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architects, not architecture (AnA), the platform that invites well-known architects to talk about themselves, rather than their work, is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a virtual world tour. with this new series, AnA brings the architectural community a bit closer together by taking participants on a tour around the globe to visit selected cities and virtually meet some of their most relevant architects. the scheduled list of countries includes singapore, the united kingdom, france, denmark, the netherlands, south korea, china, ukraine/lithuania, south africa, mexico, and the united states with events set to continue until april 2021.

the first destination in the series is australia, with AnA hosting talks with melbourne-based architects kerstin thompson and john wardle. as a media partner of the event, designboom brings you the first talk, which can be seen in full in the video at the top of this page. watch each architects segment, and read more about their talks, below.

kerstin thompson talk and interview

principal of kerstin thompson architects and adjunct professor at RMIT and monash universities, kerstin thompson discusses her experience of growing up with architecture, her childhood spent on building sites and how the architects she admires most have influenced her own work. she builds her talk around the question of how our buildings are perhaps the combination of this overlap of childhood, life or special experience with the formal education of an architect and how this overlap informs the repertoire of an architect.

thompson goes on to explore her relationship with landscape and what a trip to the aboriginal community of the goolarabooloos in western australia taught her about space and its relationship with its users. she explains that physical space remains empty without a cultural framework, daily habits and practices to bring it to life. in the further course of her lecture, thompson talks about the concept of special empathy as the heightened anticipation of the sensorial aspects of an eventual space while still in its imagined beginnings. it is an attempt to put oneself in the others shoes. watch her talk, and interview with AnAs fermn tribaldos, above.

john wardle talk and interview

john wardle, the founder of john wardle architects, follows a distracted chronology of the influences in his life as the guiding thread of his talk. he begins by reminiscing about his upbringing in the city of geelong where he fostered his interest in collecting objects, something that he indulges in today by visiting markets in different parts of the world. besides the aesthetic interest, it is the elevation of the status of things and the backstory of those objects. wardle describes the influence the melbourne theater had on him when it flourished in the late 70s and explains that he and his team draw in inspiration from other parallel and seemingly unrelated areas of creative idea making instead of architectural discourse.

john wardle goes on to share a lesson he learned on his trip to the teatro olimpico in vicenza, italy, where he engaged in a conversation with an elderly italian about the nature of perspective. he talks about the cognitive process of perception of distance and scale and describes it as the way we register our place in space and how were aware of all that sits beyond. he is of the opinion that it is part of the responsibility of architects to provide architecture that has aspects of enclosure that contain the dynamic of human life, but also express its place in the civic experience in the urban environments that we also work within. watch his talk, and subsequent interview with AnA host fermn tribaldos, in the video above.

kerstin thompson and john wardle in discussion with AnA host fermn tribaldos

watch kerstin thompson and john wardle in discussion with AnA host fermn tribaldos above, and stay tuned as architects, not architecture continues with its virtual world tour.

philip stevens I designboom

nov 22, 2020

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architects, not architecture begins 'virtual world tour' with talks from kerstin thompson and john wardle Nov - Designboom

In the eyes and minds of Black America the two professions of medicine and law sit at the apex of respect, envy, and essentiality as well they should. In my book, African American Architects: Embracing Culture and Building Urban Communities, 2020 (and several published summarizing articles) I alluded cryptically to the issue of Black architects and our subconscious wish that Black America (and particularly Black youth) see our profession as being as equally essential and prestigious as they see the medical and legal professions. I wish to explore here whether this is a viable aspiration.

In Black America the mention of architects in proximity to MDs and Lawyers applies only in a prestige ranking. On the scale of the 25 most desirable paying jobs, medical doctors are still at the top. Lawyers are in the bottom fourth tier. Architects (who do not rank in the $100,000 annual salary paying category) also do not make the list of the top 25 most desirable jobs in the eyes of Black America.

A bit of historical background perspective on the development of the three professions is in order. In 1895, the year that Booker T. Washington was giving his famous accommodationist speech in Atlanta, the National Medical Association (NMA) was also founded. There were already hundreds of Black doctors. There were a dozen Black medical schools (before being reduced to two after the 1910 Flexnor Report that revolutionized medical education). The essence of the Black doctors declared mission remains intact to this day - The elimination of the health disparities of Black Americans.

Just 30 years later, the National Bar Association (NBA) was founded. At the time of that 1925 NBA founding there were over 1,000 Black lawyers in the U.S. thanks mainly to the 1869 founding of a law school at Howard University in Washington, DC. The Black lawyers mission was as clear and compelling as the medical doctors mission; the acquiring of civil rights, civil liberties, and constitutional protections for Black Americans.

In stark contrast to the Black doctor and lawyer, between 1895 and 1925 the idea of a Black architect was still undergoing invention. The first formally educated Black architect in the U.S. MIT-trained Robert R. Taylor was on the Tuskegee, Alabama campus during that 30-year period. Taylor and a small band of other formally trained Black architects were offering drawing courses. In reality, Taylor and his faculty architect recruits would be best characterized as master builders. The actual building of the Tuskegee campus required a fully integrated approach to design, construction, materials development, and finance capital. Interestingly, in 1907 a 13-year old Los Angeles paperboy, Paul R. Williams was exposed to the accomplishments of Sidney Pittman, one of the Tuskegee Institute architects.

The formal training of architects as we understand that word today - in a historically Black university would not occur until 1934. That program at Howard University in Washington, DC was not accredited until 1951 by a then nationally authorized body. Black architects did not establish their own professional/fraternal organization the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) - until 1971. This was 76 years after the founding of the NMA by Black doctors, and 61 years after the founding of the NBA by Black lawyers.

Black architects constrained their mission to alignment with the anodyne gentleman architect mission of the American Institute of Architects. Consider had that mission mirrored that of the medical doctor. Only a single word would have needed to be changed; the elimination of the wealth disparities of Black Americans. Interestingly, between 1890 and the 1934 founding of the program at Howard, that appears to have actually been the mission of the still small number of Tuskegee-trained or faculty affiliated master builder-architects.

Fast forward to today, 2020, and the issue of Black architects versus Black medical doctors. Clarity of mission and educational curriculum structure emerge as the key differences. To be clear, I see no value to be gained by challenging the current mission and structure of todays rejuvenated NOMA. Similarly, for the extant architecture academy enterprise. Todays 170 accredited first professional degree architecture programs have a continuing role to play in educating the next generation of Black architects. But that role must be supplemented by an apostate architect wing whose mission is as clear and as compelling as those of the Black doctors and lawyers. The apostate architect wings first order of business must be the establishing of new educational institutions and curricula possibly as many as one dozen. Each would respect regional and ideological differences, e.g., pro or anti-capitalist, for- or non-profit, etc. but all united by a priority allegiance to the elimination of wealth disparities in Black Americas communal spaces.

