Challenging the Norms of Architecture: Jean Nouvel’s Innovation

Many people think that architects are those who are professionally hired to create blueprints for a building, but a true architect is much more than that. Architects are trained to be designers not building drafters. However, the truth is that many architects fall into this category of making buildings that have already been made before. This is not necessarily the fault of the architect. The mainstream community tends to prefer conventional buildings and to fill this demand, many architects will supply them with a traditional building. It is the mind set of the conventional that determines the profession of architecture as it is, but there are a few who are willing to take a chance with the unconventional. When this opportunity does arise, the architect must rise to the occasion to design a type of building that has never been built before. In these instances, certain architects have created some of the most recognized buildings in the world. Every year one architect is recognized for their work as a reflection of their "talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture." This year Jean Nouvel has been awarded the Pritzker Prize, the Nobel Prize of architecture and his work exists as proof that he is deserving.

Although Jean Nouvel may not have a recognizable style, each project dares to defy convention. This 62-year old Frenchman's “unconstrained… specific visual style," challenges his training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was taught classical architecture and typological styles. His work is an example of some of the newest architecture. The projects that he has worked on are not bound by history and takes on the future and new technologies. Nouvel describes his work as dealing "with what is happening now- our techniques and materials, what we are capable of doing now... I like it when a building clearly has a date, the moment of its construction. If you do a building now and three centuries later it is not the same building. Knowledge evolves, techniques also." That is also a part of why he accepts that his designs becoming dated. Architecture is a reflection of a time and place, making context a very important factor in his buildings. The jury of the Pritzker Prize has recognized Nouvel for his "courageous pursuit of new ideas and his challenge to accept norms in order to stretch boundaries of the field... Nouvel has pushed himself to consider new approaches to conventional architectural problems. For Nouvel, in architecture there is no 'style.' Even fellow Pritzker Prize winner, Frank Gehry has said, "There is a mixture of things that are extraordinary, things that are experiments, things that do not come off aesthetically. But Jean is willing to jump in and take on things and try. That is a great quality." Jean Nouvel is forward thinking and there is no doubt that he truly deserves this honor.

Even after just looking through the many projects he has designed, his philosophy as an architect is very apparent. Each of his projects are unique because no two sites are exactly alike, so neither are his buildings. After having looked at several of his projects, it is not surprising to hear that "no one has ever accused a Nouvel building of being dull or ugly or repetitive." His work has expanded the notions of contemporary architecture. The context of each building plays an important role in the analysis and design of each building. Each design comes out of its surroundings. Nouvel strives to create buildings that have never been built before. The architecture he creates is a reflection of his philosophy that “today [architecture] is to do a structure you cannot see or understand how it is done. It disappears and you can only talk about color, symbols, and light. It's an aesthetic of miracle." His desire to emphasize color, symbols and light and hide the structure is undeniably experienced in his building design.


One of his most recent projects is a reflection of his architectural principles put into action. The Louvre Museum at the Saadiyat Cultural District, in Abu Dhabi, expected to open in 2012, is Nouvel's project where he takes context and creates an innovative structure that is hidden behind the experience of lights and shadows, as seen in the image above. The latticework dome roof is a result of Islamic influences, but the structure of this dome disappears through the streams of light that filter through it. At first glance it is hard to distinguish how the building structurally functions because the user is overwhelmed with the experience he has created. The creation of amazing spaces hidden within innovative architecture is his drive behind each building he designs.


Much of his work is built in France but Nouvel has many works all around the world and recently has added the United States into his project list. He has two project underway in America that uphold his name as an architect. The first of these is a "sustainable Modernist condo tower" in Century City, California. It is described as having a "slender profile, which allows daylight throughout all residences." The 45-story, $400 million project was designed with the feeling that it is wrapped in a dense private garden so the building has been compared as "the green blade." This design scheme is shows a great understanding of the context of Los Angeles. Initially Los Angeles was inhabited with homes with their own yard but as it runs out of space, Nouvel's design accommodates the need for city density and green space. It is more than the typical patio, because Nouvel does not do typical. The second is a 75-story, glass and steel condo tower in Manhattan, seen to the right. It is more than 1,000 feet tall, making it the tallest residential tower in New York. Even with a statement of rising above its surroundings, this characteristic is a reaction to the context around it. Context consists of culture, location, program and client which collectively come together to “provoke him to develop a different strategy for each project." Jean Nouvel's design method is different and makes for new and unique architecture every time.

