Hacker Architects escapes to the desert for its latest Oregon retreat

A composition of box volumes and opaque and transparent surfaces form a chic family retreat in the desert landscape ofCentral Oregon

It has this feeling that youre in a place thats brand new,architect Corey Martin says of Central Oregon, the location for his Portland-based firm Hacker Architects recent residential getaway project. Its surprising to think of a place in the middle of anAmerican state(even if wildly different geographically to Portland, alllush and green and rolling to the west of the Cascades, dryer and flatter to the east)as brand new; though comparatively, and geologically, it is, but thats part of the magic of the designers architectural approach. Rather than start with the basic brief four bedrooms, for a couple and their extended family Martin and his team, Nic Smith and Jeff Ernst, started with the landscape and its ideas.

The building itself tries to edit and frame and take the experience of the landscape visually apart when youre inside it,he continues. The form starts with a basic box whose elements become articulated and separated and reunited with long swaths of cedar siding. These opaque surfaces work in concert with massive open walls of windows divided only by the thinnest of frames, and smaller apertures, all of which stack together to create a rhythm of constant enclosure and reveal.

Both exterior and interior walls are made out of cedar, so as to promote both a visual continuity and a sense oftactility, and the only other colors are white and black.The architecture is in service of looking and in particular, looking outward. Youre getting forced to look at the sky, and youre getting layering that lets you consider all these pieces of the landscape at different times, at different qualities of light,Hacker says.

Its got this freshness in quality of light and smells,Hacker continues, describing the relative youth of the local volcanoes. And thats the conceptual heart of this project. Its not about finding what you thought you were looking for; its about what you end up seeing.

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Hacker Architects escapes to the desert for its latest Oregon retreat - Wallpaper*

Helsinki-based Architects JKMM Selected to Design the National Museum of Finland

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JKMMs Atlas proposal won the international design competition for the new extension of The National Museum of Finland. Organized by the Finnish Heritage Agency, the National Museum of Finland and Senate Properties, the competition entitled New National or Uusi Kansallinen in Finnish, gathered 185 entries from all around the world.

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Initially designed by the trio Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren, and Eliel Saarinen, following a design competition in 1902, the existing museum, which opened in 1916, is one of Finlands finest examples of National Romantic architecture. Located in central Helsinki along the citys main street called Mannerheimintie, opposite Alvar Aaltos Finlandia Hall and its parkland setting, the museum required some major refurbishment works. The 2019 extension needed to generate additional exhibition space; workshops; a new restaurant in the museums underused enclosed garden; and improved access including an inviting new entrance for the Museum.

The National Museum of Finland is a unique opportunity to explore inclusiveness in a building and we are deeply honored to have won the competition. Our entry, Atlas, reinforces our interest in how architecture can enable a sense of solidarity and belonging to a place. The National Museum is a place that belongs to everyone and anyone in Finland and we thought its extensions architectural form should be universally understood yet encourage multiple interpretations. -- Samuli Miettinen, JKMM founding partner on the practices approach.

JKMM, one of the leading architectural practices in Finland, has a current total win of 47 competitions. Founded by Asmo Jaaksi, Teemu Kurkela, Samuli Miettinen and Juha Mki-Jyllil, the practice has completed over 50 projects around Finland, many of them involve working with existing buildings. Their latest project Atlas, puts in place a distinctive round disc-shaped white 1320 m2 concrete roof within the stone-walled garden of the Museum. Simple in its shape, the new pavilion-like structure is independent of the original building, respecting the historic garden designed by Lindgren. Spreading over 5000 square meters including a 1200 square meter exhibition space, Atlas can accommodate up to 1200 visitors.

We wanted to create a building that will enhance visitors experience by improving the way they are received and the overall circulation in the Museum. As in most of our projects, we wanted people to be able to find their way intuitively minimizing the need for signage and to also discover and enjoy the nearly forgotten Museum garden. [] An essential consideration for us on Atlas was to keep the impact of the new building at ground level to a minimum and to place its bulk underground thereby enhancing the role the enclosed garden will play in the future of the National Museum of Finland. -- Samuli Miettinen, JKMM founding partner.

