If you are living or visiting New York City, there are exciting architectural events taking place that you might be interested in. AIA New York Chapter and Center for Architecture has an extensive eCalendar for these events. ArkitecTrue will publish these events as we receive the updated schedules and information.

Reading Group: Magdalena Tulli, “Dreams and Stones”

Tuesday, 04/29/2008, (RSVP)
Dreams and Stones is a small masterpiece, one of the most extraordinary works of literature to come out of Central and Eastern Europe since the fall of Communism. In sculpted, poetic prose reminiscent of Bruno Schulz, it tells the story of the emergence of a great city. In Tulli’s hands myth, metaphor, history, and narrative are combined to magical effect. Dreams and Stones is about the growth of a city, and also about all cities; at the same time it is not about cities at all, but about how worlds are created, transformed, and lost through words alone. A stunning debut by one of Europe’s finest new writers.
Organized by: AIA Emerging New York Architects
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Member Price: Free
Nonmember Price: $20
AIA New York Chapter
CES LUs: 1.5

A Virtual Tour of Ancient Rome

Wednesday, 04/30/2008, 6:00–8:00pm (RSVP)
Stefano Moretti of Altair4 Multimedia will present A Virtual Tour of Ancient Rome created by the Rome based creative team known for their elaborate three dimensional interactive historical reconstructions of world heritage – of architecture, archeology, and the environment. Moretti will discuss the sources, the tools and methods used to construct the elaborate three dimensional explorations.
Speaker: Presented by Stefano Moretti of Altair4 Multimedia
Organized by: Kristin Jones
Sponsored by: AIA International Committee
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Member Price: Free
Nonmember Price: $20
CES LUs: 1.5, CES HSW: 1.5

Best in Show: The Most Exciting New Materials at Material ConneXion

Wednesday, 04/30/2008, 6:00–7:30pm (RSVP)
On a monthly basis, Material ConneXion, the leading platform for materials innovations and solutions, independently juries over 50 new materials into its library. Join us for an exploration of the “Best in Show�? from the last three months—the newest glass, polymers, metals and naturals that are changing architecture and design today. To be followed by a Q&A.
Speaker: Presented by Richard Lombard Director of Public Programs for Material ConneXion
Organized by: Material ConneXion
Sponsored by: Center for Architecture
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Member Price: Free
Nonmember Price: $20
CES LUs: 1.5
Contact: mlagreca@materialconnexion.com
More Info: www.materialconnexion.com

AIA New York Chapter Design Awards and Building Type Awards exhibition opening

Thursday, 05/01/2008, 6:00–9:00pm (RSVP)
A showcase of the 2008 award-winning projects in three categories—Interiors, Architecture, and Projects. Selected from international, national and local submissions, these projects spotlight the extraordinary achievements in architectural design excellence in New York City and around the world. An additional set of awards in the specialized design fields of Education Facility Design, Sustainable Design, and Urban Design recognize exemplary work done by both established and new practitioners from New York City and Massachusetts, regardless of project size, budget, or style. Exhibition and related events are FREE and open to the public.

Exhibition on view
May 1–July 7, 2008

Exhibition Opening
May 1, 2008
6:00-9:00pm

Design Awards Symposia Three evenings of panel discussion of the winning entries.
Each event begins at 6:00pm
May 7 Architecture
May 19 Interiors
June 18 Projects
To register for the above events visit www.aiany.org/calendar
Organized by: AIA New York Chapter
Building Type Awards is co-sponsored with the Boston Society of Architects