A Race to Be the Best: Architecture in Dubai

Dubai has the reputation for having some of the most cutting edge and tallest architecture in the world. A desert city, Dubai is located in the United Arab Emirates by the Persian Gulf and has been referred to as "Las Vegas on steroids." There is a population of 1.6 million people and an economy consisting of trade, manufacturing and financial services. Dubai is under constant construction with new projects that are trying to top the buildings that have just been finished. With all of this ambitious architecture taking place, Dubai has been considered to be a chaotic architectural mess considering that architects all over the world are contributing new buildings. Las Vegas is considered to be over-the-top but Dubai is working its way above that with the most amazing architecture out there. Dubai allows for unrestrained architectural expression and provides an atmosphere of creativity and ingenuity for the future of architecture.

Architectural thinkers and designers are always challenging and proposing new views and new ideas for what architecture can become. With an area like Dubai, there can finally be a place where these ideas can actually take physical and material form. There are many projects underway and the currently tallest one is the Burj Dubai, shown above. In the image it is obvious to see that this building towers way above the other skyscrapers below. As of now it is over 1,700 feet tall but is predicted to actually be 2,275 feet tall. The U.S Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles is only 1,018 feet high. It is hard to imagine a building twice the height of this to exist towering above all the others in Los Angeles but in Dubai, all things are made possible.

Even though the Burj Dubai is expected to be completed in 2009 as the tallest man-made structure in the world, there many other buildings that dare to challenge the Burj. Hyder Consulting from the United Kingdom is designing a skyscraper that is said to be double the height of the Burj. Another is from Kingdom Holding Company called the Mile High Tower which is proposed to be 5,250 feet high. Other tall buildings in Dubai include the Burj Mubarak Al-Kabir at 3,285 feet tall and the Al Burj 3,940 feet tall. Competition is always a healthy thing because it causes people to challenge the existing and to create the new. If these buildings are structurally sound and safe, there should not be a problem with these super-tall buildings. If anything, they should provide an amazing architectural experience unknown to anyone in the world, until they go to Dubai.

With all this construction to be the best in its time, it is reminiscent of New York skyscraper construction in the late 1920s. Back then the Chrysler Building used to be the tallest in the world until the Empire State Building surpassed it not so far away. This attitude of "one-upmanship" is creating not only the tallest but some of the most interesting sculptural architecture in the world all in the same place. Dubai is an "architectural sculpture park" made possible through the spacing out of all these architectural pieces along the edge of the desert. The image to the left is of the Aperion Hotel by Sybarite UK. It will be a 7-star hotel built on a man-made island off the coast of Dubai. It is a 606 feet tall arch-like structure with an estimated cost of $500 million. The hotel is more like a resort island that and island resort. The Aperion Hotel is only accessible through the means of a yacht or a helicopter. This projects is only a glimpse into all the phenomenal "sculptures" that sit along the edge of the Pursian Gulf. Designboom gives a quick overview of projects that are being built and ones that have been proposed for this "architectural zoo." More of these Dubian buildings can be found on World Architecture News, which has a list and descriptions of projects underway.

Dubai is located in Middle East where it is known for being a large source of oil. However an economy based on this non-renewable resource will be short-lived. Dubai strives to create an economy not dependent on oil. By creating such an astonishing tourist location, they hope to add tourism and business to their economy. But building a city that spans such a relatively large area combined with expected visitors and tourist had to be designed in a way that was not dependant on the car. Dubai is following the model of mixed-use buildings in an effort to become a more pedestrian friendly city. Each building in itself seems to be providing all the necessities for a visitor making it not necessary to go to other places. But when in Dubai, it would be hard to resist visiting the vast array of architecture. It is not only the building that are being designed but the streets and street building conditions are taken into high consideration in order to create comfortable places to walk. Dubai's goal as a city is to make a place that is "walkable, pleasant, and urbane." There are many architects that find Dubai just horrifying and unbearable because they consider it an architectural mess. Even if that may be so, it is more like an architectural jambalaya, where all these different things come together to create something special and amazing that this world has never known.

