Author: Jessica Sheridan Assoc. AIA LEED AP

Arts & Letters Attendees
John Morris Dixon, FAIA, may be correct in noting that architects are underrepresented in the membership of The American Academy of Arts and Letters (See Architect Numbers Dwindle at American Academy Honors, 05.30.07), and further concerned that fewer attend Academy events, but he missed one — John M. Johansen, FAIA, who was there that evening.
– Christen Johansen, AIA

Postopolis! (l-r): Joseph Grima, Director of Storefront for Art and Architecture; Jill Fehrenbacher from Inhabitat; Dan Hill from City of Sound; and Bryan Finoki of Subtopia.

Kristen Richards

Postopolis! — an international exposition about architecture, urbanism, landscape, and design in the blogosphere — was held at the Storefront for Art and Architecture at the end of May. For five days straight this ad hoc convention featured architects, critics, and educators discussing current design-oriented issues relevant to technology and the Internet. The backbone of the event, however, spotlighted the numerous blogs that “expand the bounds of architectural discussion.” While I am an avid reader of design blogs, coming face to face with the web personalities I have encountered over recent years was bittersweet.

Orchestrated by four blogs — Inhabitat (New York), BLDGBLOG (Los Angeles), Subtopia (San Francisco), and City of Sound (London) — many other bloggers were either in attendance or asked to speak throughout the week as well. What surprised me was that most of the individuals behind the blogs are either recent graduates from architecture schools or writers whose backgrounds have nothing to do with architecture. To some extent this makes sense as blogging is a relatively young medium, and I do not believe that critics need to be professionals in the fields they critique. Also, blogging is an outlet for emerging architects whose ideas are not always considered in the firms for which they work.

The description of Postopolis! on Storefront’s website states that blogging’s “influence now spreads far beyond the Internet to affect museums, institutions, and even higher education.” While this statement doesn’t go as far to say blogs are changing the built world, there is an implication.

I think blogging has the potential to affect architecture and urbanism on a larger scale, but this can only occur with more participation from practitioners actively involved in the profession. Maybe there are more professionals who blog out there but were not included in the convention. I did notice a lack of presence from NY-based institutions (no one from AIANY was asked to speak), and there were a couple of professionals who presented their blogs (Tropolism is one, for example). Maybe the word “blog” has a bad reputation for professionals as there can be an assumption that they are snarky and sarcastic without substance.

Blogging is new enough that this reputation can change. If professionals led an ongoing commentary about their experiences designing, constructing, and developing architecture, landscape, and urbanism, the design field, as well as the public, would be more informed. There is certainly room enough online for a more diverse array of opinions.

If you want to read more about what you missed, City of Sound and BLDGBLOG have extensive coverage of Postopolis! Many of the events are also available on You Tube. Finally, Architect magazine is conducting a survey about what blogs/websites you read. If you want to enter, click here, and don’t forget to vote for e-Oculus!

Brooklyn-based band Cheeseburger gets down on the ground to save the Domino Sugar Refinery.

Jonny Leather; Jessica Sheridan

On June 3, community leaders and local rock bands gathered on the Williamsburg waterfront in a benefit “friendraiser” concert to save the historic Domino Sugar Refinery from demolition. Don’t Demo Domino was organized by Act Local in partnership with the Waterfront Preservation Alliance. The complex is about to be rezoned for residential use, and while the organization supports development, it is fighting for a comprehensive preservation program to save the not-yet-landmarked building. The Historic District Council supports saving the complex, calling it “one of the most significant intact industrial sites on the New York waterfront, representing over 150 years of Brooklyn’s industrial past and growth.”

There is still time to sign the petition even if you missed the event. Click here to voice your support.

2007 AIA Fellows Reception (05.29.07): white roses for all

Clockwise: Mustafa Abadan, FAIA, and Henry K. Stolzman, FAIA; Paul Katz, FAIA, and Adam Yarinsky, FAIA; D.B. Blake Middleton, FAIA, and Roger F. Duffy, Jr., FAIA; Margaret Sobieski Rietveld, FAIA, and Frank James Greene, FAIA. Absent: Calvin Tsao, FAIA.

Kristen Richards

(l-r): Michael Arad, AIA, Andy Frankl, Ibex, and James McCullar, FAIA.

Kristen Richards

Richard Tomasetti, Hon. AIA, and John Morris Dixon, FAIA.

Kristen Richards

Richard Tomasetti, Hon. AIA, and Barbara Nadel, FAIA.

Kristen Richards

The Park at the Center of the World: Five Visions for Governors Island opens Thursday, May 31, at the Center for Architecture (See On View At the Center for Architecture). e-Oculus had the opportunity to sit down with Leslie Koch, President of (GIPEC) to talk about the five finalist entries, the exhibition, and future development on the island.

