greenprint denver

in july of 2006, mayor john hickenlooper introduced a list of initiatives called "greenprint denver" as a way to set goals in improving the sustainable practices within denver communities over the next 5 years.

plan highlights:

1] Reduce Denver per capita greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2011.

2] Work in partnership with other local governments, universities and the business community to develop and implement effective strategies to reduce the risk of and potential consequences of global climate change.


3] Plant thousands of new trees annually in our parks, natural areas and on private property, thus increasing Denver's tree canopy from 6 percent to a total of 18 percent tree cover, as identified in the Denver Parks Game Plan.


4] Increase Denver's residential recycling by 50 percent in the next year and reduce total landfilled household waste by 30 percent (130,000 tons) over the 2004 baseline by 2011.

5] Construct solar and methane power plants capable of powering/heating the equivalent of over 2,500 homes, and generating revenues to help support other Greenprint Denver programs.

6] Increase the incentives for energy-efficient affordable housing to $1,250,000 within five years. Increase the funding available for energy efficiency improvements for low-income residences.

7] Require that all new city buildings and major renovations be certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® Silver standard and meet the EPA's Energy Star® guidelines.

8] Expand the city's "Green Fleet" by ensuring that when replacing light-duty vehicles (excluding patrol cars), they are replaced with hybrids or the highest-efficiency vehicles available. Continue the recent progress made in shifting all diesel vehicles to biodiesel B20 fuel.

9] Decrease reliance on automobiles through increased public transit access and use, transit-oriented development, and bike and pedestrian enhancements. Boost mass transit use by city employees by 10 percent within one year, and increase by 20 percent the new development located within a half mile of existing transit stations by 2011.

10] Significantly improve water quality in the South Platte River by 2011 through a combination of activities, including maintenance and repair of sanitary and storm sewers, education and outreach, and enhanced data collection, analysis and tracking. Use recycled water for parks and public areas, and promote water conservation in both building and landscape use.

11] Partner with the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation to advance high performance building and energy efficiency in the private sector. Help revitalize 35 acres of formerly polluted lands in Denver (Brownfield redevelopment) to support urban development and environmental equity. Position Denver as a regional center for balanced and renewable energy and green industries by creating 1,000 new training and job opportunities in these areas for metro Denver residents by 2011.


to learn more about the entire action agenda, you can download it in PDF form here.

in more recent developments, senator ken gordon-d is outlining a bill which would require all state funded buildings and renovations to be LEED certified.

ds+r website

not major news, but dillier scofidio + renfro finally have some substance on their website. for those that do not remember, they were a part of the clyfford still museum architect selection process here in denver. the url will be added to the links located on the right.

to make this post worth somewhat more than the text it is printed with, here is the flickr page for the ica [pictured above].

high rise denver

in case you haven't been doing anything since christmas from playing your new z-box 350 or whatever - denver is BooM-ing. here is a medley of proposals for skyscrapers in downtown within the next 5 years.

"the murano"-14th & lawrence

residential & retail

50 stories

$160 million

completed 2008

architect: solomon cordwell buenz and associates

"El Jebel Tower"-18th & sherman

hotel & retail

60 stories

cost unknown

completed 2009

architect: tryba architects

"The Spire"-14th & champa

residential, retail & parking

40 stories

$110 million

completed 2009

arhcitect: rnl design

"one lincoln park"-20th & lincoln

residential, retail & parking

30 stories

cost unknown

completed 2008

architect: byg

"1800 larimer"-18th & larimer

office

20 stories

$150 million

completed 2009

arhcitect: rnl design

"four seasons" private residences-14th & arapahoe

hotel, residential, retail, & parking

50 stories

$135 million

completed 2009

architect: carney architects

solar lunar microwave power

in the may 2002 archives of the american institute of physics

SOLAR POWER VIA THE MOON:

"...many different beams of 12-cm wavelength microwaves would deliver power to receivers at sites located worldwide. Each receiver would supply commercial power to a given region. Such a receiver, called a rectenna, would consist of a large field of small rectifying antennas. A beam with a maximum intensity of less than 20% of noontime sunlight would deliver about 200 W to its local electric grid for every square meter of rectenna area. [italics added] Unlike sunlight, microwaves pass through rain, clouds, dust, and smoke. In both scenarios, power can be supplied to the rectenna at night."