Designing Solutions: Architecture to Build a Better World

The Internet is vast world of news, information, and opinions. In celebration of the networking capabilities of the blogosphere, I have decided to dedicate a post to commenting on other blogs. This time around I used my linkroll to find interesting posts to engage with. Many times architecture is overlooked by the pubic. What society does not realize is that architects do more that try to fulfill a functional goal or create an aesthetic building, but ultimately are trying to design the best solution for a problem. It is not only an architectural problem, but it can be economical, social, cultural, or environmental. These are issues that architectural professional are continually dealing with in order to create something more that a building. As I looked through the posts in my linkroll, I found two instances of architecture that focuses on making a place that is better than what was there before. The first post that I found was on blog Inhabitat entitled "1st LEED Parking Lot: Santa Monica Civic Center," written by Ali Kriscenski, a freelance writer who studied environmental science and sustainable design because of her interest in nature and the built environment. She discusses and describes the 1st environmentally conscious parking lot ever built and questions this "green" anomaly that houses gas-powered vehicles. The next post, "Urban, Social, and Ecological Master Plan for Cagliari by OMA," is from the blog Architecture Lab by Aline Chahine. She talks about a large urban project by OMA for a fishing port in Cagliari, the capital of an Italian island, Sardinia. This project focuses on a solution that will rejuvenate and revitalize the neglected 1970's social housing project with little intervention. OMA proposes to stimulate the communal spaces in Cagliari to regenerate the city's economy and society. OMA is using architecture to release the full potential of this sleeping city. After having read these posts, I have left comments on the page and have posted them below.

"1st LEED Parking Lot: Santa Monica Civic Center"

It is amazing to see how green architecture can be implemented, and now even a parking structure. This civic center parking lot in Santa Monica, California is a self proclaimed oxymoron. The practices and systems implemented into this parking structure are impressive: "a solar photovoltaic array on the roof," recycled materials, "low-e glazing," and "a storm-drain water-treatment system." This parking lot seems to be "greener" than many other buildings that try to be more ecological. Not only are the environmental achievements impressive but the aesthetics of the building as well. Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners and James Mary O'Conner did an amazing job on a project that could have easily become like many other mundane parking structures. If only other cities could strive to have standards of aesthetics and sustainability on parking structures and other elements of the built environment, this world would be heading towards a better place. I can understand your concern for this structure being an oxymoron being that "less than 2%" of the 900 parking spaces provide electrical outlets for electric vehicles. But the fact that main stream society has not switched over to electric cars do have to be taken into consideration. I am sure as society starts to switch over to electric cars, electrical outlets can be installed not only here but in other parking structures as well. It is also encouraging to see that there is free bicycle storage to promote alternate modes of transportation for the automobile. You posed the question of how a LEED recognized building that serves gas-powered vehicles be considered green. I believe that LEED is a standard used to measure the sustainable qualities of a building and not what specifically take place in it. Are homes that are considered sustainable and green going to be not considered as such if the people inside the house are not environmentally conscious as they waste resources and energy? Society should take any steps that will help the environment even if the means are through a building since so many of us do not practice a green lifestyle. With more buildings like this, maybe it can make up for the people's shortcoming until the population is ready to change their lifestyle.

"Urban, Social, and Ecological Master Plan for Cagliari by OMA"

It is always encouraging to see projects that strive to be more than a pretty building. I send my best wishes to Cagliari, that this project is successful in revitalizing a neglected area. Hopefully this project can become a precedent for other areas that have been neglected and are need of a facelift. OMA has always proved to be forward thinking firm and this project serves to be one of those many instances. It will be interesting to see the actual changes made to the city and the affects that will result from it. I am curious to the present state of the communal spaces and the proposed “minimal architectural intervention” that is to take place. The fact that OMA is retaining the character of the area with the existing buildings is commendable. I am a believer in maintaining context of an area. I think all architecture should retain an essence of the existing areas but “enhancing their potential.” Many places in the world today are lacking safe public spaces. Many of these “public” spaces have been privatized into gated community, isolating people from real community and society. Ideally the people of Cagliari will embrace this new scheme and plan for their community, because it is only with this that the project will truly become a success. One important and crucial step that has been mentioned is that OMA is interviewing and discussing with current inhabitants. It is a shame that such a prime location like a harbor is not being used to its fullest potential. The idea that OMA is taking by redeveloping it into more public and engaging area is an excellent solution to this ghost town of a harbor. Connecting this new public center with the center of the city will definitely activate the whole city of Cagliari. With all these effort to revitalize the city, I have no doubt that the economy and society will benefit tremendously.

