In the final days of World War II, as the Red Army advanced on Berlin and the Third Reich teetered on the edge of total military collapse, Adolf Hitler famously shot himself in his bunker. A wave of suicides would followhigh-ranking Nazi officials such as Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, Philipp Bouhler, and Martin Bormann killed themselves before being captured by Allied forces. Many war criminals, however, managed to escape. As many as 9,000 Nazi officers and collaborators found refuge in South America; the majority fled to Argentina, which had maintained a close relationship with Nazi Germany.

Among those who evaded capture was Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi SS lieutenant colonel who masterminded the identification, assembly, and transportation of European Jews to Auschwitz and other concentration camps. After the fall of the Third Reich, Eichmann, who had come to be known as the architect of the Nazi genocide, was apprehended, but escaped from a detention camp and went into hiding in Austria. An Austrian-born bishop, Alois Hudal, helped Eichmann obtain falsified identity documents issued by the Vatican, enabling him to get an Argentine visa and an International Red Cross passport. (Hudal eventually admitted to abetting Nazi war criminals.) In the years following the war, Argentine President Juan Pern, a longtime admirer of Hitlers and other fascist regimes, had established a network of so-called ratlinesescape routesthrough ports in Spain and Italy to smuggle thousands of former SS officers and Nazi Party members out of Europe.

As the Nuremberg Trials brought Nazi war criminals to justice in 1945 and 1946, Eichmann lay in wait. In 1950, a fugitive who had assumed the alias of Richard Klement boarded a steamship to Buenos Aires. He would establish a middle-class lifestyle in the suburbs of the city with his wife and children, working at a Mercedes-Benz factory.

The thrilling story of how it all came crashing down is told in Randall Christophers new animated documentary, The Driver Is Red. A Holocaust survivor who was living in Buenos Aires became suspicious about his daughters new boyfriend and his family. Armed with surreptitious photographs of Klement, the father alerted Israeli intelligence, and Eichmanns identity was confirmed beyond reasonable doubt. Mossad Special Agent Zvi Aharoni was sent to Buenos Aires to orchestrate an illegal surveillance and abduction scheme, Operation Finale. Eichmann was apprehended in 1960 and smuggled to Israel, where he would finally face justice. He was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity and was executed in Jerusalem in 1962.

Christophers film noirinspired animation depicts the dramatic story of Eichmanns capture. The actor Mark Pinter, reading from Aharonis book about the historic Nazi manhunt, lends the late Aharonis voice. The first words Adolf Eichmann uttered to me were, I have already resigned myself to my fate, wrote Aharoni, a German-born Jew who escaped with his mother and brother on one of the last trains out of Germany before World War II.

Christopher told me he made the film because he grew up largely ignorant of the Holocaust. This is an alarming trend. A recent survey found that 22 percent of Millennials admitted to not having heard of the Holocaust, while 41 percent of Americans and 66 percent of Millennials said they don't know about Auschwitz.

In my opinion, we simply must make a deliberate, dedicated effort to know the history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaustthe most catastrophic event in human history, Christopher said. The filmmaker believes it is especially important to study Weimar Germany, because these events sprang from a democratic society with values and culture not much different from what we have today in the West.

People simply didnt recognize that certain decisions and policiesthough maybe not so terrible in themselvesopen the door for more dangerous scenarios, Christopher continued. Nobody was voting for World War II when they voted for Hitler. But in voting for Hitler to do things like get rid of the communists and to bypass a dysfunctional Parliament, they also voted in favor of a situation where World War II and the Holocaust would be a possibility.

Christopher believes that if the U.S. Congress remains dysfunctional and unable to work together, this might pave the way for a similar autocratic leadersomething once considered unthinkable in America.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

Original post:
Capturing the Architect of the Holocaust - The Atlantic

Charlestown, MA Rhiana Gunn-Wright, one of the architects of the Green New Deal, today announced that she is endorsing Elizabeth Warrens campaign for President of the United States.

As one of the key architects of the Green New Deal, Rhiana knows intimately what it will take to defeat the climate crisis,said Elizabeth Warren.She knows how critical it is that we elect a president who recognizes the urgent need for a Green New Deal and who will lead our country toward a clean energy future, while creating millions of good, new jobs and putting environmental justice at the center of our approach. Im grateful to have her support and to stand with her in this fight for big, structural change.

