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boston: The Latest Architecture and News

MIT Students Win Competition to Design Hyperloop Pods

A group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineering students has won the first round of a competition to design transport "pods" for Elon Musk's ultra-fast Hyperloop. Selected from more than 100 other university teams, the top teams will now have the opportunity to build their pods for a trial run on the Hyperloop Test Track (now under construction) by April 2016. If successful, the pods will be able to transport up to 30 people at speeds of 700 miles-per-hour through the Hyperloop's 12-foot diameter tube.

Towers by CBT Architects and Pelli Clarke Pelli to Rise in Boston

Following years of extensive planning, the Boston Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors has approved the construction of two towers on the site of the Government Center Garage -- a 486-unit luxury apartment building designed by CBT Architects, and a one-million square foot, 43-story office tower designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli. These towers are the first phase of a six building, $1.5 billion redevelopment plan to replace the dated brutalist era garage.

Film Screening: The Oyler House: Richard Neutra’s Desert Retreat

Join us for another portrayal of one of America’s greatest architects: Richard Neutra. The Oyler House: Richard Neutra’s Desert Retreat explores how Neutra, considered the “father of California Modern architecture,” came to befriend this modest small-town family and how he was inspired by the site’s stunning desert setting, which Neutra compared with the grandness of the mystical Gobi Desert.

Exhibition: On the Tarmac

To most people, tarmac markings are hieroglyphics writ large: an obscure language that greets us as we glide down toward the earth. It is a code both intimately familiar and radically alien. On the Tarmac reconceives this code. Designer Dennis Pieprz Assoc. AIA and his photos, by freeing the tarmac from utility, allow new meanings to emerge, exploring poetry of line work and the ballet of human activity. This collection is about slowing pace and paying attention, but most important about seeking sublime moments in the everyday. The exhibition, presented by BSA Space in partnership with Sasaki Associates, features more

Opening Reception: White on White

Don't miss the opening reception for White on White. This special event is the first opportunity to explore the exhibition while enjoying complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

This exhibition, by photographer Steve Rosenthaland in partnership with Historic New England, showcases rural New England churches of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. From the early meetinghouses through the changing patterns of Greek and Gothic revivals, Rosenthal's black and white images capture what remains of the architectural gems around the region.

Opening Reception: On the Tarmac

To most people, tarmac markings are hieroglyphics writ large: an obscure language that greets us as we glide down toward the earth. It is a code both intimately familiar and radically alien.

On the Tarmac reconceives this code. By freeing the tarmac from utility, designer Dennis Pieprz Assoc. AIA and his photos allow new meanings to emerge, exploring poetry of line work and the ballet of human activity. This collection is about slowing pace and paying attention, but most important about seeking sublime moments in the everyday.

Happy Hour Design Studio: LEGO® Challenge

Let your inner designer out and explore the playful side of architecture at this hands-on program for adults. Join other kids at heart and build amazing structures with BSA Space’s LEGO® collection, while enjoying beer, wine, snacks, and conversation. This month’s session is inspired by Canstruction’s 2015 theme: get inspired by Boston!

White on White: Churches of Rural New England

Presenting 40 images by Boston photographer and trained architect, Steve Rosenthal, this exhibition showcases rural New England churches of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. From the early meetinghouse through the changing patterns of Greek and Gothic revivals, Rosenthal’s black and white depictions will trace the evolution of church styles in New England and capture what remains of these architecture gems around the region. The exhibition is organized by Historic New England.

BSA Space Announces Canstruction 2015

2015 marks the 20th Anniversary of Canstruction Boston. The 2015 theme is "Celebrate 20 years in Boston!" Canstruction Boston is a charity event and exhibition in which teams of Boston-area architects, engineers, contractors, designers and students compete to display colossal sculptures made out of canned goods. After the sculptures are dismantled, all the canned goods will be donated to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Preservation Takes the Spotlight in Fall Issue of ArchitectureBoston

As the 50th Anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act approaches, the fall issue of ArchitectureBoston hits hard with questions about one of the profession’s most heated topics today: preservation. With essays and articles from a dozen different perspectives, featuring a dozen different problems and solutions, the issue is a gateway for discourse for anyone interested in the role of the past, in the future of architecture. Read on for more information.

