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CASE STUDY: GREENING A RESTAURANT

When the owners of Zinc Restaurant in New Haven, CT, wanted to renovate and re-brand their sister restaurant on Temple Street Plaza, they decided on a menu of artisan pizza, made of local farm ingredients. In order to reflect this new concept, and to further the sustainable-farming philosophies of the menu, we decided the renovation would be as minimal as possible, and that any new materials would be as green as possible. The result? The New York Times called the design ‘an attractive farmhouse-kitchen-meets-urban-chic aesthetic’…

RE-USE & REFURBISH

Vestiges of the former fur vault were highlighted in the design: the end brick wall is left unfinished, a steel column sits on a newly finished pedestal cap, and the century-old concrete floors create a textured backdrop for the new elements. We made an inventory of the existing furniture and fixtures worth keeping and donated or sold those that weren’t. Booths and chairs from the previous restaurant, for instance, were kept, and any new materials were stained to match these. The existing fans were of a similar wood tone and only needed minor repairs.

The concrete walls that had already been painted were re-painted in a more neutral color (with low-VOC paint).

NEW MATERIALS: LOCAL & SUSTAINABLE

Like its food, Zinc’s design is local and sustainable. The new bar and tables, built locally, are made of readily available maple, stained to match the existing chairs. Both the new bar and table tops were designed with cork tiles. Normally used as flooring, the cork tiles help dampen sound. Full tile dimensions were used as much as possible. A jute rug creates an island for the seating area.

(DAY)LIGHTING

The curtains from the previous design were removed to allow as much natural light as possible. In the summer, a future pergola over the back door will shade the summer sun. New low-voltage halogen light fixtures are dimmable and bathe the layout in soft light. Light fixtures can be added, removed or moved along their tracks.

BRANDING & DESIGN

In order to create a cohesiveness throughout the restaurant concept, we organized meetings for all who would take part in its design, including marketing and graphic designers, signage and product designers, and, of course, owners Donna Curran and Denise Appel. These meetings helped shape the whole, from colors, textures, materials, to the choice of photography for the niches, even choosing Kitchen Zinc’s eventual mascot, the smiling goat.

RESULTS

“I am thrilled and delighted with the look and feel of Kitchen ZINC,” says owner Donna Curran. “It’s good to know you can have good architectural design – light, airy, comfortable and efficient – and know that it’s also ‘responsible/ green’ design. I particularly like the play of surfaces and textures from wood to brick, to jute mat and cork and wood bar. Miraculously given those surfaces, it’s not a noisy or rackety place. Overall what makes the design so successful is that the architect has let the space have its own voice.”

As for the real proof? Business has improved threefold this winter. Students, locals and visitors alike fill the place most nights, to enjoy Kitchen Zinc’s delectables.

Visit Kitchen Zinc’s site at www.kitchenzinc.com.

See our portfolio pictures and write-up here.

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EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

Once again, we are urged to help a country ravished by natural disaster. Please consider helping Chile by donating to a charity dedicated to rebuilding.

Architecture for Humanity

Architecture for Humanity is a nonprofit design services firm dedicated to “building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design”. By tapping a network of more than 40,000 professionals willing to lend time and expertise to help those who would not otherwise be able to afford their services, Architecture for Humanity brings design, construction and development services where they are most critically needed. To support their cause or learn more about them click here.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity will mobilize all available resources to address shelter solutions for low-income families affected by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on February 27, 2010. Habitat for Humanity Chile has provided more than 3,500 families with adequate housing since 1998 and has extensive training in working in disaster recovery.. To lend support, please donate today.

