January 2012 newsletter
January 18, 2012 by admin · Leave a Comment
More Treasure Found Behind the Walls
Our last article on this topic was so popular we’ve written a follow-up. There seems to be no shortage of treasure lost behind walls.
A Christmas Present from Beyond
Fred Ravens, a dentist in Reading, Massachusetts, was watching a crew demolish the 150-year-old
house next to his office that he had recently purchased. The previous owner had lived there three decades, and had passed away just a month before. As the walls were being pulled down, Ravens was shocked to see cash fluttering down around the site. “The money just sort of flung out, just flooded out into the air,” he told the local TV station. The $50 and $100 bills totaled $2,500. He legally could have kept the cash himself, but instead he found the surviving daughters of the home’s late owner and gave it to them. “I said to them, this is a Christmas present from your mother. She can’t be here this year to give you a present, but she left you this money.”
A Mobster’s Stash?
The early part of the 20th century was a high time for gangsters in the Chicago area, and it’s probable some of their hideouts remain undiscovered. Andrew Mayes may have found one while renovating a house in Lockport, a town about an hour southwest of Chicago. Mayes was knocking through a closet wall when 
a gunnysack fell out. Inside was a 1928 A1 Thompson submachine gun, better known as a Tommy gun, a favorite of 1920s-era gangsters! It was in pristine condition, and came with seven boxes of ammunition. Mayes called the police, and they’re trying to search through the records to determine who might have put the gun there. Was it hidden in the wall so a mobster could make a last stand? It’s just as possible some frightened law-abiding citizen hid it there, police say. “It could have been used for self-protection,” Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas told the Chicago Tribune. “But why was it hidden in the wall?”
Diamonds!
You’d probably be excited if you found a diamond ring behind the walls of a house your were demolishing, so imagine how excited demo man Raju (no last name was given in the newspaper article) was when he discovered more than $20,000 worth of loose diamonds behind the walls of a house in India. He scooped them right up and sold them. When the contractor learned of Raju’s find, he told the police, presumably because he wanted his share. The police decided that since the diamonds were apparently in the house more than 100 years, they actually belonged to the state! They recovered the diamonds in the market.
Well, Not Exactly a Treasure
Workers were tearing out a ceiling in a British theatre when they found essentially a personal time capsule. Inside was a letter dated March 6, 1901, written by a man named Frank Morrill. Accompanying the letter was a pair of well-used workman’s trousers! The letter said, “When you have inspected these trousers please hand them over to the curator of the Taylor Buildings for the Museum as they were worn by Frank Morrill, Chief Assistant to John C. Nairn and Son, who restored the ceiling of the building. Hope you enjoy yourself when you have found this valuable treasure. I expect I will have fed the worms by that time, however I will have a good time before I do so.”
Teeth, Shells, Pipes, Newspapers
Maybe none of these seemed like treasures when the owners dumped them around the brownstone building in Brooklyn, but when the current owners excavated for an addition they found several old clay jugs, a big seashell, some broken china, and other little treasures. They also found an 1897 New York Herald used for insulation. You can read about the entire project, and see pictures of these “treasures,” here: http://www.brownstoner.com/crown-heights-reno/
Find any interesting treasures in your jobs? Tell us by sending an email to kcully@airgraphics.com and we can feature them in an upcoming newsletter.
Gettysburg Cyclorama: Architectural Masterpiece or View Blocker?
For 42 years, visitors to the Civil War battlefields in Gettysburg could envision
Pickett’s Charge on a painting called the Gettysburg Cyclorama, housed in the Cyclorama Building. The painting, by Paul Philippoteaux, still thrills visitors in its new home in the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center, but the Cyclorama building has been vacant since 2008. The Park Service would like to demolish the building.
So what, right? Well, the building is no typical, utilitarian Park Service structure. The Cyclorama Building, a reinforced concrete, glass, and aluminum structure, was designed by Modernist architect Richard Neutra and his partner Robert Alexander in the late 1950s. The building was designed as part of Mission 66, a Park Service effort to upgrade visitor facilities from 1956 to 1966. It is a white, circular structure that resembles a giant water bottle cap resting on the ground.
The focal point of the building was the Philippoteaux painting, and the building was located at a spot in the park near the depiction in the painting. Therein lies the rub: The vacant building blocks a view of the battlefield that historians would like visitors to be able to see.
“The Cyclorama is literally just a huge view block between two very important parts of the (Union) line,” said Dan Rathert, a licensed battlefield guide, in a newspaper article about the Cyclorama. “That’s the biggest problem. With it there, it’s harder for people to understand how parts of the battlefield fit together.”
The Park Service unveiled a long-term plan for the battlefield in 1999 that called for removal of the building and generally restoring the site to its original condition. Seeing how the battle unfolded, from the original view of the participants, allows visitors to better grasp the history of the event. And returning the site to approximately its battle-time condition keeps commercialization, which is nipping at the borders of the park, at bay.
But the building has taken on historical significance of its own, and fans of its architecture have protested the Park District’s plans. Among the key protestors is Richard Neutra’s son Dion Neutra, who is an architect himself. The Cyclorama Building is one if the last remaining structures designed by the elder Neutra.
The building’s supporters pushed for National Historic Landmark status, but it was denied. Nevertheless, the group persisted, and a federal court ruled that the Park Service must compile a complete environmental assessment and analyze potential alternatives.
The Battle of Gettysburg lasted only about four days, but the battle between architecture preservationists and those committed to restoring the battlefield promises to rage for years.
Amazing Architecture – Staircase Edition
Staircase Bookcase
Yes it’s a bookcase. No, it’s a staircase. It’s both! Whatever it is, a tight space is maximized with this staircase with books in the openings. A great idea for any booklover’s home: http://gizmodo.com/358636/stairs-bookcase-actually-makes-me-want-to-move-to-london
More Stair Storage
The fire department frowns upon storing stuff on the stairs, for obvious reasons. But what about in the stairs? Books (see above) is one thing, but this staircase provides a series of drawers for storing just about anything. Check out the other cool staircases in the subsequent pictures. http://ingridyen.wordpress.com/2007/11/30/amazing-staircase-designs/
Ribbon Staircase
Made from a single piece of 10 mm steel, the ribbon staircase by HSH Architects in Prague creates a remarkable, functional, minimalist way to get from one floor to the next. Check it out http://designerscouch.org/view-log/Steel-Ribbon-Staircase-HSH-Architects-1879
Floating Wood
This staircase looks like a flower unfolding. It’s part of a luxury home in Kuala Lampur designed by YTL Design Group and Jouin Manku. The whole house is the height of luxury, but the staircase is truly remarkable: http://design-milk.com/fab-stairs/
More Traditional, Still Really Cool
Check out this double staircase that feeds into a single staircase. It’s in an English mansion called the Bragborough Hall Estate (and it’s for sale!). http://www.housecritic.co.uk/2011/10/24/amazing-staircase/
Going Green: Bathroom Edition
Composting toilets are the ultimate green bathroom amenity. They evaporate the liquid and compost the solids. They’re not right for every house, of course, but some owners may prefer them. Check out composting toilets from Envirolet.
California struggles with water conservation, so it’s no surprise that California Faucets makes green faucets. Nearly every one of their faucets flow at a rate of 1.5 gallons per minute, which is 32 less than the 2.2 GPM mandated by the EPA. Check them out at http://www.calfaucets.com/content.asp?section=green
EcoPower automatic faucets from Toto have a water-powered turbine that creates the electricity needed to operate it, so no routine battery replacement is required. And the components are located under the deck, to minimize damage. Learn more at http://www.totousa.com/Green/Products/EcoPowerFaucets.aspx
Everyone loves a long shower, but the wasted water can add up! Green Choice Power Shower heads from ShowerTek can save homeowners up to $250 per year. Learn more http://www.showertek.com/luxury-showerheads-c-65.html?zenid=296b4cf41d446a49a88d30a1468ca42f
Like kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and storage cabinets can be made from environmentally sound materials. The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association has operated the Environmental Stewardship Program since 2006. To find cabinetmakers in your area who meet the standards, visit http://www.greencabinetsource.org
AIR Graphics: Your Marketing Partner
Marketing today is not like it was 20 years ago. A couple of newspaper ads and a generic direct mail piece just doesn’t cut it these days! Modern marketing is all about one-to-one personalized marketing, branded internet storefronts, personalized URLs, QR codes, and much more.
Do you sometimes find this new world of marketing a little intimidating? Don’t fear — AIR Graphics has your back! We can show you how all of these new methods work, and help you use them to win and keep customers.
One-to-one personalized marketing, for example, can greatly increase your response rate, and offer a great ROI. Branded storefronts are customized sites that keep all of your marketing collateral and approved logos readily accessible to all sales staff and branch offices. Personalized URLs, or PURLs, are a great way to track and measure campaign results. And QR codes can quickly connect your customers to expanded information about your products.