A common short dictionary definition of an architect is a person who designs buildings and houses. An honest 21st century redefinition of the Black apostate architect would be a person who designs and produces buildings, housing, and communities.Several of Americas Traditionally White Institutions have already provided the reality that a well-grounded licensed architect can be produced in a four-year post-baccalaureate, non-architecture degree program. The apostate architect curricula structure needs to resemble the medical education curriculum model.

The by-products of such a curriculum must be persons who understand that they cannot expect to be selected by others, Black or white, to design/produce Black Americas housing and community facilities. That is a world that has rarely existed for Black architects (the architect selection paradigm is recognized as a dying proposition by a growing number of white and other architects of color). Black Americas need over the next several generations is for an apostate architect wing that is capable and motivated to play a vital role in the business of a wealth creation-centered community development through a wholistic approach to affordable housing production and related community facilities. Given the reality that ambitious Black people who could be interested in careers in architecture are not willing to take the architecture professions de rigueur vows of poverty, this repurposed doctor-lawyer curriculum model would also solve the architects unacceptably low compensation issueto be continued.

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Black MD's, Lawyersand Architects | Features - Archinect

Thai firm IDIN Architects has slotted a studio it designed for itself into a narrow site in Bangkok and obscured it from view using tall trees and blackened wood.

IDIN Architects' Office is designed to have an "invisible presence" that is overlooked by passersby, offering the studio's employees privacy and respite from the city.

It is among the five projects shortlisted for business building of the year at Dezeen Awards 2020.

"Unlike the other stand-alone office designs, IDIN Architects decided to walk away from creating an iconic appearance for its office," the studio explained.

"The key idea unfolds from creating a creative working place with high privacy and then develops towards an idea about the invisible presence of the building in an urban context."

IDIN Architects' Office takes the form of a series of staggered but interlinking volumes, shrouded by their dark charred-cedar cladding.

The volumes are punctured by courtyards and terraces that overlook the wall of trees and greenery that envelop the site. While providing privacy for employees, the trees help to absorb noise from the surrounding streets, provide shelter for birds and animals and offer the studio relaxing views of nature.

Inside, the office's staggered form creates three distinct zones divided into public, semi-public and private spaces. The public zone contains a cafe and is the only space visible from the street.

Tucked behind the cafe is the semi-public area that contains all of the studio's workspaces, while the private zone at the rear accommodates residential space for the studio's founder.

IDIN Architects' intention is for this layout to "filter" the flow of visitors, while also creating a playful sequence of rooms that offers them a feeling of discovery as they walk through it.

"The visitors can experience the rhythm of hide-and-seek throughout the building," explained the studio.

"Like reading a book, the upcoming chapters disclose slowly, as the readers keep reading the next page, each section of the space features different characters."

To help prevent IDIN Architects' Office from overheating, its west elevation takes the form of a solid, windowless wall while the south-facing side is only used for circulation.

The north facade is lined with floor-to-ceiling glazing, providing spaces throughout the office with views of the trees and natural lighting that is consistent throughout the day.

To help maximise the office space's connection to the outside, the interiors are lined with black walls that mirror the exterior of the building.

This is teamed with light wooden floors and furnishings, including floor-to-ceiling bookcase walls office chairs and tables and office chairs and tables.

Jeravej Hongsakul founded IDIN Architects in 2004. Its name is an acronym for Integrating Design Into Nature. Other recent projects by the studio include JB House a dwelling designed for a couple who wanted a space that would allow them to focus on their individual hobbies.

Among the other projects shortlisted for business building of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2020 is Kohan Ceram Central Office in Iran by Hooba Design Group and a recyclable market in China by LUO Studio.

Photography is by Spaceshift Studio and Ketsiree Wongwan.

Project credits:

Architect: IDIN ArchitectsArchitecture team: Jeravej Hongsakul, Eakgaluk Sirijariyawat, Sakorn Thongdoang, Wichan KongnokInterior architect: IDIN ArchitectsInteriors team: Thuwanont RuangkanoksilpLandscape architect: WalllasiaStructural engineer: Pakanut SiriprasopsothronSystem engineer: Eakachai Hamhomvong, Panot KuakoolwongContractor: ArtConInterior contractor: Diidia

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Charred wood and greenery conceal IDIN Architects' Office in Thailand - Dezeen

trahan architects + reed hilderbrand have conceived the national bonsai and penjing museum as an immersive, cohesive garden experience. situated within the US national arboretum in washington, DC, the museum includes trees and viewing stones from japan, china, north america, and other international locations. the concept design, which was recently approved by the US commission of fine arts, organizes the museums program around a central court, from which a network of paths takes visitors to the four exhibitions that blur their boundaries with the larger, surrounding park.renders courtesy of design distill for trahan architects/ reed hilderband

the national bonsai and penjing museumat the US national arboretum in washington, DC, promotes the art of bonsai and penjing to visitors through one of the finest and most extensive collections in the world. the conceptdesign by trahan architects + reed hilderbrand establishes an extensive grove of understory trees as the principal image and identity of the museum. mixed species surround and frame the various exhibitions and the central court, while . charred wood posts and trellises rise above the exhibition spaces to filter light and shape a sense of enclosure.

the architecture of the museum is restrained and practical, offering an elegant neutral backdrop for the bonsai and penjing within. from the central court, a network of paths takes visitors the four exhibitions, expanded classroom, and administrative services of the program.

its about deferring to the power of the bonsai & penjing, says trey trahan, architect for the bonsai and penjing museum and founding principal of trahan architects. the architectural expression is subtle composed of elemental components that respond to the unique environmental conditions of the site. we wanted the visitor to embark upon a journey that created a sense of mystery, where the boundaries between the landscape and the architecture are blurred, inviting people to reflect upon these unique cultural artifacts within a lush garden setting.

the national bonsai and penjing museum is the first project within reed hilderbrands master plan update for the US national arboretums core, which the US commission of fine arts also approved during summer 2020. the legacy of global cultural exchange through horticulture takes on an important meaning today in washington, notes douglas reed, founding principal of reed hilderbrand. we have sought to elevate a world-class collection, making it more accessible, where visitors can make a powerful connection between a bonsai beech tree in the museum and its full grown expression in the national arboretum woods.goshin chinese juniper forest, juniperus chinensis, in training since 1953, gift of john yoshio naka, 1984, courtesy of the national bonsai and penjing museum

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trahan architects + reed hilderbrand plan national bonsai + penjing museum in the US - Designboom

A little more than a decade ago, David Adjaye hovered on the verge of bankruptcy, his budding architectural practice devastated by the Great Recession. Budgets were slashed, he recalls. I was employing about 30 people at that time and had about six decent projects, which was a lot for a young architect. But I was winging it. I wasnt a businessperson. I lost all my savings, going through the insolvency system and paying off everyone personally.

