Photo © Herb Swanson (Vermont Public Radio) This Habitat for Humanity house in Charlotte, Vermont was designed to meet the strict energy use and airtightness metrics that govern the international Passive House standard. A new certification introduced by Passive House Institute U.S. might change the way some Passive House Buildings are modeled, designed, and commissioned in North America. Related links: Passive House Schism Leaves U.S. in Limbo Interview with Dr. Wolfgang Feist From Green Extreme to Mainstream: Passive House Program Gains Momentum in U.S. A new certification system combining the Passive House standard with the Home Energy Rating System (HERS)

The procurement of three pieces by Colombian architect Giancarlo Mazzanti signals a new direction for the Museum of Modern Art. Parque Biblioteca Espa'a, Medell'n, Colombia. Presentation model in white cardboard of Parque Biblioteca Espa'a. Related Links: "Small Scale, Big Change" Exhibition Opens at MoMA Parque Biblioteca Espa'a Steven Holl Architects Unveils Design for Bogot' Building Coliseums for the South American Games The Department of Architecture and Design at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has acquired three architectural models of recent projects by Colombian architect, Giancarlo Mazzanti. The selection represents two firsts: These are the first Colombian buildings

Related Links: Top 250 Firms in 2011 Merger Mania KlingStubbins: Autodesk AEC Headquarters Jacobs Engineering Group has acquired the architecture firm KlingStubbins, a move that boosts the parent company’s design capabilities and adds 500 U.S. and Asia-based employees. KlingStubbins, based in Philadelphia, ranked number 31 on Architectural Record’s 2011 list of the Top 250 architecture firms in the United States. In 2010, the company earned $98 million in design revenue. “We are acquiring a solid business with a history of good performance,” said Jacobs President and Chief Executive Officer Craig Martin, in a statement released on November 2. Terms of

Leadership shakeups at U.S. and European architecture schools continue as a sluggish global economy adversely affects the profession. The United States’ top-ranked schools of architecture are largely absent from the list of schools at which the guard is changing, but some well-regarded departments have seen their share of turnover. New arrivals will need to address a salient question: how can a school of architecture prepare its students for a volatile marketplace while continuing to keep them inspired? If you know of other major leadership changes at architecture schools, post them in the comment box below or send a note to

A long list of illustrious firms are vying for the chance to refurbish and reimagine three Washington, D.C., landmarks. Photo courtesy Wikipedia The Trust for the National Mall wants to revamp Union Square, the grounds around the Washington Monument, and Constitution Gardens. The Trust for the National Mall has announced the finalists in a design competition that aims to restore and improve three prominent sites on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Snøhetta, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Michael Maltzan Architecture, and Ten Arquitectos are among the bevy of notable firms whose proposals have advanced to the next stage of the

Photo © Spencer T Tucker During a press event Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg and representatives of Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group announced that Coach Inc. had signed a deal to anchor the Hudson Yards development. Image courtesy Related Companies View of the South Tower from the High Line. KPF designed the 1.7-million-sq-ft, 51-story tower. Related Links: The City Reimagined: Hudson Yards Luxury retailer Coach, Inc. will become the first tenant in a tower that developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group, both of New York, plan to build on Midtown Manhattan’s West Side. Coach will occupy more than 600,000 square

Mini-parks built atop parking spaces are cropping up throughout San Francisco. The trend is spreading to other cities, as well. Photo ' Søren Schaumberg Jensen/REBAR Rebar, a San Francisco firm, designed a parklet outside of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in the North Beach neighborhood. Related Links: NYC: They Unpaved Paradise and Took Out a Parking Lot It’s the ultimate revenge on the modern city: one less parking space, one more park. A century and a half after San Francisco city planner Jasper O’Farrell was driven out of town by a lynch mob for taking farmers’ land to widen Market Street, parklets

Rem's addition to Cornell's architecture school keeps a low profile on the university's famed Arts Quad but speaks louder on the other side. Photo ' Clifford Pearson The new 47,000-square-foot Milstein Hall cantilevers nearly 50 feet over an adjacent road. Rem Koolhaas led a tour of the building in late October. Related Links: At Cornell University, Groundbreaking Could Mark the End of 12-Year Saga Third Time’s A Charm for Koolhaas at Cornell Holl’s Cornell Scheme Will Not Be Built Rem Koolhaas and his Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) partner Shohei Shigematsu showed off Milstein Hall, their 47,000-square-foot addition to Cornell's