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ART WATTS
In harnessing solar energy, the usual approach is to bolt an array of panels onto the roof of a building and plug it in. But recent advances such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) allow designers to incorporate solar cells seamlessly into a building's exterior.
Canadian glass artist Sarah Hall is taking this idea in a novel direction by using solar technology to create a striking contemporary version of stained glass that illuminates the aesthetic potential of PV. — Published 2012.0606
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DESIGN WITH ENTERPRISE
I wasn't always fascinated with architecture and design. I'm not an architect, but I have come to realize how important good design is as an ingredient to better human health and well-being. And how important business skills are to successful practice. — Published 2012.0425
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INNER LIGHT OF THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
With nave and aisles bearing vast arrays of vivid, intricate stained glass, sunshine naturally washes warm, beautiful color across the stone arches and columns of the National Cathedral, atop Mount St. Alban in Washington, D.C.
Since the Gothic masonry structure was shaken by the magnitude 5.8 Virginia earthquake on August 23, 2011, this inner light has taken on another dimension. — Published 2012.0704
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AIA EDUCATION DESIGN AWARDS
When Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music set about expanding its midtown Toronto campus, a careful balancing act was required. The project combined construction of the new Telus Centre for Performance and Learning with the progressive restoration of historic McMaster Hall. The conservatory also sought to energize a new cultural district for the city in conjunction with major cultural facilities nearby, such as the Royal Ontario Museum and Gardiner Museum. — Published 2011.1116
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CRANE COLLAPSE SHIFTS MEMORIAL EVENTS
Around 11 o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, September 7, in Washington, D.C., a 400-foot-tall, 500-ton Liebherr crane collapsed in a thunderstorm wind gust at the National Cathedral. The crane had been working on securing the building after recent earthquake damage, in anticipation of 9/11 memorial observances — slated to include President Obama this Sunday, September 11. — Published 2011.0907
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PREDOCK'S CANADIAN MUSEUM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
"You never know, even if you think you do, where you're going." —Antoine Predock
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is intended to be an educational museum of ideas rather than objects, where we can "explore the subject of human rights, with special but not exclusive reference to Canada," according to the museum's web site. — Published 2011.0803
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PALLADIO AWARDS 2011
Hurricanes were a primary concern for Michael G. Imber Architects when the firm designed a traditionally styled home for the new Beachtown development in Galveston, Texas.
Located on the Gulf of Mexico, the vacation-home development combines New Urbanist architecture and planning with systematic fortification against the fierce storms. — Published 2011.0608
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ULM MÜNSTERPLATZ
Just over 100 miles (170 kilometers) from Freiburg, Germany, the city of Ulm straddles the banks of the Danube River, and although the two cities' cathedral squares — Münsterplätze — have slightly different birthdates, they are virtual twins. They grew up over the same five-and-a-half centuries, only to be laid low in the same bombing raids of 1944. — Published 2010.0929
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BECHTLER MUSEUM BY BOTTA
Clad in a glazed terra cotta tile that lends it an orange hue and a sleek feel, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, North Carolina, shows Swiss architect Mario Botta shifting subtly from his signature brick and stone. — Published 2010.0217
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AIA NATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS 2010
Among the brick buildings and live oaks at Rice University in Houston stands the Brochstein Pavilion, a cleanly patterned, rhythmic composition of glass and metal. With indoor and outdoor seating shaded from the Texas sun, this structure by Thomas Phifer and Partners offers a casual gathering space in the central quad, inviting activity while blending into the existing campus fabric.
The pavilion was among the 28 projects recognized by the American Institute of Architects in its 2010 AIA Institute Honor Awards. — Published 2010.0210
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