MUSEUM OF GLASS

Amid a scruffy sprawl of warehouses and marinas, on a former brownfield site in Tacoma, Washington, sits Arthur Erickson's new Museum of Glass. Subtitled the International Center for Contemporary Art, this is the most recent hope for reviving Tacoma's lackluster downtown core. The project's most striking feature is a tilted 90-foot (27-meter) cone, covered in diamond-shaped stainless steel plates, which houses the museum's state-of-the-art Hot Shop Amphitheater for making glass. Next week Tacoma writer Anna C. Noll will explain what the cone symbolizes and what's inside.

CALIFORNIA'S AIA DESIGN AWARDS

In September, the American Institute of Architects California Council (AIACC) honored 15 architects in its annual design awards program. In addition to the honors given for contemporary projects, the "25-Year Award" was given to the Eichler Homes, represented by Anshen + Allen. The developer-built Eichler Homes are considered a major contributor the post-war modernist aesthetic. Built throughout California from the 1940s to 1970s, these houses are characterized by exposed structure, floor-to-ceiling glass, low-pitched roofs, private courtyards, and open floor plans. In its tribute to their enduring influence, the AIACC calls them "icons of the California lifestyle." Next week we'll look at some of the other projects cited in this round of design awards.

A DEVELOPER'S GUIDE TO GREEN

"Real estate development was once a revered profession. It can be so again." So begins a CD-ROM-based guide to "green" from the Rocky Mountain Institute. Recalling luminaries such as William Penn and Beau Nash, Green Developments argues that the time is ripe for a revival of the developer's role as respected creator of "something good and lasting." To lead the way, the CD offers a compendium of facts and figures, stories and strategies, as well as some 200 green development case studies. Next week ArchitectureWeek assistant editor Katharine Logan will explore some of the features of this massive reference volume.