We tend to think of indigenous Sardinian construction as robust and direct although not particularly refined. This is due in large part to the widely published images of nuraghi, the stone towers that gave name to the Nuragic Era. There is, however, another archetypal form of masonry from the Nuragic Era. This is the precisely cut stonework of the pozzi saccri (sacred wells).
Following up on our previous post: On October 1st, the Bohemian National Hall , at 321 East 73rd Street will host an afternoon and evening devoted to Mies van der Rohe’s recently restored Villa Tugendhat.
Reflections on the Artist: Costantino Nivola. A collection of images from Carl Stein's recent presentation at the Italian Embassy in Washington DC It’s not possible to describe Costantino Nivola – Tino – in a few paragraphs or a few pages. His art as well as the sum total of his…
Elemental is proud to announce that it’s award-winning historic reconstruction of Shepard Hall at The City College of New York is included in the current exhibition on view at the Center for Architecture in New York City as part of the month-long celebration Archtober. The exhibition explores how critical choices…
Elemental Architecture, a firm recognized for its pioneering work in sustainable architecture, design and advocacy is pleased to announce that founding principal Carl Stein, FAIA will be delivering a keynote address at the 16th International Congress on GRC in Istanbul, Turkey on September 6, 2011. The four-day conference brings representatives…
Elemental Architecture’s award winning process for restoring City College’s Shepard Hall, discussed in an in-depth interview with Carl Stein on PROSOCO’s blog, “Green Journey” Shepard Hall Restoration
Robert Bryce’s June 7, 2011 Op-ed in the New York Times “The Gas is Greener” zeros in on a fundamental fault in the logic of depending on solar, wind and other renewables as primary sources of energy. As Bryce correctly points out, generating large quantities of electricity from renewable sources…
I follow the thin black line. Drawings by Costantino Nivola Although Costantino Nivola was an extraordinary draftsman, and for almost ten years had worked as a graphic designer and a professional illustrator, he regarded himself above all as a sculptor, or more precisely a sculptor-builder, heir to the ancient nuraghi…
In a recent posting on BuildingGreen.com, “Does Saving Historic Buildings Really Save Energy?” Tristan Roberts pointed out a number of benefits that may be realized by the adaptive reuse of older buildings; however, he dismissed the notion that there is value in the energy embodied in these structures. While he is…
We highly recommend visiting friend and colleague, James Lewis' Datum International . While relevant in regards to current events, the site also offers valuable insight and is closely connected to Elemental Architecture's goals.
Residential Architect Magazine editor, S. Claire Conroy, writes in the November/December 2010 issue on architects and social media. We offer a response: Ms. Conroy; Your observations in your piece “Publish or Perish” are well taken and I believe true, however, I would offer that rather than cast online forums such…
New York (02.09.2011) – Elemental Architecture, a firm recognized for its pioneering work in sustainable architecture, design and advocacy, is pleased to announce that Tom Abraham, Principal & Co-founder has been named to ENR New York | McGraw-Hill Construction's inaugural “Top 20 Under 40.” The list showcases exceptional A/E/C industry…
A Brief Recap of Last Night’s Inaugural AIANY Oculus Book Talk Series with Carl Stein at New York City’s Center for Architecture as reported by Maxinne Rhea Leighton, Assoc. AIA: Carl Stein, FAIA’s Greening Modernism: Preservation, Sustainability and the Modern Movement (W.W. Norton & Company, 11.29.10) offers a compelling and…
Carl Stein, FAIA, principal of Elemental Architecture, has been selected to deliver the inaugural lecture for the AIA Oculus Book Talk Series on his recent publication 'Greening Modernism' at New York City's Center for Architecture on Monday, January 10th, 2011 at 6:00pm.
Last Thursday, December 9th, Elemental hosted the launch party for principal founder Carl Stein's new book "Greening Modernism". Tom Stoelker of the Architect's Newspaper writes: bodacious bourbon pours complimented savory vittles at the yet-to-be-opened Hudson Clearwater in Greenwich Village last night. The restaurant’s first event launched Carl Stein’s new book, Greening…
This week the AIA New York Chapter / Center for Architecture took over the West 4th Street subway station to present Made in New York – an architectural showcase of projects by Chapter members. Elemental Architecture's new Private Residence in Croton-on-Hudson is among the work featured in the exhibit.
Mr. Zeller writes in his NY Times “Green” Blog post “When Green Building Is Not Green Enough” that “the nation’s building stock plays a bigger role in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions than many Americans might realize.” This is only true (a) because many Americans have chosen to ignore…
@LATimes http://ow.ly/2GW1V thoughtful piece but implies green as add-on rather than integral. See Carl Stein’s Mt. Airy Woods Affordable Housing Project as an alternative.
