Archinect - News

FreelandBuck's new Washington Metro art installation invites viewers to an engrossing play on perspective

2024-04-23T13:24:00-04:00

FreelandBuck has released images of a recent art installation for the Washington Metro Area Transit Agency (WMATA) in Washington, D.C. Staged as an optical illusion, their new piece titled ‘Tunnel Vision’ works by projecting an image of a metro station over three intersecting aluminum cones that are suspended from the ceiling in the lobby of the organization’s new Alexandria, Virginia, offices.

Image courtesy FreelandBuck and WMATA

The sculpture's grid pattern and convex geometry center a 3D image of an iconic coffered station designed by Harry Weese in the viewer’s vision field, creating the effect of watching a metro train approach while standing on the platform. The firm says, "The piece suggests both realism and familiarity, inciting curiosity for passersby to come take a closer look."

Image courtesy FreelandBuck and WMATA

Brennan Buck, the firm's principal and co-founder, told the Washingtonian magazine recently, "We thought it was just a real...

The Pentagon will install solar panel array as part of $55 million DOD initiative

2024-02-03T08:00:00-05:00

The Pentagon has announced it will be installing a solar panel array on its roof in a historic first that’s part of a new $55 million Department of Defense clean energy initiative at military installations in the United States and Germany.

The DOD has been active in attempting to mitigate the large carbon footprint caused by the U.S. military with similar conservation strategies for several years. The money for the new solar panels is being sourced from a larger Department of Energy program that will spend $104 million in total on 31 projects affecting ten other federal agencies. The DOD says this is necessary to bolster its energy resilience and defense operational capabilities while also improving the quality of life for service members living and working at bases full-time.

"We have a moral obligation to the people that defend our nation, to their famili...

UVA architecture students present ideas for rebuilding a war-torn Ukrainian city to the U.S. Department of State

2024-01-08T14:25:00-05:00

The culmination of the 2023 Fall semester at the University of Virginia saw a contingent of students from UVA’s School of Architecture travel to Washington, D.C., to discuss ideas for rebuilding the war-torn eastern Ukrainian city of Izium upon a special invite from the U.S. Department of State.

Together with Professor Suzanne Moomaw, the cohort of 23 students who participated in the school’s Ukraine Green Recovery Lab were delegated to the National Museum of American Diplomacy in order to present their research to State Department officials, other government representatives, and the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova.

Highlighting topography and other similarities between Izium and Charlottesville, the students presented six phases of a proposed redevelopment to those assembled. What they took away from it was a rewarding experience delivering findings that will, in turn, be presented to the people of Izium for feedback. All in attendance report to have en...

New bipartisan Architect of the Capitol provision could grant congressional oversight for the first time

2023-12-19T17:02:00-05:00

Proactive measures to prevent a repeat of the recent misconduct saga that led to the firing of former Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton have been introduced in Congress as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the upcoming fiscal year.

Under the new bipartisan legislation, Congress would have the sole power to fire any future officeholders for the first time. Its language provides for the establishment of a special oversight commission that would both hire and remove permanent appointees, who currently serve at the pleasure of the sitting president. Advocates say it could potentially help fill the vacancy left in the wake of Blanton’s dismissal earlier this year and help buck an even longer trend of successive appointment delays that dates to the mid-90s.

New York representative Joseph D. Morelle said it “just seemed as though the system needs to be designed to protect the interests of the people here — members, staff … and everyday Americans who come to the...

In BRUTAL DC, Brooks + Scarpa proposes adaptive reuse of Marcel Breuer's landmark 1968 design

2023-10-25T13:49:00-04:00

Brooks + Scarpa has proposed an adaptive reuse renovation of the Marcel Breuer-designed Robert C. Weaver Federal Building in Washington, D.C. in an effort to address the chronic issue of empty office space plaguing the city’s economic growth and downtown core.

