PYLON
PUBLICATION OF AIA BROOKLYN NOV / DEC 2020
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NOV / DEC 2020
COMMITTEES
NOTES
EDITOR IN CHIEF
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE Talisha L. Sainvil, AIA
1 Letter from the Editor
Talisha L. Sainvil, AIA ASSISTANT EDITOR
Nadeen Hassan, Assoc. AIA COVER
‘Hope’ mural by Jason Naylor. Photo by Daniel Blanc, Assoc. AIA, B.Arch, Class of 2020. Founder of Daniel Blanc Studios (@db_studios_) DESIGN
KUDOS Design Collaboratory™ For future issues, we welcome submissions from our members that further our goal of supporting and guiding our community. Articles and notices may be submitted to the editor at secretary@aiabrooklyn.org. Material printed in the Pylon is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal opinion or advice. Pylon is published by the AIA Brooklyn Chapter. No portion may be reproduced without permission. © 2020
CONTINUING EDUCATION COMMITTEE Marshall Shuster, AIA CRAN COMMITTEE David Cunningham, AIA; Kimberly Neuhaus, AIA DESIGN AWARDS COMMITTEE David Flecha, Assoc. AIA EMERGING PROFESSIONALS COMMITTEE Nicole Gangidino, Assoc. AIA MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Pamela Weston, Assoc. AIA PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE Susana Honig, AIA URBAN DESIGN COMMITTEE Jane McGroarty, AIA WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE COMMITTEE Nicole Gangidino, Assoc. AIA Noushin Jafari, Assoc. AIA
2 Getting to Know You 6 Discussion Panel Summary 8 Upcoming Events 9 AIA National Announcements 10 Community Notes
HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMITTEE Jeffrey Jacobson, Assoc. AIA
BROOKLYN ARCHITECTS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION INC. PRESIDENT Ida Galea, AIA VICE PRESIDENT Vincent Nativo, AIA TREASURER Jane McGroarty, AIA
COMMITTEES 11 Design Awards Committee: BKYLN Design Awards Award Presentation 2020
EXECUTIVE BOARD
SECRETARY Anthony Marchese, AIA
14 Urban Design: W.I.M.B.Y.
PRESIDENT
DIRECTORS Ray Mellon Esq. Hon., AIA; David Flecha, Assoc. AIA; Pamela Weston, Assoc. AIA; Nick Raschella, Assoc. AIA; Joseph Tooma
26 Membership
John H. Hatheway Jr., AIA president@aiabrooklyn.org VICE PRESIDENT
Raymond T. Peebles, AIA vp@aiabrooklyn.org TREASURER
Jane McGroarty, AIA treasurer@aiabrooklyn.org SECRETARY
Talisha L. Sainvil, AIA secretary@aiabrooklyn.org DIRECTORS
David Cunningham, AIA Sarah Drake, AIA David Flecha, Associate AIA Marshall Shuster, AIA Pamela Weston, Associate AIA ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Susana Honig, AIA admindirector@aiabrooklyn.org AIA NYS REPRESENTATIVE
Jordan Parnass, AIA
CONTRIBUTORS
FEATURES
SARAH KAVANAGH is a Brooklyn-based Architectural Designer, a graduate of Lehigh University and she holds a Masters in Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has worked at a number of notable Architecture firms in New York City including Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Bright Architecture and David Cunningham Architecture Planning. Sarah is currently a Project Manager at Kushner Studios in NYC; A Writer for PYLON; A Logistics Coordinator for the AIA Brooklyn Exhibition Committee (AIABKx) and in pursuit of love, life and her license.
27 AIA Brooklyn: 2020 38 Special Feature: A New Practice Coinciding with The Pandemic
JANE MCGROARTY has had over thirty years of experience in architecture and historic preservation. She is the Treasurer & Chair of the Urban Design Committee of AIA Brooklyn and Principal of Jane McGroarty Architect. Jane has also taught design at NY Institute of Technology and the NJ School of Architecture; researched and created various walking tours of Brooklyn and is an avid writer. MICHELLE DUNCAN is a Trinidad-born design enthusiast and story-lover who has called Brooklyn her home for over a decade. Michelle holds a master’s degree in Historic Preservation from the Pratt Institute and was previously the Media Coordinator at Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Intrigued by stories of design in its many forms, Michelle is especially taken by narratives involving the convergence of history, the built environment, and the human experience, all within a cultural and social context.
INCORPORATED IN 1894 TO UNITE, REPRESENT, PROMOTE, AND ENHANCE THE PROFESSION AND PRACTICE OF ARCHITECTURE IN THE BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Ode to Joy
“ Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” — F RANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
The interesting part about coming to the end of a journey is having that moment to take a breath and actually see what you have accomplished. Some of you might remember when Magic Eye paintings were popular and what it felt like to be able to see the painting within the paining. It was a satisfying feeling, especially if you had a particularly hard time with seeing it, to finally see what others saw. In signing off on this issue, I can’t help but have a similar sense of satisfaction from having realized the goal that I set out to accomplish through Pylon. When I started this redesigned Pylon at the beginning of 2020, not only did I not know how the world was going to change but how much the change in pylon was going to affect the people that have seen it. Although I had starphire clear vision of what I wanted Pylon to be (I think many people referred to this as 2020 vision), I couldn’t anticipate what this would actually become. For me, working as an Editor of a magazine has been a joyous intersection of fun and service and fellowship and creativity. For that culmination, I thank all of you who have participated in Pylon in it’s inaugural year. At the beginning of this journey, I asked you to hold my hand and help me create this new thing. And that’s exactly what we did – together. We created a little magic, our own little ode to joy. For this last issue of a very strange and largely melancholic year, I thought we could dive into the crevices where we found (albeit a little) joy. Pylon asked members to tell us how they found hope and maybe a little happiness in an otherwise scary and unknowing time. Be sure to read through these essays and photos of how making art, making bread, getting out of the city and video games became a port in the storm of COVID-19. In case you missed it, AIA Brooklyn adjusted to our new reality too. Check our year in review in the AIA Brooklyn column. In a year where we have not been able to be together, has taken on a whole new level of significance – so check out what some of your colleagues have to say in Getting To Know You. Ultimately, what I’ve learned is that although starting new things can be hard living through 2020 was at times scary. But it was we’ve all had to change course in one way or another in adapting to what 2020 has brought us and while I may not be planting a flag by saying that endings are not the same as beginnings, I think we can all rejoice that we made it to this moment and I’m happy to have you here.
TALISHA L. SAINVIL, AIA EDITOR IN CHIEF
SECRETARY@AIABROOKLYN.ORG 718-797-4242 WWW.AIABROOKLYN.ORG 1
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
November – December 2020
The Membership Committee asked AIA Brooklyn members to answer 10 questions in order to Get to Know Them Better. Here’s what they had to say!
NEWLY LICENSED:
Ibrahim Ali Anse, AIA NEW MEMBERS:
Sukhmann K. Aneja, Assoc. AIA Joey Araman, Assoc. AIA Melissa Au, Assoc. AIA Ryan A. Ball, AIA Paige L. Barnum, Assoc. AIA Emily J. Cass, Assoc. AIA Charlene Chai, AIA Owen Detlor, AIA Jonathan G. Gayomali, AIA Johanna Grazel, AIA Andrew D. Kim, Assoc. AIA Jason Y. Kim, Assoc. AIA Hajeong Lim, AIA Lauren McClellan, Assoc. AIA Ngono Messinga, Assoc. AIA Gabriele Negro, Intl. Assoc. AIA Zeyuan Qian, AIA Jainika Shah, Assoc. AIA Justin Short, AIA Steven C. Worthington, Assoc. AIA Cyrus Zafaranloo, Assoc. AIA Shaad H. Zaidi, Assoc. AIA JiYuan Zhang, AIA
WHAT’S YOUR NAME, WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?
Yihan Wang Taurus
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION?
I love the way how architects deal with the relationship between nature environment and architectures, and harmonious atmosphere they create. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART ?
WHAT NATURAL GIFT OR MAGIC POWER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO POSSESS?
Therapeutic ability.
