The American Institute of Architects has released an Excel-based tool that generates a report on predicted energy use and project modeling. The tool, called the 2030 Commitment Annual Progress Reporting Tool, is part of the group's push to get its members to design carbon-neutral buildings and practice architecture in a more sustainable way. Although the tool was designed for architecture firms only, it is being tweaked for use by structural engineers. AIA released the tool at its 2010 convention in Miami. To date 105 architects have signed on to the AIA's voluntary 2030 commitment program, said Kelly Pickard, AIA's project
A plan by Rafael Viñoly to transform New York’s former Domino sugar refinery into homes, offices, and shops has cleared a major regulatory hurdle, even if a few tweaks are required. Bitter Debate Brews Over Domino Sugar Plant On Monday, June 7, the city’s planning commission voted 13-0 to approve the $1.5 billion New Domino proposal, which calls for adding 2,200 apartments to a five-block esplanade in Brooklyn, near the Williamsburg Bridge. About a third of the apartments, or 660, would be affordable. While most of the old buildings now standing on the 11.2-acre site would be razed, Viñoly’s plan
Haiti is beginning to fade from the headlines, five months after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the impoverished island country. But many in the design and construction industry are determined to stay involved. On Friday, June 4, more than 150 people filled a Cooper Union auditorium in New York City for a five-hour symposium dubbed “Rebuilding a Sustainable Haiti.” Organized by the Institute for Urban Design, the free event was open to the public and was intended to present an overview of redevelopment strategies for the struggling Caribbean nation. Panelists included representatives from key entities such as Partners in Health, the
This Friday, the 2010 FIFA World Cup gets under way in South Africa, marking the first time an African nation has hosted the global sporting event since it began in 1934. With 3.8 million tickets for sale, the month-long tournament, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is expected to draw approximately 450,000 foreign visitors. Image courtesy FIFA (top); GMP (above) Click on the slide show icon to see additional photos. The South African government has reportedly spent billions on infrastructure improvements and stadium construction since the country was selected in May 2004 to host this year’s tournament. The
A controversial plan to use grazing animals to reverse the process by which grassland turns into desert has won the Buckminster Fuller Challenge, an annual competition focused on solving sweeping global problems. Photo courtesy BFI Allan Savory took home first prize for Operation Hope, a program in Zimbabwe. Related Links: Appalachia Scheme Wins Bucky Fuller Challenge Buckminster Fuller Challenge Launched Why Fuller Matters More Today Than Ever Before This afternoon, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., biologist Allan Savory took home first prize for Operation Hope, a program that proposes using cattle and other animals to revitalize fragile
While the bulk of the Haiti rebuilding effort has been focused on Port-au-Prince in the wake of the devastating January 12 earthquake, one architect-led nonprofit group is turning its attention to outlying areas. The Rural Haiti Project, a Brooklyn-based organization founded in 2006 by Herve Sabin, a Haitian-American designer, has conceived multi-purpose community centers for Jacmel and Camenette, towns in the southern half of the country. The buildings would primarily serve as schools but could offer separate spaces for Internet cafes and government meetings. They also would double as storm shelters. Sabin estimates that each shelter will cost $60,000 to
Image courtesy Renzo Piano Building Workshop Piano's building, totaling 85,000 square feet, respects the scale of its predecessor but does not mimic its cycloid vaults. Related Links: Piano's Design for Kimbell Museum Revealed Piano Designing Kimbell Expansion Kimbell Taps Piano for Expansion The Kimbell Art Museum expansion project is finally moving forward. On May 27, the institution unveiled Renzo Piano's final design for a $70 million building adjacent to Louis Kahn’s masterpiece. The concrete and glass pavilion will double the museum’s gallery space while allowing it to reserve the original building for its renowned permanent collection. The museum first proposed
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