Learn about all of these, and how AIR Graphics can implement them for you, at http://www.airims.com
ArchiQuiz: Military Edition
1. Who designed the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, which is the most recognizable part of the Air Force Academy campus?
Bonus question: This architect’s widow once was the Democratic nominee for governor of what state?
2. Who designed the Pentagon?
Bonus question: Everyone knows the Pentagon houses the Department of Defense, but what was that department called when the Pentagon was built?
3. Even though many questioned its design when it was first built, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is now one of the most visited sites in Washington, D.C. Who designed it?
Bonus question: Who engraved the names on the wall?
4. The Arc de Triomphe in Paris is one of the most famous monuments in the world. Who designed it?
Bonus question: Whom does the arc honor?
News
Boston Architect Creates Tri-Faith Church: http://www.omaha.com/article/20111225/MONEY/712259918/0
New ‘Gateway to City’ Planned: http://articles.boston.com/2012-01-02/business/30581841_1_task-force-state-office-building-larger-redevelopment
Public Art Honoring Edgar Allen Poe Advancing: http://www.wbur.org/2012/01/09/poe-public-art-project
Clark House Might Be Saved: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/belmont/2012/01/effort_to_save_clark_house_hea.html
Residences at Portwalk Completed: http://www.bostonsf.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=C13E9363C9BD4BD0ABD498219E927A1A
Boston Architectural College Honors Three: http://www.the-bac.edu/news-and-events/news/alumni-reception-at-build-boston
December 2011 Newsletter
December 14, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Treasure! Big Behind-the-Walls Finds
Renovating old buildings and homes can be lucrative business, but in some cases the real treasure is not on the invoice, it’s what you find behind the walls you tear down. From cash to guns to suits of armor, here are some stories of treasure unearthed during renovations.
Medici Treasure
The most valuable treasure in this story turned up when workers were renovating an old house in Austria. As you can imagine, a country with such deep history is likely to have all sorts of interesting stuff hidden behind the walls, and this house didn’t disappoint: As workers broke through a hidden door that had been bolted shut since long before the current owners moved in, they discovered the torso of a suit of armor and an ancient sculpture. Such things are easily faked, so the homeowners brought them to an expert. The examination revealed that they were authentic treasures that evidently originally had belonged to 15th century Italian statesman Lorenzo Medici. No clue how Lorenzo’s stuff got behind the wall of this family house in Austria, but the owners auctioned the items off for 8.8 million Euros, which equals more than $12 million!
Money, Money, Money!
Sure, finding a $12 million suit of armor was cool, but nothing beats finding cold, hard cash stashed in the walls. Bob Kitts, a contractor in Cleveland, was gutting a bathroom in a client’s home when he discovered a box nestled between the studs under the medicine cabinet. He pulled it out, popped it open, and couldn’t believe his eyes: over $25,000 in 1920s currency! “I almost passed out, it was the ultimate contractor fantasy,” Kitts told the Associated Press. The owner rushed home and together they found another box in the bathroom with $100,000, and two more boxes with various valuables. Of course, money does strange things to people: Now Kitts and the homeowner, who was a high school classmate, are arguing about how to split up the dough. In the end the lawyers might be the biggest winners from this treasure hunt!
Kilroy Was Here
Not all behind-the-walls treasure is worth a lot of money, but that doesn’t mean
it’s not amazingly valuable. When workers were peeling old paint off the walls of Morgan Chapel in Bunker Hill, West Virginia, they noticed scribbled writing on the walls. As the old paint flaked off they read a few of the hand-written messages until it hit them: These were messages left by Civil War soldiers who had probably used the old church as a hospital or barracks! The soldiers, both Union and Confederate, covered the walls of the church as high as they could reach. Among the messages: “I should not have written on the walls of the house of God. I would not have done so if it had not already been marked up.” Another wrote, “It’s not our rebellion,” and a third comment read, “Down with traitors, treason and copperheads.” The church, built in 1740, was already considered historic, but now its historic value is unquestioned. The West Virginia Episcopal Diocese, which owns the church, is considering how to best preserve the writings.
Kaboom!
Finally, some “treasure” you probably would rather not find when renovating. Workers renovating a house in Dublin, Ireland were cheerfully smashing old walls when something unexpected appeared: A stash of hand grenades! They were old and corroded, and experts suspect they were remains of the personal arsenal of a fighter in Ireland’s War of Independence, which ended in 1921 and freed most of Ireland from British rule. You’d think 90-year-old grenades wouldn’t be much to worry about, but the neighborhood was evacuated and an army bomb disposal unit was called in to handle the munitions. You can bet the remodelers on that job are glad they didn’t swing the sledge hammer one more time!
Five Great New Architecture Books To Give This Holiday Season
Sure, the holidays are great for parties and people and big meals, but sometimes nothing sounds better than spending a few hours alone with a good book. So if you have any architects or other design professionals on your gift list, consider the following five new books.
Cities for People, by Jan Gehl. Reviewers have loved this book about what makes good cities work. Some of the concepts are obvious — safe walking and biking paths lead to a community that gets outdoors, for example. But others are more subtle, such as the assertion public spaces with comfortable seating are essential to a healthy community and that tall, dehumanizing architecture can increase crime rates. One reviewer wrote “If Cities for People is widely read and widely applied, the world’s urban life will be immeasurably better.”
Toilet: Public Restrooms and the Politics of Sharing, by Harvey Molotch and Laura Noren. Wow, a whole book about the john? It makes sense when you consider how much goes on in and around public restrooms — people wait in line, avoid eye contact, try not to touch anything, try not to inhale, overhear conversations, apply make-up, write notes on the walls. And a bigger picture also exists: How do these facilities deal with the waste? Where do transgendered people go to the bathroom? Why do women wait in line more than men? Toilet is a collection of 12 essays by urbanists, historians, and cultural analysts about these and other issues. Great bathroom reading, no doubt.
Edward Durrell Stone: A Son’s Untold Story of a Legendary Architect, by Hicks Stone. This biography of the controversial Stone discusses his work on the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. The book explores Stone’s work and his often turbulent life.
The Poetics of Space, by Gaston Bachelard not a new book (it was published in 1994), but it’s a classic worth re-reading. It’s a deep, captivating book about space, homes, how our homes affect us, and much more.
The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper, by Kate Ascher a readable, heavily illustrated book about everything skyscraper, this book reveals how water makes it up the pipes to the top floors, how telecom networks connect occupants to the world, and much more. A fascinating read for design professionals and design fans.
45,000 Docs Scanned, Sale Closed!
Anyone who has ever bought a house knows the sale generates all sorts of paperwork. Now imagine the mountain of paperwork associated with two 40-year-old retail properties going on the market — a mountain of 45,000
construction documents, contracts, lease documents and other important papers!
In May AIR Graphics was asked to scan 10,000 historical and as-built construction documents for this project, then convert them to searchable, date-indexed PDF binders. That job was well underway when in early November the building owners told AIR Graphics the sale was closing, and they suddenly needed 35,000 more documents scanned! The second batch, which was mostly operational contracts and lease documents, filled 20 file boxes.
AIR Graphics tackled the job without a hitch. All 45,000 documents were scanned and indexed in time for the sale to close. Rather than hand over a pile of jumbled hard copy documents, the sellers were able to give the new owners a clean, easily searched digital record of all documentation.
“It was a win win for all parties,” says Richard Dooley, AIR Graphics account executive. “The seller maintained a valuable set of record documents if a circumstance ever arises that they need a historical copy, and it is now a click away. And the seller provided the new owner with more than their due diligence by providing the intrinsic value of digital files versus hardcopy and added value in the future in reduced costs for storage and distribution.”
ArchiQuiz: State Capitol Edition
1. Which state capitol building is the largest, and who designed it?
2. Which state capitol building is the smallest, and who designed it?
3. What is the oldest state capitol in continuous use?
4. Thirty nine states call their capitol building the “state capitol.” What’s the next most popular moniker for that primary state government building?
Amazing Architecture, Restaurant Edition
Remember climbing into a treehouse when you were a kid? 