Sponsored by:
Benefactors: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Syska Hennessy Group
Patrons: F.J. Sciame Construction Co.; HDR; HOK; Langan Engineering & Environmental Services; O’Connor Capital Partners; Richter + Ratner; Thornton Tomasetti
Lead Sponsors: Arup; Consulting for Architects; Gensler; KI; Lutron Electronics; Mancini Duffy; RMJM Hillier; STUDIOS architecture; Turner Construction Company
Sponsors: Armstrong World Industries; Atkinson Koven Feinberg; Building Contractors Association; Cosentini Associates; Costas Kondylis and Partners; Flack+Kurtz; Forest City Ratner Companies; FXFOWLE ARCHITECTS; Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti; James G. Kennedy & Co.; Jaros, Baum & Bolles; JCJ Architecture; MechoShade Systems; Microsol Resources; New York University; Pei Cobb Freed & Partners; Perkins+Will; Peter Marino Architect; Polshek Partnership Architects; Ricci Greene Associates; Rogers Marvel Architects; Swanke Hayden Connell Architects; Toshiko Mori Architect; Weidlinger Associates
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)

New Housing New York Workshop Series: Putting a Good Team Together: Partnerships and Collaboration

Monday, 05/05/2008, 6:00–8:00pm (RSVP)

This series of programs aims to educate community development corporations and the general public on how to increase their capacity to respond to City-initiated RFP’s through more innovative practices.

The New Housing New York Legacy Project competition required architects to pair with developers to secure financial support and ensure the implementation of the winning scheme. Local and international teams will present how to compile and manage a successful team. How can community groups find and work with reputable architects and developers? What do developers learn from architects by working as closely as they have in the NHNY project?

Speakers: Introduction by James McCullar, FAIA, AIA NY Chapter; Speakers: Robert Garneau, AIA, Grimshaw Architects; Eliza Edelsberg Datta, Phipps Houses Group, Markus Dochantshi, studioMDA; Abby Hamlin, Hamlin Ventures LLC
Organized by: Center for Architecture
Sponsored by: Center for Architecture and the Housing Committee of the AIA New York Chapter
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Price: Free

Design Awards Winners’ Symposium: Architecture Winners

Wednesday, 05/07/2008, 5:30–8:00pm (RSVP)
Winners of Architectural Honors and Merits in the 2008 Design Awards program will be presenting their projects, discussing their work, and taking questions. Will Bruder, AIA, will moderate.

The Design Awards Symposia will continue to showcase the winners of all areas of the AIA New York Chapter’s 2008 Design Award winning entries. Each event begins at 6:00 p.m.
May 19 – Interiors
June 18 – Projects

Organized by: AIA Design Awards Committee
Sponsored by:
Benefactors: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Syska Hennessy Group
Patrons: F.J. Sciame Construction Co.; HDR; HOK; Langan Engineering & Environmental Services; O’Connor Capital Partners; Richter + Ratner; Thornton Tomasetti
Lead Sponsors: Arup; Consulting for Architects; Gensler; KI; Lutron Electronics; Mancini Duffy; RMJM Hillier; STUDIOS architecture; Turner Construction Company
Sponsors: Armstrong World Industries; Atkinson Koven Feinberg; Building Contractors Association; Cosentini Associates; Costas Kondylis and Partners; Flack+Kurtz; Forest City Ratner Companies; FXFOWLE ARCHITECTS; Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti; James G. Kennedy & Co.; Jaros, Baum & Bolles; JCJ Architecture; MechoShade Systems; Microsol Resources; New York University; Pei Cobb Freed & Partners; Perkins+Will; Peter Marino Architect; Polshek Partnership Architects; Ricci Greene Associates; Rogers Marvel Architects; Swanke Hayden Connell Architects; Toshiko Mori Architect; Weidlinger Associates
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Price: Free
CES LUs: 1.5, CES HSW: 1.5

“Fear of Architecture”: A Presentation by Peter Gluck

Wednesday, 05/07/2008, 6:30–8:00pm (RSVP)

It is becoming more and more obvious that the process of architectural design and construction is broken. Construction technology evolves at a dizzying pace while knowledge of traditional construction devolves and contractors become brokers, subcontracting all work to others. There is additional risk in seeking an architecturally significant project as it is commonly understood that “Architecture�? leaks, does not work and does not conform to budgets. Owners are forced to spend large percentages of their budgets on risk management.. The many talented, highly educated architects are frustrated by their inability to be effective. It is the lawyers, owner’s representatives and insurance companies who reap the benefits of this untenable situation. At the macro level, economists estimate that billions of dollars are lost to construction inefficiencies, risk avoidance and litigation.