With a subtle presence in the city, the white addition holds under its concrete structure, on the ground floor, a restaurant that can be used independently of the rest of the Museum, with glass curved walls that create a floating roof aspect. A stepped covered public square welcomes visitors and leads them to the new exhibition galleries and other spaces. Moreover, on the abundance of light in the space, the architects state that it plays an important role in the design and highlights the materiality and three-dimensional qualities of the architecture, both in keeping with those of the original museum building.

The name Atlas refers to the idea of carrying our history and culture with us. The suspended concrete roof clad in ceramic tiles has a celestial quality but it is also a metaphor for the world or our shared legacy. -- Samuli Miettinen, JKMM founding partner

ATLAS TEAM

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Helsinki-based Architects JKMM Selected to Design the National Museum of Finland - ArchDaily

Ned Kirschbaum

Ned Kirschbaum has been principal, technical design director and a member of Fentress Architects for more than 20 years.As the design firms technical expert, Ned is responsible for quality assurance and control, design production, construction document standards, and implementing innovative strategies in the design of high-performance building.He has more than three decades of experience, including an extensive background in providing architectural design services internationally. Ned has played a significant role in the $150 million revitalization of the Gio Ponti-designed Denver Art Museums North Building. His certifications from CSI include Certified Document Technician (CDT) and Certified Construction Contract Administration (CCCA).

Facts about Ned:

What sparked your interest in architecture?

When I was a sophomore at the University of Colorado, I visited the newly completed CiticorpBuilding in New York City. I was in awe of the scale of the project and fascinated to understandhow a project of its complexity could be accomplished. In contrast, I was equally moved by theintimate and uplifting space in the chapel at St. Peters Lutheran Church with its Louise Nevelsonbas-relief that is situated at the base of the Citicorp building. I knew then I wanted to participatein creating buildings like this.

What is different or unique about your approach to architecture?

I have always been equally passionate about design, practice, and technique. My approach hasbeen to find a balance of all three in my professional life. I love to draw, I love to invent, I loveto collaborate, I love to teach, and I love to learn. A large part of my expertise and success is theresult of my deep respect for the tradesmen that construct the buildings. I am a team builderbecause great architecture can only result from a unified team with a common aim, including asupportive and engaged owner, an excellence-driven design team, and a performance-drivencontractor.

As the firms technical expert, how do you bridge the gap between art and engineering?

My approach is always to start with the art and ask, What form and/or material best expressesthe design vision for this project? With the design intent clear, in collaboration with designers,craftsmen, and construction industry partners, I work to craft design solutions and details thatresult in high-performance buildings while maintaining and enhancing the projects design goals.Making the art real and tangible that is the engineering!

What are some of the most exciting projects youve been involved in recent years?

I have been very fortunate to work on many great projects in my career. These include theDenver Art Museum North Building Renovation and Welcome Center addition, the 50-storyBurjgate and Sofitel Downtown Dubai towers, the 300-meter-tall, 60-story Arraya Tower inKuwait City, the SeaTac International Airport Central Terminal Expansion, the Miami BeachConvention Center Expansion, the Air Traffic Control Tower at SFO, and the Ralph L. CarrColorado Judicial Center here in Denver. Each of these projects has presented uniquechallenges that have truly enriched me personally and professionally.

What have you enjoyed most about working on the highly anticipated DAM North Buildingrenovation? What aspects of the design of this project have been challenging?

I have enjoyed playing a significant role in rejuvenating the historic Gio Ponti-designed NorthBuilding a true Denver landmark. This architecturally significant building has now beenrestored and enhanced to better serve the mission of the Denver Art Museum programincluding new gallery space and expanded educational space. Researching, developing anddetailing the all-glass exterior faade of the Welcome Center has been a significant challengeand a highlight of my career. Enclosed by fifty-two 25-foot-tall by 8-foot-wide laminatedinsulating curved glass panels, this is one of the most innovative faades recently constructed inthe United States.

What are you looking forward to most in the coming year?

The year 2020 promises to be a very exciting and busy one with projects ranging from design toconstruction. At home,the Westray office development forSchnitzer West, which includes three 16-story Class A office towers at 6363 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. in Centennial.

Further afield are some significant expansion projects at both the Nashville InternationalAirport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston; construction of the Fred D.Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Johnson CountyCourthouse in Olathe, Kansas; and design of the National Museum of Intelligence and SpecialOperations in Sterling, Virginia.

