Archinect - News

Scrambling to get your remote work operation set up? Check out this in-depth webinar from the Boston Society of Architects

2020-03-19T21:33:00-04:00

The Boston Society of Architects (BSA) is holding a series of webinars over the coming weeks aimed at sharing tips and best practices for remote work that architects can use in their own practices as firms respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

The first installment in the series covers general guidelines for working remotely and features contributions from Diana Nicklaus, President and CEO of Boston-based Saam Architecture and Cynthia Gibson Murphy, Senior Project Manager and Associate Partner at Marguilies Perruzzi, which is also based in Boston.

Previously on Archinect: “Exploring Remote Work and 'Radical Flexibility' in Architecture With Diana Nicklaus.” Shown: Saam Architecture team photo. Courtesy of Saam Architecture

Topics covered in the inaugural webinar include: understanding different communication preferences between different workforce demographics, understanding the appropriate breakdown of software licenses and computers per employee, using Revit’s “workshare monitor” funct...

Jennifer Ly wins 2017 Rotch Travelling Scholarship

2017-04-20T14:51:00-04:00

Jennifer Ly, a designer at Foster + Partners, was recently announced as the lucky winner of the 2016-17 Rotch Travelling Scholarship. Founded in 1883 in honor of Benjamin Smith Rotch, it allows the recipient to travel for at least 6 months studying architecture.

Starting with 110 entrants in stage one, only five finalists advanced to present their projects to the jury in Boston. Jennifer Ly ultimately won the jury's favor with her project “New Common”. Based in Silicon Valley, Ly — who received her master's in architecture at Harvard GSD in 2014 — will receive $38,500 to fund at least six months of travel in the coming year.

New Common

Project text: “Situated in Boston’s City Hall Plaza, the Forum is a contemporary civic place that promotes information, dialogue and collaboration. It fosters education and social interaction through the spatial intersections, ranging from intimate encounters to larger, urban spectacle.”

“The public auditorium serves as the center of the Forum, and opera...

Tamara Roy AIA, President of the Boston Society of Architects/AIA responds to #NotMyAIA

2016-11-14T18:23:00-05:00

Dear Mr. Ivy:

On behalf of the Boston Society of Architects/AIA I am writing to share our shock and disappointment with last week’s post-election statement expressing the Institute’s willingness to work with President-elect Trump and members of the 115th Congress. While we support the need for design professionals and AIA members to work together to move the country forward, and the country’s need to address failing infrastructure, this statement fails to acknowledge the serious contradictions between the Trump campaign and the AIA’s own mission and values. The conciliatory and congratulatory tone of last week’s message in response to the election is at odds with the very goals and values articulated by the AIA. We agree with the Architect’s Newspaper. It would be irresponsible and reprehensible to “ignore the role design and designers could play in instituting and perpetuating the inequality inherent in the racist patriarchy Trump’s ideology embodies.” We wish to reaffirm our commit...

Photos from the "Bigger Than a Breadbox" opening reception

2015-06-18T18:36:00-04:00

What is the role of installation in architecture? More importantly, how does a curator arrange an installation that is primarily concerned with the effects of installation? “Bigger Than a Breadbox," which held its public opening reception on June 17th, is partly the brainchild of BSA space, Archinect, and curators Aaron Willette and Rob Trumbour of Khôra LLC, who considered precisely how to arrange the space to best explore this concept. We asked curator Aaron Willette about his process and the inherent challenges in creating an installation about installation.

“Working with architects is like herding cats,” Willette joked, before describing the fundamental aim of the installation, which was to incorporate the general public, not only physically, but intellectually. Instead of creating a highly abstracted terrain, first-time curator Willette strove to make the exhibit as accessible to passerby as it would be to gallery veterans.

Willette worked on precisely how to mount the exhibitio...

Bigger than a Breadbox winner "The Pulp Canopy" will be showcased at Boston Society of Architects in June

2015-05-14T20:27:00-04:00

Khôra exhibition curators Robert Trumbour and Aaron Willette organized the Bigger than a Breadbox, Smaller than a Building competition as a means to explore the medium of installation in the architectural realm, specifically the medium's increasing appeal among emerging architects and designers due to its dual spatial-artistic qualities.

