Archinect - News

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has paused both countries' participation in the Venice Biennale… for now

2022-02-28T20:14:00-05:00

As Russian troops and tank convoys sweep into Ukraine from three sides, the future of its cultural contribution has also been cast in doubt after the announcement that the embattled country has, at least for now, placed a hold on all activities related to its pavilion from the 59th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale.

In a press statement released to the group’s Twitter account on Thursday, the team representing their country’s Pavilion planned for this April’s Biennale has announced the suspension of all activities related to the installation and exhibition until such time as the crisis within Ukraine’s borders can be resolved.

“At the moment this statement has been published, we are not in immediate danger, but the situation is critical and changes every minute,” part of the group’s statement read. “Presently, we are not able to work [on the] pavilion due to the risk to our lives.”

If you’d like to sign up under this statement, please leave your name in the comme...

The University of Manchester has forced out Whitworth Gallery director Alistair Hudson over his pro-Palestine Forensic Architecture show

2022-02-24T17:39:00-05:00

A legal smear campaign has ousted a museum director over the inclusion of a pro-Palestinian statement in an exhibition examining the work of Forensic Architecture at the University of Manchester.

Artnet News is reporting the forced resignation of Alistair Hudson following a concerted lobbying effort on the part of several prominent local barristers who form the group U.K. Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).

Hudson has been the director of the university’s Whitworth Art Gallery since 2017 and became the target of the pro-Israel group’s effort after allowing the statement as part of a show called Cloud Studies that focused in part on the activist group’s study of poor air quality and human rights in areas that included the occupied territories as well as Louisiana and Beirut.

In a statement, Forensic Architecture’s founder Eyal Weizman said the saga “makes clear yet again that the anti-colonial struggle in support of Palestine and elsewhere has to be fought within and sometimes against our ...

'A jail masquerading as a dormitory': Architect resigns from UCSB over a ludicrous, Charles Munger-designed dorm

2021-10-29T16:01:00-04:00

A key architect has resigned his committee membership at the University of California, Santa Barbara following its proposal of a monolithic new dormitory building that purportedly fails to provide windows for some 94% of its single-occupancy residences.

After fifteen years sitting on UCSB’s Design Review Committee, architect Dennis McFadden resigned in protest over its decision to select financier-cum-ametuer architect Charles Munger’s plan for a 1.68 million-square-foot structure that will also bear his name following a $200 million gift to the university. Munger had allegedly stipulated that his plan be followed without alteration as part of the gift. McFadden referred to the design as “unsupportable from my perspective as an architect, a parent, and a human being” in an angry letter sent to the university on October 25th.

“The building is a social and psychological experiment with an unknown impact on the lives and personal development of the undergraduates the university serves...

Vishaan Chakrabarti is stepping down as Dean of Berkeley CED

2021-09-24T16:05:00-04:00

Berkeley CED dean Vishaan Chakrabarti has announced he will be leaving his post at the university to return to New York over pressing family medical concerns.

Chakrabarti ascended to the position in 2019 after a successful career in New York, where he quickly established his firm PAU as an industry leader in sustainable design.

The 55-year-old left said he Berkeley with a “new foundation from which to build” and departs in the midst of a tenure in which CED underwent a tremendous amount of change and restructuring.

A university statement cited Chakrabarti’s “enormous mark on the college over the past year, even in the midst of a global pandemic” and praised the architect for his leadership commitment to social justice issues.

Chakrabarti was able to raise over $17 million for the college during his tenure as Dean and leaves behind a legacy of innovation, collaboration, and thoughtful stewardship.

Previously featured on Archinect shortly after Chakrabarti was named new dean at ...

Marble Arch Mound: Deputy leader of London council behind MVRDV-designed attraction resigns due to soaring costs

2021-08-13T19:16:00-04:00

The deputy leader of a London council responsible for the ballooning costs of the Marble Arch Mound has resigned. Melvyn Caplan stepped down immediately after total costs nearly doubled to £6m, up from a forecast of £3.3m. Ticketholders were offered refunds for the artificial viewing platform which temporarily closed within two days of opening on 26 July.

The Westminster City Council, the park’s operator, has said that a review to “understand what went wrong and ensure it never happens again,” is underway.

The MVRDV-designed attraction is now free to visit for the month of August after its plants and grass began to die.

In a statement, council leader Rachael Robathan labeled the rise in costs “totally unacceptable” and expressed regret over her deputy’s resignation.

Previously on Archinect: MVRDV’s Marble Arch Mound is a magnet for public criticism

“Doing nothing was never an option,” she said. “So when the mound fully reopens in September, I hope that people will come and see it for themselves. The mound may delight or divide views and that's OK, but we're confident that in the end, it will fulfil its original brief — to get people back into the West End and remind them of why this is a world-class city.”