microwaves from the moon?????!!!!!!

brilliant!

here is a follow-up [and a bit more technical] article by the same author david r. criswell:

MICROWAVES FROM THE MOON

amazingly enough, this is not a new idea. first know studies of using microwaves from the moon as an energy source were from a hungarian physicist, Zoltan Bay.

here some images and scans of the original notes regarding his studies. another little fact is that he helped develop the tungsten filament for light bulbs. wikipedia entry.

adjaye: out of the ground

...was driving yesterday along 15th st. near delgany and saw that the MCA was finally getting the steel treatmant, and flying [relatively] high.
some construction photos:


this is an overview shot of the site, taken from across the street

a closer look on the east side, along Delgany street

again on delgany, further around the backside

a closer look

the view below

looking alongside 15th st.

the future entrance ramp location

also-from the MCA website about the new building:

OUR NEW HOME
The New MCA, designed by David Adjaye, one of the leading architects in the world today, is at once bold and refined, meeting all the criteria set forth when a permanent home for MCA was first envisioned:
- A DESIGN THAT SUPPORTS RATHER THAN DEFINES THE MUSEUM'S MISSION. The design clearly articulates the Museum's exhibition and program requirements.
- A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE PROJECT. The construction cost for the new building is $11.3 million making the project $418 per square foot.
- AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-EFFICIENT BUILDING. MCA is actively pursuing LEED certification, which would make MCA the first contemporary art museum in the country to achieve such status.

the wesite claims to be constructing a museum at a [fiscally responsible] $418/sf, but looking at the renderings show bare concrete walls and glass. one has to imagine that means the glass is a dual-skin, and the concrete finish will be like butta.
interior renderings:

some more links regarding MCA, adjaye, and other things english:

bookstore

adjaye associates

making public buildings

houses

fish & chips

pints pub

best of [my] 2006

alright-a brief recap of 2006

best travel destination:

nova scotia. canada: ghost lab 8


runner up: nyc

best book read [fiction]:

haunted. chuck palahniuk

runner up: house of leaves

best book read [architectural]:

plain modern. malcolm quintrell and brian mackay-lyons

runner up: sean godsell

best new music [album]:

the eraser. thom yorke

runner up: at war with the mystics. the flaming lips

best music [live]:

nine inch nails. red rocks amphitheater. may 31

runners up: sigur ros. paramount theater, february 23; devotchka. boulder theater. october 31; bloc party. ogden theater. march 19

best film:

the fountain. darren aronofsky



runners up: brick; half nelson; the science of sleep

favorite photos of 2006 [personal]:

runner up:

best architectural additions to denver:

highland pedestrian bridge over i-25

photo by denverinfill.com
runners up: light rail expansion; hyatt convention center hotel; denver art museum expansion

fetish objectification and technological singularity

Scheherazade by EuanUglow

"...we treat people as objects, and objects as people."

- excerpt from the book Haunted by chuck palahniuk

so... there were some cool little toys that came out today to keep all the masses rabid for tech gear and virtual entertainment.
we find it fascinating that the design of certain objects can make them more appealling-even lusted after. while the devices themselves are merely infrastructural nodes for tele-communication, "their" physicality and operation tend to make us personify "them. " think about it one step further: the work of a machine is doing the tasks of 100 people, or in this case let's say one very, very, very talented individual. so instead of the rationale that the computer/monitor in front of you is a souless piece of silicon, we associate it's functions to human qualities for the sake of our psychological health. now think about it another step further: that very, very, very talented personification that sorts your emails, shows you videos, and draws your buildings is actually a person staring right back at you. all the sorting, filing, saving, and deleting are conversations with a colleague.
too far? maybe...
but maybe if we didn't treat these things as people, we would feel more alone than ever, and would go insane.
and then there's the big picture: technological singularity. what does this mean for the future of man and machine. will it be man vs. machine?, man loves machine?, or man-machine?