The proposal is included in a new exhibition at the Southern Utah Museum of Art that examines Brutalism’s past and future potential through seven key structures and Metro station designs. The exhibition includes Diller Scofidio + Renfro's scrapped 'Bubble' reimagining of the Hirshhorn Museum and other schemes from Gensler and students from the UNLV School of Architecture.

Image courtesy Brooks + Scarpa

The inclusion of the 55-year-old Weaver Building is significant as it is the headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which wants to position itself in line with industry pushes to build a “just and equitable future for all citizens.”

Image courtesy Brooks + Scarpa

After the p...

Get Lectured: The Catholic University of America, Fall '23

2023-08-28T13:06:00-04:00

We are continuing our Get Lectured series with a look at what’s going on in the fall at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning in Washington, D.C.

The semester begins on Monday, September 11, with the first Fall 2023 Walton Lecture Series event, titled ‘The Mythic Modern with Travis Price’ featuring the D.C.-based Travis Price Architects founder. It will be followed on October 2 with a special film screening and discussion featuring North Carolina State University Professor Thomas Barrie and current Sage and Coombe Architects Associate Architect Caitlin Watson.

The series continues on October 16 with Professor Adnan Zillur Morshed’s examination ‘Designing the BRAC,’ which considers the potential of architecture as an enabler of human freedom. The lecture precedes the opening of the exhibition on the same topic on October 18. October 30 will see a visit from documentary filmmaker and photographer Chris Rainier. Grace Farms founder/CEO and lauded envir...

Monument Lab’s thought-provoking sculptural installation opens on the National Mall

2023-08-22T18:04:00-04:00

An important new sculptural installation commissioned by the Trust for the National Mall opened in Washington, D.C. last week to the acclaim of critics and visitors who helped inaugurate the seminal first edition of the Beyond Granite series from Philadelphia-based collective Monument Lab.

Images of the six sculptures designed by artists Wendy Red Star, Derrick Adams, vanessa german, Ashon T. Crawley, Tiffany Chung, and Paul Ramírez Jonas were shared, showcasing the beginnings of what should be one of the year’s most significant public art exhibitions. Written in the Washington Post over the weekend, Philip Kennicott commended the new installation as being both well produced and thoughtful, adding that “this is the first time a serious art exhibition has been staged there” before remarking on the role of the Mall as a protest space.

Paul Ramírez Jonas, "Let Freedom Ring" Image: Courtesy of AJ Mitchell | Monument Lab

Other reviews highlighted the unique ability of each sculpture to co...

Monument Lab announces major new commission on the National Mall in Washington

2023-07-26T15:49:00-04:00

Philadelphia-based studio Monument Lab has been announced as the curatorial leader of a new public art installation on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The pilot exhibition of the Trust’s new Beyond Granite series will be on view for a month (August 18th to September 18th) and feature a response to the program’s thematic question about whose stories “remain untold” at the important site using a selection of six prototype monuments designed by artists Wendy Red Star, Derrick Adams, vanessa german, Ashon T. Crawley, Tiffany Chung, and Paul Ramírez Jonas.

Monument Lab founding Director Paul Farber and last year’s Pulitzer Prize for Criticism winner Salamishah Tillet are co-curating the exhibition and say it will treat the monuments as “a statement of power and presence in public.”

“Beyond Granite: Pulling Together builds out platforms for artist-led civic engagement, historical interpretation, and storytelling as a means for advancing what it means to imagine, build, live, and g...

Economic and political obstacles stand in way of office-to-residential conversion projects

2023-07-25T12:12:00-04:00

These conversions seem like a win-win: turning a plethora of barely used office space into desperately needed urban housing. But converting offices into apartments is easier said than done. And while it's easy to imagine the process behind conversions, like adding in walls and plumbing, it gets complicated.