It was a rough comedown for an architect whose early works had gained notice for their rigorous and subversive designs. But only a year later, in 2009, Adjaye won the heated competition to design the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., marking a stunning reversal of his fortunes. Just when people thought that I was done with, he marvels, the Smithsonian revived me and introduced me to America. It felt supernatural. He describes the experience as a form of baptism.

As well as being a personal redemption, the museum, which opened in 2016, won the Ghanaian-British designer several awards and catapulted him into the starchitect stratosphere. The following year, thanks to a knighthood, he added Sir to his name. Adjaye stands among the most acclaimed architects working today and has become a go-to man for monuments and museums, including a planned Holocaust memorial by the Houses of Parliament in London. He has also become something of a spokesman for Black architects, a role he inhabits eloquently, though reluctantly.

Inside Adjayes Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.Alan Karchmer

Sir David, 54, is now the very model of a modern celebrity architect, with homes and offices in London, New York and Ghana. He has designed houses for other creative luminariesalways a badge of honorincluding Ewan McGregor, artists Chris Ofili and Jake Chapman, photographer Juergen Teller and Brad Pitts Make It Right Foundation, as well as for the late United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan. Adjayes 130 William luxury condo tower is under construction in Lower Manhattan, and he is working with Four Seasons on its new private residences in Washington, D.C. The latest book to feature his work, David Adjaye: Works 19952007, will be published by Thames & Hudson this month.

Pre-pandemic, he spent much of his time at 30,000 feet, between visiting professorships at Harvard, Princeton and Yale, and projects in Australia, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, Norway, Senegal, Israel and Ghana. He sat at the top table with President Obama during a White House dinner for then prime minister David Cameron of the UK in 2012.

He now has this amazing life of working in so many different places, says Rowan Moore, architecture critic for The Observer newspaper in London. I dont know how he does it. Its insane. Adjayes popularity aside, Moore adds that he is not wholly embraced by the architectural profession, partly because hes not easily classifiable, not part of a gang. Moore says his strength is an ability to respond to a situation with something new. Hes good at the external wrappers of buildings. His weakness, according to Moore, is that hes not a details man.

The museums exterior.Nic Lehoux

In Britain, that kind of faint snootiness toward Adjaye is sometimes detectable amid the generally positive commentary, characterizing him as a fashionable lightweighta consummate networker and ambitious producer of novel, eye-catching projects popular with celebrities and the masses.

Sometimes this media caricature wears a bit thin. Obamas favorite architect, as he was dubbed by the design press, was not, after all, awarded the commission to design the presidential library in Chicago (that went to Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects). He did not grow up in wealthy Hampstead, as is regularly reported by the press on both sides of the pond, but in the decidedly unglamorous nearby suburb of Cricklewood.

In person, Adjaye is more cerebral and vulnerable than his media persona suggests. Its clear that he cares much more about his public works than any ritzy condo tower. Im attracted to projects that have transformational qualities and justice qualities, he says. Thats what turns me on.

The stark facade, left, and light-filled interior of Adjayes Elektra House in London, which gained him early notice.Lyndon Douglas

He speaks to Robb Report via Zoom from Accra, his carefully modulated statements sweetened by an infectious giggle, his gray office backdrop enlivened by a brightly patterned yellow shirt, though he chooses a more somber palette for Robb Reports photo shoot. His African practice has been booming, and hes spending the pandemic in the Ghanaian capital with his wife, Ashley Shaw-Scott Adjaye, and two young children, toying with ideas for a new family home there.

Adjaye had a peripatetic expat childhood. The son of a Ghanaian diplomat, he lived in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia before the age of 13, when the family settled in London. His unrooted youth, as he calls it, was further disrupted by trauma when one of his two younger brothers, Emmanuel, contracted an infection as a toddler that left him mentally and physically disabled.

Adjayes mother, Cecilia, became Emmanuels caregiver; he still lives with her in London. His father, Affram, took a demotion to move the family there to get the best care for the child. It changed the dynamics of the family, Adjaye says quietly, because essentially, you know, this one-year-old boy suddenly became the only focus that my parents wanted to deal with.

Adjaye in Accras Black Star Square.Edem J. Tamakloe

Thrown into a London state school after a childhood spent at private international schools, the teenage Adjaye got into a lot of trouble, as he puts it. He found the English school shockingly provincial. In retrospect, however, he values his itinerant upbringing. The best education is an education you dont realize youre being given, he says. Youre not frightened by new situations. He still feels at home when traveling. Im most comfortable working in every part of the world that I am allowed to go, he says, grinning.

Lesley Lokko, dean of the Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York and a fellow Ghanaian Brit who has known Adjaye for about 20 years, attributes his success to having grown up as the consummate outsider. Adjaye has, she says, always been half in and half out of situations. That gives you an antenna. He is incredibly sensitive to contexts.

This insight into context, according to Lokko, is the key to understanding a trait of Adjayes that bothers architectural critics: He has no signature style, except that whatever he comes up with will be deeply thoughtful. She adds that his vision is large scale, and so hes not somebody who obsesses over the micro-details of projects.

The Abrahamic Family House, which will feature a mosque, a church and a synagogue, in Abu Dhabi.The Abrahamic Family House/Adjaye Associates

Moore characterizes him as an architectural diplomatcharming and persuasive in person and in his most successful buildings. He is able to move between different milieus and communicate across them. Whether its the East End of London or [Washingtons National] Mall or Ghana, there is an equal level of respect.

Success was not a foregone conclusion. Adjaye remained uninspired by school, despite his parents efforts. They were typical West African, he says. My father was hell-bent on education. To enter a profession was the way to escape all the ills of the world. That was drummed into us. Yet Adjaye persuaded his father to let him go to art school, a concession he still feels grateful for. Thats when I fell in love with my dad again. (Another brother, Peter, became a conceptual sound artist.) Adjayes principal concern when his business went bust in 2008 was that he would embarrass his father.

After art school, he went on to study architecture, earning a masters at the Royal College of Art in London, where he became friends with many of the Young British Artists promoted by Charles Saatchi in the 1990s. His student design for an inner-city respite center for disabled children (inspired by his brother) won a prestigious national award from the Royal Institute of British Architects. The same body recently named him the 2021 recipient of the Royal Gold Medal, one of the worlds most prestigious architectural awards.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver.David Shankbone

During his studies, Adjaye spent a year in Japan, at the Kyoto University of the Arts, an experience he describes as a profound time, probably the most important time in my education. Ultimately, it led him to a new appreciation of African aesthetics and the beginnings of what he now calls his obsession with helping African countries develop architecturally.

