Feb/79 Oculus

Chapter's Overseas Practice Buildings Commissioner Meets with Chapter Committee and Institute Meet With Foreign Service Officers

The Chairman of the Chapter's Overseas Practice Corrmittee,

Terrance R. Williams, and the ' I •a chairman of the newly formed ~. .. ~ AIA International Practice Committee, Richard Roth, Jr., met recently with a group of foreign service officers to brief them on working with the architect and other design professionals overseas. The briefing was part of a series sponsored by the Foreign Service Institute to prepare the officers for commercial posts in U.S. embassies throughout the wor 1d.

Williams and Roth focussed· Irwin Fruchtman (third from left), recently appointed their presentation on Buildings Commissioner, spoke of his plans and views at a defining the role of the chapter meeting on January 25. With him was the new architect within the construc­ Manhattan Borough Superintendent, George Sakona tion and development industry This was the first event sponsored by the new Codes Committee, (emphasizing the fact that he of which Maxfield F. Vogel (left) is chairman. Charles is usually the first member Hughes welcomed the visitors. of the team actually In the field), and on the important new projects; the invaluable distribute worldwide a and all too often ignored assistance the Embassy can dfrectory of firms practicing relationship between the offer in setting up meetings; overseas. This has been a services of the design cutting through local or U.S. long standing goal of the professional and the marketing governmental red tape, etc.; NYC/OPC and has been given a and sales of U.S. products and and most important, to con­ high priority by Roth. materials abroad. stantly strive to Interest Several of those present with hls local public and private extensive field experience The importance of the com­ contacts in the superior pro­ suggested that such a direc­ mercial attache was also fessional services offered tory be broken down by areas discussed: the necessity of by American firms. of particular expertiese and developing a good network of perhaps organized as a series local governmental and Roth explained that the AIA, of handouts that could be business contacts; the need as an aid to the comnerclal distributed upon request. for architects to know at the officers, has agreed In feasibility study stage about principle to produce and continued on page 2 1 Overseas Practice NYC Community College Program Appraised by AIA

continued from page 1 were some of the topics The Architectural Technicians discussed. Williams also Training Program of the New Typical problems encountered met with members and staff of York City Community College, by corrmercial attaches in the the American Consulting Voorhees Campus, has been field were also discussed. Engineers Councll lnterna- granted official approval by One frequent problem ts the t Iona ·1 Commt ttee to d I scuss National AIA. This culminates "no show" businessman. the establtshment of several years of effort led by Several of those present had permanent liaison between the Frank Munzer, President of The lost hard-won credibtllty two groups. Eggers Group. after scheduling meetings with important local govern­ The Chapter subscribes to Munzer, In the early '70's, ment officials for U.S. Worldwide Projects published had been chairman of a Chapter businessmen who later cancel­ six times a year :for members technical education committee led without notice. The interested in overseas work. which accomplished a great program organizer, Dr. deal in raising the standards Dr. Duncombe, suggested that The NYC/OPC highly recommends of technical schools training architects travelling abroad the recently published AIA paraprofessfonals: for example notify the commercial Architects' Guide to where they were found to be attaches in advance, but not International Practice. It teaching balloon framing, they to expect help In the is. available :for purchase at were encouraged to shift to a scheduling of meetings until the Chapter documents dept.D more pertinent course. he has arrived and met the officer in charge. When NYC Community College absorbed the Voorhees school, The program was organized by Munzer led an advisory commit­ the director of the Economic tee which influenced an and CofTITlercial Studies upgrading of the curriculum Section, Dr. Bruce Duncombe to the point where It is now and his assistant, Dr. John officially recognized by AIA Harrington. It Ts hoped that as producing well-trained the Chapter and/or the prospective architectural National Committee will be office employees.D invited to participate in Positions Open at future programs on a regular AIA Research Corporation basis.

