Yale Architecture 1) The architect designs something with attention to detail, imagining the process of it coming together— “Craft and Design”; 2) she figures out how to enhance and share these design decisions with others— “Information Sharing”; 3) she structures the office ot process, synthesize, and manage this information inside the office—“The Organization of Labor: Architecture”; 4) she guides her firm into contractual relationships with other organizations outside the office—contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, fabricators, lawyers—to turn this information into a building—“The Organization of Labor: Construction”; 5) she wonders whether she can’t market all this intelligence so it isn’t wasted on a single product— “The Market”, and 6) then (maybe) she wonders what it all meant— “The Big Picture”. Spring 2007 Constructs To form by putting together parts; build; frame; devise. A complex image or idea resulting from synthesis by the mind. 2 A Conversation with Roger Madelin Roger 4 A Conversation with Ali Rahim 5 Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future, exhibition review by Aino Niskanen; book review by Eric Mumford 6 “Building (in) the Future: Recasting Labor in Architecture,” a review by Ted Whitten and J. Brantley Hightower 8 Team 10: A Utopia of the Present, exhibition Madelin review by Christian Rattemeyer; “Team 10 Today,” symposium review by Claire Weisz 10 Some Assembly Required exhibition review by Michael Tower 11 Decoration, a discussion at the Architectural League of New York 12 Yale University Art Gallery, Restoring Kahn by Carter Wiseman; Raw Geometry by Hilary Sample 13 Histories of British Architecture by Claire Zimmerman; Architecture of Democracy, a Conversation by Melissa Delvecchio Roger Madelin, of London, is the third a robust piece of the city where the risk and 16 Book Reviews: Sandy Isenstadt’s The Modern Edward P. Bass Distinguished Visiting rewards are shared once the project moved American House: Spaciousness and Middle-Class Fellow in Architecture. Madelin, who through the economic cycles? And would Identity; Patricia Patkau’s, Patkau Architects; developed Central Square Brindleyplace they have that team create a great scheme Peter Eisenman’s The Formal Basis of Modern in 1994, in Birmingham, joins Davenport so that the best value would be created? Architecture; Robert A. M. Stern’s New York 2000. Visiting Professor Demetri Porphyrios And they said, “That is exactly how we are to teach an advanced studio at Yale going to choose a development partner.” 18 Spring Events: UN Studio: Evolution of Space; in spring 2007. Nina Rappaport inter- I didn’t believe it for one minute, but when “Seduction: Form, Sensation, and the Production of viewed him for Constructs about the they then asked for expressions of interest, Architectural Desire”; “The Market of Effects”; site for the studio, Kings Cross Central, we submitted one and went straight from Yale Book Notes. which his firm, the Argent Group PLC, one of twenty-seven to one of three. has under development. He gave a lec- At that phase we decided to stick to our 19 Green Futures a discussion with James Axley, ture, “Building a New Piece of City,” on guns, and we said that if you want a devel- Thomas Auer, Patrick Bellew, Michelle Addington January 11. opment partner to deliver a large piece of our city, the long term is essential. You 20 Fall Lectures Nina Rappaport: How did you become can’t do the master-planning without the involved in development projects and facts. First, you need to get and understand 22 Fall Advanced Studios start working at Argent twenty years ago? the facts—the legal aspects, infrastructure, How does Argent’s corporate philosophy, social, economic, transport, scale, etc.—so 24 Faculty News expressed in your “internal attitudes” docu- all you can do at this early stage is to pro- Urban Design Workshop, Building Project 2006 ment, allow you to pursue schemes that pose a structure for a financial deal and “can improve on the built environment; to set out a process as to how you will go 26 Alumni News have the potential to become part of a real about master-planning the project. But the Greening New York, Architecture for Humanity place; follow sustainability principles all other two bidding teams started drawing with a trust and integrity”? master plans and produced glossy images, A Note on the Type: Helvetica Neue R Roger Madelin: I first worked for a building but we stuck to words and figures, and we The intention of this project is to render a type family contractor, having graduated in building were selected. We then spent nine months by using the language and functions of software. engineering, and became intrigued and assembling all of those facts and set