The Florida Chapter of The American Institute of Architects is celebrating its centennial with its selection of 100 of the most noteworthy buildings in the state. The Florida Architecture: 100 Years, 100 Places online program recognizes buildings that represent the best in architectural achievement. Choices range from the Dal Museum in St. Petersburg to the Olympia Theatre at the Gusman Center in downtown Miami.

The significance is to expose the people of Florida, especially South Florida, to the wonderful history of projects we have here in our area and to get them to go on the website to become more aware about them, said Natividad Soto, AIA Florida vice president.

The recognition is long overdue, said local historian Arva Moore Parks, acting director of the Coral Gables Museum. Coral Gables is represented by its historic Biltmore Hotel, originally designed in 1926 by Shultze and Weaver. Were getting appreciation for our architecture that maybe was overlooked in the past, so Im pleased to see that many out of the 100 are from Miami, she said.

Indeed, Miami-Dade represents more than 20 percent of the picks, with 22 buildings cited. These include the new parking garage at 1111 Lincoln Road which was designed by Herzog & DeMeuron in 2009 and oldies like Vizcaya which was initiated by James Deering in 1916. Plymouth Congregational Church in Coconut Grove, designed by Clinton MacKenzie in 1916, the Gumenick Chapel at Temple Israel of Greater Miami by Kenneth Treister in 1967 and Morris Lapidus work at the Fontainebleau in 1953 also are among the selections.

We are fortunate to have our community graced with so many beautiful buildings designed by prestigious architects from all over the world, said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez in a statement last week.

Not surprised, added Bill Talbert, president of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. We have some of the most interesting architecture in the world, he said, citing the parking garage on Lincoln Road, one of the more unusual picks that not only made the architects list but found itself on the front page of the New York Times in January 2011. The garage, which offers expansive views of the mall and surrounding areas of South Beach has become a popular spot for weddings, parties and even yoga classes.

Who in their wildest dreams would think a parking garage at the end of Lincoln Road would become this famous, Talbert laughed. Its so Miami.

The public now has its turn to join their voices with the 3,200-member architects group and vote on the best of the best in the competition. Visit http://www.aiafltop100.org to select your favorite building via online voting through April 6.

So far more than 300,000 votes have been registered, with the landmark Fontainebleau in Miami Beach and Miamis Bank of America Tower as early leaders.

The initial idea of the contest, Soto said, was to use the buildings as a way to create a sense of community, especially in our area that has a lot of people that are not long-term residents and not familiar with the history of our community. Its a celebration of what weve accomplished in our short history. [E]ven though we havent been around as long as some other cities in the United States like Boston or Washington, we are starting to appreciate our history and this is a way of highlighting that, Soto said.

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Architects create list of Florida’s best buildings

After months of work and numerous public consultation sessions, architects unveiled a design concept for a new Powell River Public Library building at an open house on Monday, March 26.

The library had contracted with Miller Hull Partnership, from Seattle, Washington, and Public Design, from Vancouver, BC, for the project. In February, architects displayed three designs and asked for comment and feedback. The designs generated responses on a multitude of attributes, including parking, use of the site, what the building looked like and its shape, said Ruth Baleiko, of Miller Hull Partnership. The architects took all of those comments, distilled them and combined everything into one design that satisfies as much of that criteria as possible, she added. We went through all of those comments and isolated the common themes people had, whether it was sustainability, use of the site, cultural aspirations, she said. There were some great ideas.

The proposed location for the new library has also generated a protest group, which uses the slogan, Save Willingdon Beach, on large, yellow buttons. The group is opposed to the location, the empty lot on the corner of Marine Avenue and Abbotsford Street, known as the old arena site.

Both opponents and proponents of the library attended the open house, which was held at Powell River Recreation Complex. Some proponents stood outside the complex with signs that read, Yes 4 library, Willingdon Beach is not in danger and I [heart] my library.

The design concept is for a 15,000 to 16,000-square-foot building all on one level. Because its one storey, the building wont block the view from Marine. It has a green roof with skylights and is nestled into the bank on Marine. We actually get amazing thermo performance out of these walls that are against the soil, Baleiko said. In the winter, theyre going to feel warm and in the summer, theyre going to feel cool.

Because its essentially a high-powered retaining wall, Baleiko said, the back wall can be built for a lot less cost than those that are in the public eye. Its doing a lot of work for us, she said.

The building is longer and narrower in proportion, because the site has a 100-foot setback from the high water mark, Baleiko explained. We can actually only build within a thin, skinny portion next to Marine, she said. Were trying to stay within that, so this is actually the shape that the site allows.

