http://architizer.com/blogtrends-of-2014/
Hello Everyone:
I noticed today that we're well on our way to 10,000 page views. That's insane, keep up the good I think we can make our goal of 10,000 page view by April 1.
Today, I'd like to take a look at five architecture and urban planning trend writer James Bartolucci hopes to see in the new year. In his article for
Architizer (http://www.architizer.com), "Five Architecture and Urban Planning Trends We Hope To See More Of In 2014," Mr. Bartolucci recounts some of the memorable trends of 2013 that affected the greater discourse of architecture and urban planning. From Miami, Florida's metamorphosis into the United States' next design center, to the blossoming of super-tall high rise competing for the honor of being "the tallest building in the world," to proposals for whole cities that operate on renewable energy and sustainable building practices, 2013 may best be remembered as the year of attention-seeking architects looking for titles over the next years. The newborn year holds numerous challenges for architects, especially in solving the challenges of sustainability and climate, the growing income gap in our largest cities, planning for smart growth (there's that term, see post dated 1/07/14) of cities, particularly as we become a more urbanized society. Thus, looking forward to the unfolding year, here's what trends in architecture and urban planning Mr. Bartolucci and everyone
Architizer hope to see more of in 2014.
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Statue of Liberty in Hurricane Sandy
photograph by Nadine DeNinno
ibtimes.com |
1. Adopting coastal cities to climate change through resilient design: The catastrophic devastation leveled by Hurricane Sandy throughout metropolitan New York made the architecture and urban planning professions come face-to-face with a cold reality: as global carbon levels in the atmosphere continues to aggravate the effects of climate change, coastal cities such as New York, are likely to see similar catastrophic events in the future. James Bartolucci suggests that one crucial trend that he would like to see in the new year is more preparation of cities and citizens to adapt to this impending threats. As New York began to rebuild, the President's Hurricane Sandy
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Urban Catalyst
OMA
rebuildbydesign.org |
Rebuilding Task force unveiled Rebuild by Design, a programs that called for architects and planners to submit proposals to make New York more resilient against rising sea level and disastrous storms.
One of the proposals was the OMA's "Urban Catalyst," a project that calls for a hard wall to be built along the terminals of JFK to prevent choking flights during a storm and give Queens residents a safe dry urban haven. Also worth mentioning, SCAPE/LANDSCAPE Architecture's "Living Growing Breakwaters," which proposes to reduce wave energy by 32%, clean coastal waters, and offer broader ecological education by repopulating natural oyster habitats.
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3716 Springfield
Studio 804
mocoloco.com |
2. Bringing off-the-grid architecture to the city: 2013 saw numerous projects that made a great strides in sustainability by going "off-the-grid." These buildings made minimal impact on the their environment and are frequently located far from large urban centers which according to James Bartolucci, makes sense because of the need for significant space necessary for generating renewable energy. However, while relocating outside the city seems like a natural trait for going off the grid, it can leave residents disconnected from public transportation and the vital economic resources found in urban areas. This refers to access jobs and commodities, a person must travel miles via automobile, which grows the carbon footprint removed from the physical structure. In the down-on-its-luck neighborhood of Springfield, Kansas, Studio 804, Inc. designed the 3716 Springfield residence, an off-the-grid home that received the first LEED Platinum status in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. The home is located just south of the downtown area-minimizing the building's impact on the environment while reducing the occupant's carbon footprint. In bringing off-the-grid construction to larger urban areas, blighted neighborhoods in particular, it offers an opportunity to create more sustainable and connect communities.
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SHoP's Proposal for 107 West 57th Street
wirednewyork.com |
3. Greater public oversight for new skyscraper and development projects: PLEASE. In 2013, New York City saw its famed skyline transformed as a new World Trade Center (that'll show the terrorists who won) topped out in May. Nevertheless, 2013 will also be remembered for a trend that James Bartolucci hopes to see less of, or at least with greater public oversight, the dreaded "edifice complex." You know those super-tall residential skyscrapers that cater to the elite and super-rich. I'm desperately trying to avoid making some masculine insecurity crack. Every month saw another proposal for a high-rise residence by some well-known design firm such as SHoP's proposal for West 57th Street, the controversial One57 condominiums that shut down the surrounding neighborhood because of a malfunctioning crane, and Rafael Viñoly's 4432 Park Avenue already underway. These
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One57, street level view
Christian de Portzamparc
huffingtonpost.com |
opulent sky palaces offer an unparalleled view of Manhattan, echoing former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's sentiment, "If we could get every billionaire in the world to move here, that would be a godsend."
