The Curious Case of Adolfo Carrion
The development in question, which has now raised many questions. (NYC HDC)
As if President Barack Obama hasn’t already had enough problems with vetting his Cabinet, it now turns out Adolfo Carrión, the former Bronx borough president and newly minted director of the Office of Urban Policy, may have failed to pay an architect who performed work on his house. An architect whose sizable project the Beep happened to sign off on just months before renovations took place. The Daily News broke the story on Monday and has been following it closely ever since. Read More
On the Right Track?
(newtonxl/Flickr)
Yesterday afternoon in Denver, Colorado, President Obama signed the stimulus bill into law. The process of doling out the spoils begins, as we wait, and hope, for the desired economic recovery. One piece of good news for urbanites and green transportation advocates, the bill includes $8 billion for high-speed rail, according to Politico. Read More
Drive Me To The Moon
NASA's new rover will allow astronauts to explore the moon in the safety of a pressurized cabin. (Courtesy NASA)
Few of mankind’s feats have inspired more awe than the Apollo moon missions of the late 1960s and early 70s. Well we’re going for it again, and this time we’re bringing a cooler car! NASA, which plans to put its boots back on earth’s lone natural satellite in 2020, recently unveiled it’s updated moon buggy—a 12-wheeled, electric-powered, fully-pressurized extraterrestrial vehicle that can house two astronauts for up to 14 days of no-holds-barred lunar exploration. Architects take note: With the way the economy is going, your next commissions may be anywhere, even on the moon. (Just check the video after the break.) Read More
Obama Goes Home
President-elect Barack Obama spoke to CNBC about the housing challenges facing the nation.
President-elect Barack Obama gave a half-hour interview to CNBC tonight (full interview here, transcript here) that was impressively policy heavy–a real treat for the wonks out there, though who isn’t these days–in advance of the unveiling of his nearly $800 billion stimulus package tomorrow. One of the issues he necessarily touched upon was the housing crisis (video), given its place at the center of the current meltdown. Read More
No One Buying New Housing Marketplace
(Courtesy HPD)
There has been a lot of talk lately about how it is now up to the government to spend stimulate our way out of the current economic doldrums, and how much of that will come through infrastructure spending. One place where such investment is critically important is affordable housing, especially in light of all the foreclosures. While New York has fared better than other areas on that front, it is still unwelcome news that the city has rolled back the timeline for its New Housing Marketplace Plan. Read More
Sidwell It Is
The Sidwell Friends School, the country's first LEED Platinum grade school. (All images courtesy KTA.)
As if we haven’t written enough about Barack Obama or schools of late (what can we say, we’re in the tank with the rest of the press), we still can’t help but weigh in on the Obamas’ decision to send their daughters to the Sidwell Friends School. Sure, there’s been tons said already about the school’s Quaker values and its symbolic standing in D.C., even the hypocrisy of the choice.
But what really matters–and hopefully speaks volumes for the coming administration–is the school itself. No, not the teachers. We’re talking about the building, and the middle school in particular, which happens to be the first LEED Platinum grade school in the country. Read More
If Not President-Elect, Architect?
Jorge Rocha Antunes' White House Redux submission
Not since Thomas Jefferson have AN readers had such an advocate in the Oval Office! In a piece timed with Barack and Michelle Obama‘s historic White House visit today, the UK’s Telegraph has a list of 50 things you might not know about our President-Elect. And this little nugget caught our Eavesdrop eye:
He would have liked to have been an architect if he were not a politician.
Now we know the Obamas would definitely be interested in some redecorating ideas from the AN-sponsored White House Redux competition. Perhaps Jorge Rocha Antunes‘ proposal (above) where the White House is encased in an artificially-produced living organism?
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