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For architects, the Great Recession hasn't really let up since its official start in December 2007. Countless projects are stalled or canceled, including Santiago Calatrava's Chicago Spire ' now a 110-foot-wide void. We investigate what's in store for architects in the near future and beyond. Photo © Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune Numerous projects have been halted globally, including Calatrava’s Chicago Spire, now a 76-foot-deep hole. If the slew of Internet posts, letters to editors, and comments to reporters are to be believed, the economy has put the architecture business in such a deep funk, it’s like a proverbial doornail: dead. And

Robert A. Ivy, FAIA, who has been Editor-in-Chief of Architectural Record since 1996, will become the Executive Vice President and CEO of the national American Institute of Architects, based in Washington, D.C. He assumes his new position on February 1. Photo © André Souroujon Robert A. Ivy, FAIA Ivy succeeds AIA head Christine McEntee, who stepped down in July to become the executive director of the American Geophysical Union. Paul Welch Jr., Honorary AIA, has served as the acting director since her departure, while the AIA searched for McEntee’s replacement. In addition to presiding over RECORD, Ivy has acted as

An Ohio state claims court judge on Dec. 6 dismissed a 2009 suit against Ohio State University by Karlsberger Architecture Inc., Columbus, that sought $1.3 million in design fees for completed work after the university terminated the firm on its 1-million-sq-ft ProjectONE hospital megaproject. The firm was replaced in its role on the $1-billion project by HOK, the job's master planner. Photo courtesy Ohio State U. Karlsberger Architecture was seeking $1.3 million in design fees for a hospital project. Related Links: Architecture Firm Sues Former Client Judge Joseph T. Clark upheld the termination, finding no "implied covenants" that would contractually

The University of Notre Dame School of Architecture announced today that Robert A.M. Stern has won the 2011 Richard H. Driehaus Prize for Classical Architecture. Photo courtesy Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP Stern has won the 2011 Driehaus Prize, which is bestowed by the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. Related Links: Driehaus Prize Given to Egyptian Architect Duany and Plater-Zyberk Donate Driehaus Winnings The annual award, established in 2003 by the university, recognizes architects and urban planners who spend their careers championing traditional design principles with sensitivity to region and context. “Bob brought tradition into the mainstream of

Photo courtesy estudio teddy cruz Manufactured Sites: Housing Urbanism Made of Waste, Teddy Cruz, 2008. Click on the slide show button to view more images. On Tuesday night, architects Greg Lynn and Teddy Cruz were named United States Artists Fellows for 2010, and they celebrated the no-strings-attached gifts of $50,000 at a reception at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. Fifty other artists from the U.S. and Puerto Rico also received the fellowships, which have been distributed annually since 2005. About 450 people attended the lively event, where dancers, musicians, actors and others—all current or former fellowship recipients—performed against a

Image courtesy Gensler Gensler is transforming an old Illinois car dealership into the Museum of Bond Vehicles & Espionage. Click on the slide show button to view more images. When the Ian Fleming Foundation offered Gensler the chance to design a James Bond automobile museum, the project architect didn’t expect to be scoping out sites in Middle America. Brian Vitale, senior associate in Gensler’s Chicago office, thought, “Great. When’s the next plane to London?” Before long, Vitale found himself in a remote cornfield in Momence, Illinois — population 3,200 — standing in front of two large storage sheds. “It couldn’t

A proposed rewrite of the certified wood policy in the LEED rating systems failed to get enough votes from U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) members to become policy. USGBC announced that of the 965 people who had opted in to a voting body, 54 percent voted, with 55 percent of those voting “Yes,” and 42 percent voting “No.” Three percent abstained. Without a two-thirds majority, the policy failed to pass under LEED rules, and the certified wood credits will remain unchanged. Only certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is recognized under credits in the various LEED rating systems awarding

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has upgraded its green building standards, requiring LEED Gold certification for all new federal construction and major renovations. GSA previously required LEED Silver for all federal facilities; the new requirement applies to all projects that are currently in design as well as all future projects. For newly constructed properties that GSA leases, the agency has maintained a LEED Silver requirement for new construction projects over 10,000 ft2 (1,000 m2). LEED for Commercial Interiors is optional for GSA facilities in existing buildings. “This new requirement is just one of the many ways we’re greening the

Photo courtesy MoMA PS1 The MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program was launched in 2000. Click on the slide show button to view past installations (pictured: Dunescape, SHoP Architects, 2000). MoMA PS1 takes a gamble when it selects finalists for its Young Architects Program, which each year gives emerging designers the chance to design an installation for a 10,000-square-foot triangular courtyard at the Queens art center. The entrants don’t initially propose schemes; rather, they are selected to compete in the competition’s final stage based on the ingenuity of their past work. “There’s enormous suspense because we really don’t know what these