The west side of the building has ample windows, to take advantage of the view. The north end of the building has a meeting room, with a courtyard in between that room and the rest of the building. Theres also a porch area thats screened with sun screens at the north end.

The green roof has skylights, which, along with the courtyard, will glow at night from lights inside. The roof will be able to grow grasses and other shoreline plants. The roof helps increase the amount of pervious soil on the site, Baleiko said. Right now the site is covered with asphalt and gravel and surface rainwater cannot be absorbed, she said. What weve done is taken the roof and made it more like nature. Water will be absorbed at the rate that it would be if this was a park-like site. So were actually improving the condition of the site. By having that thick buildup on the roof, it makes our building perform more efficiently in terms of energy usage.

The inside is free span, with columns at each of the ends. That means the stacks, the activities and the programming can take any shape inside, Baleiko said. Hopefully that will enhance the lifetime of the building.

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Architects unveil library design

BOSTON, March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IA Interior Architects (IA) is pleased to welcome Reetika Vijay and Paul Comeau as leaders in its Boston office. Reetika joins as Managing Director, and Paul joins as Project Director. Both offer extensive expertise in the Boston market and are a valuable addition to IA globally.

"Every IA office is built around strong leadership and team players. Reetika and Paul, well-known in the Boston market, are a powerful and proven team. Given their years of experience working together, complementing each other's skill sets and areas of focus, they bring remarkable energy, expertise, and creative presence to IA Boston. We're excited to have them on board in the Boston market and as a part of IA's firm-wide leadership," says David Bourke, Managing Principal, Eastern Region.

Reetika brings over 17 years of project management and interiors experience working with Boston architectural firms such as Sasaki Associates, Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, and Payette Associates. She has led the project conception, execution and delivery of over 5 million square feet of commercial interiors.

Paul joins IA with over 22 years of experience managing all phases of the architectural and interior design process, from feasibility studies through construction administration for complex corporate projects. He has worked closely with Reetika for over 8 years, both at Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, and at Sasaki Associates.

"IA has so much to offer and I'm happy to be a part of it," says Reetika Vijay. "Not only is it unique in that it is the largest architecture firm dedicated exclusively to the practice of interiors, but IA's model is distinct. Each office functions as an active participant in the local market while also performing as an extension of a larger platform with capabilities to serve clients around the globe."

"It is an honor to be joining a top notch organization that excels in corporate interiors and beyondlocally, nationally, and globally. I look forward to serving clients that I have worked with in the past in a broader way, and sharing the firm's resources and best practices," says Paul Comeau.

Reetika and Paul plan to strengthen the unique IA brand in the local market with a client focused, nimble approach. They believe Boston has a rich history of supporting great architectural design firms, and thatIA has much to provide to the local commercial real estate community.

IA Interior Architects is located at 160 State Street, Boston Ma 02109. Reetika can be reached at 617-699-8452 or r.vijay@interiorarchitects.com. Paul can be reached at 617-721-7652 or p.comeau@interiorarchitects.com

ABOUT IA INTERIOR ARCHITECTS Founded in 1984, IA Interior Architects is the first and largest global architectural firm focused exclusively on interior architecture and workplace strategies. IA helps clients in diverse markets worldwide align their business strategies and core values with the dynamic use of space. IA has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, London, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, Raleigh, San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC and has partner affiliates in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and Australia, Canada, and Latin America through the IA Global Alliance. For more information, visit http://www.interiorarchitects.com.

Press Contact: Sofia Zimmerman 917.579.5702 s.zimmerman@interiorarchitects.com

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Reetika Vijay and Paul Comeau to Lead IA Interior Architects in Boston

Amazon.com's proposed three-block high-rise office complex in Seattle's Denny Triangle could take as long as eight years to finish, a project architect revealed Tuesday night.

The blocks would be developed in phases, one block at a time, with two to four years between each phase, John Savo of NBBJ told the city's Downtown Design Review Board.

Amazon's proposed timing was among the new details that surfaced at the review board's first meeting to consider the preliminary design of the complex, at 3.3 million square feet the largest development ever proposed downtown.

The block closest to downtown between Sixth, Seventh and Westlake avenues and Virginia and Lenora streets probably would be developed first, he added.

More than 100 people crowded into the Bertha Knight Landes Room at City Hall to hear presentations from Savo and Dale Alberda, another project architect.

No Amazon official spoke.

While most attention so far has been focused on the tower of up to 37 stories that would be the centerpiece of each block, Savo and Alberda said each block also would have shorter buildings up to six stories that would be linked to the tower on that block by one or two skybridges.

On the block likely to be developed first, a small bridge would link the tower to a 40,000-square-foot auditoriumlike building seating 2,000 that Amazon plans to build along Lenora Street, Savo said.

