Author: Jessica Sheridan Assoc. AIA LEED AP

10.28.08

10.28.08

Please join us at the Center for Architecture on November 5, 6:00-8:00pm in collectively remembering friend and colleague Stephen Kliment, FAIA, who passed away on September 10. In addition to a long career in architecture practice, criticism, teaching, and editing, he was the editorial director of Oculus and e-Oculus. In remembrance, e-Oculus will be publishing a tribute issue on November 5 featuring reminiscences by many of Kliment’s friends, colleagues, and students. A printout of the tribute will be available at the memorial, and a feature in the Winter issue of Oculus will highlight some of the many anecdotes and memories.

– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

CLICK ON BLOG CENTRAL: AIANY BLOG: The AIANY Chapter has launched a new blog. Blog Central features opinion pieces on architectural issues relevant to NY-based designers, firms, and projects, along with spotlights on debates and discussions at the Center for Architecture and AIANY, and is an informal discussion board. Be sure to check it out regularly and contribute to the dialogue.

Some of the recent debates include:
· South Street Seaport Redevelopment. AIANY is supporting General Growth Properties with SHoP Architects to develop South Street Seaport. Click the link to read more about the testimony at the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

To become a regular contributor to Blog Central, please e-mail e-Oculus. Pen names are welcome.

NYC’s Answer to the Spanish Steps

The new TKTS Booth in Times Square.

Jessica Sheridan

Finally, after eight years since the Theatre Development Fund and Van Alen Institute’s international ideas competition launched, the TKTS Booth in Times Square is open. Designed by Perkins Eastman based on Choi Ropiha’s concept, the small pavilion echoes and blends with the surrounding environment and provides much needed gathering space in one of the most congested areas of the city.

The dominating side of the booth consists of red glass steps, mimicking the nearby lights and signage — from the Virgin Megastore to Bank of America and the blinking Coke sign above. The all-glass structure is transparent, yet as one moves around it, it reflects the cars, signs, and people crowded around the square. On a clear afternoon, the sun shines through the glass to cast red shadows on the street, expanding the booth’s boundaries. Although small in size, because of the reflections, the surrounding activity is amplified and activated making the structure seem bigger than it really is.

The booth’s underside, facing north, is where the ticket windows are located. There are two kiosks on the east and west sides that display available tickets. While having two kiosks instead of just posting the listings at the front of the line alleviates some of the crowds, they are sited at the sidewalk corners at busy intersections that block pedestrians trying to pass (especially when a group is huddled around the kiosks trying to decide what show to see). Also, the biggest urban planning challenge — alleviating the long lines — is not fully addressed by the new booth. Unattractive red retractable belts wind the lines along the sides of the pavilion, imposing on the sidewalk, again in the way of passing pedestrians. Although there is more plaza space on the south side of the booth, the north side remains congested.

Overall, I think the new TKTS Booth is a success, and I now plan on making an effort to take time to sit on the steps, people watch, and absorb the activity of Times Square.

Gensler Surveys Successful Workplace Designs

According to a nationwide study of office workers released by Gensler, workplace design plays a pivotal role in overall business performance by supporting the new work modes of a knowledge economy. The Gensler 2008 U.S. Workplace Survey reveals that top-performing companies are embracing a fundamental restructuring of work through workplace design that places as much emphasis on collaboration, learning, and socialization as on individual “heads-down” work. Companies providing workplaces that are more effective for knowledge work are seeing higher levels of employee engagement, brand equity, and profit, with profit growth up to 14% greater than those with less effective work environments.

The Gensler survey makes evident that improving business performance via workplace improvements depends on the quality of space functionality and effectiveness, not quantity of space. Specifically, designing a workplace to support the right proportion of four knowledge work modes — focus, collaboration, learning, and socializing — is a key differentiator. Top-performing companies are those identified by survey respondents as the most profitable, admired, and leading in their industries. To read the full survey along with tips on workplace design, click the link.

Center for Architecture Gallery Hours
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-8:00pm, Saturday: 11:00am-5:00pm, Sunday: CLOSED

Join an Architalker for a Hosted Tour of Center for Architecture
Exhibitions
Join us for free Architalker-hosted tours of the Center for Architecture exhibitions Fridays at 4:00pm. To join one of these tours, meet in the Public Resource Area on the ground floor of the Center for Architecture.

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

October 18 — December 19, 2008

ARCH SCHOOLS 2008

ARCH SCHOOLS 2008 is the AIA New York Chapter’s fourth annual architecture schools exhibition, and will feature exemplary student work, including drawings and models, from 14 Tri-State area schools.

