TALKING WITH NORMAN FOSTER Whenever he can he likes to fly himself, be it in his private jet, or in a helicopter. Norman Foster loves flying and he must love it. He is constantly on his way to Moscow, Abu Dhabi, Beijing or to one of the many other cities in which he is planning and building his numerous projects. Born in 1935, Norman Foster has been in the business for over 40 years. He's built many records, the biggest, longest and most expensive buildings of the world, won all the important architectural prizes and awards, and even acquired a peerage – and yet his fame is still growing. He wrote architectural history with an office building in Ipswich and an airport in Stansted early on in his career. Many office buildings and airports worldwide are built according to ideas he first formulated. Foster has also chivvied ecological building along, for example with the Commerzbank Headquarters in Frankfurt and the rebuilding of the Reichstag in Berlin. But all that looks almost modest in comparison with the projects he and his firm are working on today. Gigantic high-rise buildings are in prospect, whole towns have been commissioned from him, and the Foster architectural machine seems to whirl along faster and faster. But when we finally meet in a hotel garden beside Lake Geneva, with the sky summery blue, children splashing about in the pool, all the hectic pace drops away. He looks as if he were on holiday by the sea, white trousers, white polo shirt, a pink belt and orange moccasins – even though he's just come from the office. He works a lot down here in Switzerland now. His home is here, and so is his young family. — Published 2012.0725
	AIA NATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS Viewed at a distance from the southwest, 8 House looks almost like a strange landform: two vegetated roofs form a massive green "V" reaching from the ground-floor roof all the way to the top of the building, nine stories above. The logic of this mixed-use building is better understood from a bird's-eye view. In concept, the plan is a 230-meter- (750-foot-) long loop that has been twisted to form a giant, angular figure eight. — Published 2012.0215
	EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI AFTERMATH A huge earthquake of magnitude 8.9 or 9.0 and devastating tsunami hit Japan on Friday afternoon, with impacts centering in the vicinity of Sendai (see above pre-earthquake photo) (2011.0311, 2:46 PM Tokyo local time, 12:46:23 AM EST, 05:46:23 UTC). — Published 2011.0323
	EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI IN JAPAN A huge earthquake of magnitude 8.9 or 9.0 and devastating tsunami hit Japan on Friday afternoon, with impacts centering in the vicinity of Sendai (see above pre-earthquake photo) (2011.0311, 2:46 PM Tokyo local time, 12:46:23 AM EST, 05:46:23 UTC). — Published 2011.0316
	EZRA STOLLER Many of the finest examples of Modern architecture from the late 1940s to the late 1970s were "made" by a master — not necessarily the architect, but the man who captured the essence of Modern architecture through the lens of his large-format camera: Ezra Stoller. — Published 2011.0223
	EERO'S RINK REBORN, OR... ADDING TO THE YALE WHALE It's not often that an architect gets to add to a building that he or she worked on years before, especially after a span of 50 years. But that's the case for the new expansion of Yale's David S. Ingalls Rink, originally designed by Eero Saarinen in the early 1950s. — Published 2010.0825
	IN APPRECIATION OF DENNIS SHARP The death of Dennis Sharp on May 6, 2010, has robbed the architectural world of one of the most eminent and prolific authors, critics and commentators of the 20th-century architectural scene. Born in 1933 into a family of building contractors, architects and surveyors, Dennis initiated his architectural studies at the Architectural Association (AA) in London and later attended the University of Liverpool under Dr. Quentin Hughes. — Published 2010.0609
	HAITI EARTHQUAKE — LOOKING FOR LESSONS Is the lesson of the January 2010 Haiti earthquake simply about poverty? Poverty and a lack of building regulation seem to be the main culprits identified in most media coverage to date. But ArchitectureWeek thinks there's more to the quake than that. — Editor — Published 2010.0407
	INSPIRING INFRASTRUCTURE Projects recognized by Bentley Systems in their 2009 Be Inspired Awards include a bridge in Vietnam, a light rail system in Arizona, roofs in Worcester and Wimbledon, and the modernization of Chicago's O'Hare Airport. In this annual program, Bentley highlights outstanding examples of its software in use on infrastructure projects of all kinds around the world. This year's program includes awards in 17 categories, from buildings and roads to team coordination. — Published 2009.1118
	MAGGIE'S CENTRE GETS 2009 STIRLING PRIZE On a difficult corner site along a busy street, Maggie's Centre in London provides an uplifting sanctuary in which cancer patients and their families and friends can receive support and information. The building's bold orange masonry wall beckons visitors into daylit spaces shielded from the street beneath a floating roof canopy. This humane health support facility designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has received the Stirling Prize for 2009. — Published 2009.1021

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