Charles Linn, FAIA The editors of Architectural Record start planning our Innovation Conference more than a year in advance. We attend conferences, exhibitions and lectures; read everything in sight; and visit offices across the country and world to get a firsthand look at the kind of work people are doing. Through our research, we’ve come to understand that environmental pressures and rapid technological advancements are changing the way we design and build. Because of this, it would have been a mistake to tie the conference to a single subject. So instead, we gave it a name that describes this

L. William Zahner is the president of A. Zahner Company in Kansas City, Missouri. His firm has designed and fabricated stunning metal façades for high-profile projects by Frank Gehry, Morphosis, Kieran Timberlake Associates and other notable architects and firms. RECORD’s November 2005 cover featured Zahner’s exterior envelope for San Francisco’s de Young Museum, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Zahner has authored two books on architectural metals, and his family-run company has won dozens of awards. On Oct. 10, Zahner will speak at the 2007 Innovation Conference in NYC. The title of his presentation: “Torqued, Punched, and Folded: Making Metal

BusinessWeek and Architectural Record magazines announced the winners of their 10th annual “Good Design is Good Business” international competition today. These honors recognize innovative building design projects that help solve problems and achieve specific goals for companies, nonprofits, institutions, and governmental agencies. Four projects received an Award of Excellence in 2007: Navy Federal Credit Union, Pensacola, Fla., designed by ASD Inc. InterActiveCorp headquarters, New York City, designed by Gehry Partners/STUDIOS Architecture Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects United States Census Bureau Headquarters, Suitland, Md., designed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill An additional

  Chuck Hoberman Chuck Hoberman is the founder of Hoberman Associates, a multidisciplinary practice that specializes in creating products and structures that have the capacity to change in shape, size and function. His vast and varied project portfolio includes everything from toys and medical equipment, to deployable shelters and retractable domes. On Oct. 10, Hoberman will speak about “Transformative Structures” at the 2007 Innovation Conference in NYC. Jenna M. McKnight: What will you speak about at the conference? Chuck Hoberman: I will focus primarily on my collaborative work with several architectural firms. This includes projects in Spain and the Middle

William Mitchell is director of the MIT Design Laboratory, where he heads up the Smart Cities research group. The team is investigating how buildings and cities can respond more intelligently to their inhabitants. One of their recent projects is the CityCar Concept, a program involving stackable, electric vehicles that can be shared by urban residents. Hear Mitchell speak about “Technologies of Smart Sustainability” at the 2007 Innovation Conference. Photo: © Franco Vairani CityCar Concept vehicles Watch as Bryant Rousseau speaks with Mitchell about the future of cities, how to improve architecture schools, his SmartCar project, the great need today for