03.23.11 Editor’s Note: As everyone’s heart is heavy with the terrible losses in Japan from the earthquake and tsunami, local architects are coming together to help. See Around the AIA to read about how the Chapter and AIA National are contributing to the relief efforts.
– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
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And check out the latest Podcasts produced by AIANY.
I live on the Upper West Side, where much of the contention around the new bike lane on Columbus Avenue has centered on some business owners who claim that the shifting traffic patterns have negatively impacted profits (see “DOT Agrees To Modifications To Street Redesign On UWS,” by Tetiana Anderson, 02.07.11). However, there also seems to be a wave of bike riders who are speaking out against these new lanes, as well. While I am in favor of expanding bike lanes throughout the city, and I understand that there will be growing pains as drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians adjust to new infrastructure, the expanded paths are far from perfected.
The new bike lanes are intended to encourage people to ride bikes in the city. However, as stated on the Biking Rules website, riders must follow all the rules of the road that apply to motor vehicles — i.e., stopping at all red lights and stop signs, riding with the flow of traffic, and stopping before crosswalks. These rules are increasingly being enforced. The security guard in my building was ticketed recently for going through a red light while riding home at 2:00am, when, he claims, there was no traffic or pedestrians. The NY Post reported on officers ticketing riders running red lights in Central Park (see “Tix blitz on Central Pk. cyclists,” by John Doyle, 03.16.11). The report also states that 230 tickets have been issued to cyclists for traffic violations in the city so far this year.
I think it is time to re-evaluate the laws and determine the best balance required to encourage cyclists and provide for both their safety and the safety of those around them. I agree that bike riders must abide by traffic laws, but I do not think that they should be subject to the same regulations or penalties as motor vehicles. While bikes can be dangerous to pedestrians, they are not nearly as deadly as cars or trucks. Idaho has had a law in place since 1982 that lets cyclists run red lights after slowing down to make sure crossing an intersection is safe, called the “Stop As Yield” law. Utah, Oregon, and Montana considered implementing a similar law, but in all cases it did not pass through legislature. NYC streets may be more dangerous than Idaho, but I think this is just one law worth considering.
03.09.11: Today’s big announcement is that OCULUS is now available online! Click here to read the Winter 2010/11 issue, “Global Practice New York.” Flip through the pages on your computer; jump to articles from the Contents tab; e-mail the issue to a colleague; save it to your desktop or print specific pages. We on the AIANY Oculus Committee have been working hard behind the scenes with our new publisher Naylor to bring this service to you. We hope you enjoy! We also welcome your feedback. E-mail eoculus@aiany.org with your comments.
– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
Note: Be sure to follow Tweets from e-Oculus and the Center for Architecture.
And check out the latest Podcasts produced by AIANY.
Event: Conversation on Columbia University’s Manhattanville Academic Mixed-Use Development
Location: Center for Architecture, 02.28.11
Speakers: Philip Pitruzzello — Vice President, Columbia University Facilities, Manhattanville Construction; Fanny Gong, AIA, LEED AP — Assistant Vice President, Design Management, Columbia University Facilities, Manhattanville Development
Organizer: AIANY Public Architecture Committee
The Manhattanville Master Plan is at the “beginning of getting ready for construction,” stated Philip Pitruzzello, vice president of the Columbia University Facilities Manhattanville Construction. Both he and Fanny Gong, AIA, LEED AP, assistant vice president for design management, presented a campus overview, design concepts, and construction progress of Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s master plan. Although not much more than demolition and slurry wall construction are visible at this point in time, Columbia University expects that Manhattanville will break boundaries, both within the private institution and outside of its own walls.
The master plan is one of the pilot projects for LEED for Neighborhood Development; it has the goal of achieving a minimum LEED Silver certification; it is a partner with the Environmental Defense Fund; and it is part of the PlaNYC University Challenge. To uphold such standards, the commitment to sustainability encompasses the health and welfare of the general public throughout construction and beyond. Pitruzzello noted that these goals were incorporated early in the planning process. Innovative strategies include developing a clean construction program and re-using more than 90% of the existing masonry and steel on the site.
Currently, four buildings designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, two buildings by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, along with landscape architecture by James Corner Field Operations are being developed north of 125th Street as part of the plan’s first phase. Some of the overarching design goals include maximizing transparency at the street level, and providing views of the Hudson River to the west, flexible research and academic space, and contiguous below-grade services. The most groundbreaking aspect of the design, however, Pitruzzello said, is the concept of “no gates, no walls.” Traditionally, Columbia University has literally fenced itself off from the community. In Manhattanville, academic buildings will incorporate small format retail and a network of open spaces and links to the water at street level. In so doing, the university is encouraging intermingling and it is trying to attract the community beyond its own students.