In avideoreleased today, Gunn-Wright stated,The worst part about the climate crisis is that its by design. We know that the odds are stacked in favor of folks who have money. The folks who feel climate change most keenly are by and large low-income people of color. Elizabeth Warren understands that and understands that that is part of the problem that we have to tackle.

She continued:There is no dealing with climate change unless we deal with corruption. Every time I read a Warren climate plan, I am confident that it can take us to a Green New Deal because I see her thinking about: How do we use all of the levers of government?

Watch the full videohere.

Read more about it in Huffposthere. Key sections below.

The Massachusetts senator picked up an endorsement from a key figure in the Green New Deal movement just before the debate in Los Angeles.

Democratic presidential candidateElizabeth Warrenhas already proposed a suite of policy ideas to dramatically slash planet-heating emissions and transition workers into clean industries.

Last week, Warren unveiled her Blue New Deal, the first comprehensive campaign proposal to revitalize coastal economies by fortifying ports, spurring new markets for seafood and completely overhauling the offshore energy industry. On Wednesday, she published an op-ed outlining how shed target fossil fuel companies and reverse President Donald Trumps assault on environmental regulations during her first 100 days in the White House.

The New Hampshire Labor News is a group of NH Workers who believe that we need to protect ourselves against the attacks on workers. We are proud union members who are working to preserve the middle class. The NHLN talks mostly about news and politics from NH. We also talk about national issues that effect working men and women here in the Granite State.

Like Loading...

Related

Read this article:
Rhiana Gunn-Wright, One of the Policy Architects of the Green New Deal, Endorses Elizabeth Warren - nhlabornews.com

Are Architects and Developers Finally Addressing the Same Global Concerns?

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Whatsapp

Mail

Or

Architects and developers have always been on opposite ends of the construction world. While the first wanted to create dreamy spaces, the latter just wanted to cater to the basic needs. In these past few years, the world has witnessed significant changes, with the aggravation of climate-related issues, the evolution of technological solutions, and the newly acquired awareness and growth of the population.

While everything is transforming,building trends also evolved, mainly due to an alteration in peoples perceptions and priorities. However, one question remains unanswered: Could all these changes mean that the never-ending conflict between architects and developers reached some sort of common grounds? And could they finally be seeking one same goal, of a sustainable, resilient and inclusive future?

+ 24

ArchDaily had the opportunity to discuss sustainability, resilience, and cities with Chris Lepine, Associate Director at Zaha Hadid Architects and two major developers in Georgia, Nodar Adeishvili, Director General of LISI Development, and Temur Bitsadze, Chief Development Officer of Alliance Group. The conversation occurred during a forum in Tbilisi, entitled Building Sustainable and Resilient Cities, organized by Property Georgia and FIABCI Georgia. Read on to discover a newly developed understanding between the different parties, highlighted through their most prominent projects.

ArchDaily (Christele Harrouk): How would you describe your general approach?

ZHA: At Zaha Hadid Architects, we are always trying to push forward the design, give back to the city, and generate a unique experience for the inhabitants and for the community. With our latest completed project, 1000 museum, a very prominent structure on the Miami skyline, we had to think about something special, for it was the last gap in a row of towers. For example, the tower hits the ground, with a cut on its corner to create more breathing space and have a presence on the pedestrian level. Through our international work, we get to see that we live in a global society, and clients nowadays have a lot of knowledge about innovative products and building techniques. We always try to work with novel methods, that we can potentially bring to other projects and gain from our experience.

Lisi: Green Town in Tbilisi is built on only 20% of the land, with 80% accessible open and green spaces. Although we are not central, but we are situated on a hill overlooking the city, we are selling at the same rate apartments in the city center would go for. In fact, we have created a neighborhood, with all the amenities possible, so that no one goes out of the district, or takes his car. In this development, we have worked with Georgians architects as well as international collaborators like UN studio, and Ricardo Bofill. We wanted to bring big names to make iconic buildings in the district and for marketing and development purposes. On another hand, regarding other projects, we are always following the same concept, by ensuring maximum free land for the public, and that is how we are developing ski resorts in Bakuriani, a mixed-use with energy-efficient houses.

Alliance: People worldwide are not happy with high-rises. Nevertheless, we have a different concept, that drives our architectural decisions because we are more focused on developing mixed-use projects, and on gathering multiple functions in one plot. We might build high rises in the city center, but we do so with environmentally friendly decisions and approaches, and excellent architectural design. For example, we include a lot of green spaces in our interventions, and we make the best of our rooftops by installing wind turbines, to generate electricity in common areas. Faades of the buildings direct the rain towards water collectors, to irrigate the open spaces, and natural sunlight isabundant in our interiors.

