The first quarter of 2008 was a bleak one for architects—and conditions are not likely to improve anytime soon. The Architectural Billings Index (ABI), a key measure of the market for architectural services compiled by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), opened the year with a three-month skid, ending the first quarter at the lowest point in its 12-year history. March’s anemic ABI score of 39.7—a number over 50 indicates an increase in billing activity and below 50, a decrease—marks a 15-point drop from December’s 55. While some firms are still reporting high volumes of work, even the most optimistic
The University of California, San Francisco has tapped Rafael Viñoly Architects to design a stem cell research center, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The 74,000-square-foot facility, to be built on the university’s hilltop Parnassus campus, will be “a silver, terraced structure that snakes uphill along the winding curves of Medical Center Way,” the article explains. Dr. Anrold Kriegstein, director of the university’s stem cell institute, told the Chronicle that the “unusual design” was selected for its ability to accommodate a restrictive building site and to facilitate collaboration among doctors and scientists. The $119 million project was formally announced Wednesday,
The death toll from Cyclone Nargis, the storm and corresponding tidal surge that struck Myanmar last weekend, continues to climb. An initial estimate of 350 fatalities has risen sharply, with some now projecting 100,000 dead. Approximately one million people are homeless, hunger and disease are threatening survivors, and the city of Yangon, the country’s commercial capital, is littered with debris and lacks electricity. In addition, the government is blocking most international aid, according to news reports. As the situation appears increasingly dire, the San Francisco–based Architecture for Humanity (AFH) already has mobilized its forces to help disaster victims. As of
As owners and regulators ponder how to handle the aging of towers built during the time of the first oil shocks, in the 1970s, architects and engineers nationwide are proving that a new skin can make a middle-aged building more energy efficient—but only sometimes make it look more elegant. Images courtesy Gensler Gensler’s proposal to re-clad a masonry tower in Manhattan with glass has drawn criticism. Along with lava lamps and disco, the 1960s and 1970s produced a host of tall buildings that used crude window glazing and air control technology. “In those days you built on site, put in
Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture recently won a competition to design Masdar Headquarters, a 1.6-million-square-foot, zero-waste, zero-carbon facility that it predicts will generate not only enough power to run itself, but also surplus energy to help fuel buildings surrounding it.
Photo courtesy New York City Department of Buildings Patricia Lancaster, FAIA, stepped down as Building Commissioner of New York City on April 23. On April 23, New York City’s Building Commissioner Patricia Lancaster, FAIA stepped down following a string of construction accidents in 2008, 13 of which were fatal. Just one week later, on April 28, a construction worker on Staten Island was critically injured on the first day of the city’s newly created Construction Safety Week. These incidents have incited a fierce debate over where fault lies that could have far-reaching implications for other cities in the midst of
Construction of Santiago Calatrava’s elegant, lyre-shaped suspension bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem is due to be finished at the end of May, despite a history of opposition from residents, environmental groups, and others—and an apparent lack of purpose in the short term.
This Sunday, May 4, marks the one-year anniversary of the EF-5 tornado that destroyed most of Greensburg, Kansas. As part of a town-wide green initiative, students from the state’s two architecture schools are lending a hand in helping residents rebuild using sustainable design principles and techniques.
The two-year-old, Richard Meier-designed Ara Pacis museum in Rome may face the wrecking ball if the city’s new leader has his druthers. Gianni Alemanno, who this week became Rome’s first right-wing mayor since Mussolini, says the building is “to be scrapped,” although he didn’t indicate when, according to Reuters. The glass, marble and steel building—completed in 2006 in the historic city center—houses the 2,000-year-old Ara Pacis altar, which commemorates the pacification of France and Spain. The museum’s design has incited critics; a former culture minister declared the building “an indecent cesspit by a useless architect,” according to an article in
Competition in the Commonwealth Games begins long before athletes are positioned behind starting lines. Cities vie for the privilege to host this quadrennial event, which is open to the 53 nations of the British Commonwealth, and architects compete to design the venues.
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