed at giving NY-based architects practical tools to reduce carbon emissions in their designs. The next module is taking place Friday, 10.28.11 from 1:00-5:00pm. Click the link to RSVP.

Heritage Ball is this Thursday followed by the Party@theCenter. Tickets for the Party are still on sale ($50 in advance, $75 at the door). Click here to RSVP. Hope to see you there!

– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

Note: The Center for an Urban Future has launched a survey to examine the importance of NYC’s design and architecture schools. By tracking the ways that design professionals in the New York metro area interact (or fail to interact) with the city’s design schools, the survey will provide new data on their economic importance. The survey can be filled out in 1-4 minutes, and a $500 cash prize will be awarded to a randomly-selected individual. Click here to participate.

Note: The digital edition of the Fall 2011 issue of OCULUS magazine is online now! Click here to read “Interior Motives.”

Archtober Celebrates Architecture in the City (Part 2 of 2)

Event: Archtober Building of the Day
Location: Varies, 10.01-31.11
Organizers: Archtober

(L-R): New York Public Library Francis Martin Branch, 1100 Architect; W. 57th POP (Privately Owned Public) Space, Rogers Marvel Architects; Lincoln Center Public Spaces, Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with FXFOWLE and Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners.

(L-R): Timothy Furzer; Paul Warchol Photography; Iwan Baan

(L-R): The Visionaire, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects; Switch Building, nARCHITECTS; 200 5th Avenue, STUDIOS architecture.

(L-R): PCP Architects; Frank Ouderman; Nikolas Koenig

(L-R): East Harlem School, Peter Gluck and Partners; 41 Cooper Square, Morphosis Architects and Gruzen Samton; Toni Stabile Student Center, Columbia University, Marble Fairbanks.

(L-R): Erik Freeland; Iwan Baan; Marble Fairbanks/Jongseo Kim

(L-R): The High Line, James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro; New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion, UNStudio with Handel Architects; MTA Flood Mitigation Streetscape Design, Rogers Marvel Architects.

(L-R): Iwan Baan; rendertaxi; David Sundberg/Esto

(L-R): Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with FXFOWLE; Sperone Westwater, Foster + Partners; David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects.

(L-R): The Standard, Ennead Architects; NYC Information Center, WXY Architecture + Urban Design; Brooklyn Bridge Park, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates; Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Lawn and Lincoln Restaurant, Lincoln Center, Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with FXFOWLE.

In this issue:
· NYC Launches Online Construction Approval Process
· Gehry Technologies Forms Strategic Alliance of Architects
· 2011 NYASLA President’s Dinner Honors Design Trust, Charles Birnbaum, Len Hopper
· e-Calendar

NYC Launches Online Construction Approval Process

Mayor Bloomberg opened the new Development Hub on 10.12.11. (L-R): Mayor Bloomberg; Robert LiMandri, Commissioner of the Department of Buildings; Robert Tierney, Chair of the Landmark Preservation Commission; Margaret O’Donoghue Castillo, AIA, LEED AP, 2011 AIANY President.

Rick Bell

Architects and engineers will now be able to digitally submit construction plans, or plans for major project alterations, to the NYC Department of Buildings. The Development Hub is located at 80 Centre Street. After digital plans are filed, they are uploaded to a secure website where plan examiners, applicants, and representatives from the Fire Department, Department of Environmental Protection, Landmarks Preservation Commission, Department of Transportation, City Planning, and Department of Parks and Recreation can all view them, identify problem areas, and mark them up in real-time. Architects and engineers can then submit revised plans electronically.

The goal for the program is to accelerate the construction approval process by reducing the overall number of in-person appointments, and by providing plan examiners with the ability to review multiple sets of plans simultaneously.

Gehry Technologies Forms Strategic Alliance of Architects
Gehry Technologies has established a “strategic alliance” of a core group of architects to discuss new approaches to design through technology. Co-founded by Frank Gehry, FAIA, the board of advisors includes: David Childs, FAIA; Massimo Colomban; Zaha Hadid; Greg Lynn; Laurie Olin, FASLA; Wolf D. Prix, Hon. FAIA, FRIBA; David Rockwell, AIA; Moshe Safdie; Matthias Schuler; Patrik Schumacher; Ben van Berkel; and Richard Saul Wurman. The group will meet virtually on a monthly basis and come together annually in person to continue the conversation.

In a statement released by the AIA, AIA President Clark Manus, FAIA, said, “We applaud this enterprise by Gehry Technologies and the Board who are comprised of many AIA members because it is estimated that as much as 30% up to 50% of all time, money, materials, and resources that go into a construction project do not add value to the final product…. We are anxious to see the progress through this effort that will be beneficial for both the industry and clients.”

2011 NYASLA President’s Dinner Honors Design Trust, Charles Birnbaum, Len Hopper
All allied professionals are invited to the 2011 NYASLA President’s Dinner, to be held on 11.17.11 at Tribeca Three Sixty. The New York Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NYASLA) will honor the Design Trust for Public Space (President’s Award); Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, founder of The Cultural Landscape Foundation (Service Award); and Len Hopper, FASLA, Editor-in-Chief Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards and noted educator.

Allied professionals and vendors are invited to attend, as well as to participate with an ad in the printed program. Visit www.nyasla.org/2011dinner, call (212) 269-2984, or e-mail director@nyasla.org.

eCALENDAR
eCalendar includes an interactive listing of architectural events around NYC. Click the link to go to to eCalendar on the Web.