Finalists of USGBC 2010 Natural Talent Design Competition: Small, Green, Affordable

A round of finalists has been selected from the first phase of the Natural Talent Design Competition, hosted by the the Salvation Army and the U.S. Green Building Council. A total of 49 designs were chosen as local finalists from 27 of USGBC's chapters. These 49 projects will now be assessed by the national jury, and winners will be announced on Monday, August 30. Entrants were invited to design an affordable, 800 square foot green home for an elderly client in the Broadmoor, New Orleans neighborhood.

The USGBC's 2010 Natural Design Competition is focused on the rebuilding effort in New Orleans. Up to four designs will be selected from the local competition finalists to be showcased at Greenbuild 2010 Expo and, for the first time, the designers will see their projects built in the Broadmoor neighborhood. Once the homes are built, they will enter a measurement and verification phase in which they will be graded on energy efficiency, water reuse, and indoor air quality among other categories. The design team whose home performs best during measurement and verification will be awarded the final grand prize in 2011.

Click here to see the entire list of finalists. 

Thom Filicia Discusses Design Sustainability

In his Big Think interview, Designer Thom Filica discusses his design aesthetic and the fact that he views his clients' interiors as narratives that should tell a story about the clients themselves. "It's a direct extension of their life, their lifestyle," he says. Filicia has really embraced the trend towards sustainability, which is just as robust in the field interior design as in architecture. And just because an interior is eco-friendly, it doesn't have to look sparse and sterile. Filicia shows an interior that looks inviting and comfortable but was designed using sustainable materials and furniture.

[via Big Think]

New Westside Branch of USGBC-LA Announces August 25th Launch Event for Design Competition

The New Westside Branch of USGBC-LA will hold a launch event on Wednesday, August 25th at KI Furniture in Santa Monica. The “Pacific Estuary Institute, Est. 2030” Design Competition strives to advance the conversation on green building, with special emphasis on water.

The launch event will be held on Wednesday, August 25th from 6:00-8:00pm at the KI Showroom (1903 Olympic Bl., Santa Monica at the NE corner of 19th St. and Olympic Bl.).

The Westside Branch is developing programs that add technical and intellectual depth to the green building and sustainable design process.  Water is central to the history of the Los Angeles urban region, and in recent years has become a recurring theme of public concern as acquisition, scarcity, habitat loss and pollution have evolved into major problems in both economic and ecological terms.  In response tothis, the Westside Branch has set out to stimulate conversation on waterresource issues - with the competition acting as springboard for innovative design approaches and intervention.

Click to read more ...

Diller Scofidio + Renfro Picked to Design Broad's Downtown Museum

Eli Broad has picked New York-based firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro to design his new art museum for downtown, the philanthropist announced at a Grand Avenue Authority Committee hearing today. Diller Scofidio + Renfro was recently selected to build the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive's (BAM/PFA) new building, and was one of behind New York’s High Line. The firm also worked on the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. The Committee approved plans for Broad's museum, and he announced his plans to put the project on the downtown site minutes after their vote. Gensler will serve as executive architect.

Under the deal, Broad will finance construction of the $80-million to $100-million museum and contribute $200 million toward its operation. He would pay $7.7 million over the course of the 99-year-lease.

His 2,000-piece collection includes works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro.

[via CurbedLA]

Cleantech Corridor and Green District Competition - Register by August 30

On August 9, The Southern California Institute of Architecture, or SCI-Arc, launched a design competition for L.A.'s Cleantech Corridor, a large development space at the eastern edge of downtown. The competition is open to architects, students, urban planners, environmentalists, designers, engineers and other related professions. Applicants are expected to turn in an innovative urban plan for the corridor. 

The Office of the Mayor of Los Angeles and the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) developed the Cleantech Corridor as a model for modern urban planning. It is a strip of industrially-zoned land, and intended for cleantech businesses. It is meant to synthesize affordable housing, mass transportation, and better jobs, as well as practicing sustainability and clean energy. The registration deadline to register on August 30 is fast approaching, and final submissions will be due September 30. The winner will be awarded a portion of the $11,000 in prize money.