The National Science Foundation is seeking applicants for $200 million in grants to rehabilitate research facilities at academic institutions. The funding is coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Letters of intent are due on July 1 and full proposals are due August 24. Universities, colleges, community colleges, research museums, and other research organizations and consortia are eligible to apply. According to the NSF, “funding will be limited to facilities where research and research-training activities focus on NSF-supported fields of science and engineering." The agency says it does not intend to use the money to finance new construction. The
Graphs courtesy AIA The Architectural Billings Index dipped to 42.8 in April, down slightly from the month prior but considerably higher than January’s 33.3, an all-time low in the ABI’s 13-year history. While many architects are still reporting “difficult conditions,” the recent figures could suggest an upswing in the coming months, says Kermit Baker, chief economist for the American Institute of Architects, which produces the index based on surveys sent to architecture firms. “The most encouraging part of this news is that this is the second month with very strong inquiries for new projects,” Baker says. In April, the inquiries
Karen Duckett, AIA, has attended pre-proposal meetings for public projects such as libraries and schools for years, usually encountering representatives of the same 15 or 20 Atlanta-area firms. Not anymore. At a recent meeting, 90 firms showed up, most seeking work to make up for the dearth of private sector projects. “The private sector is way, way down. Those firms that do development—residential, multifamily, commercial—they’re really hurting,” says Duckett, president of Atlanta-based, 20-person Duckett Design Group. Image courtesy Lake-Flato One of Lake-Flato’s projects that is still moving forward is the Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, in San Antonio. Related
Designed by architect Gottfried Norman, a Swede-turned-Atlantan who designed expensive homes for wealthy Southerners during the post-Civil War “New South” period, the Queen Anne-style house was built for Edward Peters, financier and president of the Atlanta Railway Company. It stayed in the family until the death of Peters’ daughter-in-law, Lucille, in 1970.
The Van Alen Institute plans to announce today that its executive director, Adi Shamir, is stepping down. Shamir cites an interest in focusing on her family and finishing several book projects as the reason for her resignation. She came to the organization in the summer of 2006, following the departure of Ray Gastil, who was there for nearly ten years. Joan Ockman, a VAI trustee and associate professor at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, will serve as interim director during an international search for Shamir’s replacement, which begins immediately. While the New York-based organization has a 100-year
Prepare your portfolios—entries are now being accepted for a competition to identify the best new buildings around the globe. Organizers of the World Architecture Festival, held for the first time last fall, have announced that this year’s event will take place in Barcelona, from November 4 to 6. The main component of the festival is an international awards program judged by notable architects, writers, and editors. Among the big-name jurors this year are Kengo Kuma, Peter Cook, Will Alsop, Rafael Viñoly, and Lee Polisano. Photo ' Jens Lindhe/courtesy World Architecture Festival The 2008 winner in the housing category was Mountain
RSS