the
architectsnewspaper www.archpaper.com ISSUE 14 December 9, 2015
$3.95
3rD ANNUAL
BEST OF
DESIGN AWARDS
BEST OF DESIGN AWARDS + HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE + HVAC, WEATHER BARRIERS, AND SMART BUILDING SYSTEMS The jury’s selection for our third annual Best of Design Awards showcases projects from each of our four regions, including digital fabrication, residential, adaptive reuse, student work, and more. See page 24. Fresh holiday gift ideas for the design lovers you love. See page 10. The latest smart building systems, HVAC systems, and weather barriers. See page 16.
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FEATURE 24 THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSPAPER DECEMBER 9, 2015
3RD ANNUAL
BEST OF
DESIGN AWARDS
Jury Amale Andraos Dean, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Nicholas Koster Project Manager, Snøhetta Chee Perlman Editor/Curator, Chee Company, Inc. Ana Garcia Puyol Computational Designer, Thornton Tomasetti Ali Tayar Founder, Parallel Design Partnership Terence Riley Founding Partner, Keenen/Riley Mimi Zeiger West Coast Editor, The Architect’s Newspaper
FEATURE 25
BU I LDIN G OF T HE Y E A R : E A ST W h it ney Museum of American A rt A r c h i te ct : Renzo P ia no B uildin g Wo rks h o p in co l l a bo rat ion wit h Coop e r, Ro berts o n & Partn ers Loc a t ion: N ew Yo rk
back from the adjacent High Line. Next to the Hudson River, the design anticipates the effects of climate change and protects the museum from storm surges and rising water levels with a combination of integrated flood gates, protection at all possible infiltration points, and temporary deployable barricades.
top images: Nic Lehoux, bottom image: Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Cooper Robertson
Located on Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District, the new Whitney Museum of American Art is at the epicenter of New York’s newest cultural district. Clad in pale blue-gray steel panels, the nine-story, powerfully asymmetric building responds to its low-rise neighbors with a series of linked terraces that step
FEATURE 26 The Architect’s Newspaper December 9, 2015
BUILDING OF THE Y E A R : M I D W E ST C hi c a g o Pu bl i c L i brar y , C hi n at o w n B ran ch A rc h i tec t s: S k i dmo re, O w i n gs & Merri l l a n d Wi gh t & Co m pan y Loc a t io n : Chi cago
“The Chicago Public Library Chinatown Branch is relevant to the community and has great architectural execution—by far the best in the category.” —Nick Koster, Snøhetta
(c) Hedrich Blessing
The Chinatown Branch Library provides a much-needed public gathering place geared toward inclusive community activities and technology-based learning. Exterior vertical shading fins juxtapose an ultra-transparent, high-performance glass curtain wall that maximizes visibility. The building’s south-facing entrance and softened triangular shape reference Feng Shui design principles and resonate with the community’s values. All spaces connect to a central atrium based on a traditional Chinese courtyard plan. To ensure maximum flexibility, there are very few enclosed spaces. A colorful mural, done in marker and paint by artist CJ Hungerman, captures the neighborhood’s history and focuses the space.
FEATURE 27
B U I L D I N G O F T H E Y E A R : W E ST C hu Hal l - Sol ar Energ y Res ear ch Center Ar chi tect : Smi t hG roup JJR Locat i on: Ber kel ey , CA
facility set to focus on new generation photovoltaic solutions, laser laboratories, and computational chemistry laboratories. Designed to reflect the natural form of
the hillside topography, the labs feature a subsurface plinth to reduce the size of the facility and to ensure minimal vibration and light-sensitive environments. A seamless
connection was made with the current LBNL campus by placing an outdoor plaza and offices in a breezeway at grade, promoting interaction between all buildings on-site.
