Photo courtesy Wikipedia Related Links: Death and Life of an American City A new month follows September this year: It’s called “Archtober,” and it’s a cornucopia of events for New York architecture and design lovers. Initiated by the AIA New York chapter, openhousenewyork, and the Architecture & Design Film Festival, this month-long October fest expands on Architecture Week (held annually by AIANY since 2003) and unites several diverse programs and events under one banner for the first time. With 33 partner organizations involved, there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone. For a complete schedule, see the Archtober website: archtober.org. HIGHLIGHTS

In 2007, Mayor Bloomberg introduced his sweeping initiative to green the city and improve living conditions for all New Yorkers. Is the plan working? Photo courtesy Wikipedia Related Links: Death and Life of a Great American City The Future of New York Buildings Figure Large in PlaNYC NYC Supports Green Jobs When Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled PlaNYC in 2007, it was seen as a visionary proposal that would likely define his legacy. With the city’s population expected to rise from 8 million to 9 million by 2030, the catch-all initiative sought to make the city greener and more livable by

Photo courtesy Shigeru Ban Architects Temporary housing by Shigeru Ban is now under construction in Onagawa—a coastal town in Japan that was decimated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Related Links: Ban to Offer Aid to Native Japan Shigeru Ban Hopes to Build Waterproof Shelters in Haiti Ban-Aid Newsmaker: Shigeru Ban Metal Shutter Houses by Ban Ban Pavilion Could Sell for More than $1 Million On the surface, the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, and the town of Onagawa, Japan, do not have much in common.  But one does not have to scratch deeply to find likenesses. Since earthquakes

Photo ' Caroline Stevens Emil Bach House (1915), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Global TrendCities around the world have launched open house events as a way to engage the public in architecture and design. Slovenia’s Chamber of Architects, an advocacy organization, has taken the idea a step further, hosting an open house featuring more than 100 sites throughout the country. Barcelona Launched: 2010 Next: October 22–23, 2011 Denver Launched: 2005 Next: April 14–15, 2012 Dublin Launched: 2005 Next: October 7–9, 2011 Galway, Ireland Launched: 2009 Next: October 13–16, 2011 Helsinki Launched: 2011 Next: September 2012 Jerusalem Launched: 2007 Next: November

The Solar Decathlon, a popular competition and expo organized by the Department of Energy (DOE) that invites teams to build houses powered by the sun, opened to the public today in Washington, D.C

Photo ' Richard Bryant/www.arcaid.co.uk Related Links: UK Theater Marks Significant Milestone for Viñoly Viñoly and Kimmel Center Settle Discord The New Domino In London, Futuristic Plans for an Old Power Station It has been eight years in the making, come in more than $15.8 million over budget, and been mired in litigation throughout its construction, but Rafael Viñoly’s $44.3 million arts center in Colchester, England, will finally open its doors on September 25.  The “Golden Banana,” as it has been dubbed by the townspeople, is a 41,000-square-foot copper-and-aluminum-clad facility built for the arts organization Firstsite. The Colchester council hopes the

Photo courtesy Studio Daniel Libeskind Although his design for a "Freedom Tower" was replaced by SOM¹s One WTC, Daniel Libeskind helped shape the rebuilding at the World Trade Center through his competition-winning master plan. RECORD editors Cathleen McGuigan, Clifford Pearson, and William Hanley interviewed Libeskind in his New York office overlooking the WTC site. Here are some excerpts from the conversation. On the special character of Ground Zero: This is now a site that has memory in it. This is a site where people perished. This is a site which forever has altered how we view New York and the

In 2004, when Santiago Calatrava unveiled his plans for the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, an 800,000-square-foot complex knitting together underground train lines, he explained his vision at a press conference by sketching an image of a bird taking flight.

Photo ' Michel Denanc' Related Links: Piano's Plans for Corbu Landmark Spark Debate Journalists, officials, and curious locals gathered last week at Le Corbusier’s chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France, to celebrate the opening of a quiet new visitors’ center and convent designed by Renzo Piano—a project that incited fierce debate when it was first announced in 2008. Opponents feared the addition would distract from the power of Corbusier's sculptural masterpiece.   Piano, who attended the inauguration ceremony, which stretched from September 8–11, told RECORD that he has enhanced the 4.9-acre property by creating facilities that support