Eighteen lucky diners at a time get to do that again at the Yellow Treehouse Restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand. Check it out: http://www.yellowtreehouse.co.nz/
Redesigning a restaurant is tough. Redesigning one each season is simply amazing! But that’s what New York’s Park Avenue does — a new design for each season, facilitated by restaurant design firm AvroKO. Check out the images here: http://parkavenyc.com/autumn/photos_seasons.php
In the mood for seafood? How about seeing the seafood swim by while you eat? Then you’d love the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant in the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort. The dining room is 16 feet below the sea, and features 180 degree views of the reef and marine life. http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/dining.do?ctyhocn=MLEHICI&id=din2
Do the pipes running along the ceiling of the space you’re designing sometimes get in the way? See how designer Stanley Saitowitz handled them in a San Francisco restaurant called Conduit (yes, the name is significant!): http://www.dezeen.com/2008/07/25/conduit-restaurant-by-stanley-saitowitz/
Italian restaurants often turn to kitsch to attract diners. Not La Nonna restaurant in Mexico City, designed by CheremSerrano. Red bricks dominate this design, but not the way you imagine in an Italian joint: http://www.contemporist.com/2011/03/10/la-nonna-restaurant-by-cheremserrano/
News You Can Use
MIT Architect Helps Winterize Occupy Camp
http://www.wbur.org/2011/11/17/occupy-boston-winterization
Boston Architect Redesigns Coffee Cup
http://boston.citybizlist.com/7/2011/11/15/Proverb-Helps-Reinvent-the-Coffee-Cup.aspx
First Brookline Conservation Neighborhood Named
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/brookline/2011/11/brookline_town_meeting_makes_h.html
Copley Square Plan Protested
Boston Landscape Architect Wins in Sacramento
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/10/4043810/sacramento-native-wins-international.html
Integrated Design Group Adds Five to Boston Office
http://boston.citybizlist.com/7/2011/11/9/Integrated-Design-Group-Adds-Nine.aspx
Being Green, Floor Edition
The ECOnights collection from ECOsurfaces is made from recycled tire material and comes in 16 hues. It is designed for retail, commercial, and institutional spaces. http://www.ecosurfaces.com/econights.php
Cork flooring from Globus comes in multiple colors, sizes, and patterns. And the factory is powered entirely by wind power. http://www.corkfloor.com/
Flooring from Elmwood Reclaimed Timber comes from old barns, buildings, and rural structures that are condemned or abandoned. Each board tells a story! http://www.elmwoodreclaimedtimber.com/wood.aspx?pgID=872
EnviroGlas Epoxy Terrazzo is a poured-in-place flooring that uses recycled glass chips to create a floor so durable it usually lasts the life of the building. http://www.enviroglasproducts.com/
The Rainforest Collection of leather flooring from Ecodomo comes in a floating format in tiles or planks. http://www.ecodomo.com/products/recycled.shtml
VIP Open House iPad winner
November 8, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
AIR Graphics recently held a VIP Open House to showcase the power of personalized marketing, branded storefronts and the powerful way to use QR codes to increase revenue.
Congratulations to the winner of the AIR Graphics VIP open house iPad give away, Bethany Barker of boston interactive. 
October 2011 Newsletter
October 21, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Just Building a Road? Hardly!
Road construction is always more complicated than just laying down a ribbon of asphalt, but few road construction jobs approach the complexity of the task facing McHugh Construction: The reconstruction of two-level Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago.
The challenges in the project are daunting. Wacker Drive, which bends around the west and north sides of the Loop, provides access on its lower level to 50 high-rise buildings and intersects on the upper level with 20 other major streets. The columns along the bottom are irregularly spaced to accommodate the adjacent construction, and there’s hardly a stretch along the road that doesn’t have some curve, driveway entrance, or other complicating element.
The first phase of the construction–rebuilding the stretch of Wacker Drive that runs east and west–was completed nearly a decade ago, in 2002. That job reconstructed over 4,000 feet of double-decker roadway that had been built in the 1920s.
The second phase is reconstructing the north-south section of Wacker. This part, built in 1955, is 2,900 feet long and 134 feet wide.
Chicago engineering firm Alfred Benesch & Co. designed the rebuilding of 1,800 feet of the second phase. This consists of a series of unequal continuous spans varying form 12 feet to 46.5 feet, with a width of 32 feet. A longitudinal rib runs along each column line. The deck slab between the ribs is 13 inches thick. The modeling was complex, due to the lack of uniformity in the column spacing, the various load requirements (there are enormous concreted planters here and there along the top deck), and the overall geometry of the project. Benesch created 3-D shell elements with LUSAS modeling software to deal with the complexities.
The construction has been equally complex, with crews from McHugh Construction working weekends and double shifts to stay on schedule. For example, virtual armies of workers have descended on the site during those days that concrete for the upper deck is being poured; up to 2,000 cubic yards of concrete have been poured continuously!
Scheduling is important in any construction job, but the reconstruction of a major urban thoroughfare lined by restaurants, hotels, office buildings, and entertainment venues (including Chicago’s famed Civic Opera Building) must have a tighter schedule than most projects. Phase 2 began January 3, 2011 and is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2012.
Some characteristics of the project:
* The upper deck is designed to last 100 years. It uses a high-performance concrete mix and a latex overlay. It has post-tensioning in two directions to compress the deck and make it stronger.
* The second phase is budgeted to cost $366 million; the money is coming from a $31 billion statewide construction program.
* The ceiling on the bottom deck was raised by a foot to alleviate the chronic problem of over-size trucks getting stuck underneath.
When this project, which has tangled traffic in Chicago’s Loop since it began, is completed, the designers and builders will cheer. But they’ll be drowned out by the cheers of motorists who have a smoother, more stable route through downtown.
Filling Your Referral Pipeline, Part 2
Referrals are key to securing new clients in the design and construction industries. In the last issue of our newsletter, we discussed four tips for getting more referrals.
Here’s a quick recap to remind you
1) Make a point of asking satisfied customers for referrals
2) Refer others who have done good work for you
3) Provide your contact information in many places so it’s easy for clients to recommend you
4) Ask for feedback whenever a project is complete, and if the feedback is positive, return to tip number 1.
Here are four more:
5) Say thank you. When you do get a referral, make a point of thanking the person who referred you. Showing your appreciation reinforces how valuable you consider referrals, and is simply the polite thing to do. An important corollary here: When a new client shows up, always ask how they heard about you. You don’t want a referral to go unrewarded.
6) Reward referrals. In addition to saying thank you, you may consider rewarding individuals who referred you with something more tangible. This could occur on two levels: the first level is a friendly gesture such as a gift certificate or dinner; the second level is bona fide financial payment based on some percentage of the resulting transaction. Neither of these are always necessary, and you need to tread lightly here because you don’t want to give the impression — to anyone involved in the transaction — that the person referred you simply because they were going to get some kind of financial remuneration for doing so. Furthermore, in some cases financial payment for referrals is illegal, such as if it somehow (even tangentially) touches on a federally guaranteed loan. There are many circumstances that a designer or tradesman will have a relationship that involves paying for referrals, and those are not necessarily unethical. But in any case, you want referrals based on the quality of your work, not your generosity. The AIA has issued an opinion on receiving payment for referrals; click here http://www.aia.org/about/ethicsandbylaws/opinions/AIAS077557?dvid=&recspec=AIAS077557 and select the PDF for “Conflict of Interest — Referrals.”
7. Use social media. You’re probably already using social media, such as LinkedIn, in some form. Maximize the referral effect of your social media by creating profiles on sites that are particular to your field. For example, Architizer ,built exclusively for architects and related professionals, allows firms to upload their projects and helps them seek new clients. On the more common sites, such as LinkedIn, take full advantage of the referral aspects by asking clients to recommend you (and do the same to professionals whose work you admire).
8. Join networking groups. Sometimes old fashioned is still best! Local networking groups, from traditional ones such as the chamber of commerce to more modern versions such as Business Networking International . Every community has local versions of business networking groups, and nearly every urban area has an AIA chapter. Go to meetings, become a leader, run events…every bit of involvement in these groups increases your profile, which could lead to more referrals.
What is That Thing?
You have probably noticed QR codes on advertisements, flyers, signs and other places, but do you know what they do? QR (quick response) codes are two-dimensional barcodes that can hold thousands of characters of information. When someone scans the code with a smartphone, it opens a web page on the phone’s browser (or dials the phone, displays text or contact information, or does something else).
AIR Graphics can help you use QR codes for your business! Click here to learn more.
ArchiQuiz: Old Door Edition
What are the two primary benefits of a revolving door? Answer
What’s a transom, and what was it used for? Answer
What does the phrase “over the transom” mean? Answer
What is the name of a door in which the top and bottom open separately? Answer
What kind of space-saving door opens by sliding into the wall? Answer.
Being Green
Ever see those snow fences near highways in rural areas? They contain lots of wood, and Centennial Woods reclaims that lumber and prepares it for builders: http://www.centennialwoods.com
IceStone countertops are made from recycled glass and concrete: http://www.icestone.biz
Vast composite masonry pavers are made from up to 95 percent recycled materials
Fabcon precast Versacore+Green wall systems are made from 58 percent recycled materials: http://www.fabcon-usa.com/products/green
Amazing Architecture: Retail Edition
Check out the curves and light in this retail development in Singapore by architecture firm WOHA: http://www.idesignarch.com/iluma-retail-development-in-singapore
Here’s a gorgeous store for Puma, designed by LOT-EK, is built from mobile storage containers: http://stepbrightly.com/2009/05/puma-retail-brand-stepping-out-in-style-with-eco-architecture
Ever wonder it’s like to shop inside an igloo? Probably not, but this temporary construction clothing store will give you that feeling: http://zeospot.com/retail-store-interior-design-in-cubic-temporary-architecture-building-fashion-at-hl23/retail-store-interior-design-pictures
Talk about green! Here’s a store in Seoul, Korea, covered in plant life, designed by Mass Studies.
