August 8, 2008
  Vrrrooom—Motorcycle Dealership Goes Green and Gets Gold
Frieze Harley Davidson in O’Fallon, Ill., just received word from the US Green Building Council that their dealership has been awarded LEED® Gold certification, making it the first dealership in the country to be LEED certified. Contributing to the Green Team that brought this 33,000-square-foot showroom and maintenance shop to fruition were the designers, Karasek Architects; Trumpet Builders, the general contractor; and Vertegy, the LEED consultant. Built of insulated concrete forms (ICFs) for a wall R-value of 40, the building is partially powered by a wind turbine and is sited within naturally landscaped grounds using native grasses, plants, and drought-tolerant shrubs and trees. Inside, the shop employs a radiant-heat floor system that runs on waste oil, while the display area features bamboo flooring, low emissions coatings, and a computer-controlled combination of lighting sources that include daylighting through showroom windows as well as more than 40 solar light tubes. Photo © Amy Rudd Photography.

Housing Relief Bill Signed into Law
AIA-backed provisions on affordable housing, green mortgages included
President Bush on July 30 signed into law a massive bill to help stem the rising tide of foreclosures and shore up housing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bill, the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act (H.R. 3221), includes several provisions advocated by the AIA and other organizations to promote the design, construction, and rehabilitation of affordable and energy efficient housing.

Stern Wins Tenth Vincent J. Scully Prize
The National Building Museum announced in July that architect, author, and educator Robert A.M. Stern, FAIA, will receive the tenth Vincent J. Scully Prize, established in 1999 to recognize exemplary practice, scholarship, or criticism in architecture, historic preservation, and urban design. The award will be presented to Stern at the museum on November 12. Stern was named Scully Prize laureate "for his years of teaching at Columbia and Yale Universities, his leadership as the dean of the Yale School of Architecture, and his seminal publications reflecting on the history of architecture in New York. As an educator and author, he helped create the revival of the Shingle Style and successfully promoted traditional town planning," according to the Vincent Scully Prize Jury Chair David Schwarz, FAIA.

 

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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.