Murrye Bernard, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP – Contributing Editor – Page 4 – News – What’s New at AIANY and the Center for Architecture.

The AIA selected Thom Mayne, FAIA, to receive the 2013 AIA Gold Medal, and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects to receive the 2013 AIA Architecture Firm Award…

AIA National inaugurated its new president Mickey Jacob, FAIA, the managing principal at Urban Studio Architects in Tampa, Fla. As the institute’s 89th president, Jacob succeeds Jeff Potter, FAIA. Continue reading “”

2013 OCULUS Editorial Calendar Announced!
The Oculus 2013 Editorial Calendar has been set. If you are an architect by training, or see yourself as an astute observer of New York’s architectural and planning scene, Oculus wants to hear from you! Projects/topics may be anywhere, but architects must be New York-based. Please submit story ideas by the deadlines indicated in the calendar to Kristen Richards, Hon. AIA, Hon. ASLA: kristen@ArchNewsNow.com.

2013 marks the 75th Anniversary of Oculus (launched 1938!), and 10th Anniversary of the magazine’s current iteration.

Note: The Arnold W. Brunner Grant application deadline is 02.01.13. Continue reading “”

12.17.12: The Emerging New York Architects Committee (ENYA) and the AIANY Interiors Committee celebrated the holiday season with a joint party and snowflake design challenge at Carl Hansen + Søn.

(r) Interiors Co-Chairs Dale Cohen, Assoc. AIA, Interiors Co-Chair, and Ed Siegel, AIA, LEED AP, with Carl Hansen + Søn staff.

Rick Bell, FAIA

Brynnemarie Lanciotti, Assoc. AIA, ENYA Co-Chair, and Dale Cohen, Assoc. AIA, Interiors Co-Chair, (on chair) address the group.

Rick Bell, FAIA

Eliza McClellan, AIANY Policy Assistant, shows off her snowflake design.

Rick Bell, FAIA Continue reading “”

Interior Design magazine’s Best of Year 2012 project winners include Miraval Life in Balance Spa with Clarins by Clodagh Design International (Honoree, Beauty/Spa/ Fitness); Jay Godfrey by MR Architecture + Decor (Honoree, Budget); Phillips de Pury Important Nordic Design Exhibition by Shelton, Mindel & Associates (Honoree, Exhibit/Installation); John Hopkins Clinical Building and Rush University Medical Center by Perkins+Will (Honoree, Health Care: Large); Public Chicago by Yabu Pushelberg (Winner), Hotel Bel-Air by Champalimaud, and The NoMad Hotel by Jacques Garcia and Stonehill & Taylor (Honorees, Hospitality: Domestic Hotel); Grand Hyatt New York by Bentel & Bentel Architects/Planners (Honoree, Hospitality: Public Spaces); Virgin Atlantic JFK Clubhouse by Slade Architecture (Winner), and The 40/40 Club by Jeffrey Beers International (Honoree, Hospitality: Bar/Lounge); Toy by Jeffrey Beers Interna- tional (Honoree, Hospitality: Asian Fusion); The Dutch Miami by Meyer Davis Studio (Honoree, Hospitality: Casual Dining); PoP PuB by Parallel Design Partnership (Honoree, Hospitality: Counter Service); The Pump Room by Yabu Pushelberg (Winner), Le Bernardin by Bentel & Bentel Architects/Planners, and Swift at The Roundhouse by Rockwell Group (Honorees, Hospitality: Fine Dining)…

…LCT3 by H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture (Winner), and Brooklyn Navy Yard by workshop/apd (Honoree, Institutional); Calder Foundation Project Space by StephanieGoto (Honoree, Institutional: Arts); Julian Street Library by Joel Sanders Architect (Honoree, Institutional: Library); Chabad Serving NYU by Penelope Kim Designs (Honoree, Institutional: Religious); Brooklyn Heights Townhouse by SPG Architects (Honoree, Kitchen & Bath); Shopbop by SHoP Architects (Honoree, Office: Small: 5,000-10,000sf); JetBlue Headquarters by HLW International (Honoree, Office: Large: Corporate); Sanofi Headquarters by STUDIOS Architecture (Winner), and Young Con- away Stargatt & Taylor by Francis Cauffman (Honoree, Winner, Office: Restoration)…

