Archinect - News

SCAPE teams with BIG for Manresa Island power plant redevelopment on Long Island Sound

2024-10-02T11:27:00-04:00

Landscape and planning studio SCAPE has announced the addition of architects BIG to a new adaptive reuse project in southern Fairfield County, Connecticut, called Manresa Island.

The project, which is set to reimagine a decommissioned coal-fired power plant into a new 125-acre public park in the city of Norwalk, intends to elevate the site’s endemic wetlands and biodiversity while creating a range of opportunities for dining and recreation.

Image courtesy SCAPE and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

Three buildings — the two 22,000-square-foot boiler and turbine towers and a 8,200-square-foot office component — will be redeveloped through the effort, added to by SCAPE’s master planning and landscape contribution, and connected via a newly unearthed scenic waterway.

Image courtesy SCAPE and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

The project's features include an expansive green lawn and meadow with a public beach. A 1.75-mile tract of waterfront access will be created, offering residents an alternative t...

New photos of Populous' modular Cricket World Cup stadium ahead of June games

2024-05-30T12:29:00-04:00

Archinect has received photos of the new Populous-designed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island, New York, as it prepares to host games of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup cricket tournament next month.

Photo: ICC

The modular, 34,000-seat stadium was built with reused portions of the grandstands made for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix last November, adding its Australian dropped-in pitch after being cultivated in Florida to complete the design along with media suites and 80,000 square feet of hospitality areas. Work began in January.

Photo: The LandTek Group

The stadium will now play host to nine events over the next two weeks, beginning with the Sri Lanka vs South Africa matchup on June 3rd.

Five high-end Long Island homes by Oza Sabbeth Architects: Your Next Employer?

2024-04-22T13:30:00-04:00

Following our previous visit to Connecticut-based Newman Architects, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Bridgehampton, NY this week to explore the work of Oza Sabbeth Architects.

Established in 2014 by architect Nilay Oza and artist Peter Sabbeth, the firm specializes in high-end residential projects in the Long Island area. “We think of the home as an instrument of shelter,” the studio told us in 2020. “It is an ambient environment that infuses our lives with the essential elements for balancing and recharging. We believe that the simple act of walking through a well-designed home, as it responds to the passing day and perennial seasons, should be a worthy experience in and of itself.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for a Project Architect to join their Bridgehampton office. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning about the firm’s output, we have rounded up five residential projects by Oza Sabbet...

Populous designs modular Cricket World Cup stadium on Long Island

2024-01-26T18:31:00-05:00

Populous has announced its design for the International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 stadium in Nassau County, Long Island.

The modular, 34,000-seat facility will be used for eight matches of the two-week tournament, which commences in June. Construction is set to begin in February and will reuse portions of the grandstand structures that were made for November's Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“Cricket is a truly global sport with a passionate, knowledgeable fanbase and we’re thrilled to partner with the ICC and help bring the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup to the United States,” Jeff Keas, a Senior Principal at Populous, said in a news release. “The modular, sustainable stadium we’ve designed will create a fantastic experience for both U.S. and international cricket fans and visitors to enjoy watching the world’s best teams and players.”

Image courtesy Populous

A party deck, fan suites, and other club and cabana spaces will also be included as part of the 80,000-square-f...

Daniel Libeskind completes senior housing development on Long Island

2023-09-20T17:59:00-04:00

Studio Libeskind has shared photos of its recently completed senior housing project on Long Island.

Located in the village of Freeport in Nassau County, the new Allan and Geraldine Rosenberg Residence holds a total of 45 units reserved for residents aged 55 and older, along with a selection of on-site supportive services and other amenities meant to improve its users' quality of life and ability to age in place as part of the state’s larger $25 billion push to create 100,000 units of affordable housing.

Declaring “Senior housing isn’t just about accommodation; it’s about people. It’s about creating a residence where residents can feel happy, secure, and emotionally connected to their neighbors,” the studio’s founder was joined by New York Governor Kathy Hochul for this week’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. The project reserves a total of 30% of the apartments for disabled and formerly homeless seniors, and sustainability is ensured thanks to rainwater collection, efficient HVAC, and all-e...

Accused Gilgo Beach murderer Rex Heuermann was also the architect of a wage theft scheme, new lawsuit claims

2023-09-06T15:14:00-04:00

Not only is he an accused serial killer, Rex Heuermann is also a deadbeat boss, according to the state Department of Labor. It filed suit Tuesday to recover nearly $70,000 in back wages, penalties and interest for stiffing a former executive assistant.

