Oculus Apr/78

Chapter Plans Party at Seagram Building To Celebrate Johnson's Gold Medal and Spring in New York

Spring+ Philip Johnson getting the AIA Gold Medal in Dallas= a major cause for celebration.

The Chapter is inviting its members and others to the Sea­ gram Building from 6:00 to 8:00 on April 26. There will be music by the Dorian Wind Quin­ tet, assuredly brief speeches, and maybe some surprises.

Johnson is the 40th recipient of the lnstitute's Gold Medal, awarded since 1907 in recogni­ tion of most distinguished service to the profession of architecture. Previous recip­ ients include Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Eliel & Ee.re Saari nen, LeCorbus i er, Seagram Building. Photo by Denis Glen Kuhn Wal lace K. Harrison, Marcel Residential Design Awards Jury of Chapter Breuer and Louis Kahn. Gives One Award and Four Citations The Four Seasons will cater the party, and we will enter through it to the Seagram lobby, The Residential Design Awards tion of the Chapter and the which will be set up for cock- Jury, Doris Shaw, Editor-in­ Jury is selected annually by ta i 1s and hors d 1 oeuvres. It Chief, House Beaut i fu 1 Maga­ the chairman of the sub-com­ i s the 20th anniversary of the zine; n. Daniel Perry, AIA, mittee on Residential Design. building, designed by Johnson Partner, Mitchell/Giurgola, and Mies van der Rohe. Joseph Architects and Robert A.M. These winners will be made E. Seagram & Sons will supply Stern, AIA, Architect, met part of a travelling exhibit the liquid refreshments. during the month of March and comprising of winners for over selected from 35 submissions ten years. For information Tickets are $20 per person. one award and 4 citations. on this year's winners and the Join fe 11 ow members, Mr. John­ The winners and the jury com­ exhibit, watch future calen­ son and friends in celebrating ments are on pages 4 and ·5 of dars.D his achievements, this special th i S i SS ue. building, and Spring in New York.D _ This is the 16th Annual Resid­ ential Design Award presenta- Wh~f ~ 4v>k:w~ he t)('l? 6e) ;e-t'~ 1 Executive Committee Allocates $8,000 for Minority Scholarship Program, Sends on Recommended Bylaw Changes to Institute And Attends to Other Matters •Allocated $8,000 for the necessary special zoning amend­ •A special committee concerned 1978-79 Minority Scholarship ment be tightened to ensure with the Radio City Music Hall Program, part of which is ex­ sufficient retai 1 and restau­ is being formed. Giorgio pected to be provided by pro­ rant activity so that the pub- Cavaglieri is cha i rman, and ceeds from the bequest of 1 ic would be drawn in. those interested in partici­ Ronald Al lwork. pating should get in touch The executive committee minutes with him at Cl 7-8134. eAsked Anna Halpin, member of may be seen at the chapter the AIA Board of Directors, to office. D •urban Design, formerly Design put on the Board's March agenda and Environment, is a re 1a- three recommended bylaw changes George Lewis t i ve 1y new magazine which (1) to permit advertising to a Oculus thinks deserves sup­ degree consistent with the New Miscellany port. It is published here in York State regulations; (2) to New York, and Ann Ferebee is permit architects to engage in Editor. It includes an excel­ design/bid/build; and (3) to lent Newsl ·etter, and the cur­ clarify present provisions re­ •The Chapter has published an rent issue has articles with garding free sketches/competi­ 83-page report titled "Preser­ titles like "Needed: A tions. vation/Rehab 11 l tat ion" which Country/City Coalition," was prepared by Urban Planning 1 'Energy-Re 1ated Growth, 11 •Approved resolutions to be Committee members Giorgio 1'Da11 as : This town may be an submitted to the May AIA con­ Cavaglieri, Richard Ferrara, unlikely place for urban vention titled New Life for Jay Fleishman, Walter Levi and design sensitivity, but it's Cities; Toward Developing En- Doris Nathan. Norbert Turkel, there, 11 and "J-5.1 , " p 1 us as 1 ightened Clients; Review of c.ha i rman of the committee, was many other articles, It is a Associate Membership Require­ in charge. Using 5 examples--a quarterly, $11/year, $18 for 2, ments; and Improved Communica­ surplus school building, the and $25 for 3 years; phone tion of Institute Business to Magistrate's Court and Pol ice 682-0830.0 Membership. Precinct in Sunset Park, the Ladies' Mi le, the Haughwout •Joseph Wasserman reported on Building, and the Old Police a constructive meeting with Headquarters--the report is Nathan Leventhal, new Commis­ intended to open the eyes of New York Chapter sioner of HPD, who wants to public officials and develop­ The American Institute of Architects 20 West 40th Street continue personal contact with ers to the possibilities in­ New York, New York 10018 the Chapter. herent in threatened historic 212/730-1221 structures, and copies will be George S. Lew is, Executive Director •Expressed dissatisfaction with delivered to many such indi­ Executive Committee 1977/78 Peter Samton, President AIA president Elmer Botsai's viduals. Copies are also Charles E. Hughes, 1st Vice President having been "extremely unwi -se" available at the chapter George A. Dudley, Vj ce President Joseph Wasserman, Vice President In permitting himself to be office. Stephen A. Kl iment, Secretary Anna M. Halpin, Treasurer quoted in Engineering News Jonathan Barnett, Director Record regarding his view, .Chapter members met March 22 Michael McCarthy, Director Rosaria Piomelli, Director drawn from his personal expe­ with Robert Wagner, chairman of John Belle, Director Roy Friedberg, Director rience, of architects' compe­ the Planning Commission, to Robert A. M. Stern, Director tence. discuss City plans for the South Bronx, including a new Oculu1 Committee Denis Glen Kuhn, Editor/Chairman •Viewed the proposal of the town. The necessity for an Albert Barash Stephen N. Carter Fisher Park Avenue Company to effectlvely administered total Mary Jane Clark build an office tower over an community plan, as against Bonnell Irvine Lawrence Levine enclosed galleria, behind the planning only housing, was Kenneth Ricci Racquet Club, and approved a stressed by Peter Samton, William C. Shopsin report by Rolf Ohlhausen, Charles Hughes, Joseph Wasser­ Stephen A. Kliment chairman of a special commit­ man, Richard Blinder, Herbert Secretary, NYC/ AIA Cathanne Piesla tee, which reco~mended that · Oppenheimer and others. Chapter Staff Member 2 Kent Barwick, Newly Appointed Chairman of the Landmarks Preservation Commission Meets with Historic Buildings Committee

