Northside residents, community leaders and architects met Friday to discuss the redevelopment of the Northside at Green Street Baptist Church. A final session is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the church located at 466 Brawley St.

Spartanburg's Northside will transition into an area with plenty of green space, opportunities for recreation with tree-lined streets that border attractive houses and apartments with retail, restaurants and a cafe in the mix, according to architectural sketches.

Architects from Spartanburg-based McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture partnered with the Dallas firm of JHP Architecture to illustrate ideas received during two days of public input sessions designed to educate people on the assets and challenges of the Northside and more importantly, what the new Northside will look like.

Northside residents sat alongside nonprofit leaders, college presidents and planners Thursday and Friday at the Green Street Baptist Church to get a true picture of the 400 acres that largely comprise the area long plagued by high-crime and poverty.

The Northside has plenty of challenges restricted transportation for many residents, low-income and little access to fresh food, but there are already solutions in place to combat those. Construction of a Healthy Food Hub, which will include a cafe, gardens, community meeting space and a culinary program, is underway. Colleges are committed to bringing technology and classes to the neighborhood.

The charrettes were part of the $300,000 federal planning grant in preparation of applying for a $30 million implementation grant this year. The grants will be awarded next year.

Atlanta-based Columbia Residential is a nationally recognized developer of attractive, affordable housing across the country. Its founder and chief executive officer, Noel Khalil, praised the city for its vision and acquisition of 160 parcels during the past two years.

Property acquisition is oftentimes cumbersome and complicated, but the work of the city and Northside Development Corp., the nonprofit formed by the city and led by former mayor Bill Barnet, will streamline and simplify future construction and planning, Khalil said.

"My opinion is that Spartanburg is an extremely unique community," Khalil said after an afternoon charrette Friday. "The vision, and more importantly, the work that has already been done, is a very bold initiative."

Khalil said in his years of work in community development in more than 20 cities across the nation, Spartanburg's effort is the most "well-planned and orchestrated."

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Architects show plans for Northside neighborhood

Hall County has found a place to relocate judges and courthouse staff while a costly courthouse renovation is underway.

On Tuesday, county supervisors will vote on whether to buy the former Workforce Development building at 1306 W. Third St. The county used to co-own that building but now wants to buy it back from the city of Grand Island for $600,000.

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Hall County to buy building from city for temporary courthouse

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Newswise MANHATTAN, KAN. -- Researchers and students at Kansas State University are thinking in three dimensions.

University engineers and designers are developing ideas from concept to prototype using some of the latest 3-D printers. The layer by layer printing process has helped professors and students explore new possibilities for creating prototypes, formula car parts, models, tools, and -- on a less conventional note -- eyeglasses, custom-made clothes and intricately designed puzzles.

In the College of Architecture, Planning & Design, two professors -- Dustin Headley, assistant professor of interior architecture and product design, and Nathan Howe, assistant professor of architecture -- are using 3-D printers to help students explore the limits of gravity and to challenge themselves as designers.

The college has two 3-D printers: a uPrint that uses strings of ABS plastic and a Form1 printer that uses liquid resin and lasers. Students in Howe's architecture classes have 3-D printed model pieces for projects while students in Headley's product design classes have printed tiles and product prototypes.

"The printers get students to operate at a scale where they can actually touch things," Headley said. "If they aren't engaging in that, then everything becomes kind of pie in the sky. When they are forced to make things more reasonable, students discover holes in the design that the computer fails to highlight in its gravity free environment."

The architects also say that using 3-D printers helps students learn important job-related skills and makes them more marketable.

"In architecture, we are designing in an age where it is possible to build more complex forms," Howe said. "However if you can design it in a computer, it doesn't necessarily make it right. The best tools the students have are their eyes. 3-D printers allow the students to make complex forms physical, allowing them to get a lot more information out of their design process. The printer provides a mechanism to strive for more complexity that can still be rationalized."

As the college obtains more 3-D printers, it becomes quicker and more cost-effective for students to use the technology. Headley and Howe already plan to integrate the printers in spring semester classes. Headley plans to have students use the Xbox Kinect to create body scans and design and print their own custom-fit apparel or action figures of themselves. He also plans to have students in product design courses print children's toys.

