Archinect - News

FixNation & Architects for Animals Fundraise with Cat Shelter Showcase

2017-10-31T13:16:00-04:00

Last week FixNation and Architects for Animals joined forces to raise funds for FixNation’s critical charitable services for Los Angeles’ homeless cats, including spaying and neutering (check out the projects from last year). To raise awareness cat shelters were designed and constructed by thirteen different teams of local architects (some comprising of singular companies, others collaborative), all conceptualizing different aspects of a cat’s life into the design. Also, 28 cat bowls painted by various celebrities, including but not limited to Clint Eastwood, Charlize Theron, Carly Patterson, and Kristen Bell, were showcased and are still being auctioned off to the highest bidders along with the cat shelters. To place a bid on one of the items from the event right meow click here. The evening with FixNation was purr-fectly cat-astic, from the shelters, to the hand painted cat bowls, to the cat themed desserts.

Meghan Bob Photography ©

White Jack, by Abramson Teiger Architects

White J...

Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture reaches fundraising goal of $2M, working towards independence from foundation

2015-12-23T12:43:00-05:00

The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture has issued a statement that it has reached its 2015 fundraising goal of $2 million – a crucial milestone towards establishing the school's independence from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The goal of becoming an independent subsidiary of the foundation became necessary when new accreditation regulations established in 2011 required the school to be financially and administratively independent or risk being stripped of its accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.

In this latest statement, the school says: "As part of the agreement, the Foundation will continue to support the School financially over the next four years, investing over $1.4 in its operating costs and future growth. In addition, it will donate the extensive use of historic, residential, and classroom facilities at Taliesin and Taliesin West, which cost the Foundation over $1 million in cash a year for the spaces utilized by the School. Combined with the more than...

With $1.5M to go, Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture approaches first fundraising milestone towards independence

2015-08-05T12:59:00-04:00

In December of last year, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation announced that it would try to fundraise $2M by the end of 2015, in order to establish The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture as an independent organization. The Foundation set a $1M goal to be reached by the end of August 2015, and is now half way there – but must raise the remaining funds by August 25 in order to continue fundraising as planned.

From a press release issued by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation yesterday, the Chair of the School's Board of Governors, Jacalyn Lynn, asked those who wish to see the school continue operating to donate to the "Campaign for Independence" cause:

“Without significant and immediate support, there will no longer be a stand-alone accredited Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. This campaign is the only opportunity to save the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture as we know it – and to ensure its success and impact for decades to come."

Past news from Taliesin's rocky hi...

Van Alen auctioning a hot-tub roundtable, helicopter rides, birdwatching with famous architects for spring fundraiser

2015-05-11T09:40:00-04:00

The Van Alen Institute and online auction platform Paddle8 recently opened up their 2015 Auction of Art + Design Experiences that lets eager (and wealthy) bidders opt for basically hanging out with some of today's famous architects and designers.

This year's auction boasts an international list of activities with 24 leading creatives, like sitting in a hot-tub roundtable with Charles Renfro in his beach house, biking through downtown L.A. with Michael Maltzan on his daily route, birdwatching with Jeanne Gang, flying in a helicopter with Norman Foster over the River Thames, and testing the smoke ring generator at Copenhagen's waste-to-energy power plant with Bjarke Ingels and BIG partner Jakob Lange.

After bidding closes on May 20, proceeds will support Van Alen's ongoing cross-disciplinary research, public programs, and design competitions. Additionally, Van Alen will host their annual Spring Party on May 13 at The Surrogate's Courthouse in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Check out the...

What financial crisis? Museums across the U.S. benefit from the "greatest intergenerational wealth transfer in history"

2015-02-19T13:46:00-05:00

Cultural giving among America’s top philanthropists fell slightly in 2014, according to an annual ranking of the 50 largest charitable donors released last week by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. This news might come as a surprise to US museum directors, who have been swiftly—and quietly—raising eight-, nine-, and ten-figure donations from eager patrons. Their ambitious capital campaigns make the austerity measures of the recent recession feel like a distant memory.

