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AECOM: The Latest Architecture and News

North West Cambridge Extension Proposals Enter Planning Phase

Earlier this year the University of Cambridge announced an ambitious new urban extension in the north west of the city in order to create a framework for a new district centered on a mixed academic and urban community. The development, planned by Aecom, has aspirations of achieving urban space that is well balanced, permanent and sustainable. Containing 1,500 homes for its key workers, accommodation for 2,000 postgraduate students, 1,500 homes for sale, 100,000 square metres of research facilities and a local centre with a primary school, community centre, health centre, supermarket, hotel and shops, proposals from Mecanoo and MUMA are now entering the planning phase. Future lots are expected to be filled by the likes of Stanton Williams, Alison Brooks Architects and by Cottrell and Vermeulen working with Sarah Wigglesworth and AOC.

Which Architects Are Most Admired By Other Architects?

As part of their annual research for the World Architecture Top 100, Building Design (BD) has compiled a list of which architects are most admired by their colleagues from across the globe. Last year's results were somewhat predictable, with Foster + Partners leading and Renzo Piano's Building Workshop and Herzog + de Meuron close behind. According to BD, "this year saw a trend towards more commercial names."

This year's "most admired" list includes:

Zaha Hadid’s 2022 Qatar World Cup Stadium Unveiled

New details have emerged on Zaha Hadid Architects and AECOM’s 2022 FIFA World Cup stadium in Qatar. Scheduled to begin construction in late 2014, the 40,000-seat venue pulls inspiration from a local fishing boat - the Arabian dhow - to influence its overall design.

Final Design Team Shortlist Announced for New U.S. Embassy in Beirut

The Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has shortlisted three design teams for the new U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon for Stage 3 evaluation. The project is part of OBO’s Excellence in Diplomatic Facilities initiative in which seeks to provide safe and functional facilities that represent the best in American architecture.

Four Teams Shortlisted to Design New Central Library in Calgary

Four shortlisted teams have been asked to design proposals for a new central library in the Canadian city of Calgary. Selected from 38 submissions, the competing teams of local and international architects will harness the power of platemaking to envision a 280,000 square-foot “landmark” for the East Village Calgary.

How Engineering the Serpentine Almost Brought AECOM's Computers to a Halt

AECOM has published an article detailing the way they helped engineer this year’s Serpentive Pavilion. “A typical building might have between 1-2,000 such steel supports, and it’s estimated that the Eiffel Tower has just over 18,000 steel struts, but the Serpentine’s new pavilion has over 26,000 – each one working hard to lend form and strength…The level of detail nearly brought AECOM’s computer systems to a halt. In fact a system upgrade was required to manage the information.” On AECOM’s website you can read more about the challenges of lighting and fireproofing Fujimoto's complicated structure.

The 100 Largest Architecture Firms In the World

The 100 Largest Architecture Firms In the World - Featured Image

Building Design has released their annual ranking, The WA100, of the world’s largest architecture firms. Coming in the #1 spot (up from #2 last year) is Nikken Sekkei (ranked #4) were the top 3 earners of 2012, each making over $400 million US Dollars in Fee Income.

Of the top 10 largest firms, 5 are based in North America, 3 in Asia, and 1 in the UK (Aedas, which ranked 5th, is dually based in both China and the UK). A similar trend is also evident in the list as a whole - as you can see from the graphic we compiled (after the break), US firms remain the biggest employers of architects and the highest-earners. Although the UK represents about half the number of employed architects as the US, UK firms earned almost as much in fee income.

Interestingly, the only firms to grace both the Top 10 list and Building Design's survey of the Top 5 Most Admired Firms of 2012, were Gensler (#2 Largest; #4 Most Admired) and Foster & Partners (#10 Largest; #1 Most Admired). Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, ranked as the 45th largest firm).

See our graphic and the full list of the world’s largest firms, after the break...

The World’s First Relocatable Research Center Opens in Antarctica

This bizarre looking creature is the world's first relocatable research facility. Located on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica, the Halley VI Research Station was officially opened on Tuesday, more than one hundred years after Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Antarctic expeditions.

More on the building and its uncommon features after the break...

AECOM Announces Urban SOS Winners

AECOM has announced 'Unslumming Kibera' as winner of the fourth annual Urban SOS competition.

The student competition received submissions from 118 universities in 41 countries. Three projects were shortlisted for a presentation to a panel of judges in New York on Jan 16.

Read about the finalists and their projects after the break

Golden State Warriors Stadium / Snøhetta + AECOM

Golden State Warriors Stadium / Snøhetta + AECOM - Image 4 of 4
© NBA.com

The Golden State Warriors recently announced that Snøhetta and AECOM have been selected as the architecture team to design the Warriors’ new sports and entertainment complex on the San Francisco waterfront. Currently in the final stages of the agreement, the new stadium will be a true centerpiece in hosting the Bay Area’s NBA basketball team, as well as provide a great venue concerts, cultural events and conventions, which are all prominent events the city currently cannot accommodate. More images of the architects’ design can be viewed after the break.

World Architecture Festival announces Future Project of the Year and Landscape of the Year Awards

World Architecture Festival announces Future Project of the Year and Landscape of the Year Awards - Featured Image

In addition to yesterday’s announcement of the World Building of the Year Award, two further awards have also been awarded at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore:

Kallang River Bishan Park, Singapore, designed by Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl, has won the ‘Landscape of the Year’ Award and Msheireb – Heart of Doha, Qatar, designed by AECOM, has won the ‘Future Project of the Year’ Award.