Various cities across the United States have been turning to office-to-residential conversions as a way to address declining city cores that have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. As noted by NPR, San Francisco is making way for these conversions by adjusting current building codes and getting rid of extra fees. In Washington D.C., the mayor has proposed an increase in tax breaks for owners of downtown office buildings who convert them to housing.

Previously on Archinect: A new Brookings Institution report extends solutions to America's struggling office-to-residential conversion market

While cities are aiming to provide favorable incentives for conversions, the benefits may still fall short due to the many obstacles in front of ensuring a successful project. On top of some office buildings lacking the physical qualities needed to convert to residential, strict zoning rules, as seen in New York City, already determine which buildings can be transformed into housing. And, rezoning ca...

Marlon Blackwell will deliver a new memorial to the Global War on Terror on the National Mall in Washington

2023-07-13T08:00:00-04:00

Marlon Blackwell Architects has been selected as the designer of an important new memorial to veterans and service members lost during America’s decades-long War on Terror on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The Arkansas-based firm was announced as the project’s lead following a search process that began last summer with submissions from 177 different U.S. and international competitors. Its development will be guided by a newly-created Design Advisory Council (DAC) comprised of Gold Star family members, veterans, and "other stakeholders." The project was commissioned by the nonprofit Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, which was first founded in 2015.

The foundation’s President and CEO Michael “Rod” Rodriguez complemented the designer’s “ability, credibility, and humility to lead the design of an inclusive and reverent Memorial,” adding “Marlon’s proven track record as a world-class designer, combined with his personal experiences in a family with a history of military...

‘Evocative’ truss wraps HWKN’s completed waterfront building in Washington D.C.

2023-06-29T11:35:00-04:00

HWKN has published images of their recently-completed Water Building One project in Washington D.C. The 13,400-square-foot building sits on the edge of the new District Wharf development on the city’s waterfront and is designed for hospitality and to host visiting boat crews.

Image credit: Ryan Fischer

The team describes the scheme as a “taught and graphic” design set against the backdrop of the wider development and is intended as a “new icon to welcome boats to Washington D.C. and visitors to District Wharf.”

Image credit: Ryan Fischer

The defining feature of the building’s exterior is a truss which the architects describe as a “conceptual extension of the long bench that runs along District Wharf’s waterfront.” Behind the truss is a simply detailed glass box with large interior spaces providing uninterrupted views of the Jefferson Memorial and the adjacent waterfront.

Image credit: Ryan Fischer

The project...

Congress' search for the new Architect of the Capitol continues

2023-06-09T12:30:00-04:00

A nationwide hunt is underway for a new architect of the Capitol, the federal official in charge of the operations and maintenance of the Capitol complex — the heart of American democracy and in more recent years, dysfunction. A special congressional commission is searching for potential candidates on university campuses and museum boards, and in the military, major transit systems and even theme parks.

Congress has retained Reffett Associates to aid in its candidate search for the low six-figure position, which sufficed to say, they see as a “unicorn.” The firm has apparently selected more than twenty candidates thus far, with further help from the AIA. Whoever is hired will oversee 18.4 million square feet of facilities (in addition to a yet-remade Union Station) and more than 2,000 employees.

2023 AIA President Emily Grandstaff-Rice says: “This job requires the skills of an architect, especially in terms of space planning. [But] because you have great access to many decision makers within the government, it’s a people-facing position as well.”

Thomas J. Caroll, who served in an acting role before Brett Blanton's tenure, told the New York Times, “Getting away was a great break.”

Perkins&Will will design the new Bezos Learning Center for the National Air and Space Museum

2023-06-06T15:03:00-04:00

Perkins&Will has just been announced as the lead designers of the new Bezos Learning Center at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

The firm’s winning design was selected over a shortlist that included five anonymous proposals submitted by leading global architectural firms.

The center is supposed to be enacted in the space once occupied by Gyo Obata’s now-demolished glass pyramid structure from 1988. Once completed, the new addition will entail approximately 50,000 square feet of exhibition spaces, a rooftop terrace, a public observatory, and dining options. Its spiraling form is meant to evoke the shape of the galaxy. Total costs for the project are expected to be around $130 million.