AD: How would you define sustainability?

ZHA: Sustainability requires multiple layers of involvement from the architects, the developers, and the city. 1000 museum is built according to the Florida green building condition and is certified platinum, in concordance with the clients brief and wishes. A lot of it comes down to how the mechanical equipments are specified, how efficient they are, the MEP standards, high-performance glass, recessed balconies for shading, interior gardens, etc. Basically, sustainability is, design and technology at the same time, but I think technology will have a bigger part to play in the future with more efficient innovations.

Lisi: Sustainability and profitability are a challenge, and this is where we found an opportunity to make a difference. Actually, the site of our project was not perceived as livable 5 years ago. Today it is a very prestigious district, mainly because we didnt just put standards but we introduced a new lifestyle, especially for families. Most of our clients already had apartments in the center but were seeking an ecologically friendly area, green zones, public spaces, and other basic needs that became unattainable in cities.

Alliance: Basically, in hotels and residential, technological tools are helping us deliver environmentally friendly outcomes. Sustainability has also an important financial aspect to it, it is also about creating steady incomes, from our ventures. In fact, our clients will keep investing with us as long as we are assuring a return on their investments.

AD: What does Resilience mean to you? and how is it portrayed in your work?

ZHA: Resilience means a building that bounces back, with a certain strength. For sustainability, there are a bunch of techniques, technologies, a lot of checklists to say if its sustainable or not, but when it comes to resilience, its a completely different approach. What makes a city strong and resilient is actually the people that want to be in that space, and that are attracted to that area. A resilient urban entity is a place that people take pride in. If this doesnt exist, then the city will never be resilient nor sustainable. If you actually create a place that no one wants to be in, even if it follows all the sustainable checklists, it will not survive. It has to be a place where people want to be.

Lisi: We are a role-model for the city, showcasing how the private sector can make a change. Resilience is to say that we dont want to build on 80% of the land, we want to build on 20% of the land we are developing. This is how we make a change, in the culture and approach of the business, and contribute to the city by devoting more green spaces, while being a profitable company.

Alliance: We are creating landmarks that stand out and make the city different. Our goal is to differentiate our city from others, and our structures are conceived to cater to this urban entity. We create beautiful structures because the city needs innovations and needs attractive constructions. Whatever we are creating, we are not only thinking on the investment level but on a bigger futuristic scale.

AD: How are you introducing these relatively new ideas to clients?

ZHA: Just like any other architect, faced with a site and a certain allowable GFA (Gross floor area), we confront clients thatwant to maximize the exploitable areas. Our approach is based on proposing ways where a developer can get just as much through good design, and clever solutions rather than maximizing the GFA. That is not always convincing for the other party, thats why I think that we need better governmental regulations and incentives to back up our ideas. Aesthetically we have our signature, and we always try to provide a space that people can enjoy so that our intervention becomes part of that urban condition rather than a completely isolated work of architecture. In our project in Bratislava, where we have several residential towers on a garden site, the park is accessible to the general public. In fact, the private developerused our proposal, to his advantage, while negotiating the permissions with the city council.

Lisi: 6 years ago, persuading clients was a big challenge,and theproblem was actually explaining what this place will look like, several years later. In fact, its all about timing, the right product at the right place. For us, it was about being innovative and the first to deliver ecologically friendly areas with green zones near the city center. Along with the project, and within our territory, we have developed 2 schools, in order to create an educational hub. The main idea was to eliminate the need to move outside of the district,so we created everything within a walkable distance, like small stores, pharmacies, and kindergartens. Its a learning curve, and we are always adding some benefits to the district. For example, we started harvesting rainwater and added electrical chargers on the streets to incentivize people to buy electric cars.

Alliance:Architects often want toimagine something exceptional, that doesnt fit in the agenda of the developers. In our projects, we try to push for what the architect desires, because we believe that he is portraying the needs of the future tenants. We also try to compensate for building huge constructions in front ofmodestbuildings, by implementingplayful designsthat are keen on preserving the original panoramas.In all our projects, we create an important infrastructure of common spaces and we generate semi-public spaces on the ground floors. Our green spaces on the inside and outside are always accessible by the public. Environmentally friendly approaches are considered to be the major reason why some clients seek to invest in our projects.

