OSCAR NIEMEYER - BRAZILIAN MODERNIST As the preeminent figure of one of the most innovative national interpretations of architectural Modernism, and a radical critic of orthodox Modernist aesthetic formulae and moralizing ideologies, Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer occupies a unique place in the pantheon of great builders. — Published 2012.0201
	HIGH-RISE SUSTAINABILITY A high-level assessment of the impact of the urban tower on the natural environment would conclude that low land use and possible higher density are the chief advantages, with high energy usage being the chief disadvantage. Concepts of density and of energy usage are relative, and should be examined by comparing high-rise buildings with their low- or mid-rise alternatives. — Published 2012.0104
	LEED FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS The Empire State Building made headlines recently for achieving LEED Gold certification following a major green retrofit project that will reduce the skyscraper's energy consumption by more than 38 percent. The building's electric chiller plant was rebuilt, electric meters were installed at the tenant level, and all 6,514 window units were removed, refurbished to improve their energy efficiency, and reinstalled. — Published 2011.1012
	ENGINEERING GROUND ZERO ON PBS The PBS series Nova premiered a powerful show on Wednesday, September 7, 2011, about the reconstruction work currently underway at the site of the World Trade Center disaster. "Engineering Ground Zero" is now available as streaming video on the PBS web site. And it will be rebroadcast by many public television stations across the United States (check local listings). — Published 2011.0907
	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
	NATIONAL AIA AWARDS On a corner site in Manhattan, within the Greenwich Village Historic District, stands a new 11-story apartment building wrapped in ribbons of glass. The faceted, undulating facade creates a lively contemporary foil to the neighboring masonry structures while reflecting their facades and the greenery of Jackson Square Park. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, this building is one of 27 projects honored by the American Institute of Architects in its AIA Institute Honor Awards for 2011. — Published 2011.0223
	RIPPLE EFFECT Your first reaction to seeing Aqua Tower as it commands the Chicago skyline might be, "What happened to that skyscraper?" It looks as if some of its concrete floor fins might have been worn away over years of exposure. Or perhaps some kind of pervasive organism has taken over a sleek glass tower, crawling all over its facade — the Blob meets Howard Roark's Enright Building. — Published 2011.0105
	ONE BRYANT PARK, NEW YORK In the heart of Manhattan, across from the expansive Bryant Park at 42nd Street and Avenue of the Americas, is a landmark new skyscraper — a triple landmark, based on its sustainable and energy-saving design, its crystalline form, and its sheer size. — Published 2010.0707
	FACADES BY FRONT Focusing on conceptually and technologically sophisticated facades, the consulting practice Front has had considerable influence on high-profile projects despite its small size. Bruce Nichol, a partner and cofounder of Front, talks with Jon Dreyfous, Elite Kedan, and Craig Mutter about his experience working with Renzo Piano on the New York Times Building in New York City, and with Rem Koolhaas and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) on the China Central Television Headquarters (CCTV) and the Seattle Public Library. — Editor — Published 2010.0616
	BURJ KHALIFA In 2007, several records fell as the Burj Dubai skyscraper climbed above that city-state's skyline. In May 2007, the Burj surpassed the height of the tallest building in the United States, the Sears Tower (recently renamed the Willis Tower), designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the 1970s. SOM's Adrian Smith designed the Burj in the early years of the new millennium, but by the time the new skyscraper zoomed past Sears (at 1,450 feet, or 442 meters), Smith had left SOM to start his own firm. — Published 2010.0421

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