http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/ Full issue contents of ArchitectureWeek - The magazine of design and building en-us Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss ArchitectureWeek Editorial System editor@architectureweek.com editor@architectureweek.com http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/news_1-1.html Though known globally for the breadth of its historic architecture, London is striving for contemporary credentials. In the city's recent architecture biennale, part of the United Kingdomwide celebration called "Architecture Week," organizers brought the changing city fabric to world attention. New quirky landmarks have been popping up all over London, their design exalted, their creators knighted. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/news_1-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/news_2-1.html In June 2006, downtown Los Angeles was overrun with architects in town for the National AIA Convention. When not exploring the burgeoning city center and notable regional architecture, these visitors were eagerly learning about the "next new thing" for the profession. This year's convention combined big names and varied themes to create a full agenda of educational seminars, architectural tours, trade exposition booths, and business meetings. The event drew a record 25,000 registrants to the Los Angeles Convention Center. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/news_2-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/news_3-1.html The U.S. Gulf coast is struggling to rebuild after several 2005 hurricanes destroyed countless homes, businesses, and lives. Yet as the 2006 hurricane season gets underway, much of the region is still in ruins. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/news_3-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/design_1-1.html Despite the breathtaking views over Cardiff Bay toward Penarth Marina, visitors to the new National Assembly for Wales, standing on the grand, slateclad terraces, will find it is impossible to stop looking inland. Designed by Richard Rogers, known for his iconic buildings such as Lloyds of London, Centre Pompidou, and the Madrid Airport, the National Assembly building opened in March 2006 after years of political wrangling. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/design_1-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/design_2-1.html Celebrated Indian architect Charles Correa has completed his first major project in the United States on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working in collaboration with the Boston firm of Goody Clancy. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/design_2-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/design_3-1.html In this suburb of the nation's capital, the Fort Washington, Maryland YMCA project is overshadowed by all the surrounding built history. Yet this rehabilitation of a former supermarket should not be underestimated. The firm of GTM Architects has successfully transformed the nondescript building into a "Y" that is at once visually poetic, pragmatically functional, and admirably committed to its community. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/design_3-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/building_1-1.html Although precast concrete is an outstanding architectural material, its heavy weight can limit where and how it's used. A recently completed project demonstrates how a relatively new type of lighterweight hybrid wall system combining coldformed metal studs and precast concrete can expand opportunities to apply precast technologies. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/building_1-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/building_2-1.html Inside the glass box of Toronto's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is the curvilinear R. Fraser Elliott Hall. Belying the elegance of the decor is a thoroughly researched and executed acoustical design. The stacking of the balconies, the selection of materials, the texture of the basketweave plaster shell, and other carefully considered characteristics coordinate to optimize musical performance and listening enjoyment. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/building_2-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/tools_1-1.html Futurist Alvin Toffler said: "You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction." He was probably not referring specifically to architecture students, but his statement applies well to students thinking about design concepts when learning to use computeraided design applications. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/tools_1-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/tools_2-1.html An important milestone in software development for the building industry over the past decade has been the establishment of Industry Foundation Classes IFCs freely available, nonproprietary data model specifications. Now the IFCs are being applied toward automating code checking and other kinds of complex analysis. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/tools_2-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/environment_1-1.html At the United Nations Habitat World Urban Forum in Vancouver, British Columbia, in June 2006, Living Steel announced the results of its International Competition for Sustainable Housing. Living Steel is a consortium of steel companies and associations that has teamed with the UN to find solutions to worldwide housing shortages. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/environment_1-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/environment_2-1.html In the debate over the "greenness" of building materials, vinyl has become a divisive topic. The U.S. Green Building Council conducted what it termed an exhaustive study of the environmental impact of vinyl and decided to drop recommendations to avoid the use of vinyl in its LEED certification program. As a result, the USGBC has found itself at odds with some environmental groups. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/environment_2-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/culture_1-1.html In his 1926 article, "Care of the Body," in the Los Angeles Times, Rudolf Schindler describes the house of the future: "Our rooms will descend close to the ground, and the garden will become an integral part of the house. The distinction between the indoors and the outofdoors will disappear. The walls will be few, thin, and removable. All rooms will become parts of an organic unit instead of being small separate boxes with peepholes." Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/culture_1-1.html http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/culture_2-1.html Joan E. Goody, FAIA is the recipient of the 2005 Boston Society of Architects Award of Honor, in recognition of her contributions to the profession and to the community. As principal of Goody Clancy, she has directed a wide range of academic, public, commercial, residential, and preservation projects. She was chair of the Boston Civic Design Commission from 1995 to 2005 and now serves on the faculty of the Mayor's Institute for City Design. Here she tells her story in conversation with Rebecca Barnes. Editor Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:00 GMT http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2006/0802/culture_2-1.html