Architects have reacted to this environment by attempting to avoid its inherent risk. The result has been a steady evolution of a profession doing less and less, and providing fewer and fewer critical services to its clients. This marginalization has created a cultural and technical wall between design and construction. Since architects are no longer responsible for the realization of their work they have lost the knowledge base that should inform their designs. For sure, they no longer drive the process and needless to say, they are compensated accordingly.

We seek to remedy this situation and propose a new model for practice; accepting rather than shedding responsibility and risk. Architects aught best to understand the intentions, details and technologies of their projects. They ought to provide totally coordinated drawings, schedules and construction sequences for construction. They ought to manage the construction process rather than shrink from it. There ought to be many more great buildings constructed. The talent and the will is there. This is our goal and we have put it into practice by both designing and constructing our projects. We hope the results speak for themselves in terms both of process and product.
Speaker: Peter Gluck, Peter L. Gluck and Partners
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Member Price: Free
Nonmember Price: $20
CES LUs: 1, CES HSW: 1

Asian CineVision presents Films from Contemporary China

Friday, 05/09/2008, 6:30–8:30pm (RSVP)

Rapid and irreversible change is the constant reality that China faces up to now. Whether preserving Shangri-la or exploring the “village-amid-the-city�? phenomenon in Guangzhou, this program of five short films – featuring the latest works of Jia Zhang-ke and Guo Xiaolu – strive to make sense of the changes and capture pieces of history that are being eroded away fast.

TEN YEARS (WO MEN DE SHI NIAN) Director/Writer: Jia Zhang-ke Cast: Zhao Tao, Tian Yuan, Liang Jing Dong 2007 | 8 mins | Video | Color | Narrative | Mandarin w/ES A woman and a photographer see each other on a train year after year as it passes through cities and fields. The two women never converse, yet their virtually wordless bond expresses a world of emotions.

A HOUSE ON A PLAIN Director: Li Qiang 2006 | 18 mins | Video | Color | Documentary | Chinese w/ES Lao Li is the last farmer left in Fangshan in the Jiangsu Province. As the rural landscape literally shrinks, Lao Li and his wife struggle to maintain their livelihood in this moving and lyrical documentary.

ADDRESS UNKNOWN Director/Writer: Guo Xiaolu 2006 | 10 mins | Video | Color | Experimental | Mandarin w/ES From an apartment in Beijing, a woman writes postcards to a man in London. We do not see the woman or the man, only everyday scenes of Beijing that the camera fixes on with a sense of melancholy and longing.

GUARDING SHANGRI-LA Directors: An Tongqing, Li Xiaoming, Xie Qin 2005 | 35mins | Video | Color | Documentary | Chinese w/ES The legendary Shangri-la is situated in Jinjiang in the Yunnan Province, where the most spectacular site is the Tiger Leap Gorge. The gorge area, however, is about to be transformed by a new dam. The villagers decide to oppose the planned changes and seek to express their concerns.

SAN YUAN LI Directors: Cao Fei, Ou Ning 2003 | 45 mins | Video | Color | Experimental Documentary | Chinese w/ES

Commissioned by the 50th Venice Biennale, this cine-poem explores the “village-amid-the-city�? phenomenon of San Yuan Li, or “triple prime back lane,” in the rapidly urbanizing city of Guangzhou. The filmmakers penetrate the village as a kind of “city flâneurs,�? capturing the architecture and tension brought on by the changes.

Organized by: Curated by Asian CineVision, Inc. Co-sponsored by REEL China and dGenerate Films.
Sponsored by: Patron: Digital Plus
Supporters: Beyer Blinder Belle: Architects & Planners; EDAW ; Jerome and Kenneth Lipper Foundation
Friend:Bartco Lighting; Häfele; Ibex Construction; Let There Be Neon; Calvin Tsao
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Price: Free
Telephone: 212.358.6121