A police officer was flagged down, and he came upon the body near a retaining wall by the east entrance to the old Selby Avenue streetcar tunnel. She was naked except for a black T-shirt. A stream of blood ran from her head.

An autopsy later revealed she was stabbed 11 times in her neck, chest, back and arms, with six of the wounds concentrated on her neck, one of which severed her carotid artery. There also were bruises and cuts on the body and face.

Using fingerprints, investigators learned her name, Annette Gail Seymour, and that the 39-year-old lived in a nearby apartment on Dayton Avenue.

Authorities say her husband, James Fletcher, had a combative, estranged relationship with Seymour and argued with her hours before her body was found on July 14, 1992. Fletcher was brought in for questioning but released.

Eventually the case went cold.

About a year ago Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Andrew Johnson had wrapped up his work charging Michael Anthony Withers with the long-unresolved murder of Lillian Kuller, an elderly woman strangled inside her St. Paul home in 1987.

Johnson and his colleague, Rick Dusterhoft, developed a knack for finding paths forward for long-dormant cases.

So Johnson picked up the file on Seymours death.

He said it didnt take long to realize there was the makings of a solid case against John Robert Capers, including DNA evidence from tests the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension ran in 2009 from Seymours shirt.

The DNA matched Capers, now 65, and equally important, excluded Seymours husband, Johnson said. Fletcher died in 2008.

Capers was interviewed about the findings in 2011, and denied knowing Seymour or having any involvement in her death, but his word cant refute DNA evidence, Johnson said.

With that in mind, he and police reached out to old witnesses to corroborate their findings.

Johnsons office charged Capers this week with one count of second-degree murder in Seymours death. Police took him into custody Wednesday morning, Dec. 11.

It came down to, with the people who were still alive, can we make the case, Johnson said. And we believe we can.

Johnson called Seymours family to tell them his office was finally charging someone in her death.

They were very pleased, he said.

Capers was known to the Ramsey County Attorneys Office. The St. Paul man was charged in 1987 with two home invasions, one of which involved the rape of a stranger, Johnson said.

Capers wound up reaching a deal with prosecutors after a jury failed to reach a verdict in his case. His contact with law enforcement after that was for minor crimes: misdemeanor level domestic assault, lying to police, theft.

But one was a conviction on a drug charge that mandated his DNA be entered into the offender database, Johnson said.

Thats how investigators linked him to the DNA sample taken from Seymours shirt when they reexamined evidence in the case in 2009, Johnson added, noting that none of the evidence tested contained Fletchers DNA.

Thats when his office and police started looking for witnesses who might still be alive who could help them build their case, Johnson said.

At the time Seymours husband told police he had been at her apartment the night she died and the two had argued. He said she followed him out of the apartment not far from where her body was found.

The argument continued, but Fletcher said he eventually told Seymour, who he said was drunk at the time, to go home. He said he watched her walk back toward the Cathedral and out of sight.

A couple who were friends of Fletchers confirmed to police at the time that hed been in and out of their home that evening, with the woman saying Fletcher returned for the last time around 2 a.m.

She told police Fletcher didnt appear nervous and described the clothes he was wearing at the time, noting that she didnt notice any blood on him or see him carrying anything suspicious. The woman reiterated her story to investigators when she was contacted again recently, Johnson said.

Capers lived at 940 Marshall Avenue, which is less than 2 miles from where Seymour was found.

This is the third cold case Ramsey County has charged in recent years.

Withers pleaded guilty in Kullers death in 2018.

And, the office secured a conviction against Norman Bachman in 2015 for murdering and dismembering his wife, Toni Bachman, in 1997.

Johnson and Dusterhoft often try to chip away at the stack of unsolved homicide cases in the evening or on weekends.

They are interested in solvable, cases, they said, adding that some even when police and prosecutors think they know the perpetrator cant be proven for various reasons. Johnson estimated the cases that fit the bill number in the teens.

I mean cold cases are cold for a reason, Dusterhoft said. Some of them, absent someone coming forward with a story, and a good story, you are just never going to figure it out. Theres just too many suspects.

Both men said they are drawn to the work, describing cold cases as puzzles that can come with an unusual reward when solved.

Ive now had three cases where I have been able to tell somebody that I know who killed their loved one and they didnt think theyd ever know or they didnt think that person would ever be brought to justice, Johnson said.

In Seymours case, her family thought it was likely her estranged husband killed her until the DNA evidence indicated otherwise, Johnson said.