IF YOU COULD MEET ANY ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST (LIVING OR NOT) WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ?
I would like to talk with Zaha Hadid about her deep thinking, and her design philosophy between architecture design and math.
The decision made by someone without deep thinking and terribly waste our design time. WHAT TURNS YOU ON CREATIVELY, SPIRITUALLY OR EMOTIONALLY?
A tasty meal or some touching melody. WHAT PROFESSION OTHER THAN YOUR OWN WOULD YOU LIKE TO ATTEMPT ?
I might attempt industrial designer, to create more impressive and useful designs. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE OR SPACE?
Pratt Institute Brooklyn Campus, it always helps me calm down and relax from work. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST ?
I fully respect Zaha Hadid, she is also my mental leader to the parametric design. WHAT SOUND OR NOISE DO YOU LOVE?
I love the sound of cooking, when you know in 5 minutes you can enjoy the meal.
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Watching Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos provides many positive impacts on the human brain, such as stressreduction and physiological. In one study conducted by researchers from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Psychology, researchers study the impact on the human brain when participants watch ASMR videos versus non-ASMR videos. The research discovered that those who watch ASMR videos showed significantly greater reductions in their heart rates, an average decrease of 3.14 beats per minute, compared to those who do not. Also, people who watch ASMR videos showed significant increases in positive emotions, including relaxation and feelings of social connection.
arrow-left D ID YOU KNOW?
WHAT’S YOUR NAME, WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?
Christopher Taurasi Scorpio
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION?
IF YOU COULD MEET ANY ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST (LIVING OR NOT) WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ?
Michelangelo. I would ask about challenges early in his career.
WHAT’S YOUR NAME, WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?
Ida Galea Libra
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION?
Craft, material exploration, fabrication, creative thinking, problem solving, and collaboration
Design development, I enjoy the challenge of transforming a space based on the client’s personal needs.
WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART ?
WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART ?
The lack of diversity and socieoconomic backgrounds particularly in positions of leadership. The endless hours and sleepless nights. Projects getting shelved. The MEP consultant’s lack of coordination on every project ever.
Playing mediator when clients disagree.
WHAT TURNS YOU ON CREATIVELY, SPIRITUALLY OR EMOTIONALLY?
WHAT PROFESSION OTHER THAN YOUR OWN WOULD YOU LIKE TO ATTEMPT ?
WHAT TURNS YOU ON CREATIVELY, SPIRITUALLY OR EMOTIONALLY?
New spatial experiences whether indoor or outdoor always inspires me on every level.
Lectures, a perfectly lit space, aimless walks around the city, looking out over the ocean WHAT PROFESSION OTHER THAN YOUR OWN WOULD YOU LIKE TO AT TEMPT ?
Painter, butcher, chef, tattoo artist, animator... WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE OR SPACE?
Bagan WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST ?
It’s impossible to name one but I will keep it to contemporaries. I am currently enjoying the work coming out of the offices of Thomas Phifer, Allied Works, Trahan Architects, and kaan architecten. WHAT SOUND OR NOISE DO YOU LOVE?
The sound of a packed restaurant with the conversation of family and friends around a dinner table. WHAT NATURAL GIFT OR MAGIC POWER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO POSSESS?
Freeze time
Furniture builder, hands on work. Bagan is a highly religious, historical city located in central Myanmar (Burma) in Southeast Asia, Mandalay. Bagan, also known as the “Sea of Temples,” holds at least 2,200 temples and pagodas with monuments dedicated to Buddha. Some of these temples include Ananda Temple, Thatbinnyu Temple, Htilominlo Temple, Myinkaba Gubyaukgyi Temple, and Shwezigon Pagoda.
arrow-left D ID YOU KNOW?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE OR SPACE?
Southern Italy, where I spent my summers as a child. The smell of wood burning fires always take me back there. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST ?
Leonardo Davinci “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”, words I live and work by. WHAT SOUND OR NOISE DO YOU LOVE?
arrow-right D ID YOU KNOW? The
Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Oceans is one of the most favorable documentaries about the ocean environment and marine biology. Produced by the BBC, the award-winning documentary unveils beautiful and neverbefore-seen ocean footage. The eightepisode series begins with base information about ocean life and how it is regulated. Later, the series reveals discoveries of the deep ocean, marine deserts, oceanic life in the Arctic and Antarctica, coral reefs, and tides. Even though The Blue Planet illustrates the beauty of the mysterious world of oceans, it also demonstrates a call to action for its inhabitants.
Birds chirping on a spring morning and the sound of the ocean. WHAT NATURAL GIFT OR MAGIC POWER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO POSSESS?
I would like to have the power of healing, that would be impressive. IF YOU COULD MEET ANY ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST (LIVING OR NOT) WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ?
Richard Meier, I was obsessed with his work in college. I would want to know what inspired his career. 3
GETTING TO KNOW YOU CONTINUED
WHAT’S YOUR NAME, WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?
WHAT SOUND OR NOISE DO YOU LOVE?
WHAT’S YOUR NAME, WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?
Tony-Saba Shiber
Waves crashing onto a rocky beach, wind whipping around the summit of a mountain
David Cunningham
Scorpio
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION?
The ability to impact the world around us and the way others perceive and utilize space WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART ?
Design professions in general are constantly being devalued, which inevitably trickles down to those entering the profession as interns or junior designers. The result is that the majority of those who can afford a salary less than a living wage are those supported by others (i.e. a wealthy family). This phenomenon, which is extremely prevalent in high-design/ starchitecture firms with the ability to be selective, privileges people from a certain economic background, provides a significant “requirement for entry” for those who may be equally as talented by not as financially advantaged, and sets an unfortunate precedent for what is acceptable within the architectural profession and who is allowed to practice within it.
WHAT NATURAL GIFT OR MAGIC POWER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO POSSESS?
The ability to grant wishes IF YOU COULD MEET ANY ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST (LIVING OR NOT) WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ?
Without thinking too hard, because the longer I think the longer the list becomes, i’d love to have a conversation with Bansky or Eyal Weizman. I’ve always been intrigued with the mystery behind who Banksy is, coupled with his politically-motivated career that blends into Weizman’s focus on how politics, culture, human rights, and architecture are interwoven.
Sagittarius
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION?
Making a difference WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART ?
Lack of influence WHAT TURNS YOU ON CREATIVELY, SPIRITUALLY OR EMOTIONALLY?
Drawing WHAT PROFESSION OTHER THAN YOUR OWN WOULD YOU LIKE TO ATTEMPT ?
Reporter / Bank Robber WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE OR SPACE?
Top of the great lawn at night at snowstorm WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST ?
People who work off the beaten track WHAT SOUND OR NOISE DO YOU LOVE?
My daughter talking in her sleep
WHAT TURNS YOU ON CREATIVELY, SPIRITUALLY OR EMOTIONALLY?
Nature, travel, and learning more from other cultures
WHAT NATURAL GIFT OR MAGIC POWER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO POSSESS?
Healing WHAT PROFESSION OTHER THAN YOUR OWN WOULD YOU LIKE TO AT TEMPT ?
I see value and intrigue in quite a lot of professions, but I think the two I romanticize about most are either running my own restaurant or cafe or being a park ranger at one of our beautiful national parks WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE OR SPACE?
Somewhere between Havasu Falls, Antelope Canyon, and Turrell’s Roden Crater WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST ?
Peter Zumthor 4
arrow-left D ID YOU KNOW? Peter
Zumthor, known for his use of sensuous materials, light, and shadows, is an architect who advocates to prevent climate change through designing buildings that can last for centuries. One of his projects, Kolumba Museum, known for its materials, is a museum that carries the Roman Catholic Archdiocese’s collection of art. The building is designed from the reuse of grey brick ruins from the previously Gothic Church from the Roman and Medieval periods to create a perforated façade. Throughout the day, the building user witnesses the diffused light change across the ruins in specific places of the museum.
IF YOU COULD MEET ANY ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST (LIVING OR NOT) WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ?
Walk around Rome with Borromini
QUESTIONS INSPIRED BY
Brooklyn’s own Notorious B.I.G.; James Lipton, Bernard Pivot and Marcel Proust WANT US TO GET TO KNOW YOU A LITTLE BET TER?