Port Authority workers call on leadership to halt LaGuardia AirTrain project following Cuomo's departure from office

2021-08-13T14:05:00-04:00

Within hours following New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s resignation from office after a slew of sexual harassment accusations, Port Authority workers issued a letter to executive director Rick Cotton calling for the termination of the former governor’s controversial LaGuardia AirTrain proposal.

An excerpt from the letter, according to the New York Daily News, reads: “For too long, Gov. Cuomo and his staff have repeatedly pushed the agency to make non-transparent, politically motivated decisions, including decisions that squander the trust and money of our bondholders, customers, and the general public.” The letter also calls for the Port Authority Inspector General to examine whether Cuomo tried to unfairly influence the federally-mandated environmental impact statement process to approve the plan despite other alternatives and the protests of transit experts.

Just last month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the estimated $2.1 billion project, which would see th...

Lesley Lokko resigns as Dean of CCNY's Spitzer School of Architecture

2020-10-07T13:36:00-04:00

This week Lesley Lokko announces her resignation as Dean of Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York. After her appointment in June 2019, there was a lot of excitement about her plans and goals for the school under her leadership. We spoke with Lokko back in November to for an exclusive Archinect Deans List interview. She spoke of her journey towards architecture, her path as an educator, and her pedagogical approaches for the school.

The Spitzer school is New York City's only public school of architecture. Image courtesy of CCNY.

During Dean Lokko's appointment, the world was struck with a pandemic that impacted everyone around the globe. Academic institutions did their best to navigate these challenging times, however, visions for the 2020 academic year were dramatically altered. In a statement shared with the Architectural Record, Lokko explains, "My decision to leave Spitzer after less than a year is fairly straightforward: I was not able to...

Cooper Hewitt Trustees resign en masse

2020-02-18T13:13:00-05:00

Six trustees, among them the prominent designer David Rockwell, have resigned from the board of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum to protest the removal of the museum’s director, Caroline Baumann, following an investigation into issues including her 2018 wedding. Ms. Baumann was forced to resign on Feb. 7 after an investigation by the Smithsonian’s inspector general into how Ms. Baumann procured her dress and the venue for the ceremony.

In a resignation letter protesting the ouster of former Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum director Caroline Baumann for suspected improprieties involving her purchase of a bargain designer wedding dress, architect David Rockwell of Rockwell Group writes, "We all serve on the board because we share the principles of the institution and the values of its leadership. I cannot in good conscience continue on the board given how Caroline’s dismissal was handled.”

Along with their expertise, several of the departing trustees are taking funding they had planned to provide to the museum with them.

The Cooper-Hewitt is run by the Smithsonian Institute, a partially publicly funded entity that, according to a The New York Times report from journalist Robin Pogrebin, has a conflict of interest policy stating that employees "must not engage in private or personal activities that might conflict, or appear to conflict, with Smithsonian interests, such as using Smithsonian employment for pri...

Wedding dress dispute forces head of NYC's Cooper Hewitt to resign

2020-02-14T13:54:00-05:00

Baumann was forced to resign as director of the Cooper Hewitt [...] following an investigation by the Smithsonian’s inspector general into potential problems regarding the procurement of [a wedding] dress and the wedding space. Her resignation was made public on Feb. 7, without explanation [...]. Two people with knowledge of the Smithsonian’s decision making [...]said that the investigation had turned up evidence of an appearance of a conflict of interest.

Robin Pogrebin of The New York Times delves into the circumstances surrounding the abrupt resignation of Caroline Baumann, the director of the Cooper Hewit Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.

The museum is partially funded by the federal government and for that reason is subject to strict ethical oversight. At the heart of the matter is whether Baumann inappropriately received a discounted price for a dress she wore to her wedding and whether the use of Copper Hewitt spaces was traded in exchange for Baumann's use of the privately-held facilities where the wedding took place.

When an employee quits, what do you do?

2019-08-06T15:48:00-04:00

Having an employee quit "can feel like a gut punch, leaving managers scrambling both emotionally and operationally," writes Anthony C. Klotz, associate professor at the Texas A&M Mays Business School and Mark C. Bolino, professor at the University of Oklahoma's Price College of Business. The pair expand on the learning opportunity that surfaces after a team member resigns. They encourage leaders to be "willing to reflect on and identify the root cause of such losses."

Many organizations conduct exit interviews to discover the underlying cause for employee resignation, but these often prove ineffective. When a team member quits impulsively, the opportunity for an interview is lost. In the case that an interview does occur, employees can become cautious in being too honest, or they may believe that the meeting is a waste of time, thinking the company won't be willing to change.

Klotz and Bolino provide three recommendations for companies that want to respond to resignations in more co...

