Solar Decathlon Advances Affordable Sustainability
The solar-powered houses that lined the National Mall for the fourth Solar Decathlon made it clear that the sustainable design movement is becoming more self-assured and sophisticated. The student-designed and built houses used a wide variety of materials (stone, wood, steel, plastic composite) and spatial organizations not seen in past decathlons. Moreover, the solar photovoltaic panels used to power the houses and sell energy back to the grid are better integrated into the designs, while the need for them has been effectively minimized by simple, passive sustainability design features.

KPF’s 123-Story Tower Will Be the World’s Second Tallest
The globe-trotting high rise design firm KPF has completed a conceptual design for the Lotte Super Tower 123, which they expect to be the world’s second tallest building when it opens in 2014. Designed for the Lotte Group (a South Korean business conglomerate that specializes in finance, foods, information services, and research and development), the tower will rise 123 stories (1,831 feet) from a site along the Han River in the Jamsil section of Seoul.

AIACC Recognizes Michael Stanton’s Lifetime Achievement
The AIA California Council (AIACC), has conferred its 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award on 1999 AIA President Michael J. Stanton, FAIA, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the improvement of the built environment, the architectural profession, and the lives of the clients and citizens served by the profession.

AIA/HUD Discusses Livable Communities Strategies
AIA leadership this month met with Ron Sims, deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other top HUD officials to discuss working together to promote sustainable communities across the United States.

AIA Los Angeles Celebrates October as Architecture Month
AIA Los Angeles is celebrating architecture this month. October was proclaimed "Architecture Month" two years ago by City Councilman Tom LaBonge and the City Council. The emphasis is on bringing together diverse professional and public-interest groups, including AIA Los Angeles and a host of participating organizations, to celebrate the built environment and bring awareness of the importance of design to the community at large.

POP UP Architecture Creates a Firm’s Projects as a Miniature Reality
Wendy Evans Joseph POP UP Architecture is a firm monograph in the form of a pop-up book. The full-color, large-format book features 10 projects by New York-based Wendy Evans Joseph Architecture, which held a book signing Wednesday, October 21 at Urban Center Books in New York City.