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Architects, Designers and Engineers Use 3-D Printers to Make Research Come to Life

Car Park House is based in Echo Park, Los Angeles (Photo: Steve King)

Los Angeles-based architecture and design studio Anonymous Architects has completed an unusual property which gives primacy to the occupant's automobile. Like the firm's Big and Small House, Car Park House is again a fine example of using a modest-sized plot to its fullest, but in this case Anonymous Architects took the step of installing a rooftop-based car port.

Measuring 130 sq m (1,405 sq ft) and located in Echo Park, Los Angeles, Car Park House differs from other car-centric properties we've covered, such as the Autofamily House or Porsche Design Tower in that its design derives from practical concerns. The local building code requires that new homes feature at least two vehicle parking spaces, and the site chosen for construction is on a steep hillside.

The single-level dwelling was built atop a concrete pile foundation, and Anonymous Architects reckons these lend the impression that the home is "floating" above the hillside. Access to Car Park House is gained via the bridge, and steps lead from the car port into the home proper. Inside, there's three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and dining area, and a lounge.

The rooftop parking area is also usable as a deck space, and the property boasts views of the nearby San Gabriel Mountains.

Car Park House was completed in August, 2013.

Source: Anonymous Architects

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A car park with a view (and a house too)

Kingspan Solar Thermal and Commercial Rainwater Harvesting systems help Architects, Engineers and Designers boost LEED points at 2014 AHR Expo

JESSUP, Maryland The U.S. Green Building Council promotes cost-efficient, energy-saving building practices via a global LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, points program for Architects, Engineers, Designers and Property Owners engaged in green activities. Kingspan Environmental is set to score big points of its own among those stakeholders by demystifying the LEED project certification and points-accrual process at the 2014 AHR Expo in New York City.

"The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Expo is a great place for us to meet face-to-face with Architects, Engineers, Designers and others interested in reducing costs and safeguarding resources through sustainable building technologies," says Seamus Cussen, commercial director for Kingspan in Jessup, Md "We're very excited to show our solar thermal solutions as well as the rainwater harvesting systems which will be launched at the Expo!"

"The commercial rainwater harvesting systems alone earn property owners LEED points in multiple credit areas," explains Cussen. "In addition, they provide as much as 85 percent of the water needed to run high-performance buildings efficiently and effectively with maintenance and run costs so low that most clients experience radical savings."

Cussen says the company's rainwater harvesting systems fit seamlessly into existing pipe work and suit a wide variety of applications which include, but are not limited to: universities, hospitals, airports, sports arenas, shopping centers and hotels.

The Expo will be held Jan. 21-23, 2014, at the Javits Center on Manhattan's west side. The center itself has undergone major renovation in recent years, complete with a green roof that is said to be "the largest in the Northeast". Representatives from Kingspan Environmental will engage attendees at booth # 6002 and be on hand to explain:

Why LEED certification and credits matter to Architects, Engineers, Designers, etc. How Kingspan Environmental helps fill LEED requirements in USGBC Sustainable Site, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere and Innovation in Design categories The built-in economic/environmental benefits of Kingspan Solar Thermal Systems and Commercial Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Kingspan Environmental, a division of Kingspan Group, is one of the world's largest and most experienced providers of sustainable building technologies. The company has a proven track record of success and offers a comprehensive range of solutions which produce results across any application.

Architects, Engineers, Designers and others interested in learning more about LEED certification, credits and Kingspan's full line of sustainable building technologies should call Seamus Cussen directly at (410) 799-6602 or visit KinspanEnviro.com.

Kingspan Environmental 7510 Montevideo Road Jessup, MD 20794 United States

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Architects, Engineers Score More LEED® Points with Kingspan at NYC 2014 AHR Expo

The new national stadium of Japan, by Zaha Hadid Architects, will be built for the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo.

In September, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the host city for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in 2020. A town with a good track record, Tokyo beat out Istanbul and Madrid and took the prize for the third time.

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

A range of existing facilities will be used for the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games, including Rafael Violys Tokyo International Forum, a civic complex completed in 1996.

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The city was first selected for the 1940 summer games, which were canceled due to World War II. Tokyos second win was for the 1964 summer Olympics. Symbolizing the end of Japans postWorld War II reconstruction, new athletic facilities were built and infrastructure was upgraded, changing the Japanese lifestyle for good. Now many are wondering what kind of legacy the 2020 Olympics will leave.

