While “adaptive reuse” and “loft living” have become popular catch phrases for developers transforming old industrial buildings into trendy condominiums, others are shouting “not so fast”—and perhaps none as loudly as those opposed to converting the Domino Sugar plant in Brooklyn into a residential complex. During a New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) public hearing, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects was sent back to the drawing board after its proposal for a five-story glass rooftop addition to a landmarked refinery was met with considerable disapproval.
Photos courtesy Wikipedia/Michiel972 The landmark Architecture Faculty Building at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands reportedly collapsed this afternoon after an electrical fire burned out of control. The building, completed in 1970, was designed by J.H. van den Broek and Jacob Bakema, both associated with the rebuilding of Rotterdam after World War II. The building was evacuated when the fire broke out around 9 a.m. No injuries have been reported. The fire destroyed far more than a building. Its architecture library is considered one of the finest in Europe, with an outstanding collection of architecture journals and books dating
The first quarter of 2008 was a bleak one for architects—and conditions are not likely to improve anytime soon. The Architectural Billings Index (ABI), a key measure of the market for architectural services compiled by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), opened the year with a three-month skid, ending the first quarter at the lowest point in its 12-year history. March’s anemic ABI score of 39.7—a number over 50 indicates an increase in billing activity and below 50, a decrease—marks a 15-point drop from December’s 55. While some firms are still reporting high volumes of work, even the most optimistic
The University of California, San Francisco has tapped Rafael Viñoly Architects to design a stem cell research center, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The 74,000-square-foot facility, to be built on the university’s hilltop Parnassus campus, will be “a silver, terraced structure that snakes uphill along the winding curves of Medical Center Way,” the article explains. Dr. Anrold Kriegstein, director of the university’s stem cell institute, told the Chronicle that the “unusual design” was selected for its ability to accommodate a restrictive building site and to facilitate collaboration among doctors and scientists. The $119 million project was formally announced Wednesday,
The death toll from Cyclone Nargis, the storm and corresponding tidal surge that struck Myanmar last weekend, continues to climb. An initial estimate of 350 fatalities has risen sharply, with some now projecting 100,000 dead. Approximately one million people are homeless, hunger and disease are threatening survivors, and the city of Yangon, the country’s commercial capital, is littered with debris and lacks electricity. In addition, the government is blocking most international aid, according to news reports. As the situation appears increasingly dire, the San Francisco–based Architecture for Humanity (AFH) already has mobilized its forces to help disaster victims. As of
As owners and regulators ponder how to handle the aging of towers built during the time of the first oil shocks, in the 1970s, architects and engineers nationwide are proving that a new skin can make a middle-aged building more energy efficient—but only sometimes make it look more elegant. Images courtesy Gensler Gensler’s proposal to re-clad a masonry tower in Manhattan with glass has drawn criticism. Along with lava lamps and disco, the 1960s and 1970s produced a host of tall buildings that used crude window glazing and air control technology. “In those days you built on site, put in
Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture recently won a competition to design Masdar Headquarters, a 1.6-million-square-foot, zero-waste, zero-carbon facility that it predicts will generate not only enough power to run itself, but also surplus energy to help fuel buildings surrounding it.
Photo courtesy New York City Department of Buildings Patricia Lancaster, FAIA, stepped down as Building Commissioner of New York City on April 23. On April 23, New York City’s Building Commissioner Patricia Lancaster, FAIA stepped down following a string of construction accidents in 2008, 13 of which were fatal. Just one week later, on April 28, a construction worker on Staten Island was critically injured on the first day of the city’s newly created Construction Safety Week. These incidents have incited a fierce debate over where fault lies that could have far-reaching implications for other cities in the midst of
Construction of Santiago Calatrava’s elegant, lyre-shaped suspension bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem is due to be finished at the end of May, despite a history of opposition from residents, environmental groups, and others—and an apparent lack of purpose in the short term.
This Sunday, May 4, marks the one-year anniversary of the EF-5 tornado that destroyed most of Greensburg, Kansas. As part of a town-wide green initiative, students from the state’s two architecture schools are lending a hand in helping residents rebuild using sustainable design principles and techniques.
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