David Scheer penned his first essay for Archinect, a review of a new federal courthouse in Salt Lake City, designed by Thomas Phifer & Partners. 

His conclusion? "As a piece of construction, it is beautifully detailed and executed—a virtuosic performance of modern building technology. It functions beautifully as well, amply fulfilling the judges’ request for daylight and thoughtfully accommodating the judicial process, while meeting complex internal security requirements..."

Donna Sink liked what she read "excellent piece of architectural criticism. I like the building very much, but it's a good piece of criticism that allows one to consider both good and bad aspects of the design and how they represent society."

After reading Julia Ingalls’ piece on PodShare and other co-living ventures. Olaf Design Ninja_ did not like what he read "curates members......future is access......i actually find this alarming."
 

News
Ellen Hancock, Archinect’s UK Operations Manager, visited the Herzog and De Meuron Tate Modern extension and shared some photos she took. Her verdict "The space is incredibly successful as an art gallery but also as an architectural performance; there are continuous structural accents inviting you to explore the sensuality of the space."

Inga Saffron found BIG’s new addition to Philadelphia’s Navy Yard, 1200 Intrepid, exhibits a Baroque "impressive level of pizzazz, imagination, and even refinement."

quondam appreciated "Saffron's evocation of ‘a Serra sculpture’ . . . I've experienced a large Serra sculpture only once--circa 1993, Gagosian Gallery, New York--it was like two of the above facades facing each other, maybe 30% of the size. I remember feeling it was like being within or standing beside the hull of a very large ship. Is this new office building now subliminally contextual of the site's past?". To, tduds however "3XN's version" did it better.

Parasite 2.0's installation for YAP MAXXI, left Fred Scharmen happy to see "Postinternet Architecture is here".

The Obama Foundation selected Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners (TWBTA) to lead the design team for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, and Interactive Design Architects (IDEA) to be their partner, as they begin this exciting project.

DWLindeman summed up the mood of the crowd "A prestigious commission for sure, and a smart choice on part of the Obamas.  Williams and Tsien combine purity of form and concept with material warmth.  Their buildings are invariably elegant too. It goes to Americans, and she's Asian-American, and they're a couple. Symetry and diversity all around. Great news! "

The Architecture Billings Index accelerated to its highest score in nearly a year. May's ABI score was 53.1, up sharply from the mark of 50.6 in the previous month. This score reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).

Firms/Work Updates
Assistant Professor of Architecture at University of Michigan and contributor to/participant in the American Pavilion, Mitch McEwen published an insider perspective/review of the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale, where she found "an oddly sincere colonialism at work in much of this Biennale." She concludes writing of the US Pavilion "All these projects, or maybe just ours at A(n) Office, are actually speculative embassies of sorts -- architectural machines for this terrified, traumatized, expansive country to encounter itself."

If you are looking for work, Shigeru Ban Architects is seeking a Senior Level Associate Manager with a minimum of 20 years of experience, for their NYC office.

Alternatively, Sean Jancski Landscape Architects of Rye, NY wants to hire a high-tech, talented, self-motivated landscape architect.

City Hall in Deventer, the Netherlands by Neutelings Riedijk Architects and University of Aberdeen New Library in Aberdeen, UK by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects are just two of the projects from the latest Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Interiors" Pinterest Board.

The Summer 2016 intern team got underway at Zellner Naecker Architects, consisting of 6 students drawn from Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, USC and SCI-Arc.
 

School/Blogs

SCI-Arc announced the completion of the IVRV House designed by SCI-Arc students in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA), Los Angeles County 2nd District, General Motors Foundation and Bernards.

Over at the community blog for IDS 420 Summer 2016, Hannah and Patsy, wrote about their weeks, 6 and 4 respectively.

According to ewackerow Syracuse University has selected SHoP Architects to Design National Veterans Resource Complex. Elsewhere, while others liked the design, Marc Miller criticized "Syracuse does not need another box that hides all the program behind a heavy wall enclosed in glass entry/lobby while playing off the campus topography...That said, I like how the green roof is being used."

Eulalia invited folks to apply to spend the summer in L.A. with the AA Visiting School (AAVSLA). The focus will be imagining, designing and creating a kinetic structure for a festival of student’s choosing

Discussions/Threads
For a blast from the past; check out this thread from April 2015.

Given that any apartment building has the potential to be turned into condos at some point, gruen wondered whether this potential liability means better to avoid "any multifamily residential?”

Anecdotally stone relayed "In years past, when we did do any meaningful amount of multi-family residential work, our rate increase always seemed to be a bit higher than we otherwise would have expected."

More convincingly, Carrera linked to an article "from an insurance company confirming the risk with suggestions on insurance & contract language".

On a related note (and more recently) smithgroupla asked for recommendations for a good Los Angeles Architecture Attorney. RickB-OR googled and posted a list of some LA firms. Just be clear though, "BY NO MEANS IS THIS AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OR AN ENDORSEMENT OF ANY LAW FIRM. THESE ARE JUST SOME THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION THROUGH A FEW MINUTES OF SEARCHING THE INTERNET." More helpfully Janosh suggested "Brian Stewart at Collins Collins Muir + Stewart.  Dude is aggressive."

In response to what one can only hope was an attempt by Mr Pepe Le Peu at some sort of humor/snark, Orhan Ayyüce went deeper and shared a tree story

"sometimes you have to cut trees. in my architect life i lost 1 tree in 35 years, it was the client's call…"

Like him I would love to hear more "tree stories if other architects here have any."

Finally, over at Thread Central EveryDay Intern, started a discussion about the value of mentorship, "independent contractors vs. employees and the future of architecture where, at least anecdotally, it seems like independent contracting has been on the rise...I'm consistently surprised myself at the lack of knowledge and understanding in the profession …" archanonymous agreed "I've never had what I would call a great mentor, at least since I started working after school...I'm one of the ones that was relegated to concept and schematic design for the past 3 years, never getting to take a building through CD's.I wonder if this dynamic is part of feedback loop - employees don't stay because they don't get good mentorship, good benefits, and good treatment. Since employees don't stick around, management has no reason to offer good mentorship or benefits. Therefore, employees don't stay around..."
 

Additionally
Peep this PD Smith & Darran Anderson in conversation about "the future of cities", "Our wired, connected planet" and "Imagining the aesthetics of the future".