Challenging the Norms of Architecture: 2008 Pritzker Prize Winner Jean Nouvel is Creating Something New, Everytime

When the world "architect" comes to mind, many people think of those who are professionally hired to create blueprint for a building, but a true "architect" is much more than that. In architecture school, students are taught design in order to educate future architects as designers not building drawers. However, the truth is that many architects fall into this category of making buildings that have already been made before. This is not necessarily the fault of the architect. It is just the simple economics of supply and demand. More people demand the conventional and to fill this demand, many architects will supply. It is the worlds mind set of convention that sets the profession of architecture as it is, but there are few who are willing to take a chance with the unconventional. When this opportunity does arise, so must the architect arise as well. In these instances, certain architects have risen to the occasion and have design some of the most recognized buildings in the world. Every year one architect is recognized for their work as a reflection of their "talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture." This year Jean Nouvel has been awarded the Pritzker Prize, the Nobel Prize of architecture.

Jean Nouvel may not have a recognizable style but each project dares to defy convention. This 62-year old Frenchman's work has been described to be "unconstrained of a specific visual style," which is the complete opposite of his training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where they taught classical architecture and typological styles. His work is an example of some of the newest architecture. He is not bound by history and takes on the future and new technologies. He describes his work as dealing "with what is happening now- our techniques and materials, what we are capable of doing now... I like it when a building clearly has a date, the moment of its construction. If you do a building now and three centuries later it is not the same building. Knowledge evolves, techniques also." That is also a part of why he accepts that his designs becoming dated. He understands that architecture is a reflection of a time and place, making context a very important factor in his buildings. The jury of the Pritzker Prize has recognized Nouvel for his "courageous pursuit of new ideas and his challenge to accept norms in order to stretch boundaries of the field... Nouvel has pushed himself to consider new approaches to conventional architectural problems. For Nouvel, in architecture there is no 'style.' " Even fellow Pritzker Prize winner, Frank Gehry has said, "There is a mixture of things that are extraordinary, things that are experiments, things that do not come off aesthetically. But Jean is willing to jump in and take on things and try. That is a great quality." Jean Nouvel is truly forward thinking and there is no doubt that he truly deserves this honor.

Even after just looking through the many projects he has designed, his philosophy as an architect is very apparent. Each of his projects are unique because no two sites are exactly alike, so neither are his buildings. "No one has ever accused a Nouvel building of being dull or ugly or repetitive." With this, he has expanded the notions of contemporary architecture. He uses context of a building to analyze and design each building. Each design comes out of its surroundings. Nouvel strives to create buildings that have never been built before. He states, " The best engineer a few decades ago was someone who could create the most beautiful beam or structure, today it is to do a structure you cannot see or understand how it is done. It disappears and you can only talk about color, symbols, and light. It's an aesthetic of miracle." His desire to emphasize color, symbols and light and hide the structure is undeniably experienced in his building design.

One of is most recent project is a very good reflection of his architectural principles put into action. The Louvre Museum at the Saadiyat Cultural District, in Abu Dhabi, expected to open in 2012, is Nouvel's project where he takes context and creates an innovative structure that is hidden behind the experience of lights and shadows, as seen in the image above. The latticework dome roof is a result of Islamic influences, but the structure of this dome disappears through the streams of light that filter through it. Much of his work is built in France but Nouvel has many works all around t he world and recently has added the United States into his project list. He has two project underway in America that uphold his name as an architect. The first of these is a "sustainable Modernist condo tower" in Century City, California. It is described as having a "slender profile, which allows daylight throughout all residences." The 45-story, $400 million project was designed with the feeling that it is wrapped in a dense private garden so the building has been compared as "the green blade." This design scheme is shows a great understanding of the context of Los Angeles. Initially Los Angeles was inhabited with homes with their own yard but as it runs out of space, Nouvel's design accommodates the need for city density and green space. It is more than your typical patio, because Nouvel does not do typical. The second is a 75-story, glass and steel condo tower in Manhattan, seen to the right. It is more than 1,000 feet tall, making it the tallest residential tower in New York. Even with a statement of rising above its surroundings, this characteristic is a reaction to the context around it. "Context, interpreted in the broadest sense, to include culture, location, program and client, provokes him to develop a different strategy for each project." Jean Nouvel's design method is different and makes for new and unique architecture every time.