The first phase of the Manhattanville is scheduled for completion in 2015 with later phases expected to be complete around 2030. With promised economic and social benefits anticipated in the near future, hopefully Columbia University will be able to live up to its new standard.
Last week, the AIANY Emerging New York Architects Committee (ENYA) presented its HB:BX, Building Cultural Infrastructure competition to the Parks & Cultural Affairs Committee of Community Board 12, walking members through the competition background, the winning boards, and some common trends that were repeated throughout the entries. CB12 members responded positively to the environmental and ecologically-driven entries, and focused particularly on those that incorporated water access. It was great to see that the competition resonated with the community board (their only criticism was that we hadn’t contacted them earlier in our process), and hopefully some of the ideas will infiltrate future plans to open the High Bridge.
It was apparent that the goals for the High Bridge and surrounding Highbridge Parks were universal to both CB12 and ENYA: the bridge should be open to the public, celebrate views of the city, and create access that is both welcoming and hospitable from both sides of the bridge. Currently, the NYC Department of Design + Construction is developing plans for the bridge and parks that include infrastructure upgrades, structural stabilization, educational signage, and transportation and bike/pedestrian access. As relayed to ENYA, at a recent CB12 meeting, however, the main point of contention was a proposal for fencing that will extend along the balustrade on either side of the bridge.
It appears that there are six options on the table (see p.16 of the schematic design presentation), and many CB12 members feel that none of the proposals are suitable to the above goals. They stated that the mesh will prohibit views, and it will create a foreboding barricade along the edge of the walkway. It seems as if there is a double standard to install tall chainmail for a walkway that spans between Harlem and the Bronx. One CB12 member mentioned the Walkway over the Hudson, the Poughkeepsie Footbridge, which has high fencing above the residential areas and train tracks, but then opens up over the Hudson River. Another member brought up the low walls of the High Line. I thought of the Top of the Rock with its tall glass walls that are spaced to allow cameras to poke through for photographs. All three of these solutions are simple and provide both protection and access to the open air and views not offered by mesh fences.
I am very excited that the High Bridge will open again in the near future (estimated for the fall of 2013). This is a key moment for the connection between Manhattan and the Bronx, and opening up a walkway between the two is symbolic as well as practical. Hopefully, the city will ultimately provide a design solution that is accessible and sought-out by locals and tourists alike.
Note: Special thanks to Elizabeth Lorris Ritter, chair of the CB12 Parks & Cultural Affairs Committee, who attended the ENYA “High Bridge” exhibition opening at the Center for Architecture and invited the committee to present to CB12.
02.23.11: This issue celebrates the opening of the “Jugaad Urbanism: Resourceful Strategies for Indian Cities” exhibition at the Center for Architecture. Be sure to read “Beyond the Barracks: Housing Tomorrow’s India,” by Lisa Delgado, and “Jugaad Urbanism Exhibits Energy of the Streets in India,” by Gregory Haley, in Reports from the Field; “FamilyDay@theCenter: Jugaad Urbanism — Designs for City Life,” in At the Center for Architecture Foundation; and photos from the exhibition opening in “Sighted.”
– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
Note: Be sure to follow Tweets from e-Oculus and the Center for Architecture.
And check out the latest Podcasts produced by AIANY. Just posted — Chris Parsons, from KA Connect, speaking with Marketing and PR Committee’s Tami Hausman.
Event: PASSIVE HOUSE: TOWN & COUNTRY and Passive House 101
Location: Center for Architecture, 02.15.11
Speakers: Floris Keverling Buisman — Principal, Vital Sustainability; Dennis Wedlick, AIA — Principal, Dennis Wedlick Architects; Jeremy Shannon, AIA — Principal, Prospect Architecture
Organizer: New York Passive House
Passive House BKLYN Residence by Prospect Architecture (left), and the Hudson Passive Project by Dennis Wedlick Architects.
Photo by Adam B. Bell, courtesy prospectarchitecture.com (left); photo by Elliott Kaufman, courtesy hudsonpassiveproject.com
Although there are just five goals to achieve Passive House certification by the Passive House Institute US — health, comfort, energy reduction, affordability, and predictability — the certification process is rigorous, often involving a number of rounds of testing, field adjustments, and retesting to maximize efficiency. Whether designing for the city or the country, as described by Dennis Wedlick, AIA, and Jeremy Shannon, AIA, developing a Passive House is both challenging and extremely rewarding.
