News & Events

Wednesday 4 November 2015  

Michael Bierut: Pentagram
Panel Discussion: Drawing Ambience
ARCH Schools 2015
Institute for Sustainable Design Exhibition and Lecture
Open City
Open Calls and Opportunities
Faculty and Alumni News
MICHAEL BIERUT | PENTAGRAM
How to Make Architecture Out of Paper


This lecture is co-sponsored by the Architectural League of New York

For his entire career, Michael Bierut has worked with architects and has faced the challenge of how ideas realized in three dimensions can be conveyed compellingly in two. Some of his most enduring relationships, including those with the Yale School of Architecture and The Architectural League of New York, have had architecture at the center. At the same time, he has been asked to create signage programs for projects as diverse as Celebration, Florida; the New York Times Building; and Lever House. The resulting posters, books, and environmental graphics demonstrate the surprising things that happen when two dimensions meet the third. 

Michael Bierut is a partner of Pentagram, a multi-disciplinary design firm with offices in New York, London, Berlin, Austin, and San Francisco. Bierut works across a broad mix of scales-from environmental graphics, to corporate and institutional identities, to posters and publications.
 
Free for current Cooper Union students, faculty and staff, and League members. For all ticket inquiries go here.


Image: Michael Bierut, Pentagram, The Architectural League of New York Light Years poster | Image courtesy of Pentagram
Panel
Drawing Ambience 02
PANEL DISCUSSION | DRAWING AMBIENCE
Alvin Boyarsky and the Architectural Association

Friday 6 November, 6:30pm in The Great Hall, 7 East 7th Street, NYC 
Exhibition on view through November 25, 2015

In conjunction with the exhibition Drawing Ambience: Alvin Boyarsky and the Architectural Association, please join our distinguished scholars in a lively conversation about the education and practice of architecture, and the evolving role of drawing within the discipline. Speakers will include Nicholas Boyarsky, Robin Middleton, Joan Ockman, Bernard Tschumi, Anthony Vidler, Michael Webb and Dean Nader Tehrani.

The AA of the 1970s and 1980s, much like The Cooper Union, was a critical and cultural project: autonomous in many ways from the mainstream profession but also often in an antagonistic relationship with it. It was also critical of post modernism in architecture and of the sterility of late modernism. This was a very specific moment in time when architectural ideas were discussed and developed through a vast range of media within the context of the architectural school. Drawing was one - and probably the most powerful - means of expression. Within this realm, the Architectural Association's intellectual debate, publications, exhibitions and installations are both remarkable and worthy of comparison to today's situation.

Given the impact of current technological research and development on architectural practice, what kind of effect do the conceptual challenges, especially those of more speculative practices, have on architectural education now? How does the current form of practice ultimately inform pedagogical objectives? What is the intellectual project of the academy today? How have perceptions of the role of autonomy shifted to include social and political constructs that offer both ideological freedom and concrete aspects of technology? To what degree are questions of climate change, resilience, massive migration, flexibility, and economy - among other urgencies - becoming drivers of architecture's social relevance?

Read More...


Recent press for the exhibition: "A New Show at The Cooper Union Delves into the Archives of Alvin Boyarsky," 
Wallpaper Magazine, October 13, 2015

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 12-7pm

Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery, 7 East 7th Street, 2nd Floor, between Third and Fourth Avenues


Image: Nigel Coates, Ski Station, 1982. © Nigel Coates. From the Collection of the Alvin Boyarsky Archive.  
ARCH Schools
ARCH SCHOOLS 2015  
The Center for Architecture's eleventh annual Arch Schools exhibition showcases exemplary student work from area schools. Join us to hear deans from the schools of architecture discuss current directions in architectural education. Moderated by Tim De Noble, Dean of the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design at Kansas State University, the eleventh annual roundtable will examine ways that schools are innovating to expand the periphery of architecture and prepare their graduates to extend the realm and reach of design leadership. Featuring the work of Christopher Taleff, Arch '15.

The roundtable discussion will feature Cooper Dean of Architecture, Nader Tehrani and Cooper Architecture Alum, Evan Douglis, AR '83.

