PELLI'S PLATINUM VISIONAIRE At first glance, the glossy new 35-story condominium tower slicing into the lower Manhattan skyline doesn't stand out as a beacon of sustainable design. Its sleek form — an extruded curving wedge accented with red terra cotta bands — looks more Ferrari than Prius. And the structure's granite base and travertine lobby walls are elements not usually associated with green building. — Published 2009.0610
	REBUILDING BEAUFORT Just north of London, off the M25 highway, a single large wind turbine reaches into the air and turns steadily above the bucolic English countryside. The turbine serves to generate power, and also as an emblem of the headquarters of the wind energy company Renewable Energy Systems (RES), set among the hedge rows and rolling hills of Hertfordshire. — Published 2008.0116
	THE SUSTAINABILITY OF NINA MARITZ Architects practicing in wealthy countries are becoming increasingly aware that our resources are finite and that if climate change goes unchecked, we could face a much warmer, harsher environment. Scientists present us with images of expanding deserts, sinking water tables, and material scarcity. For Namibian architect Nina Maritz, the challenges of working in a harsh environment with limited means are already an everyday reality. Her work presents a model for making compelling buildings despite "a poverty of resources." — Published 2007.0613
	BIG RIPPLES Magic in architecture often occurs when the client presents the architect with clear criteria and formidable challenges and when, rather than engineer around obstacles, the designer embraces the challenges as opportunities to enrich the project. Such was the case with the Heifer International Center, in Little Rock, Arkansas, designed by Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter Architects. The result is a building that meets the client's needs with stellar design and an anticipated LEED-Gold rating. — Published 2007.0404
	TEACHING CLIMATE On February 20, 2007, architects and students worldwide demonstrated en masse that they are ready to go to work to stop global climate change. Their "gathering" was virtual, however, as schools, firms, and individuals from 47 countries tuned in to the 2010 Imperative Teach-In webcast. During several hours, a panel of three experts from different disciplines discussed the building sector's impact on global warming. Their presentations are available online. — Published 2007.0314
	BUILDING POTENTIAL In the rolling hills just east of Austin, Texas, a small compound of experimental buildings makes up the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems (CMPBS). Here, Pliny Fisk III, his partner Gail Vittori, and a cadre of researchers and interns explore the depths of sustainable building. — Published 2007.0131
	CULTURAL INITIATIVE Architectural education often cloisters students in an internally focused world of individualized design — encouraging Wright-like bravado or Gehry-esque showmanship. The work of educator Sergio Palleroni challenges this instructional paradigm, and the profession as a whole, to confront a larger global reality and to creatively tackle problems of growing poverty, increasing population, and shrinking resources. — Published 2007.0103
	POSTCARD FROM BRISTOL Dear ArchitectureWeek, St. Werburgh was a 6th-century princess- turned- abbess who is said to have abandoned the royal life to do good and to work to make others happy. Now her namesake church in Bristol, United Kingdom has found new life by evolving from its formal ecclesiastical function to serving Bristol's adventurous (and ascending) youth. The church's s soaring vertical nave has proved an unusual but effective space for a climbing center. — Published 2006.0920
	GEN'S TORRI SUPERIORE Perched like a fortress in the foothills of the Liguria maritime alps, the tiny Italian hamlet of Torri Superiore may seem an unlikely flagship in the search for sustainable solutions in architecture, landscape, and lifestyle. But a closer look into this labyrinth of stone dwellings reveals a community working hard to find workable solutions to what many see as a looming global energy famine. — Published 2006.0823
	VINYL: ANY COLOR BUT GREEN 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. — Published 2006.0621

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