Becoming Resourceful: Adding Sources to Your Source

Once again I have dedicated a post to Internet resources after a thorough exploration and investigation of the Internet. I have chosen links that will help my blog to become a source of reference for architectural information. The links that I have chosen were based and evaluated according to the Webby and IMSA criteria again to ensure only the highest quality of resources in such a large media like the Internet. Important factors that came into play for making my decisions included content, structure and design, and elements of functionality and interactivity. The ten new links are in the sidebar under linkroll (right)along with the ten links from my previous post. This time around I have tried to look for and focus more on Web resources that are from organizations and publications and a few from well respected bloggers. I have taken the time to evaluate each website on the criteria at which it excels and also the where it may be lacking.

The first four resources that I would like to refer to are the organizations. The first is from the Society of Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD). This site uses colors and graphics well and is also well structured. However the hierarchy of the elements seem a little lost making it a little more difficult as to where one is supposed to go. Unlike the International Union of Architects website where there is only one top bar guiding me through their well structured website. Its design seems a little chaotic but still manages to be usable. On the other hand Nation Organization of Minority Architects has a clear use of structure and color in their design making it easy to navigate. The graphics work well with the site which is overall very successful. When is comes to the Society of American Registered Architects, it is easy to navigate but the font and layout seem flat and not very exciting. The website seems to have been updated in 2004 making its design and graphics somewhat outdated. The next three websites are great sources for article and information of new and upcoming architecture. The first is from Architectural Record which is also a popular printed publication in the architecture field. This site is designed very well from its structure to its graphics and even down to the color scheme. If there was anything to complain about I would have to say that there is a little too much text on the home page, but overall this website is a great resource. Another great source for information is BusinessWeek's section of architecture. Their site is also well organized, even down to the point where the articles posted are categorized for easy navigation. As an architectural resource is provide one with practical information concerning architecture, but being that it is only a section of BusinessWeek, everything concerning architecture is navigated only from its specific page and not a separate bar. The last article based site is World Architecture News. The information provided on this site covers every possible category around the world in a clear layout that makes it easy to find what one may be looking for. The area of the page where the article is placed seems a bit narrow, but the side bar is clearly there to help one explore through different areas of architecture. The next two links are to popular blogs in the architecture field. These blog not only provide nice graphics but also informational insightful posts concerning a subject. The first of which is Architecture Lab. The choice of colors is pleasing and the side bar is very well organized. I also appreciate the way the articles are not fully posted but a link is provided to save space on the homepage. Another popular website is Architecture My Ninja Please (MNP) which also provides well written information that goes along with the graphics posted. This site has two side bars on the same side which make the site slightly more confusing and more difficult to navigate. The last and final site I have included in my linkroll is Archinect. Archinect is a great resource for jobs, competitions, and other architectural resources. It has a overall good design but the space left for advertising seems to compete with the important parts of this site. These new ten items added to my linkroll have expanded and has created more variety to my linkroll for thoughtfully chosen resources. Hopefully my blog can now also serve as a central source for resources and information regarding the architectural field.

It is a Race to Be the Best: Architecture in Dubai

Dubai has the reputation for some of the most cutting edge and tallest architecture in the world. This desert city in the United Arab Emirates by the Persian Gulf has been compared to "Las Vegas on steroids." This city consists of a population on 1.6 million people, from which only 200,000 actually are from Dubai, and has an estimated economy of $37 billion from trade, manufacturing and financial services. Lately this city has been popularized with its fast-growing economy and ambitious architectural projects. Dubai seems to always be in construction with projects that are trying to top the ones before it. Approximately 15% to 25% of the world's construction cranes reside in Dubai. With all these ambitious architecture taking place, one may wonder if all this is necessary or appropriate to all take place in Dubai. Las Vegas has been considered to be over-the-top, so if Dubai wants to top that, might as well do it with the most amazing architecture out there.

Architectural thinkers and designers are always challenging and proposing new views and new ideas for what architecture can become. With a place like Dubai, there can finally be a place where these ideas can actually take physical and material form. There are many projects underway and the currently tallest one is the Burj Dubai, shown above. In the image you can obviously see that this building towers way above the other skyscrapers below. It is currently over 1,700 feet tall but is predicted to actually be 2,275 feet tall. The U.S Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles is only 1,018 feet high. It is hard to imagine a building twice the height of this to exist towering above all the others in Los Angeles but in Dubai, all things are made possible.