Courtesy SmithGroupJJR
Located among the expansive Berkeley Hills and overlooking the bay, UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Chu Hall is an alternative energy research
FEATURE 28 The Architect’s Newspaper December 9, 2015
“The Louisiana State Museum is a radical and welcome addition to a small town.” —Nick Koster, Snøhetta The museum’s interior reflects the region’s fluvial geomorphology and the transformation of the landscape from centuries of carving by the meandering river. Sculpted from 1,250 unique cast stone panels, the interior seamlessly integrates building systems and serves as a canvas for potential exhibitions and films. The
simple, orthogonal container contrasts with the sinuous interior, highlighting the dialogue between the city and the natural environment. The exterior cladding of pleated copper panels employs surface articulation alluding to the louvers found in nearby plantations, used to control light, views, and ventilation.
BUILDING OF THE YEAR: S O U T H W E ST
Timothy Hursley
Lo ui s i a na State Museum A rc hi te c t: Trahan Archi te c t s Lo c a t i o n: Natchitoches, L A
top image: Naho Kubato, other images: courtesy first office
FEATURE 29
Best of:
YO U N G A R C H I T E C T S First Office Team: Andrew Atwood and Anna Neimark Location: Los Angeles First Office centers on techniques of representation as historical and conceptual instruments and their relationship to the production of architectural design and pedagogy. Built projects include a collaboration on the Pinterest headquarters in San Francisco, a temporary screening room at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, a One-Room House in Los Angeles, and a rehabilitation of a Shotgun House in Lexington, Kentucky. Collaborative texts have been published widely. A selection of essays and projects have been compiled in a small book, Nine Essays by First Office, published by Graham Foundation’s Treatise: Why Write Alone.
FEATURE 30 The Architect’s Newspaper December 9, 2015
Be st of :
LANDSCAPE
This project, the first artist-led community garden in Austin, treats utilitarian infrastructure as a creative opportunity. Located at a YMCA in an underserved neighborhood, the 25,000-square-foot garden is laid out in a radial site plan. Each slice of the “pie” contains a different program: a wheelchair accessible area, raised beds for individual members, teaching plots, a fruit orchard, and a composting area. A public spine allows all visitors to enjoy the demonstration and gathering areas, while a volunteerbuilt sculptural fence encloses member beds. A hybrid toolshed and shade structure marks the entry to the garden from the adjacent parking lot.
Courtesy Thoughtbarn
N or th Austin Communit y Garde n A rch i te ct: Thought b arn Locati on: Aust in, TX
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U N B U I LT
I s lami c Cult ural Center A rch i te ct: Buro Koray Duman Locati on: New York
“The models and diagrams illustrating this project presented such clarity of process and concept that final renderings were simply icing on the cake.” —Mimi Zeiger, AN
Courtesy Buro Koray Duman
The Islamic Cultural Center will be the first Muslimsponsored multi-faith community center promoting social justice and progressive change. Since space was limited, the challenge was how to implement a civic experience in a vertical layout. The design proposes a glass curtain wall along the perimeter as a vertical public landscape that wraps around the solid, stacked volumes inside, carving out an auditorium, a library, and galleries. Programs are vertically organized in relation to access, with large gathering spaces near the base, public programs in the center, and destination spaces at the top. The prayer room and multipurpose hall, rotated toward Mecca, are located below ground level with double height space that is visible from the street.
FEATURE 31
Best of:
U rba n D e si g n
Jonnu Singleton
Bu f fa l o Bay o u Par k A r c h i te c t : SWA G ro u p Lo c a t i o n : H o ust o n
desirable natural traits of the bayou greenway, including native greenspace and habitat areas, while increasing connectivity with surrounding neighborhoods and respecting Houston’s long history as a floodplain.
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ADAPTIVE REUSE
St. A nn’s Ware h ou s e A rchitect: Mar ve l A r chi te cts Lo ca tio n: Brook l y n , N Y On a prominent DUMBO corner along the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront, the avant-garde St. Ann’s Warehouse built its new home in an 1860 tobacco warehouse. The design within this ruin-like brick building celebrates unexpected materials of glass bricks, black steel, and plywood. A structural steel volume housing the theater is inserted snugly into the walls, allowing the historic arched doors and windows to be both inside and outside. Glass bricks extend the structure above its existing height, recalling the brick of a taller structure that originally occupied the site. It is clearly readable as a new intervention and allows natural light to flood the interior spaces.