I got a thank you card from her daughter and it was pretty effusively thanking me. I have never gotten anything like that before, Johnson said.

For Dusterhoft, reading through old police files and piecing together which ones still have witnesses alive today is fascinating.

He and Johnson say they have learned that there are several elements to cracking cold cases.

Relationships change over time. Reasons why people didnt talk or did talk can change over time, and new technology. Thats how you solve these things, he said.

Capers is expected to make his first court appearance Thursday morning.

The St. Paul Police Department is planning to dedicate a homicide investigator to work on cold cases when the current caseload allows us to do so, said Steve Linders, a department spokesman. The city has seen the most homicides this year in more than two decades.

Mara H. Gottfried contributed to this report.

Original post:
Man charged in 1992 stabbing of St. Paul woman whose body was found near St. Paul Cathedral - Grand Forks Herald

Blizzards walloping Newfoundland's west coast on Monday have left a pair of restaurant owners worried their life's work will be washed away.

High winds have whipped the water near Trout River into a frenzy, causing flooding and damage to structures along the harbour, according to Seaside Restaurantco-owner Jenny Parsons.

Clapboards and shingles have been ripped off her restaurant, which normally sits a few dozen metres from shore, Parsons said.

"Nobody has ever seen it this bad before," she said. "Trout River is in a state of emergency."

Submitted by Jenny Parsons

The boardwalk along the harbour isn't holding up to constant battering, she added.

Parsons now fears for the retaining wall just underneath that walkway. "If that goes and if the seas keep like they are that's a major possibility there will be major destruction here on the waterfront."

She said townspeople have been making calls to provincial officials for help and hopeit comes soon.

"Seconds are important here right now," she said. "We may have to take it in our own hands. I'm not going to let my restaurant go out to sea."

Environment Canada continued a blizzard warning on Monday afternoon that covered the Gros Morne area.

Winds have been gusting as much as 110 km/h in places.

"Visibility will be frequently reduced to near zero to give blizzard-like conditions in blowing snow. Little improvement is expected until winds begin to ease on Tuesday evening," the statement said.

Submitted by Jenny Parsons

Nestled into the coastline by Gros Morne National Park, Trout River draws tens of thousands of tourists each year.

But successive storms and harsh weather over the years have threatened the narrow beach and the boardwalk that runs alongside it.

Heavy flooding in western Newfoundland in January 2018 took a dramatic toll on the community's infrastructure.

In other years, harsh weather was also destructive. In February 2007, pounding waves hit the retaining wall and damaged the railing.In January 2006, a storm surge washed away sections of the boardwalk.

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

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Trout River restaurant owners fear its destruction as fierce waves tear siding from building - Yahoo News Canada

Q: We plan a simple kitchen update by changing things like the faucet and cabinet hardware. Along that line, is there anything else you can suggest to give our kitchen a fresh look without getting into a complicated install?

Betsy, Washington state

A: When you mentioned changing out your kitchen faucet, that gave me a good idea.

A hot trend right now is installing a modern-looking kitchen chandelier with hints of antique styling. This type of lighting fixture design usually lends itself to most kitchen layouts.

Kitchen chandeliers have become so popular that some faucet manufacturers have started to market the chandeliers with metal finishes that perfectly match the kitchen faucet. So if your present electrical setup can adapt to this type of light fixture, a new kitchen chandelier can really brighten up your mornings.

Master contractor/plumber Ed Del Grande is the author of the book Ed Del Grandes House Call, the host of TV and Internet shows and a LEED green associate.

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Plumber Q&A: Chandeliers are moving into the kitchen - The Union Leader

To those of you who wonder (often using your outdoor voice, by the way) why I write so often about President Trump, let me give you a hint: He recently said Americans have to flush the toilet 10 to 15 times because modern, low-flush toilets dont work. This problem, which exists only inside Trumps tortured noggin, is what keeps the leader of the free world up at night. Toilets. That dont work. Except they do. Really well.

For those of you who missed it, let me explain. Trump went on one of his patented weird out-of-body ramblings the other day in which he said, Were looking very strongly at sinks and showers ... people are flushing toilets 10, 15 times, as opposed to onceyou cant wash your hands so little water comes out ... you have many states where they have so much water, it comes down its called rain.