…Forsythe Apartment by Sayigh Duman (Winner), Petra Residence by Reddymade Design, and Chelsea Residence by Shamir Shah Design (Honorees, Residence: Apartment: Under 2,000sf); Skyhouse 150 by David Hotson Architect and Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design (Winner), Central Park Residence by Shelton, Mindel & Associates, and Beresford Residence by Tsao & McKown Architects (Honorees, Residence: Apartment: Over 2,000sf); Lumiere Residences by Tsao & McKown Architects (Winner), Abingdon Model Apartment by 2Michaels and Flank, and 41 Bond Street by DDG and Dufner Heighes (Honorees, Residence: Model Apartment/Public Space); Tribeca Rooftop Garden by Barlis Wedlick Architects, and Bedford Residence by Joel Sanders Architect and Balmori Associates (Honorees, Residence: Pool House/ Outdoor); Long Island Beach House by West Chin Architect (Winner), Robins Way by Bates Masi Architects, and Hidden Hollow by O’Neill Rose Architects (Honorees, Residence: Retreat); Sam’s Creek by Bates Masi Architects (Winner, Residence: Urban/Suburban House)…

…Xocolatti by de-spec (Honoree, Retail); Joe Fresh New York Flagship by Burdifilek (Winner), Anthropologie Oklahoma City by EOA/Elmslie Osler Architect, and Intermix Meatpacking by Janson Goldstein (Honorees, Retail: Fashion); Marc by Marc Jacobs Showroom by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects (Winner), Stuart Weitzman Showroom by TPG Architecture (Honoree, Retail: Fashion Showroom); Louis Vuitton Island Maison (Winner) and Chanel 51 Avenue Montaigne (Honoree) by Peter Marino Architect, and Harry Winston Shanghai Pavilion by Studio Sofield (Honoree, Retail, Luxury); Momentum Group Chicago Showroom by Conant Architects, and Nucraft Chicago Showroom by M Moser Associates (Honorees, Showroom/Tradeshow: Small); SOFA Art Fair 2012 by David Ling Architect, and ALB Design Center of Chelsea by Luca Andrisani Architects (Honorees, Showroom/Tradeshow: Large)…

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) announced initial design-team shortlists for Worldwide New Construction A/E Design Services, including Ennead Architects; SHoP Architects; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM); Steven Holl Architects, and Weiss/Manfredi Architects; OBO also announced teams shortlisted for Worldwide Major Rehabilitation/ Renovation A/E Design Services, including Architecture Research Office (ARO); Beyer Blinder Belle Architects; and Weiss/Manredi Architects…

openhousenewyork (OHNY) has appointed Gregory Wessner as the new Executive Director effective 01.01.13…

EYP introduced Richard Kuhn, AIA, as Lead Designer and Principal…

Perkins+Will announced that James May, AIA, LEED AP, has joined the firm as Managing Principal of its New York healthcare practice…

Francis Cauffman has appointed Steven Stainbrook, AICP, as its new Director of Higher Education…

2013 OCULUS Editorial Calendar Announced!
The Oculus 2013 Editorial Calendar has been set. If you are an architect by training, or see yourself as an astute observer of New York’s architectural and planning scene, Oculus wants to hear from you! Projects/topics may be anywhere, but architects must be New York-based. Please submit story ideas by the deadlines indicated in the calendar to Kristen Richards, Hon. AIA, Hon. ASLA: kristen@ArchNewsNow.com.

2013 marks the 75th Anniversary of Oculus (launched 1938!), and 10th Anniversary of the magazine’s current iteration.

Note: The Arnold W. Brunner Grant application deadline is 02.01.13.

12.07.12 Call for Entries: USITT 2013 “Ideal Theatre” Student Design Competition for Architecture and Theatre Students

12.10.12 Call for Applications:2013 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence

12.14.12 Request for Proposals: Design and the Learning Environment — American Architectural Foundation (AAF) /AIA Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE)

12.14.12 Call for Entries: 2012 Brendan Gill Prize — The Municipal Art Society of New York

12.15.12 Call for Entries: 2012 Western Red Cedar Architectural Design Awards

12.15.12 Call for Entries: 2 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) Com-petitions: Schools and ICFF Studio

*Extended: 12.18.12 Call for Submissions: Change the Course: NYC Waterfront Construction Competition

01.07.13 Call for Proposals: The 2nd Annual Folly Competition —Socrates Sculpture Park and the Architectural League of New York

01.11.13 Call for Nominations: Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards —The New York Landmarks Conservancy

