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The AIA College of Fellows Awards 2007 Latrobe Prize for “On the Water, A Model for the Future: A Study of New York and New Jersey Upper Bay” research project
Princeton university professor, Guy Nordenson to serve as principal investigator
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For Immediate Release |
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Washington, D.C., March 12,
2007 — The American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows
has awarded its 2007 Latrobe Prize of $100,000 for the proposal,
“On the Water, A Model for the Future: A Study of New York and
New Jersey Upper Bay”. The study focuses on New York
City’s harbor but can be a model for any waterfront area.
College of Fellows Chancellor Frank Lucas, FAIA, presented the
award to principal investigator Guy Nordenson, professor,
structural engineering, Princeton University School of Architecture
and founder of Guy Nordenson and Associates, New York.
The other recipients of the Latrobe Prize were Stan Allen, AIA,
Catherine Seavitt, AIA, and James Smith, Princeton University;
Michael Tantala, Tantala Associates; and Adam Yarinsky, FAIA, and
Stephen Cassell, AIA, Architecture Research Office.
The grant, named for architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, is awarded
biennially by the AIA College of Fellows for research leading to
significant advances in the architectural profession. The “On
the Water” research project presents ideas for future
waterfront development along the New York and New Jersey Upper Bay,
such as parks, while also addressing precautions, such as flooding
caused by rising sea levels.
“The appeal of the project to the College of Fellows is the
same as its appeal to the team, which is a chance to bring
architects, engineers, and others together to think about the
possibility of using the challenges associated with climate change
as a way to rethink the character of the waterfront, in particular
the New York Upper Bay, but also by extension other similar regions
around the country,” said Guy Nordenson.
Latrobe Award jury Chair, Daniel Friedman, FAIA said,
“Professor Guy Nordenson and his expert team propose to
reconceptualize the relationship between infrastructure and ecology
in the 21st century waterfront city. Global warming and climate
change provide a sobering backdrop for this ambitious analysis of
urban systems.”
According to the proposal, there is an opportunity to recognize the
bay as a water-bound “Central Park,” a “common
ground that can be a meeting place and cross roads on the
water” through greening the land parallel to the water with
parks, increasing water-based transit such as ferries, and
continuing to develop waterfront residential and commercial
building. For many waterfront areas lining the bay, post-industrial
damage and transportation hubs have prevented development. The
“Central Park” concept proposes a “waterfront
reflecting the interplay of the built and natural
environment.”
But to conceive this concept, rising sea levels caused by global
warming, changes in precipitation, and increasing storms need to be
addressed. The weather phenomena, plus global pollutants, will
affect the shorelines’ soil, water, vegetation, and wildlife,
all in turn affecting future design decisions for livability and
recreation.
The plan will address:
• Study the urban ecology of the harbor and its waterways,
which includes edges, coastlines, watersheds, geological
composition, and tidal variation
• Propose new public transportation infrastructural corridors
linking the waterfronts of New York and New Jersey, e.g., water
taxis
• Investigate the urban consequences of possible global
warming-induced flooding scenarios
AIA College of Fellows Chancellor Frank Lucas, FAIA, stated,
“The College is truly excited about Guy Nordenson’s
winning proposal, ‘On the Water,’ and its potential for
major contributions to our urban environs and our waterfront
cities. This is exactly the quality of scholarly research
envisioned by The College of Fellows in the Latrobe
Prize.”
About The American Institute of
Architects
For 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have
worked with each other and their communities to create more
valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and
cityscapes. AIA members have access to the right people, knowledge,
and tools to create better design, and through such resources and
access, they help clients and communities make their visions real.
www.aia.org
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