Send an email to secretary@aiabrooklyn.org to be featured in an upcoming issue of PYLON.
WHAT’S YOUR NAME, WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE OR SPACE?
Joshua Barnett
Couldn’t pick one. I love walking around city streets, whether it’s New York (my home town) or a new place, sometimes a quiet nook, sometimes a busy street. I get a kick out of spaces like the steps of the Metropolitan Museum, a great gathering spot. The steps weren’t designed for people to sit and buy a falafel and watch the mimes, it just turned out that way.
Slippery when wet arrow-right D ID YOU KNOW? The
Metropolitan Museum of Art’s entry staircase was built as early as 1975. Previously a narrow stairway that led to a wooden vestibule, referred to as “the doghouse,” was replaced with a wider and safer entrance designed by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates. Today, in addition to serving as an access to the museum, the impressive 13 1/2 feet high and 154 feet long steps became a place to meet, eat, talk, and rest. According to Paul Goldberger, “There are some stairs in the city — like those in front of The Metropolitan Museum of Art — that are arguably more important urban events than the buildings to which they lead.”
arrow-left D ID YOU KNOW? According to several
studies conducted by researchers, drawing has many positive effects on one’s brain including improving memory, reducing anxiety, ease physical pain, make one resilient and happier and, improve concentration, problem-solving and analytical skills. Among the most beneficial type of drawing to improve mental health is zen-tangle. Zentangle is a meditative drawing structured pattern technique composed of dots, curves, shapes, and lines.significant increases in positive emotions, including relaxation and feelings of social connection.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION?
The collectivity and collaboration; when the team’s really in synch, looking for the creative solutions (the quiet intern might be the one thinking outside the box), the interaction between designers, users, and contractors, seeing the facets of a really good design take shape, become real, and those opportunities to really add something to the community. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION?
How insular it can be. So often we design for the client, not the users. I miss the feedback on what people want on the front end, what worked (or didn’t) after. I don’t understand reviewing a building that hasn’t been occupied yet. How much design is driven by profit, not by need. And how little the construction workers are seen as part of the process, or seen at all. WHAT TURNS YOU ON CREATIVELY, SPIRITUALLY OR EMOTIONALLY?
As a designer, when the project gives something new to people who really need it. It turns me on to design public housing; it turns me off to design a mansion, even if there might be more chance for creative expression. When off the shelf materials are used creatively. When we put color or innovation in a place you wouldn’t expect it. When the environment is enhanced; I’m fascinated by rammed earth and other materials that go back to the future. Emotionally when I see people in motion, collectively, to try and improve things.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST ?
Again, couldn’t pick one. I actually appreciate a lot of vernacular architecture more than much designed architecture. I’ve always really admired Alvar Aalto and Luis Barragan and the late Samuel Mockbee who founded the rural studio in Georgia. But then I know that, like many of us, my design training comes largely from an American/Eurocentric/male oriented perspective, so my list of favorites grows with being exposed to more designers outside my original orientation. WHAT SOUND OR NOISE DO YOU LOVE?
My daughter’s voice. A great street musician. The rumble of the subway when it finally arrives. WHAT NATURAL GIFT OR MAGIC POWER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO POSSESS?
To adopt a French accent at will. Isaac Asimov said when you speak Brooklynese people associate it with, at best, an uncultivated shrewdness. IF YOU COULD MEET ANY ARCHITECT, DESIGNER OR ARTIST (LIVING OR NOT) WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ?
The painter Jacob Lawrence. And I’d just shut up and listen.
WHAT PROFESSION OTHER THAN YOUR OWN WOULD YOU LIKE TO ATTEMPT ?
Writing, but without the pressure to make a living out of it. Or teaching, but not sure how I’d do with a classroom full of students like I was at PS 241.
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DISCUSSION PANEL SUMMARY
November and December Panel Discussion Tom Lewis, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Studio Director, Morris Adjmi Architects Tom is a Studio Director at MA known for his ability to deliver a wide range of large, complex projects — particularly those involving highly publicized entitlement processes. Most recently, this includes experience overseeing a 190,000-square- foot mixed-use multifamily project within Brooklyn’s Crown Heights North Historic District; two adjacent commercial towers totaling more than one million square feet of new development within Boston’s Seaport District; a unique 354,000-square-foot mixed-use tower in Washington, D.C., featuring a multifamily program and an extended stay “apartment hotel”; as well as a state-of-the art 380,000-square-foot dormitory project in Berkeley, CA, for the UC College System. Before joining MA, he gained experience with an array of project types at COOKFOX Architects and Robert A.M. Stern Architects, where he worked on institutional projects including the George Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, Texas and the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Tom is passionate about sustainability and advises the firm on how to thoughtfully integrate sustainable elements into a building’s design, rather than adding sustainable features as an ad-hoc afterthought. He is a Registered Architect, licensed to practice in New York, and a LEED Accredited Professional who has served on the Urban Green Council’s Programs Committee.
Michelle Wagner, AIA, LEED AP Studio Director, Morris Adjmi Architects With more than 25 years of experience, Michelle Wagner excels in the management of largescale projects and has played a vital role in leading the design and delivery of some of the firm’s most ambitious mixed-use developments. Most recently, this includes the highly anticipated Front & York complex in Brooklyn, NY. Named for its bordering streets, the unprecedented 1.2-million-square-foot mixed-use multifamily development in Dumbo will supply enough housing to increase the population of the neighborhood by 25 percent. In addition to Front & York, which topped out in the Spring of 2020, Michelle is guiding the delivery of 1 Huron — a 265,500-square-foot multifamily building with ground floor retail and a generous package of high-end amenities located within Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood; a 670,000-square-foot mixed-use project in Atlanta, GA, featuring a unique blend of residential, hospitality, and retail spaces; as well as a 550,000-square- foot commercial development in her hometown, Denver, CO. Prior to joining MA, Michelle worked on the World Trade Center Master Plan and Design Guidelines with Studio Daniel Libeskind. Michelle graduated with honors from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Environmental Design. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and a Registered Architect, licensed to practice in New York and Colorado.
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To view a replay of these panel discussions, please visit aiabrooklyn.org/aia-brooklyn-virtual-panel-discussion-and-general-meeting
Lea Ciavarra Partner, Lubrano Ciavarra Lea’s meticulous attention to materiality and quality craftsmanship elevates the design of her housing, education and residential projects, which have recently been recognized by “Interior Design’s Best of Year Award” and NYCxDesign. Her own home was also selected to be part of openhousenewyork’s 10th Anniversary Weekend featuring designers’ homes in October 2012. Commitments to community and education run concurrent within her professional work. She currently serves as Chair of the Alumni Advisory Board at Syracuse University School of Architecture, and began her career in the profession as a full-time faculty member at Syracuse University School of Architecture (1995 – 1997), during which she served as Director of the Pre-Architecture Program in Florence, Italy. Her commitment to the profession is reflected in her continuing academic activities, having taught design studios at New York Institute of Technology, Parsons School of Design, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Syracuse. Lea’s service to the KIPP New Jersey Friends of TEAM Board complements her work in the Charter School sector, leading such projects as the Harlem Day Charter School in Manhattan sponsored by Sheltering Arms Children’s Services and Grand Concourse Academy in the Bronx developed by the TurnerAgassi Charter School Facilities Fund. Lea received her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Colgate University and her Master in Architecture from Syracuse University. She has served on the Syracuse School of Architecture Alumni Advisory Board since 2001 and was honored with the “Dean’s Distinguished Alumni Award” in 2005. Lea is a LEED accredited professional and is licensed in the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont.
Dale Lunan Partner, Lubrano Ciavarra Dale Lunan joined LUBRANO CIAVARRA Architects in 2010 and he has contributed to award winning projects while working directly with private, non-profit, and government clients. Dale began his professional career at the firm Otte Architecture. He then worked at Gluckman Mayner Architects, collaborating on international art museums. Dale graduated cum Laude from Syracuse University School of Architecture in 2007 where he was awarded the James Britton Memorial Award for Outstanding Senior Design Thesis. While in school, Dale was also honored as a Founders’ Scholar and a Cutler Scholar, and was active in the Community Design Center. Dale’s professional career has been supplemented with extensive experience in art installation, including the design and implementation of temporary large scale event spaces. He is a skilled writer and illustrator, and has also curated exhibitions at the Queens Museum of Art’s Partnership Gallery and has been exhibited at Storefront for Art and Architecture. Dale is a licensed architect in the State of New York.