10x10 London auction renders 100 drawn perspectives around The Shard

2014-10-30T18:14:00-04:00

10x10 Drawing the City London is an annual fundraising event established by British architect Tim Makower and organized by charity group Article 25 that gets its name from the 100-square grid that captures one particular area in the city of London.

Each square of the grid is assigned to 100 participants, who are typically some of the U.K.'s most well-known and emerging architects, designers, and artists. Participants will then create and donate an original work of art inspired by the buildings and public spaces within their assigned square. For 2014, The Renzo Piano-designed Shard will be the center of the grid.

This year's set of participants include notable names and 10x10 favorites like Norman Foster, Ivan Harbour, Sheila O'Donnell, C.J. Lim, Piers Gough, Chris Wilkinson, textile designer Celia Birtwell, artists Norman Ackroyd and Roger FitzGerald, and 10x10 founder Tim Makower himself.

Online bidding for the art begins November 4 through November 25, followed by an exclusive evenin...

Kickstart this! Archinect's Kickstarter picks for June 2014

2014-06-30T14:07:00-04:00

Take a gander at our latest roundup of Kickstarter and crowdfunding projects for Archinect's curated Kickstarter page! Here are our picks for June 2014:

Sydney Opera House Architectural Model Kit

Marcus Bree of Brisbane-based Little Building Co. continues to showcase his talent in crafting exquisite 3D model kits of architectural icons with his Sydney Opera House Architectural Model Kit. After gaining approval and support from Jan Utzon (who is the son of the Opera House's architect Jørn Utzon), Bree set up a Kickstarter to fund the first 1,000 kits and other major production and marketing costs.

Circus for Construction: WWStorefront Official Selection

The Spectacle Syndicate's Circus for Construction is "a traveling event space for collecting, constructing, and exhibiting works of art and architecture". This traveling design circus -- which needs to actually be built -- has plans to stop by various cities on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and host a variety of fun local public events for th...

San Francisco Museum Nears $610 Million Fundraising Goal

2014-06-24T14:26:00-04:00

About $570 million, or 94 percent, has been raised by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for its 235,000-square-foot (21,800-square-meter) expansion and to add $245 million to the museum’s endowment. The $305 million wing designed by the Snohetta architecture firm is rising behind SFMOMA’s current home, opened two decades ago in the technology-heavy South of Market area, or SOMA.

108 eighth-grade students design their school's library in Berkeley

2014-02-28T20:25:00-05:00

What good is a school without a library? A team of 108 eighth-grade students at REALM Charter School in Berkeley, CA let their curiosity take the lead in designing their school's own reading space, which they call X-SPACE.

X-Space started out as a school project in Studio H, an in-school curriculum led by director Emily Pilloton and 8th-grade teacher Hallie Chen that lets students in grades 8-11 design and build in socially-engaged projects.

The idea and name of X-Space came from the students' desire for a place to study, to relax, to learn and discover "X" — the unknown. In short, they wanted a welcoming library space for fellow students at the growing charter school.

Another product of the project is the X-shaped "STAX" shelving system the students helped construct. The stackable shelves were designed from low-tech 13-ply finished plywood and made using high-tech CNC technology with the help of Autodesk CEO Carl Bass.

Studio H launched a Kickstarter on Feb. 25 and has already raised o...

Kickstart this! Archinect's Kickstarter picks for November + December 2013

2013-12-04T10:22:00-05:00

And just like that, it's already December. For the last two months of 2013, let's have a look at our favorite picks from Archinect's curated Kickstarter page.

1. 'REM' - Rem Koolhaas Documentary by Tomas Koolhaas
Directed by Rem's son, Tomas Koolhaas, this feature-length documentary has two shoots left before starting post-production. Tomas' architecture documentary branches out from the traditional approach of the film genre, featuring a behind-the-scenes look into the details of his father's work process as well as stories from everyday people that use his built projects.