“Let an ultraintelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far surpass all the intellectual activities of any man however clever. Since the design of machines is one of these intellectual activities, an ultraintelligent machine could design even better machines; there would then unquestionably be an ’intelligence explosion,’ and the intelligence of man would be left far behind. Thus the first ultraintelligent machine is the last invention that man need ever make.”
can we apply this outlook to our built environment? what kind of structures could exist beyond the event of technological singularity? can they even be labelled as "buildings" after that? and does anyone really give a F?

in the mean time head over to the flckr pool which highlights photos taken of architectural models. then appreciate the craftmanship of the humans that made them, and be glad you haven't been replaced by a machine...yet. luckily, architects still practice in the weirder realm of objectifying ideas as buildings.

denver channel 8

denver's local tv station, channel 8, has some decent videos of recent public presentations on topics ranging from the mayor's design awards, the clyfford still museum presentations, fastracks, and the civic center alternatives presentation. happy searching. so sorry we weren't able to link you directly to them-you lazy sods!

steven holl back on track

steven holl's newest addition to the nelson-atkins museum in kansas city, has been lit up for the holidays and causing traffic jams by gawking motorists. an article at the NYT goes deeper into holl's design intent, and his recent false starts with high profile projects including the denver courthouse, cornell school of architecture, the "turbulence house" and of course the controversial MIT dorm. but amidst all the criticism, holl remains ever optimistic and intensely devoted to his approach to ideas with the new addition:

“It’s not an object, “ Mr. Holl said. “You can’t compare it to anything like Bilbao or all the generations of Bilbao’s. The only way to see it is to move through it.”

opening on 06.09.2007, the $196 million overhaul of the 73-year old institution will be a chance for holl to "return to form."

inevitability

an update on post-occupancy blues at the libeskind designed denver art museum:

those DAM leaks...
NO! not the karl rove kind. the type of roofing concern.
and if you happen to be walking by the hamilton building after a heavy snow-

head's up. you might be caught in an avalanche.
here's what they plan to do about it..
also, the artist for a piece slated near the denver justice center has been selected, in one of the largest subsidized artworks in the history of the "denver percent for art program". the budget is reported as being an easy $1.2 million. new york sculptor dennis oppenheim is known for his abstract conceptual sculptures and land art.

houses at sagaponac

photo by jparchitectus

houses at sagaponac is the dream of the late developer harry j brown. the project consists of 34 houses, each designed by its own starchitect, on a 65 acre site in the hamptons, new york. some notables include: richard rogers, carlos jimenez, eric owen moss, stan allen, samuel mockbee, MVRDV, zaha hadid, steven holl, and the hariri duo.

here's a link to pushpullbar for an inside peek at the ban project under construction called the 'furniture house'. the "walls" are composed of customized cabinetry, intead of conventional framing techniques, for structural support. also-the entire roof is pitched 1/8" per foot in one direction, so there are none of those pesky scuppers or downspouts all over the place.

ghost in blueprint

featured in the most recent issue of BLUEPRINT magazine is an article on canadian architect brian mackay-lyons. he is best known for his book plain modern, on the subject of "regionalism in architecture" and the abstraction of the nova scotia housing vernacular into a modern idiom. every year, mackay-lyons holds a 2 week design-build seminar, dubbed the "ghost lab", on his coastal farmland located 1 hour south of halifax, ns. yours truly had the honor of being a part of ghost lab 8 this past summer, building a permanent structure only known to us as "the studio". the article's photos explain it best, but being apart of this phenomenal gathering was similar in spirit to programs like sam mockbee's rural studio. here are some scans of the article by oliver lowenstein.

self "gratification" and the nasty-ness of it all

it's snowing outside, the roads are treacherous, it's blistering cold & windy [14 degrees F], and everyone's in a nasty mood. not just because of the weather, but because of the news-reeling from the new denver justice center design proposal.

after the recent firing of architect steven holl- this is the design that the local architecture firm klipp has been furiously trying to complete. a denver post article reports on the "gratifying" effort that have gotten the city officials' rocks off. architect dennis humphries states that the building:

"doesn't quite have the spirit" of the previous Holl design...

but forges on with the cliched sound-bites saying the design is:

"bold, fresh" and "a step in the right direction."

and since we're in a nasty mood here today [and eager to spread it], here are some images of the detention center slated to be adjacent to the courthouse. inspiring for all the kids, right?

and in an affort to make it an EXTREMELY nasty day for all...we seem to remember a previous design for the courthouse not long ago [2004] in a galaxy not too far away that was similar.