—Terr y R i l e y, Ke e n e n /R i l e y
“T he shell of a 19 th century ind ustria l b uild ing has b een given a new life with a minimal intrusion on the origina l a rchitecture.” —Ali Ta y a r, Pa ra llel Design Pa rt ners hip
Courtesy Marvel Architects
This newly opened 160-acre refuge promotes health and enjoyment for Houston’s four million residents. One of the city’s few bayous that escaped channelization and concretization, Buffalo Bayou Park is a valuable downtown park. It amplifies the
“It is ge t t i n g h a rd e r a n d h a rd e r for large cities to expand their park systems. The challenge today is to fin d ava i l a b l e s i te s i n a h e a v i l y b u i l t en viron me n t . A s w i t h Ol ymp i a Pa r k in S ea t t l e , t h e p l a n n e rs of Bu f fa l o Ba you Pro me n a d e we re a b l e t o s e e b e yon d th e re a l i t i e s of, w h a t wou l d h a ve b e e n co n s i d e re d i n l e s s con ge ste d t i me s, a h u gel y comp romi s e d s i te . T h e re s u l t s a re rema r ka b l e : a s i f Fre d e r i ck La w Ol mste d go t c h a n n e l e d t h rou gh Rob e r t M os e s. ”
FEATURE 32 The Architect’s Newspaper December 9, 2015
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R e s i d e n t i a l - S i n g l e Fa m i ly
Ro ck Creek Hou s e A rchitect: N A DA A A Lo ca tio n: Was hi n g ton, D.C.
“The stair detailing was extraordinary and surprising, especially given the staid brick facade. The design respected the existing building but wasn’t beholden to it.” —Mimi Zeiger, AN
John Horner
Rock Creek House is a renovation of a 1920’s brick home that leverages the existing structure to capture the attic and basement; doubling the square footage, while also intertwining the once stratified living areas, work areas, and storage space. To establish a better relationship between rooms and open up the house to nature, the architects expanded the areas of glazing and freed up the layout. The most salient spatial interventions were the two new multi-story spaces that vertically connect the four floors of the home together, resulting in an informal home in constant dialogue with nature.
Best of:
RESIDENTIAL M U LTI - fa m i ly
Courtesy Alloy Design
D u mbo Town h ou se s Ar ch i te ct: Al l oy D e si g n Locati on : Brookl y n , NY
“A continuous facade combines the individual townhouses into a block which is particularly fitting for the industrial past of this NYC neighborhood.” —Ali Tayar, Parallel Design Pa rt nership
Located on a small lot in Brooklyn, the DUMBO Townhouses are five townhouses of approximately 3,500 square feet. A unique sectional strategy offers a generous program of four bedrooms, three baths, covered parking and outdoor space with parlor floor ceiling heights and multiple skylit rooms. Across from a park and located within a landmarked district, the industrial warehouse context inspired a cladding of tensile Ductal concrete panels composed of a series of tapered fins. Interspersed with full height windows, the cladding offers a combination of generous light and air with solar shading and privacy. The locally-based team acted as architect, contractor, developer and broker for the project.
FEATURE 33
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R E N O VA T I O N 3 8 N ewbu r y A r c h i te ct: Tou l ou ki an Tou l ou ki an Locati on : Boston
Best of:
MODELS Thre e Mode l s and T hre e M ovi e s A r c h i te c t: F i rst O f f i ce Loca tio n: Los A n g e l e s, San F ra n c i s co, C h i c a g o, an d A nn A r b or, M I
Courtesy Touloukian Touloukian
the distinction between a physical and a non-physical model, a physical model and an image of that model, an image of a model and a rendering of a model, a model as a false copy or as a true object, and a model as a simplification or an abstraction.
