Ezra Stoller’s photograph of the Hoffman Auto Showroom appears in a Metropolis Magazine article by Debra Pickrel remembering the recently demolished design.  One of just three Frank Lloyd Wright projects in New York City (the Guggenheim and the Cass House on Staten Island are the others), and the only interior project, the space at 430 Park Avenue, was built in 1955.  The central ramp provided a study for the ramp Wright would later design for the Guggenheim.   When long-time tenant Mercedes vacated the space last December, organizations including the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, DOCOMOMO NY/Tri-State and the Historic Districts Council, were actively advocating to save it, but the owner quickly obtained a demolition permit, paving the way for its demise.

In addition to the showroom, Max Hoffman hired Wright to design his own home as well.   An image of that building, which is still standing in Rye, is below.

David Sundberg has been photographing the construction of 1 World Trade Center. The images are from a number of vantage points around Lower Manhattan, with many taken from his kitchen window.  The evolution of the project can be seen in David’s portfolio of One World Trade Center

Jeff Goldberg’s photographs of the Tucson Mountain Retreat, designed and built by DUST, are on ArchDaily.  The piece describes the surrounding landscape and the siting:

The Tucson Mountain Retreat is located within the Sonoran Desert; an extremely lush, exposed, arid expanse of land that emits a sense of stillness and permanency, and holds mysteries of magical proportions.  The home is carefully sited and great effort was invested to minimize the physical impact of the home in such a fragile environment, while at the same time attempting to create a place that would serve as a backdrop and connection to the awe-inspiring landscape.

The post continues to describe the particulars of the program and built response.  A number of Jeff’s photographs accompany the article.

An article at EarthTechling focuses on the rammed earth construction of the building, and the resulting environmental benefits.

The house is also featured on Arthitectural and at e-architect.

There are more photographs of the project at the DUST website, and in an earlier post.

The outcry about the Museum of Modern Art’s plan to demolish the Williams/Tsien American Folk Art Museum continues.

Of note, recently, are articles in the NY Times by Michael Kimmelman and in The New Yorker by Thomas De Monchaux.

Peter Mauss’ photographs of the building can be seen at EstoStock.

The 2013 AIA/HUD Design Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing Design has been awarded to Via Verde, designed by Dattner Architects and Grimshaw Architects.

The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community, in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), recognized three recipients of the 2013 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards. The categories of the program include Excellence in Affordable Housing Design [awarded to Via Verde]; Community-Informed Design Award [Community Learning Center by Abacus Architects + Planners] and the Housing Accessibility – Alan J. Rothman Award [New Accessible Passive Solar Housing; Stoneham, Massachusetts by Abacus Architects + Planners].

The award announcement by the AIA describes Via Verde as “providing a new model for public housing in New York City. The project was carefully crafted to accommodate the scale of the existing neighborhood and adjacent housing while adding both housing and green space to a brownfield site in the South Bronx.”

ArchDaily has coverage of all three recipients of the 2013 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards.  These awards demonstrate that design matters, and the recipient projects offer examples of important developments in the housing industry. “These developments prove that you can push the boundaries of design while still creating something very special that folks can actually afford,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “These projects took innovative visions from the drawing board and made them a part of how we live today.”

Via Verde also won the 2013 AIA Housing Award for MultiFamily Housing.  Among the jury comments were: “The way the building is broken into manageable units instead of being one continuous flow reflects and mimics the vibrancy of the surrounding neighborhood buildings.”  More about the award is at AIA.org.

Earlier posts about Via Verde, with links to press coverage, are on EstoNews.

The Architectural Record in association with the American Architectural Foundation, has honored  Bohlin Cywinski Jackson with the Good Design is Good Business Lifetime Achievement Architecture Award.  Peter Aaron has been photographing the firm’s work or many years.

Coverage of the award, along with more images by Peter, appears in ArchDaily.

The award was conferred at the annual 2013 Gala of the American Architectural Foundation, and announced earlier by the Architectural Record.

David Sundberg, photographing the UN from the air. That’s what’s up.

David was in a helicopter to document a development site and had a chance to fly along up along the East River on a recent sunny, spring morning.

David Sundberg’s photographs of the Hotchkiss School’s new BioMass Power Plant, designed by Centerbrook Architects, are in a recent post at Architizer.  The piece shares impressive numbers about the building’s energy and financial savings:

By replacing its outdated oil-burning boiler with a squeaky clean wood-chip biomass burner, the boarding school has reduced its winter energy bill by $350,000 and slashed its carbon footprint between 35% and 45%.

A gallery of the project – from the incinerator to the undulating green roof – are at Architizer.

There are also earlier posts about the building at EstoNews.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York has announced that it will raze the American Folk Art Museum building on West 53 Street in New York. Designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, completed in 2001, the building interferes with MoMA expansion plans. The headline in The New York Times reads, “Overshadowed, and Now Doomed”.

In the weeks since the initial announcement, there has been a flurry of outcry about the decision. Of special note, and few minced words are the following articles:

Martin Filler’s article in the New York Review of Books;

an open letter from the  Architectural League;

and Ned Cramer’s editorial in Architect Magazine.

To honor the building there is a new Esto Gallery, also at Architect Magazine.

Francis Dzikowski has photographed the new GlaxoSmithKline headquarters for the architects Robert A.M. Stern Architects.

The new building in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard redevelopment has been awarded double LEED platinum status.  The building offers a range of innovation from natural light; low-VOC finishes; energy-efficient lighting, desks offering a range of working positions from sitting to standing, a fitness center and health clinic, as well as a rooftop garden—which provides thermal insulation and retains storm water, while supplying herbs and vegetables to the office cafeteria

The project appears on ArchDaily as well as at Architect Magazine where there is also a project gallery with more of Francis’ images.

In addition to the Architect article and gallery , the project appears in inHABit, in Building Design and Construction and in a regional Philadelphia business journal