NYC’s Whitney Museum to Add New Building
New structure in Lower Manhattan to be designed by Piano with Cooper, Robertson
The Whitney Museum of American Art on May 1 released plans to add a second Whitney Museum site to New York City with the construction of a six-floor, 185,000-square-foot building in downtown Manhattan. The new building, designed by 2008 AIA Gold Medalist Renzo Piano, Hon. FAIA, collaborating with Cooper, Robertson & Partners, will add 50,000 additional square feet of galleries to the 32,000 square feet of the existing Whitney Museum on Madison Avenue, designed by Marcel Breuer and opened in1966.

Architecture for Humanity Mobilizes to Create, Fund Myanmar Assessment Team
As relief agencies such as the International Red Cross deliver first-response care to the victims of the May 3 cyclone that struck Myanmar, Architecture for Humanity is organizing to create a long-term strategy to help rebuild the country. Given early contact with their colleagues in the field—many of whom partnered with Architecture for Humanity to rebuild after the 2004 Tsunami—the nonprofit organization needs to raise a minimum of $10,000 for an assessment team or a local team with international support. At that point, they will assess providing help in the transitional and long-term phase. If you are interested in joining the team, e-mail Architecture for Humanity directly. The group also is taking donations to support the team via the Web.

GBI Releases Proposed American National Standard For Public Comment
Proposed standard available for comment through June 9
The Green Building Initiative™ (GBI) released its proposed green building standard—known as the “GBI Proposed American National Standard 01-2008P: Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings”—for public comment on April 30. The not-for-profit GBI’s mission is “to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier, and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches.” Accessible on the GBI Web site, the proposed standard is based on the Green Globes™ environmental assessment and rating system and will be available for public comment through June 9. The proposed standard incorporates new elements developed by GBI ANSI technical committees that include representatives from organizations such as the AIA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. General Services Administration, American Lung Association, and many more. New elements incorporated into the proposed standard include the Green Globes LCA Credit Calculator for Building Assemblies, which incorporates life-cycle assessment (LCA) into the system, and a new requirement to achieve a minimum number of points in each of the system’s seven areas of assessment. For more information or to comment, visit GBI’s Web site.

Tune in to AIArchitect for Continuous Convention Coverage
Beginning Thursday, May 15, AIArchitect will post continuing coverage of the events taking place at the AIA National Convention and Design Expo in Boston, including the election results on the night of May 16. We also will e-mail you the latest version on Friday, as usual. Save the link and check in with us often. (Photo of the Charles River, courtesy of the Greater Boston CVB.)

AIA Sets a New Industry Standard with IPD Agreements
The AIA will launch two types of integrated project delivery (IPD) agreements on May 15 at the 2008 AIA National Convention. Implementing principles and concepts laid out in Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide, the AIA will provide agreements for two levels of IPD. The first type is transitional and offers a comfortable first step into IPD. The second type introduces a fully integrated way of delivering a design and construction project.