“The spiral galaxy — our source of creative inspiration — is all about infinite possibilities,” the project's lead designer, Ralph Johnson, says of its conceptual approach and vision. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the Smithsonian Institut...

AIA gets involved in the search for the next Architect of the Capitol

2023-05-24T17:16:00-04:00

With disgraced former Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton now facing punishment for his misuse of office, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced their involvement in the Congressional search process to find a new permanent head for the over 2,000-person office.

The Institute says it has representatives working with both Congress and the executive search firm that was hired to aid in the search for the new AOC position, which is currently held on an interim basis by Chere Rexroat.

Blanton was fired by President Biden in mid-February after a three-month investigation into his alleged wrongdoings, which reportedly entailed the use of government-owned vehicles and an incident where he deliberately misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official, among a choice of actions labeled as “fraud, waste, and abuse against not only the AOC but also the taxpayer” by the federal Inspector General.

Other key staffers were let go last month as a product of their involve...

AIA is seeking a manager for their climate action and design excellence initiatives

2023-05-17T08:39:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Digital Fabricator / Model Designer at Safdie Architects, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Manager of Climate Action & Design Excellence at the American Institute of Architects.

The role, based in Washington DC with the possibility of a remote work structure, calls for an individual who will be “responsible for equipping AIA members with the tools necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public amid challenges for design to mitigate and adapt to climate change and address social inequity in the built environment.” Among the qualifications requested for the position are a bachelor’s degree in architecture or a related field, as well as knowledge of climate change mitigation and adaptation issues.

Related on Archinect: AIA presents 2023 Architecture Awards winners

Why the role interests us

The open role at the AIA offers applicants the opportuni...

Featured architecture jobs in Washington DC

2023-05-12T07:26:00-04:00

Continuing with our weekly job employment highlights, we're featuring seven firms looking for junior associates, project managers, marketing coordinators, and more in the Washington DC area.

Looking for new employment opportunities? Be sure to explore the Archinect Job board which features 100+ new jobs every week.

The American Institute of Architects seeks a Manager, Climate Action & Design Excellence

Details: "The American Institute of Architects (AIA), a leading advocacy organization for the architecture profession, is looking for a committed individual to serve as Manager, Climate Action & Design Excellence. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Climate Action and Design Excellence, the individual will be instrumental in equipping AIA members with tools to address challenges of climate change and social inequity in the built environment. Tasks include programmatic and project planning, resource management, member education, and coordinating opportunities for Climate Action and Desig...

KieranTimberlake completes three-year Folger Shakespeare Library revamp

2023-04-26T16:40:00-04:00

Washington, D.C.’s Folger Shakespeare Library has set an opening date following a three-year $80 million renovation led by KieranTimberlake.

November 17th will mark the public reopening of the collecting institution, which was founded in 1932 by Standard Oil executive Henry Clay Folger. The project seeks to revamp the library’s aging Capitol Hill facilities while constructing a new, 12,000-square-foot underground wing that will supplement the overhauled original Paul Cret design with two large exhibition spaces, a learning lab, and a new gift store.

Image courtesy Studio Joseph

Landscaping design by OLIN will complete the program with a set of surrounding gardens to the site’s east and west orientations. Native plants and vegetation inspired by the bard’s long oeuvre welcome visitors into the revamped existing space, which now features the learning lab, a set of new study rooms, and exhibition designs by Studio Joseph and Studio A.

Image courtesy Studio Joseph

Retained bas-reliefs hav...

Architecture students will reconstruct an original Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome at the National Museum of American History this summer

2023-04-14T14:00:00-04:00

A new collaborative project between the Catholic University of America and the National Museum of American History will offer architecture students the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to repair and reconstruct one of Buckminster Fuller’s famed geodesic domes in the hopes of presenting such structures as a viable resilience tool to be used by designers in the ongoing fight against climate change.

