WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is pleased to announce the launch of the Landscape Architects Guide to Washington, D.C. This online, mobile-friendly guide will help visitors and locals discover more than 75 historic, modern and contemporary landscapes in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Va. Expert commentary and more than 800 photos are provided by 20 landscape architects. It is located at http://www.asla.org/guide.

According to Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA, executive vice president and CEO of ASLA, the guide is the first of its kind devoted to Washington, D.C. It highlights historic monuments and parksincluding the National Mall and Memorial Parks and Capitol Hilland examples of new sustainable worksincluding Constitution Square, a cutting-edge green street that is one block long, and Diamond Teague Waterfront Park, which incorporates man-made, water-cleansing wetlands on the Anacostia River.

The guide will provide the 19 million tourists who visit D.C. annually, along with locals, a fresh perspective on both iconic and brand-new landscapes within the nations capital, says Somerville. D.C.s vibrant public realm didnt just magically appear but was carefully designed over the years, and is continually evolving, through interactions among elected leaders, communities and landscape architects.

The guide is divided into 16 distinct tours in all four quadrants of the Districtas well as a tour of the new D.C. bicycle network. Each tour covers multiple neighborhoods, and includes a printable walking or biking map.

The guide was created by ASLA in partnership with 20 nationally recognized landscape architects, all of whom are designers of the public realm and leaders in sustainable design. The guides were asked to explain the sites from a landscape architects point of view and show how the design of these sites influences how people interact with or even feel about these places.

The guides are:

Media wishing to interview the guides or learn more about the website should contact Karen Trimbath, public relations manager, at ktrimbath@asla.org or (202) 216-2371.

List of Sites Featured in the Guide

John Marshall Park

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ASLA Launches the Landscape Architect’s Guide to Washington, D.C.

KPMB Architects Design Doubles Space of Rotman School of Management

TORONTO, Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - The Rotman Expansion, the winning scheme in an invited design competition designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB), was officially opened last week. The Rotman School is part of the University of Toronto and according to a recent Financial Times survey of MBA programs is ranked one the top 10 business schools in the world for faculty research. The Expansion project was conceived to create a vibrant global hub in which to evolve Rotman's core mission to promote the power of creativity, innovation and integrative thinking in 21st century business education.

As Roger Martin, Dean of Rotman, said, "We now have the hardware necessary to engage in next building of Rotman's software - the programs and the people - to be best in the world for Canada. The interplay of this hardware and software opens huge possibilities."

The nine-storey high project is seamlessly integrated with and doubles the size of the Rotman School's home on the University of Toronto's downtown campus. It is also connected to an existing Victorian residence. KPMB conceived a vertical campus to fit the varied program of tiered classrooms, study rooms, research centres, study lounges, and dedicated student spaces on a tight urban site. The project features many spaces for gathering, including the Event Hall, a state-of-the-art teaching and meeting space. The 500-seat Event Hall is the centerpiece of the project, its large elevated glass box facing out on to St. George Street to broadcast the vibrancy of Rotman's programs to students of UofT and the city. The multi-level South Atrium features a large-scale serpentine staircase with a hot pink accent which simultaneously reduces reliance on elevators and increases interaction between students and faculty.

Marianne McKenna, partner-in-charge for KPMB of the Rotman Expansion, says that the design process was inspired by the Rotman's Integrative Thinking Program: "the design is a direct reflection of broad thinking, flexibility and teamwork involving the input of the Rotman and the University of Toronto."

Targeting LEED Silver certification, the project exemplifies sustainable design principles and prioritizes the well-being of students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The interior is filled with natural light, fresh air, and spectacular views of the university's campus. Terraces with green roofs and a courtyard provide access to the outdoors. In scale and massing, the KPMB design responds to the surrounding context, between the residential scale of the historic 19thC residence and the massive 'brutalist' architecture of the Robarts Library across the street. It is sited to respect views and minimize shadow impact on Massey College to the east.

Design partner Bruce Kuwabara said, "The Expansion project is both contemporary and in dialogue with the history and the architecture that surrounds it. An expression of the hallmarks of the Canadian experience - tolerance and openness - The Rotman is now open and poised to help move Rotman forward in Canada and on the world stage."

About Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (Toronto):

KPMB Architects is one of Canada's leading architecture firms with over 175 awards for architectural excellence, including 12 Governor General's Medals. In Toronto, KPMB's widely-acclaimed projects include the Gardiner Museum, the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Canada's National Ballet School, and the Royal Conservatory of Music. The core project team for the Rotman Expansion comprised Bruce Kuwabara (design partner), Marianne McKenna (partner-in-charge), Luigi LaRocca (principal-in-charge), Paulo Rocha (associate/design/project architect), Dave Smythe (associate/project architect), Myriam Tawadros, Bruno Weber, John Peterson, and Carolyn Lee.

Link to Rotman Architectural Team Profiles

Continued here:
Rotman School of Management Expansion Rises at University of Toronto

If theres one thing people said they wanted in Braseltons town green, it was an interactive water fountain similar to a popular attraction at Suwanees town center park.

But can the town afford it all?

The two firms working on the town green Mulkey Engineers and Consultants, and the firm jB+a, inc. estimate that building everything shown on the recently-unveiled design will cost upwards of $3 million.

Braselton has $1.6 million in a state transportation grant, sales tax revenue and its Urban Redevelopment Agency bonds available for the project. The town council could also decide to earmark its Jackson County sales tax revenue estimated to reach $1.1 million by the time collection stops in June 2017 for its town green. The current sales tax program started collecting revenue in July 2011.

Steve Provost of jB+a said the master plan is a grand vision for the Braselton Town Green that includes both short term and long term ideas.

The purpose of a master plan is to create a vision for how this space is to be used long term, Provost said. So that whatever you build first if its done in phases doesnt get in the way of your original (plans) in the future.

Architects, he explained, will outline potential uses of a site and provide cost estimates for the project. Provost said Braselton town officials may decide to build the town green in phases, although that hasnt been previously discussed.

Braselton will build its town green in front of the town-owned Braselton Brothers Store complex located at the intersection of Ga. Hwy. 53 and the former Ga. Hwy. 124. That portion of Ga. Hwy. 124 was recently realigned to the rear of the historic store and is called Davis Street.

Braselton officials have been planning for a town green for about a decade with the project hinging on the realignment of Ga. Hwy. 124 to the rear of the store complex. Now that that project is completed, Braselton is designing its town green.

And what the architects proposed on Monday is a town green that is not only pedestrian friendly, but still accommodating for the businesses located in the Braselton Brothers Store complex, as well. It will also allow Braselton to close vehicular access to the town green for special events such as concerts, movie screenings and other public gatherings.

Read more here:
Architects unveil plans for Braselton Town Green

Day 5: Situated on the Red Hook, Brooklyn, waterfront in a Civil Warera warehouse, Made is a burgeoning architecture practice. In the true sense of design/build, many of the shops team members are both designers and contractors, an approach to working that centralizes creative controland responsibility. The immersive, multi-level process at Made is fitting for the residential projects that make up the majority of the firms work since it allows for close collaboration in such personal spaces. Design at Made is driven by salvaged, locally available, sustainable materials, many of which are housed in a large library in the shop. Residential Architect recently listed the firmas one of its15 young firms to watch.

Dockside Design/Build in Red Hook, Brooklyn from ARCHITECT Magazine on Vimeo.

Take a look back at Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.

The gentrification tale of Red Hook, in Brooklyn, N.Y., ebbs and flows with the tides that crash against its shores. Named originally by Dutch settlers for its red clay and its position on the waterfront as a point of land ("hoek" in Dutch), from 1920 to 1960, Red Hook was arguably the busiest freight port in the world. The area was rife with longshoremen: On the Waterfront was filmed here in 1954. By 1988, though, LIFE magazine had named it "the crack capital of America, and the neighborhood was largely abandoned. Red Hook is home to the citys second-largest public housing development, and in 2008, IKEA built an outpost here, following on the heels of artists who had migrated to the area to take advantage of inexpensive real estate and the seaside atmosphere.