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Never stop learning aiau.aia.org
UPCOMING AND RECURRING EVENTS See www.aiabrooklyn.org for full calendar of events and future announcements.
EVERY 3RD WEDNESDAY, 6:30PM VIRTUAL UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
EVERY TUESDAY 7-8:30PM ZOOM INFO AT AIABROOKLYN.ORG
EVERY 2ND THURSDAY VIRTUAL UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
AIA Brooklyn General Chapter Meetings + Discussion Panels
Emerging Professionals Committee A.R.E. Study Session
Brooklyn DOB Industry Meeting
UPCOMING DATES
Contact: Nicole Gangidino at ngangidino.arch@gmail.com
September 23 October 21 November 18
Ask the Borough Commissioner questions about NYC Code, DOB procedures, etc. Email Ida Galea at galea.arch@gmail.com and have your questions discussed and answered by the Commissioner. 1 CEU. Check www.aiabrooklyn.org for time.
See Virtual Meeting info on calendar at www.aiabrooklyn.org.
LUNCHTIME WEBINAR, 12:00–1:00PM RSVP ON WWW.AIABROOKLYN.ORG
On The Menu UPCOMING DATES
November 3, Sustainable Design Uses for Large Opening Glass Walls November 5, OC 114 Porcelain Pavers Applications and Use November 10, Coatings that Work November 12, Everything is Acoustic November 19, Sintered Stone 8
November 24, A Design Professional’s Guide to Sound Isolation December 1, Zoning for Coastal flood Resiliency - Update December 3, Sustainable Design Uses for Large Opening Glass Walls December 8, Digital Walking Tour of Todt Hill and Dongan Hills, Staten Island
December 10,Innovators in LED Lighting December 17, An Architect’s Guide to Steel Framed Floor Systems
AIA NATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
New 2020 Firm Survey Report available for free JENNIFER RISKUS | (202) 626 7532
Take advantage of a special offer to get the newly released 2020 AIA Firm Survey Report for free this year. This essential resource includes metrics to measure practice, evaluate performance, and set strategy. Learn More at aia.org/resources/6151-aiafirm-survey-report
Best Practice: Marketing plans AMANDA JENNINGS | (202) 626 7372
Well-developed marketing plans and analyses help new architecture firms complete the most critical business task: getting work. This best practice includes a marketing plan outline and sample market analysis, which are beneficial to a firm’s success by identifying and analyzing a firm’s markets, capabilities, organizational structure, and more. Learn More at aia.org/best-practices/6339521-marketing-plans-spurnew-firm-growth
Architects Foundation scholarships open through January 15! VINNY MANDES | SCHOLARSHIPS@ARCHITECTSFOUNDATION.ORG
Do you know any aspiring architects? Encourage them to apply for an Architects Foundation scholarship by January 15! Help us empower the next generation of architects by sharing this opportunity with your members.
Apply Now at architectsfoundation.org/what-we-do/architecture-scholarships/
Tips and tricks for using the AIA Contract Documents online service SARAH LUMMIS | (202) 626 2564
Join a free webinar on December 16 as we share tips and tricks to work faster and easier in the AIA Contract Documents online service. There will be a live Q&A session during the webinar, so come with questions for our online service technical support staff.
Learn More at aiacontracts.org/?utm_source=AIA-Chapters
Latest ABI release for October JESSICA MENTZ | (202) 626 7487
AIA’s Architecture Billings Index is a recognized leading indicator for nonresidential construction and is available to AIA members for free. October’s data shows that business conditions at architecture firms are moving slowly towards recovery and indicators of future work strengthened.
Learn More at aia.org/resources/10046-architecture-billings-index-abi 9
COMMUNITY NOTES
We encourage you to get involved in your local Community Boards and that’s why we’ve listed all 18 Community Boards that serve Brooklyn right here. Visit their websites, office locations, send them an email or give them a call to find out when the next meeting is or to learn more about how you can serve your Community. Don’t forget to let us know if there is something we’d be interested in going on in your neighborhood!
COMMUNITY BOARD #5
COMMUNITY BOARD #12
East New York, Cypress Hills, Highland Park, New Lots, City Line, Starrett City & Ridgewood
Boro Park, Kensington, Ocean Pkwy & Midwood
bk05@cb.nyc.gov (929) 221-8261 www.brooklyncb5.org
bk12@cb.nyc.gov (718) 851-0800 twitter.com/BrooklynCB12 5910 13th Ave.
404 Pine St., 3rd fl. COMMUNITY BOARD #13 COMMUNITY BOARD #6
Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Gowanus & Cobble Hill info@brooklyncb6.org (718) 643-3027 www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb6/index.page
Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Bensonhurst, Gravesend & Seagate edmark@cb.nyc.gov (718) 266-3001 www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb13/index.page 1201 Surf Ave., 3rd fl.
250 Baltic St. COMMUNITY BOARD #14
SARAH DRAKE, AIA
COMMUNITY BOARD #7
Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace bk07@cb.nyc.gov (718) 854-0003 www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb7/index.page
Flatbush, Midwood, Kensington & Ocean Parkway info@cb14brooklyn.com (718) 859-6357 www.cb14brooklyn.com 810 East 16th St.
4201 4th Ave. COMMUNITY BOARD #1
Flushing Ave., Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Northside & Southside bk01@cb.nyc.gov (718) 389-0009 www.nyc.gov/brooklyncb1 435 Graham Ave.
COMMUNITY BOARD #15
Crown Heights, Prospect Heights & Weeksville
Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Kings Bay, Gerritsen Beach, Kings Highway, East Gravesend, Madison, Homecrest & Plum Beach
info@brooklyncb8.org (718) 467-5574 www.brooklyncb8.org
bklcb15@verizon.net (718) 332-3008 www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb15/index.page
1291 St. Marks Ave.
Kingsboro Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd, C Cluster, Rm C124
COMMUNITY BOARD #8
COMMUNITY BOARD #2
Boerum Hill, Bridge Plaza, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Clinton Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Farragut, Fort Greene, Vinegar Hill & Wallabout
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COMMUNITY BOARD #9
Crown Heights, Prospect Lefferts Garden & Wingate
COMMUNITY BOARD #16
Brownsville and Ocean Hill
cb2k@nyc.rr.com (718) 596-5410 www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb2/index.page
bk09@cb.nyc.gov (718) 778-9279 www.communitybrd9bklyn.org
bk16@cb.nyc.gov (718) 385-0323 www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb16/index.page
350 Jay St., 8th fl.
890 Nostrand Ave.
444 Thomas Boyland St., Rm. 103
COMMUNITY BOARD #3
COMMUNITY BOARD #10
Bedford Stuyvesant
Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights & Fort Hamilton
East Flatbush, Remsen Village, Farragut, Rugby, Erasmus & Ditmas Village
bk03@cb.nyc.gov (718) 622-6601 www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb3/index.page
bk10@cb.nyc.gov (718) 745-6827 www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb10/index.page
bk17@cb.nyc.gov (718) 434-3461 www.cb17brooklyn.org
Restoration Plz., 1360 Fulton St., 2nd fl.
8119 5th Ave.
4112 Farragut Rd.
COMMUNITY BOARD #4
COMMUNITY BOARD #11
COMMUNITY BOARD #18
Bushwick
Bath Beach, Gravesend, Mapleton & Bensonhurst
Canarsie, Bergen Beach, Mill Basin, Flatlands, Marine Park, Georgetown & Mill Island
bk04@cb.nyc.gov (718) 628-8400 www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb4/index.page
info@brooklyncb11.org (718) 266-8800 www.brooklyncb11.org
bkbrd18@optonline.net (718) 241-0422
1420 Bushwick Ave., Suite 370
2214 Bath Ave.
1097 Bergen Ave.
COMMUNITY BOARD #17
DESIGN AWARDS COMMITTEE
BKLYN DESIGN AWARDS
AWARD PRESENTATION 2020 STREAMING ON THURSDAY DECEMBER 17TH | 6:30 PM
Please join us in celebrating Brooklyn architectural legacy by honoring the vision of its designers and service to the architectural profession after a challenging year.