Japanese reverence for the simplicity of their indigenous buildings, and the way they elevate plain, natural materials to an art form, struck him as applicable to African huts. It made me start to look at Africa again, not as a place that was undeveloped and weak but as a place of immense aesthetic potential, he says. I would go into a teahouse and I would think, This is like a hut. Its basically thatch and a bit of timber and mud. So why is my grandfathers village not special but this is? It was like seeing two different worlds, where one was revered and the other was despised. It was a revelation.

Back home, after college, Adjaye struggled to get work in a profession that is notoriously hard to break into without connections.

A model apartment in Manhattans 130 William.C Binyan Studios

Architecture is like the art world in the sense that it needs another artist to anoint an artist, he says. Artists dont just emerge on their own. Architecture is the same. It requires patronage. He believed that his race marked him as an outsider. I felt like a misfit. I spent my entire time trying to fit in, reading as much as I could about European architecture.

Adjaye spent a few years scraping by, building sets for music videos, and then his friend Chris Ofili, a painter who had just been propelled into stardom by Saatchi, asked him to design a studio. That led to a commission in 1999 from an artist couple for what became Elektra House in East London. The house, inspired by the Japanese practice of putting all the windows in the back to maximize privacy, garden views and light, had no windows onto the streetjust panels of inexpensive, plain, dark-brown phenolic plywoodand a rear facade almost entirely of glass. They let me do what I wanted, within the limits of their money, which was nothing. And it made the cover of the RIBA Journal, Adjaye says.

In Britain, with its devotion to bay windows, his concept was seen as radical. Suddenly it was like, who is this Black kid building very weird buildings?, Adjaye says with a giggle. Elektra House attracted the attention of Richard Rogers, the Pritzker-winning modernist architect, who has been his friend ever since.

A rendering of the National Cathedral of Ghana.Adjaye Associates

The house still exemplifies Adjayes creative method. He first compiles a body of knowledge and research and context on the local area, he says, then considers how to use form and structure to express the buildings purpose within that framework. Im always reading the context and trying to better the context, he says. Thats my first trick.

The point of contextualizing is not to fit in but to subvert. Architecture is about politics with a big P, he says. The aim is to change the way in which people perceive buildings in that area and to entice them to aspire to something better. How does a building do that? Just very simple things like not having walls or being completely accessible. Once the idea is clear, the building self-generates, he says. All questions about what kind of windows or energy systems [to use] are answered through that initial lens.

For example, in Elektra House, the brief was to capture light. So I thought, Im going to make a house that tracks the sun, not deals with the street, he recalls. And so the house is blank but absolutely full of light. People said, This is not a house. Its not a house thats about the street and windows. Its a house thats about the world and light. Its really about having a different perspective.

inside the Idea Store Whitechapel in London.Edmund Sumner

Elektra House made Adjayes name, but it was almost his undoing. The local authority took him to court for breaking planning laws (that windowless facade), and Adjaye says he was saved from a possible criminal conviction only by the intervention of Rogers. The head of the local governing body was so impressed that he invited Adjaye to enter a competition to design a neighborhood library, which, naturally, he won.

That foray into public infrastructure led to a pipeline of civic works, beginning with the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo in 2002 and culminating with the Smithsonian. He was invited to enter the competition for the Malls latest museum on the basis, he says, of his recently completed Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and his design for a vast business school in Moscow.

Asked why the Smithsonian invited him to compete, he says, There are lots of African-American architects, but none had an international profile, and I emerged as someone who had worked in the US and Europe. I was the first Black architect that theyd seen operating continentally.

The Webster in Miami by Adjaye.Laurian Ghinitoiu

Worried that his threadbare practice was too small to take on such a challenge, Adjaye teamed up with Philip Freelon and J. Max Bond Jr., two well-established African-American architects. Their winning bid beat out such A-list names as I. M. Pei, Norman Foster and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. (Bond died in 2009, but his company carried on the project; Freelon died last year.) The resulting triple-tiered building, designed to resemble a West African crown, is clad in glowing bronze-colored aluminum panels perforated with delicate lattice patterns, which vary in color with the changing light.

Alexandra Lange, a design critic and author, describes the panels as a great calling card. Adjaye, she says, understands pattern and intricacy in a way that a lot of contemporary architects dont. I was really blown away by how well his choices fit in while also making a distinctive museum. It needed to hold up to the neoclassical marble buildings, and he picked a great way to do that.

She links this approach to Adjayes design for the Sugar Hill affordable-housing complex in Harlem, completed the year before the Smithsonian, where the stark gray concrete exterior walls are etched with an ornamental rose pattern. The effect was dismissed by New York magazine as crude, the product of an evening spent fiddling with Photoshop, but Lange sees it as a beautiful pattern, evidence of Adjayes sensitivity to material. Concrete, metal, mirrors and glasseach has its own beauty and quality, she says. His exteriors are like a carapaceone thing is happening on the outside and something different on the inside.

Adjayes The Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo.Tim Soar

Adjaye is now on speed dial for prestigious government commissions, including a master plan, with other firms, for a new Parisian quarter close to the Bibliotheque Nationale de France Francois-Mitterrand and the reconstruction of Haitis National Palace. In the US he is designing the Princeton University Art Museum, and his new home for the Studio Museum in Harlem is under construction. His blueprint acts as an extension of the very spirit of our Harlem community, says the museums director, Thelma Golden. Adjaye has drawn on the surrounding architectural vernacular for inspiration while reframing it in an unexpected way that makes the museum more welcoming to the public. He re-envisioned the soaring sanctuaries of Harlems churches as the museums top-lit atrium, says Golden, while local brownstone stoops became tiers of wide steps leading down from the entrance to the program space, with each step doubling as a place where the audience can sit.

Adjayes main focus now is Africa, and hes working on a new campus for the Africa Institute, a research center in the United Arab Emirates that specializes in the study of Africa and its diaspora. He describes his current residence in Ghana as a third chapter, after his early work in London and a second, Smithsonian-focused phase in the US. He says he feels hes being summoned to deliver for a country. We are now working on the National Cathedral for Ghana and, as a result, in West, East and South Africa. This seems to be a very powerful new time.

