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EAST HAMPTON TOWN HALL - ROBERT A.M. STERN ARCHITECTS
There are many approaches to sustainable architecture, and one of the most efficient and effective is the reuse of old buildings.
Often, adaptive reuse is not as sexy as designing a high-tech green building from scratch, with its full complement of the latest gizmos. But reconceptualizing a building that already exists is often the most sustainable choice, because such structures contain embodied energy — the energy that was invested in their original design and construction. — Published 2012.0418
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HOW TO TILE A EUROBATH
One aspect of civilization that the Romans got right was the tiled bath. Since then, Europeans have built tiled bathrooms that present no distinction between the shower and the rest of the room.
This success of this design depends on lots of tile and a mortar substrate that slopes to a strategically placed floor drain. A lack of thresholds also makes this kind of bathroom perfect for wheelchair access. — Published 2012.0411
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DISTILLED FARMHOUSE
Compelled by sentimentality and the knowledge that the former owners (a farm family) would be retained to work the land, a Chicago couple commissioned architect Margaret McCurry to convert a 26-acre (11-hectare) farm in Galien, Michigan, into an expanded family compound while preserving as much as was practical of the original farmhouse. — Published 2012.0411
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THE ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL: MAYBECK AND AALTO
The San Francisco-based magazine Architectural News ceased publication in 1891 after only three issues, so there is no way of knowing what the specific contents of a planned future issue, a translation of Gottfried Semper's Der Stil by Bernard Maybeck, might have been. There is no evidence that the translation was ever made, of what sections he would have chosen, or what Semper's influence on Maybeck's work might be. — Published 2012.0404
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NEW NORTHWEST ARCHITECTURE
The City of Portland and Multnomah County, Oregon, have a vision: to eradicate homelessness within their jurisdictions by 2015 through providing more permanent housing and improving social support. One step toward this ambitious goal is the new Bud Clark Commons in Portland. — Published 2012.0404
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CREATIVE CONCRETE
When we think of sustainability, images of solar panels, thick insulation, and rainwater cisterns might come to mind. But Canadian architect and researcher Mark West is rethinking the bones of concrete structures to find ways to make them as efficient as possible.
West is director of the University of Manitoba's Centre for Architectural Structures and Technology (CAST), where the research revolves around fabric-formed concrete. The process uses pliable fabric to make innovative, efficient structural shapes. — Published 2012.0328
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CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM - SAFDIE IN ARKANSAS
For those familiar with the remote and quiet beauty of the Ozarks of Northwest Arkansas, the sudden appearance of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville seems somewhat miraculous. — Published 2012.0201
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AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE AWARDS 2011
On a tiny site measuring only seven by six meters (23 by 20 feet), a compact new home rises four and a half stories amidst the urban fabric of Surry Hills, an inner-city suburb of Sydney, Australia.
Designing for himself and his partner, Sue Bassett, architect Domenic Alvaro achieved an unexpected sense of expansiveness within this small space through the use of large precast concrete panels and plate-glass windows, with minimal additional interior detailing. — Published 2012.0125
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DANIEL LIBESKIND'S PERSPECTIVE
ArchitectureWeek You tend to take on or win projects with a great deal of emotional symbolism. Is there anything in particular about your past work or personal history that you think resonates with people? How did this feature, for example, in your design for New York City's Ground Zero Master Plan? — Published 2012.0118
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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
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