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Unemployed Designers in New York Band Together to Form LMNOP After getting laid off from Mancini Duffy in December 2008, Jennifer Graham felt disappointed and a bit panicky. But those emotions swiftly gave way to optimism. “I was so excited for new opportunities,” she says. Given her thick rolodex and tenacious spirit, she was confident she’d find a new job. “I have a business approach to everything I do,” she says. Photo © Danielle Austen Charlton Hutton, Jennifer Graham, Kristen Mucci, and other designers teamed up to form LMNOP. Related Links: Recession Stories: Where Are They Now? The following month,

Three recent projects attract clients by offering design services in unconventional locations. Design.Starts.Here looked like any other architecture studio: whiteboards covering the walls, a gaggle of stylish stacking chairs, and what one designer called “a really great conference table.” But there was one big difference: You could see it. Photo © Michael Hanson Since he began offering consultations at a farmer’s market, John Morefield’s atypical tactics have brought clients ­— and criticism (top) Design.Starts.Here took a cue from major retail chains with its “pop-up” store (middle). Design99 opened its storefront on the main shopping street in Hamtramck, Michigan, near Detroit (above).

Three architects at established firms share how they land new projects when work is scarce. Photo © SHoP Architects Gregg Pasquarelli SHoP Architects Gregg Pasquarelli William Bostwick: Did you have to reposition the SHoP brand when the recession hit? Gregg Pasquarelli: It wasn’t about repositioning ourselves. SHoP has always had a broad idea of the way architecture could be practiced. We’re not just a design studio—we’ve always ventured into other areas of business. WB: Where are those opportunities now? I know you’ve dabbled in real estate development with the Porter House condos in Manhattan. What else? GP: We’ve been doing

Three architects at established firms share how they land new projects when work is scarce. Photo ' Tim Bies/Olson Kundig Architects Alan Maskin Olson Kundig Alan Maskin William Bostwick: Your firm is best known for its residential work, and that sector was hit particularly hard by the recession. Have you branched out? Alan Maskin: We’ve just tried to hold onto our sectors. This wasn’t a time to start pursuing airports, for example. We’re into our fifth decade as a firm, and we have been through many other recessions. Our residential focus has always carried us through. But we reviewed all

Daniel Libeskind has added a rather unusual building type to his design resume: high-end, green prefab housing.

Photo courtesy Ole Scheeren Ole Scheeren, director of OMA's Beijing office, is leaving to start his own studio. Related Links: Fire-Ravaged TVCC Will Be Repaired CCTV Headquarters OMA-Designed MahaNakhon Tower Announced In early March, news broke that Ole Scheeren, director of OMA's Beijing office, is leaving to start his own studio. The 39-year-old architect also accepted a visiting professor position at Hong Kong University. "My collaboration with Rem Koolhaas and OMA has been an extraordinary experience... We have generated some remarkable projects both in East Asia and North America," he said in a statement. "The time has now come for

China's main television broadcaster, CCTV, has begun major repairs on the 44-story cultural building at its OMA-designed Beijing headquarters, more than a year after a calamitous fire gutted the tower and fanned controversy about the long-delayed project. Photo © AFP/Getty Images The TVCC building (right), damaged by a fire in February 2009, will be repaired. Related Links: Scheeren Departs OMA OMA-Designed TVCC Goes Up in Flames New Ideas Surface About TVCC Fire in Beijing Fire Erupts at Zaha Hadid's Opera House in China  Despite Rumors, CCTV Will Proceed CCTV Headquarters In a newly issued report, a joint committee under China's State Council

Often looked at as the federal government’s “landlord,” the General Services Administration has chosen to lead by example when it comes to pushing a sustainable agenda. In response to President Barack Obama’s executive order on federal sustainability (October 2009), which challenged agencies to define efficiency goals and strategies, GSA recently announced the creation of a new post: Chief Greening Officer. The job will be part of the agency’s Public Buildings Service division, helmed by Robert A. Peck, AIA. “We’re going through a change, trying to figure out the best ‘greening’ bang for the buck,” says Commissioner Peck. “And we have

The man who has helmed the Architect of the Capitol agency on a temporary basis since 2007 is a step closer to becoming its permanent leader.