Richard Meier steps down

2018-10-09T20:08:00-04:00

Richard Meier is officially out at Richard Meier & Partners Architects, the company announced in a statement titled Leadership Changes this morning.

"Founder Richard Meier will step back from day-to-day activities and support the leadership transition of the firm he founded in 1963," reveals the release. "He will remain available to colleagues and clients who seek his vast experience and counsel. The firm will maintain and develop the rigorous design philosophy that Richard pioneered."

Meier, 83, has been taking a leave of absence since March this year after accusations of sexual harassment were brought forward by five women—four of whom had previously worked with Meier.

The statement lists various senior employees to be taking on leadership positions, most notably Bernhard Karpf as the new Managing Principal of the New York office as well as Vivian Lee, Reynolds Logan, and Dukho Yeon, who were promoted to Principals. Partner Michael Palladino and Jim Crawford will maintain their ...

Pritzker winner Thom Mayne among 17 members of President's Arts Council that resigned in protest

2017-08-21T13:46:00-04:00

All 17 members of a White House advisory panel on the arts and humanities resigned en masse Friday in response to President Trump's divisive comments on the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va. The move follows the mass exodus of major business CEOs who quit two White House panels this week to protest the president's response to last weekend's clashes between far-right groups and counter-protesters.

Last week as multiple CEO's began quitting both the American Manufacturing Council and the Strategic and Policy Forum in protest of Trump's response to Charlottesville, Trump has decided to not move forward with the Council on Infrastructure. On Friday, the entire Arts Committee resigned over the same issue. To drive home the point, the members spelled out the word "resist" with the first letter of the six paragraphs that make up the memo.

“Supremacy, discrimination, and vitriol are not American values,” the committee members wrote in a letter announcing their resignation. “Your values are not American values. We must be better than this. We are better than this. If this is not clear to you, then we call on you to resign your office, too.”

The arts commission was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1982, and while mostly ceremonial, it works to advise the president on cultural policy and funding initiatives.

Aamodt/Plumb Architects resigns from the AIA over Robert Ivy's conciliatory comments toward Trump

2017-01-10T19:54:00-05:00

Don't pay your national AIA dues if you don't agree with the direction of the association. At least, that's what Mette Aamodt is doing this year. According to a press release issued by the firm, Aamodt explains that she:

is calling on architects to join her in refusing to work for clients engaged in discrimination, human rights violations, tyranny and exploitation. AIA National dues are due this week and every member has to make a choice about where they stand.

Together with her partner Andrew Plumb, Aamodt and their firm Aamodt / Plumb Architects is raising money to start a non-profit organization dedicated to education and advocacy around quality construction techniques, healthy materials and fair labor practices. “We have just elected one of the world’s worst developers as President, who exploits people and natural resources to build junk buildings that benefit no one but himself,” says Mette Aamodt. “It’s time for architects to take a stand and fight back, rather than rolling ove...

The Cooper Union turmoil continues: President Jamshed Bharucha resigns

2015-06-11T12:46:00-04:00

It was a matter of hours from when the resignations of five Cooper Union trustees rolled in until their names were erased from the college’s website. And it was a day later that the President Jamshed Bharucha announced he too would resign, more than a year before his employment contract expires. Yet the upheaval that led to the acrimonious departures has been years in the making.

Events are unfolding very quickly in Cooper Union's leadership right now: Just hours after five members of the 23-member Board of Trustees resigned yesterday, Jamshed Bharucha, the school's embattled President, publicly announced his resignation in an email to the Cooper Union community.

Following is the email in full length (h/t Ken Koense):

Subject: Presidential Transition
From: The Cooper Union <alumni@cooper.edu>
To: All community and alumni
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2015 7:09 PM

Dear Members of the Cooper Union Community:

I am writing to let you know that I will be leaving my post as President of The Cooper Union at the end of June, 2015. Starting in the fall, I will serve as Visiting Scholar at Harvard University in the Graduate School of Education.

It has been an honor to serve as the 12th President of Cooper Union these past four years. The focus of my presidency has been to secure Cooper’s finances for generations of deserving students in the future, while preserving excellence and...

AIANY Executive Director Rick Bell resigns

2015-03-27T14:13:00-04:00

The AIA New York chapter released a brief statement today announcing the immediate resignation of Executive Director Rick Bell:

“AIANY and Center for Architecture Executive Director Rick Bell has offered, and the organization’s Board of Directors has accepted, his immediate resignation. An interim Executive Director will be named next week and a search to find a new Executive Director will also begin at that time.”