So what's going on in Red Hook today? Though remotethere is no direct subway access and only one bus linethe neighborhood is home to excellent restaurants, charming dive bars, and a large, sometimes familial design/build community. Hidden in Civil Warera waterfront warehouses and down cobbled streets lie thriving studios and workshops. ARCHITECT magazine took a look at five studios that give you a sense of whats happening in Red Hook.

Originally posted here:
Architects Working on Design/Build in a Storied Brooklyn Neighborhood

Media release: 12 September 2012

What Are Architects Thinking? A Series Of Talks About Building In Post-Earthquake Christchurch

Prompted by the second anniversary of the September 2010 earthquake, and recognising the urgent desire of people in Christchurch to get on with rebuilding their homes and business premises, the citys architects are hosting a series of free public information evenings over the next month.

In the talks, which will be held at CPITs Madras Street campus, more than a dozen Christchurch architectural practices will present and discuss examples of their residential and commercial work.

Many people are impatient to proceed with building projects, but they also want to be reassured that buildings will be safe and viable and fit for purpose, says David Hill, the chairman of the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

Its important to remember that Christchurch has a strong architectural tradition, says Mr Hill, and people in the city should take some confidence from this history.

In the series of evening talks Christchurch architects will present examples of their work and discuss their thinking about building in the post-earthquake city.

These sessions will also provide an opportunity for people to tell architects what they want from them, says Mr Hill. Questions and comments will be welcome.

The series of evening talks begins on Thursday 13 September and continues weekly until 11 October. All presentations begin at 7pm.

Many of Christchurchs leading architectural practices are participating in the programme. The architects involved are David Smith Architects, Chaplin Crooks Architects, Sheppard & Rout Architects, Russell Devlin Solarchitect, Dalman Architecture, MAP, Gavin Willis and Bill Skews, Opus Architecture, Crispin Schurr from Christchurch City Council, Warren and Mahoney, Leadbetter Carr Architects, Van Herpt Architects, Wilson and Hill Architects, and Jasmax.

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What Are Architects Thinking?

NANJING, China, Sept. 12,2012 /PRNewswire/ --The Nanjing Hexi District has selected convention center architects tvsdesignfor the south expansion of the Nanjing International Expo Center (NIEC), located in Nanjing China, as the city prepares to host the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120912/CL72503 )

The winning design for the NIEC South expansion combines two key aspirations for the city of Nanjing: increase the exhibition space offered by tvsdesign's original NIEC campus design while serving as an important retail, entertainment and office complement of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and the new Youth Olympic Center, located adjacent to the expansion site.

tvsdesign, the world's leading designer of conference and exhibition centers, was the original architect and designer of the NIEC in 2006. "Our understanding and work history in Nanjing allowed us to custom tailor the competition entry as a clear complement to our original design," said Kevin Gordon, Principal at tvsdesign. "We are extremely proud of our 2006 effort and the award winning-facility that resulted, both in its design and the quality of its workmanship and execution. I am equally pleased that we were able to combine our conference center, retail and hospitality international experience in support of Nanjing's vision of having one of the most preeminent destination venues in the People's Republic of China."

Situated at the heart of the dynamic HEXI district of Nanjing City and the Olympic Axis leading from the HEXI Financial District to the Yangtze River, thesouth expansion to the Nanjing International Expo Center will add a combined 300,000 SM of office, retail and exhibition space. The current complex, spanning more than 50 acres, is the largest conference and exhibition centre in China's Jiangsu Province and was designed around the "Crouching Tiger, Curling Dragon" lore of this historic capital of China.

The design of NIEC South will complement the original master plan and design while embracing the cultural history and beauty of Nanjing, calling upon its dramatic landscape of iconic mountains and scenic waterfronts to enhance architectural roof forms and shape towers that emphasize the importance of the Olympic Axis to the Hexi District. The NIEC South expansion will also create a series of pedestrian laneways allowing residents and visitors to the area the opportunity to experience a dynamic urban environment in support of the aspirations of the Youth Olympic Games and the lifestyle vision of the Hexi District.