A jury of our peers throughout the country reviewed the projects in a series of design categories and for the first time in AIA Brooklyn, we will announce the winners for the first time during the awards presentation. Stay tuned for the streaming link to appear on aiabrooklyn.org and Instagram on the week of December 17th, 2020. Follow us through Instagram and tag us on your live reactions using @aiabrooklyn and #BKLYNDesign20. 11
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C. Jaye Berger Building Construction Law Contract Drafting and Review Mechanic’s Liens Co-op Law Real Estate Transactions Leases Litigation 110 East 59th Street, 22nd Floor New York, New York 10022 Tel: (212) 753-2080 CD_Guest House at Graceland_B103_half-hor_ART.pdf
1
8/16/18
11:23 AM
Real projects start with the industry standard Before they broke ground, HBG Design ensured the Guest House at Graceland™ Resort was protected with AIA contracts. AIA Contract Documents used: B103-Owner/Architect Agreement for a Complex Project, C401-Architect/Consultant Agreement, E201-Digital Data Protocol Exhibit, plus associated administrative G-forms. Learn more at aiacontracts.org/aiachapter
Photography ©Jeffrey Jacobs
URBAN DESIGN COMMITTEE
What’s In My Back Yard (W.I.M.B.Y.) ARTICLE BY JANE MCGROARTY, AIA
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Let’s Talk About Public Housing Public housing in New York City, as in most of the United States, is segregated. There are theories as to why and how this happened. Some are outlandish, such the notion that people only want to live with people of the same race. What we do know is that agencies of the United States federal government instituted segregation in housing even though it is prohibited by the 14th amendment. As early as 1923, the federal government began to promote home ownership for white people. Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover convened the President’s Conference on Home Building and Home Ownership, and he stated in his opening address that single family homes were “expressions of racial longing” and “that our people should live in their own homes is a deep sentiment in the heart of our race”. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) institutionalized these sentiments in its policies. At the height of the Great Depression the FHA insured bank mortgages that covered 80% of the purchase price. To qualify for the insurance, the FHA did its own appraisal to ensure that the loan had a low risk of default. One of the FHA standards included a whites-only requirement, racial segregation became an official policy of the federal mortgage insurance program. After World War II the Veterans Administration guaranteed mortgages for returning veterans who were buying homes. However, they used the FHA appraisal standards, thereby depriving black serviceman the ability to purchase a home in places like Levittown, Westlake near San Francisco, and Lakewood south of San Francisco. Developers such as William Levitt simply could not have succeeded without the FHA. At the same time, a similar scenario occurred in the construction of public housing under the PWA (Public Works Administration) and the USHA (United States Housing Authority). To address the post-war housing shortage, Congress passed the 1949 Housing Act. The NAACP and liberal lawmakers sought to include a provision that prohibited segregation in public housing. In the end, they capitulated to the Southern Democrats who were willing to block the entire Act rather than ban segregation. The 1949 Housing Act opened a spigot of money for public housing and cities rushed to build segregated developments using the FHA standards adopted in the 1930’s. After all, these funds represented new jobs and economic development. In Chicago, many complexes were
Levittown, Long Island Photo: Gottscho-Schleisner Collection - Library of Congress Catalogt Levittown, Long Island
built to house black citizens, including Cabrini Green, Robert Taylor Houses and Henry Horner Homes. Philadelphia, St. Louis, Newark, New York, and other cities built similar large scale public housing. This massive development was done largely absent any meaningful urban planning or sensitivity to local conditions. So-called slums were demolished to make way for new and improved housing. By the 1970’s academics, like Oscar Newman, author of Defensible Space (1972), claimed that the design of large public housing complexes led to crime because residents did have any proprietary interest in the open space of their buildings. These indefensible spaces, yards, walkways, playgrounds, and even building lobbies and elevators were ripe territory for criminal activity. These large complexes typically erased the existing urban grids, eliminating much of the surrounding local retail. In Newark’s Central Ward, a large tract was hollowed out for Scudder Houses and Stella Windsor
Wright Houses. In the 1980’s when I was teaching at New Jersey School of Architecture at NJIT, several colleagues and I took our students on a field trip to Scudder and Stella Wright houses. Scudder Houses were systematically being depopulated and over half of the apartments were sealed up. Elevator cores were spaced apart, serving either the even floors or odd floors. The design turned out to be a poor idea because it created long corridors. Residents were often subject to robbery and violence in the corridors. Young men learned how to avoid detection by riding on the tops of the elevators. Many, especially elderly residents, were afraid to leave their apartments and depended upon friends or relatives to shop for them. Shopping was a problem since there was no local retail nearby. Toward the end of the day, panel trucks would show up with produce and meat that could be purchased by the Scudder residents. By 1987 the City of Newark demolished Scudder Houses along with several other public housing projects.
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URBAN DESIGN COMMITTEE
In 1969 Senator Edward Brooke III sponsored an amendment to the Housing Act of 1937 which capped rent in public housing to 25% of the tenant’s income. The intention was to make public housing available to the very poor. Unfortunately, it had the effect of starving many housing authorities of operating money. The unintended consequences of this amendment hurt the very people it was designed to help. As the physical conditions in public housing deteriorated, many who were paying higher rents left, squeezing housing authority’s incomes even further. Beginning in the 1980’s the Northeastern and Midwestern United States experienced the shrinking of the once-powerful industrial sectors, such as steel, automobile manufacturing, and coal-mining Jobs. Cities like Pittsburgh, Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago struggled with
Scudder Houses, Newark, New Jersey Construction photo c. 1960. Courtesy of oldnewark.com
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population loss, lack of education, declining tax revenues, high unemployment and crime, drugs, swelling welfare rolls, deficit spending, and poor municipal credit ratings. African American communities were particularly hard hit. While drug usage became more common in society, crack cocaine was especially devastating in lower income communities. It has been estimated that the emergence of teenage dealers probably contributed to the 25 percent increase in the homicide rate between 1985 and 1991 . Many cities, unable to address the crime and social poverty, blamed the problems on public housing. They began to demolish these large complexes in Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, and Newark. The destruction of the Pruitt-Igoe buildings in St. Louis between 1972 and 1976 became the iconic demonstration of the failure of public housing.
One of 28 identical buildings that housed 27,000 people in 4400 units. Erected 1961–62. Demolished 1998–2007. Photo: Kaffeeringe.de at English Wikipedia. Robert Taylor Houses, Chicago Housing Authority.
The Robert Taylor Houses were named for Robert Rouchon Taylor, an architect and African American activist. He was the first African American to serve as Chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority. Ironically, he resigned his position because the Chicago City Council refused to support his proposals for scatter site public housing and desegregation of existing public housing.