The online retailer's current Seattle offices lack such a meeting space, he added. It would be "more like a ballroom in a hotel" than an auditorium, Savo said, and could be broken up into smaller spaces if needed.

Amazon hasn't yet decided whether it would be open for noncompany events, he added. But the 50-foot-wide courtyard between the tower and the meeting building would serve as a public passage between Sixth and Seventh avenues and a "pre-function" area for auditorium events, Alberda said.

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Amazon's architects offer some details on towers, skybridges

By Carolyn Bandel - Tue Mar 27 10:01:44 GMT 2012

Natalie Behring/Bloomberg

Jacques Herzog and Pierre De Meuron created the Birds Nest for the Beijing Olympics.

Jacques Herzog and Pierre De Meuron created the Birds Nest for the Beijing Olympics. Photographer: Natalie Behring/Bloomberg

March 27 (Source: Bloomberg) -- Swiss architect Peter Maerkli discusses his approach to construction and the challenges specific to building in Switzerland. He spoke Feb. 8 with Bloomberg's Carolyn Bandel in Zurich. (This report is in Swiss German. Source: Bloomberg)

Tate Press Office via Bloomberg

The Swiss have proven that architectural prowess needs no translation, with Jacques Herzog and Pierre De Meuron creating the Birds Nest for the Beijing Olympics and converting a London power plant into the Tate Modern Museum, seen here.

The Swiss have proven that architectural prowess needs no translation, with Jacques Herzog and Pierre De Meuron creating the Birds Nest for the Beijing Olympics and converting a London power plant into the Tate Modern Museum, seen here. Source: Tate Press Office via Bloomberg

Gerry Ebner/Serpentine Gallery via Bloomberg

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Swiss Designers of Spas, Tate Modern Follow Le Corbusier

Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/864adcaa/visual_notes_for_a) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Visual Notes for Architects and Designers, 2nd Edition" to their offering.

The completely updated step-by-step guide tocapturing experiences in sketch formatregardless of artistic ability

Recording your ideas and observations primarily in pictures instead of words can help you become more creative and constructive on the job, no matter what your level of artistic ability. Featuring completely new coverage of visual note-taking in a digital world, Visual Notes for Architects and Designers, Second Edition demonstrates how to make rapid, notational sketches that serve as visual records for future reference, as well as improve understanding and facilitate the development of ideas. It shows you how to expand your knowledge of a subject beyond what is gained through observation or verbal representation alone. You gain access to simple techniques for collecting, analyzing, and applying information. Crowe and Laseau examine the relationship between note-taking, visualization, and creativity. They give practical guidance on how to develop:

- Visual acuitythe ability to see more in what you experience

- Visual literacyexpressing yourself clearly and accurately with sketches

- Graphic analysisusing sketches to analyze observations

Numerous examples demonstrate some of the many uses of visual notes. They help you develop a keener awareness of environments, solve design problems, and even get more out of lectures and presentations. The authors also discuss types of notebooks suitable for taking visual notes. If you want to develop your perceptual and creative skills to their utmost, you will want to follow the strategies outlined in Visual Notes for Architects and Designers, Second Edition. It is a valuable guide for architects, landscape architects, designers, and anyone interested in recording experience in sketch form.

Author:

- Norman A. Crowe is Professor Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame's School of Architecture and author of Nature and the Idea of a Man-Made World.

- Paul Laseau is Professor Emeritus of Architecture at Ball State University. He has twenty-five years' experience teaching freehand sketching and design drawing, and is author of several books related to visual communication.

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Research and Markets: Visual Notes for Architects and Designers, 2nd Edition

Alexandra Palace

Kate Ferguson, Reporter Sunday, March 25, 2012 7:00 AM

Renowned architects behind the Seattle Aquarium have been drafted in to undertake regeneration work at Alexandra Palace.

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Designers at Terry Farrell & Partners will draw up new blueprints for the future use of the Grade II listed building.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Alexandra Park and Palace charitable trust, said the overall look and fabric of the iconic building will remain the same, but its internal design will change in order to bring neglected areas back into use.

He said: We wanted somebody who could think big, and could look outwards from the palace.

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International architects to oversee Alexandra Palace’s regeneration

THE government has said that it will disclose the names of blacklisted architects and quantity surveyors within and outside the country so that they don't get jobs in Tanzania or elsewhere in the world.

Works Minister Dr John Magufuli said on Friday that individual experts and companies that have made offending mistakes in some projects in Tanzania will not be spared in other countries especially those in the East African Community (EAC).

