Following its over-quarter-century run, Rene Peralta bid A Bittersweet Farewell to Woodbury University School of Architecture in San Diego. Janosh echoed his sentiments "Woodbury's SD campus represented an unusually thoughtful and conscientious moment in Architectural education".

Plus, Niall Patrick Walsh argued a "new DOE definition of a ‘zero emissions building’ is not only devoid of regulatory power; it is also a weak definition."

News

The Oklahoma City Council approved a request for unlimited building height by the development team behind the proposed 1,907-foot-tall Legends Tower. monosierra is a skeptic: "still think the ultimate plan is to just build the low to medium rise podium buildings and leave it at that. But to get financing...the developer decided to hype up the project...for maximum PR. The trick to getting financing is to convince skeptical FOMO investors".

‘Nectors reacted to the "Allegations of executive misconduct on the part of American Institute of Architects (AIA) CEO Lakisha Ann Woods and senior staffers who allegedly engaged in nepotism and other forms of unethical behavior".

To those blaming DEI and other such "dog whistles," b3tadine[sutures] pushed back, "Now when two Black Women are in charge you suddenly find moral clarity…This organizations was always garbage now you get to chime in and make the black women your piñatas, well hurrah for you." spamdeleter agreed: "Very good point. Corruption is business as usual for the white men that run every other company…I almost feel like they set her up to take the fall…There needs to be a full reorganization of AIA." In a bid to "TURN THE TEMPERATURE DOWN," eugeneely posted some "juicy goss".

In response, AIA Board of Trustees issued a statement which "does not address specifically the claims …concerning corporate misconduct" but included "a number of salutary proclamations about her strategic endeavors and performance while in office."

Quinn Evans Architects shared some photos of the newly remade Michigan Central Station in Detroit. Thayer-D was pleased: "So glad they saved this icon. How American to have a gorgious Beaux Arts palace to transportation and max out on the real estate with a giant skyscraper behind it!"

Rafael Viñoly’s Tokyo International Forum was awarded the prestigious AIA Twenty-five Year Award. Will Galloway approves:

"one of my favorite buildings in tokyo. Not for the architecture exactly, but for what it does and what it tries to do…The place is shocking because its signature space is a massive void, something that is beyond exorbitant in land-poor Tokyo…The amount of engineering involved in making that work in Tokyo is astonishing…That part of the design still excites and is something everyone I take to visit the Forum remarks on. But the thing that strikes me most now is the public space at street level."

The May numbers for the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index got people talking, with jsarhitekt unable to "recall the previous time the ABI has been consistently negative for this many consecutive months." Unfortunately, the data for June "indicated a continuation of soft business conditions for firms, with a new recorded score of 46.4".

Marlon Blackwell revealed renderings for a new air traffic control tower, in Columbus, Indiana. Many were taken aback, with even Donna Sink, who loves "Blackwell's work pretty unreservedly," admitting she’s "having a hard time figuring this one out." Yet some were impressed: "It is a strange object and looks like it might not be functional, but there is no way it isnt. It's kind of magical…It's great." Similarly, paul'screations thought it "nothing short of visionary…combines functionality with artistic flair…It's fascinating to see how architecture pushes boundaries while still serving a practical purpose."

R.I.P. Fumihiko Maki.

Blogs/Firms/Work Updates

Play Place is a "supersized, colourful shape-sorting puzzle" created by Delve Architects and Plaey Workshop, in partnership with Heart of London Business Alliance, Westminster City Council and London Festival of Architecture.

This summer Arxhenda Lipovica has been experimenting with "AI Generated Design" and working on a masterplan for "Seaside Serenity"

So Wood by A+Architecture and Hellin Sebbag Pirany architectes features a "diverse mix of uses" and "contemporary architecture adapted to the Mediterranean climate" with "terraced inner courtyards".

Need a job?

• Alloi Architecture + Construction is "seeking an Architect with 5+ years’ experience to manage our architecture department and to lead the team on various unique projects in Los Angeles."
• Chattanooga based HK Architects is hiring an Architect Level I/Staff Level I.
• Summerour Architects has an opening for a "full time Project Architect with 5+ years of architecture experience" in their Atlanta, Georgia office.

Looking to leave the country? JENDRETZKI LLC (based out of Buenos Aires) needs a Project Designer with "5 years experience minimum".

Schools

In January 2025, College of the Canyons will launch a new BASBP degree program in building performance. The first of its kind in California "it will provide a cost-effective pathway for careers involved with creating high performance buildings by preparing students for the state recognized Certified Energy Analyst exam, and growing employment opportunities in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry."

Architectural historian Gabrielle Esperdy is the new dean of NJIT’s Hillier College of Architecture and Design.

Looking for a new position in academia?

• California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is accepting applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Architecture where the "faculty member’s primary area of expertise will be in architectural design with a focus on communities of color."
• Or USC's School of Architecture has an opening for a "full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor in architectural design."

Discussion/Threads

Brian Cornwell was looking for inspiration "based on looks, details, layout, functionality, etc…Any museums"? Non Sequitur is a long-time fan of "National Gallery of Canada…That building was probably 75% of my arch undergrad education" and zonker likes the "SFMOMA Expansion by Snohetta". 

Meanwhile, pielewop listed out; Kunsthal / OMA, Arkansas Museum of Fine Art / Studio Gang and The New Museum / S A N A A. Later whistler added the "Museum of Anthropology by Arthur Erickson…The building is not significant in it's exterior appearance but the spatial quality of the main gallery and sequence of entering the space makes the hair on your arm standup!"

jjoa questioned "Hello all! I have…always loved making beautiful, complicated BIG-esque diagrams for studio. However, when I have worked professionally, it feels like there is either not enough time, not enough budget, or just not enough interest to make any at all." In gwharton’s experience, it is pretty common. "You usually see it with larger, more complicated projects since it's important to communicate the basic organizing ideas in a way that's easier for laypeople to understand." Chad Miller added "As others have said - the project needs to have the fees (aka the money) to have presentation diagrams...Typically, these projects are public and the presentation diagrams are needed to communicate things to the public."

Om.. explained, "we still make diagrams but not as beautiful or complicated as in school. in school, the best diagramming has so much depth so annotations, line weights, and rendering or color underlays (think of what the ETSAM produces). it can become a real art. at work we want the workflow to be quick and easy. so a white model enscape export with line weights all already baked in and so arrow in AI (or directly in slides) will get you 70% of the way there."

Finally, BulgarBlogger was having trouble finding "the UL listing for a 3hr gypsum board assembly that would protect a steel column with a circular cross section." A couple of folks' answers included reference to intumescent while others pointed to (but couldn't necessarily vouch for) products by Black Rock Fireproof or Fire Trol Fireproof. Both of which appear to be divisions of United Steel, Inc.