On July 19th and 20th 1848, the first Women’s Rights Convention was held, resulting in the drafting of the Declaration of Sentiments which became the foundation for the struggle for full equality for women, including the right to vote which was not granted until the Nineteenth Amendment was passed in…
The precipitous collapse of St. Vincent’s came as a shock to many, if not most Village residents. It shouldn’t have. Despite the dense obfuscation by the hospital’s administration, there were adequate signs for all to see. While there is little to be gained from finger-pointing, understanding what went wrong offers…
New York (06.21.2010) – Elemental Architecture, a firm recognized for its pioneering work in sustainable architecture, design and advocacy, has announced the promotion of Catherine Michelle Black, AIA, LEED AP to Associate. Having joined elemental in 2006, Michelle oversees project teams to define, develop and coordinate issues of programming, design,…
Yesterday, May 31st, commemorated Walt Whitman’s 191st birthday. His modest birth-home, a farmhouse, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Our design of the adjacent interpretative center was conceived to shelter the farmhouse and visitor experience from the bustle of twenty-first century Long Island; the natural and built…
In the May 19th issue of the #NYTimes, Alec Appelbaum writes a well positioned Op-Ed piece on the question of green, LEED-rated buildings potentially loosing their luster once in full operation. Mr. Appelbaum essentially promotes the idea of a creating an incentive program for buildings to go beyond LEED certification,…
You are cordially invited to join the Westbeth Artists Housing Association in celebrating its 40th Anniversary and designation as a National Historic Landmark on Monday, May 3, 2010.
In recognition of Earth Day, the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (COTE) annually recognizes the Top Ten Green Projects in the profession. The COTE Top Ten Award is considered by many as the best recognition program for sustainable design excellence. In 2000, the South Jamaica Branch library…
Fabrication has begun of the models needed for the production molds for the thin-shell replicas that will replace the deteriorated terra cotta. Together with the previous nine phases, more than 60,000 pieces have been replaced making this by far the largest historic reconstruction of its kind in the world.
Carl Stein, FAIA will speak as part of the "Modernism by Choice: The Economy, Politics, and Sustainability of Preservation" symposium this Saturday at AIANY Center for Architecture. The symposium is in conjunction with the World Monuments Fund's "Modernism at Risk" exhibition on view at the Center through May 1, 2010.…
Aaron Seward of the 'Architect's Newspaper' discusses our design of Rescue Company 1 as the first among a new generation of firehouses for elite FDNY companies. Read the post here.
Entry Ramp Takes Shape: Central to the entry redesign is the reconstruction of the original ground floor entrance. In addition to the salvaged schist stone wall, concrete retaining walls form the stair opening leading down to the original lower level stone arch entry. Earth and gravel fill are compacted to…
Carl Stein's article in Renewable Energy World North America 'Defining Renewable' segment is available in print and for download now. As Carl concludes: "With remarkable shortsightedness, we have come to believe that the petroleum-era paradigm which was made possible by the availability of plentiful, cheap energy represents the natural order.…
As construction continues, efforts to utilize the original schist stone entry ramp wall that was recently unearthed continue to make progress. Concrete underpinning (for an explanation of underpinning, click here) along with new steel reinforcement, will allow the original schist stone wall to be incorporated into the new entry design.
Principal founder of elemental, Carl Stein, FAIA, addressed a gathering of local activists, artists, designers, educators, environmentalists, and planners at the Southampton campus of Stony Brook University last Friday, October 9th. The event sparked an effective and engaging dialogue about the sustainable future of the SUNY campus.
According to a NYT article, as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlanNYC, a proposal seeks to employ mandatory energy audits of existing structures of 50,000 square feet or more and requires owners to make certain improvements to make the buildings more energy efficient. James F. Gennaro, chairman of the council’s environmental…
Last night, the AIA New York help me write my essay Chapter / Center for Architecture took over the West 4th Street subway station for the opening of their New York Now architecture showcase. Elemental Architecture's historic reconstruction of New York City Landmark Gothic Revival building, Shepard Hall at the…
Join us for a Conversation with the Community Friday, October 9th 2009, 7:30pm-9:00pm Avram Gallery at Stony Brook, Southampton SUNY Curated by Carl Stein, FAIA & Marc Fasanella
Director of long-term planning and sustainability for the Bloomberg Administration Rohit Aggarwala tells an audience at The Urban Green Council (the newly renamed NY Chapter of the USGBC) that the building community now needs to address questions that go beyond a property’s design and construction.