Magufuli vowed to disclose the names of individuals and companies which have been stripped off their membership with Architecture and Quantity Surveyor Registration Board (AQSRB) to his counterparts in the EAC. The minister made the announcement yesterday in Morogoro when inaugurating the new AQSRB Board of Directors.

The board included the Chairman, Dr Ambwene Mwakyusa. Members are Dr Geraldine Kikwasi, Dr Ramadhan Mlinga, Ewald Mroso, Elius Mwakalinga, Ludigija Bulamile, William Ngowi, Albina Burra, Anael Sawe, Adrian John and Julius Mallaba. Mr Magufuli also addressed a seminar for Architects and Quantity Surveyors where he said: "If they (architects and surveyors) can't do their job properly and follow the rules and regulations, it is better they go fishing."

Magufuli ordered AQSRB to regularly publish the list of individuals and companies whose membership has been revoked and hand the list to him for disclosure. According to the AQSRB Registrar, Jehad Abdalah Jehad, a total of 59 experts and 21 companies have been blacklisted since the board started in 1998 for failure to adhere to the board's code of ethics and regulations.

In order to tackle the problem of substandard work on projects implemented by Local Government Authorities, the minister said the government will soon dispatch experts to inspects their work and take action. He said that architects, quantity surveyors, contractors and engineers will be sent to district councils and ministries in order to ascertain the quality and value for money for construction of roads, bridges and buildings.

"We will take stern measures against those who will be involved in construction of substandard structures. If we fire 10 District Executive Directors, this will send signals to others who misuse public funds," the minister said. Magufuli said, however, that this will be possible only if the experts will cooperate with the government in disclosing culprits. He said money for the audit was available.

The audit, according to Magufuli, will also identify personnel used in the projects so that he can make sure that only registered surveyors and architects get jobs in the councils' projects. The minister also advised the experts to come together and apply for jobs in the government because it's only through collaborations they can win big jobs in the country.

According to Mr Jehad, the board has inspected 7,023 projects since 1998 and will continue to do so. He said that currently there are 327 architects and 193 quantity surveyors. There are 177 architecture companies and 82 quantity surveying companies.

Jehad said that financial constraints were restraining his board from fulfilling budgetary obligations.

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Tanzania: Blacklisted Architects to Be Made Public

23 March 2012 Last updated at 07:31 ET

A Dundee-based firm of architects has won a contest to design the visitor centre at the 43m Helix project near Falkirk.

Nicoll Russell Studios beat global competition to secure the 1m contract.

The company will also create the public space inside the 30m (98ft) high Kelpie Heads, designed by sculptor Andy Scott.

The Helix project, which was approved in 2009, is aiming to transform 300 hectares of unused land between Falkirk and Grangemouth.

It is being co-ordinated by Falkirk Council, British Waterways and the Central Scotland Forest Trust.

Nicoll Russell Studios, which has its head office in Broughty Ferry, was chosen by a panel of four judges from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).

Brian Moore, director of RIAS Consultancy, said: "The calibre and level of response to the competition was overwhelming and myself and the other judges had a tough time trying to shortlist five, let alone decide on a winner.

"Ultimately, we were looking for a practice whose designs best met the objectives of the wider project and which would deliver an architecturally outstanding but realistic proposal within the given budget."

Work on the Helix project, which also includes a canal extension, pathways and cycle networks, began in February 2011.

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Architect chosen for Helix centre

Published: Friday, March 23, 2012 at 10:20 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, March 23, 2012 at 10:20 p.m.

A design for Houma's planned youth-education center on wetland-science and coastal-restoration issues should be complete by this summer.

Organizers with the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center say they hope to use the design to launch a fundraising campaign.

We're looking forward to taking the next step, said Martha Thibodeaux, president of the center's foundation. We want to prepare something visual and concrete to wage our capital campaign.

The center aims to teach middle- and high-school-age children about wetlands issues. It will be built on land behind the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center and will also have exhibits to attract visitors.

Board members selected the Perez architectural firm of New Orleans to design the buildings. Audubon Studios, a design staff at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, will design the museum themes, habitats and exhibits.

Spackman, Mossop + Michaels, a group with experience designing for zoos, educational facilities and botanical gardens, will serve as landscape designer.

The group will pay Perez $54,910 for the design, which will be ready by June, said Jonathan Foret, the center's development director.

The group hopes to raise about $1.2 million to build the main building. It will continue to raise money to expand the center from there, which will cost about $4.5 million total, Foret said.

The center will have to renegotiate a deal with the Terrebonne Parish Council that set aside land for the center. The council agreed to set aside the land for five years to give organizers time to raise money; that deal expires later this year.

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Architects hired for Houma's Wetlands Discovery Center