With global success has come racial role-model status, a responsibility Moore says has been partly put upon him by the architectural profession being so damn white. Adjaye finds this labeling reductive and somewhat patronizing. He recounts how, when this whole Black Lives Matter thing happened, the number of magazines that called me to ask, Can you just say what its like to be a Black architect? . . . I refused most of the time because I dont feel like its my job to educate [people on] that issue anymore.

Adjayes Ruby City in San Antonio, Tex.Dror Baldinger FAIA

But he also acknowledges that his pioneering accomplishments have profound personal meaning. Its not a burden. Im very proud, so proud of the Smithsonian, he says. I feel so thankful. Now when I look at my children, I feel like theres something in the world that speaks to them.

His fame is also genuinely inspirational to young Black creative professionals. Hes a complicated figure partly because theres no precedent for someone like him, says Lokko. He resists the label of the Black architect, and yet its the elephant in the room whenever anyone considers his work. Hes very clear about being British African, and his references come from a deep understanding of the African continent. People dont always know how to read that. Lokko once brought Adjaye to lecture in Johannesburg, where she was teaching at the time. It was like the second coming of the Messiah, she recalls. He is incredibly meaningful for the students.

On the role of race in national historical and political narratives, Adjayes views are nuanced. He opposes the removal of controversial statues. Taking them down, he explains, warps history. Erasing the memory of problematic historical figures creates all the confusion that were now experiencing in the 21st century with Holocaust denial and people not understanding American history, he says. Their continued presence, on the other hand, activate[s] questions, he says, and helps prevent our forgettingand repeatinghistory.

Adjayes Bernie Grant Arts Centre in London.Assen Emilov

In the same way, he believes Britain needs to stop treating its former empire as a taboo topic and instead engage with its real history, perhaps by way of a museum. Most Brits only understand the end bit, the froth of empire, he says. To navigate in the world in the 21st century, Britain needs to understand its own evolution . . . the good and bad, he reflects. I think that a great nation says, Lets try to resolve it, not Dont talk about it.

The purpose of memorials, and the process by which nations decide what and how to commemorate, are among his favorite subjects for reflection. Traditionally, monuments enable closure, Adjaye says. Youre supposed to reflect on immortality and that [the dead are] in a good place. So you make it out of marble and you make it feel eternal, so it feels like its sorted, its done, and youre allowed to forget. His own memorial buildings, in contrast, are trying to create questioning and thinking.

He reveres Maya Lins Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall because its immense list of the dead and missing does not try to edit history into a hierarchical narrative. No single name or rank matters more than any other. The experience of that long walk, reading the names etched into the wall, can be seen in the physical journeys that he created in the Smithsonian and his plans for Londons Holocaust memorial.

Adjayes Moscow School of Management.Timokhin Stanislav

Both immerse visitors in uneasy darkness before drawing them out into the light. The proposed Holocaust memorialwhich is mired in planning disputeswill force each visitor, including children, to pass through a bronze-lined chamber alone. Its a little window into what the Holocaust did to millions of people, says Adjaye. In all the surveys, 20 percent of English people think the Holocaust didnt happen. Were using architecture to reenact empathy within people, empathy towards the subject. Not [to create] the sense that its finished, but the sense of, Oh, my God, I really need to pay attention.

From his house in Africa, Adjaye muses on human history and how its stories can take physical form. How do we create an honest account of the past to teach our children? How do we guard against the erasure of unpleasant history and the risk of repeating our mistakes? How do we empathize with excluded groups? His mission is a hopeful one: the knitting together of humanity and of the present and the past.

As for the future, hes bullish on cities, post-pandemic, pointing to the improvements in sanitation after tuberculosis epidemics and in building safety after 9/11. He envisions more breathable buildings, more varied ecologies and improved access to sunlight. The good thing about human beings is that we are good at evolving, he says. Once we see the problem, we evolve past it and deal with it. It will make the density which we cant escape better. Were going to build bigger buildings. Were going to make bigger and better cities. He grins. Its coming. Its already here.

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How David Adjaye Became the Worlds Most Beguiling Public Architectand Its Most Subversive - Robb Report

The Cahill Expressway. Credit:James Alcock

This has been discussed, designed and redesigned so many times its hard to fathom. The question is: keep it as a grand edge and colonnade to Sydney Harbour or demolish it and bury the railway station underground to make a great public square? Wouldnt it be great if the Treasurer funded a design competition that considered both, and committed to funding the winner.

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I couldnt agree more with Perrottet on those ordinary, cheap, brick add-ons to the Lands and Courthouse buildings. Let's commit, right here and now, that any addition to a historic or culturally significant building be the result of a design excellence competition, with the proper funding to support architectural beauty and delight. Clover Moore and the City of Sydney have proven this is the recipe for architectural success, winning most of the significant architectural awards this past decade.

Neo-liberalism has committed more "hate crimes" against architectural beauty (the Treasurer's words) by destruction than any architect or urban designer ever has. By rationalising money above all other considerations of society, culture and the environment we have ridden roughshod over far too many important buildings and the public domain. Money is an abstract means of valuing something. If we dont value society, culture and the environment, how then can we protect it?

Let's agree as a society that we now view all projects, both public and private, through a triple bottom line analysis before we decide to demolish any building, environment or resume public land.

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To a point of consistency: the Treasurer cant argue on one hand that Harry Seidlers MLC building destroyed one of Sydney's most stunning buildings (the Australia Hotel) in the name of progress, yet be a significant decision maker within a government doing exactly the same thing all over greater Sydney. Just look at Haberfield and Westconnexs hate crime against beauty with the loss of 53 historic homes.

Sure, let's have progress, but lets be balanced in our discussion of loss and meaning.

And finally to the Treasurers and my own love of historic buildings, especially the sandstones. Long may this passion be nourished and grow. I encourage the proper funding of these buildings so they are preserved in perpetuity.

But there is one group of architecturally historic buildings in danger of demolition through neglect and over-development. Buildings so fine and so rare they would rate as some of Australias best early colonial architecture, designed by some of our most important architects. These buildings are adjacent to Parramatta Park, in the Fleet Street Heritage Precinct, such as Cumberland Hospital, the Female Factory, Parramatta Jail and many more. The area is also home to significant Indigenous history.

I encourage the Treasurer to visit these sites and see their beauty and to realise how important they are in the understanding of white settlement in Australia, and properly fund their upkeep. But also to reduce the development that is slated within the curtilage of this historic area, threatening their importance. As a state we need to preserve our significant social, cultural and environmental history so they can tell the stories of our past to our future generations.

Shaun Carter is the principal at CarterWilliamson Architects and a former NSW president of Australian Institute of Architects.