Yes, friends, thats the President of the United States on water, rain and how dirty his hands are. But lets not talk about Ukraine right now. Those of us who pay close attention to Trumps tirades are used to his proclamations of something being very strongly looked into and usually we just snicker and move on, but this? This created not a snicker but a full-on face-plant into some pretty decent penne with vodka sauce. Which is to say, do not listen to Trump while eating because its a choking hazard.

I feel that very strongly.

Trump, in remarks to a Small Business Roundtable at the White House last week added this gem regarding showers: You turn the faucet onand you dont get any waterwater comes dripping out, very quietly, dripping out.

Do what?

Sorry. What I meant to say was DO WHAAAAAT?????

Look, I get it. Water pressure is awesome. I stayed at an Air BnB recently where the shower pressure could best be described as old man spitting onto sidewalk every 30 seconds. But generally, this is pretty rare.

What on earth is he trying to flush because please understand: If Trump gets all emo about a bigly problem, its something that personally affects him on the daily. Only things that cause Trump even a hint of personal woe are all that matter to him.

If it causes you pain in your daily life, well, thats not going to make the cut in Trumpland. Say you have your food stamps slashed to the point you have to feed the kids mustard sandwiches for dinner, well, thats a you problem. Which means it doesnt really matter to him. Besides, he needs that money to pay for his dumb wall that doesnt work.

One wag suggested Trump is probably upset at how many flushes it takes to get the entire Constitution down the drain. Indeed.

In light of his weird water theories, how can I NOT write about this president? In the immortal words of that great mafia kingpin, Michael Corleone, Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

Wilmingtons Celia Rivenbark is a NYT-bestselling author and columnist. Visit http://www.celiarivenbark.com.

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CELIA RIVENBARK: Plumbing the depths of why I write so much about Trump - StarNewsOnline.com

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Attractive Market Opportunities in the Plumbing Fixtures & Fittings Market By 2029 - Sound On Sound Fest

Are Architects and Developers Finally Addressing the Same Global Concerns?

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Architects and developers have always been on opposite ends of the construction world. While the first wanted to create dreamy spaces, the latter just wanted to cater to the basic needs. In these past few years, the world has witnessed significant changes, with the aggravation of climate-related issues, the evolution of technological solutions, and the newly acquired awareness and growth of the population.

While everything is transforming,building trends also evolved, mainly due to an alteration in peoples perceptions and priorities. However, one question remains unanswered: Could all these changes mean that the never-ending conflict between architects and developers reached some sort of common grounds? And could they finally be seeking one same goal, of a sustainable, resilient and inclusive future?

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ArchDaily had the opportunity to discuss sustainability, resilience, and cities with Chris Lepine, Associate Director at Zaha Hadid Architects and two major developers in Georgia, Nodar Adeishvili, Director General of LISI Development, and Temur Bitsadze, Chief Development Officer of Alliance Group. The conversation occurred during a forum in Tbilisi, entitled Building Sustainable and Resilient Cities, organized by Property Georgia and FIABCI Georgia. Read on to discover a newly developed understanding between the different parties, highlighted through their most prominent projects.

ArchDaily (Christele Harrouk): How would you describe your general approach?

ZHA: At Zaha Hadid Architects, we are always trying to push forward the design, give back to the city, and generate a unique experience for the inhabitants and for the community. With our latest completed project, 1000 museum, a very prominent structure on the Miami skyline, we had to think about something special, for it was the last gap in a row of towers. For example, the tower hits the ground, with a cut on its corner to create more breathing space and have a presence on the pedestrian level. Through our international work, we get to see that we live in a global society, and clients nowadays have a lot of knowledge about innovative products and building techniques. We always try to work with novel methods, that we can potentially bring to other projects and gain from our experience.

Lisi: Green Town in Tbilisi is built on only 20% of the land, with 80% accessible open and green spaces. Although we are not central, but we are situated on a hill overlooking the city, we are selling at the same rate apartments in the city center would go for. In fact, we have created a neighborhood, with all the amenities possible, so that no one goes out of the district, or takes his car. In this development, we have worked with Georgians architects as well as international collaborators like UN studio, and Ricardo Bofill. We wanted to bring big names to make iconic buildings in the district and for marketing and development purposes. On another hand, regarding other projects, we are always following the same concept, by ensuring maximum free land for the public, and that is how we are developing ski resorts in Bakuriani, a mixed-use with energy-efficient houses.

