elemental

Residential Architect Magazine editor, S. Claire Conroy, writes in the November/December 2010 issue on architects and social media.  We offer a response:

Ms. Conroy;

Your observations in your piece “Publish or Perish” are well taken and I believe true, however, I would offer that rather than cast online forums such as Facebook and LinkedIn as tools for self-promotion, architects should be using them to assert thought leadership.

Our responsibility, as architects, extends not only to the places we create but also to communicating & educating on issues that we observe and are engaged in. Social media, be it through Facebook, Twitter, blogging or other forms, allows architects to do so for both the general public, as well as internally to the industry, in ways never before seen. Whereas  previously in order to have an audience for publishing original content or critique one was forced to survive editorial review, now anyone is given the opportunity to express thought. Within the formats of each online medium, the profession is offered opportunities to share content and by doing so, has the ability to educate and promote change.

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New York (02.09.2011) – Elemental Architecture, a firm recognized for its pioneering work in sustainable architecture, design and advocacy, is pleased to announce that Tom Abraham, Principal & Co-founder has been named to ENR New York | McGraw-Hill Construction’s inaugural “Top 20 Under 40.” The list showcases exceptional A/E/C industry leaders within the region. Abraham’s selection highlights a belief in social entrepreneurship, a commitment to sustainability and progressive uses of social media for education and awareness.

“Everyone has an inherent responsibility toward society,’ Abraham says. ‘We, as architects, have a profound impact on society. It’s not something to be taken lightly.’”  He elaborates, “the global economic collapse has forced a reevaluation of models based on pure consumption and requires a rapid shift to those that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable…I personally believe in a ‘Social Contract.’ Our responsibility, as architects, extends not only to the places we create but also to communicating & educating on issues that we observe and are engaged in…The immediacy and effectiveness of social media allows our discipline, in ways never before seen, to educate and assert leadership with respect to these issues in order to accelerate positive change.” Read the rest of this entry »

A Brief Recap of Last Night’s Inaugural AIANY Oculus Book Talk Series with Carl Stein at New York City’s Center for Architecture

As reported by Maxinne Rhea Leighton, Assoc. AIA:

Carl Stein, FAIA’s Greening Modernism: Preservation, Sustainability and the Modern Movement (W.W. Norton & Company, 11.29.10) offers a compelling and insightful argument for a creative and enthusiastic reexamination of the interconnection between modern architecture, sustainability, historic preservation, and green strategies. One of the many things that sets this book apart from others on architecture and sustainability is the way in which Stein unfolds the theoretical, instructional, and pioneering tenets between design and technology from the pre-petroleum to late-petroleum eras, suggesting opportunities for architecture in a post-petroleum world.

Sightings 01.10.11: Carl Stein, FAIA, kicked off the 2011 Oculus Book Talk series with a lecture on his new work, Greening Modernism: Preservation, Sustainability, and the Modern Movement (W.W. Norton, 2010).

AIANY President Margaret Castillo, AIA, LEED AP, author Carl Stein, FAIA, and AIANY Oculus Committee Chair Kirsten Sibilia, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP.

 
“A sustainable future,” writes Stein, “one in which humankind will have a place in the ecosystem of the Earth, depends on a fundamental reconsideration of how we utilize all of the resources that support the qualities of our lives.” The second greatest end-use energy consumer is infrastructure construction, and there is a dire need to upgrade this part of American society. As you read Greening Modernism, you, too, will be reminded that as much as the truth sounds good on paper, the hardest part is to convert these ideas to the politics of choice and economics. While architects have their challenges set out before them, Greening Modernism will be a hearty and generous companion for those who are willing to challenge what they value in themselves and consider to be the nexus of design, quality of life, and a sustainable global future.

Note: This was the first of a monthly series of book talks hosted by the AIANY Oculus Committee.

Maxinne Rhea Leighton, Assoc. AIA, is a member of the AIANY Oculus Committee. She is a business development, public relations, and marketing professional in NYC and Washington, D.C. Her expanded project base includes cause-related marketing, and the integration of social media with traditional-based forms of communication for non-profit and cultural institutions.

Carl Stein, FAIA, principal of Elemental Architecture, has been selected to deliver the inaugural lecture for the AIA Oculus Book Talk Series on his recent publication ‘Greening Modernism’ at New York City’s Center for Architecture on Monday, January 10th, 2011 at 6:00pm.

“Greening Modernism explains the relationship between design and technology in the pre-petroleum, early-petroleum, and late-petroleum eras, and goes on to support opportunities for architecture in a post-petroleum world.”

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When: Monday,
January 10, 6:00 PM

Where:view map
The Center for Architecture
536 LaGuardia Place
NY, NY 10012
(212) 683-0023
RSVP/Register Here

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About Oculus Book Talks:

On the 2nd Monday of each month the AIANY Oculus Committee sponsors a book talk at the Center for Architecture. Each Oculus Book Talk highlights a recent publication on architecture, design, or the built environment –presented by the author. Copies of the publications will be available for sale and signing.

Last Thursday, December 9th, Elemental hosted the launch party for principal founder Carl Stein’s new book “Greening Modernism”.  Tom Stoelker of the Architect’s Newspaper writes:

Bodacious bourbon pours complimented savory vittles at the yet-to-be-opened Hudson Clearwater in Greenwich Village last night. The restaurant’s first event launched Carl Stein’s new book, Greening Modernism: preservation, sustainability and the modern movement (W.W. Norton, $60.00). The affair had a decidedly down to earth flavor, though the elegant crowd resembled intermission at The Met. The venue seemed a natural fit for Stein of Elemental Architecture, since Elemental’s John Barboni designed the space using salvaged material culled from the 180-year-old carriage house.

“From my perspective, it fits into all the themes of the book,” Barboni said from behind a kitchen counter made of the structure’s former floorboards. “Green is not a newfound subject for Carl.”

From atop a small flight of stairs Stein thanked his family and colleagues, then settled in with the band to play banjo.

In Detail> City College’s masterpiece Shepard Hall gets a long-awaited restoration, gargoyles and all. Read Aaron Seward’s full article here.

This week the AIA New York Chapter / Center for Architecture took over the West 4th Street subway station to present Made in New York - an architectural showcase of projects by Chapter members. Elemental Architecture’s new Private Residence in Croton-on-Hudson is among the work featured in the exhibit.

Made in New York features work of all scales & types – small, large, commercial, residential, public, private, interiors, historic preservation, engineering, landscape and urban design – presenting the scope and quality of work being done by AIA New York Chapter members across the globe. This high-visibility exhibition offers a snapshot of current practices and celebrates the diversity of the Chapter’s membership.

The exhibit runs through the end of October. For additional information on the exhibit click here. To see more images of the Croton project, visit us on Facebook.

Mr. Zeller writes in his NY Times “Green” Blog post “When Green Building Is Not Green Enough” that “the nation’s building stock plays a bigger role in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions than many Americans might realize.”  This is only true (a) because many Americans have chosen to ignore information that has been widely available for at least four decades and (b) powerful business and social interests have conducted a massive campaign of misinformation in order to maintain positions of economic and political power. Read the rest of this entry »