February 16th and 17th, 2008

VS 17.02.2008: CHILE:’97-’07 Public Works
architecture.MNP
The Documentary film we’re featuring was done after an invitation we got from Museo Del Barrio. It was showed last October, as part of its program for 2007’s Open House New York Weekend. A few months later, it was included in an exhibition of contemporary Chilean architecture at Belgrade’s Museum of Applied Arts. Its last stop -before being uploaded here, at 0300- was at Architecture School of Universidad Catolica de Chile...

Hey, Big Schlepper
Chris in Brand Avenue
Several recent articles point to the growth of the boutique outdoor clothing chain Nau as evidence of something more than a unique marketing strategy. In particular, a great piece by Alex Steffen of Worldchanging describes how the company's way of selling could alter consumer habits: I'm really intrigued by NAU's new retail model, where you go in, try clothes on, check out their look and feel, and then order them for delivery to your home (you can buy them and carry them home yourself...

Vertical Transport Through Architectural Space
Geoff Manaugh in BLDGBLOG
Further proof that elevators have been ignored for too long in contemporary building design – after all, they are moving rooms and could be put to use as something other than mere vertical transport through architectural space – even Harrods, the London department store, is (temporarily) updating its lifts. According to the Guardian, Harrods is about to open Lifted, "the world's first exhibition to be displayed in elevators" (a wild over-statement that is, in fact, wrong). The elevator-based exhibition will include work by "Oscar-winning composer Michael Nyman and visual artist Chris Levine."

Couples in Architecture.
Christoph, anArchitecture in anArchitecture
According to the Austrian study "Berufsfeld 1.0" – a national survey of Austrian Architects - for 31% of architects their partner is also an architect. Maybe because architects rarely socialize outside their scene? Surely, people meet at work and school / university – that's not unusual. A partner in the same professional field is maybe more appreciative of job-related troubles, like unsocial working hours combined with an often low salary. When people go into business for oneself, they increasingly start husband-and-wife collaborations – like partners in other architectural practices. Hopefully these couples have areas of life that aren't related to architecture. So the couple at least spends time together at work!

IRender nXt
Young in Architecture
 "IRender is a new, fully integrated, rendering solution for SketchUp.
Create Photorealistic renderings from SketchUp models.
Lights, reflections, materials, transparency.
Wizards to create lamps and light fixtures.
Wizard to create mirrors. "

Tour Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition - Sunday and Monday only
Lynn Becker in ArchitectureChicago PLUS
The Museum of Science Industry is again showing Lisa Snyder's massively ambitious virtual tour of Chicago's 1893 White City. Snyder began the project as a way to showcase UCLA's urban simulation team's software technology. She previously showed the project in 2005, when I saw it. I was blown away with how, even at that early stage, it was beginning to provide a very detailed and visceral view of what the square-mile exhibition was like. According to great story by William Muller in Thursday's Chicago Tribune, Snyder has added 10 state pavilions and the fair's giant Ferris Wheel as part of filling out a complete portrait of the project. I think Snyder should get in touch for the Sim City people about supporting the project by licensing some of her virtual images of the fair's structures for their next edition..

Money - Get Your Free Money Here - plus a Show You Shouldn't Miss
Lynn Becker in ArchitectureChicago PLUS
But then, nothing's every really free, is it? That's probably what you'll be thinking as you're filling out your grant applications. The Graham Foundation dropped us a sedate note to remind you that February 25, 2008 is the application deadline for Production and Presentation Grants to organizations. The form is available online the Graham Foundation web site and must be submitted electronically. It's the first stage of a two-stage review process. And March 15th is the application deadline for this year's Carter Manny Award, also available on-line, and must be submitted - well, you know the drill by now. If you're a student , don't even think about applying unless you've been "nominated by [your] department." This is, after all, Chicago: we don't want nobody that nobody sent. The Carter Manny award supports academic research "concerned with architecture and with other arts that are immediately contributive to architecture. "

Intriguing Earth Architecture 42
Bradley in east coast Architecture review
Maggie Centre, Kirkcaldy, Scotland - Zaha Hadid Architects

Popular Science Highlights America’s 50 Greenest Cities
Carol McClelland in Green Options
America's 50 Greenest Cities report by Popular Science becomes a powerful resource for those looking for a green career or green business.

Mayne’s Federal Building Too Sophisticated for LEED
Evelyn Lee in Inhabitat
It looks as though LEED, the leading measure of green building standards in the US, is already having problems keeping up with the new building technologies related to sustainable design. Original press releases regarding Thom Mayne’s Federal Building had the building slated at a minimum of LEED Silver, with more than 70 percent of the structure cooled through natural ventilation. Even with consultants on hand from the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory laying out detailed computer simulations of the interior environment, the Federal Building does not base qualifications for LEED Certification.

The New Architectural Pragmatism
Christoph, anArchitecture in anArchitecture
What's the architects' role in broader cultural society? Should they be more utopian or rather pragmatic? The profession’s underlying idealism came under attack by factors like the broadening of turbo-capitalism, consumerism and shortsighted politics. Since the mid-90ies, young architects seemed to be bored by architectural theory - they simply want to build. "They wanted to (and could, with an improved economy) get to work on real projects, real conditions, real places; they wanted to be ambitious without being dreamy, to improve bits of the world without self-aggrandizing delusions." (The New Architectural Pragmatism, William S. Saunders, p. viii) Don’t think: build!

galpón barn, cazú zegers aira arquitectos
Justin in materialicious
Galpón Barn, Kawelluco, Pucón, Chile. A great interpretation of a barn house.

February 15th, 2008

Amsterdam Subcity
Geoff Manaugh in BLDGBLOG
Will the city of Amsterdam soon build "a labyrinth city" beneath its canals? Maybe so. According to World Architecture News, "Newspapers around Europe have been reporting on the scheme, which requires the city's canals to be drained to allow the construction of a vast underground mixed-use complex beneath."

Take your Business Off-Grid, or Become a Net Producer of Energy: Learn How at the MREA’s Renewable Energy Fair
John Ivanko in Green Options
All businesses have “variable expenses” related to energy, right? Not always. There’s nothing in the IRS tax code preventing businesses from investing in renewable energy systems (and energy conservation/efficiency) that allow these businesses to operate more efficiently, sustainably, and green. In fact, often there are tax credits and other incentives to encourage these kinds [...]

Top 5 Ways to Hack the Surface of the Earth
Geoff Manaugh in BLDGBLOG
Yesterday, 1:10 PM
I've got a new post up on io9 this morning: the Top 5 Ways to Hack the Surface of the Earth. Extremely long-term readers of BLDGBLOG will recognize many of the proposed geo-hacks, but hopefully this look at hacking the earth's surface will still stimulate... Let me know what you think! 

Smart ideas on our condo future
TREVOR BODDY - Globe and Mail
In the worlds of real estate and architecture, it is nearly always mistaken to extrapolate the future from the trembling present, especially in nervous times like these. Looking at Vancouver's forest of construction cranes and current frenzy for luxe, deluxe and ultra-luxe, it is easy to make a very wrong guess on where our condo scene will be in a few years. Straight-lining from what is talked up as hot right now, one would think "starchitects" like London's Norman Foster or Miami's Andres Duany would lead the list of future condo designers here. But that is unlikely.