DESIGN KUDOS IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH

The South Atlantic Region of the American Institute of Architects recently announced the recipients of its 2003 design awards. Among them is Willow Street Housing at Tulane University in New Orleans, designed by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects (Photo by Timothy Hursley). The student residence hall is a welcome urban neighbor and a playful composition of solids and voids. Next week we'll examine this and a few other projects in this awards program.

CULTURE PLUS RETAIL REDEFINED IN JAPAN

Riverwalk in a new cultural center in the Japanese city of Kitakyushu. Designed by Los Angeles firm The Jerde Partnership, the center introduces a sense of urban cohesion to Kitakyushu’s fragmented districts. The project combines Japanese traditions with a modern-day aesthetic and technological advances, offering performance halls, conference facilities, plus office and retail spaces. Next week we'll look at this and two other Jerde projects in Japan.