GETTING THE GREEN ROOF RIGHT Green roofs, whether intensive or extensive, can provide a wealth of benefits on site and beyond. Delivering these benefits successfully requires professional attention to a variety of critical details. — Editor The first common dilemma in the construction of living green roofs, and other landscapes over structure, is that, in conventional building, the execution and completion of site work are often subordinated to the completion of the building. — Published 2009.0527
	AIA CONVENTION 2009 "Ours is a hopeful future," said American Institute of Architects President Marvin Malecha, FAIA, as he opened the 2009 AIA Convention in San Francisco. "We need to let the public know that they can count on our profession to lead them through these tough times." — Published 2009.0527
	ROTTERDAM PERISCOPE Willem Jan Neutelings of Neutelings Riedijk Architects spoke with Emiliano Gandolfi, a correspondent for The Plan magazine, about the Dutch firm's design approach as exemplified in the Shipping and Transport College in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. — Editor Emiliano Gandolfi: Part of the gradual revitalization of the port of Rotterdam, the Shipping and Transport College is the ultimate "urban icon," not at all what one would expect of a school building. How did it come about? — Published 2009.0520
	ASU POLYTECHNIC GREEN The new academic complex on the Polytechnic campus of Arizona State University (ASU) was built to withstand the insistent, erosive forces of the desert around Mesa, Arizona. "Being out on the eastern part of the valley, the site is very exposed and gets hit very hard with wind and rain," says Beau Dromiack, design leader for RSP Architects, the architect of record for the project. "It requires a durable architecture which we call 'desert tough.'" — Published 2009.0422
	AIA/ALA LIBRARY AWARDS In León, Mexico, a white stone-and-glass-clad structure expresses monumental solidity while maintaining indoor-outdoor connectivity. A three-story pergola of white-painted steel covers a plaza and rooftop terrace, adding a rhythmic lightness to the composition. This is the new library designed by Pei Partnership Architects for the state of Guanajuato. — Published 2009.0408
	MODERN PREFAB BY MARMOL RADZINER The Rincon 5 by Los Angeles firm Marmol Radziner recalls the pristine residential architecture of Mies van der Rohe, though this guest house may have more in common with the humble American mobile home. — Published 2009.0318
	ANALYZING SMI CONCRETE FOR ADAPTIVE REUSE Owners and developers are increasingly opting, for many reasons, to convert existing buildings for new uses. If no drawings are available for an older building, a structural engineer will often turn to industry resources to try and determine the nature and capacity of the existing structural system. Available information is then used to confirm that the facility meets the current building code requirements or to determine what strengthening or remediation must occur to accommodate the new use intended by the architect or owner. — Published 2009.0225
	EDAR IN LA The EDAR, a four-wheeled combination cart and sleeping unit created for use by people experiencing homelessness, is beginning to make its presence known in the greater Los Angeles area. Designed by Eric Lindeman and Jason Zasa while still in school at Pasadena Art Center College of Design, this modified shopping cart was their solution to a problem posed by local philanthropist Peter Samuelson: improve upon the cardboard box by designing a mobile, single-person shelter. — Published 2009.0211
	GLENN MURCUTT GOLD MEDAL In locations from the far reaches of the Northern Territory to suburban New South Wales, Australian architect Glenn Murcutt has created modernist houses remarkable for their supreme sensitivity to climate, surroundings, and environment. A true sole practitioner, Murcutt chooses mostly to design single-family dwellings, and only in Australia. The resulting structures attest to the depth of attention he affords each project. — Published 2009.0114
	DESIGNING FABRIC STRUCTURES The first step in designing a fabric structure is to create a form with sufficient pre-stress, or tension, to prevent it from fluttering like a flag or sail. Lightweight structures with minimal surfaces optimally should have double curvature — a surface that possesses a high-point (positive) curvature along one principal axis and a low-point (negative) curvature along the other principal axis. — Published 2008.0924

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