Archinect - News

Flood Proof Loos

2013-03-13T00:38:00-04:00

When Hurricane Sandy wiped out the lifeguard stations and public bathrooms on many of New York City’s beaches, the city found itself in a bind. How could it rebuild these necessary facilities in time for the summer of 2013?

Loos on stilts, modular shiny boxes, what more could beach goers in NYC ask for?

City of New York Announces Reinvent Payphones Finalists

2013-03-06T17:14:00-05:00

The City of New York invited students, urban planners, designers, technologists and creators to build physical and virtual prototypes imagining the payphone of the future. Judges selected the top six designs, now you get to decide which design will receive the Popular Choice Award.

You can participate in the voting for the city's future of payphones on Facebook.

The city’s vintage town houses aren’t getting any younger.

2012-11-15T00:14:00-05:00

“In historic districts, the commission always regulated the entire lot,” said Sarah Carroll, the director of preservation at the agency. “But in the last decade we’ve been seeing more applications for rear-facade changes, particularly in Brooklyn, where there hadn’t been as many changes in the rear yards as in the past. And so we’ve been focusing more on the interiors of blocks.”

Constance Rosenblum reviews a number of recent examples of "contemporary" brownstone renovations in NYC. The article refers to work by Michael Rubin Architects, Rafael Viñoly, Rogers Marvel Architects, Kinlin Rutherfurd Architects, David Hecht and Brendan Coburn Brooklyn architects. One basic point is that the town-house typology, proves very adaptable. However, there is a tension between flexible accommodation and rigid preservation-ism, in terms of aesthetic conservation.

Cosmic Quilt

2012-04-17T17:06:00-04:00

We were thrilled when our friend Drew Seskunas, one of the founders of the fledgling design studio The Principals- based out of Brooklyn, shared their latest project with us. The "Cosmic Quilt" is an awesome exploration of interactive architecture being created for May's New York Design Week. Check out their video above, and their Kickstarter profile here to contribute to the advancement of design, architecture and a promising young studio.

Cosmic Quilt is a new installation/student workshop planned by The Principals for NYC Design Week 2012. The installation will be a responsive architectural environment where space changes form in relation to it's inhabitants. Continuing their commitment to unite new technologies with traditional craftsmanship, The Principals designed a limited edition furniture line inspired by the installation entitled Quilt to be sold through Kickstarter to help fund the project.

Boldface Buildings in the Cold Light of Now

2012-03-09T14:38:00-05:00

“The city is better for the starchitect phenomenon,” said Jonathan J. Miller, the president of the appraisal firm Miller Samuel, “because it enhanced the mystique of New York’s residential housing market. But during the frenzy, those buildings were marketed as if they had inherent greater value, and the jury is still out on that.”

Vivian S Toy examines how in this current, post recession residential marketplace, starchitect buildings are providing an opporunity to test the value of a name.

The Tower That Could Have Been: Daniel Libeskind’s Award Winning WTC Design

2011-09-07T12:36:00-04:00

In February 2003, Daniel Libeskind was named the winning designer of the international contest to rebuild the World Trade Center. After eight years of collaboration, controversy, and the typical cast of characters in any real estate nightmare, the final product that will tower over Lower Manhattan is not, in fact, the design that won the hearts of New Yorkers.

5.8 Earthquake Shakes East Coast From Virginia to New York City

2011-08-23T15:12:55-04:00

This morning a magnitude 5.8 earthquake shook the East Coast. The quake was felt from Virginia to Boston, even prompting the evacuation of the Pentagon and Capitol Building in Washington, and New York City Hall. Seismologists at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have stated that once every 100 years, an earthquake of at least a magnitude of 5.0 rocks NYC.

Growth by Design - Report from Center for an Urban Future

2011-06-09T13:00:52-04:00

This report [by David Giles with Cristina Maldonado] details the powerful economic impact of New York's architecture and design sectors. It shows that New York has far more designers than any other U.S. city, but concludes that far more could be done to harness the sector's growth potential.

This report (available as a PDF via the link) by the non-profit public policy think tank Center for an Urban Future paints a rosy picture of the current state of design professions in NYC. While employment in architecture and related design professions may not be booming, it has been on the increase, as the Archinect job board attests. Even if some of the stats are debatable, the report's recommendations, particularly for the city to take an active role in promoting the design fields, are commendable.

By the City/For the City - Urban Design Week 2011

2011-04-26T12:48:10-04:00

From April 11-30, we're gathering up your ideas: from improving local parks and streets all the way up to rethinking whole systems, like transit and trash disposal. You can explore, discuss, and debate everyone's ideas right here.

Brendan Crain of the Institute for Urban Design says: "We're going to use the public's suggestions as the basis for an international design competition this May, and would love to gather ideas from some of the folks who may participate in that next phase.... Final push for site nominations this week!"

Can New York City Achieve Carbon Neutrality in Buildings by 2030?

2011-04-20T20:18:18-04:00

Most buildings in New York will undergo renovation over the next twenty years. A number will also get demolished. As well, many building enclosures will soon need replacement, particularly post-WW2 curtain wall buildings. Gut renovations of office spaces take place on a regular basis. There is great opportunity to re-imagine and reduce energy consumption in all these buildings.

Our friend Jacob Slevin talks to Ed Mazria, sustainable architecture activist and founder of Architecture 2030, about changes he envisions for NYC and beyond.