2. The Pop-Up City Book by The Pop-Up City
Jeroen Beekmans and Joop de Boer of the Amsterdam-based blog The Pop-Up City is finally at the brink of publishing their first book. Readers will get to flip through 260 pages of stories and colorful illustrations about the making of cities, design and culture.

3. The DIY Concrete House Ring by Linda Bennett
The complex process of making used in the...

Cooper Union Architecture Students Launch Campaign To Preserve Free Education

2013-11-29T17:07:00-05:00

Our goal is to raise $600,000 to cover the incoming students' tuition bills for one year while a long term solution is developed to sustain the Cooper Union's promise of free education.

Cooper Union students establish the 'One Year Fund' in an attempt to preserve the full-tuition scholarship policy at the historically free New York City school.

The students of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of the Cooper Union, recognize that the institution faces a serious financial crisis that has prompted the administration to introduce tuition. Tuition compromises the meritocratic foundation of the school and undermines the social contract amongst students and faculty.

This campaign is a student initiative from within the School of Architecture. The objective of the students involved is to provide the incoming undergraduate students with the equivalent financial support that the current students received upon their acceptance to the School in the form of merit based full-tuition scholarships to all admitted students.

The campaign runs until January 6th, 2014. http://www.oneyearfund.com/

Upcoming Cal Poly Pomona events at the historic Neutra VDL House in L.A.

2013-11-27T15:14:00-05:00

In need of weekend plans for December? Some fun Saturday events are happening at the Neutra VDL House in Los Angeles. If you're around the area, be sure to check 'em out!

Event details are right below:

RELIER Fundraiser & Cocktail Party | December 14, Doors open 4 p.m.

The RELIER team -- an alumni group from the Cal Poly Pomona architecture program -- would like to invite you to our Fundraiser & Cocktail Party hosted at the historical VDL House.

Join RELIER for cocktails as we provide our vision and plans for the exhibition ahead. We will be hosting a silent auction, with items designed by various Cal Poly Alumni and faculty. All donations will go toward the production of RELIER 2014.

Featured Artists include:

Manny Torres
Ando Pndlian
Bryony Roberts
Andy Wilcox
MIA Studio
Axel Schmitzberger
and many more!

For event tickets and additional information, visit http://www.relierexhibit.com.

Opening of Non-Mechanical Repetition Installations | December 7, 6 to 8 p.m.

Come to the opening of the Non-Mec...

LA ForumFest to honor Michael Maltzan

2013-11-01T15:02:00-04:00

Celebrating over 25 years of educational and advocacy work, the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design will honor architect Michael Maltzan, FAIA, of Michael Maltzan Architecture at their annual ForumFest. The LA Forum is a discussion platform for local architecture and urbanism, where design professionals and the general public alike can reflect on the nature and impact of architecture in Los Angeles.

Michael Maltzan was a natural choice for this year's ForumFest honoree -- established in Los Angeles since 1995, his firm embraces the diverse, sometimes contradictory Los Angeles landscape, while retaining a recognizable personality and form specific to his practice. He has also contributed to the architectural discourse on Los Angeles through multiple essays and critical pieces. Maltzan is perhaps most well-known in Los Angeles for his work with the Skid Row Housing Trust, as well as his many architectural and urban planning projects at the intersection of education...

Architects, artists create lights for MAK Center auction

2012-11-08T17:34:00-05:00

Some of L.A.’s best known architecture firms and artists have designed one-of-a-kind lamps to be auctioned Nov. 2 at a fund-raiser for the MAK Center in West Hollywood. Among those who designed, produced and donated their work for the event, dubbed “Light My Way, Stranger”: Ball-Nogues Studio, Cory Buckner, Ehrlich Architects, Hodgetts & Fung, Eric Owen Moss, Barbara Bestor, Dewey Ambrosino, Liz Larner and Sam Durant.