As someone with three decades of experience under your belt, what do you see as the biggestchallenge for architects currently?

I believe that the integration of technology into buildings, into construction, and into thepractice of architecture, remains a challenge and an opportunity. On the one hand, these newtools permit us to explore new and more complex building forms. They permit tightercoordination of design disciplines and they permit a level of real-time design visualizationunthinkable when I began practicing architecture. On the other hand, what should be toolsoften wind up becoming ends, diverting attention from the real practice of architecture whichshould be focused on providing beautiful, functional, durable, and sustainable buildings.

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Architect of the Month: Ned Kirschbaum, FAIA, Principal, Fentress Architects - milehighcre.com

Most of J. Brett Blantons nomination hearing before the Senate Rules Committee to be the next architect of the Capitol on Thursday was essentially a one-on-one public interview between him and Chairman Roy Blunt, as the remaining 18 members of the committee were absent for the majority of the hearing.

No opposition to Blanton, a Virginia resident, is evident, making him likely to be confirmed as the 12th architect of the Capitol. If confirmed, Blanton said he expects to start leading the agency by mid-January.

The lack of senators present at his nomination hearing does not underscore apathy, but the notion that there wasnt any controversy associated with his selection to lead the office tasked with maintaining the Capitol complex facilities and renovations, according to Blanton.

That it wasnt controversial so that they didnt have to come in, Blanton said, adding that the congressional screening process was extensive and involved 14 different offices, including the minority and majority in both chambers.

Blanton is poised to bring stability to an agency that has been led by a succession of acting directors. He told Blunt, a Missouri Republican, that he plans to serve a full 10-year term. Acting director Christine Merdon announced her resignation in August and was replaced by Thomas Carroll, who holds the same acting title.

Blanton hasmore than 25 years of experience in facilities operations and construction management, most recently as deputy vice president for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, a background that gives Blunt confidence in Blantons ability to lead in government.

[Blantons] probably one of the few people that can come from a job and say 3 million visitors every year is a big deal but maybe if youve been dealing with 50 million passengers every year, 3 million visitors a year sounds a little more manageable, Blunt said.

In his current job, Blanton oversees construction at the authoritys locations. He is a retired Navyofficer who earned a Bronze Star with Combat V for heroism in Iraq. He has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a graduate degree in ocean engineering from Virginia Tech.

Blanton will have to address a Cannon House Office Building renovation projectthat is behind schedule and could go $100 million over budget.

Ive only heard of that in the press, Blanton said. So I have to get briefings on it and figure out what the root cause is for the issue and come up with a plan for how we would address it.

Additionally, Blanton will have to manage workforce management issues that have become public in recent years. The agency is set to be in district court over discrimination cases, and congressional oversight panels are expecting changes to staffing and workforce practices following a report fromAOC Office of Inspector General in March.

I will have a zero tolerance policy for harassment, discrimination or unethical behavior, Blanton said. We cannot expect to attract the nations top workforce without adapting and changing our culture.

Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the office that issued a report regarding sexual harassment and staffing practices.

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J. Brett Blanton on track to become next architect of the Capitol - Roll Call

Channel your inner Ludwig Mies van der Rohe or Philip Johnson by participating in The Forge Prize, an annual steel design competition that awards $20,000 to the architect who develops the most visionary design concept that embraces steel as the primary structural component to increase project speed.

Established by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), The Forge Prize recognizes innovation in the use of steel and how it can be used to reduce design and construction time.

The two-stage design challenge will culminate in the selection of up to three Finalists in February 2020 (each will receive a $10,000 stipend) and the public announcement of a Grand Prize Winner ($20,000 total prize) in Spring 2020.

The competition is open to U.S.-based emerging architects who are either pursuing licensure or are licensed 10 years or less in the year 2020. Participants must be working professionals in any of the following firm types: architecture firm, AE firm (but submitting as an emerging architect), or design-build firm (but submitting as an emerging architect).