Along with the recently unearthed entry stairs, a major portion of the original entry wall has been unearthed. Following inspection, the team is now evaluating how this remnant of the original entry can be incorporated into the reconstruction. The wall, constructed of Manhattan schist likely from the building site, was…
On this week's episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Tony travels to his wife's homeland of Sardinia. During the episode, the Bourdain family spends time walking through Piazza Sebastiano Satta designed by the late Richard Stein, FAIA (father and partner to elemental founder Carl Stein) and noted Sardinian sculptor Constantino…
Researchers at the University of San Diego’s Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate and CB Richard Ellis have found that employees who work in green buildings are more productive than their counterparts who work in non-green buildings. Green buildings were defined as those that are LEED-certified at any level or those…
As demolition and excavation progress continues for the newly designed building entry, a essay writing services startling discovery: the original entry stairs built in 1907, long believed to have been demolished, are found buried under earthwork fill below the recently removed concrete ramp.
Today in the Green Inc. blog of the New York Times, a fascinating study by the Harvard Business Review about corporate sustainability being a “key driver” of innovation that also yields real financial rewards rather than extra cost is discussed. We’re still reviewing the study and will contribute our thoughts…
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In today’s New York Times there is a telling article that talks about the ‘soft underbelly’ of LEED. The article observes that many LEED-rated buildings perform well below their projected levels.
Elemental has been selected as one of five finalist firms for the design of a new kayak pavilion and historic reconstruction of the Red Barn for The Scenic Hudson Land Trust Long Dock Beacon site.
A new report on energy efficiency from McKinsey found that the US alone could save $1.2 trillion through 2020, by investing $520 billion in improvements like sealing leaking building ductwork and replacing inefficient household appliances with new, energy-saving models. The report recommends such items as education about potential energy efficiency…
Elemental has been selected to complete the interior design and planning of a new 16,000 sf medical facility in Midtown Manhattan. The charge is to create a multi-tenant facility that is both modern, inviting and sensitive to the patient experience. Stay tuned for design and construction updates.
The 9th & 10th phases of the award-winning historic reconstruction of Shepard Hall at the City College of New York has officially begun. The project, which includes the replacement of nearly 8,000 pieces of failing terra cotta sculpture ornament with new glass-fiber reinforced concrete replacement units and a new main…
As the debate over the preservation of what is considered to be Marcel Breather's last project continues, Carl Stein is mentioned as one of the Library's creative contributors here. Carl, prior to departing the Breuer office to join his father Richard Stein, FAIA to form The Stein Partnership, served as…
Elemental is featured in Dr. Alexander Stein’s December 2008 column on CNN Money and also as the Fortune Small Business cover story entitled “Fear and the Entrepreneur” .
Co-founders Carl Stein, FAIA, Tom Abraham AIA, and John Barboni are invited jurors for the Masters in Architecture final design studio reviews at the City College of New York School of Architecture.
Carl Stein, FAIA co-founder, is invited to speak on Sustainability & Modernism in Cleveland, Ohio for the closing lecture of the ‘Bauhaus on the Brink’ series.
Carl Stein, FAIA co-founder, is invited to speak on “The Role of Design and Planning” on the ‘Global Warming: Global View, Big Solutions’ panel hosted by the Pelham Green Task Force.
John Barboni, co-founder of elemental, is selected by fashion photographer Simon Burstall for a feature profiling downtown New York City's creative force.
Carl Stein, FAIA, co-founder, is a panelist at New York University Stern School of Business annual Emerging Markets Association Conference. The panel, which includes top business leaders, is titled ‘Sustainability and the Competitive Advantage of Countries and Firms.
John Barboni, Co-Founder, is featured in South Africa's Top Billing Magazine and primetime television segment as one of New York City’s top creative forces to discuss elemental and sustainable architecture.
Print Magazine selects elemental as among the best brand and identity developments of 2007 and is included in Print’s Regional Design Annual for New York City. The name and brand identity were developed, incorporating the golden mean, Helvetica typeface, and monochromatic presentation, as informed by a minimalist aesthetic.
John Barboni, co-founder, is featured in November issue of Men’s Uno Hong Kong fashion magazine where he discusses architecture, sustainability and elemental.
Architect George Post’s neo-gothic confection at City College “would be almost impossible to conceive of today,” says architect Carl Stein, who recently completed a two-decade restoration that uses modern technology and materials while remaining faithful to Post’s artistic vision.