More:
Are Architects and Developers Finally Addressing the Same Global Concerns? - ArchDaily

Mary Arnold-Forster Architects used planks of burnt larch to clad a cross-laminated timber house in the Scottish Highlands raised on low foundations above the rocky landscape.

The house is located in the small village of Nedd, which is also the name of the project.

Mary Arnold-Forster Architects surveyed the site to determine a location that could be built upon without breaking any of the surrounding rocks.

They chose a spot nestled between two outcrops.

No ground-bearing slab was used in order to minimise the impact on the land. Instead a series of cross-laminated timber (CLT) units make up the structure, which is supported by concrete pillars.

The size of the modules, which are made by Carbon Dynamic, was determined by the size of lorry that was able to reach the site on a small, single-track road.

Using the dimensions of these units, the plan of the home was divided into three pods one for the living spaces, one for the en-suite master bedroom and another for the guest bedroom and showers.

A corridor links all of these sections, opening out with a large, north-facing window as it move from the bedrooms into the kitchen, living and dining area.

"I wanted to avoid a wall of glass but instead to frame the large view in two key rooms; the living space and the main bedroom, partly due to the topography of the site," said Arnold-Forster.

"The other windows frame views of the rocks, heather and grasses."

These windows look out eastwards towards the nearby Loch Nedd.

Large, full-height sliding glazed doors provide access out to small areas of decking to be used during warmer months.

A thin rain screen of burnt larch which draw echoes the nearby birch trees in winter.

This cladding was chosen for it robustness and contributes to to an airtight envelope that means very little heating is required inside the home, apart from a wood-burning stove.

Inside, a grooved lining of dark wood mirrors the appearance of the exterior for the corridor space.

Bedrooms and living spaces are lined in pale timber.

A small outbuilding adjacent to the home provides storage space.

It was finished with the same materials as the main home to create a unity between the two.

Mary Arnold-Forster set up her practice in 2016, specialising in creating sustainable homes in remote locations across Scotland.

Last year, the practice completed a home on the Isle of Sky clad in black tin to emulate a traditional Scottish blackhouse.

Photography is by David Barbour.

Go here to see the original:
House clad in burnt larch perches on a rocky site in the Scottish Highlands - Dezeen

Tearing the Hurley down would be an easier way for a developer to make the most money to maximize assets, as they say. But Dickinson and others want a more thoughtful approach that keeps the Hurley intact while still reaping a profit for the state.

Can they pull it off? That remains to be seen. Its still early. The state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance stirred up this storm in late October by unveiling plans to seek a redeveloper for the 3.25-acre site. The next step: filing a notice with the Massachusetts Historical Commission, indicating that dramatic changes are coming. The division will work with the historical agency on development parameters, before drawing up a request for proposals. Preservation considerations will be one factor in picking the winning bid, a spokesman said. But there will be others, including design, finances, project team diversity.

In short, there are no guarantees at this point.

To some, the six-story Hurley building is a hulking reminder of the urban renewal that swept away entire blocks of the city decades ago; bring on the bulldozers. To many others, its just another nondescript government bunker; no huge loss.

To the Hurleys supporters, though, the building represents an essential piece of Bostons history. Rudolph initially planned the Government Services Center block (its often spelled with the singular Service) as an answer to its more famous Brutalist neighbor, Boston City Hall. Instead of a wind-swept plaza, Rudolph envisioned a Roman-style amphitheater with gardens, encircled by government offices.

That vision was never fully realized. The Hurley and its twin, the Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center, went up, but a 23-story government tower remained on the drawing board. (Eventually, the Edward W. Brooke courthouse was built in the towers place.)

The Division of Capital Asset Management has said it will keep the Lindemann intact. But probably not the Hurley: At least $200 million in renovations would be required to modernize the building, work that still wouldnt address flaws such as an inefficient layout and a dearth of windows on the top floor.

The roughly 675 government workers in the Hurley will need to move during construction, expected to occur in 2023 and 2024. Because federal Department of Labor funds were once invested in the property, the future redeveloper will need a place on the Hurley site for state labor and workforce development workers. Other state agencies will relocate for good, while private-sector offices get built there.

The buildings future had already stimulated discussions in the architectural community. Haril Pandya at CBT Architects once asked his students at Roger Williams University to design ways to reuse the building; one team came up with a hotel, for example. Mark Pasnik engaged in a similar exercise a few years ago in his classes at Wentworth Institute of Technology, in part showing a new tower could coexist with the Hurley.(Pasnik, by the way, prefers the term concrete modernist over Brutalist.)