Alliance: People worldwide are not happy with high-rises. Nevertheless, we have a different concept, that drives our architectural decisions because we are more focused on developing mixed-use projects, and on gathering multiple functions in one plot. We might build high rises in the city center, but we do so with environmentally friendly decisions and approaches, and excellent architectural design. For example, we include a lot of green spaces in our interventions, and we make the best of our rooftops by installing wind turbines, to generate electricity in common areas. Faades of the buildings direct the rain towards water collectors, to irrigate the open spaces, and natural sunlight isabundant in our interiors.

AD: How would you define sustainability?

ZHA: Sustainability requires multiple layers of involvement from the architects, the developers, and the city. 1000 museum is built according to the Florida green building condition and is certified platinum, in concordance with the clients brief and wishes. A lot of it comes down to how the mechanical equipments are specified, how efficient they are, the MEP standards, high-performance glass, recessed balconies for shading, interior gardens, etc. Basically, sustainability is, design and technology at the same time, but I think technology will have a bigger part to play in the future with more efficient innovations.

Lisi: Sustainability and profitability are a challenge, and this is where we found an opportunity to make a difference. Actually, the site of our project was not perceived as livable 5 years ago. Today it is a very prestigious district, mainly because we didnt just put standards but we introduced a new lifestyle, especially for families. Most of our clients already had apartments in the center but were seeking an ecologically friendly area, green zones, public spaces, and other basic needs that became unattainable in cities.

Alliance: Basically, in hotels and residential, technological tools are helping us deliver environmentally friendly outcomes. Sustainability has also an important financial aspect to it, it is also about creating steady incomes, from our ventures. In fact, our clients will keep investing with us as long as we are assuring a return on their investments.

AD: What does Resilience mean to you? and how is it portrayed in your work?

ZHA: Resilience means a building that bounces back, with a certain strength. For sustainability, there are a bunch of techniques, technologies, a lot of checklists to say if its sustainable or not, but when it comes to resilience, its a completely different approach. What makes a city strong and resilient is actually the people that want to be in that space, and that are attracted to that area. A resilient urban entity is a place that people take pride in. If this doesnt exist, then the city will never be resilient nor sustainable. If you actually create a place that no one wants to be in, even if it follows all the sustainable checklists, it will not survive. It has to be a place where people want to be.

Lisi: We are a role-model for the city, showcasing how the private sector can make a change. Resilience is to say that we dont want to build on 80% of the land, we want to build on 20% of the land we are developing. This is how we make a change, in the culture and approach of the business, and contribute to the city by devoting more green spaces, while being a profitable company.

Alliance: We are creating landmarks that stand out and make the city different. Our goal is to differentiate our city from others, and our structures are conceived to cater to this urban entity. We create beautiful structures because the city needs innovations and needs attractive constructions. Whatever we are creating, we are not only thinking on the investment level but on a bigger futuristic scale.

AD: How are you introducing these relatively new ideas to clients?

ZHA: Just like any other architect, faced with a site and a certain allowable GFA (Gross floor area), we confront clients thatwant to maximize the exploitable areas. Our approach is based on proposing ways where a developer can get just as much through good design, and clever solutions rather than maximizing the GFA. That is not always convincing for the other party, thats why I think that we need better governmental regulations and incentives to back up our ideas. Aesthetically we have our signature, and we always try to provide a space that people can enjoy so that our intervention becomes part of that urban condition rather than a completely isolated work of architecture. In our project in Bratislava, where we have several residential towers on a garden site, the park is accessible to the general public. In fact, the private developerused our proposal, to his advantage, while negotiating the permissions with the city council.

Lisi: 6 years ago, persuading clients was a big challenge,and theproblem was actually explaining what this place will look like, several years later. In fact, its all about timing, the right product at the right place. For us, it was about being innovative and the first to deliver ecologically friendly areas with green zones near the city center. Along with the project, and within our territory, we have developed 2 schools, in order to create an educational hub. The main idea was to eliminate the need to move outside of the district,so we created everything within a walkable distance, like small stores, pharmacies, and kindergartens. Its a learning curve, and we are always adding some benefits to the district. For example, we started harvesting rainwater and added electrical chargers on the streets to incentivize people to buy electric cars.

Alliance:Architects often want toimagine something exceptional, that doesnt fit in the agenda of the developers. In our projects, we try to push for what the architect desires, because we believe that he is portraying the needs of the future tenants. We also try to compensate for building huge constructions in front ofmodestbuildings, by implementingplayful designsthat are keen on preserving the original panoramas.In all our projects, we create an important infrastructure of common spaces and we generate semi-public spaces on the ground floors. Our green spaces on the inside and outside are always accessible by the public. Environmentally friendly approaches are considered to be the major reason why some clients seek to invest in our projects.

