Archinect - News

Leading architects donate creative works to support racial justice

2020-07-29T18:07:00-04:00

Launched July 1st by a group of students and alumni from the Harvard GSD, Design Yard Sale is a month-long fundraising event that "sells and auctions creative works to support [Colloqate Design and The Bail Project], two organizations fighting systemic, and anti-Black racism." Creative works by people like Frank Gehry, Billie Tsien, and Denise Scott Brown have been donated to the effort and are available for auction. The pursuit has already raised over $80,000 and has a goal od reaching $100,00 by the end of the month.

Frank Gehry, Beekman Street Housing print.

Some highlights of items up for auction include blueprints of Robert Venturi’s Vanna Venturi House, donated by Venturi’s longtime engineering partner, Keast & Hood. Additional objects include a collage by Tsien, signed prints of Scott Brown’s historic 1960s-era photos of Las Vegas exclusive to Design Yard Sale, a concrete stool by Jerome Byron, and a limited-edition signed lithograph of a Gehry drawing.

Jerome Byron, Concrete...

Los Angeles architects band together to raise funds for local elementary school

2019-11-27T12:50:00-05:00

A group of architects at NAC Architecture in Chinatown LA have come together to raise money for the students at Castelar Elementary School located just a few blocks from their office.

“We are a community-focused practice, and we love the community we’re in. So a chance to help our neighbors and learn from each other is a valuable investment of our time,” said Helena Jubany, FAIA, a Principal at NAC Architecture, “There are lots of talented artists at design firms, so why not mobilize them for a cause?”

Humberto Herrero, Job Captain at NAC Architecture working on his piece for the auction.

After identifying a need for laptops at his kids' school, Edwin Fang, an architect at the firm, founded Boundary/Threshold, an art show and silent auction that will be held at the Eastern Project Gallery in Chinatown. As its name suggests, the theme of Boundary/Threshold centers around an idea of transition.

Piece by Louise Griffin, Project Manager at NAC Architecture.

The art for the event explore...

Notre Dame is falling apart and relying on US donations for major repairs

2018-08-15T14:21:00-04:00

One of Europe’s most visited sites, with about 12 million tourists a year, is in dire need of repairs. Centuries of weather have worn away at the stone. The fumes from decades of gridlock have only worsened the damage. “Pollution is the biggest culprit,” says Philippe Villeneuve, architect in chief of historic monuments in France. “We need to replace the ruined stones. We need to replace the joints with traditional materials. This is going to be extensive.”

Notre Dame faces major repairs as the historic Cathedral's structure decays due largely to pollution. Funding for the repairs needed were difficult to raise as the cathedral is owned by the French government, yet their arrangement allows the Catholic archdiocese of Paris to use it for free. Both claimed the other responsible for raising funds, however the archdiocese stepped up creating Friends of Notre Dam last year.

The organization allows US citizens to make tax deductible contributions to the renovation of this historic landmark. Friends of Notre Dame hope to raise $114 million within the next five to 10 years.

Arckit launches a Kickstarter for its detailed Cityscape and Masterplan kits

2017-05-11T15:15:00-04:00

Arckit is expanding from house models into entire cities and master plans, or at least will if they meet their Kickstarter goals.

The Kickstarter showcases a series of models with various components including contoured top pieces, textured walls and even transparent, glass-like modular elements.

Contribute to the campaign and check out the video of their new implements here.

Bid for a cocktail party at the VDL, a “Hostage Situationist” experience, and more fun items in L.A. Forum's 2016 auction

2016-10-28T15:02:00-04:00

The L.A. Forum for Architecture and Urban Design is hosting a silent online auction as part of their Fall Benefit starting now until November 13. When architecture is involved, the items up for bidding are bound to be an interesting mix — and the more than 80 items in this particular auction don't disappoint.

Bidders can choose from books signed by the likes of Frank Gehry, Barbara Bestor, and Aaron Betsky, unique hand-made accessories, photographs, and one-of-a-kind experiences (Hostage Situationist, anyone?), all ranging from $50 to $1,000 — so no need to worry about million-dollar pricetags here. For starters, here are some items that caught our attention:

All screenshots via L.A. Forum.

Find all the auction items here. More info here.

Help fund this Kickstarter for 3D printed maps of Tokyo

2016-10-11T13:39:00-04:00

The confluence of Google mapping, 3D printing and the desire for inventive home decor has produced a Kickstarter for One Hundred Tokyo, a fully-fledged three dimensional map of Tokyo that is divided into 100 handy pieces. Pick your favorite palm-sized square(s) or collect all 100; it's up to you and your available display space. Nonetheless, these minutely detailed urban segments are cool/notable both for their immediacy and their accuracy; Zenrin, the same urban data providers that work with Google Maps and Microsoft, have "specially equipped vehicles" that compile the metropolitan deets used to produce the models.

What else is going on with 3D printing? So glad you asked:

Cooper Union appoints first woman president Laura Sparks

2016-09-20T18:46:00-04:00

It's been a tumultuous year for Cooper Union: after revoking and then reconsidering its free tuition policy for students last year, the institution saw numerous prominent trustees resign. Now, Cooper Union has appointed executive director of the William Penn Foundation Laura Sparks as its first woman president, whose background in philanthropy and successful community engagement seems like an ideal match for the school. As Sparks noted about her appointment:

"I have been impressed with the passion, commitment and determination of Cooper’s board and search committee to ‘look forward’ while also acknowledging and respecting dissenting views and the voices of many throughout the wider school community. I am eager to meet more of the college’s passionate, thoughtful and accomplished students, and to engage with its extraordinary faculty as we move the institution forward while holding true to its founding principles. I am confident that together we can reaffirm our sense of mission, stab...

'Adopt an Object' campaign announced by London's Design Museum

2016-08-08T13:37:00-04:00

In an attempt to help raise the final £1 million needed to cover construction costs of their new Kensington High Street home, the Design Museum in London have launched a fundraising campaign, Adopt an Object.

For £5, each adopter will receive a personalised thank you film showing an iconic object from the Design Museum's permanent collection making it's way from Shad Thames to the new site in Kensington. Twelve films have been commissioned for the project including a pair of Louboutin heels riding a tube and a Dyson Vacuum crossing the road.

The new museum is due to open on 24 November and will include a free permanent collection as well as two temporary spaces.

Terence Conran, founder of the Design Museum commented: 'We are about to move from Shad Thames to new, bigger premises in Kensington, where all our dreams and ambitions to create the best and most important design museum in the world will become a step closer to reality. It will make my long lifetime in design absolutely wo...

How NYC institutions raise billions of dollars for new projects

2015-10-26T12:06:00-04:00

But still strong is the seduction of the Bilbao Effect — when an architecturally exciting project makes an institution more of a destination, like Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Spain. And with the success of the new Whitney Museum of American Art, which is drawing droves downtown, everyone seems to be grabbing for hammers

Robin Pogrebin explores how with more than a dozen New York cultural institutions planning major projects, fundraisers are hoping to tap into the deepest pockets. Strategies include selling naming rights, targeting heavyweights donors, remembering certain 'Dos and Don’ts' and expanding boards to increase the pool of donors.

All that being said, perhaps these organizations would be wise to remember the 2012 results of Set in Stone, from The Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago. The authors found that "It found that in many instances, building new or expanding existing facilities proved challenging and put enormous strain on institutions" or as the NYT summarized For Arts Institutions, Thinking Big Can Be Suicidal.