2004

2006
people must be wondering:
"...why did the city pay all the money and time to select a 'signature' architect, only to fire the architect, and end up with a similar design [with the pieces jumbled around] already done 2 years ago by yet a different firm?"
the answer is not yet clear.

maybe this design is good enough to arouse city officials [and get them out of hot water], but sorry guys-we've had better...now clean up the mess.

allied works selected for clyfford still museum

it's official:

ALLIED WORKS ARCHITECTURE SELECTED TO DESIGN CLYFFORD STILL MUSEUM


November 27, 2006 -- DENVER -- The Clyfford Still Museum announced today that it has selected Allied Works Architecture, led by Brad Cloepfil, to design its future home in Denver, Colorado. The approximately 30,000-square-foot museum will accommodate galleries for the legendary artist’s work, including some 2,400 paintings, works on paper, and sculptures that have not been seen by the public for over 25 years. The building will also feature an education center, library and archives, collection storage, a conservation laboratory, and public areas.

“Today’s announcement of Allied Works as the architect for the future Clyfford Still Museum marks yet another milestone in the Mile High City’s growing cultural prominence,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper. “The Still collection is of tremendous international importance, and its presence in Denver will help further establish the city as a destination for those interested in 20th-century art.”

Based in Portland, Oregon, Allied Works Architecture is a globally recognized architectural firm with wide experience in the design of cultural, educational, and art institutions. Recent and current museum projects include the Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, the Seattle Art Museum, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Arts & Design’s new facility at Two Columbus Circle in New York. The Clyfford Still Museum Architect Selection Committee chose Allied Works Architecture for its demonstrated ability to design inspiring buildings and museum spaces that are responsive to the needs of the institution, its collection, and community, and that provide visitors with a premium experience for viewing works of art.

“Throughout the selection process, Brad Cloepfil impressed the Clyfford Still Architect Selection Committee with his past museum experience, strong architectural vision, and shared respect for the artist, his work, and the mission of the Museum,” said Dean Sobel, Director of the Clyfford Still Museum. “We are pleased to be partnering with Allied Works Architecture in the design and creation of this world-class institution, dedicated to showcasing Still’s artistic brilliance and legacy.”

Allied Works’ proposal expressed a deep understanding of the Still Museum’s goals and collection needs as a single-artist institution, while thoughtfully responding to the surrounding architectural environment of Denver’s growing cultural center, which includes the new Libeskind-designed expansion for the Denver Art Museum. With roots in the Pacific Northwest of the country, Cloepfil also conveyed a profound sense of insight into the landscape that surrounded and influenced Still, who also spent time in that region.

Allied Works Architecture was selected from three finalists, including Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Ohlhausen DuBois Architects, who conducted public presentations to the Denver community and in-person interviews with the Clyfford Still Museum Architect Selection Committee in early November. The Clyfford Still Museum Board of Directors had initially invited 23 local, national and international firms to submit credentials by issuing a request for qualifications (RFQ) in June 2006. Museum officials plan to unveil concepts on the building design in the coming months.

About Allied Works

Founded in 1994 by Brad Cloepfil, Allied Works Architecture is a firm of 40 architects and support staff with offices in Portland, Oregon, and New York City. Known for the integrity of its design and detailing, Allied Works creates dramatic, involving and moving spaces. Recent and current museum projects include the Contemporary Museum of Art, St. Louis, the Seattle Art Museum, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Arts & Design’s new facility at Two Columbus Circle in New York. In addition to its work on museums, other Allied Works projects include the Weiden + Kennedy Advertising Agency headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and the Sun Valley Residence in Sun Valley, Idaho. Projects currently in design include a major renovation and expansion of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, in the Dallas Arts District, Dallas, Texas, and a weekend home, guest house and gallery for prominent art collectors, to be located on 350 acres in Dutchess County, New York.