More:
Are Architects and Developers Finally Addressing the Same Global Concerns? - ArchDaily

Mary Arnold-Forster Architects used planks of burnt larch to clad a cross-laminated timber house in the Scottish Highlands raised on low foundations above the rocky landscape.

The house is located in the small village of Nedd, which is also the name of the project.

Mary Arnold-Forster Architects surveyed the site to determine a location that could be built upon without breaking any of the surrounding rocks.

They chose a spot nestled between two outcrops.

No ground-bearing slab was used in order to minimise the impact on the land. Instead a series of cross-laminated timber (CLT) units make up the structure, which is supported by concrete pillars.

The size of the modules, which are made by Carbon Dynamic, was determined by the size of lorry that was able to reach the site on a small, single-track road.

Using the dimensions of these units, the plan of the home was divided into three pods one for the living spaces, one for the en-suite master bedroom and another for the guest bedroom and showers.

A corridor links all of these sections, opening out with a large, north-facing window as it move from the bedrooms into the kitchen, living and dining area.

"I wanted to avoid a wall of glass but instead to frame the large view in two key rooms; the living space and the main bedroom, partly due to the topography of the site," said Arnold-Forster.

"The other windows frame views of the rocks, heather and grasses."

These windows look out eastwards towards the nearby Loch Nedd.

Large, full-height sliding glazed doors provide access out to small areas of decking to be used during warmer months.

A thin rain screen of burnt larch which draw echoes the nearby birch trees in winter.

This cladding was chosen for it robustness and contributes to to an airtight envelope that means very little heating is required inside the home, apart from a wood-burning stove.

Inside, a grooved lining of dark wood mirrors the appearance of the exterior for the corridor space.

Bedrooms and living spaces are lined in pale timber.

A small outbuilding adjacent to the home provides storage space.

It was finished with the same materials as the main home to create a unity between the two.

Mary Arnold-Forster set up her practice in 2016, specialising in creating sustainable homes in remote locations across Scotland.

Last year, the practice completed a home on the Isle of Sky clad in black tin to emulate a traditional Scottish blackhouse.

Photography is by David Barbour.

Go here to see the original:
House clad in burnt larch perches on a rocky site in the Scottish Highlands - Dezeen

Tearing the Hurley down would be an easier way for a developer to make the most money to maximize assets, as they say. But Dickinson and others want a more thoughtful approach that keeps the Hurley intact while still reaping a profit for the state.

Can they pull it off? That remains to be seen. Its still early. The state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance stirred up this storm in late October by unveiling plans to seek a redeveloper for the 3.25-acre site. The next step: filing a notice with the Massachusetts Historical Commission, indicating that dramatic changes are coming. The division will work with the historical agency on development parameters, before drawing up a request for proposals. Preservation considerations will be one factor in picking the winning bid, a spokesman said. But there will be others, including design, finances, project team diversity.

In short, there are no guarantees at this point.

To some, the six-story Hurley building is a hulking reminder of the urban renewal that swept away entire blocks of the city decades ago; bring on the bulldozers. To many others, its just another nondescript government bunker; no huge loss.

To the Hurleys supporters, though, the building represents an essential piece of Bostons history. Rudolph initially planned the Government Services Center block (its often spelled with the singular Service) as an answer to its more famous Brutalist neighbor, Boston City Hall. Instead of a wind-swept plaza, Rudolph envisioned a Roman-style amphitheater with gardens, encircled by government offices.

That vision was never fully realized. The Hurley and its twin, the Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center, went up, but a 23-story government tower remained on the drawing board. (Eventually, the Edward W. Brooke courthouse was built in the towers place.)

The Division of Capital Asset Management has said it will keep the Lindemann intact. But probably not the Hurley: At least $200 million in renovations would be required to modernize the building, work that still wouldnt address flaws such as an inefficient layout and a dearth of windows on the top floor.

The roughly 675 government workers in the Hurley will need to move during construction, expected to occur in 2023 and 2024. Because federal Department of Labor funds were once invested in the property, the future redeveloper will need a place on the Hurley site for state labor and workforce development workers. Other state agencies will relocate for good, while private-sector offices get built there.