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‘Design is redesign’ ~ Jan Michl, Oslo School of Architecture, Norway

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A bientot,
Karin

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Tags: artisan pizza, branding, brick wall, Denise Appel, design, Donna Curran, farmhouse kitchen, fur vault, Kitchen Zinc, low-VOC paint, low-voltage halogen, New Haven Architecture, New Haven design, Restaurant, Restaurant design, steel column, sustainable farming, Temple Street Plaza, urban chic

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Detail of the AIA Blueprint for Economic Recovery 2010

ARCHITECTURE ADVOCACY 2010

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently published and presented their ‘Blueprint for Economic Recovery’, a five-point plan from AIA’s Rebuild and Renew program to involve architects in a broad economic and jobs recovery program. Highlights from this plan:

1. Help struglling communities rebuild.
Congress should enact the AIA’s Rebuild and Renew America’s Communities Act to provide grants to rehabilitate abandoned buildings into vital assets, like community centers, fire stations, health facilities and libraries, raising property values and restoring vitality to struggling neighborhoods.

2. Unfreeze credit to get America building again.
The AIA calls on Congress to extend the Term Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF), and enact legislation to promote the use of covered bonds.

3. Encourage the commercial sector to build green.
Buildings account for 40% of carbon emissions and 70% of electricity generated in this country. By increasing incentives for Green Building Design and Renovation, congress can stimulate economic activity while securing our energy independence.

4. Provide relief for small businesses.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they are the first to suffer in an economic crisis. Congress needs to pass the Small Business Financing and Investment Act to make financing more available to small businesses.

5. Invest in our children with 21st century schools.
Investing in green schools creates jobs, lowers school district energy bills and creates better learning environments for students and teachers.

The AIA’s 5-Point Plan

EVENTS

See New Haven’s 9-Square Master Plan as drawn in 1641 and learn of the city’s early development.

‘It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.’ ~ Charles Darwin

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A bientot,
Karin

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Tags: 21st Century Schools, AIA 5-Point Plan, AIA's Rebuild and Renew Program, Architecture, Architecture Advocacy, Architecture Advocacy 2010, Blueprint for Economic Recovery, Build Green, Carbon Emmissions, City, Colony, Economic Recovery, Eli Whitney, Five Point Plan, George Henry Durrie, Glass House 2010 Tour Series, Green Building, National Trust for Historic Preservation, New Haven History, New Haven Museum and Historical Society, Philip Johnson, Rebuilding and Renew America's Communities Act, Relief for Small Businesses, Small Business Financing and Investment Act, Twilight Tours

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The Hajj Terminal at King Abdul Aziz International Airport at dusk. Photo: Business Week.

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ENDURING EXCELLENCE

The Hajj Terminal  at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia was honored with the 2010 Twenty-Five Year Award by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).  This award is conferred on a project that has stood the test of time for 25 to 35 years as an embodiment of architectural excellence. Projects must demonstrate excellence in function, in the distinguished execution of its original program and in the creative aspects of its statement by today’s standards.

The terminal structure was designed by SOM who crafted the 210 fabric tensions ‘tents’ based on the needs of the vast amount of people who travel through here.  Because the millions of Hajj pilgrims on their way to Mecca travel through this open-air terminal each year, it was designed and serves as a gathering place of religious fellowship, an improvised campsite for pilgrims waiting to begin their journey, and a point of departure and gateway to Islam’s most revered places.

One member of the AIA jury stated, “This is a modernist structure that captures the spirit of Middle Eastern nomadic architecture…”
Other jury members also stated, “The architects created a highly sustainable project well ahead of the green movement; they learned from the way people have inhabited the desert since early civilization—screening the sun, allowing natural light and ventilation. They did so much with so little – few materials, a regular rhythm of structural bays, a simple fabric structure that works as shelter, as environmental control and as a tie to tradition.”

A rendering of the 2 modules with landscaped area between; the vehicular access; pilgrims under the tensile structure ‘tents’.
Sources: Aga Khan Development Network and SOM.com

And the Hajj Terminal is just one of many spectacular structures awarded for enduring excellence throughout the years.  The 2009 winner was Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Cambridge, Massachussetts, designed by Benjamin Thompson & Associates. Also, our home state of Connecticut boasts 2 winners in the past 10 years: in 2005 the Yale Center for British Art, in New Haven, designed by Louis I. Kahn; and in 2000, The Smith House in Darien, designed by Richard Meier & Partners.  These are just three of the many designs of enduring significance to be recognized for their contributions to the architecture fabric of today.

View a comprehensive list of the past winners below or click here for more information.