Greg Galer, head of the Boston Preservation Alliance, says he remains cautiously optimistic about the Hurley. He notes that the capital asset division often works with his group to preserve older state buildings, and cites the agencys good-faith efforts to remove chain-link fences that once blocked off some of the Hurley campus. Others are far more concerned that there wont be much left after the dust settles. Thats why Dickinson, from the Rudolph foundation, is working to rally supporters who can make the case that the Hurley is a treasure, one that should be preserved.

The Hurley opened not long after City Hall, which has been vilified by some as one of the citys ugliest buildings, and the structures echo each other in several ways. City Halls survival was once an open question, too; Thomas M. Menino, the former mayor, made no secret about his desire to tear it down. But Mayor Martin J. Walsh has taken a different approach with City Hall, an effort at making the concrete fortress and its brick plaza more inviting.

Beauty can be in the eye of the beholder, of course. Preservationists hope enough people see the beauty in the Hurley to ensure its survival.

Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jonchesto.

Original post:
Architects, other supporters rally to save the Hurley building - The Boston Globe

As 2019 draws to a close, were looking back on some of the events that made it memorable. Weve rounded up this years funniest, most important, and most controversial stories, as well as homages to some of the people we lost. The world is a little less bright without these iconic designers, but from the Louvre pyramid to a series of architecturally-diverse cancer care centers, their legacies live on.

I.M. Pei

I.M. Pei in 2017 (Courtesy Pei Cobb Freed & Partners)

Louvre pyramid designer I. M. Pei passed away at 102, bringing an epic career of international acclaim to a close. Born in 1917 in Guangzhou, China, Pei moved to the U.S. to attend architecture school at the University of Pennsylvania and later MIT, following by the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He founded Pei Cobb Freed & Partners (formerly I.M. Pei & Associates) in 1955 and decades later won the 1983 Pritzker Prize for projects such as the Mile High Center in Denver, Colorado. Among Peis other notable projects is the National Gallery of Art, East Building, in Washington, D.C., and the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong.

Kevin Roche

Kevin Roche (Gerald Wenner/Courtesy of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates)

Legendary Irish-born American architect Kevin Roche passed away at age 96 in March. His namesake firm, Roche-Dinkeloo, was founded in tandem with partner John Dinkeloo after the death of their boss and mentor Eero Saarinen in 1961. A modernist architect trained by Saarinen and Mies van Der Rohe, Roche designed over 200 buildings in his lifetime including the Ford Foundation headquarters in Midtown Manhattan and the Oakland Museum of California. He was the 1982 Pritzker Prize Laureate and won an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1993.

Florence Knoll Bassett

Florence Knoll Bassett (Courtesy Mies Van der Rohe Society)

Midcentury modern designer Florence Knoll passed away at age 101 this January. Considered one of the most influential furniture designers in history, her sleek and minimal pieces became commonplace throughout American postwar office spaces and later in homes. In 1955, she took over Knoll Inc, the company started by her husband Hans in 1938, which continues to manufacture furniture by designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Eero Saarinen, and Knoll herself, among others.

Phil Freelon

Phil Freelon (Courtesy The Freelon Family)

Phil Freelon, one of the lead designers of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, died at 66 this July. The Durham, North Carolina-based architect founded his eponymous firm, The Freelon Group, in 1990 and was responsible for projects like Atlantas National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, and Houstons Emancipation Park. The studio was acquired by Perkins+Will in 2016 and Freelon stepped in to lead its regional office.

Henry Urbach

Henry Urbach (Sarale Guy Lavy)

Former SFMOMA curator Henry Urbach passed away at 56 this summer, and his friends and family are opening new dialogues on the subject of mental health in his memory. Urbach, who more recently served as director of Philip Johnsons The Glass House, suffered from Late-Onset Bipolar Disorder. He was an accomplished curator, having started his own New York-based experimental design gallery in 1997 in which he hosted over 55 exhibitions. At SFMOMA, he accumulated hundreds of works for the museums permanent collection and collaborated with Diller Scofidio + Renfro on one of his most famous shows, How Wine Became Modern: Design + Wine 1976 to Now.