There will be a panel discussion about the exhibition at the Center on June 11, 6:00pm; a public forum at the Fashion Institute of Technology June 20, 6:30pm; park tours organized by the Governors Island Alliance take place June 21 and June 27, 5:00pm; and a walking tour and scavenger hunt with the Center for Architecture Foundation will happen August 11, 9:45am. Go the AIANY website for more information on all of these programs.

e-Oculus: How do you see the parks on Governors Island being unique and unlike other city parks? What activities do you see happening on the island? What will attract New Yorkers as well as tourists to the island?
Leslie Koch: The experience of traveling to the island by boat and enjoying its views and green spaces offer a unique “holiday” for New Yorkers and visitors. The parks will be designed for the unique island location at the heart of New York Harbor. We envision many activities for children and families (water play, picnicking, exploring), active recreation (biking, walking, lawn sports) and programming such as water-based and ecological activities, music, performance and public art, and festivals.

e-O: There are three main features to the GIPEC master plan — the Great Promenade, Summer Park, and the restoration of the Historic District. Please describe these aspects.
LK: The 2.2 mile Great Promenade around Governors Island will feature unsurpassed views of Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, New York Harbor, and the Statue of Liberty. The new park on the South Island will be a “Summer Park” oasis in the city full of active recreation choices and activities that appeal to families and children. The northern Historic District is a green, civic space surrounded by historic homes and buildings dating from 1810 shaded by a verdant mature tree canopy. Design teams will rejuvenate these spaces while respecting their historic character.

e-O: What types of infrastructure will be developed to help facilitate getting people to and around the island?
LK: The passenger ferry access to and from the island will be augmented with frequent service from Lower Manhattan and other embarkation points in the harbor. We are exploring the feasibility of an aerial gondola connecting Governors Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

On the island, there will be a fleet of green vehicles providing public shuttle service. GIPEC is considering a special “free” or low-cost bicycle program for transportation and recreation on the Island.

e-O: How does the GIPEC master plan fit in with Mayor Bloomberg’s plaNYC 2030? Were the teams that responded to the RFP and RFQ required to incorporate plaNYC into their proposals?
LK: GIPEC is committed to sustainable development and green design meeting the policies advanced by both the City and the State. Many of GIPEC’s sustainability goals were laid out in the design guidelines given to the competition teams. Sustainable site planning, reduced energy usage, landscape and habitat enhancement, reduction of wastewater treatment, use of environmentally appropriate materials, and solid waste management are all areas GIPEC will develop with the winning design teams. The teams were required to offer innovative, sustainable, and practical park design proposals, and they responded with a wide variety of ideas including ones addressing energy use, carbon emissions, and storm water management.

e-O: What distinguished the five final teams from other entrants?
LK: The five finalist teams exhibited a nuanced understanding of the island’s special circumstances and its design and programming opportunities. Each of these teams has worked on important public projects and done excellent design work in the past.

e-O: Discuss the selection process.
LK: A jury of design professionals, government officials, and citizens will review the design proposals and make a recommendation to GIPEC. GIPEC will select a team, not a scheme, and will work with public input to design the open spaces. The selection criteria were outlined in the RFP and include: Vision, Design Approach, and Quality of Work Product; Methodology; Relevant Past Experience and Expertise; Feasibility and Cost Effectiveness; Fee; Staff/Team; and Compliance.

e-O: What do you want exhibition-viewers to take away from the exhibition?
LK: GIPEC wants them to understand the exciting possibilities of the island coming back to life through a series of great design and programming visions. We’d like the viewers to visit the island to see for themselves what an extraordinary site this is for a once-in-a-lifetime project. And we’d like to hear reactions from viewers on the website.

e-O: Describe the timeline of development. When will a team be selected, when will construction start, when will the master plan be complete?
LK: GIPEC intends to select a park design team this summer and to begin the design process in the fall. The start of construction will be dependant on many factors including public funding and public review of the project. The public open space designs will be incorporated into the overall master planning for the island, which is ongoing.

Usually when the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) is in town I look forward to the more progressive expositions off-site from the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. This year, for example, I was looking forward to Haute Green, an exhibition of “the best in sustainable design for the contemporary home” in Chelsea. Unfortunately, Haute Green fell short of my expectations. With 58 featured designers, I was expecting cutting-edge design that fully considered what it means to be green. Yes, there were a lot of recycled materials and compact fluorescent light bulbs. But overall I felt as if many of the pieces did not thoroughly explore all aspects of sustainability — every part was not necessarily made of green materials, manufacturing processes were not always taken into account, the recyclability of the pieces was seldom investigated.

If organizers are going to arrange for a separate “cutting-edge” exposition, they should be extra selective with the designers they choose. In general, Haute Green included designers who were taking their first stab at green design, and their amateurism showed.

The ICFF, on the other hand, surprised me with its range of designs. Instead of just showcasing high-end “yuppie” furniture, which has been my impression previous years, there was variety in furniture types and designers. There were booths for children and pet furniture; emerging designers were featured in addition to the usual celebrity bigwigs. Designboom, an organization for emerging designers, allowed designers to sell products. Green design was featured at many booths, including the Next Generation award winners’ Metropolis booth. Overall ICFF was a success, and hopefully next year the trend will continue incorporating more diversity in price range and design.

Governors Island has published its Summer 2007 schedule. Opening June 2, visitors will be able to visit both Saturdays and Sundays through September 2. The Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC), along with the National Park Service (NPS), will provide a variety of public activities that will showcase the Island’s historic past and future. Summer programming will kick-off with a Family Festival on June 2, and includes a Saturday concert series in July and August, a cultural festival, musical and theatrical performances, among other activities. For the first time, the entire 92-acre National Historic District will be open for visitors with tours provided by NPS. For more information, click the link.