There is no cost to enter. The deadline for stage one submissions is January 15, 2020. Entry details at: http://www.forgeprize.com/about

Looking for inspiration? Meet last year's winner and finalists:

WINNER: The 2019 Forge Prize Grand Prize Winner was Jin Young Song, AIA, Assistant Professor at University at Buffalo, and Founder of DIOINNO Architecture PLLC, for hisSIMS (Snap-Interlock Module System) design concept. The design is pictured here (and above. All photos courtesy AISC.):

FINALIST: The 2019 Forge Prize Finalists includedValeria Rybyakova, Achitectural Designer with Perkins Eastman, for her submission "Responsive Enclosure for Public Pool," pictured here:

FINALIST:Jingyu Lee, PE, RA, LEED AP, Design Engineer, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, was named a Finalist for his design concept, "Reimagined Office Tower Using Cantilevered Trusses," pictured here:

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Calling all emerging architects: Enter to win the $20000 Forge Prize - Building Design + Construction

NL architects has completed a major project in groningen, a city in the northern netherlands, which it describes as a cultural department store. titled forum groningen, the multi-functional building includes exhibition spaces, movie halls, assembly rooms, restaurants, and books. forum groningen is not a library, not a museum, not a cinema, but a new type of public space where the traditional borders between these institutes will dissolve, explains the design team. information will be presented thematically in a way that transcends the different media.

image: NL architects & ABT deon prins (also main image)

working alongside engineering firm ABT, NL architects designed forum groningen as a monolithic volume a shape that represents an ambition to combine different cultural facilities into a single structure. the form is further influenced by the surrounding urban fabric, with the volume sculpted to present different appearances from different angles. forum groningen has been engineered to accommodate finding not searching, the architects continue. the design stimulates exploration. it hopes to catalyze the desire to wander, to browse endlessly through a staggering interior landscape.

image: NL architects & ABT deon prins

internally, the building is articulated around a central atrium where escalators traverse the void from floor to floor. the void works as a spatial interface that binds all functions, movie theater, book collection, expo, auditorium, and as such hopes to catalyze the exchange of knowledge and ideas, says NL architects. connected by the escalators, a series of public squares emerges that provides entry to the ticketed activities. the building offers continuously changing perspectives on the surrounding city, which culminate with a roof terrace with a viewing platform and outdoor theater.

image: NL architects & ABT deon prins

image: NL architects & ABT marcel van der burg

image: NL architects & ABT marcel van der burg

image: NL architects & ABT marcel van der burg

image: NL architects & ABT marcel van der burg

image: NL architects & ABT marcel van der burg

image: NL architects & ABT marcel van der burg

image: NL architects & ABT marcel van der burg

site planimage NL architects

floor plan / level -2image NL architects

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floor plan / level +8image NL architects

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sectionimage NL architects

sectionsimage NL architects

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program image NL architects

scheme development image NL architects

project info:

title: forum groningenclient: municipality of groningen delegated client: twynstragudde location: groningen, the netherlands size: 17,000 sqm +10,000 sqm parking area design: 2006 (competition, 1st prize) completion: 2019 architect: NL architects with ABT engineering

design team (NL architects) pieter bannenberg, kamiel klaasse, walter van dijk, thijs van bijsterveldt, florent le corre, sren grnert, iwan hameleers, sybren hoek,kirsten hsig, mathieu landelle, zhongnan lao, barbara luns, gert janmachiels, sarah mller, gerbrand van oostveen, giulia pastore, guus peters,jose ramon vives, laura riao lopez, arne van wees, zofia wojdyga, genyamamoto with christian asbo, nicolo bertino, jonathan cottereau, marten dashorst, rebecca eng, antoine van erp, tan gaofei, sylvie hagens, britta harnacke, jana heidacker, sergio hernandez benta, johannes hbner, yuseke iwata, cho junghwa, linda kronmller, jakub kupikowski, katarina labathova, ana lagoa pereira gomes, qian lan, justine lemesre, amadeo linke, fabian lutter, rune madsen, phil mallysh, jos maria matteo torres, victoria meniakina, shuichiro mitomo, solne muscato, lea olsson, pauline rabjeau, thomas scherzer, michael schoner, martijn stoffels, jasper schuttert, bartek tromczynski, carmen valtierra, elisa ventura, benedict vlkel, vittoria volpi, murk wymenga, qili yang, yena young, alessandro zanini

architectural engineering: ABT with NL architectsinterior design: NL architects i.c.w.: demunnik-dejong-steinhauser, &prast&hooft, tank, northern lightbuilding engineer (incl geotechnical): ABTstructural engineer: ABTbuilding costs: ABTbuilding physics, acoustics and safety: DGMRtechnical installations: huisman en van muijen HVMacoustics: peutzcontractor: BAMseismic engineering: ABT i.c.w. BORG & BAM advies & engineering art in parking: nicky assmann