While in Washington, Roth and Natfonal AIA is seeking a team New YOltl CMpler Will lams met with AIA Head­ of individuals (archltects, 1be American Institute of Archtteetl 20 West 40th Street qarters staff to discuss the engineers, or other appro New York, New York 10018 policies, goals and tasks priate design professionals) 2121730-1221 Roth's committee will be to conduct HUD 518 claims George S. Lewis, Executive Director dealing with. Joint lobbying review in several cities. Executive Committee 1978179 in Congress, etc., with other Applicants must be licensed, Charles E. Hughes, Presidel')t design professionals and have working knowledge of res­ William J. Conklin, 1st Vice President Joseph Wasserman, Vice President construction industry repre­ idential rehabilitation, and John Belle, Vice President sentatives; the mechanics of have 2-3 years practical ex­ Iris S. Alex, Secretary Ralph Steinglass. Treasurer producing the directory; the perience. Cost estimating for Jonathan Barnett, Director need for permanently renovation or new construction Michael McCarthy, Director Rosaria Piomelli, Director assigned staff; and the need is a must. Compensation nego­ Bertram Blumberg, Director for headquarters to respond tiable. Send resume, salary Laurie Maurer, Director positively to legitimate history and date of earliest Martin Raab, Director Oculu1 Eclton foreign private and public availability to Ron Davis, Denis Glen Kuhn sector requests for assist­ AIA Research Corp., 1735 N.Y. Kenneth Ricci ance in contacting U.S. firms Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. Cathanne Piesla with overseas experience, 20006, tel.202-785-7800.D Chapter Staff Member 2 Chapter Welcomes You are Invited to Participate in a New Members Mini Building Boom

Members

Kenneth H,. Barr l ck 1o Wi lllam P. Becker Marie C.B. Bevington Victor Cal landro Theodore M. Ceraldl Michael C. Cunningham Nathan Fintel Stephen Flshkln Frank R. Genco re 111, 11 Kenneth S. Halpern Hot Him Koo Joseph Marl no John M. McMahon Edward Ml 11 s James F. Pastor Pres ton Phi 11 i ps Kenneth R. Resheske Abe Shelden Ni ra B. S1 ade Model of New York at the New York City Building, Flushing Associates Meadows, New York. Photo by Paul Katz (Citibank).

Karl n A1 bin Think back to 1965. You might molded plastic, although Lynda J. Davey remember that that was one of thousands of landmark build Elliot Finkelstein the years of the last New York ings, including City Hall, Stephen Frenke 1 World's Fair. Cull through St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Da 1mar Re James the Statue of Liberty were Steven D. Jung your memories of the architec­ tural and display clutter of hand built out of plexiglas. Jaime Mijl In Twenty thous~nd man-hours Richard Palandranl that exposition, and you might Char 1es I . Ph 1111 pps remember a large panoramic alone went into the research and design of the m:>del, Caro 1yn Wa 1 ton model of New York City which was located in the historic which took one hundred people Professional Affiliate New York City Building, itself three years to build at a a remainder of the 1939 Fair. cost of $800,000, which would Paschal Campbell Well, wasn't that model dis­ be five million dollars at mantled and destroyed along today's prices. Parks, rail­ roads and highways are shown - Students with m:>st ot the rest of the Fair? Wrong! It still In detail. A computerized Rocco Battis ta exists and has been updated to lighting system indicates show most new construction night and day cycles. Michael G. Fahey built prior to 1975. Amir B. Janati In the intervening years James Keller The idea of a NYC model was since 1965, the model has Bob Russ conceived in 1962 by Robert been used, among other things, Jeffrey Shlakman Moses. Ray Lester and Assoc­ for studies of TV signal Lou i s S i 1f i n iates built the model to reflection off the World Trade Me 1 i So 1omon contain virtually every Center towers, and for studies Chak-Wah Wong building in New York City. of modifications to the Long Island Expressway. It has The mode 1 , at 111 = 100 1 s ca 1e, also been viewed by thousands measures 100 1 by 200 1 and of people at the Queens contains 865,000 buildings, most made out of injection continued on page 6 3 Visionary Drawings of Architectu-=e and Planning are on Exhibit at the Drawing Center

Corbu, Grop, Mies and Wright are present; all on the west wall, at The Drawing Center - 137 Greene Street - one half block south of Houston Street.

Professor George R. Collins of Columbia University has mounted a great show: there are no superstars. The big names are there but other familiar and new hands pre­ vail. The subject: "Visionary Drawings of Architecture and Planning 20th Century through the 1960 1 s 11 has selections that are deliberate, even handed; presenting balance in relation to the theme of the exhibit and the artists presented.