About The Clyfford Still Museum

The Clyfford Still Museum was founded to promote public and scholarly understanding of the late artist’s work and legacy, through the presentation and preservation of the Clyfford Still Estate, totaling approximately 2,400 artworks bequeathed to the City of Denver in 2004. Considered one of the most important painters of the twentieth century, Still (1904-1980) was among the first generation of Abstract Expressionist artists who developed a new, powerful approach to painting in the years immediately following World War II. Still’s estate—now understood to be 94 percent of the artist’s total output—as well as his extensive archive, have been sealed off from the public since 1980.

The Clyfford Still Museum will be located in Denver, Colorado, in the heart of the Civic Center Cultural Complex, near the Denver Art Museum and its new Daniel Libeskind-designed building, the Denver Public Library designed by Michael Graves, and the Colorado History Museum. For more information about the Clyfford Still Museum, please visit www.clyffordstillmuseum.org.

Sugar³ architect eyes the justice center

yesterday, a press release announced that bruce kuwabara of the firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, will head up a "peer review panel" for the flailing denver justice center. this is an attempt by the mayor's office to inject the project with some life after a collaboration breakdown with architect steven holl [see previous]. kawabara's firm is based in toronto, and just recently broke ground here in denver for a multi-story residential project being dubbed: Sugar³. an article on its green intentions here.

oh...and i guess if you're interested- The Real World: Denver premieres tonight at 8pm on MTV. The only reason we're even mentioning this is because the loft [formerly "B-52" pub at 19th & Market] that was used is for sale at a very cool price of $3.3 million [complete with full size b-ball court and pool].
Here's a slideshow of the living quarters. some of the odder amenities include a jeep, ski lifts hanging from the ceiling, and yup...gang showers.

bloch building blog

despite the obvious flaws of kansas city's nelson atkins website-bloch building blog -one being the backwards chronology of the posts-it is a priveliged glimpse into the final stages of construction and curation of the new building[s] by steven holl.

other photos of the nelson atkins at flickr

T_REX up and running

today at 11am, the $1.75 BILLION, 19-mile light rail expansion project-T_REX- will open it's rails to the first commuters along the I-25 and I-225 corridors. RMN has a story.
over a span of 5 years, the project was contracted out under a design-build delivery method, allowing the schedule to be cut down to one-third of the time compared to traditional methods. trip fares will range from $1.75 to $2.75, depending upon distance.
along with the new light rail expansion, the corridor gained 17 new miles of 2-lane highway on each side, making it one of the largest civil engineering projects in the nation. Other articles here and here.

denver plans to expand its light rail even further to connect denver with municipalities as far as boulder, longmont, golden and westminster under the name of the FasTracks Plan.

life, truth & light

an upcoming film by darren aronofsky-the fountain- has been long awaited [by at least one person], and now finally has a new engrossing website with stunning visuals. the film includes topics such as: mayan mysticism, the tree of life, the fountain of youth, space/time travel, terminal illness, and of course-love.

in aronofsky's films, he takes the viewer to the extreme edges of known perception with the aid of obsession [pi], and manipulation of the senses [requiem for a dream] . the films are incredibly specific tales of the individual characters, yet vastly universal in the relevance to humanity. this one is no different, with the latter obviously standing out prominently. to tell his stories, the environment in which his characters reside make a huge impact on the experience of the film. for example, in pi, the director chose to limit the perception to very tight camera angles of only the protagonist's apartment, the subway, and of the protaginist himself when outdoors.

one intriguing aspect of the new film is that aronofsky decided to utilize footage of motion induced fluids at a microscopic scale, in lieu of digital cgi, to portray deep space environments.
whether this is a film you will see and enjoy or not, aronofsky presents an interest in the distortion of space and how that manipulation of reality can result in a new way of perceiving our world. and that is something all architects should be interested in.
the fountain opens november 22
image above from the film's website

[updated] friendly reminder

from a previous post
a guide to choosing your own adventure...

the clyfford still museum shortlist presentations will be airing on denver's local channel 8, rocky mountain pbs. check the website for upcoming scheduled broadcasts. let all your friends know that they have the option to see tod williams speak at cu denver monday night, and then watch the still museum presentations on tv later in the week.
that feels much better!

but you still have to choose...

thanks to epicureofepicures for the heads up