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NL architects completes 'forum groningen' in the netherlands - Designboom

WESTLAKE, Ohio -- The Meadowood golf course was a successful venture in Westlake until the recession of 2008. Still, the course has remained open year-round even though revenue is decreasing.

City Recreation Director Bob DeMinico said discussions are going on to decide just what to do with Meadowood. The golf course is located at the northwest corner of Center Ridge and Crocker roads.

We have been through various meetings and, through the master plan process of 2015, it was mentioned we should look at and consider whether to abandon the course, continue it or find other uses, DeMinico said.

One thing is clear already, though, as DeMinico said that Mayor Dennis Clough is committed to always having that as green space. There is no interest in developing it into any kind of development. The property is prime real estate and we want to make sure we do the right thing with it.

Ideas include things such as a practice facility (driving range) with a short game area or a putting green.

"We are also looking at just a nine-hole golf course, he said, noting that a lot of people today dont have the time to play a full 18 holes.

A city ordinance was passed Nov. 7 authorizing Clough to enter into a professional services contract with Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design for professional architectural services.

We feel we have one of the best, if not the best, architectural firms in the country, said DeMinico. If all goes well in the spring with a minimum of three plans presented to council, we hope the project will be ready for the golf season of 2021.

Read more from the West Shore Sun.

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Architects to present three plans to Westlake council on what to do with Meadowood golf course - cleveland.com

A retired Mexican police official who once led his countrys equivalent of the F.B.I. was indicted in New York on Tuesday on charges of taking bribes while in office to protect the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of Mexicos most powerful criminal mafias.

The official, Genaro Garca Luna, served as the head of Mexicos Federal Investigation Agency from 2001 to 2005, and for the next six years was Mexicos secretary of public security, a cabinet-level position. In that role he was tasked with helping the president at the time, Felipe Caldern, craft his strategy to battle their countrys drug cartels.

But according to prosecutors in Brooklyn, even while Mr. Garca Luna presented himself as the public face of the war against the drug trade in Mexico, he was quietly receiving millions of dollars from the Sinaloa cartel, which was run at the time by the drug lord Joaqun Guzmn Loera, better known as El Chapo.

Mr. Garca Luna is now in custody in Dallas.

An indictment unsealed on Tuesday in Brooklyn, where Mr. Guzmn was himself convicted on drug charges in February, also accused Mr. Garca Luna of lying to American investigators and taking part in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine.

The arrest of Mr. Garca Luna, on Monday, was a signal event in the history of the drug war in Mexico something akin to the director of the F.B.I. being taken into custody for receiving bribes from the head of the Gambino crime family. The charges against him, prosecutors said, were a direct result of testimony at Mr. Guzmns trial in New York.

At the trial, Jess Zambada Garca, the brother of Mr. Guzmns chief partner, Ismael Zambada Garca, told the jury that he had twice personally given Mr. Garca Luna briefcases filled with at least $3 million in cash.

Mr. Zambada also testified that a syndicate of Mexican traffickers was putting together a separate package of as much as $50 million in bribes for Mr. Garca Luna, although those payoffs seem not to have been made.

In statements to reporters at the time, Mr. Garca Luna denied the allegations made during the trial.

In court papers, prosecutors said that they had obtained financial records showing that Mr. Garca Luna had amassed a vast personal fortune that was inconsistent with a civil servants salary in Mexico.

In 2012, after his public service ended, Mr. Garca Luna moved to Miami. The financial records indicated that Mr. Garca Luna continued to live in the United States off the millions of dollars in bribes that the Sinaloa Cartel paid him, the court papers said.

Prosecutors also said that when Mr. Garca Luna submitted an application to become a naturalized United States citizen in 2018, he affirmatively lied about his past criminal conduct on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel.