It is not an exhibit for those with a few minutes to kill. It requires time. Time to drink in the "vision" of the artist - architects selected, the media employed and subject Rush City Reformed by Richard Neutra. Graphite on linen presented. Great moments! We done in 1923-1927. al 1 are crushed by budgets, building codes, design review committees, etc., yet some·of us prevai 1. Prevail to see in our greatest moments, what lies just ahead. We see with a vision that is not precise but one filled with expecta~ tion. Expectation for the moment of creation - of the real thing - a town plan, a "Total theater," a glass tower or a house in Usonia I I. But the show stealers come up with much much more. Neutra's "Rush City Reformed" ts pre­ dictable, precise and most buildable. Charles R. Lamb's "Streets High in the Air" clothes visions in classical garb while Claude Parent's Les Enroules, exhibits non­ stylestical inventiveness that puts the Ecole Des Beaux Arts Les Enroules by Claude Parent. Pencil and felt-tip pen on continued on page 5 tracing, done in 1967. 4 continued from page 4 and other contemporary eclectic v1s1onary styles in their historical place.

The "plug in" cities of Archi­ gram's Peter Cook, Ron Herran and Michael and David Webb of England are shown along with Metaboltst cities of the Japanese Noriaki Kurokawa, Kiyonort Kikutake, and Arata lsozakl. The visionary work of Raimund Abraham, Hugh Ferris, Hermann Flnsterl in, Vona Friedman, Buckmtnster Fuller, Wenzel August Hablik, Hans Hollein, Louis I. Kahn, Frederick J. Ktesler, G. Robert Le Ricolais, Reginald Glacier City by Raimund Abraham. Ink and pencil an drawing Malcomson, Eric Mendelsohn, paper done in 1964. Fret Otto, Claude Parent, Friedrich St. Florian, Antonio Sant'Elia, Paolo Solert, Herbert H. Stevens, Jr., Superstudio, Anne Griswold Tyng, Konrad Wachsmann, Weidl inger Assoc­ iates, Andrew Weininger, Amancio Williams and Lloyd Wright are also shown with equal force and purpose. The show has been extended until May. According to Director Martha Beck there will be a series of lectures to "exp lore the social implications of utopian tdeas. 11 Plans include talks by Reyner Banham, Kenneth Frampton, Herbert Gans, Percival Goodman and Leo Marx. After its New York show the exhibit will travel throughout the United States. Take the hour or two needed for the first cursory look and then attend some of the 11 talks11 which are planned for the co.ming months. D Plug-in City No.5 by Peter Cook. Mixed Media on Cardboard JJenis Glen KJJbn done in 1964. 5 Mini· Building Boom

continued from page 3 Arnold W. Brunner $10,000 Museum, on whose premises it can be found.

The recent updating campaign stems from the fact that in the period from 1975 to today, GRANT a large number of significant buildings are either recently completed, under construction, or seriously proposed. The New York Chapter of the American Institute Recently, Citicorp donated a of Architects invites Architects, or those in plexlglas model of Its new related fields, to submit an advance study in Citicorp Center to the some special field of architectural investigation panorama model. Additionally, which will most effectively contribute to the as a gesture of public good practice, teaching, or knowledge of the art and will, they produced a rear science of architecture. view projection, narrated slide show, explaining the panorama for display at the Jury Museum. The Museum has addi­ Bartholomew Voorsanger, Architect tionally received commitments Chairman for models of its new build­ Voorsanger & Mills

ings from IBM, AT&T, and Samuel Brody, Architect Helmsley-Spear the developers Davis Brody & Associates of the Palace Hotel behind the Peter Eisenman, Architect The Institute.for Architecture Villard Houses and of another & Urban Studies new hotel to be built on the Ada Karmi-Melamede, Planner site of Central Commercial Columbia University H.S. on 42nd Street. Theodore Liebman , Architect Haus International Incorporated If you or your client would be Nancy_Miao , Architect interested in donating a model Twitchell & Miao Leslie E. Robertson, Structural Engineer of your project to the Skilling, Helle, Christianson, Robertson Panorama Model, you are Arthur Rosenblatt, Architect invited to call Barbara Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sperber at the Queens Museum Adele Naude Santos at 212-592-2405. College Rice University students of architecture who William C. Shopsin, Architect are also interested in Michael Wurmfeld, Architect helping out are also invited Cooper Union School of Architecture to ca 11. D

Larry Levine Applications from Chapter to March 15, 1979. Proposals may be submitted to April 16, 1979. Awards announced Summer, 1979.

Eligibility: open to any United States citizen engaged in the profession of Architecture and its related fields who has a professional background more advanced than is implied by four or five years of architecture training. 6