27 March 2012

New Zealand Institute of Architects announces new Chief Executive

The New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), the professional organization representing more than 90 per cent of New Zealands registered architects, has appointed Teena Hale-Pennington as its new Chief Executive.

Announcing the appointment, NZIA President David Sheppard said Ms Hale-Penningtons background in local government and resource planning would be invaluable in assisting the architectural profession meet its current challenges.

Our new Chief Executive also has a strong track record as a strategist in sustainable development and the provision of affordable housing, two areas of immediate concern, especially in New Zealands major cities.

Ms Hale-Pennington was formerly Wellington City Councils Director of Strategy, Planning and Urban Design. Prior to that she was Manager of Strategy for Auckland City Council, where she prepared the Councils submission to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance.

In her earlier career Ms Hale-Pennington held strategic planning and project management positions in the private sector and in the New South Wales public service. She was educated at Griffith and Wollongong Universities in Australia.

Im very much looking forward to assuming the chief executive role at the NZIA, Ms Hale-Pennington said. The work of the NZIAs members is integral to the making of the high quality urban environments that New Zealanders want and that this country needs.

Public awareness of the importance of architecture has never been stronger, Ms Hale-Pennington said, and the challenges architects confront have seldom been more complex.

The rebuild of Christchurch, housing affordability and the related debate about more intensive urban development, and the regulatory environment affecting the construction industry are some of the issues facing New Zealands architects.

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NZ Institute of Architects announces new Chief Executive

By LORI WINCE

ThisWeek Community News Tuesday March 26, 2013 11:21 AM

Architects from Moody-Nolan of Columbus are on track to present a new school building design plan to the New Albany community from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the 2-5 elementary building.

The building will be designed for 1,200 students in grades 2 to 8 and include a gymnasium, said Superintendent April Domine.

It will be located between the 2-5 elementary building and the middle school cafeteria. District officials hope to break ground this spring and open the building by the fall of 2014.

The architects narrowed their design options to three for a March 20 public meeting, which 45 people attended to offer their feedback.

The first option designers presented was a two-story building oriented east to west that could include one-story sections for rooftop gardens.

The second was a one-story building with a square footprint that would occupy more of the land between the elementary and middle school.

The third option was a two-story building oriented north to south which would have more outdoor green spaces surrounding the building.

After the architects present the first draft of the design April 4, it will be reviewed by the school board, the superintendent's facilities committee and community members in a board work session at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 8, in the Jefferson Room at New Albany High School.

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Architects to present design plan April 4

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Portal Architects, Inc. today announced the general market availability of SkySync. SkySync is an incredibly-simple unified file management solution that enables users to find, synchronize, and move files across any number of linked storage systems including Microsoft SharePoint, Cloud platforms and network storage.

Steve Woodward, Portal Architects CTO said; "Many organizations want to integrate cloud storage by either migrating or synchronizing files with their existing on-site file storage systems, or require a sensible coexistence strategy across all of their current storage platforms. SkySync makes either approach simple and easy."

Woodward continues; "SkySync starts by linking to and unifying your storage system files including all versions of SharePoint, network-stored files and cloud-based storage systems. Within one amazingly-simple user interface, system administrators can create fully-automated file synchronization or migration jobs between any number of systems.

Mark Brazeau, Portal Architects co-founder adds; "Since it no longer matters where files are stored, SkySync by design, makes users more productive. You can execute a single search that spans across multiple systems as well as create multi-system, predefined views of your files. Users can also easily move, copy, or organize files and their underlying properties, to or from any system. It's as simple as drag-and-drop; and nothing gets lost."

The current release includes connectors for Microsoft SharePoint 2007, SharePoint 2010, SharePoint 2013, Microsoft Office 365, Huddle, Box, DropBox, SkyDrive, Citrix ShareFile and network file systems.

While the focus of the initial release is on businesses of all sizes, future releases and features will be geared toward consumers as well as the introduction of a SaaS model. A nocost trial version can be downloaded from the website.

You can learn more at http://www.skysync.com

Tweet this; Just released- Unified File Manager for #SharePoint & #CloudStorage http://bit.ly/Yuby1g @skysynced

About Portal Architects, Inc.

SkySync is a wholly-owned product of Portal Architects, Inc., an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company. Portal Architects is a software development company comprised of senior .NET architects and engineers with extensive Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Microsoft SharePoint development expertise.

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Portal Architects releases SkySync, Unified File Manager for SharePoint and Cloud storage

CNET News Crave Amsterdam architects join race to build 3D-printed house

DUS Architects announces plans for a two-story canal house built by the firm's mobile printing facility that lives in a shipping container.