Bell became executive director in 2001 and helped found the Center for Architecture on LaGuardia Place in 2003. He is regarded as having an influential role in raising the architectural community's involvement on policy issues like affordable housing, accessibility, sustainability, and waterfront use. He was also heavily involved in post-disaster programs like New York New Visions, a design and urban planning coalition that prepares recommendations for rebuilding Lower Manhattan following the 9/11 attacks.

Zaera-Polo steps down as dean of Princeton's School of Architecture

2014-10-01T12:01:00-04:00

Alejandro Zaera-Polo has stepped down from the deanship of Princeton University's School of Architecture to devote greater attention to his research and other professional activities.

h/t - Tyler Hopf

University of Kansas architecture dean John Gaunt stepping down after 20 years

2014-04-03T14:59:00-04:00

After 20 years as the dean of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, John Gaunt will miss the “intensity of the wider university community involvement,” but looks forward to being more engaged with his students. [...] “No regrets for those 20 years,” Gaunt said. “I have a sense of accomplishment and involvement and value, and the teaching part of it has been an enrichment, which from here on I’ll have a more direct and defined involvement in, but really a different kind of challenge.”

MIT's Adèle Naudé Santos stepping down as dean of School of Architecture and Planning

2014-01-28T18:56:00-05:00

[Adèle Naudé Santos] has decided to step down and return to the faculty, effective at the end of this semester. She is the ninth dean of the school and the second woman to hold the position of school dean at MIT. [...] “I have loved this appointment, because I have loved this school,” said Santos. “The excellent faculty and students I’ve had the honor to collaborate with are more MIT than they’ve ever been: they’re intent on doing interesting research, crossing aisles, and pushing boundaries.”

Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr, co-founders of Architecture for Humanity, to step down and help form a five-year strategic vision

2013-09-09T16:41:00-04:00

In planning for the organization’s further growth, Sinclair and Stohr are transitioning out of their roles to push the advancement of Architecture for Humanity, while also enabling the founders to explore new ventures. “It’s great to see something you started evolve into an institution. We are excited about the future of the organization and plan to continue lending support in whatever ways we can,” says Kate Stohr, Co-Founder, Architecture for Humanity.

Full press release...

Architecture for Humanity Launches 5 Year Strategic Plan and Fund To Offer Expanded Design Services to Build Resilient and Healthy Communities.

After 15 years of Leadership co-founders, Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr to Transition from Organization and Launch Fund to Support Future Growth.

Since 1999, San Francisco based non-profit Architecture for Humanity has been committed to providing architectural design and construction services to communities in need around the world. Co-founded by Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr, the non-profit has responded to 15 natural and man-made disasters, completed over 300 projects in 47 countries, expanded to 63 chapters across the world, and has nurtured a network of more than 75,000 architects, professionals and volunteers committed to making a positive impact through architecture.

Architecture for Humanity was founded as an initiative of Sinclair, an architectural designer and Stohr, a journalist and TV/web produc...

Director of Hirshhorn Museum resigns over Bubble's uncertainty

2013-05-24T14:49:00-04:00

Richard Koshalek, the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, said on Thursday that he was resigning after the board of trustees failed to reach a consensus on the future of a long-planned project to cover the museum’s interior courtyard with a temporary inflatable bubble.

McGill University School of Architecture Cyclical Unit Review

2011-10-05T10:25:52-04:00

The new directors of the school, [AA, DC, MB said (on record and in a recording) that the university was a corporation and their first interest was not education. If education is a business, shouldn’t we know what we are paying for?

This document is a copy of the cyclical unit review performed by the University for the SoA in spring of this year. The result of the review may or may not have been the forced resignation of Professor Michael Jemtrud - an visionary individual who was making important and progressive changes within the curriculum of the school. Given that this is such a positive assessement of Jemtrud and his work over the last four years, it begs the question - who were the individuals who had lost faith in his leadership abilities? was this perhaps more because they were threatened by his agenda? and where does the school go from here given that the new director has yet to make a public presentation of her particular vision for the school ?

Alleged Forced Resignation at McGill University Stirs Backlash from Students

2011-06-24T12:37:28-04:00

Word has been spreading since yesterday about the resignation of Michael Jemtrud, Director of McGill's School of Architecture. Archinect has just been anonymously informed, however, that "a very reliable senior faculty source within the school" has confirmed that the resignation was forced and that Jemtrud is not allowed to talk about it.

The message we received follows:

On Thursday, June 23, 2011, Michael Jemtrud was forced to resign from his position as Director of McGill University School of Architecture. Jemtrud was hired four years ago with a mandate to integrate current technologies into the professional programs, to reinvigorate critical discussion and research about their use, and to foster a clearer organizational structure and closer collaborations within the school's many professional and post-professional programs. Jemtrud approached the job with a distinct vision and direction, and an ability to move quickly while continuing to foster the school's longstanding str...