At the beginning of the discussion, Wedlick announced that, after two years, his firm’s Hudson Passive Project in Claverack, NY, has officially achieved Passive House certification, making it one of just 12 such buildings in the U.S. Shannon, on the other hand, is still developing his firm’s Passive House BKLYN Residence so it will achieve official certification. Although one is a spec house in Upstate NY and the other is a townhouse in Brooklyn, the architects talked about how their processes mirror each other. They are both compact in shape, incorporate air-tight construction, designed with fenestration on the two short façades only, and incorporate energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment.
One of Shannon’s biggest challenges was renovating a townhouse in a landmarked neighborhood. Typically, the Passive House Institute does not permit double-hung windows as air leakage is inevitable. To keep the double-hung profile, Shannon designed the windows to have a fixed upper pane, and a tilt-and-turn lower pane. Historic leaded glass windows were preserved and incorporated as one of the triple panes in the fenestration as well, thus preserving the historic character of the façade.
For Wedlick, integrating large south-facing windows is a priority in his designs. By limiting the fenestration on the thick side walls and constructing overhangs to provide sun shading in summer and infiltration in winter, as well as providing well-constructed, air-tight frames, he was able to achieve the strict energy standards outlined by the Institute.
For both designers, the process of building a Passive House has been invaluable to their education as architects. By having the construction team on board early and involving them in the process, both Shannon and Wedlick found a new admiration for building and construction techniques. Whether or not their next projects are Passive Houses, they both feel that the process was well worth the time and effort involved.
A new website, Designers & Books, is devoted to publishing lists of books recommended by “esteemed members of the design community.” Contributors include architects and interior designers, in addition to fashion designers, graphic designers, and product designers, each having been asked to submit a list of books that everyone in their field should read. Currently, there are 54 designers who have recommended 726 books. Needless to say, one could get lost clicking through the links and discovering or remembering important and meaningful books.
Designers in the architecture field range from Denise Scott Brown to Calvin Tsao, FAIA, Billie Tsien, AIA, to Andrés Duany, FAIA. Some recommendations are to be expected (Peter Eisenman, FAIA, suggests Jacques Derrida’s Of Grammatology), while others are less predictable (Richard Meier, FAIA, FRIBA, recommends Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom). And who knew so many architects were into Vladimir Nabokov and James Joyce?
I imagine that Designers & Books will grow as more designers participate. I look forward to seeing recommendations from a younger group of architects. Hopefully, it will also develop into a more interactive website. There is potential as links such as a blog and a way to save books to a reading list already exist. However, like many social networking sites, its success will depend on updating information regularly.
02.09.11: This issue features a number of articles about the Grassroots conference. Be sure to read Kate Rube’s article on Fit Nation; Jay Bond’s article about AIANY advocacy at Grassroots; and Rick Bell, FAIA’s Rhetorically Speaking on Amanda Burden, Hon. AIANY, FAICP, who was honored at the Accent on Architecture gala.
– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
Note: Be sure to follow Tweets from e-Oculus and the Center for Architecture.
And check out the Center for Architecture’s Vimeo page! Recently added videos include the January Oculus book talk by Carl Stein, FAIA.
As Verizon is poised to deliver iPhones to its customers this week, I have been researching what my potential new phone will do for me in business, in the field, and all else architecture-related. I know I may be slightly behind the times (in good company with my fellow Verizon devotees), but it turns out there are many apps made for iPhones and iPads that have the potential to change the profession quite significantly. There are drawing tools, from Google SketchUp to iRhino 3D, various calculators and estimating tools, apps to track LEED credits, and there is even an app called goBIM that allows users to view BIM models. All of this is in addition to the typical web browsing capabilities (soon, you will be able to peruse the pages of OCULUS magazine when it launches a web version!). There is a great blog post on Software Advice that breaks down many of the relevant architecture and construction-related apps.
Although the apps are not revolutionary in themselves, what is groundbreaking is the transportability of the device. It opens many opportunities at meetings, where one could sketch design revisions or show the firm website with representative work, as well as on job sites, where one can work out discrepancies with contractors instantly and have a digital record to distribute to the team. I have seen some architecture and engineering firms using iPhones and iPads in this way already; but I think more and more the profession will pick up on the trend and realize its potential.
