Spring Architecture Lectures Explore Green Design, Breaking Boundaries

The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at The City College of New York (CCNY) will present the Sciame Spring Lecture Series – 2010, titled “Crossing Boundaries: Explorations and Expressions.”  The series, which presents talks by prominent, award-winning architects, runs eight consecutive Thursdays, February 11 through April 8.  Lectures begin at 6 p.m. and are held in the Spitzer School’s Sciame Auditorium.

“The series focuses on green design and the importance of breaking down artificial boundaries between architecture, landscape architecture and the various engineering disciplines involved in developing projects,” explained George Ranalli, Dean of the Spitzer School of Architecture.

The lecture series is sponsored by F.J. Sciame Construction Co. Inc., a New York construction management firm owned by CCNY alumnus Frank J. Sciame.  Lecture dates, topics and information about the speakers follows:

February 11, “On the Water: Palisade Bay,” Catherine Seavitt and Adam Yarinsky
Ms. Seavitt is principal of Catherine Seavitt Studio, teaches architectural design at Princeton University and previously taught at The Spitzer School at CCNY.  Mr. Yarinsky is principal and co-founder of Architecture Research Office.  They co-authored “On the Water: Palisade Bay” with Guy Nordenson.

February 18, “Energy sub-structure, Supra-structure, Infra-structure,” Michelle Addington
Ms. Addington is Associate Professor of Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture.  Her teaching and research explore energy systems, advanced materials and new technologies.

February 25, “The Sustainable Built Environment: Initiating Architectural and Technical Innocation,” Stefan Behnisch
A native of Stuttgart, Germany, Mr. Behnisch is principal and founder of Behnisch Architekten, which has offices in Stuttgart, Los Angeles, Boston and Munich.  The firm is renowned for its innovative sustainable buildings.

March 4, “State Change: Mobility, Infrastructure and Design for Decentralized Energy,” Sheila Kennedy
Ms. Kennedy is Professor of the Practice of Architecture at MIT and a principal of Kennedy & Violich Architecture Ltd., an interdisciplinary design firm that works at the intersection of architecture, clean technology and emerging public needs.

March 11, “Convergence,” Andrew Whalley
Mr. Whalley, who trained in the United Kingdom, is Partner in Charge of the New York office of Grimshaw Architects.  The office is one of eight architectural practices selected for major public projects under Mayor Bloomberg’s design excellence program.

March 18, “The Mannahatta Project: Sustainability and Original Ecology,” Eric Sanderson
Mr. Sanderson is a Senior Conservation Ecologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society, where he founded the Landscape Ecology and Geographic Analysis program.  He recently directed the Mannahatta Project, which was an effort to reconstruction the ecology of Manhattan Island at the time of its European discovery.

March 25, “Transparent Constructions,” Brian Healy
Mr. Healy is principal and founder of Brian Healy Architects, a firm he established in 1986 after having worked in the offices of Cesar Pelli and Richard Meier.  For the spring 2010 semester he will be a distinguished Visiting Professor in the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture’s graduate program.

April 8, “It’s Enough: Beyond Autonomy,” Teddy Cruz
Born in Guatemala City, Mr. Cruz has a research-based practice in San Diego, where he has received international recognition for his work on the Tijuana – San Diego border.  For the spring 2010 semester he will be a distinguished Visiting Professor in the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture’s Master of Urban Design graduate program.

MEDIA CONTACT

Ellis Simon
p: 212.650.6460
e: esimon@ccny.cuny.edu