Even though the Burj Dubai is expected to be completed in 2009 as the tallest man-made structure in the world, there many other buildings that dare to challenge the Burj. Hyder Consulting from the United Kingdom is designing a skyscraper that is said to be double the height of the Burj. Another is from Kingdom Holding Company called the Mile High Tower which is proposed to be 5,250 feet high. Other tall buildings in Dubai include the Burj Mubarak Al-Kabir at 3,285 feet tall and the Al Burj 3,940 feet tall. Competition is always a healthy thing because it causes people to challenge the existing and to create the new. If these buildings are structurally sound and safe, there should not be a problem with these super-tall buildings. If anything, they should provide an amazing architectural experience unknown to anyone in the world, until they go to Dubai.

With all this construction to be the best, it is reminiscent of New York skyscraper construction in the late 1920s. Back then the Chrysler Building used to be the tallest in the world until the Empire State Building surpassed it not so far away. This attitude of "one-upmanship" is creating not only the tallest but some of the most interesting sculptural architecture in the world all in the same place. Dubai has been referred to as an "architectural sculpture park." This is made possible through the spacing out of all these architectural pieces along the coast of this desert. The image to the left is of the Aperion Hotel by Sybarite UK. It will be a 7-star hotel built on a man-made island off the coast of Dubai. This 606 foot tall arch-like structure has an estimated cost of $500 million. This hotel is more like a resort island that and island resort. The Aperion Hotel is only accessible through the means of a yacht or helicopter. This is just a peek into all the phenomenal "sculptures" that sit along the edge of the Pursian Gulf. Designboom gives a quick overview of projects that are being built and ones that have been proposed for this "architectural zoo." More of these Dubian buildings can be found on World Architecture News, which has a list and descriptions of projects underway.

Dubai is located in Middle East where it is known for being a large source of oil. However an economy based on this non-renewable resource will be short-lived. Dubai is becoming what it is in hopes to create an economy not dependent on oil. By creating such an astonishing tourist location, they hope to add tourism and business to their economy. But building a city that spans such a relatively large area combined with expected visitors and tourist had to be designed in a way that was not dependant on the car. Dubai is following the model of mixed-use buildings in an effort to become a more pedestrian friendly city. Each building in itself seems to be providing all the necessities for a visitor making it not necessary to go to other places. But when in Dubai, it would be hard to resist visiting the vast array of architecture. It is not only the building that are being designed but the streets and street building conditions are taken into high consideration in order to create comfortable places to walk. Dubai's goal as a city is to make a place that is "walkable, pleasant, and urbane." There are many architects that find Dubai just horrifying and unbearable because they consider it an architectural mess. Even if that may be so, it is more like an architectural jambalaya, where all these different things come together to create something special and amazing that this world has never known.

Architecture is All Over the World: The Internet Helps Make the World Smaller for Us to See It

There is so much great architecture all over the world and so many places I would like to go to see it for myself. But as of now, I do not have the means to travel the places my heart desires. However I do not need to worry because the Internet is able to satisfy my need to see the world and all that is in it with one click. This week I chose to explore the Internet in search of ten items for this blog's linkroll. I looked for resources that relate to architecture in many different aspects. The variety of website I chose offer a wide array of information that is helpful in exploring and becoming more involved with the architecture today. There are many websites that focus on architecture and in order to choose the best sources I used the Webby Awards judging criteria for websites which are: content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity, and overall experience. I also used the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) standards of evaluating blogs. The first items in my linkroll I would like to talk about are the organizations I how found relevant to myself. The first it the American Institute of Architecture Students. This site is well organized and also opens the possibility for a student like myself to get connected with the professional world of architecture. This organization is a branch that originates from the American Institute of Architects, which is another item on the linkroll. Their site connects me with one of the most prominent organizations in the nation. Another organization is the Association for Women in Architecture and their site is useful to me in that I am a woman pursuing architecture. I really enjoy the graphics of this website but the amount of information it provides me with is a little lacking. The last organization on my list is the Asian American Architects and Engineers Association. This site is well organized but I feel could be more interesting in its design. The next items on my linkroll are websites that provide interesting up to date articles on architecture. The first is Arc Space. The site seems a bit cluttered with advertisements and links but the information they provide is stimulating and exciting. Another website is Architecture Week. The navigation of this site seems a little unclear but the information and images they provide are inspiring. The last site is Architect Online. This site has a lot of information from news to blogs to resources and even products. Even with all this information, the design makes all this information well organized and accessible. The last items on my linkroll are blogs. The first of which is A Daily Dose of Architecture. This site provides interesting update on new architecture and architectural products. There are always great images but the information provided could go more in depth. The next blog, Portland Architecture provides a substantial amount of information but the images could be larger. The last blog in my link roll is Inhabitat. This blog has a wide variety of posts that do not only pertain to architecture but to design as well. The images and organization of this website is well put together without overloading the page. All these sources provide a great resource or information in architecture whether it may be more concrete or more abstract and a good architect is a balance of both.

