Make it Right Project for New Construction in New Orleans' Ninth Ward
As reported Monday, December 3 in the New York Times, Brad Pitt recently commissioned thirteen of the country's top architecture firms to design 150 affordable, "green" houses. The houses are to be built over the next two years to house residents displaced over two years ago by Hurricane Katrina. The project is called "Make it Right" and is taking donations from the public online, to be matched, up to $5 million each, by Brad Pitt and the philanthropist Steve Bing.
The team to help with the redevelopment includes William McDonough, one of the two theorists who inspired WASTE = FOOD, a film about major corporations embracing sustainability. Another force involved in the project is Shigeru Ban Architects, whose cheif architect is profiled in SHIGERU BAN. Labels: architecture, articles, brad pitt, hurricane katrina, new orleans, shigeru ban, sustainability
Shigeru Ban - "The Accidental Environmentalist"
Michael Kimmelman reports recently on the work of architect Shigeru Ban, calling him an "
accidental environmentalist," as Ban's use of recycled, easily available and inexpensive building materials has been part of his repertoire since long before it was cool to be "green." From temporary housing for refugees in Rwanda and later for victims of the 1995 Kobe earthquake and later in Turkey, to multi -million dollar corporate buildings such as a new Swatch office building in Ginza and a new design that will sit on New York City's West Side highway next to Frank Gehry's recent contribution, Ban maintains his commitment to thrift.
SHIGERU BAN, a film by Michel Quinejure, goes in depth with Ban through interviews and tours of his most significant structures to reveal that an emphasis on issues of conservation, economy, and accessibility does not necessarily involve a sacrifice in architectural beauty.
Labels: architecture, articles, Japan, shigeru ban, urban studies
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