Participating Schools:

The City College of New York

Columbia University

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Cornell University

New Jersey Institute of Technology

New York Institute of Technology

Parsons The New School for Design

Pratt Institute

Princeton University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Syracuse University

University at Buffalo (SUNY)

University of Pennsylvania

Yale University

Exhibition Designer: Martina Sencakova

Lead Sponsor: Bentley Systems

Sponsors:

Carnegie Corporation of New York

Kohn Pedersen Fox

RMJM Hillier

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Supporters:
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners

Friends
ABC Imaging
Butler Rogers Baskett
Davis Brody Bond Aedas

Tsao & McKown Architects

October 1 — January 19, 2009

+Housing
2008 AIA New York Designs for Living Exhibition

In the coming decades, New York will confront the challenge of housing another million people in a built-up city with limited area for new construction. Aging infrastructure and environmental concerns pose additional impediments to growth. Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC addresses the need for housing, and targets eight other quality-of-life issues including open space, air and water quality, and contaminated sites. Public and private developers have also begun responding to, and even anticipating, these concerns with mixed-use, hybrid designs. +Housing focuses on eight current examples which illustrate this phenomenon: public uses combined with, and often financed by housing. The essential urban institutions – parks, schools, places of worship, museums, and hospitals – are being combined with residential developments, fusing diverse typologies and increasing density. This observation creates the rubric, [fill in the blank] + Housing. The phenomenon is observable at multiple scales, from infill Hybrid Buildings with condos sitting on top of a public space, to Transformed Blocks rebuilt and rearranged into places for living, performing and gathering, to New Neighborhoods that attempt to remediate and improve old sites, shaping parks, creating spaces for culture and childcare, adding new density.

+Housing helps keep the city affordable, accessible, sustainable, and architecturally ambitious. Projects that include cultural institutions, new schools, improved infrastructure, and green roofs are often built faster and more efficiently. That said, all pluses have their minuses, and this exhibition looks beyond the benefits of the +Housing formula, examining its potential impact on the look, economy and public life of New York City.

Exhibition Curator: Alexandra Lange

Exhibition Designer:Pro-Am Inc.

Champion: Studio Daniel Libeskind

Supporters: HumanScale Corporation; James McCullar & Associates; Gensler

Friend:
Benjamin Moore & Company
Costas Kondylis & Partners
Forest City Ratner Companies
Frank Williams & Associates
Hugo S. Subotovsky Architects
Ingram, Yuzek, Gainen, Carroll & Bertolotti
Magnusson Architecture & Planning
Mancini Duffy
Rawlings Architects
Ricci Greene Associates
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Syska & Hennessy
Trespa North America
Universal Contracting

Contributor:
Anchin, Block & Anchin
Calvin Tsao
Consolidated Brick & Building Supplies
Cosentini Associates
Cross Construction Company
DeLaCour & Ferrara Architects
Domenech Hicks Krockmalnic Architects
FXFOWLE Architects
Helpern Architects
IBEC BUILDING CORPORATION
Levien & Company
Michael Zenreich, AIA Architect
Monadnock/Capsys
Myron Henry Goldfinger, FAIA
New York Building Congress
Perkins Eastman
Plaza Construction
Porter & Yee Associates
Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Roberta Washington, Architect
Rothzeid Kaiserman Thomson & Bee
Shen Milsom & Wilke
Skanska USA Building
Strategic Development & Construction
Swanke Hayden Connell Architects
Theo. David, Architects
Thornton Tomasetti
Weidlinger Associates

September 5 — January 3, 2009

New Practices New York 2008

New Practices New York 2008 is the second juried portfolio competition and exhibition in a new biennial tradition sponsored by the New Practices Committee of the AIA New York Chapter. It serves as a platform for recognizing and promoting new, innovative and emerging architecture firms within New York City that have undertaken unique and commendable strategies – both in projects and practice.

From the 52 portfolios submitted, the New Practices Committee – consisting of Amale Andraos (Work AC), Jennifer Carpenter (TRUCK), Peter Eisenman (Eisenman Architects), William Menking (Architect’s Newspaper) and Charles Renfro (Diller Scofidio + Renfro) – was expected to choose the six most promising firms. The competition winners, all of whom will be participating in our exhibition are:

Baumann Architecture

Common Room

David Wallance Architect

Matter Practice

Openshop | Studio

Urban A&O

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of programs organized by the AIA New York Chapter in collaboration with New Practices Committee

Exhibition organized by the AIA New York Chapter and the Center for Architecture Foundation

Exhibition Design: We Should Do It All

Media Partner: The Architects Newspaper

Underwriter: Häfele

Patron: ABC Imaging

Lead Sponsors: Ibex, MG & Company, Poliform, Thornton Tomasetti

Supporters: Fountainhead Construction, FXFOWLE Architects

Beverage Sponsor: SAAGA Vodka

Related Events

Each firm will have a six-week exhibition and will be delivering a Hafele NY Showroom at 25 East 26th Street. For more information, visit Hafele’s New York showroom listing at www.hafele.com/us

10.14.08

10.14.08

E-Oculus will be publishing a special tribute issue in memory of Stephen A. Kliment, FAIA, who recently passed away. A Call For Tributes has been extended, and all remembrances are welcome. Please e-mail eoculus@aiany.org by Friday, 10.03.08.

– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

CLICK ON BLOG CENTRAL: AIANY BLOG: The AIANY Chapter has launched a new blog. Blog Central features opinion pieces on architectural issues relevant to NY-based designers, firms, and projects, along with spotlights on debates and discussions at the Center for Architecture and AIANY, and is an informal discussion board. Be sure to check it out regularly and contribute to the dialogue.

Some of the recent debates include:
· Bikes in Buildings Bill. Intro 38 is a bill that would require building owners and managers to provide access to their buildings for bicycles. Click the link to voice your opinion.
· AIANY Policy. Have you wondered how AIANY establishes its policy positions? Laura Manville, the AIANY Policy Coordinator explains all.

To become a regular contributor to Blog Central, please e-mail e-Oculus. Pen names are welcome.

OHNY Opens Doors to City Spaces

Each year, openhousenewyork (OHNY) is a way for me to reconnect with the city, see neighborhoods I don’t normally visit, take tours of places I walk by every day, and get a sneak peek into private residences I could never afford. I enjoy seeing architecture firm offices, especially those that prioritize sustainability, to see how they have re-thought office spaces (from Atelier Ten’s desks made from doors to anderson architect’s roof garden), and opendialogues offers a chance to speak with designers in the spaces they have designed. Especially during difficult economic times, who can complain about a weekend of free events?

One of the strongest aspects of OHNY is the volunteer network. By donating a few hours to help out at a site, each volunteer receives a pass to cut the lines at other sites throughout the weekend. It is a great way for the organization to give back to those who participate.

As great as the weekend is, there is always room for improvement. I felt that this year there were too many reservation-only sites. Unless you were aware when reservations opened, there’s no chance of getting on some of the tours (it took me five years to get a slot at Murray’s Cheese). Also, for the first time, OHNY offered OHNY Passports. For a $150 tax-deductible donation, individuals could cut the lines and enjoy the same privileges as volunteers. I understand the need for the organization to raise money, but this takes away from the event’s free nature. It made the weekend feel more like a visit to an amusement park, rather than a leisurely weekend of culture. I think OHNY should stick to charging for its year-long programming, holding fund-raising events, and offering advertising opportunities, instead of taking away from the spirit of the weekend.

Discovery Channel Documents Dubai

O-14 Tower.

Reiser + Umemoto

“Impossible City,” a CBS News documentary on the recent explosion of growth in Dubai, aired on the Discovery Channel 10.09.08. A six-segment, hour-long program, one of the segments features NY-based Reiser + Umemoto’s O-14 Tower, a 22-story-tall commercial tower in Dubai’s Business Bay.

A rebroadcast of the show will air 10.25.08 at 9:00pm and on 10.26.08 at 1:00am.

09.17.08: RBSD Architects, the fifth oldest architectural firm in NYC, held its 100-Year Anniversary party at Cipriani 23rd Street. The keynote speaker was Peter McCleary (left), professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania; former principal J. Armand Burgun, FAIA, FACHA, (right) also spoke.

Mark Millen

10.02.08: Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners celebrated its 40th anniversary. Founding partners John Beyer, FAIA, AICP (left), and John Belle, FAIA, RIBA, Hon. PhD, (right) take in the festivities.

©Mike Falco Photography

10.04.08: AIANY Emerging NY Architects (ENYA) committee member Sean Rasmussen gives a tour of South Street Seaport during openhousenewyork. The tour featured the site of the 2008 Biennial International Ideas Competition, South Street Seaport | Re-envisioning the Urban Edge.

Carolyn Sponza

NYIT Masters of Architecture in Urban and Regional Design students and BArch students, in a joint venture with Politecnico di Milano (Milan, Italy), are working with a team of national architects on a comprehensive plan to develop Staten Island’s underutilized waterfront. The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce has been conducting a survey of local residents, titled “It’s a Shore Thing,” that will inform the AIA Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT). School of Architecture and Design associate dean Frank Mruk, AIA, and professors Matthias Altwicker, AIA, Fred Bentel, FAIA, John di Domenico, AIA, Janet Fink, AIA, Mishi Hosono, AIA, Yoko Kawai Kurimoto, Intl. Assoc. AIA, Michael Schwarting, and Adam Weintraub, AIA, are overseeing the NYIT students’ participation. Pictured: Students pose at the R/UDAT community presentation on 09.25.08, at which the team presented its report.

