June 27, 2008
  Soap Bubble and Protein Molecules Inspire Steven Holl Architects’ New Lobby Design
Steven Holl Architects has just completed a new 3,000-square-foot redesign for D. E. Shaw Research, an independent, computational biochemistry research laboratory in Manhattan, to accommodate a supercomputer designed “to execute high-speed simulations of proteins and other biological macromolecules.” This 32nd-floor lobby space, which connects to the floor above, allows people to catch a view of the supercomputer through its faceted glass enclosure. Monitors integrated into the glass allow visitors to observe—in real time—the motion of the simulated proteins, drugs, and other molecules that Shaw Research studies. Equally fascinating is the connecting stair, composed of perforated steel plates that in plan form an irregular hexagon. Steven Holl Architects reports that for inspiration, they studied soap bubbles “and the way they mysteriously nest in clusters that always take the same angle of hexagonal geometry at 120 degrees.” Digitally coordinated fabrication techniques allowed the planes of the staircase to be laser-cut directly from the architect’s drawings.
Photo © Andy Ryan.

New AIA Local Leader Report Details State, Local Green Building Program Incentives
The AIA on June 10 issued Local Leaders in Sustainability--Green Incentives, an online report detailing how local and state governments use a variety of incentive-based techniques to encourage green building practices. The report examines many types of incentive programs, identifies inherent barriers to success, and highlights best practice examples from around the country.

Julia Morgan Named to California Hall of Fame
The California Museum's Hall of Fame, inaugurated in 2006, has just announced its list of 12 inductees for 2008, including architect Julia Morgan (1872–1957), designer of the Hearst Castle and the first female architect in California. Also on the list of this year’s inductees—“notable and legendary Californians who have made extraordinary achievements in the fields of music, architecture, art, literature, politics, science, cinema, fitness, and food”—are jazz musician Dave Brubeck, Oscar-winning actors Jane Fonda and Jack Nicholson, and Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling. Morgan is the second architect to be so honored; Frank Gehry was the first, in 2006. The inductees will be honored in a December 10 ceremony by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver.

Gold Medal and Firm Award Reminder—
Submissions Due July 11
AIA Gold Medal and Architecture Firm Award submissions are due July 11. Nominations from AIA components, members of the AIA Board of Directors, Knowledge Communities, and by petition are welcome. For submission forms and binders, visit the Honors and Awards Web site or contact Molly Roche in the Honors and Awards Department, 202-626-7586 or mroche@aia.org.

AIArchitect Takes Five on the Fourth
AIArchitect will not be published on Friday, July 4, to give the staff (and you, our avid readers!) a little time to rest, recoup, and reconnect. Please join us again on July 11 when we return. Wishing you and yours a wonderful Fourth of July and a Happy Summer!

 

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This is where you will find the latest happenings in the Institute, the profession, and the wider world of building design and construction. The News Zone also carries commentary from AIA elected representatives as well as major new commissions, completions, and openings.