1969 Rockefeller Center, New York City, Reinhard & Hofmeister; Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray
1971 The Crow Island School, Winnetka, Ill., Perkins, Wheeler & Will; Eliel & Eero Saarinen
1972 Baldwin Hills Village, Los Angeles, Reginald D. Johnson; Wilson, Merrill & Alexander; Clarence S. Stein
1973 Taliesin West, Paradise Valley, Ariz., Frank Lloyd Wright
1974 Johnson and Son Administration Building, Racine, Wis., Frank Lloyd Wright
1975 Philip Johnson’s Residence, (“The Glass House”), New Caanan, Conn., Philip Johnson
1976 860-880 North Lakeshore Drive Apartments, Chicago, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
1977 Christ Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Saarinen, Saarinen & Associates; Hills, Gilbertson & Hays
1978 The Eames House, Pacific Palisades, Calif., Charles and Ray Eames
1979 Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn., Louis I. Kahn, FAIA
1980 Lever House, New York City, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
1981 Farnsworth House, Plano, Ill., Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
1982 Equitable Savings and Loan Building, Portland, Oreg., Pietro Belluschi, FAIA
1983 Price Tower, Bartlesville, Okla., Frank Lloyd Wright
1984 Seagram Building, New York City, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
1985 General Motors Technical Center, Warren, Mich., Eero Saarinen and Associates with Smith, Hinchman & Grylls
1986 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, Frank Lloyd Wright
1987 Bavinger House, Norman, Okla., Bruce Goff
1988 Dulles International Airport Terminal Building, Chantilly, Va., Eero Saarinen and Associates
1989 Vanna Venturi House, Chestnut Hill, Pa., Robert Venturi, FAIA
1990 The Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Eero Saarinen and Associates
1991 Sea Ranch Condominium I, The Sea Ranch, Calif., Moore Lyndon Turnbull Whitaker
1992 The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif., Louis I. Kahn, FAIA
1993 Deere & Company Administrative Center, Moline, Ill., Eero Saarinen and Associates
1994 The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, Maine, Edward Larrabee Barnes
1995 The Ford Foundation Headquarters, New York City, Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates
1996 The Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, Colorado Springs, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
1997 Phillips Exeter Academy Library, Exeter, N. H., Louis I. Kahn, FAIA
1998 Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Louis I. Kahn, FAIA
1999 The John Hancock Center, Chicago, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
2000 The Smith House, Darien, Conn.; Richard Meier & Partners
2001 Weyerhaeuser Headquarters, Federal Way, Wash.; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
2002 Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, Spain; Sert Jackson and Associates
2003 Design Research Headquarters Building, Cambridge, Mass; BTA Architects (formerly known as Benjamin Thompson & Associates, Inc.)
2004 East Building, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; I.M. Pei & Partners, Architects
2005 Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Conn., Louis I. Kahn, FAIA
2006 Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs, Ark., E. Fay Jones, FAIA
2007 Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, DC; Maya Lin, Designer; Cooper-Lecky Architects, Architect of Record
2008 The Antheneum, New Harmony, Ind.; Richard Meier & Partners
2009 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Cambridge, Mass.; Benjamin Thompson & Associates

EVENTS

This event ends on Friday so don’t forget to visit this exhibit this week:

What We Learned: The Yale Las Vegas Studio and the Work of Venturi Scott Brown & Associates

Now to February 05, 2010 at the Yale School of Architecture, 180 York Street, New Haven , CT

Two concurrent exhibitions showcasing the groundbreaking Las Vegas Studio of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown as well as the work of their firm will be presented by the Yale School of Architecture at the gallery of Paul Rudolph Hall. The exhibitions offer complementary perspectives on the legendary studio taught at Yale in 1969 and its subsequent impact on the teaching, research, and design work of Venturi and Scott Brown, two of America’s most prominent architects.

The Glass House 2010 Tour Series

The Philip Johnson Glass House, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has announced the release of 2010 tour tickets. There are a number of tours, including Twilight Tours, an experience of the 47-acre Glass House site as the sun begins to set.