01.18.13 Call for Entries: Coverings 2013 PROJECT: Green

01.25.13 Call for Presentations: 2013 Healthcare Design Conference, 11.16.13—11.19.13, Orlando, FL

01.31.13 Call for Entries: Flat Lot Competition: Re-Imagine the Parking Lot — AIA-Flint and Flint Public Art Project

02.08.13 Call for Abstracts: The 6th Making Cities Liveable Conference in Melbourne, Australia (06.10.13 – 06.12.13)

02.08.13 Call for Entries: 2013 Coverings Installation & Design (CID) Awards

02.08.13 Call for Entries: ASLA 2013 Professional and Students Awards (Student deadline is 04.26.13)

02.15.13 Call for Submissions: National Associates Committee (NAC) Forward Design Journal

03.06.13 Call for Entries: 3 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Student Competitions: Timber in the City: Urban Habitats Competition; Steel Design Student Competition; and Preservation as Provocation Ideas Competition: Castle Pinckney for the 21st Century

[Ongoing] Call for Applications: TH!NK:Art+Architecture Design-build Camp, Abetenim Arts Village, Ghana

11.29.12: NYASLA/New York Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects President’s Dinner celebrated its 2012 President’s Award winners: The Architect’s Newspaper for Promoting the Profession; Douglas Blonsky, President & CEO, Central Park Conservancy for Service and Leadership; and Carter Strickland, Commissioner, NYC Department of Environmental Protection for Environmental Stewardship.

(l-r) Jill N. Lerner, FAIA, 2013 AIANY President; Marcy Stanley, Hon. AIA, Weidlinger Associates; and Eric Goshow, AIA, LEED AP, Goshow Architects, 2013 AIANYS President

Kristen Richards

(l-r) Rick Bell, FAIA, AIANY Executive Director, Diana Darling, Publisher, The Architect’s Newspaper; and Nate Harris, Abel Bainnson Butz

Kristen Richards

(l-r) Rick Bell, FAIA, and NYASLA President Laura Starr, ASLA, Principal, Starr Whitehouse

Kristen Richards

(l-r) The Architect’s Newspaper Publisher Diana Darling, and former Executive Editor Julie V. Iovine

Kristen Richards

(l-r) Amy Stroud, Marketing Director, and Samuel A. Lawrence, LEED AP, Principal, HM White Site Architecture, with Michael Koontz, Senior Associate, Thomas Balsley Associates

Kristen Richards

(l-r) Jerry van Eyck, formerly of West 8 and now the founding principal of the landscape architecture firm Melk, with Rick Bell, FAIA

Kristen Richards

The Architect’s Newspaper receiving the President’s Award for Promoting the Profession: (l-r) Jack Harris, Senior VP, John Mini Distinctive Landscapes; Alan G. Brake, Executive Editor; Aaron Seward, Managing Editor; Diana Darling, Publisher; award presenter Claire Weisz, AIA, Principal, WXY architecture + urban design; and NYASLA President Laura Starr, ASLA.

11.28.12: The opening ceremony was held for the Kensington Library, which is the first newly constructed library in Brooklyn in nearly 20 years and also its first “green” library. The project, designed by Sen Architects, received an Award for Excellence in Design of a Public Project from the New York City Design Commission.

(l-r): Renee V. McClure, Manager, Community & Customer Management at National Grid; David Burney, FAIA, Commissioner, NYC Department of Design + Construction; Council Member Brad Lander; Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO, Linda E. Johnson; Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz; Assemblyman Jim Brennan; Brooklyn Public Library Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Dean and President of NY Law School, Anthony Crowell; and Council Member David Greenfield.

Architecture Goes Viral

(l-r) Stephanie Murg, Jenna McKnight, Alexandra Lange, Susan Szenasy, and Molly Heintz.

Center for Architecture

Event: Evolving Media Platforms (Architecture and the Media #4)
Location: Center for Architecture, 11.08.12
Moderator: Molly Heintz, The Architect’s Newspaper
Panelists: Alexandra Lange, Design Observer; Jenna McKnight, Architizer; Susan Szenasy, Hon. AIANY, Editor, Metropolis; and Stephanie Murg, UnBeige
Organizer: Center for Architecture and the AIANY Oculus Committee and Marketing & PR Committee; co-organized by The Architect’s Newspaper

For the fourth and final event in the “Architecture and the Media” series, a panel of editors and writers discussed the shift in architectural publications from print to primarily digital content. They weighed in on how writing for the web differs from print, the benefits and drawbacks of disseminating information through digital platforms, and offered fresh advice for architects looking to get their work published online.

Only two publications represented, Metropolis and The Architect’s Newspaper, have print components, which are supplemented by an online presence; the others – Design Observer, Architizer, and UnBeige – are fully digital. Every media outlet is constantly experimenting with new platforms. Alexandra Lange, a regular contributor to Design Observer and self-proclaimed “prolific tweeter,” maintains a blog on Tumblr, and recently published her first eBook. Writing for varied media has allowed her to develop her own voice as a critic while connecting with her audience.