Cristiano Toraldo di Francia

Cristiano Toraldo di Francia (Courtesy Peter Lang)

Superstudio cofounder and iconic Italian architect Cristiano Toraldo di Francia died in July. In his 78 years, his work helped shape generations of avant-garde designers such as Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid. Best known for starting the radical collective Superstudio in the late 1960s, Toraldo di Francia produced highly regarded drawings, videos, and lithographs through the practice, eventually exhibiting work in the Milan Triennale, the Venice Biennale, and at the Museum of Modern Art, among other institutions. Up until his death at age 78, Toraldo di Francia designed and built several projects throughout Italy and taught at various universities throughout Europe, Japan, and the U.S.

Csar Pelli

Csar Pelli in his studio (Courtesy Pelli Clarke Pelli)

Csar Pelli passed away in July at the age of 92, leaving behind the legacy of an international firm and a monumental portfolio. Considered the father of the modern skyscraper, the Argentine architect designed some of the most famous towers in the world: the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, The Landmark in Abu Dhabi, and the recently completely Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. Pelli moved to the U.S. in 1952 and worked for Eero Saarinen in Michigan for a decade. From 1977 to 1989, he served as dean at the Yale School of Architecture in New Haven. During that time, Pelli received the commission for the 1984 expansion and renovation of the Museum of Modern Art, which more or less forced him to open his own studio, Cesar Pelli & Associates. After over 20 years designing projects like the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., among others, Pelli renamed his practice to Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects in honor of his long-time partner Fred Clarke, and son Rafael.

Charles Jencks

Charles Jencks (Courtesy Sean Griffiths)

Landscape architect and historian Charles Jencks died this October at age 80. Remembered for his embrace of theory, built practice, and connecting the cosmos, Jencks designed whimsical gardens and earthworks that promoted tranquility and play. He is best known for founding Maggies, a cancer research institute named after his late wife and whose patient rehab centers have attracted architects like Steven Holl, Frank Gehry, and Zaha Hadid. In the middle of his career, Jencks authored several books on the subject of Post-modernism before taking up landscape design.

Stanley Tigerman

Stanley Tigerman at work (Courtesy Margaret McCurry)

Chicago architect and theorist Stanley Tigerman died in June at 88 years old. Known as a member of the Chicago Sevena group of architects that rebelled against the doctrine of modernismhis design style was fairly eclectic in his early years, gaining a reputation as an iconoclast, until later when he adopted a more organic approach to architecture. He established his own eponymous firm, Stanely Tigerman and Associates (later renamed Tigerman McCurry Architects), in the early 1960s and completed over 175 buildings in his six-decade career. Among his most prominent works were the Daisy House in Indiana, Lakeside Residence in Michigan, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and the POWERHOUSE Energy Museum in Zion, Illinois.

Read the original post:
Looking back on the great architects, designers, and curators we lost in 2019 - The Architect's Newspaper

anchor

This post is brought to you by Architecture at Zero

The American Institute of Architects, California (AIACA) announces the launch of the ninth annual Architecture at Zero competition for zero net energy (ZNE) building designs. The competition is open for entries from students and professionals worldwide.

This year, AIACA partners with the San Benito County Free Library in Hollister, CA. ZNE structures are designed from the start to be energy efficient and offset the energy they consume through onsite renewable energy generation such as rooftop solar. Winners are chosen by a panel of international experts and awarded up to $25,000 in total prizes.

The American Institute of Architects, California is excited to collaborate on this important initiative that affirms the role of architects in leading efforts to use design to curtail climate change, said Benjamin Kasdan, AIA, AIACA President.

The competition strives to generate new, innovative ideas for ZNE construction to help achieve Californias goal for all new residential construction to be ZNE by 2020 and all new commercial construction to be ZNE by 2030.

San Benito County residents are excited at to explore ideas for a new 21st century library that meets the needs of this diverse community, said Chief Librarian, Nora Conte. The Library is thrilled to partner with AIA CA and participants from around the world to develop zero net energy building designs.

Competition entries will be juried by international experts including Paul Torcellini, Principal Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Gregg Ander, President of Gregg D. Ander, LLC; Allison Williams, FAIA; and Marsha Maytum, FAIA, LEED AP.

To learn more, visit http://www.architectureatzero.com.

This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by PG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

Go here to see the original:
The American Institute of Architects, California announces the launch of the 9th annual Architecture at Zero competition - Archinect

Hacker Architects escapes to the desert for its latest Oregon retreat

A composition of box volumes and opaque and transparent surfaces form a chic family retreat in the desert landscape ofCentral Oregon

It has this feeling that youre in a place thats brand new,architect Corey Martin says of Central Oregon, the location for his Portland-based firm Hacker Architects recent residential getaway project. Its surprising to think of a place in the middle of anAmerican state(even if wildly different geographically to Portland, alllush and green and rolling to the west of the Cascades, dryer and flatter to the east)as brand new; though comparatively, and geologically, it is, but thats part of the magic of the designers architectural approach. Rather than start with the basic brief four bedrooms, for a couple and their extended family Martin and his team, Nic Smith and Jeff Ernst, started with the landscape and its ideas.