On Thursday, Mar. 16, Kent Bar- mission and the disproportion- massing or destroying a central wick, the newly appointed ate time consumed for smal 1 focal point in a community. Chairman of the Landmarks Pres- projects. The discussion grav- ervation Commission, met with itated towards areas of much It was also noted that the City members of the Historic Build- greater concern which involve leases space in office build­ ings Committee at the Chapter. the overall community and not ings, particularly in lower The informal meeting was set up just architects and their dif­ Manhattan, instead of using to discuss the Chapter's posi- ficulties. abandoned City owned buildings. tion paper on landmark preser­ In previous administrations vation. (The paper was previ­ One problem discussed was the poor maintenance and general ously mailed to the membership) costly care and maintenance of neglect has rendered these landmark structures which re­ structures useless without The meeting occurred two weeks quire skilled workmanship while major repair. This is exactly after Mr. Barwick's appointment ''non-landmark" structures can the sort of problem for which and two days after he chaired be altered or retrofitted using the AIA, working with the his first designation hearing, esthetically unregulated cur­ Landmarks Preservation Commis­ which included among other rent technologies and construc­ sion and other groups, could items the designation of the tion techniques. Existing gov­ formulate a program to recap­ interior of Radio City Music ernmental incentives and grants ture and reuse this architec­ Hal 1, the Fraunces Tavern offer little or no relief to turally rich resource. Block and the Chrysler and the landmark owner. In addi­ Chanin Buildings. tion owners of property in his­ The meeting closed on a note of toric districts, with no know­ genuine mutual concern and it Mr. Barwick indicated his de­ ledge of the implications of was agreed that future meetings sire to meet with organizations designation, often proceed with would be set up with Mr. Bar­ such as the AIA early in his work which may not be in char­ wick and his staff in an tenure so that their ideas and acter with the district. With attempt to brainstorm these concerns could be considered as over 15,000 buildings in his­ problems as well as any others he formulated programs and pol­ toric districts it is difficult which may develop. icy within the Commission. He for the staff of seven preser­ indicated that the relationship vationists in the Landmarks Corrrnittee members were general­ between the AIA and the Land­ Preservation Commission to ef­ ly impressed with Mr. Barwick's marks Preservation Commission fectively monitor these build­ openness and knowledge of the should be an open, ongoing one ings. It was generally agreed issues .o where criticism is not looked that this problem of mainten­ upon with scorn but as a means ance and alterations is a seri­ Richard Ferrara, Chairman of shaping policy. In addi­ ous one. Time will have its Historic Buildings Committee tion, the AIA should press for effects upon aging facades legislation and other govern­ while mechanisms to permit mental action which it feels is their proper repair and resto~ beneficial to the built envi­ ration really don't esist. ronment and independently press government in the areas it be- A second problem which surfaced 1 ieves necessary. As an exam­ during the course of the dis­ ple, he cited the AIA's ef­ cussion deals with surplus city forts, along with other organ­ owned bui l dings. Some of these izations, in pursuing and are designated landmarks or on supporting the landmark desig­ the national register of his- nation of Grand Central Ter­ t or i c p 1aces • I t was poi n t e d minal and ensuing Court ac­ out that unless some programs tion. The discussion of the are initiated to actively pur­ Chapter's position paper touch­ sue these problems, 11 gaps 11 ed upon such items as the re­ would appear in historic dis­ view and approval procedures of tricts and neighborhoods, the Landmarks Preservation Com- breaking up the continuity of 3 Chapter Selects Residential Design Award Winners Four Out of Five are Converted or Renovated Structures