With 3D printing growing ever more powerful, it's really only a matter of time before a 3D-printed house arrives. So far, we've seen Dutch firm Universe Architecture announce its 3D-printed Landscape House, modeled after a Mobius strip. London firm Softkill pooh-poohed Universe's design, since it will use poured concrete in 3D-printed molds, and presented its own spiderweb-Skeletor ProtoHouse.

Not to mention the European Space Agency's plans to 3D-print a moon base, a sort of extraterrestrial abode for astronauts.

Now another Dutch firm has stepped up to the plate. DUS Architects has announced that it will make the world's first 3D-printed canal house, with work to start in the next six months.

Read more of "Amsterdam architects join 3D-printed house race" at Crave Australia.

Michelle Starr is special projects editor at CNET Australia.

We look into how MPG ratings are done, drive the 2013 Audi S7, and find out what happened to the hidden headlight.

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Amsterdam architects join race to build 3D-printed house

Hart Wright Architects recently completed a project that is a harmonious blend of the Mid-Century Modern Style and Hart Wright Architects' own unique, fresh and modern design style.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 21, 2013

The original kitchen in this Mid-Century Modern home needed to be updated. Also the floor plan was not working- flow was broken up and there were too many rooms yet still not enough space. To reinvent the Mid Century Modern style, Hart Wright Architects re-used existing features and incorporated them into the design. They kept a cabinet but moved it over two feet to allow a second walkway into the kitchen keeping the separation between kitchen and dining room but increasing the flow and transparency between the two spaces. This second passage is painted bright yellow and casts a glow into the adjacent spaces.

Hart Wright Architects designed the cabinetry in the kitchen to have a finish combination of both wood and paint, thereby complimenting, but not copying the existing cabinetry. The wood frames are white oak, and the blue painted cabinet doors match the Heath Ceramic Tile used for the backsplash. The orange was inspired by the clients' own Eames chairs, and the stove, from Blue Star, could come in orange, too.

Existing redwood tiles with alternating grain created a checkerboard pattern. Hart Wright Architects re-used them to create a seamless transition of old house and new remodeled space. Light valences with linear LEDs, flow from room to room, a modern feature that adds light and thoughtful detail.

The dining room table is a custom built piece designed by Hart Wright Architects and is made of walnut boards and maple veneer "Europly" plywood legs. The balance of the two materials together represented a refined casualness, similar to the balance of the refined yet casual elegance of the space.

In terms of the design process, this project went very smoothly. There was a lot of collaboration with the owners and the contractor. An important strength of Hart Wright Architects is their belief in the idea that owner, architect, and contractor are all part of a team working together. Hart Wright Architects emphasizes being on budget and schedule while still pushing the ideas for great design.

About Hart Wright Architects

Hart Wright Architects is a green architecture, urban and landscape design firm based in San Francisco serving clients in Palto Alto, Atherton, Napa, Mill Valley and most of the Bay area. Through all phases of design and construction, HWA is committed to excellence in architectural design solutions, active problem solving, and the highest standards of client service. They recently became certified DBE for being a woman owned architecture business.

Principal Eliza Hart is a licensed architect in San Francisco. She received a Master of Architecture and an MA in Urban Planning at UCLA. Hart Wright Architects has extensive experience spanning the full range of services from schematic design to construction documents to construction administration Eliza founded Hart Wright Architects in 2006, a firm that emphasizes quality, environmental sustainability and a team approach to solving problems and getting the job done well.

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Hart Wright Architects Combine Casual with Refined Elegance in their 1950s "Mid-Century Modern" Design

Plans for a new $84 million College of Business Administration building at the University of NebraskaLincoln have progressed, with one quarter of the privately raised funds committed and architects selected, university officials said.

Last week, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York and Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture of Nebraska as architects for the new building.

CBA Dean Donde Plowman said the University of Nebraska Foundation has received a combination of outright gifts, documented gift commitments and verbal gift commitments, which in total represents more than a quarter of the $84 million goal. The entire cost of the new college building, planned for the southeast corner of 14th and Vine streets, is being raised from private donations to the foundation.

Major gifts have been received or committed by:

*Howard and Rhonda Hawks of Omaha. Howard Hawks is a 1957 alumnus of the UNL College of Business Administration and a former NU regent.

*Peter and Nancy Salter of Phoenix, with a gift in honor of Nancy Salter's father, Arthur M. Henrickson, a businessman and 1940 alumnus of the university's College of Arts and Sciences. Nancy Salter graduated from the university in 1968.

*Glenn Korff of Boulder, Colo., and Kenneth Korff of Tucson, Ariz., with a gift in honor of their father, Paul W. Korff, a 1933 alumnus of the college.

*Union Bank & Trust Co. of Lincoln and Nelnet Inc. of Lincoln, led by members of the Dunlap family.