Ultimately New York City fared better than the so-called Rust Belt cities. The city did nearly go bankrupt in 1974 but through tight fiscal management it managed to recover. However, the loss of blue-collar jobs did affect lower income families, particularly people of color. By the Bloomberg era, economic growth had shifted to finance, luxury development, hospitality, and tourism, leaving people with limited education and skills with fewer options. The Rockefeller drug laws enacted by New York State in 1973 mandated extremely harsh prison terms for possession or sale of relatively small amounts of drugs. Although intended to target “kingpins,” most people incarcerated under the laws were convicted of low-level, nonviolent, first-time offenses. Black and Latino people make up only 33% of New York State’s population, they
comprise nearly 90% of those currently incarcerated for drug felonies. New York City had been a pioneer in providing ‘public’ (affordable) housing as early as 1935 under Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia when First Houses was built by the NYC Housing Authority. This was followed by the federally funded and owned Harlem River Houses that was completed in 1937, a low-density group of buildings at 151st Street and the Harlem River. The entire design is “a pleasing, harmonious arrangement that retains a maximum of useful open space,” according to The WPA Guide to New York City. The careful landscaping, the thoughtful site planning, and use of sculpture add refinement to the project, that is not found in later public housing. A team of architects collaborated on the design, 17
URBAN DESIGN COMMITTEE
Including John L. Wilson, an African American. In 1937 Williamsburgh Houses was completed in northern Brooklyn It is almost three times Harlem River Houses. Williamsburgh Houses were designed by a team of architects that included William Lescaze and are decidedly modern. The Public Works Administration (a New Deal housing effort) built segregated housing. In New York City, the smaller Harlem River Houses were for African Americans; and Williamsburgh Houses were for whites. Despite the bad press that the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) receives (and mostly deserves), the city remains one of the few cities where large public housing complexes were not demolished. To be sure, many ‘projects’ that were very rough during the 1990’s at the height of the crack epidemic. In Brooklyn Marcy Houses and Louis Pink Houses were often cited as among the most dangerous NYCHA complexes. For many years
NYCHA housing has suffered from the lack of funds to properly maintain and upgrade buildings that are between 30 and 70 years old. In 2018 a city-wide survey of NYCHA properties revealed that $31.8 billion was needed over five years to address unmet capital repairs including replacing broken elevators, upgrading faulty heating systems and fix run-down kitchens and bathrooms. To its credit, New York City did not build the massive barracks style buildings found in Chicago and St. Louis. For example, Cabrini Green in Chicago, where the TV show Good Times took place, had 3600 units. In St. Louis, Minoru Yamasaki’s Pruitt-Igoe consisted of 33 eleven story buildings with 2870 apartments. Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City is the largest NYCHA complex with 3142 units. The next three largest are Baruch Houses in Manhattan (2391), Red Hook East in Brooklyn (2528 units) and Edenwald Houses in the Bronx (2036 units).
Harlem River Houses, 1937 Photo: Gottscho-Schleisner Collection - Library of Congress Catalog
The complex is composed of Z, T and L shaped sections that resulted in cross ventilation for all units.
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Williamsburgh Houses Brooklyn, NY Photo: Jim Henderson, Wikipedia Commons
The chief architect of the project was Richmond Shreve. He was a partner in the firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, who designed the Empire State Building (1931).
As an example, the contrast between Pruitt-Igoe Houses and Bushwick Houses in Brooklyn is striking. Bushwick Houses has many of the same social problems as had Pruitt-Igoe but the site plan, the amenities of a swimming pool and baseball field, and the smaller grounds make this Bushwick a much more attractive place. Recently Mayor DeBlasio’s office provided a $30,000 grant and engaged with the residents about their needs. Tenants called for new stoves for all, ridding the complex of rodents, and major infrastructural fixes to the sidewalks, hallways, playgrounds, elevators, and stairwells at the complex. It is not clear how much can be done with $30,000 but listening to and respecting tenants seems like a good place to start.
Another example of successful site and architectural design is the NYCHA complex in Todt Hill, Staten Island. Todt Hill Houses was designed by H.I. Feldman, a prolific New York architect known for Manhattan apartment houses. The seven buildings were angled 15 degrees off the street grid to catch light and air, high above sea level on a wooded plot. Feldman opined at the time that the architect of the future will cease to think of architecture in terms of design only. “A building is not to be a single entity but rather as part and parcel of the integrated community. Social, recreational, and community services will be given the fullest consideration for the complete and well-rounded scheme of living, work, and playing. The individual project will be a thing of the past.” 19
URBAN DESIGN COMMITTEE
One aspect of public housing in New York City that is hard to quantify is community. In November of 2020, a new $14 million community center was opened at Marcy Houses in Brooklyn. It was funded by Councilmember Robert Cornegy ($8.9 million), Mayor de Blasio ($4.6 million) and Borough President Eric Adams ($1 million). The older community centers At Marcy had long been closed, according to Tahirah Moore, a City Hall staff member who grew up in the Marcy Houses. Attending the opening was comedian Tracy Morgan, who also lived in Marcy Houses when he was young. Many NYCHA projects, like Marcy Houses, have Facebook sites where current and former residents can keep in contact. Too many people look at public housing and see only deterioration, crime, and poverty; they fail to see the people who live there. The efforts of the local elected officials to build this new community center at Marcy Houses are to be commended. However, this kind of project does not replace a commitment by government to maintain and upgrade public housing. In 2015 NYCHA’s Chairperson of NYCHA, Shola Olatoye proposed NextGen NYCHA, a program to allow new building on the open spaces of NYCHA properties as a way of financing much needed repairs. It had the enthusiastic support of Mayor DeBlasio who wanted to beef up his housing program while obtaining funds for NYCHA. Skeptics, including NYCHA residents, feared that the air rights would be sold but their buildings would not be repaired or upgraded. Olatoye resigned in 2018 after
mishandling of lead paint inspections and poor living conditions at NYCHA. Subsequently, there were three acting chairs of NYCHA until 2019 when Gregory Ross from the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority was appointed Chair and CEO of NYCHA. With DeBlasio entering his final year as mayor, it is questionable how much will happen with NextGen. One interesting project has just opened at Ingersoll Houses in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. On a piece of unused land, a non-profit developer, BFC, has leased land for 99 years where it built a 17-story affordable residence, Stonewall, for the elderly LGBT community, designed by Marvel Architects. Also, in another part of Ingersoll Houses, Maddd Equities and Joy Construction agreed to pay $25 million to NYCHA for the air rights to Ingersoll, allowing them to build 31- and 33-story towers on property adjacent to the complex. The developers have promised that 25 percent of the units in the otherwise market-rate towers will be affordable, and that $25 million will be earmarked for badly needed repairs at Ingersoll. Will NextGen be a magic bullet for NYCHA? And what about those NYCHA properties that are not in as desirable a neighborhood as Fort Greene? And when do we address the segregation issue? It is important to remember that 400,000 people in NYCHA housing and another 235,000 in Section 8 housing. This is a valuable resource is worth repairing and preserving. As New Yorkers, we should be proud that public housing was not demolished, as it was in so many other cities.
Todt Hill Houses, 1950 Staten Island, NY. H.I. Feldman, Architect. Photo: Ben Stechschulte
RIGHT TOP
Bushwick Houses, Built, 1960 Brooklyn, NY. Bushwick Houses consists of eight buildings. Half the buildings are 13 stories, and the other half are 20 stories. The chief architect of the project was Richmond Shreve. He was a partner in the firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, who designed the Empire State Building (1931). Photo: NYCHA RIGHT BOTTOM
Pruitt-Igoe Houses St. Louis, Missouri. Built 1954. Demolished 1972-1976. Architect Minoru Yamasaki. Photo: Bettman/Corbis 20
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URBAN DESIGN COMMITTEE
Ribbon Cutting at the new Marcy Houses Community Center, Brooklyn, NY Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office 22
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URBAN DESIGN COMMITTEE
Breaking News about 960 Franklin Avenue, Crown Heights! On February 1, 2021, the New York City Planning Commission certified the rezoning application for 960 Franklin Avenue. This action was a ZOOM public review by the Commission on Zoom of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) which is a requirement before an applicant can start the public review process. The role of the Commission is to verify that the applicant has completed the necessary steps. WIMBY has opposed the project since it was initially filed with the Planning Commission in November of 2019 and nothing we saw at the Review would convince us to change our mind. If you have been following WIMBY or local news, you know that this large-scale development project has been controversial. Many Crown Heights residents feel it is too large, out of scale with its surroundings, and that it will displace existing resident through gentrification. In November 2020, a NYS Supreme Court Justice ruled to order a temporary restraining order. A month later the restraining order was lifter allowing the project EIS to go forward. The Brooklyn Botanic has opposed the projects because of the height which will block sunlight on important parts of the garden. And most recently, Mayor DeBlasio, a vocal supported of any affordable housing, came out against the project. A representative of the Franklin Ave. Acquisition LLC (a subsidiary of Continuum) presented the DEIS in a heroic attempt to sugar coat the obvious bulk with renderings of retail on the street level, new day care center and open space for the public. The applicant’s light and shadow studies contended that the towers would not hurt the Botanic Garden all that much. A similar conclusion was made for the Jackie Robinson Playground, and conclusion was that neither impact that could be mitigated. After the presentation, the Commission Chair, Marisa Lago, began the discussion by flatly stating that, in her opinion, this was not a project that the Commission could support. Because it is filed under ULURP, the approval process must go the community board(s), the Brooklyn Borough President, the City Council, and finally the Mayor for approval. Commissioner Lago noted that the Department of City Planning has tried to work with the developer’s team to improve the project. She said, “While the Department supports opportunities for housing growth and affordable 24
housing especially, these goals are to be balanced by the appropriate building form and scale for the location.” Other Commissioners addressed the adverse unmitigated environmental impacts, and one thought those alone would doom the project to failure. One of the public amenities provided by the project is open public space at the ground level. In the color-coded plan (above) indicates the various components of the open space. From an urban design perspective this is hardly a public space. One must leave the public sidewalk and walk into what appear to be a private driveway. Once in there will be some metal chairs placed about for seating. You might walk through to the other side where there a narrow patch of green space abuts the Franklin Avenue Shuttle line. You can be sure that the new daycare center will want to take over that space for the children. This space feels like an empty gesture and it will never be truly public space. WIMBY has always felt that the project blocked sunlight to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (a true public space), was too large, turned its back on the neighborhood, and that its affordable housing would not be affordable for neighborhood residents. It is reassuring to know that the NYC Planning Commissioners feel the same way.
