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
Roughly a year behind its original schedule, the Zaha Hadid-designed Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum will break ground on March 16 on the East Lansing campus of Michigan State University. When finished in 2012, it will be the second Hadid-designed building in the United States, after the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art (2003) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Image courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects Click on the slide show icon to see additional photos. Related Links: Hadid Tapped for MSU Museum Fire Erupts at Hadid Opera House Hadid Chosen for Vienna Library Hadid First Woman to Win Pritzker The
Herb McKim Herbert (Herb) Pope McKim, FAIA, died March 3 at his home in Wilmington, North Carolina after a gradual decline in health. He was a founding partner at Ballard, McKim & Sawyer Architects, where he worked for 45 years. He was known as a tenacious defender of design intent, a Modernist with big ideas and a portfolio of government and institutional facilities. “Nothing intimidated him, as far as architectural scope of work or ideas,” says George C. (Chip) Hemingway, an architect who worked under McKim for many years. “He had his vision and he did all he could do
Almost since its inclusion in LEED in 2001, the materials and resources credit pertaining to certified wood products has been controversial. The credit recognizes only wood products that meet the standards of one organization—the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). But last week, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) moved a step closer to adopting new credit language that, at least in theory, could open up the rating system to other wood-certification schemes. The revamped credit, available for review and comment at usgbc.org, is the third set of revisions released since 2008. At the heart of the proposed changes is the elimination of
Reflecting the rapidly growing interest in sustainable design and construction technologies, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced new funding to support research on net-zero energy buildings. Photo courtesy Oak Ridge National Laboratory The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $20.2 million in stimulus funds to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The money will be used for research on net-zero energy buildings. The energy department also awarded $15.9 million to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. Related Links: Stimulus Fund Rev Up Lab Project Masdar Headquarters in Abu Dhabi Zero-Carbon Cities The Zero Effect In November, the
Photo courtesy SCI-Arc Raimund J. Abraham Raimund J. Abraham, an Austrian-born architect and educator, remembered as an unflinchingly independent thinker, died in a traffic crash on March 4th. The early-morning collision between the car he was driving and a city bus came after the dinner following a lecture he’d given at SCI-Arc, where he was currently visiting faculty. He was 76 years old. Known for his bladelike Austrian Cultural Forum building [RECORD, August 2002], in New York, and his forceful, deeply textured, often visionary hand-drawings, Abraham was most of all a passionate and influential teacher. Closely allied with John Hejduk’s
11 international architects also receive honor The American Institute of Architects has elevated 134 association members to its College of Fellows, an honor that recognizes architects who have made a notable contribution to the profession and to society. Fewer than 2,900 of the association’s 83,000 members are fellows. Architects who have been AIA members for at least 10 years are eligible. Candidates are nominated within one of five categories (see below). Serving on this year’s jury were: Chair, Allan W. Kehrt, FAIA, KSS Architects; Henry C. Alexander, Jr. FAIA, Rizo, Carreno & Partners; Jeffrey A. Huberman, FAIA, Gantt Huberman Architects;
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