The buildings future had already stimulated discussions in the architectural community. Haril Pandya at CBT Architects once asked his students at Roger Williams University to design ways to reuse the building; one team came up with a hotel, for example. Mark Pasnik engaged in a similar exercise a few years ago in his classes at Wentworth Institute of Technology, in part showing a new tower could coexist with the Hurley.(Pasnik, by the way, prefers the term concrete modernist over Brutalist.)

Greg Galer, head of the Boston Preservation Alliance, says he remains cautiously optimistic about the Hurley. He notes that the capital asset division often works with his group to preserve older state buildings, and cites the agencys good-faith efforts to remove chain-link fences that once blocked off some of the Hurley campus. Others are far more concerned that there wont be much left after the dust settles. Thats why Dickinson, from the Rudolph foundation, is working to rally supporters who can make the case that the Hurley is a treasure, one that should be preserved.

The Hurley opened not long after City Hall, which has been vilified by some as one of the citys ugliest buildings, and the structures echo each other in several ways. City Halls survival was once an open question, too; Thomas M. Menino, the former mayor, made no secret about his desire to tear it down. But Mayor Martin J. Walsh has taken a different approach with City Hall, an effort at making the concrete fortress and its brick plaza more inviting.

Beauty can be in the eye of the beholder, of course. Preservationists hope enough people see the beauty in the Hurley to ensure its survival.

Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jonchesto.

Original post:
Architects, other supporters rally to save the Hurley building - The Boston Globe

As 2019 draws to a close, were looking back on some of the events that made it memorable. Weve rounded up this years funniest, most important, and most controversial stories, as well as homages to some of the people we lost. The world is a little less bright without these iconic designers, but from the Louvre pyramid to a series of architecturally-diverse cancer care centers, their legacies live on.

I.M. Pei

I.M. Pei in 2017 (Courtesy Pei Cobb Freed & Partners)

Louvre pyramid designer I. M. Pei passed away at 102, bringing an epic career of international acclaim to a close. Born in 1917 in Guangzhou, China, Pei moved to the U.S. to attend architecture school at the University of Pennsylvania and later MIT, following by the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He founded Pei Cobb Freed & Partners (formerly I.M. Pei & Associates) in 1955 and decades later won the 1983 Pritzker Prize for projects such as the Mile High Center in Denver, Colorado. Among Peis other notable projects is the National Gallery of Art, East Building, in Washington, D.C., and the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong.

Kevin Roche

Kevin Roche (Gerald Wenner/Courtesy of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates)

Legendary Irish-born American architect Kevin Roche passed away at age 96 in March. His namesake firm, Roche-Dinkeloo, was founded in tandem with partner John Dinkeloo after the death of their boss and mentor Eero Saarinen in 1961. A modernist architect trained by Saarinen and Mies van Der Rohe, Roche designed over 200 buildings in his lifetime including the Ford Foundation headquarters in Midtown Manhattan and the Oakland Museum of California. He was the 1982 Pritzker Prize Laureate and won an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1993.

Florence Knoll Bassett

Florence Knoll Bassett (Courtesy Mies Van der Rohe Society)

Midcentury modern designer Florence Knoll passed away at age 101 this January. Considered one of the most influential furniture designers in history, her sleek and minimal pieces became commonplace throughout American postwar office spaces and later in homes. In 1955, she took over Knoll Inc, the company started by her husband Hans in 1938, which continues to manufacture furniture by designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Eero Saarinen, and Knoll herself, among others.

Phil Freelon

Phil Freelon (Courtesy The Freelon Family)

Phil Freelon, one of the lead designers of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, died at 66 this July. The Durham, North Carolina-based architect founded his eponymous firm, The Freelon Group, in 1990 and was responsible for projects like Atlantas National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, and Houstons Emancipation Park. The studio was acquired by Perkins+Will in 2016 and Freelon stepped in to lead its regional office.

Henry Urbach

Henry Urbach (Sarale Guy Lavy)

Former SFMOMA curator Henry Urbach passed away at 56 this summer, and his friends and family are opening new dialogues on the subject of mental health in his memory. Urbach, who more recently served as director of Philip Johnsons The Glass House, suffered from Late-Onset Bipolar Disorder. He was an accomplished curator, having started his own New York-based experimental design gallery in 1997 in which he hosted over 55 exhibitions. At SFMOMA, he accumulated hundreds of works for the museums permanent collection and collaborated with Diller Scofidio + Renfro on one of his most famous shows, How Wine Became Modern: Design + Wine 1976 to Now.