Taking the LEED: A Means of Creating Green Architecture

The population is growing and resources are depleting. That means the world must take cautious steps in order to sustain the planet. Whether it may be reducing, reusing, or recycling resources, the human population must learn ways to reduce their carbon footprint. According to Carbonfootprint.com, a carbon footprint is "the measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide." Humans are not the only ones to create a carbon footprint but buildings also have one through their energy usage profile. One way of regulating buildings' energy conservation is through LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The recognized measure of building sustainability and "green-ness" is by obtaining LEED certification. Architectural designers must take the environment into consideration in their building design. The ramifications of not doing so will take toll on the planet and the human race in the near future. Architects must now learn how to turn the environment into a design condition to improve their design and by doing so, improve the earth such as this building above that reuses an existing building to save energy.

As I was exploring the blogosphere, I came across a few articles relating to this subject. The first is entitled "Green Building's Resident Curmudgeon" from a blog called Portland Architecture. This post was written by Brian Libby, a freelance writer and blogger enthusiast. He writes about how there must be more to green buildings than just being rewarded for meeting LEED standards. The second post, "Mayne's Federal Building Too Sophisticated for LEED," is published in Inhabitat, written by Evelyn Lee. In this post she writes about how Tom Mayne's building (shown on the left) has won multiple awards for its energy efficient design but LEED's point system is unable to match the technologies used. With "green" design being so popular it was interesting to see issues arising outside of sustainability's normal praise and promotion. After reading these posts I responded with my own comments on these issues which are written below.

"Green Building's Resident Curmudgeon"

As a 2nd year architecture student, I found your post to be eye-opening and thought provoking. Only being a sophomore in school, I always hear about sustainability and LEED but never realized how these factors affected real design. As a designer myself, I would have to admit that if I knowingly made efforts to follow LEED standards, I too would want to be rewarded with praise for my accomplishment. But after reeding this post, I take a step back to see that it is not about me or my design, but how the building will exist and affect the planet.

I agree that the spaces in "green buildings" are much nicer than spaces filled with artificial lighting. I am only a beginner in this field but I find it fascinating the way architects can create green design in interesting ways. I know that sustainability will continue to be a pressing issue in architecture and design. I also know that forward thinking architects will be able to find ways to make green buildings in other ways outside of the LEED points. Hopefully LEED will be able to change their standards in order to accommodate all green buildings.

There is one building that I have come across by Tom Mayne that falls into this category. His new Federal Building utilizes new technologies to create efficient energy design. It has won several awards already but LEED's point system currently cannot account for the systems in place in the Federal Building. I wonder if LEED is making any efforts to address this issue because I am sure in the future many other buildings will follow in suit.

"Mayne's Federal Building Too Sophisticated for LEED"

It is a shame that something created to help the earth is unable to keep up with it. As an architecture student, I know that designers are continually challenging design and the factors that come with it. As we move into a time where environmental preservation becomes more of an issue it is ignorant to disregard it as a design factor. I believe Tom Mayne is a great architect, not only because he is USC alumni, but he is also forward thinking.

It is unfortunate that the LEED point system is unable to account for the technologies and systems he has used in the Federal Building to create an energy efficient building. The only good thing that I can say that has come out of it though is that it serves as proof for his ingenuity in sustainable design. Other buildings just follow LEED's points to create a green building but Tom Mayne has found new ways to help the planet. It is encouraging to see that design doesn't have to be compromised in the goal of sustainability.

The existence of the Federal Building make me wonder as to how many more buildings have gone unrecognized for their energy efficient design. Sustainability should be a goal the whole planet should be thinking about and putting into action but until then there should be a more current model and set of standards that architects and designers can follow. Currently LEED is a system that rewards buildings with certifications, but I am sure that in the future LEED will become a set standard for all building when the planet is at the end of its limits. But that is why we should make more of an effort now so that time would come much later.

