ZGF’s Federal Center South Building 1202 in Seattle, is the recipient of this year’s COTE Top Ten +—an award that recognizes one past Top Ten winner that has quantifiable metrics. The project, which provides office space for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is performing more than 30 percent better than ASHRAE 90.1. On Earth Day, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced the winners of Committee on the Environment (COTE) awards. The goal of the program, now in its 19th year, is to recognize ten projects that protect and enhance the environment. For the third year in a row,
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted this aerial view of the company’s new, Frank Gehry-designed headquarters on move-in day. The facility’s 9-acre rooftop park is visible here. The start-up culture of Silicon Valley, nurtured in a variety of ad-hoc spaces, has spawned a trendy, DIY-style of interior architecture. Facebook’s first ground-up office building, which opened its doors at the end of March, attempts to recreate that converted-warehouse ethos on a grand corporate scale. Designed by Frank Gehry, the 430,000-square-foot building has an endearing gawkiness, a mashed-up quality that doesn’t read “office.” Announcing its recent opening on his personal Facebook page, CEO
In the aftermath of the housing market bust, single-family residential construction is making a slow and steady comeback. However, activity in this sector isn't likely to return to pre-recession levels anytime soon. Click on the image above to view a full presentation of these stats [PDF].
In spite of unprecedented drought and new water consumption regulations, local landscape architects are ahead of the curve. Image courtesy Mia Lehrer + Associates Los Angeles–based landscape architect Mia Lehrer incorporates native plants and permeable surfaces into her designs. For her Vista Hermosa park, nearly every drop of water is absorbed or stored. Daily Water-Saving Tip #61 on the state of California’s website suggests, “Dig up that old shrub and replace it with a low water-use plant.” It may seem trivial, considering that the state’s water deficit stands at 11 trillion gallons according to NASA, but sound reasoning backs up
Lighting pioneer Joel Spira, founder of the Lutron Electronics Co. and inventor of the first solid-state electronic dimmer, died on April 8, 2015 at the age of 88. Spira served in the United States Navy from 1940 to 1946 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Purdue University (1948). He then worked for a defense contractor where he developed his lifelong interest in lighting control.Spira founded Lutron in 1961 with his wife Ruth in their New York City apartment, introducing the Capri dimmer soon after. Chairman and Director of Research for the company, Spira grew Lutron into
The imaginative installations of Daniel Libeskind, Kengo Kuma, and more. "Future Flowers" by Daniel Libeskind. Each year at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, the Italian magazine Interni engages international architects and designers for temporary exhibits that become spaces for experimentation. Working off the theme "Energy for Life" of the Expo Milano 2015 (opening May 1), this year Interni presents "Energy for Creativity" at the University of Milan. Within the many courtyards of the sprawling university complex, built beginning in 1456 as a hospital, are large-scale installations by the likes of Daniel Libeskind, Alessandro Mendini, and Philippe Starck (though if
Snøhetta's design will double the size of the restaurant's garden. To the epicures lucky enough to score a reservation at The French Laundry this spring: A three-Michelin-starred feast isn’t the only sensory treat that awaits you. Earlier this month, the 20-year-old restaurant in Yountville, California, put its kitchen on full display to the street. Approaching guests can glimpse the intricate choreography of chefs and servers through a 30-foot-long bay window inserted into a shipping container fronting Washington Street. Three additional containers complete the kitchen. Designed by Berkeley-based Envelope A+D, the quartet of shipping containers is the latest phase in a
During the Egypt Economic Development Conference held in March at the resort town of Sharm El Sheikh, the Egyptian government unveiled a vision for building a new capital city, a project unimaginatively christened The Capital Cairo. The master plan, designed by Skidmore Owings, & Merrill (SOM), was touted at the conference as one of several megaprojects that promise to transform Egypt’s economy, create jobs, and attract international investment. Heads of state, including Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi and emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, stood around an architectural model of the proposed capital and marveled at the prospect
More than 60 studios from 30 countries will be represented in the first-ever North American architecture biennial, to take place this fall. Bureau Spectacular, Township of Domestic Parts The Chicago Architecture Biennial, to take place October 3 through January 1, today unveiled the programming for its inaugural edition, to be the first of its kind in North America. The survey, themed “The State of the Art of Architecture,” will include both new and commissioned works from 63 participating firms—including Bjarke Ingels Group, Sou Fujimoto, Studio Gang, 2015 Venice Golden Lion winner Mass Studies—from a total of 30 different countries based
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