Rex Heuermann, an architect, was arrested in July near his firm’s Midtown Manhattan offices on charges related to the murders of three women. Their remains were discovered at Gilgo Beach in 2010. In a separate legal matter, Heuermann and his architectural firm, RH Consultants & Associates, are accused of wage theft. They allegedly underpaid an employee, Donna Sturman, by more than $20,908.10, which includes $9,454.56 owed to her as vacation pay. Before his arrest, Heuermann had paid $16,385 towards the owed amount. However, he defaulted on the remaining balance, leading to a lawsuit. As a result, he now owes an additional $33,362.16 in civil penalties and $9,767.48 in interest.

His firm has been the subject of scrutiny since Heuermann became a suspect. Tax liens and other investigations into his business dealings have also been publicized. An account from one former employee in New York magazine recently also detailed a culture of high stress and “creepy” behavior on the part of Heu...

Suspected Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann was a Manhattan-based architect

2023-07-14T16:03:00-04:00

Rex Heuermann, an architect who had lived most of his life in Nassau County and worked in Manhattan, was taken into custody in connection with at least some of the killings, said an official with knowledge of the case.

The 59-year-old was the owner of a Midtown Manhattan-based consultancy practice that offered “concept-driven designs at multiple scales from educational facilities, residential works, as well as mix use and office design, public works, and master planning,” according to its website. Heuermann usually met his victims in the vicinity using a series of disposable “burner” phones which were later linked by investigators to those used by the women via what the New York Times deemed "sophisticated technology."

Heuermann has pled not guilty. An odd 19-minute interview in which he describes his expertise in building codes and regulations can be viewed below via Bonjour Realty.

TenBerke transforms old stables into artist residences in Montauk, New York

2023-06-21T11:38:00-04:00

TenBerke has unveiled its design for an artist residence in Montauk, New York. Housed in a former horse stable dating back to the 1920s, the scheme will host artists as part of the Edward F. Albee Foundation.

Image credit: TenBerke

The building, known as “The Barn,” has accommodated foundation-supported artists for over 50 years. TenBerke’s rehabilitation of the 3,300-square-foot structure will feature a shared library space that houses many of Albee’s own books and records and renovated sleeping quarters that offer each artist in residence a bedroom and private bathroom.

Image credit: TenBerke

On the lower level, an expanded communal kitchen faces out onto surrounding wetlands, while a new elevator makes both levels accessible for all. The project will also see a 1,400-square-foot cottage rebuilt as a residence for the property’s caretaker. Throughout the revamp, a material palette of concrete and wood is intended to “age gracefully over time.”

Existing barn. Image credit: TenBerke

“T...

NYIT's Robotics Fabrication Laboratory is looking for a manager to support the school's 'culture of experimental making'

2022-12-14T11:49:00-05:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for an Unreal Engine Rendering Artist at PHNTM, we are using our Job Highlights series this week to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Robotics Fabrication Lab Manager at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT).

The position, located within NYIT’s School of Architecture and Design, will lead the daily operations of the school’s analog and digital fabrication shop at its Long Island campus. Responsibilities will include serving as the primary technician for the Robotics Lab and Advanced 3D printing Lab, administrating safety procedures, and researching and experimenting with the capabilities of traditional wood shop tools, digital tools, and other fabrication methods.

The role calls for an individual with a Bachelor’s degree in architecture or a related field, with significant experience in fabrication in an academic and/or professional setting.

Archinect Feature: Architecture as Caregiver: NYIT School of Architecture and Desig...

Marcel Breuer's first binuclear house has been demolished in Long Island

2022-01-26T18:23:00-05:00

Marcel Breuer's first binuclear house, Geller I in Lawrence, New York has been demolished in the dead of night. Geller I is largely considered the project that propelled Breuer to private practice in New York and prompted the Museum of Modern Art to commission Breuer to design an exhibition house in the museum’s courtyard entitled The House in the Museum Garden in 1949.

The conservation advocacy organization chalked up the loss to a combination of changing local property dynamics and the inability of the town of Hempstead’s planning laws to prevent the destruction of a structure it says would have claims to both the New York State and National Register of Historic Places.

“Late last year, Docomomo US was alerted to plans to demolish the house for a larger project combing multiple lots. Docomomo US and our colleagues at Docomomo US NY/Tri-State, the Preservation League of New York State, Preservation Long Island and Caroline Rob Zaleski author of Long Island Modernism formed a coalition to work for a better preservation outcome,” the group’s statement explained.

A photo of the demolition underway this morning, January 26. Image courtesy of the Town of Hempstead, Landmarks Preservation Commission.