Mr. Garca Luna was expected in Federal District Court in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon for an initial appearance. His lawyer, Rose Romero, was not immediately available for comment.

Mexicos attorney generals office said Tuesday afternoon that it had been investigating Mr. Garca Luna for a range of possible crimes, including conspiracy to traffic cocaine, organized crime, making false statements and bribery. In a statement, the office said it planned to request the extradition of Mr. Garca Luna to Mexico.

Politically astute and well-liked in Washington, where he often met with senators and White House aides, Mr. Garca Luna was, at least in public, a vocal critic of corruption in Mexico. He spent much of his time in office trying to reform the Mexican federal police, increasing their salaries and firing hundreds of police commanders he did not trust.

He is considered the main architect of Mr. Calderns militarized approach to battling drug traffickers, which began in 2006 with the deployment of the armed forces against organized crime and the presidents official declaration of war on them. A cornerstone of the strategy was to focus on kingpins, on the theory that cutting off the head of a criminal organization would wither the body.

Mr. Caldern and Mr. Garca Luna were partly successful in that approach, capturing or killing many of the most-wanted traffickers in the country. After almost every major arrest, Mr. Garca Luna delighted in posing suspects alongside captured weapons and drugs in a show for the news media.

Among Mr. Garca Lunas trophies while serving in Mr. Calderns cabinet was the arrest in 2010 of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, known as La Barbie, an American-born drug trafficker.

Mr. Valdez, in a letter sent to a national Mexican newspaper, later accused Mr. Garca Luna of having accepted bribes from organized crime groups and from him directly. A spokesman for Mr. Garca Luna at the time denied the allegations and said they were an attempt to publicly discredit the Mexican authorities and blackmail them in exchange for privileges inside the federal prison where Mr. Valdez was being held.

Mr. Calderns successor, Enrique Pea Nieto, took office in 2012 and followed a similarly militarized approach. And though the countrys homicide tallies declined from 2011 to late 2014, they have since trended upward.

The current president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, has vowed to end his predecessors war on drugs and remove the military from the streets in the fights against drug trafficking organizations.

But despite his creation of a new force, called the National Guard, violence has continued at record levels. And dramatic eruptions of violence like a city siege by cartel gunmen and the murder of three women and six children have raised questions about whether his strategy can staunch the bloodshed.

Mr. Caldern, the former president, said in a tweet that he had learned about the alleged arrest of Mr. Garca Luna through social media and was waiting for more information about the case.

I do not know details, he said. My position will always be in favor of justice and the law.

Kirk Semple and Paulina Villegas contributed reporting.

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Architect of Mexicos War on Cartels Is Accused of Taking Bribes From One - The New York Times

Critical By Aaron Betsky December 13, 2019

"East River Valley" rendering (2018)

Get ready for fake architecture. Now that architects have the same tools as moviemakers and meme-posters to make anything look like anything else, buildings can seem more real in renderings than they do when they are actually built. At the same time, some structures are taking on shapes so weird and fantasticalsuch as the impossibly thin towers of Manhattan or the convoluted, gravity-defying curves of some museum buildingsthat you are left to wonder whether they are, in fact, real. Pretty soon, we will be living in a mix of virtual and physical reality, if we arent already. How do we make sense of it? By telling good stories. And if the future of architecture is fairy tales, as some experts insist, then perhaps nobody tells better tales than experimental architect Mark Foster Gage.

Imagine teetering over the ledge of a Manhattan skyscraper with no rails to hold you back. Turn around and slowly realize how the entire tower consists of childrens toys, car parts, and even a dildo tucked away among the stack of stuff that has, as if through alchemy, turned into steel or chrome, or maybe even gold. Where you are standing is only one of the structures that the New York City designer has dreamed upthough never builtover the past few years. Another imagines the East River completely transformed into a field of verdant meadows behind fanciful dams. In real life, a clients cottage in the English countryside recasts detritus as the building blocks of his bucolic vision of rural living.