“The entire interior renovation seems to be based on celebrating the beautiful structure of the original building.” —Ali Tayar, Parallel Design Partnership
Courtesy First Office
First Office started working on the problem of models after they received an email from a colleague entitled “Modelling Questionnaire.” In it, Andrew Atwood and Anna Neimark were asked to consider several important distinctions in the kinds of objects that architects, produce: such as
An open office plan on the third floor of a historical building in the Back Bay of Boston, this renovated space was designed for a private real estate development company. The client wanted to embody an office space that reflected their progressive style through inner office connectivity in a social and efficient environment.
A panel-formed, vaulted concrete structure was revealed, and this moment of realization focused the ceiling as the main design feature across spaces. It evoked an architecture of connectivity that allows users to remain visually connected to the space, street life, context, and overall architectural features.
FEATURE 34 The Architect’s Newspaper December 9, 2015
Best of:
In t e r i o r R e s i d e n t i a l Ge r ke n Re si de n ce A r ch i te ct: You n g Proj e cts Locati on : N ew Yor k
The Gerken Residence is a 6,000-square-foot renovation to the top two floors and rooftop of the historic Gerken Building in Tribeca. The building, originally the New York National Exchange Bank, was constructed in 1885. A spatial parti is anchored by a monolithic mass serving as the reference for the voids and floating volumes that
define the public spaces of the house. This core is clad in custom-pulled plaster panels, a technique developed through combining a centuries-old fabrication technique with contemporary digital design language. A courtyard plunges through the roof, creating an exterior landscape adjacent to the main living spaces of the house.
Best of:
A R C H i t e c t u ra l LI G H TI N G 17 17 B roadwa y Lighti n g De s i g ne r : Focu s L i g h t i n g A rc hi te ct: N ob utaka A s h i h a ra Locati on : N ew Yo r k
Courtesy Young Projects
building’s primary views, ranging from two blocks to two miles away. Currently, NASA’s infrared satellite imagery of Earth’s changing weather patterns plays on the building’s crown. Extensive mock-ups, manufacturer research, and equipment customization led to an energy efficient exterior lighting solution.
Courtesy Focus Lighting
The tallest hotel building in the Western Hemisphere, 1717 Broadway intends to create a digital canvas for light art pieces on the skyline of Manhattan. Its crown is distinguished through artistic lighting content, presented with LEDs in a single electric blue color. The challenge was to make the lighting memorable at each of the
FEATURE 35
Best of :
D i g i ta l Fa b r i c a t i o n
Micco Architect: Codina Partners Location: Doral, Florida
In the town center of Doral, a Miami suburb, Codina Partners worked with an artist to re-purpose driftwood for an urban-scale intervention. Rescaling a found object is as
Best of :
FACA D E S C i ty Vi ew Ga ra ge D e s i g n A rch ite ct : I wa m otoS co t t Exe c u ti ve Arch ite ct : TimHaahs Loc a ti on: Miami
simple as it is impossible; the material and structural logics break down outside of their naturally occurring scale, requiring design problem solving to reinterpret the
original effects and functions. The team worked in digital and analog processes of hand sculpture, 3-D scanning and printing, and software modeling, adapting scripts
This project was commissioned by Dacra and LVMH Real Estate to design a portion of the City View Garage in Miami’s Design District. Sited along the edge of the Design District adjacent to I195, the facade acts as a billboard for the Design District. This portion of the facade wraps around the main corner of the garage. The design employs a digitally-fabricated modulated metal screen whose folded aluminum
modules of varying apertures yield a porosity that allows for natural ventilation. The office facade is designed using a standard storefront system that is modulated with a gradient pattern of glass sizes.
—Ali Tayar, Parallel Design Partnership intended for engineering and sculpture. Formwork was cut in foam using five axis routers and concrete was cast on-site in a single pour.
Robin Hill
Robin Hill
“The project utilizes digital fabrication technology in an innovative way where natural forms are reproduced in an entirely different scale.”