Event: Eyes on Boston: Back Bay Photo Walk

From Trinity Church to Boston’s “high spine” of skyscrapers, explore how architectural photographers see the cityscape in this dynamic session suitable for beginner and intermediate photographers alike. During this intimate exploration of Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, you will learn to produce memorable images that convey a sense of place and a connection to landscape and surroundings. Professional photographer Emily O’Brien will help you and other enthusiastic photographers see Boston in a whole new way.

9 Projects Selected for AIA Education Facility Design Awards

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William Rawn Associates / The Berklee Tower. Image © Robert Benson Photography

The American Institute of Architects (AIA)'s Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) has announced the winners of its CAE Education Facility Design Awards, which honor educational facilities that “serve as an example of a superb place in which to learn, furthering the client’s mission, goals, and educational program, while demonstrating excellence in architectural design.”

A variety of project designs, such as public elementary and high schools, charter schools, and higher education facilities, were submitted to the Committee, many of which incorporated “informal and flexible spaces for collaboration and social interaction adjacent to teaching spaces,” as well as staircases with amphitheater or forum designs.

Find out which projects received awards, after the break.

2015 Design Biennial Boston

The 2015 Design Biennial Boston, now in its 4th edition, is a program that foregrounds emerging architects, landscape architects, and designers who have created inspiring and innovative practices in Massachusetts. Following an open call for entries, four firms—Cristina Parreño Architecture, GLD, Landing Studio, and MASS Design Group—were selected in March 2015 by a jury of distinguished professionals and academics. In the months since, the firms have been preparing installations that are on view on the Rose Kennedy Greenway through September 25.

Los Angeles May Represent US in 2024 Olympic Bid

Concerns regarding the cost of hosting the Olympics has led to the termination of Boston's 2024 Olympic bid. According to the New York Times, the United States Olympic Committee has withdrawn Boston as its proposed bid city due to low resident support, as taxpayers were concerned about having to foot the bill for cost overruns.

Event: Happy Hour Design Studio: Lego Challenge

Eyes on Boston: Urban Photo Walk

Explore how architectural photographers see the cityscape in this dynamic session suitable for beginner and intermediate photographers alike. During this intimate exploration of Boston’s Fort Point and Financial District neighborhoods, you will learn to produce memorable images that convey a sense of place, an expression of the architect’s ideas, and a connection to landscape and surroundings. Professional photographer Emily O’Brien will help you and other enthusiastic photographers see Boston in a whole new way. Take your photography to new heights!

How "Heroic: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston" Hopes to Reclaim America's Concrete Heritage

How "Heroic: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston" Hopes to Reclaim America's Concrete Heritage - Image 5 of 4
Paul Rudolph, Government Service Center (1962-71). Image © Mark Pasnik

In 2007, when the late Mayor Thomas Menino announced his intentions to demolish Kallmann, McKinnell and Knowles' iconic Boston City Hall, he gave voice to a tragic but all-too-common popular discomfort with midcentury concrete architecture. Concerned that this threat was only the latest symptom of a pervasive misunderstanding of the significance of the concrete tradition, three architects - Mark Pasnik, Chris Grimley, and Michael Kubo - joined forces shortly thereafter to launch "The Heroic Project" and share their appreciation for this unfairly maligned chapter of architectural history. In addition to creating an internet web archive, Pasnik, Grimley, and Kubo jointly authored a forthcoming historical survey, Heroic: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston, scheduled to be released by The Monacelli Press in October 2015, which recasts the cultural and political story behind America's concrete heritage.

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Exhibition: Bigger Than a Breadbox, Smaller Than a Building

BSA Space explores the power of architectural installations by featuring works by architects and designers who use this medium to test new technologies and building techniques, while executing pieces that are both sculptural and visually arresting. Curated by Rob Trumbour AIA and Aaron Willette of the design/research practice Khôra LLC., the exhibition presents more than 10 physical examples of the medium by an array of Boston-based and international designers.