 
ISD


ISD EXHIBITION AND LECTURE
Visualizing Climate Change

Opening reception November 16th, 2015 in the 7th floor Lobby of the Foundation Building. Lecture by artist Melissa Fleming, room 715 of the Foundation Building at 6pm preceding the opening reception.

Sustainability, living in harmony with the natural processes of the planet, is the central challenge of the Twenty First Century. No part of that challenge is more pivotal than addressing climate change, the alteration of earth's climate dynamics. In order for climate change to be effectively addressed, clear and poignant communication needs to be utilized to promote an understanding of the issues in a way that is expressive through means not limited to a strictly scientific discourse. As part of these efforts, The Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design sponsored a student fellowship program to support recipients in their pursuit of scientific and visual research on a chosen symptom of climate change. Visualizing Climate Change displays the student fellows' work, as well as a CUISD project and the work of contributing artist, Melissa Fleming.

Each project investigates a specific phenomenon related to climate change, rooted in a distinct locale, and its effects on geography, economics, security, and/or social stability. In doing so, emphasis rests upon clear and creative modes of visual communication. Each exhibited work seeks to conflate the bounds of science, art, architecture and engineering in order to provide fresh insight, expression and understanding around specific issues of climate change.

The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Preceding the reception is a talk titled, The Art and Science of Climate Change, given by contributing artist, Melissa Fleming. This lecture will explore how art can help broaden the public conversation and create a new pathway to understanding this critical issue. It will introduce the basic science of climate change and explore how artists from around the globe are reacting to its impacts and possible solutions.

Co-sponsored with the SciArt Center, the talk will be held in room 715 of The Cooper Union Foundation Building at 6pm on November 16, space is limited. To attend the talk, please RSVP to isd@cooper.edu.

Located at 7 East 7th Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues   
 
 
 
Open City
OPEN CITY: Existential Urbanity
Book Signing and Symposium

A two-day symposium marks the official release of Open City: Existential Urbanity, an anthology of student work from the Architecture of the City studio, conducted by Professor Diane Lewis and a team of notable architects at The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. Focusing on work from 2001 to 2014, the book features drawings, models and project descriptions that regard any contemporary intervention into the city as an integral work of architecture, art, and sustainable infrastructure. Essays by members of the faculty and other distinguished thinkers and practitioners accompany the works. The book is edited and designed by Professor Lewis and Daniel Meridor, instructor. 

The first day of the symposium will take place on November 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the New Museum Sky Room. The second day of the symposium takes place on November 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1 at the Museum of Modern Art. All events are free and open to the public. Participating Cooper Architecture Alum and Faculty include: Diane Lewis, AR '76/Arch Fac; Daniel Meridor, AR '06; Anthony Vidler, Arch Fac; Peter Schubert, Arch Fac; Georg Windeck, Arch Fac; Mersiha Veledar, AR '03/Arch Fac; Thomas Tsang, AR '00; Robert Estrin, AR '13; David Turnbull, Arch Fac; Samuel Anderson, AR '82/Arch Fac; Guido Zuliani, Arch Fac; David Gersten, AR '91/Arch Fac.

Open City builds on the tradition of two earlier publications entitled Education of An Architect: A Point of View (1972) and Education of an Architect (1988), which established the internationally influential curriculum that begins with Architectonics, the structural and spatial vocabulary of architecture, and demonstrated the unique impact of that foundation on the five-year degree program at The Cooper Union. The subtitle "Existential Urbanity" reveals the underlying interest in the neo-realist concepts of the Italian Cinema and its parallels in architecture: the architectural art of cultivating the "text" of an existing place into the significance of the form and use envisioned for an open space and civic institution.

The anthology represents drawings, models, and texts for works of civic architecture. Each of the project proposals considers the architectural memory of a given site as inspiration to the design of the structural form and the humanitarian program proposed. This unique study of the city advanced at The Cooper Union presents a strong picture of a generation's cutting-edge civic activism, poetic vision and concerns about sustainability, which are aptitudes identified with the legacy of this architecture school.

calls
OPEN CALLS & OPPORTUNITIES 
 
NEW!   