FEATURE 36 The Architect’s Newspaper December 9, 2015
“Sometimes studio projects dabble in taboo topics—a brothel, a bachelor pad— but here the use of marijuana is a fantastic driver of a systematic way of designing, not simply a bit of sly deviance.” —Mimi Zeiger, AN
Be st of :
ST U D E N T
courtesy Kristen Garibaldi and Alex Stewart
T h e Growe r y De s i gn e rs : K r i ste n Ga r i b a l d i a n d A l e x Stewa r t of Pa rs on s S ch ool of De s i gn Loca t i on : Brookl yn , N Y
Worldwide economies are migrating to the digital realm, resulting in a restructuring of urban infrastructure. In the wake of this cyber renaissance, large-scale facilities from the now-obsolete industrial era can be reused for a new type of production. The Growery is a response to this. It reconsiders the production-distribution loop and ushers in new forms of urban farming for products uniquely new in their handling: algae for the production of biofuel and cannabis as America’s future cash crop. Through calibrated circulation loops, the produce is able to be grown, harvested, and transported.
Be st of:
CIVIC
Conceived as a community living room, this branch library engages its park setting to encourage use of an educational resource in a minority neighborhood. The project was developed with the community in a series of public design workshops that resulted in an inclusive design approach and interactive service strategies that attract families normally
reticent to use institutional resources. The library’s siting preserves existing green space while repurposing underutilized space to activate the park’s event plaza. On Saturdays the front door opens to the edge of the local Farmers Market. A photovoltaic canopy spans the fire lane, offsetting carbon footprint while enhancing walkability.
Eric Staudenmaier
S an ta M o n ic a L ib ra ry, P ico B ran ch Ar c h i te c t : Koning E izenb erg Lo c a t i o n : Sa nta Monic a , CA
FEATURE 37
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T emporary I nstallation
G re e n Va r n ish Ar c h i te c t a nd Desig ne r: W illiam Ro berts a n d Lau ra Sa nt ín Lo c at i o n : St . Louis
courtesy iwamotoscott architecture
individual specimens of sedum, elegantly floated over the floor of the museum’s court. The hovering botanical blanket lifted at two of its corners to reveal a fan of tawny poplar boards. The result was a dramatic living sculpture that was both monumental and weightless.
Be st of :
I nterior Non-Residential Bl oomb e rg Te ch Hu b A rch itect : I wa mot oS cot t A r ch i te ct u re Lo ca t i on : S a n Fra n ci s co
“The architects have created a beautifully warm workspace with a limited material vocabulary.” —Ali Tayar, Parallel Design Partnership
David Johnson, Nomad
On view from spring to fall 2015 at the Contemporary Art Museum of Saint Louis, Green Varnish was a site-specific installation that explored the necessity of hiding inconvenient realities with politically correct beauty: We live in denial within vanishing landscapes. A vibrant green “fabric,” composed of 16 varieties of nearly 6,000
The Bloomberg Tech Hub is both a workplace for software engineers and an event space to help foster connections between Bloomberg and Silicon Valley. The space is in San Francisco’s historic Pac Bell Building and juxtaposes new elements against the exposed raw materials while also translating the form of the exterior ornamentation. A porous wood “liner”
splits into a series of sculpted boards at the ceiling that recall the facade and allows glimpses through to the raw concrete shell. Though relatively thin, the liner provides dimensionality to the space and ceiling. A rhombus shaped fish tank is paired with a sculptural media piece, “Light Volume,” affording visual connection between the two levels.
