Photo courtesy Wikipedia NYC Mayor Bloomberg has announced a 30-point plan to bolster the region's green economy. Related Links: Buildings Figure Large in PlaNYC NYC and London Ponder Long-Term Sustainability Mayor Blooomberg Promotes Congestion Pricing As an expansion of PlaNYC, the sustainability plan of New York City, Mayor Bloomberg has announced a 30-point proposal to bolster the region’s green economy. Programs will aid green businesses and provide training for 13,000 new jobs, doubling the workforce in the green sector over the next decade, according to the mayor. Four areas of focus will foster this growth: green buildings, onsite renewable energy,
In what organizers call a “makeover” of the traditional opening plenary, the U.S. Green Building Council has announced that former vice president Al Gore will deliver the keynote address at the 2009 Greenbuild convention, followed by a performance by nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow.
A seller’s market, this is not. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Ennis House is still for sale nearly two months after it was listed for $15 million by the nonprofit organization that owns it. Despite ample publicity, the house has not elicited a single bid. Photo courtesy Wikipedia The Ennis House consists of more than 20,000 16-inch-by-16-inch concrete blocks. The house’s design was inspired by ancient Mayan temples. Related Links: Ennis House Damaged by Mudslides WMF Announces 2004 Watch List Trust Releases List of 11 Endangered Sites Wright's Palmer House Put on Market In New York, FLW Revisited FLW Landmark Gets
With researchers estimating that a majority of the world’s population will live in cities by 2025, an urgent need to better understand the urban landscape has arisen. In that spirit, The New School, a Manhattan-based university, has created an environmental studies program centered on urban ecology and design. The program will launch in 2009, pending state approval. Photo courtesy The New School The New School, a Manhattan-based university, has created an environmental studies program that focuses on urban ecology and design. The program will launch in 2009, pending state approval. Two degree tracks will be offered: a bachelor of science
When Hurricane Hugo ravaged Charleston, South Carolina, in 1989, more than 4,000 historical buildings were severely damaged. Due to a dearth of traditionally trained workers in the United States, European craftsmen were brought in to restore the structures, many of which dated back to the early 1800s. Photos courtesy ACBA At the American College of Building Arts, students concentrate on one of six areas, such as stonework and masonry. Importing these types of experts may no longer be necessary. After getting licensed in 2004, the American College of Building Arts (ACBA), in Charleston, will graduate its first class next May.
With the Beijing 2008 Summer Games starting today, journalists from around the globe have descended upon the fast-growing city. In addition to stories about pollution and traffic problems, newspapers this week have been filled with reviews of Beijing’s innovative new architecture. Chris Hawthorne, architecture critic for the LA Times, penned a five-part series of articles on the changing face of China’s capital, calling the city’s Olympic-inspired building boom a mixture of “daring design with a totalitarian theme” and noting the role of Western architects in many of the recently finished projects (RECORD, July 2008). The highly publicized stadium designed by
Zaha Hadid has teamed up with a Brazilian footwear company, Melissa, to design a limited-edition shoe. The plastic shoe with a wedge-like heel “takes on features of one of Hadid’s grand-scale designs, with cut-out holes for the toes and diagonally sloping straps,” describes The Times, a UK-based newspaper. The shoe will be launched in September at London Fashion Week, and will be sold at the city’s Dover Street Market. The cost: 200 pounds, or about $400. Hadid is quoted as saying that despite having 30 years of design experience, “this was a very challenging project, not only in design but