Courtesy NYIT

Center for Architecture Gallery Hours
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-8:00pm, Saturday: 11:00am-5:00pm, Sunday: CLOSED

Join an Architalker for a Hosted Tour of Center for Architecture
Exhibitions
Join us for free Architalker-hosted tours of the Center for Architecture exhibitions Fridays at 4:00pm. To join one of these tours, meet in the Public Resource Area on the ground floor of the Center for Architecture.

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

October 1 — January 19, 2009

+Housing
2008 AIA New York Designs for Living Exhibition

In the coming decades, New York will confront the challenge of housing another million people in a built-up city with limited area for new construction. Aging infrastructure and environmental concerns pose additional impediments to growth. Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC addresses the need for housing, and targets eight other quality-of-life issues including open space, air and water quality, and contaminated sites. Public and private developers have also begun responding to, and even anticipating, these concerns with mixed-use, hybrid designs. +Housing focuses on eight current examples which illustrate this phenomenon: public uses combined with, and often financed by housing. The essential urban institutions – parks, schools, places of worship, museums, and hospitals – are being combined with residential developments, fusing diverse typologies and increasing density. This observation creates the rubric, [fill in the blank] + Housing. The phenomenon is observable at multiple scales, from infill Hybrid Buildings with condos sitting on top of a public space, to Transformed Blocks rebuilt and rearranged into places for living, performing and gathering, to New Neighborhoods that attempt to remediate and improve old sites, shaping parks, creating spaces for culture and childcare, adding new density.

+Housing helps keep the city affordable, accessible, sustainable, and architecturally ambitious. Projects that include cultural institutions, new schools, improved infrastructure, and green roofs are often built faster and more efficiently. That said, all pluses have their minuses, and this exhibition looks beyond the benefits of the +Housing formula, examining its potential impact on the look, economy and public life of New York City.

Exhibition Curator: Alexandra Lange

Exhibition Designer:Pro-Am Inc.

Champion: Studio Daniel Libeskind

Supporters: HumanScale Corporation; James McCullar & Associates; Gensler

Friend:
Benjamin Moore & Company
Costas Kondylis & Partners
Forest City Ratner Companies
Frank Williams & Associates
Hugo S. Subotovsky Architects
Ingram, Yuzek, Gainen, Carroll & Bertolotti
Magnusson Architecture & Planning
Mancini Duffy
Rawlings Architects
Ricci Greene Associates
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Syska & Hennessy
Trespa North America
Universal Contracting

Contributor:
Anchin, Block & Anchin
Calvin Tsao
Consolidated Brick & Building Supplies
Cosentini Associates
Cross Construction Company
DeLaCour & Ferrara Architects
Domenech Hicks Krockmalnic Architects
FXFOWLE ARCHITECTS
Helpern Architects
IBEC BUILDING CORPORATION
Levien & Company
Michael Zenreich, AIA Architect
Monadnock/Capsys
Myron Henry Goldfinger, FAIA
New York Building Congress
Perkins Eastman
Plaza Construction
Porter & Yee Associates
Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Roberta Washington, Architect
Rothzeid Kaiserman Thomson & Bee
Shen Milsom & Wilke
Skanska USA Building
Strategic Development & Construction
Swanke Hayden Connell Architects
Theo. David, Architects
Thornton Tomasetti
Weidlinger Associates

Related Events

Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 6:00 — 8:00pm

Panel Discussion

September 5 — January 3, 2009

New Practices New York 2008

New Practices New York 2008 is the second juried portfolio competition and exhibition in a new biennial tradition sponsored by the New Practices Committee of the AIA New York Chapter. It serves as a platform for recognizing and promoting new, innovative and emerging architecture firms within New York City that have undertaken unique and commendable strategies – both in projects and practice.

From the 52 portfolios submitted, the New Practices Committee – consisting of Amale Andraos (Work AC), Jennifer Carpenter (TRUCK), Peter Eisenman (Eisenman Architects), William Menking (Architect’s Newspaper) and Charles Renfro (Diller Scofidio + Renfro) – was expected to choose the six most promising firms. The competition winners, all of whom will be participating in our exhibition are:

Baumann Architecture

Common Room

David Wallance Architect

Matter Practice

Openshop | Studio

Urban A&O

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of programs organized by the AIA New York Chapter in collaboration with New Practices Committee

Exhibition organized by the AIA New York Chapter and the Center for Architecture Foundation

Exhibition Design: We Should Do It All

Media Partner: The Architects Newspaper

Underwriter: Häfele

Patron: ABC Imaging

Lead Sponsors: Ibex, MG & Company, Poliform, Thornton Tomasetti

Supporters: Fountainhead Construction, FXFOWLE Architects

Beverage Sponsor: SAAGA Vodka

Related Events

Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 6:00 — 8:00pm

Winner’s Symposium

Each firm will have a six-week exhibition and will be delivering a Hafele NY Showroom at 25 East 26th Street. For more information, visit Hafele’s New York showroom listing at www.hafele.com/us