Beginning in early July, a group of students from the school’s undergrad and graduate programs will work together on the reconstruction of the more than 70-year-old The Weatherbreak design created by Fuller protégé Jeffrey Lindsay in the museum’s Flag Hall.

Under the guidance of assistant professor Tonya Ohnstad, lead fabricator Lorenzo Cardim DeAlmeida, and museum curator Abeer Saha, the group will explore its potential usage as affordable, resilient housing. This is the first time the structure will be displayed to the public since entering the museum’s collection and represents the first ...

HOK CEO and Chairman Bill Hellmuth passes away aged 69

2023-04-10T18:00:00-04:00

HOK has announced the passing of CEO and chairman Bill Hellmuth on April 6th at the age of 69 following a long illness.

Hellmuth had been in the chairman’s post since 2017 after serving as the firm’s president since 2005. Working out of HOK’s D.C. office, where he remained as a design principal throughout, he helped lead the development of several well-recognized projects both in domestic markets and internationally. Hellmuth, whose work won 29 AIA awards, originally joined the firm in 1991 at founder Gyo Obata’s personal urging after practicing in New York for 14 years.

King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center Residential Community. Image courtesy HOK.

A firm statement said: “Hellmuth was exceptionally optimistic about the ability of design to improve people’s lives. A strong advocate of sustainable design, he believed architects had a moral obligation to design projects with minimal impact to the environment. Under his tenure, HOK designed hundreds of green-certified pro...

Acting Architect of the Capitol fires key former Blanton era staffers

2023-04-07T17:56:00-04:00

Several members of the Architect of the Capitol’s leadership team were fired Thursday, according to an internal email obtained by CQ Roll Call and two aides familiar with the matter, in a further shakeup at the agency after the February removal of its head, J. Brett Blanton. The AOC’s general counsel, chief financial officer, chief administrative officer, CEO for visitor services and chief of staff were removed Thursday, one senior congressional aide said Friday.

Each staffer had been overseen by the now-former disgraced Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, who was finally fired in early February after being accused of using his office inappropriately. The new Acting Architect of the Capitol Chere Rexroat was immediately appointed in his absence. She holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Design and Architecture from Texas A&M University and is a licensed Architect in California.

According to Roll Call, the employees cited were named in a follow-up Inspector General's report that outlined their apparent failures to act on tips alerting them to Blanton's abuse of privileges while in office.

Editors Note, April 8, 2023: An earlier version of this article misstated the number of fired staffers. This has been corrected.

Elyn Zimmerman’s Marabar sculpture redebuts as Sudama in D.C.

2023-04-04T19:19:00-04:00

Artist Elyn Zimmerman’s 1984 Marabar sculpture has been officially rededicated on the campus of Washington, D.C.’s American University after a yearslong preservation effort spearheaded by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF).

A reconfiguration of the site-specific 225-ton granite sculpture was installed next to the school’s Kay Spiritual Life Center over the last year after being moved from the courtyard surrounding the National Geographic Society headquarters in order to make room for a new plaza expansion designed by Hickock Cole and OLIN.

TCLF President Charles Birnbaum said: “Though we regret the loss of Marabar at its original location, we are pleased that its creator, artist Elyn Zimmerman, with the support of National Geographic, retained the ability to control its reconfiguration and relocation to the American University campus. Had TCLF not intervened beginning in March 2020, when the artist was resigned to the loss of one of her most important works, Zimmerman's instal...

Michael Graves Architecture acquires PGN Architects — its fourth firm within one year

2023-03-30T15:12:00-04:00

Michael Graves Architecture has expanded once again with its newly-announced acquisition of Washington, D.C.’s PGN Architects (PGN). The addition marks their fourth such move in the past twelve months, following successive mergers with Mid-Atlantic firms Waldon Studio Architects, Jose Carballo Architectural Group, and Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects, respectively.