In preparation for the 1964 Olympics, Tokyo underwent several major changes including the construction of an overhead highway system, the extension of subway lines, the widening of streets, and, just days after the opening of the games, the launch of the Shinkansen bullet train connecting Tokyo and Osaka. Our urban life, based on a network of underground trains, was a gift of the 1964 Olympics, says Professor Hiroyuki Suzuki of Aoyama Gakuin University. Most of the new athletic facilities were concentrated within central Tokyo. While a number of the original structures remain in use, Kenzo Tanges Yoyogi National Gymnasium stands out as the events iconic building. Flexing the countrys technological muscles, the building is topped by a spectacular swooping roof and, fittingly, was erected on the site of a former U.S. military base. It showed the world the power of Japans contemporary architecture culture, which has continued into the present.

This time, the main Olympic venues will be divided between two areas reasonably near the Olympic Village, in the middle of the city. To improve Tokyos already efficient public transportation network, there is talk of adding new subway lines that would facilitate movement to the citys two airports as well as to one of the venue areas, the Tokyo Bay Zone. Largely built on landfill, this area is a relatively recent addition to the city and is still considered a little out of reach. More commercial amenities catering to the 17,000 athletes who will call the Village home are also anticipated. These will make the neighborhood more enticing after the Olympics, when temporary accommodations are converted into permanent residences.

But recasting the Village isnt the only adaptive reuse planned. A whole range of existing facilities will host the new competitions. While the Tange gym will hold handball tournaments, Fumihiko Makis Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium will host table tennis. Other buildings, such as Rafael Violys Tokyo Forum and various stadiums as far afield as Sapporo and Sendai, built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, will be venues for weightlifting and soccer respectively.

One building not slated for reuse is the 1964 Olympics main stadium. In preparation for the possibility of winning the bid, the Japan Sports Council held the International Concept Design Competition for a new arena in compliance with the IOCs current requirements. In November 2012, they awarded the commission to London-based Zaha Hadid Architects, which will serve as the projects design consultant in collaboration with a team of Japanese firms captained by Nihon Sekkei, Nikken Sekkei, and Ove Arup Japan.

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Will Tokyo's Second Olympics Leave a Design Legacy?

The site of the former Hudson's department store in Detroit. SHoP Architects and Hamilton Anderson Associates have been tapped to come up with concepts for a new building there.

One of Detroits most iconic sites will be the subject of an intense design concept study in coming months, headed by New Yorks ShoP Architects.

Photo courtesy historicdetroit.org/Detroit Free Press Archives

The former Hudson's department store.

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The focus will be on the site of the old Hudsons department store, which for decades in mid-20th century reigned as Detroits most important shopping locale. The store dated to 1891 and was built in multiple stages, reaching 25 stories and 2.2 million square feet before it closed in 1983. The structure was imploded in 1998 and since then the site has housed just an underground parking garage.

Rock Ventures, the umbrella entity for billionaire businessman Dan Gilbert, founder and chair of Quicken Loans, announced Monday that it had hired ShoP to work jointly with Detroit-based Hamilton Anderson Associates (HAA) to conduct an intensive study of concepts for a new signature building on the site (most likely mixed-use commercial and residential). Given central downtown location in the heart of Woodward Avenue, the project promises to produce what could be a new postcard image for the Motor City. These two firms, known as premier urban catalysts, were chosen for their innovation and creativity, as well as their track record of committing to community engagement. We believe SHoP and Hamilton Anderson will join a long list of distinguished architects, including Yamasaki, Burnham, and Kahn, who have created landmark buildings in Detroit that stand the test of time, said Jeff Cohen, founder of Rock Companies, LLC, a member of the Rock Ventures family of companies.

SHoP has designed dozens of signature projects, including the Barclays Center at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, New York, where the worlds tallest modular housing towersalso designed by SHoPare currently under construction. Hamilton Anderson has worked on numerous Detroit projects including the Tech One Building at the TechTown Research and Technology Park at Wayne State University. "In visiting Detroit, we've experienced the zeal and sense of entrepreneurship that underpins a vibrant urban environment. Through our inclusive design process and engagement with academia, we look forward to becoming part of the local culture and conducting a dialogue about the future of downtown," says William Sharples, SHoP principal.

