In Buffalo, New York, a new visitor center by Toshiko Mori Architect has opened at Frank Lloyd Wright's D.D. Martin House. Photo: Biff Henrich Extra Large Image

Chelmsford · 2009.0318
A new Salvation Army building in Chelmsford, United Kingdom, nears completion. Hudson Architects of London and Norwich designed the two-story, 890-square-meter (9,600-square-foot) timber structure. An undulating metal roof rises on the south elevation into a narrow tower, intended as a contemporary interpretation of the traditional church steeple. Completion is expected in April 2009.

Oxford · 2009.0318
The new £49 million Biochemistry Building has opened at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. Architecture firm Hawkins Brown of London organized the 12,000-square-meter (130,000-square-foot) facility around a large atrium. The external envelope consists of a unitized curtain wall system. Subtly colored laminated glass fins fixed vertically within the mullions wrap the full perimeter of the building.

Buffalo · 2009.0312
In Buffalo, New York, a new visitor center (pictured above) has opened at the Darwin D. Martin House by Frank Lloyd Wright. Designed by Toshiko Mori Architect of New York City, the $5 million Eleanor and Wilson Greatbatch Pavilion is part of an ongoing $50 million project to restore and reconstruct parts of the historic house complex, which dates to the early 1900s.

Toshiko Mori, FAIA, employed contrast rather than imitation in designing the 7,800-square-foot (720-square-meter) pavilion. The glass facade allows extensive daylighting and uninterrupted views of the Martin House, and contrasts with the introversion of Wright's design. The inverted hip roof of the pavilion echoes the proportions of the house, with its series of hovering hip roofs. The pavilion's glass panels and fluted concrete walls echo windows and brick profiles in the Wright buildings.

The facade consists of transparent triple-glazed high-performance glass to provide insulation while maximizing daylighting. Climate control systems include geothermal heating and cooling, and a radiant heating and cooling system in the floor slab.

The 32,000-square-foot (3,000-square-meter) D.D. Martin House complex consists of five Prairie-style buildings located in the Parkside East Historic District, with site planning by Frederick Law Olmsted. The restoration architect is Hamilton Houston Lownie Architects LLC of Buffalo. The complex is owned by the nonprofit Martin House Restoration Corporation.

Paris · 2009.0311
London-based Foster + Partners has revealed its design for Hermitage Plaza, a new mixed-use development in Paris, France. Located east of La Défense, in Courbevoie, the sustainable, high-density project will include two 323-meter- (1,060-foot-) high towers, housing a hotel, spa, apartments, offices and serviced apartments, with retail space and cafes at ground level.

The towers will form two interlocking triangles in plan, defining an open and permeable public space. The plaza, which will be created by burying an existing busy road beneath a landscaped deck, will slope gently downward to the edge of the river Seine. A crystal-shaped podium building will contain office space, with two detached satellite buildings housing a gallery and auditorium.

A BREEAM Excellent rating is targeted. The angle of the glass facade panels on the towers will facilitate self-shading, and vents will facilitate natural ventilation. The project is the result of a close collaboration with EPAD, the City of Courbevoie, Atelier de Paysage Urbain, and Département de Hauts-de-Seine. Work on site is due to start in 2010 and be complete by the end of 2014.

Berkeley · 2009.0227
Sutardja Dai Hall has opened at the University of California, Berkeley. The San Francisco office of SmithGroup designed the $138 million project, which replaces a previous engineering building and serves as the headquarters for the intercampus Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and its Berkeley-based component, the Banatao Institute.

The hall houses classrooms, offices, research space, a technology museum, and a cafe. The 141,000-square-foot (13,000-square-meter) building functions as a new hub for the College of Engineering. Terraces on three different levels of the building respond to elevation changes of more than 60 feet (18 meters) and connect with six adjacent buildings.

The exterior of the new building features thin glass fiber-reinforced concrete (GFRC) panels, with a woodlike board form texture that mimics the wood exterior of the adjacent historic Naval Architectural Building (1914). Light metal weaves across the facade horizontally. Overhangs shield deep windows from the strong western sunlight, while a large curtain wall on the north side of the facility takes advantage of the northern light. William Diefenbach, FAIA, served as principal-in-charge for SmithGroup.

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