For more information, click here.
Yale Center for British Art

Take the introductory tour of the Center’s permanent collection residing in this marvelous structure.

For more information and a full list of events held at the center daily, click here.

“Architecture, of all the arts, is the one which acts the most slowly, but the most surely, on the soul” – Ernest Dimnet

A bientot,
Karin

Tags: 2010 25 Year Award, AIA, AIA 25 Year Award, Architecture, Enduring Excellence, Faneuil Hall, Hajj Terminal, Karin Patriquin, King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Philip Johnson Glass House, SOM, The Smith House, Yale Center for British Art, Yale Las Vegas Studio

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Source: Architecture for Humanity

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A TIME TO REBUILD

An earthquake of magnitude 7.0 hit Haiti on January 12, 2010, its epicenter 10 miles southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince and just 6.2 miles below Earth’s surface.  As of today’s count, 200,000 deaths have been tallied and 2,000,000 people remain homeless. The quake and its aftershocks have been particularly devastating because of the weak infrastructure of the nation of 9.7 million people. Reduced access has hampered relief efforts, and Haiti’s largest airport can only receive and coordinate a fraction of the airplanes carrying humanitarian aid.

From its earliest history, Ayiti, the name given by the Taino, an Arawakan people, has suffered from natural and man-made disasters. Its first major earthquake was reported in 1564; the next, in 1701, ravaged the nation once again. Ten years after that, widespread fires destroyed the resulting rebuilding efforts. In the 1770s, another massive earthquake and widespread disease devastated the island yet again. Wars and civil unrest have been the norm since the days of the buccaneers, and the French, English and Spanish colonialists. In recent history no less than 9 deadly hurricanes have devastated the island since 1954.

With such seemingly perpetual disaster begetting the island, and with much of the country lying in ruins today, there is a crucial opportunity to re-think the country’s infrastructure, the organization of the capital city, and the construction method of buildings. In terms of sustainability alone, reforestation of areas cleared for single-crop plantations and fuel–the nation’s trees have long been the only means of heating and cooking–as well as the implementaion of alternate sources of energy, would go a long way to limit the destruction from natural disasters.

A long-term rebuilding effort first centers around servicing the most basic human needs: clean water, shelters, hospitals, markets, and transport.

Soon the priority shifts to the repair or rebuilding of hospitals, schools, churches and government buildings, community spaces and locations for sheltering of displaced individuals.

Finally, in conjunction with now functional government agencies, permanent housing in neighborhoods and in villages is slowly rebuilt. Urban planning, re-zoning, enacting earthquake-resistant building codes are some of the tasks ahead beyond the immediate humanitarian necessities.

To rebuild, we must also think beyond basic tenets of urban design and think of the elements which will restore the character, dignity and history of Haiti.

THE RELIEF EFFORT

Please consider donating to recovery efforts relating to the rebuilding of Haiti.

Some examples…

Architecture for Humanity

Architecture for Humanity is a nonprofit design firm dedicated to “building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design”. By tapping a network of more than 40,000 professionals willing to lend time and expertise to help those who would not otherwise be able to afford their services, Architecture for Humanity brings design, construction and development services where they are most critically needed. To fully enact their seven point reconstruction plan in Haiti, they need to raise approximately $100K. Over the past week they have raised close to $50K, mainly from $25, $50 and $100 online donations. To support their cause or learn more about them click here.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat is addressing shelter solutions for low-income families affected by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. Habitat’s ability to respond effectively to this disaster will require support from donors, corporate partners and other community organizations. To lend support, please donate today.

Watchdog websites who issue ratings of nonprofit groups based on the portion of their budget going to program services and their fundraising efficiency.