The building itself tries to edit and frame and take the experience of the landscape visually apart when youre inside it,he continues. The form starts with a basic box whose elements become articulated and separated and reunited with long swaths of cedar siding. These opaque surfaces work in concert with massive open walls of windows divided only by the thinnest of frames, and smaller apertures, all of which stack together to create a rhythm of constant enclosure and reveal.

Both exterior and interior walls are made out of cedar, so as to promote both a visual continuity and a sense oftactility, and the only other colors are white and black.The architecture is in service of looking and in particular, looking outward. Youre getting forced to look at the sky, and youre getting layering that lets you consider all these pieces of the landscape at different times, at different qualities of light,Hacker says.

Its got this freshness in quality of light and smells,Hacker continues, describing the relative youth of the local volcanoes. And thats the conceptual heart of this project. Its not about finding what you thought you were looking for; its about what you end up seeing.

Read more:
Hacker Architects escapes to the desert for its latest Oregon retreat - Wallpaper*

Helsinki-based Architects JKMM Selected to Design the National Museum of Finland

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Whatsapp

Mail

Or

JKMMs Atlas proposal won the international design competition for the new extension of The National Museum of Finland. Organized by the Finnish Heritage Agency, the National Museum of Finland and Senate Properties, the competition entitled New National or Uusi Kansallinen in Finnish, gathered 185 entries from all around the world.

+ 19

Initially designed by the trio Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren, and Eliel Saarinen, following a design competition in 1902, the existing museum, which opened in 1916, is one of Finlands finest examples of National Romantic architecture. Located in central Helsinki along the citys main street called Mannerheimintie, opposite Alvar Aaltos Finlandia Hall and its parkland setting, the museum required some major refurbishment works. The 2019 extension needed to generate additional exhibition space; workshops; a new restaurant in the museums underused enclosed garden; and improved access including an inviting new entrance for the Museum.

The National Museum of Finland is a unique opportunity to explore inclusiveness in a building and we are deeply honored to have won the competition. Our entry, Atlas, reinforces our interest in how architecture can enable a sense of solidarity and belonging to a place. The National Museum is a place that belongs to everyone and anyone in Finland and we thought its extensions architectural form should be universally understood yet encourage multiple interpretations. -- Samuli Miettinen, JKMM founding partner on the practices approach.

JKMM, one of the leading architectural practices in Finland, has a current total win of 47 competitions. Founded by Asmo Jaaksi, Teemu Kurkela, Samuli Miettinen and Juha Mki-Jyllil, the practice has completed over 50 projects around Finland, many of them involve working with existing buildings. Their latest project Atlas, puts in place a distinctive round disc-shaped white 1320 m2 concrete roof within the stone-walled garden of the Museum. Simple in its shape, the new pavilion-like structure is independent of the original building, respecting the historic garden designed by Lindgren. Spreading over 5000 square meters including a 1200 square meter exhibition space, Atlas can accommodate up to 1200 visitors.

We wanted to create a building that will enhance visitors experience by improving the way they are received and the overall circulation in the Museum. As in most of our projects, we wanted people to be able to find their way intuitively minimizing the need for signage and to also discover and enjoy the nearly forgotten Museum garden. [] An essential consideration for us on Atlas was to keep the impact of the new building at ground level to a minimum and to place its bulk underground thereby enhancing the role the enclosed garden will play in the future of the National Museum of Finland. -- Samuli Miettinen, JKMM founding partner.

With a subtle presence in the city, the white addition holds under its concrete structure, on the ground floor, a restaurant that can be used independently of the rest of the Museum, with glass curved walls that create a floating roof aspect. A stepped covered public square welcomes visitors and leads them to the new exhibition galleries and other spaces. Moreover, on the abundance of light in the space, the architects state that it plays an important role in the design and highlights the materiality and three-dimensional qualities of the architecture, both in keeping with those of the original museum building.