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An architect in furious agreement with the Treasurer (but not his entire demolition hit list) - Sydney Morning Herald

Jennifer Zeckendorf, founder of residential architecture firm Zeckendorf Architects, is continuing her familys long-standing legacy in the real estate business. Her father, Arthur Zeckendorf, is the owner, founder and co-chairman of Zeckendorf Development and the co-founder of Terra Holdings, a company that owns and operates Brown Harris Stevens. The Zeckendorfs are responsible for many high-end New York buildings, including the famed 15 Central Park West.

But Ms. Zeckendorf, 31, decided to go into architecture rather than development, starting her own firm in 2019. Before that, she attended Yale and received a masters degree in architecture from Columbia University. Shes worked as an architect at Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) as well as at Robert AM Stern Architects. Among the projects she contributed to were 1500 Mission in San Francisco and Hudson Yards in New York.

Her latest project is Healdsburg House, a renovated 1920s single-family ranch house situated along the Russian River in Californias Sonoma County. Ms. Zeckendorf gut renovated it and connected a garage to the main structure, interweaving two narratives: Russian River camp and sleek modern wine country.

We caught up with Ms. Zeckendorf, who splits time among New York City; East Hampton, New York; and Sonoma, to discuss forging her own path, learning from Manhattan real estate royalty, and more.

More: Dubai-Based Real Estate Expert on Buying in the Middle East During Coronavirus and Beyond

Mansion Global: How do you define luxury?

Jennifer Zeckendorf: To me, its about having a sense of place. Usually thats about views, but its really a combination of views and location. Its also a mixture of architecture, interior design and landscaping. They all come together to make it feel luxurious.

MG: How would you describe your dream home?

JZ: It would have classical elementsa courtyard with columns, but also modern in its sense of simplicity. It would have beautiful stone work, wood and natural elements. Where it is could be anywherewith remote work there are so many options.

More: Marriott Executive Says Buyers Are Spending More Time Than Ever in Their Vacation Homes

MG: What was your vision behind Healdsburg?

JZ: That was built in the 1920s and Healdsburg was an agricultural town near a Russian River resort. Its now a premier wine country destination. I wanted to modernize it but retain the classic Craftsman character, so I embraced gables, retained cedar beams and restored some cedar siding.

When you have older structures, theres character you wont get when you build something new. When we did the addition, we converted the garage into a master bedroom and connected it with a glass breezeway. What made it so special was the rustic element of the ceiling. The ceiling was original, and we added another roof on top of it to preserve it.

MG: Do you expect architecture and design tastes to change as a result of Covid?

JZ: The fact that youre showing so much of your home on Zoom has changed things. That started with Instagram, when people were creating the perfect social media backdrops. Were going to see that more often because people are showcasing their homes more than ever. Its an interesting design challenge. Lighting is an issue too, as are things like where you place doors, so you dont have people coming in and out all the time while youre on Zoom meetings.

More: Yacht Designer Says Boats Are Becoming More Permanent Homes

MG: You come from a family thats very well known in the New York City real estate world. How has that affected your career thus far?

JZ: I learned a lot from my dad and from [15 Central Park West architect] Bob Stern, who was the dean at Yale, where I went. And its given me a lot of exposure. I chose to go into architecture as opposed to development. Its so technical and I always liked that.

A lot of times when you interact with architects, you think just about the end product, the beautiful spaces, but theres a lot of technical work that goes into it.The more technical you are, the better the architect you are.

MG: Is there a way people can make their homes feel more relaxing and more like an oasis at this difficult time?

JZ: Lights can be overlooked, but changing ceiling lights can really affect your mood. Its also important to have a work-free zone. For my family, thats the sunroom and outdoor patio space. Its nice to be able to disconnect from the work day and spend quality time there.

More: San Francisco Interior Designer Says Clients Are Looking to Make Upgrades

MG: What kind of long-term impact do you expect the pandemic to have on real estate?

JZ: What is going to be long-term, for my generation especially, is the shift from renting and traveling. Now people really see the value of the home. Well see people putting all of their assets into residential homes, whether theyre working from home full-time or not.

Your Hamptons house, for example, willat the leastgo from being home for 30 days a year to 45 days a year.

MG: What about the future of apartment living?

JZ: I think apartments will get bigger. Theres recently been a trend of a great rooma primary living space, which was something I was against, even at SOM, because of the noise and privacy issues. I think thats something developers are going to reassess.

Click to Read More Luxury Real Estate Professionals Share Their Insights

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Architect Says 30-Somethings Are Learning the Benefits of Home Ownership - Mansion Global

Dwell Escapes is supported by Genesis. We selected this escape because the drama of the open-plan interior picks up on the progressive, audacious aspects of the Genesis GV80and the two-story garage doubles as a gallery for showcasing art.

A little over a mile from the Pacific Ocean in Venice, California, sits a boxy house on a 5,700-square-foot lot. At first glance, its a contemporary two-story home with lots of windows and raw materials like metal and concrete. But take a closer look at the fine details, and youll notice something intrinsically primordial about the space that architect Steven Ehrlich of EYRC Architects designed for himself and his wife, author Nancy Griffin.

Nicknamed 700 Palms, Stevens home is like a love letter to his past experiences around the world. The dwellings design was influenced by his time as a practicing architect in Marrakech, Morocco, as an architecture instructor in Nigeria in the 1970s, and his involvement in a Tokyo project in the 1980s.

The homes exterior colors were inspired by the Marrakech souks Steven experienced as a practicing architect in Morocco in the 1970s. A Genesis GV80 sits outside the 700 Palms residence.

"All of those experiences led me to learn about aspects of culture and multicultural inputand thats what makes this house unique," says Steven.

The homes guiding design principle is called multicultural modernism. Coined by Steven and Nancy 20 years ago, its a practice of utilizing architectural influences and traditions from around the world, and adapting them into a more modern design style.

The homes earthy color scheme complements the exterior landscape, which is ever-visible through grand windows.

"I loved living in courtyard houses in Africa, which were very sustainable because we didnt pump the rooms up with air conditioning," explains Steven. "We actually opened up doors and had thick walls, cross ventilation, and many, many fundamental passive solar strategies."

The family courtyard is a space with luscious greenery and cozy seating where the owners can connect with their three grown children and grandson. Beyond lies the art-filled garage, where a Genesis GV80 is parked.

Drawing inspiration from these African homes, Steven designed 700 Palms with three courtyards. One courtyard houses the pool, whereas the family courtyard has bucket seating and a barbecue. The tree courtyard is home to an 80-year-old tree that Steven built the roof around.

The outdoor pool isnt just a place to take a dip; it also produces an evaporative cooling effect for the air-conditioning-less home.

