Native Euonymous at the Brine Garden

How the Rankings Work:

We used raw data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geographic Society’s Green Guide, which collected survey data and government statistics for American cities of over 100,000 people in more than 30 categories, including air quality, electricity use and transportation habits. We then compiled these statistics into four broad categories, each scored out of either 5 or 10 possible points.

Electricity

Transportation

Green living

Recycling and green perspective

1. Portland, Ore.

America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

2. San Francisco, Calif.

3. Boston, Mass.

9. Chicago

10. Austin, Tex.

11. Minneapolis, Minn.

17. Syracuse, N.Y.

19. Denver, Colo.

20. New York, N.Y.

22. Milwaukee, Wis

31. St. Louis, Mo.

35. Kansas City, Mo.

Panopticons: Singing Ringing Tree

This steel sculpture has won the National Award of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for architectural excellence in 2007. The sculpture is set in the landscape of the Pennines overlooking Burnley, in the north west of England. It was designed by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu. This musical sculpture is called the Singing Ringing Tree because of the harmonic and singing qualities that the tree produce by tuning the pipes.

The videos below will give more info about this amazing piece of art. You will also be able to hear the sound of this fabulous Sing Ringing Tree!

East River State Park

The outcome of 2005’s Williamsburg Waterfront Design Competition — for the water’s edge between N7th and N9th Streets in the East River State Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn — resulted in a masterplan collaboration of three of the winners: Gareth Mahon; 3SAP’s Alison Duncan, Petra Mager, and Stephanie Saulmon; and Fabrica 718’s Julie Torres Moskovitz and Sarah Ludington.

According to Fabrica 718, the design is organized around three objectives: waterfront access and stabilization; community, art, and educational features; and sustainable technologies.

A write-up in the current issue of Topos credits the design’s flexibility (“recognizing the diversity of local residents”) and sustainable components, like the eco-pier with wind and solar power generation.

Winners are:

the Dutch firm West 8, Diller Scofidio & Renfro, Rogers Marvel Architects, Quennell Rothschild & Partners and SMWM

See here, their World Park plan.

Re-envisioning the Urban Edge

anchoring of this neighborhood with its rich history and an envisioning of its future edge condition

The principal element of the program is a Community Center/Galleries for the Seamen’s Church Institute, to be constructed on a new pier over the water.

Submission deadline: January 18