BIG Architecture in Copenhagen: Hedonistic Sustainability

BIG believes sustainability does not require sacrifice. Rather, good design can simultaneously improve quality of life and address sustainability.

CNN Video: http://www.archdaily.com/145049/video-hedonistic-sustainability-in-copenhagen-featuring-big/

Preserve or Demolish?

A Barcelona firm was just selected to design a new cultural quarter in the Swiss city of Lausanne. Their bold proposal to shift from the historical toward the contemporary set them apart from the other finalists.

"They found EBV's the most convincing entry because it was the only one to propose replacing a historic building with a new home for the Musee Cantonal des Beaux-Arts.

The judges felt this would be the best way of fulfilling the brief, which sought to create a new cultural district for the city centre on a site currently filled with abandoned rail yards.

The practice aims to preserve the area's industrial atmosphere by retaining some of the existing buildings and infrastructure.

"Whether to preserve or demolish was one of the biggest questions," said Samsel"

Full story: http://archrecord.construction.com/yb/ar/article.aspx?story_id=160448017

More: http://www.musees.vd.ch/en/musee-des-beaux-arts/exhibition/past-exhibitions/the-winning-design-in-the-architecture-competition-bleu-for-the-new-mcba/

Arch Record Articles

In case you missed them, you may want to check out two articles in a recent online issue of Arch Record, both of which refer to changing civic space in major cities. In different ways, they both emphasize the political and economic processes influencing civic space.

NYC opens Highline Section 2: http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2011/06/110607-High-Line.asp

An Unwelcome Overhaul at Chicago's Trump Plaza: http://archrecord.construction.com/yb/ar/article.aspx?story_id=159921227

Studio off to a strong start

The studio is off to a strong start. We have completed three weeks of classes, and are already nearing the midpoint of the semester. Last week the students met with Kansas City stakeholders representing a variety of interests in the city, including residents from downtown neighborhoods, professionals from the real estate community, and the Kessler Society of Kansas City. The input from these people will help inform the students’ research and design projects.

Back on campus, the students have been researching urban conditions and testing potential futures through a process of critical mapping. This process is building a compendium of maps framing critical issues, dilemmas, and strategies that will lead to design proposals for Kansas City civic space.

This week the students are mapping the concerns and aspirations shared by stakeholders, refining long-term scenario thinking, and developing specific strategies to address dilemmas we have identified. The work is promising, but much remains to be done...

#cityecologies #civicspace #JamesCorner

From Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron, on recent civic park initiatives in Philadelphia:

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/inga_saffron/20110527_Changing_Skyline__A_bumper_crop_of_new_parks_sprouting_in_Philadelphia.html

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/inga_saffron/20110508_Changing_Skyline__Philadelphia_has_long_been_cheap_when_it_comes_to_parks.html

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/inga_saffron/20110506_Changing_Skyline__Delightful_pier_park_brings_hope_to_waterfront.html

#quickresponse

Articles on hashtags and QR codes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/fashion/hashtags-a-new-way-for-tweets-cultural-studies.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=hashtag&st=cse

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/fashion/paperless-business-cards-noticed.html?scp=1&sq=QR&st=cse