Axonometric, 960 Franklin Avenue Courtesy of 960 Franklin Avenue Presentation
960 Franklin Avenue, Ground floor plan Grey: Building Tan shade: Vehicular roadway Green: Planters, trees and ground cover. Courtesy of 960 Franklin Avenue Rezoning Briefing Package Attachments (Color added by WIMBY)
BREAKING NEWS! In a surprising reversal Mayor Bill DeBlasio came out in opposition to the controversial large-scale development in Crown Heights just days before Christmas. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden opposed the project, 960 Franklin Avenue because two of the tallest towers (39 stories) Avenue, would cast shadows on Botanic Gardens. Neighborhood residents do not like the project because they feared it would gentrify the area and raise rents so that longtime residents would no longer be able to live in Crown Heights. In November 2020, a NYS Supreme Court Justice ruled to order a temporary restraining order. A month later the restraining order was lifter allowing the project EIS to go forward. The future of the project seems uncertain now that its main backer, Mayor DeBlasio, has changed sides. WIMBY felt that the project was too large, turned its back on the neighborhood, and that its affordable housing would not be affordable for neighborhood residents. Stay tuned for the next episode. 25
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Total Members
850
800
750
700
11/19
12/19
1/20
2/20
3/20
4/20
5/20
6/20
7/20
8/20
9/20
10/20
11/20
12/20
Total Members
818
833
858
874
876
887
719
755
783
796
815
830
842
851
Total AIA
529
539
559
564
566
573
497
512
516
520
525
530
533
539
Total Assoc. AIA
280
285
290
300
300
304
214
235
259
268
282
290
298
301
Total Fellow
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Total International
8
8
8
9
9
9
7
7
7
7
7
9
10
10
Total Unassigned
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Newly Licensed
0
3
0
0
0
0
6
0
0
3
0
2
6
1
Total Emeritus
26
27
27
27
27
27
26
27
28
25
25
25
21
21
26
20 20 AIA BROOKLYN
2020 has definitely left its mark in history! In the next pages, we wanted to highlight some of the good things that happened here at AIA Brooklyn and how we were able to make the most of a unique year.
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2020
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
VICE PRESIDENT
TREASURER
SECRETARY
Raymond T. Peebles, AIA vp@aiabrooklyn.org
Jane McGroarty, AIA treasurer@aiabrooklyn.org
Talisha L. Sainvil, AIA secretary@aiabrooklyn.org
DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR
David Cunningham, AIA
Sarah Drake, AIA
David Flecha, Associate AIA
DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Marshall Shuster, AIA
Pamela Weston, Associate AIA
Susana Honig, AIA admindirector@aiabrooklyn.org
AIA BROOKLYN
JAN 2020 n ith Joh ting w t e n e e m id l s enera hapter Pre G t s ir . F C rd w Boa way as Hathe lcomed a ne e and w
AIA BROOKLYN 2020 PRESIDENT
John H. Hatheway Jr., AIA president@aiabrooklyn.org 29
FEB 2020 LYN K O O AIA BR IN
W E NLEANS OR
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n of PYLON First Editio is released.
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AIA BROOKLYN
M20A20R
due to poned ine. t s o p t g Meetin g of Quaran in n in g e b
A20P2R0 cussion l Panel Dis First Virtua ng. ti e e M r and Chapte
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M A Y 2020 Public Health becomes a part of ‘resiliency’ in the wake of COVID-19, On The Menu, Lunchtime Webinars are offered for CE credits, Regular virtual DOB Brooklyn Industry Meetings begin.
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AIA BROOKLYN
J2U02N0 George Floyd’ s murder reignites BLM movement and propels AI A Brooklyn to make changes; AIA Brooklyn releases statem ent on racial and social just iceMAY/JUNE issue of PYLO N Released; held the part 1 of a 3 part series on the pr oblem of racism featurin g AIA Brooklyn member and ow ner of Co-creating In clusion, Alethe a Cheng Fitzpatr ick.
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L JU 2020 Usually a brea k for the chap ter, we held the pa rt 2 of a 3 part series on BIPO C Representat ion in schools.
BIPOC REPRESENTATION
PART 2/3
A20U2G0 BIPOC REPRESENTATION
PART 3/3
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S20E2P0
ects Archit n n ly k o o tio The Br ship Founda r la s lan to Scho t new p dation, u o s ll ro Foun t the ze the revitali ussion abou sign c e is D d Panel jails, BKLYN ens. f p o o n n desig tratio is g e r s Award
O20C2T0 AIA Brooklyn holds a Town Hall to hear from Members about how to strengthen the Chapter.
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See full list of 2020 Brooklyn Design Awards winners at our Instagram @AIAbrooklyn
N20O2 V 0
ut ussion abo Panel Disc / re tu rchitec Brooklyn A n of io it d E l , Specia Architects u with on the Men reasurer T yn kl AIA Broo roarty. Jane McG
D20E2C0
AIA Brookl yn celebra tes the end of the year w ith the Brook lyn Awards pre Design sentation.
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A NEW PRACTICE COINCIDING WITH THE PANDEMIC
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Gunnar Burke, AIA I left my previous job working at a medium-sized firm to start my own practice at the beginning of February 2020. At that time, the COVID-19 pandemic was still, for the most part, relegated to China — and while we in Brooklyn saw the horrific events unfolding there, we had been conveyed a sense by our leaders that the disease was far from our shores, and we would be safe. That same week, news was just breaking that the disease had been found in Italy, but in Brooklyn we were all still living in blissful ignorance of what was to come. I had been hired for a restaurant project in Buffalo that I was excited to begin working on, and had another residential renovation that was already in construction and slated to be completed by April. I had set up a temporary office (consisting of my laptop and sketchbook) at the kitchen table of the small apartment on Quincy Street that I shared with my fiancé. I would get up every day excited to be working for myself — with obligations only to my clients’ demands and my own accountability to good work. It was an incredibly freeing feeling, but also very difficult! Staying focused on work in a domestic setting is a challenge that many people who were lucky enough to remain employed through the stay-at-home order have now felt. I looked forward to the future when I would be able to afford an office of some sort, so I could have a place where my brain knew was the place to be focused on work. Meanwhile, the disease had reached New York, and community-spread had begun. My fiancé was still going in to her office every day, but we were both getting more and more anxious. Finally, city and state leadership declared the stay-at-home order, and suddenly my work-fromhome setup at our small kitchen table became a shared desk with my fiancé — completely covered with a tangle of cords, papers, computers and monitors. It is incredibly difficult to think your architecture work is important while listening to ambulance sirens scream up Bedford Avenue what felt like every ten minutes. The constant reminder that people are filling hospitals beyond capacity and dying at a rapidly increasing rate, with no end or solution in sight is enough to make even the most focused, driven, over-zealous architect turn off CAD and try to find a comforting diversion. Time that in a different world would have been spent on business development for my young practice and improving my office situation melted away in favor of FaceTimes with friends and family, and indulging in distracting hobbies — mostly fermentation projects. Gunnar Burke Residential 39
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Gunnar Burke Restaurant
I was able to complete the design of the restaurant project, and construction on the residential renovation completed at the end of May. During the summer, more frequent site visits to review construction progress in Buffalo were consolidated into longer “site trips”, which required quarantining beforehand, and staying for longer lengths of time with family. My mobile office came in handy, as I was able to work just as effectively on-the-go as I was in my cramped apartment-office. The restaurant group had plans for two other projects for me that were cancelled due to the impact that COVID-19 had on their business. I came very close to looking for other work, even in other fields. However, I slowly began receiving inquiries from prospective residential clients that only reached out due to the re-thinking of the home that the pandemic and the stay-at-home orders brought about. I think we as architects have a tendency to want to constantly be in control. The chaos, uncertainty and anxiety of the pandemic taught me that there is a 40
freedom and wisdom in thoughtfully relinquishing some control. While we must remain persistent and diligent in working toward our goals, there will always be hurdles — and there is reason for hope if we can remain patient, creative, flexible and open to the myriad possibilities that present, while letting the uncontrollable circumstances unfold as they will.