About tvsdesign:

tvsdesign is a global design firm whose award-winning solutions reflect more than 40 years of experience in planning, architecture and interior design. With offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dubai and Shanghai, the firm's passions for design excellence, sustainability and collaboration produce client-driven results. With projects around the globe, tvsdesign is recognized for its work in multiple market segments including convention and public assembly, cultural arts, retail and mixed-use, office, workplace and showroom, education, government and hospitality. The sustainable design experience of the tvsdesign studios encompasses 23 LEED Certified and 16 LEED registered projects. In 2002, tvsdesign was awarded the prestigious American Institute of Architects Firm Award. http://www.tvsdesign.com

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Convention Center Architects tvsdesign Wins Competition To Expand Nanjing, China Expo Center

By Sportsmail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 05:05 EST, 10 September 2012 | UPDATED: 05:05 EST, 10 September 2012

QPR have appointed the architects behind Wembley and the London 2012 Olympic Stadium to design 'an unparalleled centre of excellence' at their new training base in Ealing, west London.

The club, who currently train at the Imperial Sports Ground in Harlington, expect to move into the new Warren Farm complex ahead of the 2014-15 season.

Populous, who also designed Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, are putting the finishing touches to their plans for the training centre.

Training day: QPR have made plans to move to a new complex

QPR chief executive Philip Beard said: 'Having secured Warren Farm, we wanted to work with the best people in the industry to develop a training ground which will benefit not only the first team, but also the academy and the local community.

'Populous have great experience in this field and are the perfect fit for us.

'Over the summer, a great amount of renovation has taken place at our current training ground at Harlington which has reduced the urgency for us to move to a new site.

'We are working very closely with Ealing Council and are very excited about what we can create.'

Continue reading here:
QPR appoint Olympic architects for centre of excellence

QPR have appointed the architects behind Wembley and the London 2012 Olympic Stadium to design an unparalleled centre of excellence at their new training base in Ealing, west London.

The club, who currently train at the Imperial Sports Ground in Harlington, expect to move into the new Warren Farm complex ahead of the 2014-15 season.

Populous, who also designed Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, are putting the finishing touches to their plans for the training centre.

QPR chief executive Philip Beard said: "Having secured Warren Farm, we wanted to work with the best people in the industry to develop a training ground which will benefit not only the first team, but also the academy and the local community.

"Populous have great experience in this field and are the perfect fit for us.

"Over the summer, a great amount of renovation has taken place at our current training ground at Harlington which has reduced the urgency for us to move to a new site.

"We are working very closely with Ealing Council and are very excited about what we can create."

Populous also designed Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, the New York Yankees stadium and the Sydney Olympic Stadium in 2000.

PA

More here:
QPR appoint Olympic Stadium architects to design new training base

QPR have appointed the architects behind Wembley and the London 2012 Olympic Stadium to design "an unparalleled centre of excellence" at their new training base in Ealing, west London.

The club, who currently train at the Imperial Sports Ground in Harlington, expect to move into the new Warren Farm complex ahead of the 2014-15 season.

Populous, who also designed Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, are putting the finishing touches to their plans for the training centre.

QPR chief executive Philip Beard said: "Having secured Warren Farm, we wanted to work with the best people in the industry to develop a training ground which will benefit not only the first team, but also the academy and the local community.

"Populous have great experience in this field and are the perfect fit for us.

"Over the summer, a great amount of renovation has taken place at our current training ground at Harlington which has reduced the urgency for us to move to a new site.

"We are working very closely with Ealing Council and are very excited about what we can create."

Populous also designed the New York Yankees Stadium and the Sydney Olympic Stadium in 2000.

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2012 architects for QPR training base

QPR have appointed the architects behind the Emirates, Wembley and the London 2012 Olympic Stadium to design their centre of excellence.

The club expect to move into the new Warren Farm complex in Ealing, west London, ahead of the 2014-15 season.

QPR chief executive Philip Beard said: "Having secured Warren Farm, we wanted to work with the best people in the industry to develop a training ground which will benefit not only the first team, but also the academy and the local community.

"Populous have great experience in this field and are the perfect fit for us.

"Over the summer, a great amount of renovation has taken place at our current training ground at Harlington which has reduced the urgency for us to move to a new site.

"We are working very closely with Ealing Council and are very excited about what we can create."

Click here to reach the No1 destination for hard news and exciting gossip on QPR

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QPR appoint Wembley architects for new training complex