The Princeton-based MG announced the merger on Thursday as an attempt to bolster its expertise in the multifamily market and sectors. PGN Partners Jeff Goins and Sean Pichon will remain in leadership roles, while MG President and CEO Joe Furey will oversee the integration along lines related to the firm’s long-term strategic plan.

“When evaluating this acquisition, we immediately recognized the talent, forward-thinking design approach, and deep level of experience within the PGN team, especially in the multifamily sector with many mixed-use projects. As we learned more about each other, we realized our values al...

Cooper Robertson will develop master plan for a campus expansion at the University of Maryland, College Park

2023-03-09T13:19:00-05:00

Cooper Robertson has been announced to lead the master planning for a campus facilities expansion at the University of Maryland’s flagship campus in College Park.

As part of their contract, the firm will deliver “flexible, data-driven, and inclusive comprehensive planning framework that will guide strategic growth and development” at the 1,340-acre campus. The project will target the development of currently-available land, while enhancing connectivity to the surrounding community and improving multi-modal transportation along sustainability lines and with several capital improvement projects integrated therein.

Cooper Robertson partner Mike Aziz says it helps the university retain its character as a “ambitious, forward-looking, and value-driven academic institution.”

Image courtesy University of Maryland, College Park

This is the second of a three-phase project which includes a draft development plan and will be followed by a final approval in June. The firm has also completed simi...

Amazon hits the brakes on its new HQ2 headquarters project (for now)

2023-03-03T17:06:00-05:00

[...] the company’s decision made public on Friday to pause plans in Virginia — about four years after Amazon pulled out of its campus in New York — is the latest reminder that the tech industry’s long boom has slowed. [...] The pause will affect PenPlace, the second and larger stage, which would build a mix of office towers, open space and a signature, spiraling glass building Amazon calls the Helix.

The move comes after Amazon reported its first unprofitable year since 2014. The helix-shaped, $2.5 billion biophilia-lined PenPlace design had only been greenlit in August and is contracted to NBBJ. Amazon had said its construction would cost another $5 billion. The company began cutting some 18,000 workers beginning in January. Former CEO Jeff Bezos’ net worth, meanwhile, is still growing by a reported $2.25 billion per week.

“Our second headquarters has always been a multiyear project, and we remain committed to Arlington, Virginia, and the greater Capital Region — which includes investing in affordable housing, funding computer science education in schools across the region, and supporting dozens of local nonprofits,” Amazon Global Real Estate and Facilities VP John Schoettler said in a statement. “We appreciate the support of all our partners and neighbors, and look forward to continuing to work together in the years ahead.”

President Biden fires Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton

2023-02-13T17:32:00-05:00

President Biden on Monday fired J. Brett Blanton, the federal official responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Capitol complex, amid bipartisan calls for his resignation, after an investigative report accusing him of misusing his position and revelations that he avoided the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

Blanton, who had faced calls for removal over accusations about abuse of government property while in office, was only recently revealed to have been in absentia on the afternoon of January 6th. Speculation had remained over the President’s willingness to remove the AOC from the 10-year appointment posting, the revised ability to do so by joint resolution being one of the would-be powers the past congress attempted unsuccessfully to elbow in at the last second. With his removal, no members of the Capitol Police Board who were working on January 6th are serving in the roles they occupied on the day of the insurrection.

Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton faces questions before Congress amidst calls for resignation

2023-02-10T14:09:00-05:00

Beleaguered Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton shocked members of Congress on Thursday by admitting he was not on Capitol grounds for the tumultuous January 6th attacks during a query into alleged ethics violations while in office.

At a special hearing called by members of the House Administration Committee, Blanton said he was “monitoring developments remotely” during the riots while declining to provide his specific whereabouts in what came as a surprise to committee members of both parties who also took offense to his apparent frequent tardiness from the grounds that continues to this day.

