“Shape of America” Web Site Garners the Gateway Arch
On October 6, the AIA’s Shape of America project—a series of Web-based short films showcasing a selection of the 150 structures chosen by the public as America’s Favorite Architecture—welcomed an American icon, St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, by Eero Saarinen, to its repertoire of buildings that are expanding public dialogue about architecture and how it affects our lives. The site features AIA architects sharing insight and personal anecdotes about architectural masterworks, in turn encouraging public discussion of the buildings using interactive features such as how to vote for the next buildings to be highlighted, architectural blogs, a system to rate the films, and an RSS feature alerting viewers when the site is updated with new material. The Gateway Arch joins with latest additions The Plaza Hotel (inaugurated September 22), Disney Concert Hall, USAF Cadet Chapel, Philips Exeter Library, and the Empire State Building—with new arrivals anticipated every two weeks. Visit ShapeofAmerica.org to see these videos for yourself. And, after viewing, please consider continuing the conversation by forwarding to your friends, colleagues, and clients—or start blogging!

Build Boston and Greenbuild Storm Boston in November
The perfect storm of design and construction industry events is headed to Boston next month. Build Boston, the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) convention and tradeshow, and Greenbuild, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) annual convention, both take place during the third week of November—and just down the street from each other—allowing you easily to explore two premier conventions and tradeshows in one fabulous city.

Taking Care of Business
Letters to the Editor
Contributing Editor Michael J. Crosbie, PhD, AIA, really stirred up the editorial pot this week with his “Sustainable Cities, The Race Is On” column. Some readers objected to his point of view on fostering sustainability; others objected to his language, which they found inflammatory and polarizing. Another reader takes us to task for not including a photo of the original design for 2 Columbus Circle.

kiplinger connection
The Economy • Energy • Health Care
The Economy: Recession’s at the door; Fed will cut interest rates.
Energy: Some interesting large-scale alternatives are coming.
Health Care: Some options to help smalls offer coverage.