The Chapter's residential de­ sign jury was disappointed as in th~ past with the paucity of multi-family submissions. There were only 5. In the sin­ gle family residence category there seemed to be a large num­ ber of imitations of well-known personal styles; the jury in making the decisions leaned toward work which was deemed programmatically responsive and di sci pl ined in the use of form.

The following are the jury's comments on each of the winning submissions:

•The House on the Beach design­ ed by Hobart Betts inside and out is a witty evocation of the characteristic shingled archi­ tecture of the Long Island shore. The plan is admirable in its organization with a clear hierarchy of spaces es­ tablished in relationship to view and light. The introduc­ tion of arched and vaulted shapes articulates the layering of the plan in three dimen­ sions.

•The Richard Meier and Associ­ ates' restrained, compact remod­ eling of an older house suits the exigencies of the conver­ sion process. The project hap­ pily led the architect to solu­ •• tion that seems easy to live in, with appropriate spatial and window arrangements. •• eR.M. Kliment and Frances Hals­ band have very thoroughly and sensitively detailed the con­ version of an unfinished studio building into a small summer retreat. The use of color and simple details represents an intensity of thoughtfulness rarely found. Unusual in that House in Sands Point, N.Y. by Richard Meier and Associates continued on page 5 !!_}Joto by Ezra Stoller. 0 ESTO 4 continued from page 4 it is a renovation of a ten year old "modern" building.

James G. Rogers acting as the designer/builder created a bold simple spatial interven­ tion that, despite a low bud­ get, successfully establishes a residential character in a vast old chicken coop.

The Christopher Chadbourne solution provides delightfully sensitive programming and de­ sign solutions for the reuse of a large barn complex. The pro­ posal exploits the spatial and detail characteristics of the barn vernacular without imita­ tion and without excessive ro­ mantization.

Residential Design Awards Jury Cottage in Woodstock, N.Y. by R.M. Kliment and Frances Halsband Architects. Photo by Norman McGrath

The Chicken Coop, Stone Ridge, N.Y. by James G. Barns converted into a house by Rogers Designer/Builder. Photo by Bill Maris Christopher Chadbourne 5 Overseas Practice Committee Seven Chapter Members Elected to Recommends Join·ing American The College of Fellows Constituency Overseas Group

The Overseas Practice Committee The New York Chapter of The Fellowship is al ifetime honor has been in contact with .The American Institute of Archi­ bestowed for outstanding con­ American Constituency Overseas, tects announces that seven of tribution to the profession. a special interest group formed its members are among 65 archi­ Investiture of the newly elec­ to represent in Washington, DC, tects elected in '78 to the ted Fellows will take place on United States citizens working College of Fellows of The Amer~ May 21 at the annual convention abroad. The ACO is currently ican Institute of Architects. of The American Institute of focusing on the serious inequi­ Architects in Dallas, Texai. ties created by Section 1011 of The architects are Hobart (All Fellows of the AIA m~y use the 1976 Tax Reform Act, as ~ts, Richard Dattner, Stephen the initials FAIA after their well as other disincentives re­ A. Kliment, Alexander Kouzman- names.) D sulting from the lack of polit­ 2.ff, Herbert Lippmann, Herbert ical representation in Washing­ fL. Oppenheimer and T. Merrill ton. Prent i ce , Jr.

While the Committee believes it is inappropriate for the Chap­ ter to become directly involved with an organization created to represent individuals and/.Dr their employers, we hope all architectural/engineering firms with personnel overseas will urge their employees to join ACO.

For detailed information and membership requirements, please contact: The American Consti­ tuency Overseas, 2152 DuPont Drive, Irvine, CA 92715.D

A young architect surveys the scene looking for a chance to test his skills. Drawing by Albert Lorenz 6