Amazing Apple Store in New York features
floating logo: http://www.newsbuilding.com/apple-store-fifth-avenue-amazing-cube-architecture
News You Can Use
Design for big school project up for grabs: http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x350480459/School-group-to-pick-new-design
Boston construction firm wins three awards at Associated General Contractors’ gala: http://www.bostonsf.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=576CDFC0636743C882E6B75685EE353D
Boston architect turns her design talents to beading: http://www.examiner.com/fashion-in-boston/boston-architect-launches-beaded-jewelry-company
Boston architect designs condos in Singapore: http://www.businessinsider.com/bishan-central–singapore-by-moshe-safdie-2011-9
Tom Murdaugh adds on to the family cabin: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/boston_home/articles/doing_wright
Restoration Hardware coming to space near Newbury Street: http://www.boston.com/Boston/businessupdates/2011/09/restoration-hardware-signs-lease-for-old-louisboston-space-near-newbury-street/cgaGvdm3GBF3o51Z3ETefK/index.html
Animal Architecture Awards recognize designs that help humans interact with other species: http://www.animalarchitecture.org/animal-architecture-awards-announced
Cityscape Awards for Architecture in Emerging Markets honor architects in Abu Dhabi, Singapore, other areas: http://www.archdaily.com/173830/cityscape-architectural-awards-in-emerging-markets-2011
Nelson Marlborough Architecture Awards from New Zealand Institute of Architects: http://architecturenow.co.nz/articles/2011-nelson-marlborough-architecture-awards
September 2011 Newsletter
September 19, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Stadium Design Takes Two Paths
“Take me out to the ballpark” has a whole new meaning these days. Stadium design has taken two distinct paths in recent years, both of which differ from the traditional, jam-them-in boring designs of earlier decades.
The first path is to design true gems. Make the sport venue a piece of art separate from the games going on within. A good example is the Populous 
-designed main stadium for the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea — it’s a work of art and has won the architecture design competition. The multi-purpose stadium holds 70,000 fans, but it is designed to link up with neighboring parkland. “This way it can achieve a connection with the community that is vital to securing its long-term sustainability and a true legacy for the people of Incheon,” says Populous senior principal Andrew James.
The second path is to design stadiums that cater to the fans who want serious amenities to boost their viewing pleasure, from fine restaurants to amazing seating to corporate skyboxes with top-shelf everything. Probably the best-known example of this kind of stadium design is the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium. Opened in 2009, the stadium features a retractable roof, the world’s second largest high-definition video screen, and 10 clubs. The stadium — designed by Dallas firm HKS — is visually attractive, but its primary attraction is its fan-friendly amenities.
Another example of a stadium designed for maximum fan pleasure is the new Meadowlands Stadium designed by Kansas City-based 360 Architects . Meadowlands features four giant HD video displays, one in each corner, plus 2,200 smaller displays. It’s considered the most technologically advanced stadium in the world.
These design trends–beauty versus functionality–sometimes come together. Check out the new Bursa Stadium in Turkey. The new facility will feature a vast roof created out of hexagons. The roof, which creates clean, filtered light, spreads over the surrounding area to cover the restaurants, cafes, and other public spaces.
Of course, in these austere times, not every team and municipality can afford a new stadium, so renovating is big, too. Trade magazine Ballpark Digest awarded Warner Park , home of the Midwest League’s Madison (Wisconsin) Muskies, its 2011 Ballpark Renovation of the Year Award. The renovation incorporated recycled seats from Camden Yards in Baltimore, among many other recycled features.
Speaking of Baltimore, the Orioles themselves have a renovated home for spring training in Sarasota, Florida. The renovations on Ed Smith Stadium were finished right before the Orioles first spring training game in 2011.
With either a new or renovated ballpark, fans are enjoying better design than ever before.
Filling Your Referral Pipeline
Referrals are the lifeblood of your business. Whether you’re an architect, mason, landscaper, or excavator, you need happy customers telling other people about how great you are. The more that happens, the more new customers you’ll get.
Naturally, you need to offer superior service and top customer service in order to generate referrals; if you’re not already doing that, don’t expect referrals. But even if you are the best designer or plumbing contractor in town, you may not get as many referrals as you deserve. Here are four tips to fill your referral pipeline (in the next issue of this newsletter we’ll give you four more):
1) Don’t be shy. One of the most effective ways to get referrals is simply to ask your current customers to recommend you. You don’t need to do this face-to-face — just include a line on your invoices, statements, or other regular correspondence that says something like: “We would be honored if you recommended our services to others” or “If you are pleased with our services, please tell others about them.” This plants the referral seed in your clients’ minds.
2) Do unto others. One of the best ways to encourage clients to recommend your services is to recommend theirs (assuming you respect their work). If a landscape architect snags a new client that you sent his way, you can bet he’ll send work your way when the opportunity arises.
3) Make it easy. Make sure your contact information is handy to your clients. Include a business card with each correspondence, hand out magnets or other doodads, advertise regularly…anything to make sure that when someone asks your client for a referral, they think of you quickly and have contact info ready.
4) Ask for feedback. Whenever you finish a project, take time to personally ask your client if everything was done satisfactorily. Obviously, this gives you a chance to fix problems, and this conversation may cement the positive feelings the client is having immediately after reviewing your work. If this conversation goes well, gently hint that you appreciate referrals.
Next issue: Four more tips to increase the frequency you hear the magic words, “XYZ client recommended you…”
Amazing Interior Design
Apartments, perhaps because of their relatively diminutive floor space, sometimes feature remarkable interior design. Check out the clean, white spaces in this Swedish apartment.
Imagine entertaining in this modernistic loft in New York: http://interiorzine.com/2011/02/22/amazing-white-street-loft
Like curtains and over-the-top gaudy Vegas design? Then you’ll love this place: http://www.homedesigndecoration.com/2011/05/amazing-contemporary-and-modern-apartment-interior-design 
OK, so most people would not call this a cabin, but it is on a lake. Check out the amazing view through the giant living room window that swings completely open.
Elegant? No. But your kids would love the SpongeBob design: http://www.centralarchitecture.com/1242/spongebob-squarepants-kids-room-design.html/
ArchiQuiz
1. Who designed the World Trade Center twin towers? What “school” of architecture did this architect practice?
2. Who designed the September 11 Memorial, Reflecting Absence, at the site of the World Trade Center towers? Where did this architect go to architectural school?
3. If you’re a hod carrier, what are you doing and what trade are you supporting?
4. The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe-Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada adopted that name in 1946. The term “pipe-fitting” replaced two more specific trades. What were they?
Being Green
Jeans in your attic? That’s right — the UltraTouch Denim insulation is made from high-quality natural fibers that are easy to handle and have no chemical irritants or VOCs. http://www.bondedlogic.com/construction-products/ultratouch-denim-insulation
Bring the sunlight indoors. The Solaro Day skylight combines solar panels with a daylight simulator to bring natural light indoors without electricity. http://solaroenergy.com/products-2/solar-lighting
American Clay plasters offer unusual looks and feels as they provide LEED credits. They also offer superior longevity and easy maintenance. http://www.americanclay.com/for-architects-a-designers
Keep the VOCs to a minimum with Safecoat paints and primers, including a new LEED-qualified wallboard primecoat. http://www.afmsafecoat.com/products.php?page=1#68
News You Can Use
$500 Million Plan for Copley Place: http://www.necn.com/08/17/11/500-million-Copley-Place-upgrade/landing_newengland.html?blockID=550454&feedID=4206
North Parish Unitarian Church Wins Best in Show for Handicap Accessibility: http://northandover.patch.com/articles/north-parish-meeting-house-wins-best-in-show
Boston Ballet Home Upgraded: http://www.boston.com/Boston/businessupdates/2011/08/boston-ballet-space-gets-upgrade/viukfj3V7WC88Vw6OvxdLP/index.html
Skyscrapers Remain Powerful Post 9/11: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/september11/la-ca-911-skyscrapers-hawthorne-20110904,0,1572286.story
“Worst Architecture” Award Given to BBC HQ: http://www.mediabistro.com/unbeige/carbuncle-cup-for-worst-of-the-worst-in-architecture-awarded_b16420
August 2011 Newsletter
August 23, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Brewing Up a Brainstorm:
Part 2: Brainstorming on Your Own
Coming up with ideas is an essential skill for design professionals, but
sometimes the ideas just don’t come. In the last issue of our newsletter we covered the group brainstorm; this article gives you tips for brainstorming by yourself.