Building connections, particularly between architects and potential clients, is the primary purpose of Architizer. Editor-in-Chief Jenna McKnight, formerly news director at Architectural Record, notes that architecture is often an insular profession that becoming part of a larger community online helps to counteract. Another website that connects architecture with other facets of design is UnBeige, which primarily highlights cultural and institutional projects and draws an international audience.

While many designers are loyal to print, online publishing allows editors to break news quickly and connect with their readers. Panelists agreed, though, that their posts have been receiving less reader comments lately. The reason? They suspect readers are instead sharing links through Twitter or “liking” content on Facebook. Either way, articles published online have the potential to go viral. The ability to link to content also allows editors and writers to use their words more efficiently, explained Stephanie Murg, an editor of Unbeige, by directing readers to other sources to learn basic background on a topic. Susan Szenasy of Metropolis cautioned that too much cross-referencing can be dangerous, and pointed out that we often retain little of the information we scan while surfing the Internet.

The shift towards digital media affects how architects get their work published, and the editors offered some inside advice on how best to reach out to them. They suggest that architects first read through a site and familiarize themselves with the mission of a publication to avoid sending irrelevant information, or worse yet, pitching an idea for a story they’ve already published. Murg suggested that designers keep their project descriptions concise and include a fact sheet. And don’t forget to attach images, which are “like catnip,” according to Molly Heinz of The Architect’s Newspaper. McKnight agreed: “Architecture [in the media] is as much about photography as it is about the building.” The panelists’ best advice for architects? Hire a good photographer.

Murrye Bernard, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, is a freelance architecture writer and a contributing editor to Contract Magazine and e-Oculus. www.murrye.com

Learning Outside the Box

Catherine Teegarden discusses a Foundation educational program related to the adAPT NYC micro-unit competition mockup, which was installed at the Center for Architecture for the adAPT NYC press conference in July.

Tim Hayduk

Event: Outside the Classroom: Design for Experiential Learning
Location: Center for Architecture, 11.14.12
Moderator: Hettie Jordan Vilanova, Educator, formerly at Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Panelists: School as Learning Village: R. Anthony Fieldman, AIA, LEED AP, President, RAF|T Architects; Museum as Learning Environment: Marcos Stafne, Director of Education, Brooklyn Children’s Museum; City as Laboratory: Catherine Teegarden, Director of Education, Center for Architecture Foundation, and Eli Smith, Exploration Coordinator, MS 447 Explorations School
Organizer: AIANY in collaboration with the Center for Architecture Foundation

The confines of the traditional classroom, with its four walls and rows of rigid desks, do not exactly excite or inspire most students. “Educational environments often encourage exploration in younger years, but they shift to more traditional modes of learning later,” observed Hettie Jordan Vilanova, who moderated a recent panel on designing opportunities for learning outside the classroom. Programs that nurture the “whole child,” from their emotional to cognitive development and communication skills, provide unique experiences that lay the foundation for life-long learning.

Younger generations can navigate smartphones and computers more proficiently than their parents, yet their schools’ environments have yet to catch up. New models for classrooms place the student at the center of the discussion and seamlessly integrate technology. In Sweden, Vittra schools completely dematerialize the classroom and its walls, allowing students to move around or choose where to lounge with their laptops.

“The school is in the cloud – it’s not only a physical institution anymore,” said R. Anthony Fieldman, AIA, LEED AP, President and founder of RAF|T Architects. While not every classroom can be so fluid, Fieldman anticipates that the incorporation of common spaces will increasingly become standard in school design. An example is Kuwait University’s K-12 Teaching School, a project Fieldman worked on as a design principal at Perkins+Will, that will include 350,000 square feet of intensely programmed rooftop space with outdoor classrooms and gardens to serve as learning laboratories.

Beyond classrooms’ and schools’ walls, New York offers a myriad of opportunities for learning. Founded in 1899, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum in Crown Heights holds the distinction as the world’s first children’s museum (there are now more than 300 in the U.S.). Marcos Stafne, director of education at the museum, explained that collections there are no longer mounted traditionally, but designed to engage kids so that learning happens while they are being entertained. “The museum is an idea of what childhood exploration needs to be,” he said.

Catherine Teegarden, director of education at the Center for Architecture Foundation, aims to infuse New York City schools’ curricula with the city’s built environment. The Center hosts monthly workshops as well as Learning By Design:NY residency programs to teach children about architecture and the urban form. At Chinatown’s P.S. 42, 2nd-graders studied bridges, including the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, and built models to learn about their structures before designing their own bridges. Another program that encourages hands-on learning and critical thinking through real-world applications is the MS 447 Explorations School. Eli Smith, the program coordinator, frequently takes students on field trips, such as walking tours of brownfields, visits to the Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum of Art, and urban planning workshops at the Center.