DESIGN COMPETITION | The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia and the FabLab Barcelona are pleased to announce the 6th Advanced Architecture Contest, on the theme of PRODUCTIVE CITY. The aim of the competition is to promote discussion and research through which to generate insights and visions, ideas and proposals that help us envisage what the city and the habitat of the 21st century will be like. The competition is open to architects, engineers, planners and designers who want to contribute to progress in making the world more habitable by developing a proposal capable of responding to emerging challenges in areas such as ecology, information technology, architecture, and productive cities. Prize (Total value: 60.000,00 EUR) will be distributed at the discretion of the Juries following the bases scheme. learn more...

DESIGN COMPETITION | New Practices New York, a biennial competition since 2006, serves as the preeminent platform in New York City to recognize and promote new and innovative architecture and design firms. The juried portfolio competition is sponsored by the New Practices Committee of the AIA New York Chapter and honors firms that have utilized unique and innovative strategies, both for the projects they undertake and for the practices they have established. 2016 marks the 10-year anniversary of the New Practices Committee and the New Practices New York competition. learn more...

FELLOWSHIP | The 2016 Hart Howerton Fellowship Program. Now in its tenth year, the Fellowship provides students with anopportunity to enrich their educational experience. The Fellowship is available to both undergraduate and graduate students in planning, architecture, landscape architecture or urban design who will be entering their final year of study in September 2016. learn more...

CALL FOR PAPERS | The Undergraduate Journal of Art at Williams University is currently accepting term papers, research papers, essays, opinion pieces, reviews, and original art of all media from current undergraduate students or recent graduates (within two years). This is a wonderful opportunity for students to become active members of the undergraduate arts community, and we look forward to contributions from undergraduate students nationwide. More information regarding submissions, and the journal itself, can be found at readtujoa.com

WORKSHOP | Innovate NYC. For students passionate about social change and developing the skills necessary to turn their ideas into action, we are excited to announce that Cooper Union has teamed up with the DO School and 8 other NYC higher education institutions to create a new landmark program within New York City's higher education landscape: Innovate NYC.  This program offers students from the participating universities and colleges a unique opportunity to launch their careers as changemakers within their communities and learn invaluable entrepreneurial skills. Through a curated co-creation method, together with 19 other participants you will tackle a real-life challenge set by the City of New York: to find new and innovative ways to overcome the scarcity of affordable resources for
non-profits & social enterprises. learn more..


 
 
DEADLINE APPROACHING 
 
DESIGN COMPETITION | Metals in Construction magazine invites architects and engineers to redesign the facade of 200 Park Avenue, one of New York City's most recognized landmarks, with the goal of achieving greater energy performance. The magazine will award a $15,000 cash prize to the design judged to exhibit the most innovation, energy efficiency, and aesthetic integrity. Deadline: November 15, 2015 learn more ... 

FELLOWSHIP | Bard Graduate Center invites scholars from university, museum, and independent backgrounds with a PhD or equivalent professional experience to apply for funded research fellowships, to be held during the 2016-2017 academic year. The fellowships are intended to fund collections-based research at Bard Graduate Center or elsewhere in New York, as well as writing or reading projects in which being part of Bard Graduate Center's dynamic research environment is intellectually valuable. Deadline: November 15, 2015 learn more ... 
 
FELLOWSHIP | CAA's Professional-Development Fellowships program supports promising artists, designers, craftspersons, historians, curators, and critics who are enrolled in MFA, PhD, and other terminal degree programs nationwide. Fellows are honored with $10,000 grants to help them with various aspects of their work, whether it be for job-search expenses or purchasing materials for the studio. CAA believes a grant of this kind, without contingencies, can best facilitate the transition between graduate studies and professional careers. Deadlines: November 16, 2015   learn more ...   
 
ONGOING 
 
FELLOWSHIP FOR SOCIALLY ENGAGED ART | The arts organization, A Blade of Grass (ABOG), nurtures socially engaged art. They provide resources to artists who demonstrate artistic excellence and serve as innovative conduits for social change. They evaluate the quality of work in this evolving field by fostering an inclusive, practical discourse about the aesthetics, function, ethics and meaning of socially engaged art that resonates within and outside the contemporary art dialogue. Deadline for submitting a Letter of Interest: November 20, 2015 learn more ...  
 