"East River Valley" vertical parks, rendered views

If Gage is the magician of modern architecture, he is also its Wizard of Oz, tantalizing us with photo-realistic renderings of structures built from leftovers dipped in what looks like chrome. But dont just get swept up in the fantasyGage takes his craft very seriously. A professor and assistant dean at Yale University, he is one of the foremost practitioners of Object-Oriented Ontology (Triple O, if youre a tuned-in design student), a theory equally cryptic and of-the-moment. It gives him a basis to keep spinning his fantastical tales by means of conceptual buildings. Like many younger architects, Gage wants to push the envelope of construction; unlike most, he achieves that not through material experimentation, but by showing whats possible, he says, making images that seduce you into the future. For Gage and the other Triple O-ers, real buildings are whatever they can convince you they are. And renderings are the end result. These are not preparations or ideas for buildings, but complete shortcuts to the real world, he says.

As he sees it, the proliferation of images is an opportunity: pull up any image or form imaginable on your computer, and watch it be transfigured into something else entirely before dropping it inside a rendering so realistic that you swear you saw your own reflection in the stainless steel kitchen appliances that somehow landed in the lobby of an imposing building. I want to work not just with bricks, but with Pokmon, toasters, and whatever else is available, he says. Weve moved way beyond pyramids and boxes as models.

Gages buildings morph into monsters and cliffs that dissolve into smithereens, appearing as collections of all the bits and pieces the architect gathered to build up his designs. They blur the distinction between a single structure, its surroundings, and even the natural world. Youve seen this sort of technique in the movies and maybe in Las Vegas or Disneyworld. Gage just wants to make something good out of all that fake reality: I want to make a real reality out of the fiction that surrounds us.

"West 57th Street Residential Tower" rendering, New York City, (2015)

To do this, Gage uses something called Kitbashing; the term describes the mashing up of bits and pieces borrowed and stolen from everywhere, a trusty technique for hipsters kluging together their own tools and clothes. Gage, meanwhile, dreams of castles in the sky. Does he want to actually build anything? I spend a lot of time crafting images that make a building appear built instead of actually building it, he says. I really want to use technology to create something truly beautiful, and right now the only way to do that is through these super-realistic images.

They have a higher resolution than anything I could build now. Gages message is clear: Reality is less real than we think, and these fairy tales can usher us into a primeval universe that elevates the ordinary into the extraordinary. I want to awaken your curiosity and make you wonder: If my buildings seem real but arent, what about the one down the street? he says. Start reading into your surroundings, Gage suggests, and enjoy the ride into a new kind of reality, for which his architecture sets the stage. Jump off the ledge of his hyper-realistic skyscraper, even if only in your mind (because you know it cant be real), and fall in love with the idyllic alternative he has built for you.

Gage and the Triple O gang may be far away from making whatever we still think of as real buildings but, like great storytellers, moviemakers, and other weavers of tales and images, they give us something to dream of, something to aspire to, and something that tells us the deep truth that most of what we see around us today is just manipulated surfaces.

(Photos courtesy Mark Foster Gage Architects)

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Mark Foster Gage is the Most Prolific Architect of Buildings That Dont Exist - surfacemag.com

On Monday, President Trump announced J. Brett Blanton as his nomination for the Architect of the Capitol (AOC).

Blanton is currently the deputy vice president for engineering at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority where he leads the planning, design, construction, and code enforcement for all properties controlled by the Airports Authority. While in the United States Navy he also oversaw some of the largest infrastructure projects undertaken by the Department of the Navy, according to the Whitehouses website.

All that said, Blanton is a licensed engineer (in the state of Georgia) but is not a licensed or practicing architect. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, followed by a Master of Science in Ocean Engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

If confirmed by the United States Senate, Blanton will serve a 10-year term and will be put in charge of maintaining the 18.4 million square foot Capitol complex, which includes Washington, D.C., landmarks such as the Library of Congress, U.S. Supreme Court building and Senate and House office buildings.

The previous AOC, Stephen T. Ayers, served from 2010 through November 2018 and oversaw the restoration of the U.S. Capitol Dome and the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial. He also launched the renewal of the Cannon House Office Building, a monumental, five-phase project that Blanton would take over during his term. Ayers completed his Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Maryland and received his Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California, as well as an honorary Doctor of Public Design from the Boston Architectural College in recognition of his work in historic preservation.

According to Engineering News-Record, the Senate Rules and Administration Committee will have a scheduled confirmation hearing for Blanton on December 12.

See the rest here:
Will this airport engineer be the next Architect of the Capitol? - The Architect's Newspaper