Until classrooms better reflect schools’ ever-evolving curriculums, educational programs can fill the gap and encourage students to explore, building their confidence while developing a stronger sense of community. What better place to learn than the streets of our city?

See examples of 21st-century schools that are pushing the envelope in the exhibition “The Edgeless School: Design for Learning,” on view at the Center for Architecture through 01.19.13.

Murrye Bernard, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, is a freelance architecture writer and a contributing editor to Contract Magazine and e-Oculus. www.murrye.com

The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art announced the winners of the inaugural Stanford White Awards for Excellence in Classical and Traditional Design in the following categories: Residential Architecture – New Construction, A New Residence and Outbuildings by Ferguson & Shamamian Architects, Drumlin Hall by Peter Pennoyer Architects and Residence in Westport, CT by Robert A.M. Stern Architects; Residential Architecture – Renovation and Additions, Alterations and Additions to Pepperidge Farm by Ferguson & Shamamian Architects; Residential Architecture – Townhouses and Apartments, Park Avenue Apartment by John B. Murray Architect; Residential Architecture – Multi-Unit Buildings, Carnegie Hill Apartment Building by Zivkovic Connolly Architects and John Simpson & Partners, and Fifteen Central Park West by Robert A.M. Stern Architects; Commercial, Civic and Institutional Architecture, Saratoga Community Center by George Ranalli, Architect; Landscape Design, Forest Retreat by Edmund D. Hollander Landscape Architects; and Patronage Award, Lloyd Zuckerberg…

Winners of the WAN AWARDS 2012 21 for 21 included the “highly commended” nARCHITECTS and Neil M. Denari Architects…The Preservation League presented the Pillar of New York Award to two honorees, Nicholson & Galloway and Building Conservation Associates…The Intern Development Program Advisory Committee (IDPAC) has selected eight architecture firms as recipients of the 2012-2015 Intern Development Program (IDP) Outstanding Firm Award, including the New York City offices of EYP; IDPAC also named 11 recipients of the 2012-2015 IDP Firm Award, including Mancini Duffy…

Firms shortlisted in the competition to create Sydney’s Barangaroo Central include Bjark Ingels Group (BIG) with HASSELL; Woods Bagot with Scape NYC; UNStudio, LAB architecture Studio, NH Architecture and Imelk; Sasaki Associates, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Jackson Teece; and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with Anderson Hunter Horne…

MoMA/P.S.1 announced the five finalist firms for the annual Young Architects Program, who will compete to design the temporary installation in the P.S. 1 courtyard during the annual summer “Warm-Up” series that include NYC-based Leong Leong Architects, Moorhead & Moorhead, and TempAgency…Finalists in Morpholio’s EyeTime 2012 Photo Competition have been announced, and the public can vote for winners using the competition app; more information.

Antonio Torres, a co-founder of Bittertang, who designed “Burble Bup” for last year’s FIGMENT/ENYA/SEAoNY City of Dreams Pavilion, was named a TED2013 Fellow…

Belmont Freeman, FAIA, has published an essay in Design Observer’s Places Journal titled “Past Perfect: Four Freedoms Park,” on the newly opened memorial to Franklin Roosevelt.

Erika Hinrichs, co-founder of viaArchitecture, has been named Chair of Pratt Institute’s Undergraduate Architecture Department…The Leuphana University Lüneburg has created a new digital school; its first course, “ThinkTank Cities,” will be directed by Daniel Libeskind, AIA…

After 25 years of service, Adele Chatfield-Taylor will step down as president and CEO of the American Academy in Rome, and a committee will begin the search for her successor in January…

Mayor Bloomberg has appointed Brad Gair as director of housing recovery operations with a mission to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to house New Yorkers displaced by Hurricane Sandy…

President Obama announced that Secretary for Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Hon. AIANY, will serve as the administration’s “point person” for the region’s rebuilding efforts…

Warren Gran, FAIA, and Monica Lopez, AIA, LEED AP, announce the founding of Gran Lopez Architects and Planners…Material ConneXion announces the opening of a satellite office in Tibro, Sweden, and its fourth European location in Skövde, Sweden…

Julian Seward, principal of Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA), has relocated from the London to the New York office…The John Hardy Group has appointed Nathan Hall as Senior Project Director…

Mancini Duffy / TSC announced that Theodore (Ted) S. Hammer, FAIA, LEED AP, will head the firm’s architecture practice. Hammer was most recently Managing Partner and Partner-in-Charge of Design at HLW International.