American Institute of Philanthropy

Charity Navigator

Network For Good

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“Architecture aims at Eternity.”
Christopher Wren

A bientôt,
Karin

Tags: A Time to Rebuild, American Institute of Philanthropy, Arawakan, Architecture for Humanity, Ayiti, Charity Navigator, Destruction, Earthquake, Eternal Architecture, Habitat for Humanity, Haiti Earthquake, Haiti Relief, Humanity, January 12 2010, Magnitude, Natural Disaster, Network for Good, Port-au-Prince, Reconstruction, Sustainability, Taino, Third World Country, Urban Design, Urban Planning

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Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the official tallest building in the world, inaugurated January 4, 2010

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THE WORLD’S (LATEST) TALLEST BUILDING

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Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is now the tallest building in the world. The 160-storey glass and steel structure rising out of the Arabian sands has scored the oft sought and much coveted title, and its arrival on the world stage had me thinking about how this amazing building came to be.

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Sky-scraping architecture began with the Egyptians, whose pioneering ancient world architecture was dedicated to the Gods and Great Pharaohs they revered. Tombs and religious buildings were among the most important structures of that time.

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Religious structures continued to reach closest to the heavens for hundreds of years following, and they remain some of the formidable examples to this day. Witness St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, or France’s Notre-Dame Cathedral.

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As civilization advanced, religion began to lose its governing power.  Civic buildings such as the Hotel de Ville in Paris or Brussels and monuments to great leaders such as the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. began reaching ever higher as though to prove their dominance over developing society.

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Throughout the last century, however, church and state cowered in the shadow of the mighty commercial skyscraper. A myriad of engineering feats and architectural innovation led to the modern skyscrapers we know today.  The constant desire for prestige and amazement have led architects of the modern world to push the boundaries of construction and the realms of understanding to create the contemporary masterpieces of our time.

For more information on Burj Khalifa, visit their website. The project was known until Monday, as Burj Dubai, thus the website’s name.

For a review of the building and its inauguration (with a spectacular fireworks display on video), see this New York Times article .

For details of the world’s tallest buildings in general, including calculation methods, see the website of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). You will also find exhaustive lists of data, diagrams and photographs of the tallest buildings over time.

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EVENTS

Burj Khalifa, Dubai – A Virtual Tour

Why not take a virtual tour of Burj Khalifa, the world’s (latest) tallest building from the comfort of your computer…

Location:  Burj Khalifa Website
Date/Time: Anytime
Admission: Free!

New Canaan Moderns: A Driving Tour

Take an informative driving tour of New Canaan’s fantastic modern houses! Beginning in downtown New Canaan, Connecticut, you will learn the background of the Harvard Five architectural movement that began here in the 1940’s. Important town buildings and their histories that were part of the modern movement will be included in the discussion. From there, a driving tour throughout the town will begin. While highlighting some of the most beautiful roads in picturesque New Canaan, you will view twelve examples of modern architecture by the Harvard Five and other important architects of the period.

Location: In front of The Gramophone Shop at 99 Main Street, New Canaan, CT.
Date/Time: Tour dates and departure times to be coordinated with Jack Trifero. The driving tour will last approximately an hour and fifteen minutes.
Admission: $60 per person, with a maximum of four people. (A one-on-one experience is $120.)
Phone: 203.216.8774

Bauhaus 1919-1933: Workshops for Modernity

This survey is MoMA’s first major exhibition since 1938 on the subject of this famous and influential school of avant-garde art. Founded in 1919 and shut down by the Nazis in 1933, the Bauhaus brought together artists, architects, and designers in an extraordinary conversation about the nature of art in the age of technology. Aiming to rethink the very form of modern life, the Bauhaus became the site of a dazzling array of experiments in the visual arts that have profoundly shaped our visual world today. The exhibition gathers over four hundred works that reflect the broad range of the school’s productions, including industrial design, furniture, architecture, graphics, photography, textiles, ceramics, theater design, painting, and sculpture, many of which have never before been exhibited in the United States.

Location: The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53 Street New York, NY 10019
Date/Time: Now to January 25, 2010

“What is a skyscraper? It is anything that makes you stop, stand, crane your neck back, and look up.” -T.J. Gottesdiener, SOM A bientôt, Karin

Tags: Bauhaus, Burj Dubai, Burj Khalifa, Happy New Year, Harvard 5, Hotel de Ville, St. Peter's Basilica, The Great Pyramid, Torre Asinelli, Virtual Tour, Washington Monument, World's Tallest Building