The courtyardscombined with a concrete block wall with high thermal mass, and a chocolate-brown concrete floor with radiant heatingallow the house to function without air-conditioning. Huge shades on the homes southwestern facade help to dissipate heat, and the small pool provides evaporative cooling, keeping the interior and exterior environments comfortable throughout the year.

Steven describes his Havana Brown cats as "architectural accessories" that accent the playful elements of the homes design.

Inside, the home has lofty ceilings and open spaces. Large glass windows and doors can be discreetly tucked away, allowing for movement and blurring the barriers between inside and out. Japanese influences abound in the Tansu stairs, the dining areaa reinterpretation of a sunken pitand the dining room table, which is a piece of floating ash with unsealed benches designed by Steven himself.

"From architecture to cars, the essence of the design is fundamental," says Steven. "And Ive always appreciated simple, clean lines." Here, Steven interacts with the Genesis GV80 in the homes garage.

Visitors will also spy worldwide cultural influences in the impressive collection of art pieces the couple has amassed over the decades. Perhaps the most surprising place that the owners display their art collection is in the garage.

A beautiful collection of African gourds and bowls reflect on the shiny exterior of the Genesis GV80.

"I do park my car there pretty much every day, but it is also a gallery for my African baskets and gourds that I collected years ago," explains Steven. The duality of the design allows the garage to be used for displaying sculptures and colorful artwork, as well as for entertaining during pre-pandemic events.

The concrete block wall is composed of a special blend made just for this house.

This idea of "duality" also presents itself in other aspects of the homes design. Its most notable in how the space has details that relate to the past and presentand how these elements seem to work cooperatively.

The open panels of the staircase and the glass bridge create the illusion of walking on air.

Take the bridge that is made entirely of glass and suspended on thin cables. Steven connected the glass bridge with a wall that "almost looks like [it] couldve been there for 100 years," bringing two seemingly opposing design elements together to form an appeasing architectural marvel.

Clean lines are ever present in this modern homeas seen in the glass bridge, dining table, concrete block wall, and abstract art pieces.

"The counterpoint between the technical (or the futuristic) and the primitive (or the primal)that duality is an interesting dialogue as well," Steven says.

With a design that moves between the past and the present, and from culture to culture, Steven has successfully created an urban oasis he describes as "an organic organism."

Steven made sure to include a pool on the 5,700-square-foot lot for his grandson and wife, who love to swim.

"The house is my transformer that I get to play with every day," says Steven. "I can open it, close it, move the shades up and downand Im tuning it up for the time of year, and the type of weather conditions. But its also a living, breathing organism that I get to be a part of, which is just fun."

The comfortable nooks at 700 Palms have doubled as remote workspaces during the pandemic.

His wife agrees. "The house was really designed to be flexible, so we use it differently today than we might have 20 years ago. For instance, adapting to pandemic life, weve been able to take certain spaces and use them for different purposes. I use the guest house now when I need to have quiet meeting time," says Nancy.

Steven and Nancy love how their home continues to change and serve them in new ways each passing year.

With natural ventilation, flexible spaces for working remotely, a design that blurs the line between shelter and nature, and elements that transport you to places around the world, 700 Palms provides Steven and Nancy with everything we might hope for in a homenow and for the future.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Steven Ehrlich, EYRC Architects / @eyrcarchitects

Builder/General Contractor: Shramek Building Co.

This content was created by Dwell Creative Studio, the brand marketing arm of Dwell.

Read more here:
An Architects Venice Home Draws Inspiration From Around the World - Dwell

Full of light and loft, the future new Frisco Public Library stands out not only for its AIA award-winning design, but as a luminous example how libraries serve communities, even during uncertain times.

Architects at Genslers Dallas office are reimagining a cavernous concrete building originally built to manufacture rocket ships as the librarys new home. Built in 1997 by Beal Aerospace, the original structures 40-foot-high ceilings and reinforced concrete slab floors were designed to accommodate heavy-lift orbital launch vehicles. The buildings journey from rockets to books seems predestined: Reinforced floors, it turns out, are ideal for supporting the weight of massive collections of books.

And as adaptive reuse projects go, the $42 million building is an architects dream or biggest challenge and maybe a bit of both.

Last year, voters overwhelmingly approved the city of Friscos five bond measures worth $345 million, including funds to relocate the public library from its current location inside Frisco City Hall. The new library, which is slated to begin construction in mid-2021, is already winning accolades. In June, Genslers design took top honors from the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects at its 2020 Unbuilt Design Awards. Architects Brian Nicodemus and Justin Bashaw, who are based in Genslers Dallas office, worked closely with Frisco Public Library director Shelley Holley on the redesign.

Shelley wanted something uniquely Frisco as far as the building language and expression, Bashaw says.

Inspiration came from the areas early Blackland Prairie roots. Named for its rich, dark soil, the Blackland Prairie is a narrow grassland ecoregion that runs 300 miles from the Red River in North Texas, through Frisco and the Metroplex, ending in San Antonio. After thousands of years of buffalo grazing and wild fires, the Blackland Prairies fertile soil was prime for farming. Civilization ultimately led to the prairies demise, and less than one percent of it remains.

The Blackland Prairie is the reason we are all here, says Bashaw. Theres not much of it left, but its worth celebrating.

For the librarys design, the architects played off the concept of a dogtrot a style of log cabin common to the Blackland Prairie during the 1800s. Imagine a rectangular shoe box with a breezeway punched through the middle, like where a dog might trot through, Bashaw explains.

The design allows for two entryways, including a ceremonial one to the north toward Frisco Square. (The new library is part of a larger master plan that will include a park and trails leading to the square.) A breezeway connects the existing concrete structure with a new community event space made from UV-treated wood veneer, which subtly recalls the look of a log cabin. The event space is surrounded by a plaza designed to accommodate activities like robotics racing, science night, and stem-based learning.

Studio Outside is also taking cues from the areas original ecosystem for the librarys landscape design, and have selected plants native to the Blackland Prairie. When its finished, an interpretive nature trail leading to a park will provide library staff and teachers with another tool to educate on the prairies important history.

Of course, there are challenges in any design project and the Frisco Public Library was no exception. The original buildings wide open spaces and strong structural slab are perfect for housing a multitude of heavy books, but they didnt allow for the kind of big windows the architects wanted, explains Bashaw.

We needed to punch openings into the concrete panels to provide light but the exterior walls are also its support structure, he says. So we got creative and introduced skylights in some areas, and in others, we replaced the walls with steel, so that large windows and doors could be added. When it comes to books, too much of a good thing can also be a problem (paper is highly sensitive to the punishing effects of the Texas sun), so to protect books and other materials, the architects designed an elaborate louver system on the buildings west side to deflect heat and light at the harshest time of day.

