AIANY Selects Seven Firms for New Practices New York 2012

The AIA New York Chapter recently announced seven promising and pioneering new architecture and design firms from the New York area to receive the New Practices New York 2012 awards. The seven selected firms are:

• Holler Architecture
• The Living
• Abruzzo Bodziak
• SLO Architecture
• formlessfinder
• Marc Fornes & THEVERYMANY
• Christian Wassman

To qualify for the competition, practices had to be founded since 2006 and be located within the five boroughs of New York City. New Practices New York serves as the preeminent platform in New York City to recognize and promote new and innovative architecture and design firms.

Jury members were Stan Allen, FAIA, Principal, Stan Allen Architect ; Kit von Dalwig, AIA, Principal, Manifold (winner of New Practices New York 2010); William Menking, Editor-in-Chief, The Architect's Newspaper; Mahadev Raman, P.E., Chairman, Americas, Arup; Billie Tsien, AIA, Principal, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects.

“I am proud to welcome the winners of the competition to the Center for Architecture and to include these promising young practices in the New Practices New York 2012 exhibition, presented as part of the FutureNow presidential theme,” said Joseph J. Aliotta, AIA, LEED AP, President of AIANY. “These seven practices have demonstrated their innovative, sustainable, and creative approaches are at the forefront of contemporary young firms. I look forward to learning more about their practices throughout this year, as we celebrate the future of the profession and architects’ contributions to New York City’s built environment. I’m certain that these design talents will give us new insight into what we can all expect from the future leaders of the industry.”

Holler Architecture

From the jury: “It was refreshing to see the ‘systems approach’ to sustainability that was evident in their work. The architects were careful to treat the complex processes with rigor and to leverage them to inform their innovative design propositions.

The Living

From the jury: “We loved the blend of invention, humor, and the deep conviction that the work done should make the world a better place. The communication of their research is done in ways that are elegant and absolutely visceral.”

Abruzzo Bodziak

From the jury: “An inspiring—and very consistent—portfolio; a serious and mature practice for its relatively young age. Good dialogue between ideas, practice, architecture, client, builder, and consultants.”

SLO Architecture

From the jury: “The 3 projects presented in this portfolio—Bronx River Crossing, Bushkill Overflow, and Harvest Dome—display a compelling and unified vision of architectural research. In their selection of what to focus on, who to work for and how to bring an architectural perspective to regional concerns they take seriously their claim to “explore how nature can transcend preconceived boundaries to trace new trajectories of urban life.” Their formal creations-developed in dialog with users and the public- all bring a light, sensitive touch to their sites and show promise that SLO can themselves transcend preconceived boundaries of community architecture.”

formlessfinder (Garret Ricciardi and Julian Rose)

From the jury: “John Cage once said that an experimental act is one where the outcome is not known in advance. For Garret and Julian, matter and ideas are one. The perform material experiments not with a specific outcome in mid, but in an authentic spirit of exploration—sometimes ugly, often surprising, the results are materially rich and experientially suggestive.”

Marc Fornes & THEVERYMANY

From the jury: “Marc Fornes designs and builds meticulous constructions that are formally intricate, tactile, and experientially complex. The one and the many have never been so many. He is a highly sophisticated scripter and user of complex software but he is also a canny, hand’s on maker of things, and it is this interplay between the virtual and the real that makes his work so compelling.”

Christian Wassmann

From the jury: “Although we all had difficulty in navigating through the folding portfolio, when we did we found a coherent sense of exploration. Ideas were pursued at various scales and through various media and techniques—there is a clear sense that a true and thoughtful practice is in formation.”

The New Practices New York 2012 exhibition will be designed by Remake and will be on view at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York City from June 14 – September 8, 2012.