The New York Times recently published an article titled “Optimism Breeds Opportunity.” The title was a little misleading, the only opportunity they talked about in great detail were the buildings being erected on other side of the world. Although they briefly mentioned Frank Gehry’s New World Symphony building opening next month in Miami, the majority of the focus was on the Middle East and China. According to Nicolai Ouroussoff at the NYT, “architecture, generally speaking, is in a slump worldwide, and no one knows for certain how or when it will emerge from its doldrums. When it does, it is not likely to be in the United States, but in China, South America or the Middle East.”

StudioM-Miami.com. A rendering of Frank Gehry’s New World Symphony building in Miami.

What do you think about the above statement?

Daniel Libeskind is a very polarizing figure in architecture. You either love his work or you hate it. His designs for the Freedom Towers at Ground Zero and the Denver Art Museum have caused quite a stir amongst critics. So when I came across an interesting clip on TED, a site dedicating to sharing interesting news in the field of Technology, Entertainment, Design my interests were peaked. During the 18 minute clip Libeskind describes his 17 words of architectural inspiration.

They are as follows, and in no specific order:

Unexpected, risky, memorable, communicative, optimism, raw, hand, inexplicable, expressive, space, pointed, real, democratic, emotional, complex, political and radical.

What do you think?

William L. Fox recently wrote a review on Design Observer about Leon van Schaik’s, Professor of Architecture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Melbourne, Australia, book titled Spatial Intelligence: New Futures for Architecture. The book, which is divided into three sections, highlights the importance of spatial intelligence in architecture.

Read Fox’s review here and let us know your thoughts on “How designers understand space?”

Earlier this month we posted about Vanity Fair’s Greatest Work of Architecture in the 21^st Century. The clear winner was Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum, in Bilbao.  Lance Hosey with Architect created his own list with his own criteria that seemed to be absent in Vanity Fair’s. Hosey was looking for buildings that were a little more “green”. Lance asked 150 green building experts- including architects, engineers and educators- to name the “Top 5 most-important green buildings since 1980”. See their findings below.

THE G-LIST

Top Green Buildings Since 1980

13 Votes
– Adam Joseph Lewis Center (Oberlin, Ohio), William McDonough + Partners, 2001

11 Votes
– California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco), Renzo Piano Building Workshop, 2008

9 Votes
– Genzyme Center (Cambridge, Mass.), Behnisch Architekten, 2003

7 Votes
– Beddington Zero Energy Development/BedZed (London), ZEDfactory, 2002
– Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Annapolis, Md.), SmithGroup, 2001

6 Votes
– Bank of America Tower (aka One Bryant Park) (New York), Cook + Fox Architects, 2009

Top Green Buildings Since 1980: Winner with 13 Votes - Adam Joseph Lewis Center (Oberlin, Ohio), William McDonough + Partners, 2001

Which list do you prefer?

Recently we were introduced to a new concept that might change the way we view architectural information.  Openbuildings.com is a website that has yet to launch, but has created some buzz in the field. Openbuildings hopes to help with the current oversaturation of architecture information online. The website will allow an individual to search a building in their database as well as add their own thoughts on the project. There will be an extensive directory on past and current projects.  A user can also upload a building to the directory.

Check out Openbuildings.com for more information.

Below are concept layouts of Openbuildings.com.

What do you think?

Building homes that use sustainable building techniques has become sort of our mantra. We often use reclaimed materials like a timber bridge from Utah, recycled ski lift cables or carpeting.  We love being able to outfit new construction with a bit of the past, especially something that is indigenous to the region we are building in.

We also strive to make every home energy-efficient by using high-efficiency boiler systems, energy-efficient insulation and in-floor radiant heating. According to David Arkin, “In order for a building to be sustainable, it must be loved; it must touch the soul.”  We feel that every building that we have built has done just that!

Much has been discussed on the merits of the LEED program in the last month.  Even renowned architect Frank Gehry strongly criticized LEED certification, claiming that it was more of a political issue and not based on performance.

According to an opinion piece in the New York Times by Alec Appelbaum, “The LEED program, which awards points for incorporating eco-friendly material and practices into buildings’ design and construction, has led to a sea change in the industry, introducing environmental awareness into everything from regulatory processes to rents.

But while the standard is well-intentioned, it is also greatly misunderstood. Put simply, a building’s LEED rating is more like a snapshot taken at its opening, not a promise of performance. Unless local, state and federal agencies do their part to ensure long-term compliance with the program’s ideals, it could end up putting a shiny green stamp on a generation of unsustainable buildings.”

We’d love to hear what you think about all the negative press LEED has been receiving lately.