up the Instead of bold, medium, italic, etc., it should now frustrated about what happened before constraints to develop the brief. Our team be possible to involve other dimensions (time) or construction started and why no one included Demetri Porphyrios and Allies and qualities (the ability to move, grow, hide, read) in the pulled the whole process together from the Morrison architects. We involved them in production and use of digital typography. Variations conception of a building project. When I our “Principles for a Human City,” which we on a typeface emphasize different modes of production became chief executive of Argent in 1997, published with input from the heritage and for the headlines of Constructs. This issue introduces I thought that I would put down on paper planning groups. Helvetica Neue R Bacon by Derek Barnett, with what our attitude to any question would be NR: “Principles for a Human City” includes programming by Steven Brekelmans. The typeface about development: how we set our busi- goals such as creating a lasting new place implements Francis Bacon’s biliteral cipher to encode ness objectives, the way we think about the with a vibrant mix of uses; finding ways to a message through all of the display typography in environment, communications, and overall harness the value of heritage; creating a Constructs. A key is included on the back cover, with goals. Our projects have to fit these goals, robust framework; committing to long-term which the careful reader may decipher its secret writing. and we only do things that we actually feel success; securing delivery; communicating http://cipher.fof.ca are rewarding and fulfilling, that make a clearly and openly—all of which reflects the difference, since we are a private company firm’s “humanist” approach. These condi- Front Cover: Excerpt from Peggy Deamer’s introduction and have a choice. Obviously, we have to tions to improve and enhance urban life are to the symposium “Building (in) the Future: Recasting make money, and we should only do things similar to the internal business principles Labor in Architecture,” October 27–29, 2006. where we have a competitive advantage, that you developed for your staff, but in the Back Cover: Francis Bacon’s biliteral cipher key from as well. “Principles” these goals are transferred to page 79 of Rules for Explaining and Decyphering All NR: How did you become the prime devel- the physical development project. Manner of Secret Writing by John Falconer, 1692. oper for the Kings Cross Central develop- RM: Yes, I would say that is right. I have ment, a 67-acre site in the heart of London? never articulated it that way. We set out Volume 9, Number 2 When St. Pancras Station is expanded our own internal philosophy before we set ISBN: 978-0-9790733-1-1 by architect Norman Foster (’62) it will out the business plan in exactly the same © Copyright 2007 become an international station for the new way as the principles for the Kings Cross Yale University School of Architecture high-speed train line, extending from the development. 180 York Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL). While the NR: So how are the “Principles for a Telephone: 203-432-2296 area is already a major local transportation Human City” different from a regular urban Web site: www.architecture.yale.edu hub, how will this terminus serve as a cata- development scheme, and do you want to Spring 2007 / Cost: $5.00 lyst for economic growth in a long-ignored make an organic city? How do you create a section of London? new place so that there is a vital mix and a Constructs is published twice a year by the RM: I had been at Argent for two or three sense of place? Dean’s Office of the Yale School of Architecture. years, and we had been excluded from a RM: The most relevant experience is the development opportunity where we learned one that we have from Brindleyplace in We would like to acknowledge the support of the that if you have a project idea, you need to Birmingham—financially or physically, you Rutherford Trowbridge Memorial Publication Fund; make sure that you control the land. I had can’t do it all in one go. We had to make the Paul Rudolph Publication Fund, established by a conversation with the founder of Argent, sure that each phase washed its face. We Claire and Maurits Edersheim; the Robert A. M. and we talked about what we would like to invest X, and we get X plus a little bit and Stern Fund, established by Judy and Walter Hunt; do before we die, and we agreed that we then move on to the next phase. You have and the Nitkin Family Dean’s Discretionary Fund in would like to create a real piece of the city to maintain flexibility and be open to future Architecture. of London where people would go and say, potentials.