"With these generous gifts, we are off to a tremendous start in achieving our goal of building a state-of-the-art facility to house our nationally recognized college of business that has seen dramatic growth in the last three years," Plowman said in a press release.

Robert A.M. Stern Architects is a leading architecture firm that has developed a portfolio of buildings for business schools, including buildings for Harvard Business School, the University of Virginia, Penn State, Miami University and Rice University, with buildings under construction at Wake Forest University and the University of Notre Dame and in design for the University of Florida and the University of Kentucky.

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Architects chosen for CBA building

Mortenson Construction and Fentress Architects Win National Architecture Award for Virtual Design & Construction Efforts on the Colorado Judicial Center. The Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center earned the team recognition for their virtual design and construction modeling efforts, which contributed to $9 million in project cost savings.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) March 19, 2013

The teams award submittal highlighted documented metrics, which resulted in a 4.5 percent, or approximately $9 million savings, on this $200 million project. These savings were reinvested back into the project in customer-defined enhancements. The 695,767 gross-square-foot Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center includes a 12-story office tower, two Court of Appeals courtrooms, a courtroom for the Colorado Supreme Court, the Colorado Supreme Court Library, and an educational civics learning center that features interactive exhibits which showcase the role of the American justice system.

The design and construction team credit the integrated project delivery approach and the collaborative team efforts of the architect, construction manager, developer, owner, and State as keys to their success. By using three-dimensional virtual design and construction methods that included a building information model, the team was able to ensure that any conflicts were resolved before field installation.

The success of a BIM based process is heavily dependent on the commitment to collaboration by all team members. This team showed not only what is possible, but what should be expected from all future projects," said Bill Mosher, senior managing director at Trammell Crow Company.

The project team of Mortenson Construction, Fentress Architects, and Trammell Crow Company, including their sub consultants and trade partners, delivered the project two months ahead of schedule in December 2012, allowing early move-in for several of the state judicial and legal agencies.

Construction is nearing final completion as additional state agencies continue to move in. The project will be formally dedicated in a public ceremony scheduled for May 2.

About Mortenson Construction

Mortenson Construction is a U.S.-based, family-owned construction company. Founded in 1954, and recognized as one of the nation's top builders, Mortenson provides a complete range of services, including planning, program management, preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, design-build, and turn-key development. Mortenson has offices in Denver, Minneapolis, Seattle, Milwaukee, Chicago, Phoenix and Portland with international operations in Canada and China.

About Fentress Architects

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Mortenson Construction and Fentress Architects Win National Architecture Award for Virtual Design & Construction ...

Sustainability leader Hunter Lovins once called the building industry "dynamically conservativeit works hard to stay in the same place."

But old habits cannot fully address new challenges. According to 350.org, fossil fuel corporations currently have in their reserves five times the amount of carbon that, if burned too quickly, may raise atmospheric temperatures to a catastrophic level where Hurricane Sandy-scale storms could become the norm. Quicker, deeper progress is imperative.

Architecture is an essential arena for sustainable innovation. Buildings represent about half the annual energy and emissions in the U.S. and three-quarters of its electricity. With the built environment growingthe U.S. building stock increases by about 3 billion square feet every yeararchitects have a historic opportunity to transform its impact for the better.

There are encouraging signs. Since the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system appeared a dozen years ago, more than 10 billion square feet of construction have been certified or registered, according to the USGBC. The average energy savings for certified buildings is around 32 percent, and over the next couple of decades, the tonnage of coal avoided is expected to grow by 16 times, according to estimates.

In 2006, the American Institute of Architects wisely adopted Architecture 2030's "2030 Challenge," an initiative seeking carbon neutrality in the industry by 2030. "[W]e believe we must alter our profession's actions," the AIA 2030 Commitment says, "and encourage our clients and the entire design and construction industry to join with us to change the course of the planet's future."

The AIA, however, recently removed sustainable design from members' annual continuing education requirements: "Recognizing that sustainable design practices have become a mainstream design intention in the architectural community, the board of directors has voted to allow the sustainable design education requirement to sunset at the end of calendar year 2012," the institute reports. Other kinds of continuing education credits remain mandatory.

Next page: No guarantee of progress

Excerpt from:
Why architects must lead on sustainable design

Corpse Garden - "Architects of Deception" A BlankTV Feature!
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Architects Ihsan Murat Tabanlioglu, Caroline Barat Philippe Chiambaretta #39;s dream projects
We asked architects Ihsan Murat Tabanlioglu, Caroline Barat and Philippe Chiambaretta in which city they #39;d like to build their dream project; and what innova...

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Architects Ihsan Murat Tabanlioglu, Caroline Barat