Follow the Rules
Even when you’re brainstorming with just yourself, a key part of the process is to let the ideas flow, flow, flow…without criticizing or analyzing any of them. Keep paper and pen handy and write down every idea that you dream up, even if it seems ridiculous. You’ll have plenty of time for analysis and elimination later.
Mind Map
The mind map was described in the previous article on brainstorming; it can also be used when you’re alone. Just write the main idea in the middle of a sheet of paper–say “ideas for Smith kitchen”–and then add related ideas on spokes emanating from the middle–”island,” “stainless appliances,” “skylights.” From each of these items draw new spokes building on those ideas, and so on. The mind map is a great way of organizing ideas as they spill out of your mind.
Word Play
A favorite brainstorming technique that is easily done by yourself is to take a book, open it to any page, point to a random word, and then brainstorm the original idea based on this word. Huh? How does this work? Your brain is an amazing thing, and sometimes the best ideas emerge only when you throw it off track a little. By forcing your brain to connect some random word with your original idea, great ideas sometimes emerge. Let’s say you point your finger at “worm” when you’re brainstorming ideas for a new kitchen. “Worm” might lead you to dirt, which leads to the idea for a window garden; or to a dirt floor, which leads to using some special natural material for the floors; or to composting, which leads to an idea for a “green” kitchen that includes a worm composting tub. Just let the ideas flow!
Idea Analysis
Any good brainstorming session results in dozens of ideas. The key now is to wean them. But don’t start this process too soon — make sure you’ve allowed your mind to wander as far as it can before you start eliminating ideas. Start the elimination process by noting the criteria for your ideas — for the kitchen idea, for example, the criteria may be “affordable,” “elegant,” and “practical.” Then go through each idea and assign a score of 1 to 5 for each criterion. The highest scoring ideas will deserve further attention.
One last tip on brainstorming:
You must make time for it. Don’t assume that good ideas will just magically appear because you’re a creative person. Set aside a specific amount of brainstorming time for each creative problem you have, and you’ll generate many more ideas.
Giants on the March
Biomorphism–using natural shapes to inspire design–has a long history in 
architecture, but has it ever reached these heights? Check out the Land of the Giants, humanoid shaped electricity pylons designed by Choi-Shine studio in Massachusetts.
The giant marching humans were designed for Landsnet, the power transmission company in Iceland. Though they have not been built yet, they did win the Boston Society of Architects Unbuilt Architecture Award for 2010.
The giants aren’t limited to one shape. With minor alterations to the basic frame they can be positioned to “climb” a hillside, crouch, turn to look at a nearby town, or interact with one another. And they come in male and female versions.
Way smaller, but possibly more influential, are some recent biomorphic designs for solar panels. Leaves are natural solar panels, and highly efficient ones, so why are solar panels always an unleaflike square? For ease of manufacturing and installation, presumably, but at least one design firm is using the natural advantages of leaf design to build new solar panels. The round shape of lily pads, for example, makes them ideal for floating in sunny locations unbothered by competing trees or shrubs. ZM Architects in Scotland is using that concept for their new giant floating solar cells designed for the River Clyde in Glasgow. The solar lily pads are not yet built, but the design includes small motors that gently turn the panels to gather the most sun and cables that tether the panels to shore and transfer the gathered electricity.
Want to immerse yourself in biomorphism? Check out the trio of books by Alejandro Bahamon and Patricia Perez that examine the influence of botany, geology, and biology on architecture.
Amazing Architecture
Using indoor elements outdoors and outdoors elements indoors is the key to Loft 24-7 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Architect Fernanda Marques took advantage of the year-around excellent weather of Sao Paulo to create this residential masterpiece
flat, right? Not everywhere. Check out this vertical garden that forms an exterior wall of the Ushuaia Hotel in Ibiza, Spain. It makes an excellent acoustic barrier.
The Juvet Landscape Hotel in Norway takes full advantage of its forest location. Designed by Jensen and Skodvin in Oslo, this remarkable hotel offers views like no other. 
Check out this great house in Lithuania that could pass for a modern art gallery. It’s designed by H Architektu Biuras in Kaunas.
ArchiQuiz
1. If you were an archer defending a medieval castle, you probably positioned yourself behind what architectural element?
2. What’s the name of the type of home that resembles a small island most commonly found in Irish lochs?
3. Who designed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London? Bonus question: What famous New England church was inspired by this architect’s work?
4. In the architecture game Big City, how many neighborhoods are there?
Going Green
Autodesk Green Building Studio helps architects and engineers evaluate energy usage and work towards carbon neutrality early in the design.
OK, this product isn’t available in the United States yet, but surely a dealer will soon pick it up. It’s Bolefloor, a system that uses computers to create wooden floors that maximize quantity by milling planks based on the natural shape of the original piece of wood.
It’s hard to be more green than reclaimed. From old barns to urban tear-downs, reclaimed building products are as environmentally friendly as possible. Check out the offerings from Elmwood Reclaimed Timber.
Old bricks have a certain look that new bricks can’t quite match…and they’re green! Gavin Historical Bricks offers a brick matching service to make sure builders get what they need.
News
Boston architect Miguel Rosales designs three pedestrian bridges in Cleveland. http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.showbriefdetail&newsid=1207
Fan Pier apartment plan on track; architect to be selected this year. http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/real_estate/2011/06/fallon-stays-the-course-on-fan-pier.html
Architects take a close look at Charlestown. http://charlestown.patch.com/articles/architects-take-an-interest-in-charlestown
Kansas City architects win contract for two Iraqi sports stadiums. http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/12/3009970/360-architecture-wins-contracts.html
Praemium Imperiale prize for architecture goes to Mexican architect. http://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/ricardo-legorreta-wins-top-architecture-prize/5021355.article
June 2011 Newsletter
June 16, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Brewing Up an A/E/C Brainstorm,
Part 1: Five Tips to Get the Ideas Flowing
How often do you sit in front of a blank sheet of paper, trying to pry an idea out of your mind? Whether it’s an idea for a house design, a better way to pour concrete, or how to save money on the job site, ideas are the lifeblood of your business, and sometimes they just don’t flow. The next time that happens, try a brainstorm!
This article, the first of two on brainstorming, covers the group brainstorm. Group brainstorms are usually used for major ideas or when a lot of ideas need to be generated. For example, a group brainstorm would be appropriate if you need to figure out how to trim $1 million from your budget next year, or if you’re planning a shopping mall and need dozens of ideas to make it special.
The second article in this series will focus on brainstorming by yourself, which is usually more appropriate for smaller issues.
Here are five tips for raising a brainstorm with a group:
Tip 1. Consider the Environment
Plan the setting for your brainstorming session. Find a leader who understands the dynamics of your group, and who will make the participants comfortable. There is no set amount of time, but sessions longer than two hours definitely require breaks. Major brainstorming sessions are often done in multiple sessions. Make sure the room has enough comfortable seating for everyone, and a white board or flipchart.
Tip 2. Invite a Smart Mix of People
Invite people who are affected by the issue at hand, but who may come at it from different perspectives. Sometimes the best ideas come from individuals who are not directly related to a situation. Most experts recommend small groups of four to seven people. You may invite more people than that, but be prepared to divide them into smaller groups.
Tip 3. Follow the Three Basic Rules of Brainstorming
Before you start, make sure everyone knows three rules: A) Everybody participates; B) No idea is ever criticized — nothing shuts down the flow of ideas faster than smarty-pants snickering at little LuLu’s idea; and C) No analysis of ideas is allowed during the brainstorm. This is a time for suggesting ideas, building on them, and pushing the limits.
Tip 4. Try Different Strategies
There are scores of ways to run a brainstorming session. Here are three effective strategies:
Mind Map. The leader draws a circle on the whiteboard with spokes emanating in all directions. In the circle she writes the topic of the brainstorm – “improving project communication,” “saving money on document management,” etc. Participants share ideas related to the topic, and she writes them in new circles at the ends of the spokes. Soon people suggest ideas that build on the existing ideas, so the leader draws new spokes emanating from those ideas and puts the add-on suggestions there. Eventually the board is a vast collection of circles and lines, all connected one way or another.
Brainwriting. This is a great way to brainstorm among quiet folk. Give each person in the group a small tablet of paper. Each writes one idea related to the topic at the top of the paper, peels it from the tablet, and places it in the middle of the table. Everyone reads the ideas created by the others, and adds to them if they want to. If a person does not want to add anything, she can write a new idea on another sheet and add it to the mix. After all the sheets have made a few laps of the group, someone compiles the ideas into one.
