NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

When you hear the words "academy of sciences" what do you think of? Musty rooms with dark wood paneling and overstuffed furniture? Curio cabinets filled with microscopes and specimens in formaldehyde? This isn't the image that the New York Academy of Sciences wanted its headquarters, located in the new 7 World Trade Center building, to project.

NORTHERN STAR

Creating dramatic architecture can be challenging in an icy climate where people prioritize function over flamboyance and where the natural environment can satisfy their desire for beauty. The state of Alaska has breathtaking vistas of mountains, snow flats, and the dancing aurora borealis, but its urban landscapes have tended to remain resilient and simple.

HOUSING TANGO

Eight vibrantly colored steel and glass towers dance around a landscaped courtyard, exposing most of the living rooms to the outdoors, with a wall of bedrooms wrapped around three sides of the block. Each of the 27 apartments has a unique character, the block is self-sufficient in energy, and many functions — from heating to door locks — can be individually controlled by personal computer.

HOUSE ON RED HILL

The abstract expressionist painter Robert Motherwell once said, "Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it." Those words convey the inspiration behind much of the work of Christopher Harty and Chris Botterill.

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