Nicodemus and Bashaw have designed other libraries in the Metroplex, but the Frisco library is unique not only for its size in terms of contiguous square footage its one of the largest in the state but because it is designed as a single library to serve an entire city.

Thats fairly unique, says Nicodemus, who compares Friscos plan with that of Dallas, which has many small municipal libraries spread out all over the city with shared resources. Frisco took a different approach with a single library for a very large city, and that was exciting; The question was how do you put everything into one library so that it all works together seamlessly?

Thats where Frisco Public Library director Shelley Holley comes in.

Everyone has an idea of what a library is mostly they think its a place to warehouse books where the librarians shush people to be quiet but we are so far from that, Holley says. We have plenty of books, but progressive modern libraries are full of noisy activity.

When it opens, the Frisco Public Librarys state-of-the-art Innovation Lab will feature AI components sophisticated enough for both entrepreneurs and students who want to try out new technology. It will also be a place to experiment with laser and 3D printing, or learn to create anime or even make a movie.

But no mistake about it, Books and ebooks are still king, she says, and of the 2.5 million items circulating each year through Frisco Public Library, most are books. The library, which has a broad general collection of books, will need to add another 55,000 items to meet the needs of the citys growing population, Holley notes.

As the sole library in a town of 215,000 people, Holley envisions the new building will become a major destination for the community. In the library world, we talk about libraries being the third place there is your home, there is your work, and then there is that third place where the community can gather and have civic discussions, have friendships, have social and learning experiences. The new library will also be located near existing museums and theaters and feed off their vibrant energy.

In addition to Gensler, Holley called on the expertise of 720 Design Inc, a boutique design and architecture firm in Dallas that specializes in developing modern libraries. Together, they came up with a highly flexible design for the Frisco Public Library including 20 individual spaces for small group gatherings such as the casual Un-Conference Room, and spaces to handle such diverse activities as crafting and robotics.

Bookshelves are totally mobile with casters and independent lighting sources, so they can be rearranged or rolled away for large programs. Power and data connections will be available from anywhere in the library, and technology for broadcasting live from the building will be built in, because what Holley has learned from the pandemic is that people still want its services, especially during lockdown.

We have a weekly meeting with management team where we comb through data and look at whats popping, what people are using and asking for, she says. We track our usage data, and respond quickly. So when Covid hit in the spring, we introduced curbside service immediately. It went off like a rocket and has been very successful.

The new library building will continue curbside service with sophisticated, efficient drive-through and drop off systems. Many of its existing programs have already gone virtual, including story times for kids, along with its award-winning ESL and GED programs. I was just looking at stats, and one of our science programs has had 19,000 views in the last week, Holley says. People still want these things, and weve had to figure out how to give them to them in this new Covid environment.

Even when theres not a pandemic raging, librarians and architects are keenly aware that hundreds of people streaming through the doors every day bring plenty of germs with them. Automatic sliding doors are musts for new libraries the fewer touch points the better. And the types of materials furniture and other surfaces are made out of matters its hard to sanitize wood tables, for instance so the team is researching what the safest and most durable options will be. And since social distancing may become the new norm in public spaces, theyre looking at ways to make sure furniture can be quickly adapted as needed, including putting all furniture on casters, along with studying what the safest furniture groupings are, says Bashaw.

With cutting-edge design and a state-of-the-art new facility, the Frisco Public Library promises to be an inspiration for other libraries nationwide to follow.

We are revisiting the paradigm of what a library can be so all bets are off, Bashaw says.

Read this article:
With Cutting-Edge Design and Technology, Architects Reimagine the Frisco Public Library as a True Destination - PaperCity Magazine

SL Green recently celebrated the commencement of construction at One Madison Avenue, a new 1.4-million-square-foot office building in the Flatiron District. The project entails the expansion and redevelopment of an existing 13-story structure into a 27-story Class A office building.

Located on the corner of Madison Avenue and East 23rd Street, the structure will occupy an entire city block and is poised to revitalize the streetscape surrounding the property. To complete this vision and deliver a high-quality commercial product, SL Green commissioned Kohn Pedersen Fox to lead architectural design.

The vertical addition will comprise 530,000 square feet positioned above a redeveloped nine-story podium. The reinforced concrete structure will house a series of 32 35,000-square-foot floor plates with minimal support columns to improve internal flexibility.

Amenity spaces within the tower will include expansive outdoor terraces at the tenth and 11th floors, a 15,000-square-foot artisanal food market, a 9,000-square-foot tenant lounge, a three-level fitness center, and bike storage. The building will also contain a 13,000-square-foot high-tech event space designed to accommodate up to 800 people.

Rendering of outdoor areas at One Madison Avenue

Rendering of outdoor areas at One Madison Avenue

Rendering of event space at One Madison Avenue

With a focus on occupant comfort and wellness, One Madison Avenue will also incorporate state-of-the-art HVAC and circulation systems to improve interior air quality and cleanliness. In addition, the building is expected to achieve both WELL and LEED-Gold certification.

KPF has enjoyed working with SL Green over the years, recently on One Vanderbilt Avenue and now on One Madison Avenue, which is very different from its taller cousin in Midtown, but we think will have an equally dramatic and positive impact on the city, said Doug Hocking, AIA, KPF design principal. We wanted to preserve the character of the original building but also open it up so we could extend the nature of the adjacent park through the tower. When completed, were confident that One Madison will be a dynamic, inspiring workplace for the 21st century.

Additional members of the development team include the National Pension Service of Korea and Hines. Together, the trio of developers have together closed on $1.25 billion in construction financing to complete One Madison Avenue.

We are proud to be bringing an important new office development to Midtown South that we are confident will attract the top companies and talent, said Marc Holliday, chairman and chief executive officer of SL Green. Despite the headwinds presented by current and temporary challenges, we remain focused on boosting the New York City economy by creating thousands of construction jobs and bringing a new, best-in-class office tower to the highly sought-after Flatiron/Midtown South submarket for the first time in a decade.

As part of the development SL Green has also donated $250,000 to the Madison Square Park Conservancy, the non-profit organization licensed by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to manage Madison Square Park. The donation will facilitate the completion of a new dog run and help offset the cost of upkeep and maintenance.

As we are witnessing the success of East Midtowns development, it is fitting that we also applaud development in Midtown South with One Madison Avenue, said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. Adding thoughtful design elements, increasing energy efficiency, and contributing to open space make this a project I can get behind.

Rendering of One Madison Avenue entrance

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Construction Begins on One Madison Avenue, a 1.4 Million-Square-Foot Office Tower in the Flatiron District - New York YIMBY