Reversal. In reversal the group examines the goal – say, how to secure new clients – and identifies a number of assumptions about the goal. In this case the assumptions may be that lower prices will attract more clients, more advertising will increase business, and joining the Rotary will uncover new possibilities. Then the group tries to disprove each assumption, often coming up with radical ideas in the process. In the case of lower prices, someone may say “People prefer higher prices,” and it dawns on the group that higher prices have a certain cachet. Aha! An idea is born.
Tip 6. Don’t Let the Feeling Die!
A major complaint brainstorming participants sometimes have is that all the great ideas they developed never bear fruit. To prevent that, take time after the session to write down all the ideas, consider them carefully, and decide which to pursue. Send a memo to all the participants about the results.
Your brainstorming session may generate the idea that launches your firm to new heights. Or it may just be a fun, buzz-generating group project. Either outcome would be a success.
Keeping the Flames at Bay
The U.S. Fire Administration estimates there were 417,000 residential fires in 2008, causing billions of dollars in damage. There may be a limit to what an architect can do to prevent fires, but there is much one can do to limit the damage from a fire. After the fires in San Diego County in 2003, researchers discovered that houses that had been built or remodeled following a stricter fire and building code suffered only a third the damage of other homes.
Today there are more ways than ever to design with fire damage reduction in mind. Some ideas:
– Non-combustible roofing and siding helps prevent fires from spreading from nearby homes. One interesting fire-retardant roofing product is shingles made from recycled rubber tires — paired with a fire-resistant underlay barrier, this assembly is one of the few synthetic roofing materials to get UL’s Class A fire rating. These shingles are available from EcoStar.
– Many fires start on decks. Grills left burning when the party ends, embers from brush fires, or leaf burning getting out of hand can all ignite a deck. Consider specifying a Class A fire rated decking material instead of the usual wood materials. AmeraDeck’s composite materials are one option.
– Residential fire sprinklers can extinguish small fires and contain large fires. But who wants those clunky sprinkler heads in the living room? No one — so consider something sleeker, like Tyco’s Rapid Response Residential Concealed Sprinkler System. This type of system can lower the homeowner’s insurance.
– Steel beats heat nearly every time. If you’re designing a home near a potential wildfire area, consider steel-framed windows with heat-resistant coating. Check out products like this from SaftiFirst.
Do We Know KIP? Yes We Do!
At AIR Graphics, we run KIP equipment all day long, so we understand the needs of other KIP users. That’s why our KIP service department is so amazing!
Led by Russ Manson, a former KIP Direct Service Technician in New England for nearly 20 years, our service staff and factory trained technicians provide fast, reliable, cost-effective solutions to your equipment maintenance needs. We provide installation, customer support, repair, and maintenance for the full line of KIP equipment, from the latest line of HDP printers to the older Legacy models.
Of course, our service expertise isn’t limited to KIP. We also provide exceptional service to HP and Canon inkjet plotters.
Learn more here KIP Service
ArchiQuiz
1. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is representative of what architectural style? Extra credit: The cathedral was among the first building in the world to use arched exterior supports to hold up its massive walls; what are those called? Answer:
2. How many points does it take to get LEED Gold designation? How many of those points can come from the Innovation in Design category? Answer:
3. Masonry that holds together without the use of mortar or other adhesive is called what? What is each row of bricks in a wall called? Answer:
4. Sheer concrete walls on tall buildings or underground structures are often built by pouring concrete into plywood forms that continuously and slowly move upwards as the concrete hardens at the bottom. What is type of construction called? Answer:
Amazing Architecture
Airports seem to bring out the best in architects. Check out the new terminal building at Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul. Designed by Tekeli-Sisa Arhcitectural Partnership, the terminal features seven arched bays that provide spaciousness for the passengers and a wavy view for passers-by.
Pupils in Monkseaton High School in Great Britain always face the teacher: The award-winning school building features triangular classrooms with the teacher’s space in the point. “I realized we had to step away from the rows of desks and ‘chalk and talk’ method of lesson delivery associated with typical institutional classroom designs,” explained Ian Lancastle-Smith of London’s Devereux Architects.
A new building for an engineering school better be pretty cool, huh? Devereux Architects designed this one, too, and it is pretty cool. Designed for the National University of Ireland in Galway, the building is designed to “put engineering on display.” Among its many features is a “climate wall,” which due to its orientation provides cooling in summer and heat in winter.
Being Green
The value of shade–Ever wonder how much a shade tree planted in front of a house matters? Now you can estimate its effect with the Tree Benefit Estimator , developed by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
Green as trees–Think recycled wood is green? Sure, but how about unmilled logs? That’s what Roald Gundersen, owner of Whole Trees Architecture and Construction in Stoddard, Wisconsin uses.
Green blocks–Well, they’re not really green colored, but the Pozzotive concrete blocks from Kingston Block & Masonry Supply are made from 30 percent postconsumer recycled glass and 50 percent postconsumer recycled masonry aggregate.
Mobile power–power generators are sometimes the loudest, smelliest pieces of equipment on construction sites. Not any more: Generators from Mobile Solar Power generate up to 18.71 kilowatt hours per day using just the sun.
News
Boston Architect Helps Rebuild Afghanistan
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=212108232162666
South End Apartment Project is Super Green
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20064756-54.html
Boston Arc Firm Promotes Five
http://boston.citybizlist.com/7/2011/6/6/Payette-Announces-Five-Promotions.aspx
Boston Architect Designs “Renovated Lab of the Year” Award Winner
Columbus Group LLC Developing Standard-Times Building in Bedford
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110531/NEBULLETIN/106010319
May 2011 Newsletter
May 16, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Social Media for Architects, Part III: Maximizing LinkedIn
Facebook, Twitter, and some other popular social media sites get more attention, but LinkedIn is the most important site for business professionals. Where other sites encourage you to post photos of your latest party and spout off political opinions, LinkedIn is designed for one thing: To help you succeed in business.
LinkedIn profiles of architects are subdued. They have minimal flash, maximum information. Check out the profile of Chris Dunlop and Bettina Mehnert .
Here are five tips to create a winning LinkedIn profile:
1) Focus on reaching potential clients. Rather than just dumping your resume onto your profile (which is possible), use your profile to show potential clients what you can do. Write briefly about what types of problems you solve, the types of clients you work for, and other key introductory characteristics.
2) Make connections. Don’t build a profile and wait for business to roll in; it won’t. LinkedIn makes it easy to locate potential contacts and request a connection. And once you connect, it shows you your contact’s connections so you can attempt to connect with them, and on and on. The goal is a giant web of connections.
3) Give and get testimonials. As advertisers have known for decades, testimonials can be powerful. LinkedIn has a convenient format for adding testimonials to your profile. One of the best ways to get testimonials from trusted clients is to give them one first. Once they see how much you value the relationship, many return the favor.
4) Join LinkedIn groups. Groups on LinkedIn are collections of like-minded individuals. As you can imagine, being in the right groups is a great way to connect with potential partners and clients. There are many architecture groups, including groups sponsored by the AIA, ARCHITECTURE magazine, and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Set the search function to “Groups” to find more. You should also join your local chamber of commerce and other local groups to connect with potential clients in your area.
5) Use “Status Updates” to keep your firm on your clients’ radar. Architects can use Status Updates to report on important new projects, new positions, and other such information. Your connections will get an email about your status update (or a periodic email showing the status updates of all of their connections), so a Status Update is a subtle way of reaching out.
Social media can be a lot of fun, but if you’re serious about using it to help your business, you must maximize your LinkedIn profile.
Psychology of Architecture: Your Work and the Mind
Your client asks for high ceilings because she thinks they make her foyer look impressive. But did you know they will also make her a better abstract thinker? Design’s effect on the mind has been studied for decades, but several recent studies shed new light.
The study about ceiling height, by professor Joan Meyers-Levy at the Carlson School of Management , showed that high ceilings caused occupants to see the “big picture” view of things rather than small details. Clearly the expanses opened the mind to broader thoughts.
Another study revealed some remarkable effects of color in design. Red interior walls help with detail-oriented tasks; blue helps with creative tasks. Check out the details in Science magazine . Using psychology in architecture is a big deal in hospital design — think lots of light, happy colors, easy-to-navigate spaces, all designed with healing in mind. There’s even an organization that advocates this type of design, the Center for Health Design .
Taking it a big step further are Susan Lee Painter, PhD, and Constance Forrest, Psy.D., who began their careers as psychologists but migrated to design. Now they run ForrestPainter Design in Venice, California, where they apply their psychology skills to interior, workspace, and landscape design.
“The Design Psychology assessment tools, adapted from clinical interview and assessment measures, yield the data and insights to choose the color, lighting, texture and arrangement of space for their clients’ residential, office and landscape projects,” according the firm’s website.
Want to use some psychology in your own design? Designer Maria Lorena Lehman offers five tips in her blog Sensing Architecture : Observe occupant behaviors; review their photos and memorabilia; create a survey or conduct an interview; learn about their struggles; and brainstorm with them.