RICE UNIVERSITY VISITING SCHOLARS | These positions are for July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017. Visiting Scholars receive a stipend commensurate with rank, benefits eligibility, and an allowance for research and relocation to Houston. Primary obligations include an active participation in all aspects of the Rice Seminar and collaborating on spatial humanities projects currently underway at Rice. Applications are open for the 2016-17 Lynette S. Autrey Visiting Faculty and the 2016-17 Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows. Deadline: December 4, 2015 learn more ... 

ACSA STUDENT COMPETITION | COTE Top Ten for Students: The program challenges students to submit projects that use a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology to provide architectural solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The competition will recognize ten exceptional studio projects that seamlessly integrate innovative, regenerative strategies within their broader design concepts. Register by December 9, 2015.  learn more ...  
 
 
CALL FOR PAPERS | In conjunction with its spring exhibition of the work of Charles Simonds, the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University announces a call for papers for a symposium to take place on Saturday, April 2, 2016. Proposals are sought from academics, professionals, and students alike. Interdisciplinary papers and those from related fields (i.e. literature, anthropology, and history) are very welcome.Applicants are asked to submit a CV and an abstract of 500 words to simondssymposium@gmail.com. Submissions are due December 15, 2015. learn more ...


faculty
FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS 
FILM SCREENING | Diana Agrest, "The Making of an Avant-Garde: The Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies 1967-1984" This film presents the creation and existence of the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in the architectural, cultural, and political climate from 1967 to 1984. Monday, November 16th at 7:00pm Read More...

BOOK RELEASE | Tulay Atak, co-author, FRAGILE CITY, MER Paper Kunsthalle, 2015. Fragile City revisits Le Corbusier's Voyage d'Orient of 1911 in the contemporary context of urbanization with essays and work by Elke Krasny, David Bergé and Tülay Atak. Read More... 

ALUMNI NEWS 
Elizabeth Diller, (AR '79) Ricardo Scofido, AR '55/ARCH Fac Emeritus | Award Winners | Blueprint Award 2015, Best Public Use Project Privately Funded

Alexander Gorlin (AR '78) | Award Winner | 970 of the City's Best Architects, Designers, Upholsterers, Painters, Antiques Dealers and More, NEW YORK MAGAZINE DESIGN HUNTING, Winter 2016 

Christoff:Finio (Martin Finio, AR '88) | Award Winner | 970 of the City's Best Architects, Designers, Upholsterers, Painters, Antiques Dealers and More, NEW YORK MAGAZINE DESIGN HUNTING, Winter 2016

I-Beam Design, (Suzan Wines, Azin Valy both AR '90) | Award Winner | 970 of the City's Best Architects, Designers, Upholsterers, Painters, Antiques Dealers and More, NEW YORK MAGAZINE DESIGN HUNTING, Winter 2016

OBRA Architects (Jennifer Lee, AR '97, Pablo Castro) | Presenters | El Hombre Natural, Arquex, el Segundo Congreso Internacional de Arquitectura y Deseno, 23 October 2015, Merido, Mexico

Frank Jacobus, (AR '98) | Article | Archi-Graphic: An Infographic Look at Architecture, ARCHDAILY.COM, September 4th, 2015

Carlos Little, (AR '98) | Group Exhibition | Things With Claws, Knockdown Center, Maspeth, NY

Dufner Heighes (Gregory Dufner, AR '99) | Article | 6 NYC Apartments Provide Shelter from the Concrete Jungle, INTERIOR DESIGN, September 30th, 2015

Situ Fabrication (Basar Girit, Aleksey Lukyanov-Cherny, Wes Rozen,Bradley Samuels, all AR 05, Wes Rozen also Arch fac) | Exhibition | Fata Morgana, Madison Square Park, June 1, 2015-winter 2016

Emma Fuller, (AR '06) | Article | "Talking Buildings", RICHMOND MAGAZINE, October 23, 2015 and "Richmond as a Work of Art" October 21st, 2015

Michael Overby, (AR '06) | Article | "Talking Buildings", Richmond Magazine, October 23, 2015

Anna Kostreva, (AR '09) | Book Launch | THREE PATHWAYS TO GET ANYWHERE(EXCEPT WHEN THERE IS A DEAD END), Pro qm, November 6, 2015, Berlin, Germany

                                                                                         

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