Bang Wei Bao The 2020 lockdown happened in the middle of my fifthyear architecture degree project. Everyone had to pack up and leave the Pratt studio space. The sudden end of the studio culture and the loss of workspace had a detrimental impact on my degree project and the student body. It took me a while to stand back on my feet and decide to live creatively and productively, no matter what and believing the crisis is always the new opportunity. I cultivated many hobbies during the most challenging time of 2020; baking bread, running 3D prints, growings herbs in a controlled environment, drawing, and painting. The activity that gives me the most joy and satisfaction is making paper mache sculptures out of recycled paper bags from the store and deliveries. After long hours of computer work, it is such a delight standing and swaying in front of the kitchen counter, shredding paper, cutting cardboard, smashing and pressing kraft papers together. I discovered that the paper mache technique effectively materializes an idea and a good stress relief exercise. The best part is I put my recycling papers to fair use. A lot of what I do is computer modeling, rendering, and image-making. Zoom meetings, screen share, and remote control have worked excellently and become standard for presenting and receiving feedback from coworkers and principles. Because the team member knows each other well, it’s always a phone call away when anyone has a question. I love to cook. The best part of working at home is that every break I take from work contributes to preparing my day’s meal. Kneading the bread at night, baking the bread first thing in the morning, and cutting vegetables or checking the oven during my 15 mins breaks. By the time I finished work, I will have a fresh homemade meal. Working from home helped me eat less but better and healthier because I made everything myself. I know that I am more creative and productive when I mix difficult tasks with minor tasks like baking bread. The fact that people are born and die in the hospital has made the hospital a special place. I chose to design a hospital for my undergraduate degree project,
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Bang Wei Bao Herbs
hoping to discover the healthcare space’s healing power beyond its functionality. Living through this pandemic strengthened my belief that healthcare spaces have double roles to play, facilitating the treatment of the patient’s condition and providing the experience of healing. We know how to do the first but not enough about the second, and I intend to research and study healthcare space in my graduate program.
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Karyna Yanovska The onset of quarantine in March of 2020 gave way to a mountain of opportunity. It offered an exciting change of scenery alongside an abundance of time to use however I saw fit. My four hour commute to school, coupled with the time spent preparing for that commute, was bestowed upon me like a gift. I had an additional 5 hours in my every day. I quickly began to think about the many creative projects I had been putting off and dove into them immediately. Within days I had an oil painting underway. I was overwhelmingly inspired and began painting before, after and in-between my online classes. It wasn’t long before I had nearly ten different projects in the works and began to explore a variety of crafts which at some point in time interested me. I continued to feel driven for many months, however as the cold began creeping in around October, creating started to feel repetitive. By this time I had graduated from college, biked across the entirety of Brooklyn, and created an architecture project in collaboration with some pals. I was in search of full-time work and the disappointment which accompanied this search slowly shattered my inspiration. I became obsessed with finding employment and had little desire to do much else. The unfortunate reality is that finding full-time employment as a recent graduate with little to no experience is difficult. The pandemic only made it significantly harder. I rigorously inspected a great many online platforms daily for job postings, sent out countless emails and heard back from no more than ten firms
during the four months I searched. I attended interviews, both in person and over video call, and was quickly made aware of the lack of respect given to younger professionals with little experience behind them. Discussions with my peers informed me that I was not alone in my struggle and many others were faced with the same frustrations. The experiences which led me to this conclusion are many. At the forefront of these is an interview conducted in an appallingly unprofessional manner. A close friend and recent grad informed me they were stood up on scheduled interviews twice by the same employer. I wondered whether this was a common post-graduate experience or one reserved for graduates of economic downturns who are in dire need for work. Never for a second did I think I’d find myself in such a rut with a professional degree in hand. After some time staying creative became difficult. I did my best to listened to my body and mind and allowed myself to be unproductive for days at a time. I was tired and frustrated, and regularly reminded myself that my experience was not uncommon nor a reflection of my employability. Although difficult at times, I continued to check for employment opportunities daily, until eventually I received an offer. My experiences taught me a great many things about resilience, which I assumed I already knew from my time in college. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I found solace in knowing I was not alone in my hardship and hope the same can now be said for someone reading this. For some time I found joy in creativity, however did not force myself to create when joy became scarce. The incomplete projects scattered across my room await my return, and I look forward to the day when my motivation has been replenished.
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A NEW PRACTICE COINCIDING WITH THE PANDEMIC Cheryl Luo I was closing in on my first year of architecture school when COVID reached New York, and my home county became the epicenter of the pandemic. It is undoubtedly excruciating for everyone to transition into a state of isolation, especially for those of us in architecture who harvest inspiration from the world around us. When my world became confined to a bedroom, I found myself examining my consciousness for new ideas. What are spaces that I enjoy? And why? At first glance, Grand Central Terminal is a beautiful train station; it is a destination my friends and I enjoy discussing and visiting. But what exactly was special about its architecture? From my memory, I tried recalling what I loved the most about the space: the barrel-vaulted ceiling covered with constellations gave the impression of looking into a night sky. The half-moon clerestories not only increased natural light, but also aided the astrological motif. I tried to apply this style of delving deeper as I continued architecture school online. When we recall from memory, we only remember the pieces that are most relevant to us. In my work, I tried to manifest apparitions of past experiences that most resonated with me. There is always a distinct film scene, a particular painting, and a certain melody that resonates with you more than others. Usually, I can’t answer why I feel that way- it’s simple to me that if I like how it makes me feel, it is something I will admire. When I started to play more video games over quarantine, it came to my attention that inspiration can come from sources other than architecture. I like the way my villagers congregate at the town plaza in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I appreciate the narrow path along the river to fish in Stardew Valley. I am fond of the varying materials Minecraft users put into constructing their homes. I had the desire to screenshot every moment that made me feel excited. By screenshotting all these moments that I enjoyed, I could look back on them to recover the experience. Since the pandemic began, I realized a lot of moments in life are fleeting; it felt only necessary to begin recording everything that brought me happiness. I think after being alone for an extended period, and feeling compelled to self-analyze my consciousness, it helped me become a more thoughtful designer. It directed me to dissect why I am partial to particular buildings. The power of working from the memory of a feeling is something new that I experienced during the pandemic. However, while I cherish knowing the ingredients and 44
recipe, the memory of a delicious bowl of clam chowder is nowhere as fulfilling as eating one. It brought me a lot of joy and good distraction when I played video games, but what I genuinely want is to have experiences in real life that I can look back on. Reflecting on memories is good, but creating memories is even better. My hope for the future is that I have more opportunities to visit buildings in a substantial state, and observe not only the tangible elements but also the experiential facticities. Facticity pertains, therefore, to how things matter to us; not what things matter to us
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