In the coming month, SHoP and HAA will meet with local stakeholders to discuss programming and design concepts. In early 2014, the two firms will host a lecture series for the community to learn more about the architects, the Hudsons site, and what it will take to get a project of this magnitude underway. Designing a signature architectural project from the ground up in downtown Detroitor any great cityis an opportunity of a lifetime, and we are committed to getting it right, says Gilbert. Our goal is that this project will become not only a symbol of Detroits past and present, but more importantly, highlight the high-tech potential, creative future of opportunities for Detroiters and visitors from around the world.

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SHoP to Work on Major Detroit Project

Diamond Schmitt Architects, in collaboration with Edward J. Cuhaci and Associates Architects, has finished the expansion and renovation of the MacOdrum Library at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. The $27 million project updates and expands the 1960s facility by introducing natural light throughout the core and adding features that address modern-day learning environments.

Anchored by a helical mahogany staircase, the five-story library features nine new reading rooms, interactive study rooms with large touch-screen monitors and two treadmills with desks, a video gaming lab, a discovery center with digital media labs, and additional group and graduate study rooms. A future music resource center will host small concerts on a piano beneath a circular skylight.

We have to move beyond the traditional ways of learning and support creativity, teamwork, and entrepreneurship. Thats what this building does, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, said at the reopening ceremony. The building is extremely functional, and it really is a beautiful space.

Originally posted here:
Diamond Schmitt Architects Completes Library Renovation at Ottawa's Carleton University

Now that local politicians and team owners have decided Orlando will get a Major League Soccer stadium, they have to decide what it will look like.

Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando City Soccer Club president Phil Rawlins and others from the city's anointed MLS team travel to Kansas City, Kan., for a two-day design workshop today and Wednesday. They'll brainstorm with architects from Populous, the firm hired to design the new stadium.

"I'm a big believer in doing this getting all the parties involved in the same room to talk about concepts and which way to go," Dyer said.

They will focus on big-picture ideas for the design of the $84 million stadium. A fine-tuned blueprint will come later.

City officials participated in similar brainstorming sessions with architects in the early stages of designing both the Amway Center arena and the upcoming renovation of the Citrus Bowl stadium. One of those sessions yielded the 180-foot color-changing steel spire that has become the Amway Center's most prominent feature.

Some details of the stadium are already known: It is supposed to be a modern, state-of-the-art facility seating about 18,000 people. Fans will have a roof over their heads, and the field will be open to the sky. There will be a supporter section; corner terraces; about 2,500 club seats; 300 seats in luxury suites; and a premium club with a bar and restaurant.

But its appearance and how distinctive it will be from other MLS stadiums is up in the air.

Designers likely will draw inspiration from some of the newest MLS stadiums, including BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston and Sporting Park in Kansas City, though the latter facility, at more than twice the cost of Orlando's, is likely more elaborate than Lions fans can expect.

Dyer toured both those facilities last year during the debate about whether to commit public money to the project. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs toured PPL Park, home of the Philadelphia Union.

Populous, formerly known as HOK Sport, is a leading sports architecture firm with an impressive list of athletic facilities around the world, including the soccer stadiums in Kansas City and Houston, and Orlando's own Amway Center.

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Architects, Dyer and Lions to brainstorm ideas for MLS stadium design

THE United Architects of the Philippines-Kadayawan Davao (UAP-KD) will hold its 2nd Arki-Smash Badminton Tournament on January 25 and 26 at the Smash n' Drop, San Pedro Extension, Davao City.

The tournament is open to badminton players all over the country.

Categories to be contested are men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.

In a phone interview with Sun.Star Davao, UAP-KD committee chairman Chang Alquiza said that a team challenge between Architects Badminton Federation (ABF) players from Luzon and Mindanao will also be expected.

"We are happy that a total of 22 ABF players from Luzon composed of Board of Directors will join the tournament while we expect 10 ABF players from Davao City and one from Cagayan De Oro City," Alquiza said.

Alquiza said that the architects are very excited to play and that they really pushed through with the event following the positive feedbacks they received last year.

She added, "The best thing about this tournament is that a fair leveling of players will be conducted by the organizers."

Registration is pegged at P600 per pair and free t-shirts will be given to the first 100 paid players.

Winners from different categories will receive trophies and cash prizes.

The class B champion will receive P5,000 while the runner-up will get P 2,500. Prizes of P4,000 and P2,000 will be awarded to the champions and runners-up of classes E and F.

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2nd Arki-Smash badminton tournament slated Jan. 25-26