For the competition, entrants had to further develop a previous proposal into a new site-specific installation for the Boston Society of Architects gallery lobby. Now that the winning submissions have been chosen, they will be realized in preparation for the "Bigger than a Breadbox" exhibition, opening on June 17.

The top-winning proposal, "The Pulp Canopy", by Katie Donahue and Mason Limke of MYKA investigates the architectural applications of cellulose fiber (paper pulp), which is considered to be the "most abundant raw material on the planet". Originating from its earlier form as The Pulp Wall, The Pulp Canopy consists of discarded paper products t...

The "Bigger than a Breadbox" competition, exploring the medium of installation, nears its final deadline - Last chance to submit your proposals!

2015-02-12T15:54:00-05:00

Just a few days left to submit your ideas to the Bigger than a Breadbox, Smaller than a Building competition! Entries need to be received by Sunday, February 15, 2015 via the competition website btabb.archinect.com.

Khôra exhibition curators Robert Trumbour and Aaron Willette are the organizers behind this call for submissions, hoping for an exploration of the medium of installation design within the architectural realm and its duality of spatial-artistic traits.

The winning entry will be realized in the lobby at the Boston Society of Architects' BSA Space during the fittingly titled gallery exhibition Bigger than a Bread Box, Smaller than a Building, June 17 – October 4, 2015.

Some more details from the brief:

"From June 17th – October 4th of 2015 the Boston Society of Architects' BSA Space gallery will host 'Bigger than a Bread Box, Smaller than a Building,' a gallery exhibition that will examine the appropriation of installation in contemporary architectural practice. While in no way...

The "Bigger than a Breadbox" competition is accepting proposals!

2014-12-23T14:57:00-05:00

Bigger than a Breadbox is a current open international competition that examines the role of installation design and its hybrid artistic-spatial qualities that have made it an increasingly popular investigative medium in contemporary architecture practice.

Recently launched by organizers and Khôra exhibition curators Robert Trumbour and Aaron Willette, participants will explore the use of installation design specifically through the lens of the design-research process. Participants will be required to submit the following:

"A past built installation project that used the medium to engage a topic (disciplinary or not) external to the installation itself."
"A proposed installation for the Boston Society of Architects' BSA Space lobby at 290 Congress Street that builds upon the work done in the first project." The 290 Congress Street lobby proposals should be presented as a continued deeper exploration of the past built installation, and not simply be a re-applied concept.

An overall idea ...

Boston Society of Architects presents the 2013 Design Award Winners

2014-02-05T13:26:00-05:00

Recognizing the best design throughout Massachusetts and the New England region, the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) revealed the winners of the 2013 BSA Design Awards. Winners received awards in several Programs like Accessible Design; Education Facilities Design; John M. Clancy Awards for Socially Responsible Housing; Sustainable Design; Unbuilt Architecture and Design; Honor Award for Design Excellence; and the Harleston Parker Medal.

Check out a selection of the winning projects.

Pictured above: Honor Awards for Design Excellence, Honor Award Education Facilities Design (K-12 Facilities Design) and Winner of the Harleston Parker Medal: Jonathan Levi Architects with Stantec Architecture for Roger E. Wellington Elementary School

Honor Award Education Facilities Design (Higher Education Facilities Design): Leers Weinzapfel Associates for University of Connecticut Social Sciences and Classroom Buildings, Oak and Laurel Halls

Honor Awards for Design Excellence: Flansburgh Architects for American International School of Johannesburg New Aquatics Center.

Honor Award John M. Clancy Award for Socially Responsible Housing: Dattner Architects and Grimshaw Architects for Via Verde—The Green Way.

Honor Award Unbuilt Architecture and Design: over,under and Harry Gugger Studio with Seis Arquitectos for Museo Maya de America

Find the full list of winners on Bustler.