Bottom line: Remember that your clients will be living or working the spaces you design, and it will affect them every day.
An Easy Way to Invite Bids
Inviting bids can be a time-consuming hassle…but not if you use BidCaster from AIR Graphics. BidCaster is an easy-to-use online tool that allows you to send hundreds of ITBs via email or fax, right from your computer. Bidders can preview plans and specs and indicate their interest in your projects.
Bidcaster lowers your pre-construction costs, reduces time and labor for you and your bidders, allows you to be more competitive by receiving more bids, and tracks your bid responses easily and conveniently.
Learn more here BidCaster
ArchiQuiz
1) Which 20th Century architect pioneered modern architecture and was associated with the saying “less is more”?
2) What is the second tallest skyscraper in the United States? (hint: think hairpiece)
3) Which U.S. president was born in a Sears Catalog Home?
4) What school of art and design named by rearranging the German words for “house construction”?
Amazing Architecture
Shipping containers have been used for all sorts of architectural marvels, but you’ll love these five examples, from a 1,000-unit student housing complex in Amsterdam to Container City in London.
The new 33-floor headquarters office tower for CMA CGM in Marseille,
France looks like a giant metallic curving arc that accelerates skyward. It was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. http://www.zaha-hadid.com/offices-and-towers/cma-cgm-headquarters-tower
The Park Hotel Hyderabad, designed by Skidmore, Owings, Merrill, is a 270-room hotel that combines modern, sustainable design with local traditions. Many of the interior surfaces, with a jewelry concept, reflect local designs and were implemented by local artists and craftsman.
Being Green
The new Matrixair Solar Air Heating and Ventilation System uses transpired solar technology — which involves air heated by passive solar panels affixed to the side of a building — to efficiently heat buildings.
The AIRxpert 7000 monitors indoor air quality in large buildings. It provides ventilation system diagnostics, monitors energy conversation, and keeps tabs on environmental quality.
Harmonium linoleum flooring is made from 95 percent natural materials, such as linseed oil, flax seed, wood, and limestone. Plus, 73 percent of these materials are rapidly renewable.
Huvco tubular skylights bring natural sunlight into interiors of small buildings and homes. They’re a great way to provide natural light into spaces that cannot be lit by traditional skylights.
Are trusty photovoltaics reaching new heights? Photovoltaic installations surpassed 14 gigawatts of generating capacity worldwide in 2010.
News
Boston Architect celebrates 30 years
http://irealtywire.org/11474659/boston-architect-celebrates-over-30-years-of-business.html
New Marriott Hotel in Fenway Neighborhood http://www.bostonsf.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=00DFCE13162E4038937C80D17767B829
Paul Comeau joins Sasaki design firm
Boston architect Sean Stewart designs Buffalo renovation
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/city-hall/article418844.ece
JFK Museum expansion opens
Aprill 2011 Newsletter
April 19, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Architects, the New Humanitarians
The notion that architecture can change the world is not new — which architect hasn’t dreamed of creating a structure that inspires, protects, and enhances lives? But that notion is lately taking on new strength. As the world suffers from catastrophes nature-made and man-made, many architects are heeding the call to help.
Consider Architecture for Humanity a non-profit design services firm that brings design and construction expertise to communities in need. Architecture for Humanity can be found in hotspots around the world, from Haiti to Japan to Africa.
What differentiates Architecture for Humanity from some other organizations that help rebuild disaster-stricken areas is that they generally plan long-term. In a recent interview on CBS News, Cameron Sinclair, one of the founders of the organization, said:
“Our architects and designers don’t fly in on weekend trips, they live in the villages and towns from 9 to 18 months. They become part of the community and begin to understand the nuances of how to make the biggest impact with the budget they have. Recently we were asked to build a series of schools in a country emerging out of a bloody civil conflict. By listening to the community we realized they didn’t need schools, they needed a school system, complete with teachers, curriculum and facility support. It was obvious to our team that the first thing that was needed was not a classroom but a teacher training facility and staff housing near existing remote schools.”
Of course, Architecture for Humanity is not the only organization promoting the social value of architecture.
Hasim Sarkis, a professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, espouses the social value of architecture in his work and classroom.
“For about five or six years,’’ Sarkis said in an interview in the Boston Globe “there’s been pressure from architecture students. How can they be socially committed? they say. How can architecture be a larger social project?”
Sarkis shows his students that good architecture and socially good architecture are not contradictory. Great design can be applied to modest projects.
For example, Sarkis designed a cluster of 84 apartments for fisherman in Lebanon. The spaces are modest and affordable, but the design makes them bright, practical, and uplifting.
Another example of architecture serving the social good is a project that will give homes to 50 Thai orphans, designed by the Norwegian firm Tyin Tegnestue 
The orphan’s homes, dubbed Butterfly Houses, provide private spaces within a community setting.
“We have searched for a deeper meaning in our profession, and find it in building projects for people that really benefit from improved physical surroundings,” says architect Andreas Gjertsen in an interview on CNN .
Not Your Typical Dormroom
Remember the cramped, drab dorm room you shared with three other students during your freshman year? Well, it’s history. Many of today’s college students enjoy the best work of architects around the world.Check out “The Sponge” on the campus of MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, otherwise known as Simmons Hall. 
Designed by architect Steven Holl, the 350-bed dorm includes a theatre, cafe, and terraces. Large openings throughout the building serve as “lungs,” circulating natural light and air. And each dorm room has nine working windows!
Another non-Animal House student residence is State Street Village on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. 
Helmut Jahn designed this high-tech complex that includes six U-shaped structures built from steel, concrete, and glass. Jahn designed what he calls the “ultimate” dorm by adding A/V lounges with plasma TVs and a laundry room that alerts students via the web when their load is done. Bet those students aren’t bringing the laundry home to mom!
Of course, American students have nothing on the Europeans when it comes to fancy dorm living. Check out the Bikuben Student Residence in Copenhagen, which is designed to encourage student interaction by connecting all the dorm rooms and common areas in a double spiral around an atrium. Another architecturally significant dorm is found at Ljubljana University in Slovenia. This 2006 building features communal leisure and teaching spaces on the first floor and 56 residential rooms on the second and third floors. The student units are arranged around central service “cores” that contain bathrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms. Privacy of the bedrooms is assured by a series of folding, perforated, aluminum panels.
Makes you want to return to school, doesn’t it?
Amazing Architecture
The Pillars of Hercules have risen again! Spanish architect Rafael de la Hoz designed this double-towered office and retail building in Bay of Algeciras in Cadiz, Spain. The 20-story buildings, designed to honor the legendary Pillars of Hercules, are the tallest buildings in Andalusia. 
Check out this very cool housedesigned by Antonio Cardillo. Built in Melbourne, Australia, the home was inspired by Roman ruins and offers amazing views.
Architecture in Motion: The headquarters 
for Vodaphone in Porto, Portugal is an architectural splendor that matches the brand’s slogan, Life in Motion. Designed by Barbosa Guimaraes Arquitectos, the white-and-glass structure seems to spill to the ground.
ArchiQuiz
How well do you know your profession? ArchiQuiz is a new feature of our newsletter. See how you do!
1) In what Midwestern town did Frank Lloyd Wright open his first studio?
2) What foundation sponsors the Pritzker Architecture Prize?
3) The White House is made in which architectural style?
4) What is North America’s tallest building’s new name? And who designed the building?
Answers
Being Green
Everyone knows about compact fluorescent bulbs, but another high-efficiency option is LED lighting. Viribright LED bulbs last almost 20,000 hours, use 80 percent less energy, and are available for commercial and residential use. http://www.viribright.com/
An attic fan is a great way to keep an entire house cooler. Now homeowners can use solar power to run the fan, with the Solar Aire solar-powered attic fan system. The system cools up to 1,500 square feet in the summer and vents moisture year around. http://solaroenergy.com/products-2/solar-ventilation/
Tired of housewrap? Try ZIP System roof and wall sheathing, which includes built-in protective overlays that eliminate the need for housewrap or felt. Not only is it easier to install, but it helps ensure an energy-efficient structure. http://www.zipsystem.com/
Hot water heaters can consume a lot of energy. The NEXT Hybrid hot water heater from A.O. Smith uses two heating technologies to maximize efficiency. It uses a heat transfer process with a secondary heat exchanger to capture the heated flue gas and route it back through the tank to extract additional heat.
“Green” Your In-House Document Reproduction
Every time you hit “print” on your computer or copier, you are affecting the environment a tiny bit. Add those bits up, and the prints and copies you make can have a serious impact.
Let AIR Graphics substantially reduce the environmental impact of your document reproduction by having us install a “green” facilities management (FM) program in your office. This program includes the following:
* Use of 100 percent recycled paper for small-format documents and 30 percent recycled for large-format.
