The department's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations intends to release a how-to handbook by July. The State Dept. is pushing ahead with plans to embrace “design excellence” in its embassy construction program, using some elements for a new U.S. embassy in London, now in design, and fleshing out details through a series of documents that will spell out specific Design Excellence program guidelines. Photo: U.S. Department of State / Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations / Timothy Hursley The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations used some Design Excellence elements as it planned and built an embassy in Beijing that was completed
London's high-rise architecture has a culinary bent of late. First there was the “Gherkin” by architect Norman Foster; now there is the “Cheese Grater” by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, London. The city's next major high-rise, mothballed for three years during the foundation stage but about to spring to life, got its nickname thanks to its silvery leaning south facade.
Image courtesy Arup One of the firm’s current projects in China is Ding He Tower in Shenzhen. Despite a diminished head count at its London-based headquarters, the global engineering firm Arup has opened overseas architecture offices for the first time in its 65-year history. Related Links: U.K. Budget Cuts Could Spur Layoffs at ArupCecil Balmond Leaves Arup to Start His Own Firm Arup Developing Green City in China The three new offices, which debuted in early April, are located in China, in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Each employs about 15 architects and 12 engineers, many of them
Photo courtesy Taliesin Preservation, Inc. Taliesin's tour season begins on April 28. Click to view images of the famous Wisconsin estate. Image courtesy Architectural Record Click to view RECORD's coverage of Taliesin in 1913. The photos are by Henry Fuermann. Photo courtesy Architectural Record Notable Houses in 1911: We combed through back issues of RECORD to see what types of houses were appearing in 1911, the year construction of Taliesin began. Here, a few examples. Most architects are well acquainted with Taliesin, one of the most storied dwellings in America. Situated in the rolling countryside near Spring Green, Wisconsin, the
For quake and tsunami victims left homeless, simple shelters help ease discomfort. Photo courtesy Shigeru Ban Architects Emergency centers set up in gymnasiums and other large structures offer little privacy. In response, Shigeru Ban conceived a partition system made of paper tubes and canvas sheets. “I have been to disaster areas all over the world,” says Shigeru Ban. But never had the Japanese architect and veteran relief worker seen the degree of devastation that struck his homeland on March 11, 2011. The 9.0-magnitude earthquake, followed by the massive tsunami that crashed down on 311 miles of coastline, left thousands of
Photo ' Jeff Goldberg/Esto for Ennead Architects Click to view winners of the architecture awards. Click to view winners of the interiors awards. Click to view winners of the urban design awards. Click to view winners of the unbuilt work awards. A skyscraper in China, a wastewater treatment plant in New York, and an art museum in North Carolina are among the 38 winners of AIA New York’s 2011 Design Awards. Now in its 30th year, the annual awards program recognizes exemplary projects located in New York City or designed by architects practicing in New York City. Honor and merit
If you thought the war of the woods was over, think again. Paper is the new front in the ongoing battle between the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). The advocacy group ForestEthics recently announced that seven major companies would stop using the SFI label on their paper products. Photo courtesy Wikipedia Seven major companies, including Allstate Insurance Company (above) and Office Depot, recently announced that they will stop using the SFI label on their paper products. Related Links: Not Enough Votes for LEED-Certified Wood Benchmark GreenSource Magazine According to a ForestEthics press release, the following
Work is well under way on the 320-bed facility being constructed by Partners in Health, a Boston-based nonprofit group. Constructing any major hospital is a challenge, but building a 320-bed state-of-the-art teaching hospital for $16 million in the highlands of Haiti is fraught with difficulties. Haitian workers are learning U.S.-style construction, tempered by budget and supply-chain realities. The design, donated by Nicholas Clark Architects, uses natural ventilation and solar power to counter spotty electrical service. HVAC is used sparingly because of power limitations and a lack of HVAC maintenance services in Mirebalais. Yet the aid group Partners in Health (PIH)