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TWO HOUSES IN EAST AUSTRALIA
Two houses in east Australia exhibit powerful simplicity in form, space, and circulation, while each effectively addresses the specifics of its contrasting site, seaside or subdivision.
Designed by two different Brisbane firms, each lead by young principals, both of these houses show environmentally conscious responses to the subtropical climate of the southeastern Queensland area, with warm, humid summers and mild winters. Published 2009.0902
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GRAND TETON VISITOR CENTER
Early in the design process of the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson made several key design decisions that were critical to the success of the project. Published 2009.0819
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FSC VERSUS SFI
When the Forest Stewardship Council rolled out the world's first "green" wood certification label in 1993, the organization quickly rallied big-box retailers like Home Depot to the cause. The largest do-it-yourself home improvement chain in the United States became a founding member of the FSC and publicly announced that it would soon ensure all of its products came from certified sources. Published 2009.0812
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PIANO IN CHICAGO
Renzo Piano is known for his finely tuned designs, especially for a refined talent in dovetailing elegant new architecture with an existing context, playing on contextual strengths without duplicating the neighbors.
He has achieved this feat once again at the Art Institute of Chicago, where a light-studded new museum wing by Piano opened in May 2009. The Art Institute's new addition is laudable in its intelligent siting, sensitive scale, urban presence, and manipulation of light. Published 2009.0805
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PRESERVATION IN PORTLAND
The recent threat of demolition to Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon, one of the city's most visible architectural landmarks, galvanized local architects and historic preservation advocates. But the city's record on historic preservation, in terms of both involvement and actually preserving buildings, is spotty. Published 2009.0729
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MAKING BUILDINGS GOOD
The days of making the business case for sustainable design, or even explaining what LEED means and why it is important, have passed. Today's green building challenges have moved to more complicated areas of policy — permitting and politics — and the motivating sense of competition to be "the greenest." Published 2009.0722
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MEMORIAL COLISEUM - PORTLAND, OREGON
The perimeter of Memorial Coliseum bounds the equivalent area of four city blocks in Portland, Oregon, yet the entire envelope of the building, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, stands on just four columns. Published 2009.0708
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FREE ENERGY ANALYSIS WITH IES VE-WARE
Dr. Don McLean, founder and CEO of Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES), believes every architect should have the ability to understand the environmental impact of his or her building design. To realize this vision, McLean is prepared to give architects free access to some of the most basic features of his company's Virtual Environment software suite. Published 2009.0624
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PELLI'S PLATINUM VISIONAIRE
At first glance, the glossy new 35-story condominium tower slicing into the lower Manhattan skyline doesn't stand out as a beacon of sustainable design. Its sleek form — an extruded curving wedge accented with red terra cotta bands — looks more Ferrari than Prius. And the structure's granite base and travertine lobby walls are elements not usually associated with green building. Published 2009.0610
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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
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