* PlanWell software, which allows you view plans and specs on-screen and manage access to your projects.
* Electronic work orders and Bidcaster software to minimize paper usage
* Biodegradeable presentation material
* A “green” plotter that uses less energy and toner
* Digital Upload directly to AIR Graphics production facilities for your overflow work and save the emissions from coming to your office for pickup.
Contact Leo Ladas FM director today for more information! lladas@airgraphics.com or phone 1-800-734-3373 x225
News
The Boston Society of Architects has a new home: http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=5168
The BSA also has a new executive director: http://www.architects.org/news/welcome-margaret
Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston has been chosen by the Massachusetts College of Art and Design to expand and renovate two galleries: http://gregcookland.com/journal/2011/02/18/massart-picks-architect-for-gallery-renovation/
Wellesley College plans dormitory renovation: http://www.wellesleynewsonline.com/news/residential-planning-committee-established-to-plan-dormitory-renovation-1.2000602
Eduardo Souto de Moura wins Pritzker Architecture Prize: http://pritzkerprize.com/
March 2011 Newsletter
March 18, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Social Media for Architects, Part 2: The Blog
You probably already know how much people enjoy talking to architects. Even people with no relation at all to design fields have opinions and preferences regarding architecture that they discuss with you at parties, right? You can turn that fascination into potential new clients through a blog.
Check out the blog of TMS Architects in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It’s a mix of commentary, news tidbits, photos, and other items related to the New England architecture scene. A similar example comes from HMC Architects , which has several offices in California.
So how do you get started? A little planning helps. First, decide on frequency. The experts say consistency is more important than frequency, but frequency matters, too. “I typically don’t recommend less than once or twice a week because then you become lost in the noise of others who post more frequently,” says social media consultant Jason Falls . “Your content needs to stand out, but if it does, then once a week becomes an event of anticipation for your audience.”
Next, decide what to blog. Your audience is probably already reading the newspaper, so don’t regurgitate what they read there…unless you have your own spin on it. Other ideas include a “behind the scenes” look at your firm (How we designed such-and-such building); commentary about the design community in your city or state; or Q&As with a firm principal, client, or local planning authority.
If your firm specializes in a particular niche, you may want to blog about that. For example, HMN Architects in Overland Park, Kansas, does a lot of healthcare design. Their blog covers issues related to hospital design and major healthcare issues in general.
The ideas are limitless, but whatever topic you blog about, try not to irritate potential clients. If you have strong political views or hate your local NFL franchise, save those thoughts for your personal blog.
Next, think about the tools. WordPress is the most popular tool for creating a blog. It’s simple to launch a blog with WordPress, and the basic package is free. The free features include stats to see how many people are reading, and fun “themes” to make your blog look good.
“WordPress.com is 100 percent free and takes 10 minutes to set up once you pick your theme,” says Jacob Morgan, an expert on social CRM and social customer strategies for Chess Media Group .
There are more sophisticated packages — Falls suggests Compendium if you care about keyword searching — but wordpress is a great place to start.
Finally, consider marketing. Add a link to your blog from your website, note your blog on any other social media sites you use (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), and include a link to your blog if you comment on other people’s blogs.
For more useful tips, check out this fun blog entry about architect blogs.
Urgent Architecture: The Essential Role of Post-Disaster Design
Did you know that floods, tornadoes, and landslides affect every state in the United States? And that more than 300 major natural catastrophes occur around the world every year? It’s no surprise, then, that architects who deal with the urgent design and construction needs of devastated communities are currently front and center.
The first architects affecting a disaster scene practice what is called urgent architecture–the design of structures that can be used immediately after a disaster. Project Urgent Architecture aims to gather the knowledge of architects and structural engineers who have faced the challenge of designing these structures, and pass that knowledge on to local artisans who can build these structures where they are needed.
“Urgent architecture should not wait until the next disaster strikes to seek solutions to communities’ post-disaster shelter needs,” the organization says.
So what does urgent architecture look like? Imagine a field of high-tech, but rather simple looking, tents.
These structures obviously provide immediate shelter, but perhaps more importantly they provide a sense of security and community to people who have suddenly been forced out of their homes.
The next step is equally important. Once the debris is cleared and the aid workers have left, someone has to rebuild the devastated community. The emerging field called postcatastrophe reconstruction deals with this situation.
Consider the destruction in Haiti after the earthquake in January 2010. Port-au-Prince was a densely populated city before it was nearly wiped out by the earthquake. The housing and other structures would take decades to rebuild under normal conditions, but a group of students from the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University who have been studying postcatastrophe construction, is working on speed that up. The students are analyzing the infrastructure, transportation needs, housing and social patterns, and land ownership issues. The students also are assisting a project that trains locals to work in design and construction, and they are working on a 16,000-acre housing project north of Port-au-Prince.
Hopefully post-disaster construction ultimately leads to design that can withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, and other disasters. Consider this fact: The earthquake that killed 316,000 people in Haiti was far less severe than the earthquake that shook populous areas of Chile a few weeks later, but the Chilean earthquake killed only 500 people. The difference? Superior building design and construction.
Amazing Architecture
People seem afraid that this house is about to slide off the hill, but the
architect himself lives there! The “floating house” in the Berkshires, designed by Boston architect Warren Schwartz, offers amazing views of the surrounding woods
Can you imagine the glazing job on this building? The new apartment building in New York by French architect Jean Nouvel features 1,650 different window panels!
It’s not built yet, but Frank Gehry’s latest design–a “wrinkly” building–is naturally already drawing controversy. The 11-story design is for the University of Technology Sydney business school in Sydney, Australia. Groundbreaking is scheduled for 2012 and completion in 2014.
This new Toren condo building in Brooklyn is selling amazingly well, real estate folks say. Designed by SOM, the building is aiming for LEED Gold designation. Among its green attributes is five on-site co-generators.
Being Green
Marmoleum Click flooring so called because the squares “click” together without the need for adhesives, is made from natural ingredients including linseed oil, wood flour, and pine rosins.
Bamdeck decking from Cali Bamboo is a combo of 30 percent recycled bamboo fibers and 70 percent recycled plastic. The result is a composite with twice the density, strength, and durability of other composites.
Team Massachusetts, from two local universities, is competing in the Solar Decathlon, a project that helps students learn about green construction and other environmental architecture issues.
Ever notice how much smoke puffs out of your lawnmower? Imagine how much less you’d pollute if you only had to mow once per month. That’s the promise of Pearl’s Premium Ultra Low Maintenance Lawn Seed . And it’s drought tolerant, so rarely needs to be watered, and requires no fertilizer.
Drexel University’s new science building features a “biowall” that filters the building’s air. The wall is a vertical garden in the middle of the building that absorbs pollutants.
Perfect Plans Makes Wide-Format Color Docs Easy at No Extra Cost
You design in color because it’s easier to show details that way. You can PDF or DWF that design to some extent, but eventually someone will need a hard copy. Hmm, what happens to the color? You can try to use different line weights, patterns, and other tricks, but in the end the monochrome hardcopy doesn’t match your design.
The solution? Perfect Plans from AIR Graphics! Perfect Plans are full-color versions of your color files, printed quickly, easily, and at the same cost as monochrome prints. Coordination drawings, as-built drawings, marked-up drawings for site use…the possibilities are endless.
A recent study by Océ revealed that construction drawings in color can reduce errors and, consequently, construction failure costs. Don’t you want that advantage?
Perfect Plans are available at full or half scale, with no loss of fidelity, line quality, or readability. What you see on your screen is what you get. Best of all, the addition of color doesn’t affect cost!
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News You Can Use
The City of Boston is soliciting bids for architectural work on storefronts in 20 neighborhoods. The two-year contract is worth $580,000, and bidding ends March 28. Learn more http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/real_estate/2011/03/boston-solicites-bids-for-main-streets.html
The AIA named 104 new fellows. Here’s the list and details <http://www.residentialarchitect.com/architects/aia-announces-2011-fellows.aspx>
The archives of Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood Architects has been donated to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The firm, which designed Boston’s city hall in 1962, won Boston’s Harleston Parker Award a record six times. Details http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/museum-architects-collection.html
$30 million development coming to Boston Seaport District. Liberty Wharf will include five restaurants. Details http://www.necn.com/03/02/11/Boston-Harbor-Renaissance/landing_business.html?blockID=431685&feedID=4209
Williamstown elementary school design advances. Details http://www.masslive.com/metrowest/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-30/1298103617105301.xml&coll=1
Awards
The Boston Society of Architects gave four “Unbuilt” architecture awards: http://www.archdaily.com/71383/2010-unbuilt-awards-boston-society-of-architects/
Boston Architectural College honors Stephen Sousa with 2010 Alumni in Practice Awards http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/news/business/x750985538/Stephen-Sousa-receives-college-s-architecture-award#axzz1GVPx9yPV