Each of these sky palaces received significant opposition from their communities. Their presence will serve as a reminder of a place for the privileged few that can afford to live there. With a new administration at City Hall, Mr. Bartolucci hopes to see an end to the pro-development craze that marked the Bloomberg administration and more oversight for new development that will take public payback for these obnoxious elitist expressions of wealth into consideration. In quoting Michael Kimmelman of the
New York Times, Mr. Bartolucci writes, "Exceptional height should be earned, not just bought. Let community groups and city agencies weigh in....Developers might also give something back for the profits reaped as they leverage public assets like parks. the could pony up for affordable housing and improved transit." Absolutely.
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Marcus Garvey Park Village
en.wikipedia.org |
4. More low and mid-rise affordable housing solutions: nicely dovetailing onto more public oversight for "edifice complex" is Mr. Bartolucci's suggestion for more low and mid-rise affordable housing. In the mid-twentieth century, affordable housing high-density public housing often translated into rather large, imposing, frankly ugly apartment block set within ample green space. This practice is lambasted today for creating stark isolated environments that disregard the human scale. However, in the past forty years, a new building typology has arisen that sought to act as an alternative to this sort of riff on Le Corbusier's "towers in garden," as the need for better living conditions and space grew. This new typology incorporated light, open space, and a closer
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Monsignor Anthony J. Barretta Apartment
RKTB Architects and Urban Designers
rktb.com |
connection to the ground. This came to be known as low-rise high density, and reached its apogee in the seventies with the Marcus Garvey Park Village in Brooklyn, New York. This past year, RKTB Architects and Urban Designers built the Monsignor Anthony J. Barretta Apartments in the Brownsville community of Brooklyn. James Bartolucci cites this development as a stellar example of low-rise high-density public housing. Spread out over eight buildings, sixty-four units were built for very low-income tenants who qualified for Section 8 housing. Each apartment was built with the intention of LEED-certification, maintain a close connection to the street and surrounding resources, and show a real effort to improve the living conditions of the often overlooked outer boroughs of New York.
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Park Over River
St. Louis, Missouri
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
cityarchriver.org |
5. Plan for people, not cars: in 1989, the San Francisco Bay Area was struck by the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, causing irreparable damage to the Embarcadero and Central freeways. However, the city of San Francisco, California chose not rebuild the damaged roadways, rather, it opted to a take a more progressive approach to the damaged infrastructure that created a more pedestrian-friendly(er) city: they tore them down. The Embarcadero and Central freeway cut-off their surrounding neighborhoods from each. By taking down the elevated highways, the formerly isolated neighborhoods began to come together via a network of public parks, pedestrian walkways, and bicycle routes. In the succeeding years, numerous cities have seeking similar planning strategies to benefit walkers and bicyclists, instead of pollution spewing auto transit. San Francisco hopes to recreate the success of the post-earthquake project with
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280 Freeway Competition
Erik Jensen and Justin Richardson
archdaily.com |
2013's dismantling of the 280 freeway with 280 Freeway Competition. Good riddance. Landscape architecture students Erik Jensen and Justin Richardson proposed dismantling the freeway, leaving behind the concrete pylons to create a "cultural field" of murals, sculpture, and community art. The remaining concrete would be used to created a buffer against rising sea levels. This past August, in St. Louis, Missouri, the city broke ground on an elevated park over the I-70, connecting the downtown communities to the St. Louis Arch and riverfront.
This are all wonderful proposals and I hope some of the come true. In the meantime, the year is still young with plenty of promise for the urban landscape.
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