“In December, an application for local landmark status was submitted to the Town of Hempstead and enthusiastically received and supported by the Hempstead...

Price hit an all-time low for the "lifespan-extending" Bioscleave House on Long Island

2021-07-01T20:31:00-04:00

Prices for a famed duo’s only realized US home seem to be on a permanent decline this month after hitting the market almost three years ago.

The Bioscleave House sits amongst exclusive real estate in the Hamptons and was the planned home of a pair of artists who together formed an entity now called the Reversible Destiny Foundation in 1988.

Arakawa and Madeline Gin were able to complete the house as an extension of an A-frame Carl Koch design from 1964 present at the one-acre site. The couple added two bedrooms, a bathroom and a sunken kitchen to the 2,700 square foot home they painted 52 different colors at a cost of over $2 million.

Image via Madeline Gins and Arakawa.

The house is now being listed on Zillow for $975,000, a 60% decrease from its original 2018 listed price. Buyers willing to try the bold experiment in living can enjoy the challenge of living in a home with uneven floors and a sloped front door. The design of the house is meant to challenge the occupants body and i...

Amazon HQ2 — what else can it offer to NYC?

2018-12-28T16:23:00-05:00

For years, suburbia has offered these companies acres of disposable, cheap, anonymous office parks: mostly one- or two-story concrete structures surrounded by loads of surface parking. These sites minimized costs, maximized security and allowed companies to scale up, contract or split into different units quickly — at the same time they promoted sprawl and traffic jams and transformed once-quaint bedroom communities south of San Francisco into phenomenally expensive places to live.

Even though Amazon's search for its new headquarters' locations has ended all the talks and negotiations about the company's potential impact on the cities it will settle in — New York and Crystal City, Virginia—have only begun.

In ways, the choice comes as no surprise as tech platforms have been attracted to America's wealthy coastal cities, with their established cultures, universities and transit systems, for years. The intensifying expansion of the tech industry amidst urban landscape raises many questions about corporations' powers and rights in a city.

Michael Kimmelman of the NY Times notes that companies like Amazon, through their multi-billion biding process, should offer to satisfy more than just the city's growing need for new jobs. The author suggests options: "As for housing, the city’s regulatory and zoning policies are more responsible for driving up costs than tech companies. But, in an ideal world, Amazon would reverse what it did in Seattle and commit resources ...

Landscape research project takes on Long Island's Jamaica Bay

2015-01-29T14:24:00-05:00

Landscape architect Catherine Seavitt, along with her team at the City College of New York, take those approaches to Jamaica Bay a step further as part of the larger Structures of Coastal Resilience study, which includes three other East Coast bays attended to by university-based teams. As Seavitt explains, her studio follows a growing trend in the field of landscape architecture toward experimental and science-based design processes and active participation in policy discussions.

Flexible Parking Structures as Civic Catalysts

2014-11-24T14:55:00-05:00

First, parking structures need to be used for longer periods of the day and for different purposes, both public and private. [...] Second, parking structures need to be designed as flexible structures that can accommodate transitions from parking alone to a variety of other uses as parking ratios decline with further mixed-use development and increased use of shared parking facilities and transit.

Herzog & de Meuron’s Parrish Art Museum

2012-10-02T19:16:00-04:00

The new building cost about $26 million to build—70 percent below the previous budget. But is less less? When the new plan was announced, Nicolai Ouroussoff, writing in the Times, thought so, calling it "a major step down in architectural ambition." Ouroussoff was wrong. True, no one can know what the "cluster of pavilions" would have looked like. I can only report that the rectangular building is a triumph. The materials are gorgeous.

Modern Tide: Midcentury Architecture on Long Island

2012-02-24T17:44:00-05:00

Modern Tide: Midcentury Architecture on Long Island explores the work of the region’s best postwar architects and designers, including Albert Frey, Wallace Harrison, Herbert Beckhard, Frank Lloyd Wright, Horace Gifford, Edward Durrell Stone, Marcel Breuer, Andrew Geller, Philip Johnson, Charles Gwathmey, Barbara and Julian Neski, and others. The film features interviews with architects and historians, as well as friends, families and clients of these influential designers.

Winners of the Long Island Cinema Center Competition

2011-05-09T14:23:06-04:00

Three winners and four Honorable Mentions have been revealed for the suckerPUNCH-curated Long Island Cinema Center competition in Queens, New York. The international design ideas competition challenged entrants to create a large scale center to celebrate cinema and rescue the moviegoing experience from fading into obsolescence.