FEATURE 38 The Architect’s Newspaper December 9, 2015
Be st of:
H ONORAB L E MENTIONS
U r ba n D e s i g n Projec t: N o r th R i verf ront A r c h itec t: Fo r u m St udi o Lo c a tion : St. Lou i s
D i g i ta l Fa b r i cat i o n P ro je ct: AMIE Co lla b o ra to rs: Oa k Rid ge Na tio na l La b o ra to ry, Skid mo re , Owings a nd Me rrill L L P, a nd the U nive rsity of Te nne sse e Co lle ge of Archite cture a nd De sign Lo ca tio n: Oa k Rid ge , Te nne sse e
St ud e n t Proj ec t: T h i rsty Hou s e Stu d en t: Ji e Zh a n g Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Yo u n g A rch i t e ct s F i rm: Stu d i oKCA Tea m: Ja s on K l i mos ki , Les l ey C h a n g Loc a ti on : N ew York U n b u i lt Projec t: T h e G la ss But terf l y A r c h itec t: Fo r m4 Arc hi tec t ure
D i g i ta l Fa b r i cat i o n P ro je ct: Ca te na ry Co mp re ssio n Archite ct: Bo sto n So cie ty of Archite cts Lo ca tio n: Bo sto n
T e m p o r a ry I n sta ll at i o n Projec t: wa _ s a u na A r c h itec t: g o C stu di o Lo c a tion : S ea ttle , WA
R e s i d e n t i a l S i n g l e Fa m i ly P ro je ct: Ama ga nse tt Dune s Archite ct: Ba te s Ma si Archite cts Lo ca tio n: Ama ga nse tt, NY
Interior Residential Proj ec t: G erken Res i d en ce A rc h i tec t: You n g Proj ec ts Loc a ti on : N ew York
all images courtesy respective firms unless otherwise credited
Models Proj ec t: B j ork, M u s eu m of M od ern A rt A rc h i tec t: T h e Li vi n g Loc a ti on : N ew York
bruce damonte
Mike Schwartz Photography
FEATURE 39
B u i l d i n g o f t h e Y e a r : S o u t h w e st P ro je ct: Ka p la n F a mily Pa v ilio n Archite ct: Be lzb e rg Archite cts Lo ca tio n: Dua rte , Ca lifo rnia
B u i l d i n g o f t h e Y e a r : E a st P ro jec t: Field Pu bl i c El em entary Sc hool A r c h itec t: J on at han Levi A rc hi tec t s Lo c a tion : Weston, M as s ac hus et t s
A rchitectural L ighting P ro je ct: He ra ld Sq ua re L ighting De signe r: De sign One L ighting De sign Archite ct: Md e AS Archite cts Lo ca tio n: New Yo rk
R ESIDENTIAL M U LTI - Fa m i ly Proj ec t: S L1 1 0 25 A rc h i tec t: Lorc a n O’ Herl i h y A rc h i tec ts Loc a ti on : Los A n gel es, CA
REN OVAT I ON Proj ec t: Ren ton Pu bl i c Li bra ry A rc h i tec t: T h e Mi l l er Hu l l Pa rtn ers h i p Loc a ti on : Ren ton , WA
steve hall
bruce damonte
Interior non-residential P rojec t: Ra n q u i st Devel opm ent Group O f f i ce s Ar c h itec t: V la d i m i r Radut ny A rc hi tec t s Loc a tio n : C h ic a g o
B u i l d i n g o f t h e Y e a r : W e st P rojec t: Ka iser Perm anente K raem er Radi at io n O n co log y Cen ter Ar c h itec t: Ya z d a ni St udi o of Cannon Des i g n Loc a tio n : A n a h e i m , Cal i forni a
REN OVAT I ON Proj ec t: La Peer Proj ec t A rc h i tec t: S h u bi n + D on a l d s on A rc h i tec ts Loc a ti on : West Hol l ywood , CA
james ewing
Wade Zimmerman
ADAP TI VE RE U SE P ro je ct: Sto ny I sla nd Arts Ba nk Archite ct: F itzGe ra ld Asso cia te s Archite cts De signe r: The a ste r Ga te s Stud io Lo ca tio n: Chica go
B u i l d i n g o f t h e Y e a r : M i dw e st P ro jec t: T h e Fo rum A r c h itec t: Stu d i o 804 Lo c a tion : U n ivers i t y of Kans as, Lawrence, KS
R ESIDENTIAL M U LTI - Fa m i ly P ro je ct: The Schuma che r Archite ct: Mo rris Ad jmi Archite cts Lo ca tio n: New Yo rk
FACA D ES Proj ec t: Ma n h a tta n D i stri c ts 1 / 2 / 5 G a ra ge A rc h i tec t & D es i gn er: D a ttn er A rc h i tec ts a n d W X Y A rc h i tec tu re + U rba n D es i gn Loc a ti on : N ew York