Cristiano Toraldo di Francia

Cristiano Toraldo di Francia (Courtesy Peter Lang)

Superstudio cofounder and iconic Italian architect Cristiano Toraldo di Francia died in July. In his 78 years, his work helped shape generations of avant-garde designers such as Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid. Best known for starting the radical collective Superstudio in the late 1960s, Toraldo di Francia produced highly regarded drawings, videos, and lithographs through the practice, eventually exhibiting work in the Milan Triennale, the Venice Biennale, and at the Museum of Modern Art, among other institutions. Up until his death at age 78, Toraldo di Francia designed and built several projects throughout Italy and taught at various universities throughout Europe, Japan, and the U.S.

Csar Pelli

Csar Pelli in his studio (Courtesy Pelli Clarke Pelli)

Csar Pelli passed away in July at the age of 92, leaving behind the legacy of an international firm and a monumental portfolio. Considered the father of the modern skyscraper, the Argentine architect designed some of the most famous towers in the world: the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, The Landmark in Abu Dhabi, and the recently completely Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. Pelli moved to the U.S. in 1952 and worked for Eero Saarinen in Michigan for a decade. From 1977 to 1989, he served as dean at the Yale School of Architecture in New Haven. During that time, Pelli received the commission for the 1984 expansion and renovation of the Museum of Modern Art, which more or less forced him to open his own studio, Cesar Pelli & Associates. After over 20 years designing projects like the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., among others, Pelli renamed his practice to Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects in honor of his long-time partner Fred Clarke, and son Rafael.

Charles Jencks

Charles Jencks (Courtesy Sean Griffiths)

Landscape architect and historian Charles Jencks died this October at age 80. Remembered for his embrace of theory, built practice, and connecting the cosmos, Jencks designed whimsical gardens and earthworks that promoted tranquility and play. He is best known for founding Maggies, a cancer research institute named after his late wife and whose patient rehab centers have attracted architects like Steven Holl, Frank Gehry, and Zaha Hadid. In the middle of his career, Jencks authored several books on the subject of Post-modernism before taking up landscape design.

Stanley Tigerman

Stanley Tigerman at work (Courtesy Margaret McCurry)

Chicago architect and theorist Stanley Tigerman died in June at 88 years old. Known as a member of the Chicago Sevena group of architects that rebelled against the doctrine of modernismhis design style was fairly eclectic in his early years, gaining a reputation as an iconoclast, until later when he adopted a more organic approach to architecture. He established his own eponymous firm, Stanely Tigerman and Associates (later renamed Tigerman McCurry Architects), in the early 1960s and completed over 175 buildings in his six-decade career. Among his most prominent works were the Daisy House in Indiana, Lakeside Residence in Michigan, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and the POWERHOUSE Energy Museum in Zion, Illinois.

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Looking back on the great architects, designers, and curators we lost in 2019 - The Architect's Newspaper

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This post is brought to you by Architecture at Zero

The American Institute of Architects, California (AIACA) announces the launch of the ninth annual Architecture at Zero competition for zero net energy (ZNE) building designs. The competition is open for entries from students and professionals worldwide.

This year, AIACA partners with the San Benito County Free Library in Hollister, CA. ZNE structures are designed from the start to be energy efficient and offset the energy they consume through onsite renewable energy generation such as rooftop solar. Winners are chosen by a panel of international experts and awarded up to $25,000 in total prizes.

The American Institute of Architects, California is excited to collaborate on this important initiative that affirms the role of architects in leading efforts to use design to curtail climate change, said Benjamin Kasdan, AIA, AIACA President.

The competition strives to generate new, innovative ideas for ZNE construction to help achieve Californias goal for all new residential construction to be ZNE by 2020 and all new commercial construction to be ZNE by 2030.

San Benito County residents are excited at to explore ideas for a new 21st century library that meets the needs of this diverse community, said Chief Librarian, Nora Conte. The Library is thrilled to partner with AIA CA and participants from around the world to develop zero net energy building designs.

Competition entries will be juried by international experts including Paul Torcellini, Principal Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Gregg Ander, President of Gregg D. Ander, LLC; Allison Williams, FAIA; and Marsha Maytum, FAIA, LEED AP.

To learn more, visit http://www.architectureatzero.com.

This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by PG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

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The American Institute of Architects, California announces the launch of the 9th annual Architecture at Zero competition - Archinect