Find out more about the awarded projects after the break.

AECOM to give LAX a facelift

AECOM to give LAX a facelift - Featured Image
TBIT Arrival Loop at Dusk - Courtesy of AECOM

The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), one of the world’s busiest airports, is undergoing a facelift. As part of a multi-phase project, AECOM is working with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) to create a sensational experience for the 61 million passengers who travel in and out of LAX annually. The project aspires to unify the disparate components of the airport’s central terminal area (CTA) and insert grand gestures that provide architectural hierarchy — yielding LAX as exciting as the city in which it resides. Through an artful integration of lighting, graphics, and architecture, the design draws from key existing airport elements such as the 1960s architecture of the Theme Building and the 60-foot polychromatic light pylons that define the airport’s entry.

AECOM's Urban SOS Student Competition

AECOM's Urban SOS Student Competition - Image 2 of 4
© AECOM

AECOM recently shared with us their 4th annual Urban SOS student competition brief. Created to engage students in urban planning and design, architecture, landscape architecture, environmental restoration, and engineering and allow them to propose solutions for the issues that are confronting modern cities, and viewed by established professionals in their field. The theme for this current year is Frontiers. AECOM is seeking proposals that engage urban sites that are currently facing chronic liveability challenges that are largely the result of a city’s location on a natural, political, cultural or economic border. Submitted proposals should fall under at least one of the following criteria; “On a political border,” Ports and trade,” Migration and population shift,” Transnational destinations,” and “Shifting geo-political conditions.” The winners have the potential for their project to be engaged by a local organization to assist in advancing the project.

Masterplan for the Honghe Project / AECOM

Masterplan for the Honghe Project / AECOM - Image 4 of 4
Courtesy of AECOM

Commissioned by the Golden Harbor Group, the design for the masterplan for the Honghe project by AECOM is aimed to help Longgang, an emerging area of Shenzhen, to function positively on the city’s renovation and upgrading. Located in a new rising area, the project covers the south area of the main venue for last year’s University Games. Their design will not only become the complex of services in east Shenzhen, but will lead the development of sports and mice industries, which will also be important for Shenzhen to become the base radiation to the development of east Guangdong Province. More images and architects’ description after the break.

National Mall Finalists Exhibit Designs

National Mall Finalists Exhibit Designs - Image 10 of 4
Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architect & Paul Murdoch Architects

The ten finalists competing in the final phase of the National Mall Design Competition are dreaming big. Proposals to restore the National Mall include flourishing lakeside gardens, contemporary cafés hovering over water, grassy new amphitheaters and underground pavilions exposed at the foot of the Washington Monument. Since the announcement of the finalists, the teams have been refining there proposals behind closed doors.

Now, the Trust for the National Mall has released the highly anticipated proposals to the public. From now until Sunday, at the Smithsonian Castle and the National Museum of American History, you can view each proposal in its entirety. If you don’t live in the D.C. area, no need to worry. Continue after the break to catch a glimpse of each submission and learn how you can help the jury decided who will revamp America’s “front yard”.

Envision Energy Headquarters / AECOM

Envision Energy Headquarters / AECOM - Image 20 of 4
Courtesy of AECOM

The Envision Energy Headquarters, designed by AECOM, is located in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, China. Envision Energy is the leading Chinese wind turbine manufacturer that emphasizes in research, development, manufacturing, sales and maintenance. The new 3-story 3,000 square meter facility is a mixed use, multi-layered space which includes program of offices, dining facilities, galleries and exhibition spaces, an employee recreation lounge with karaoke room, theater, gym, massage room and game room. The facility supports all employees from skilled laborers to executive directors and encompasses the attitiude of the company, celebrating wind energy as the fastest growing clean alternative energy solution. The architects were asked to design the facility to express this technology.

Read on for more on the design after the break.

Envision Energy Headquarters / AECOM - Image 19 of 4Envision Energy Headquarters / AECOM - Image 18 of 4Envision Energy Headquarters / AECOM - Image 17 of 4Envision Energy Headquarters / AECOM - Image 14 of 4Envision Energy Headquarters / AECOM - More Images+ 16

Update: Navy Pier design teams present to the public

Update: Navy Pier design teams present to the public - Featured Image
Existing Image of the Navy Pier © Stephen Hanafin via flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanafin/. Used under Creative Commons

Starting tomorrow, the five design teams selected to redesign the outdoor spaces of Chicago’s Navy Pier will begin to reveal their schemes to the public. Lead by AECOM, Aedas Architects, James Corner Field Operations, !melk and the Xavier Vendrell Studio, each team will be given thirty minutes to present their ideas, followed by a ten minute question and answer session. The presentations will take place on January 31st and February 1st at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Continue reading for the presentation schedules and more information on the competition.

Update: National Mall Design Competition Stage II Results

Update: National Mall Design Competition Stage II Results - Featured Image

Trust for the National Mall has announced the Stage II results, naming the ten design teams selected to continue in the third and final stage of the National Mall Design Competition. The National Mall will undergo an approximate $700 million restoration in three selected areas – Union Square including the Reflecting Pool and the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument Grounds, and the Constitution Gardens between the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.

“We are excited about the teams selected to advance to Stage III and have no doubt each of them will create beautiful, useful and sustainable designs for the National Mall,” said Caroline Cunningham, President of the Trust for the National Mall. “We are eager to share their final designs with the public in April.”

Continue reading for more information and the complete list of finalists.