elemental

Carl Stein’s article in Renewable Energy World North America ‘Defining Renewable’ segment is available in print and for download now.

As Carl concludes:

“With remarkable shortsightedness, we have come to believe that the petroleum-era paradigm which was made possible by the availability of plentiful, cheap energy represents the natural order. In fact, it is not sustainable and is tending toward catastrophic results. The shift to renewable energies as our primary resources will reconnect us to the cultural/ethical continuum of humankind; a new paradigm.”

Read the article here. or download PDF .

As construction continues, efforts to utilize the original schist stone entry ramp wall that was recently unearthed continue to make progress. Concrete underpinning (for an explanation of underpinning, click here) along with new steel reinforcement, will allow the original schist stone wall to be incorporated into the new entry design. Meanwhile, as the entry ramp work continues, Elemental Architecture and the team are preparing to commence full scale reconstruction efforts on portions of the main building itself. Stay tuned for continued updates from the field.

Principal founder of elemental, Carl Stein, FAIA, addressed a gathering of local activists, artists, designers, educators, environmentalists, and planners at the Southampton campus of Stony Brook University last Friday, October 9th. The event sparked an effective and engaging dialogue about the sustainable future of the SUNY campus.

In addition to his curation with Marc Fasanella of the visual exhibition held in the Avram Lobby Gallery, Carl addressed the symposium with the following statement on sustainability:

“In order to discuss options for sustainability, one must first decide what is being sustained.  Much of the consideration of global sustainability might actually better be called survivability.  Issues of climate change, food production, availability of clean water and air threaten the continued viability of the human species.

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Last night, the AIA New York Chapter / Center for Architecture took over the West 4th Street subway station for the opening of their New York Now architecture showcase. Elemental Architecture’s historic reconstruction of New York City Landmark Gothic Revival building, Shepard Hall at the City College of New York, is among the work featured in the exhibit.

New York Now includes work of all type and scale – small, large, commercial, residential, public, private, interiors, historic preservation, engineering, landscape and urban design – presenting the scope and quality of projects by Chapter members in New York City today. This high-visibility exhibition offers a snapshot of where we are at this moment and celebrates the diversity of the Chapter’s membership.

The exhibit runs through the end of October. For additional information and online slideshow of work featured, click here.

Join us for a Conversation with the Community
Friday, October 9th 2009, 7:30pm-9:00pm
Avram Gallery at Stony Brook, Southampton SUNY

Curated by Carl Stein, FAIA & Marc Fasanella

Followed by a reception in the Avram Lobby Gallery introducing the exhibit:
Seeing Southampton Visually Investigating Issues that Affect the Environment of Southampton

As we close the first decade of the 21st Century, we should take stock of how we dwell upon our Earth.  In the spirit of thinking globally and acting locally, a group of colleagues are initiating a dialog with Activists, Architects, Artists, Citizens, Designers, Educators, Environmentalists and Planners who shape the township of Southampton.

The future of Stony Brook Southampton is inextricably linked to the fabric of Southampton Township, the East End of Long Island, and the global dialogue on the environment.  On the evening of October 9th we will host a symposium that brings together a diverse group of concerned individuals to canvas their notions of elements essential to the evolution of the town.  Our goal is to provoke, record, define and present a holistic set of interconnected guiding principles for evolving our community in the 21st century.  On December 13th, we will present an interim summation of this discourse.  During the years to come, we will widen our conversation to an international level.

Contribute your thoughts at this public event! Please RSVP to (631) 632-5161

invite (pdf)

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Along with the recently unearthed entry stairs a major portion of the original entry wall has been unearthed. Following inspection, the team is now evaluating how this remnant of the original entry can be incorporated into the reconstruction. The wall, constructed of Manhattan schist likely from the building site, was buried under fill during a mid-twentieth century alteration. As part of the reconstruction efforts to the entire building, a new entry in keeping with George Post’s original entry is being created. Stay tuned for continued updates from the field.

On this week’s episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Tony travels to his wife’s homeland of Sardinia.  During the episode, the Bourdain family spends time walking through Piazza Sebastiano Satta designed by the late Richard Stein, FAIA (father and partner to elemental founder Carl Stein) and noted Sardinian sculptor Constantino Nivola in 1966. From the scenes in the show, the piazza appears to have changed very little from its original design.

Other collbaorations between Nivola and Richard & Carl Stein include Stephen Wise Plaza on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, PS 55 in Staten Island and The Combined Police & Fire Facility on East 67th Street – winner of an Integration of Sculpture in Public Architecture Award from the NYC Art Commission.

Read more on Nivola’s contributions and collaborations to public architecture here.

Carl Stein is interviewed about the history and preservation efforts by elemental at Shepard Hall as part of the College’s Centennial celebration