Blanton, who remains the only member of the U.S. Capitol Police Board not to resign in the wake of the incident, also answered questions about his misuse of government-provided SUVs and deliberate misrepresentation of himself as a police officer among other accusations which include giving private tours to “patriots” in the weeks leading up to January 6th, 2021.

Previously on Archinect:...

Smithsonian American Art Museum selects Selldorf Architects to lead its much-needed revitalization

2023-02-07T17:32:00-05:00

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) has announced Selldorf Architects as the lead designer for an effort aimed at revitalizing its public spaces and permanent collections galleries for the first time since 2006.

The scope of the project entails the creation of a new dedicated space for time-based media art and other types of displays in line with the museum’s “new vision.” Selldorf’s design will “highlight the grandeur of the historical architecture” of the Greek Revival Old Patent Office Building while simultaneously creating the new spaces. A press release mentioned the firm’s engagement with the Smithsonian Institution on the project dating back to 2020.

“This reinstallation project will invite essential conversations around inclusion and diversity now central to both public discourse and the daily work of arts organizations,” SAAM's Director, Stephanie Stebich, said in a statement. “It will shed new light on American artists whose voices will be more prominent in convers...

Three unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper projects brought to life by 3D imagery

2023-01-09T12:40:00-05:00

Three unbuilt projects by Frank Lloyd Wright have been recreated in 3D renderings by Spanish architect David Romero. Images of the high-rise schemes, located in Chicago and Washington D.C., have been published in the latest edition of the Frank Lloyd Wright Quarterly, a hard-copy magazine of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

The Illinois. Image credit: David Romero via The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

The tallest of the three, 'The Illinois,' remains one of Wright’s most famous unbuilt works. The mile-high skyscraper was unveiled by Wright in 1956 and would have stood four times taller than the world’s then-largest building. "The Empire State Building would be a mouse by comparison," Wright boasted at the time.

The Illinois. Image credit: David Romero via The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

The 528-story, 18 million-square-foot concept would have accommodated 100,000 people. Four major highways, along with rail lines and a heliport, would provide access to the building, with docking s...

Congress moves to limit Architect of the Capitol following investigation into misconduct

2023-01-04T15:02:00-05:00

Embattled Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton could be getting one step closer to being forced out of his job after the outgoing 117th Congress finally proposed last-minute legislation that would make it easier for the Trump appointee to be removed from office following an Inspector General’s investigation into the abuse of his title while in office.

CBS News has the latest details on the effort to hold Blanton accountable for his actions, which reportedly included the misrepresentation of himself as a law enforcement official and multiple misuses of his government-provided SUV by him and his family.

Under the proposed new legislation, the formerly term-limited appointment would for the first time be subject to the conditional removal of its office holder via an impeachment or Congressional joint resolution finding either “permanent disability, inefficiency, neglect of duty, malfeasance; or a felony or conduct involving moral turpitude.”

Earlier on Archinect: Trump's Architect...

Trump's Architect of the Capitol is under investigation for ethics violations in D.C.

2022-11-03T12:56:00-04:00

The federal Architect of the Capitol is under scrutiny for ethics violations after apparently using his office to give “patriotic” private tours in the weeks leading up to the contentious elections of November 2020.

The Washington Post is reporting that Trump appointee J. Brett Blanton is now being investigated by the federal Inspector General’s office for allegedly using his office to give family members access to government-owned vehicles and areas of the capitol building that had been restricted due to Covid-19.

The office’s report identified “a significant amount of administrative, ethical, and policy violations as well as evidence of criminal violations throughout the investigation,” including several incidents where Blanton misrepresented himself as a police officer (a class misdemeanor under District of Columbia law) in addition to a campaign of “fraud, waste, and abuse against not only the AOC but also the taxpayer.”

Earlier on Archinect: Architect of the U.S. Capitol detai...