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The Chicago-based Graham Foundation is the largest private architectural foundation in the United States. Since its 1956 founding, it has provided grants to many now iconic projects and publications, such as Rem Koolhaas’ Delirious New York, published in 1978, and more recently, the Studio Museum in Harlem’s 2007 exhibition, David Adjaye: Making Public Buildings.  But in recent months, the nonprofit has felt the effects of the recession, particularly the ailing stock market. Photo © Gaia Cambiaggi/ Storefront for Art & Architecture “We hope to encourage people to realize that you don’t need money for strong ideas,” says Joseph Grima, executive

Today actor Brad Pitt’s organization Make It Right (MIR) released 14 new designs that will be among the 150 houses reconstructed in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. With this second round of schematics, MIR is offering residents the opportunity to rebuild affordable duplexes in addition to the single-family schemes introduced in 2007. Image courtesy Make It Right William McDonough + Partners Related Links: Pitt Selects More Architects for MIR First "Make It Right" Homes Complete Pitt Unveils Sustainable Designs for New Orleans “We always wanted to expand the design catalog, and doubles

Code officials could see a new universal regulatory framework to guide the design and construction of green commercial buildings by the end of next year. On June 29, the American Institute of Architects, along with the International Code Council (ICC) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), announced their intent to create an International Green Construction Code (IGCC). The new code aims to cover all aspects of sustainability in the built environment, from roofing to ventilation strategies, drawing from existing codes and standards to create one universal code. The code will apply to new construction and renovations. “We

Photo © Melissa Majchrzak / courtesy Gehry Partners Frank Gehry Gehry Partners, like many firms, has been pounded by the recession. The Los Angeles-based architecture practice recently lost one of its largest commissions, an arena in Brooklyn, and had another project—the Grand Avenue complex in L.A.— sidelined due to financing problems. The setbacks have led the company to lay off half its staff: Today, it has 112 employees, down from 250 a year and a half ago. “Every economic cycle brings with it a unique set of challenges and opportunities,” explains Frank Gehry, FAIA. “We’ve worked hard over the years to

Photo @ Nick Milkovich Architects Arthur Erickson Canada’s most influential architect, Arthur Erickson, died on May 20 at the age of 84. Erickson is the only Canadian ever to be awarded the AIA’s Gold Medal (1986). He built to acclaim in Japan, Kuwait, England, and up and down the U.S. West Coast, from the San Diego Convention Centre (1981) to the Tacoma Museum of Glass (1996). His legacy, however, is most evident in the city of both his birth and death, Vancouver. One has to go all the way back to Daniel Burnham’s shaping of Chicago to find another North

F&S Partners, a Dallas-based firm that specializes in the design of educational, recreational, and religious projects, announced today that it is merging with SmithGroup, one of the nation’s top architecture and engineering firms. Founded in 1962 as Fisher and Spillman Architects, the F&S Partners office will now carry the name “SmithGroup/F&S.” It will provide architecture, interior design, MEP, and planning services to clients throughout the Southwest. No jobs will be eliminated at the 40-person F&S Partners. According to a prepared statement, all of its employees will remain on staff, and its five principals will continue to hold their management positions.

After decades of false starts, one of architect Louis Kahn’s final works, a 4.5-acre park in New York City to honor President Franklin D. Roosevelt, is scheduled to break ground in mid-August on the synergistically named Roosevelt Island, in the East River. Image courtesy Vladislav Yeliseyev Today, the nine-member board of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation voted 7 to 1 in favor of the proposal. Related Links: Is Kahn's FDR Memorial Back on Track? Today, the nine-member board of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), which is the public authority that runs the island, voted 7 to 1 in favor

Graph © Architectural Record While it’s no longer sinking, the Architectural Billings Index, a leading economic indicator, barely moved between April (42.8) and May (42.9). However, the May inquiries score was 55.2, the third consecutive month it has landed in the mid-50s. (A score above 50 indicates an increase, and below 50, a decrease). The current numbers were released today by the American Institute of Architects, which produces the ABI based on surveys sent to firms. The index reflects a nine- to 12-month lag time between architectural billings and construction spending. “The design and construction marketplace is extremely competitive right

Visitors to an Automobile Museum planned for Nanjing will drive their cars into the building and up an undulating, uneven ramp to the roof. As designed by 3Gatti.com Architecture Studio, which has offices in Shanghai and Rome, the 15,000-square-meter museum will offer a drive-through experience, as well as exhibitions, restaurants, shops, a special events space, an automobile sales office, a design center, and laboratories to be visited on foot. Image courtesy 3Gatti.com Architecture Studio 3Gatti.com Architecture Studio has designed an automobile museum planned for Nanjing, China. “We designed a building geared to the automobile, where the car is the point