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AUGUST 2014 NEWSLETTER
• Van Alen Institute Launches Future Ground Competition in New Orleans
• Introducing the First-Ever Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition
• New Membership Perk! Deep Discounts on Design Books
• Member's Event: Tour Sunset Park's State-of-the-Art Recycling Facility
• Van Alen Members Explore New Developments at the Water's Edge
• In the Field: Upcoming Opportunities in Planning and Design
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VAN ALEN INSTITUTE LAUNCHES FUTURE GROUND COMPETITION IN NEW ORLEANS
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We're thrilled to announce the launch of a new international competition, Future Ground, inviting multidisciplinary teams to generate flexible design and policy strategies to reuse vacant land in New Orleans. The competition is supported by the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA), which owns over 2,000 vacant lots and has become a regional and national leader in reuse of vacant lots for community resilience and development.
Approximately 30,000 empty lots and abandoned structures dot the landscape of New Orleans today, many of them a legacy of Hurricane Katrina. As the City nears the 10-year anniversary of the storm, Future Ground will generate strategies to forecast and accommodate changes in density, demand, climate and landscape in New Orleans over the next half-century, transforming these abandoned landscapes into resources for the near-term and future city.
In October 2014, three teams will be awarded $15,000 to participate in a six-month research and design process. Teams will be selected from an international open Request for Qualifications process. Applications are due by September 29, 2014, and will be evaluated by a jury of national leaders in design and policy.
Future Ground is the first of several competitions to be launched as an integral part of Van Alen's Elsewhere: Escape and the Urban Landscape, a multi-year initiative exploring how both the form and organization of the built environment influence our need for escape.
Visit the Future Ground website to learn more and download the RFQ→
We look forward to seeing your submissions!
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INTRODUCING THE FIRST-EVER FLATIRON PUBLIC PLAZA HOLIDAY DESIGN COMPETITION
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Van Alen recently announced the new Flatiron Plaza Holiday Design Competition, a collaboration with the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership. A selective group of artists and designers have been invited to propose dynamic structures to be installed in front of the famed Flatiron Building for the 2014 winter holiday season, including EFGH Architectural Design Studio, e+i studio, INABA,
Chris Jordan / Moey, RSVP Architecture Studio, SCAPE / Landscape Architecture, and Stereotank.
The winning design will be unveiled in November in the North Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street, and will remain on view through the holidays as part of the Partnership’s annual “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” programming. Read the full announcement→
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MEMBERS EVENT: TOUR SUNSET PARK'S STATE-OF-THE-ART RECYCLING FACILITY
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| Photo: Jonathan Chesley, Courtesy of Selldorf Architects |
On Tuesday, August 26 Van Alen members are invited on a private tour of the newly opened Sims Municipal Recycling Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility in Brooklyn. The facility, composed of 99% recycled American-made steel, processes most of New York City’s curbside metal, glass, and plastic recyclables—with the capacity to sort 1,000 tons of material every day!
Join us as we go behind closed facility doors to learn about the unique processes at work: from an impressive stormwater management system with bio-swales and ponds to an ultra-effective maritime transportation system, which displaces 260,000 vehicle miles annually by towing a portion of the recyclables to the facility.
The tour will be led by Tom Outerbridge, General Manager of Sims Municipal Recycling, and Annabelle Selldorf of Selldorf Architects, the firm behind the facility’s award-winning sustainable design.
Space is limited, so please reserve your spot as soon as possible at rsvp@vanalen.org. Not yet a member? Join now to attend this event→
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VAN ALEN MEMBERS EXPLORE NEW DEVELOPMENTS AT THE WATER'S EDGE
On July 23rd, Van Alen members enjoyed a private tour of Brooklyn Bridge Park's new Pier 2 & Pier 4 Beach, led by Brooklyn Bridge Park President Regina Myer. After getting a bird's-eye view from the design models, we ventured out to the piers to experience the new piers for ourselves and learn more about the development process behind these new waterfront public spaces. Thanks to all who joined us, and we look forward to seeing you at the next Members Event!
Not yet a member? Join today→
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IN THE FIELD: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS
The Vision42 Design Competition, hosted by the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility and The Architect's Newspaper, seeks design proposals for a river-to-river, auto-free light rail boulevard for 42nd Street. Register by September 8.
The City of Dreams 2015 Pavilion Design Competition invites entries for the fifth annual installation on Governors Island. The City of Dreams aims to envision new ways of thinking sustainably, asking entrants to consider the entire lifecycle of building materials in their submission. Individuals or teams of architects and non-architects of any age or experience level are encouraged to participate. Register by September 20.
The Center for Community Progress is seeking session proposals for the 2015 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, hosted in Detroit on May 19-21, 2015. Themed “Beyond Blight: Building a Bold Movement,” the upcoming conference will feature the latest tools and research to combat vacancy and move beyond blight. Submit by October 3.
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ABOUT VAN ALEN INSTITUTE
At Van Alen Institute, we believe design can transform cities, landscapes, and regions to improve people’s lives. We collaborate with communities, scholars, policymakers, and professionals on local and global initiatives that rigorously investigate the most pressing social, cultural, and ecological challenges of tomorrow. Building on more than a century of experience, we develop cross-disciplinary research, provocative public programs, and inventive design competitions.
Learn more at www.vanalen.org.
Our ongoing programs are made possible through the generous assistance of our individual contributors and partners, and are supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and through public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
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Van Alen Institute | 30 W. 22nd St., 4th Floor | New York, NY 10010 | 212–924–7000 | www.vanalen.org
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