Urban Sprawl is Inevitable: So Let's Do It In Style

Los Angeles is known to be one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States spanning a large area of California. However compared to that of New York, Los Angeles is actually less dense being that New York is a very vertical city with all of its sky scrappers and high rise buildings. But as we enter a new stage of urbanization, Los Angeles is finding its self reaching for the skies as well.

The problem of urban sprawl is the conversion of open rural land into built developed land. The 2000 U.S census defines "urbanized area" as block with a population density of 1,000 people or more with in an area of a square mile and blocks around that have a density of 500 people per square mile. According to Sprawl City, Los Angeles ranks as the 6th most urbanized city in the United States and will only continue to grow denser. Population growth is impending with expected growth rates exceeding 4.5%. As we move into the future this factor cannot be ignored. Urban planners must take into consideration of how to manage and fit everyone into a city that seems to be running out of room. Being that there are environmental concerns of developing untouched open rural land, spreading horizontally seems to not be the best solution in this developing world. The only option then is to build up.


One effort to thwart this struggle of urbanization is the Wilshire and Vermont Station, shown in the image above. This residential development was built to encourage urban life that utilizes public transportation. It includes 2,400 apartment units and entertainment and shopping on the ground level. Below ground level is the Metro Red Line which is a part of a existing and developing network of transit stations. These "transit villages" that exist from Hollywood and Highland all the way to Old Town Pasadena, allow for the possibility expanded use of bus and rail systems to commute all around Los Angeles. Many new developments within Los Angeles are mixed-used buildings. Mixed use combines both commercial and residential to create more microcosmic areas of Los Angeles reducing the use or need of an automobile. Currently many existing buildings are separated by zoning which has led this city to become very automobile driven. The Wilshire and Vermont Station is not only a solution to density but also for automobile issues like traffic and pollution.

Another development currently underway is L.A. Live which is under construction north of the University of Southern California campus on Figueroa, next to the Staples Center. It has also been referred to as Times Square West and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District. This $2.5 billion dollar project, spreading across 4 million square-feet, is a mixed-use development by Anshutz Entertainment Group and Syska Hennessy Group is serving as the master plan consultant. Its 27 acres cover six city blocks and will serve as the event center of Southern California. This is just the beginning of Los Angeles' emerging high-density urban residential neighborhood and pedestrian district. This development will cater to residents, commuter, guests and tourists as a sporting and entertainment destination.

A major component to L.A. Live is the Nokia Theater, which is completed and is currently open and running shows while the plaza is still under construction. It is a mid-sized venue for live performances and events. It is 235,000 square-feet and seats 7,100. Other attractions include Club Nokia and Nokia Plaza which can both serve as alternative performance arenas. L.A. Live will also be home to a ESPN studio and its regional headquarters. Restaurants that are underway include the likes of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, Katsuya, Yardhouse, and Wolfgang Puck. Lucky Strike Lanes will soon become the new local bowling alley. This area will also be home to the Grammy Museum. Capitalizing on this new area being a new tourist hot spot there are also a Ritz-Carlton hotel and residence. Besides that there are many residential projects that are built, under construction, or currently being planned for this South Park area of Los Angeles. This project will also create 3,500 new parking spaces and in Los Angeles you can never have too much parking. However in hopes to transition to a less automotive driven city, L.A. Live will utilize public transportation through the MTA network or transportation.

The L.A. Live project started in September 2005 and began its 3 part phase with the opening of Nokia Theatre in October 2007. The next phase will be the opening of restuarants, the museum, the club the bowling alley and studio in October 2008. The last phase will be completed with the opening of the hotel and movie theater in late 2009.

This project will have immense affect in Los Angeles. L.A. live will have a significant economic impact of over $10 billion, creating over 25,000 jobs, and produce more that $18 million in annual tax events and room rights revenues. L.A. Live is expected to have over 13.5 million visitors annually. It will also bring a new sense of life that has been missing downtown due to its historic buildings and lack of tourist attractions.

Los Angeles is going through a face lift and it will only come out looking better, feeling better, and performing better. Slowly the center of Los Angeles will become more metropolitan but still be connected with the suburban areas surrounding it. The city will benefit exponentially through these slow and small changes.