The name Atlas refers to the idea of carrying our history and culture with us. The suspended concrete roof clad in ceramic tiles has a celestial quality but it is also a metaphor for the world or our shared legacy. -- Samuli Miettinen, JKMM founding partner

ATLAS TEAM

Here is the original post:
Helsinki-based Architects JKMM Selected to Design the National Museum of Finland - ArchDaily

Ned Kirschbaum

Ned Kirschbaum has been principal, technical design director and a member of Fentress Architects for more than 20 years.As the design firms technical expert, Ned is responsible for quality assurance and control, design production, construction document standards, and implementing innovative strategies in the design of high-performance building.He has more than three decades of experience, including an extensive background in providing architectural design services internationally. Ned has played a significant role in the $150 million revitalization of the Gio Ponti-designed Denver Art Museums North Building. His certifications from CSI include Certified Document Technician (CDT) and Certified Construction Contract Administration (CCCA).

Facts about Ned:

What sparked your interest in architecture?

When I was a sophomore at the University of Colorado, I visited the newly completed CiticorpBuilding in New York City. I was in awe of the scale of the project and fascinated to understandhow a project of its complexity could be accomplished. In contrast, I was equally moved by theintimate and uplifting space in the chapel at St. Peters Lutheran Church with its Louise Nevelsonbas-relief that is situated at the base of the Citicorp building. I knew then I wanted to participatein creating buildings like this.

What is different or unique about your approach to architecture?

I have always been equally passionate about design, practice, and technique. My approach hasbeen to find a balance of all three in my professional life. I love to draw, I love to invent, I loveto collaborate, I love to teach, and I love to learn. A large part of my expertise and success is theresult of my deep respect for the tradesmen that construct the buildings. I am a team builderbecause great architecture can only result from a unified team with a common aim, including asupportive and engaged owner, an excellence-driven design team, and a performance-drivencontractor.

As the firms technical expert, how do you bridge the gap between art and engineering?

My approach is always to start with the art and ask, What form and/or material best expressesthe design vision for this project? With the design intent clear, in collaboration with designers,craftsmen, and construction industry partners, I work to craft design solutions and details thatresult in high-performance buildings while maintaining and enhancing the projects design goals.Making the art real and tangible that is the engineering!

What are some of the most exciting projects youve been involved in recent years?

I have been very fortunate to work on many great projects in my career. These include theDenver Art Museum North Building Renovation and Welcome Center addition, the 50-storyBurjgate and Sofitel Downtown Dubai towers, the 300-meter-tall, 60-story Arraya Tower inKuwait City, the SeaTac International Airport Central Terminal Expansion, the Miami BeachConvention Center Expansion, the Air Traffic Control Tower at SFO, and the Ralph L. CarrColorado Judicial Center here in Denver. Each of these projects has presented uniquechallenges that have truly enriched me personally and professionally.

What have you enjoyed most about working on the highly anticipated DAM North Buildingrenovation? What aspects of the design of this project have been challenging?

I have enjoyed playing a significant role in rejuvenating the historic Gio Ponti-designed NorthBuilding a true Denver landmark. This architecturally significant building has now beenrestored and enhanced to better serve the mission of the Denver Art Museum programincluding new gallery space and expanded educational space. Researching, developing anddetailing the all-glass exterior faade of the Welcome Center has been a significant challengeand a highlight of my career. Enclosed by fifty-two 25-foot-tall by 8-foot-wide laminatedinsulating curved glass panels, this is one of the most innovative faades recently constructed inthe United States.

What are you looking forward to most in the coming year?

The year 2020 promises to be a very exciting and busy one with projects ranging from design toconstruction. At home,the Westray office development forSchnitzer West, which includes three 16-story Class A office towers at 6363 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. in Centennial.

Further afield are some significant expansion projects at both the Nashville InternationalAirport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston; construction of the Fred D.Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Johnson CountyCourthouse in Olathe, Kansas; and design of the National Museum of Intelligence and SpecialOperations in Sterling, Virginia.

As someone with three decades of experience under your belt, what do you see as the biggestchallenge for architects currently?

I believe that the integration of technology into buildings, into construction, and into thepractice of architecture, remains a challenge and an opportunity. On the one hand, these newtools permit us to explore new and more complex building forms. They permit tightercoordination of design disciplines and they permit a level of real-time design visualizationunthinkable when I began practicing architecture. On the other hand, what should be toolsoften wind up becoming ends, diverting attention from the real practice of architecture whichshould be focused on providing beautiful, functional, durable, and sustainable buildings.

Follow this link:
Architect of the Month: Ned Kirschbaum, FAIA, Principal, Fentress Architects - milehighcre.com