President’s message: 2015 marks 5­th annual Archtober - by Rossant

Tomas Rossant, AIA

By Tomas Rossant, AIA

The five AIA chapters of New York City continue to support the New York City Department of City Planing’s Zoning for Quality and Affordability proposal, which was certified last month and has entered official public review process. We are dedicated to educating the design community and general public on how the changes will lead to better buildings and communities. The minimal increase in building height limits will provide greater flexibility in design and open additional sites to development, while generating more affordable housing and encouraging the use of mass transit.

AIANY also remains involved in the conversation surrounding updates to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). On September 9^th, the city council committee on Land Use held a hearing on Intro. 775, which would establish a maximum period of time for LPC to take action on calendared items. The bill was created to address issues of transparency and consistency at LPC, but it threatens to undermine New York City’s seminal Landmarks Law by barring the Commission’s access to potential sites for five years once they have missed the predetermined deadline.

In public testimony and written communications with the council following the September 9^th hearing, AIANY has reiterated our support for designation periods that would last one year for calendared properties and three years for proposed historic districts. AIANY believes this will give the LPC the time it needs to thoughtfully consider the large majority of the items that reach its calendar. Potential designations should be based on the site or district’s worthiness rather than time constraints.

AIANY also proposed an option to extend the deadline for calendared historic districts or properties by one year and the ability to return to properties if previously unknown information is made available. At the end of each time frame, LPC should be required to vote to extend the time line or designate the property or district, providing the public a clear understanding of the status of a proposed property or historic district.

AIANY’s “Dialogues from the Edge of Practice” series resumed last month with “Edge Digital: The Interactive Building.” “Dialogues” focuses on ways in which architects are broadening the scope of practice and bringing their unique problem solving skills to issues previously considered outside their purview. Architects need to engage authorities outside the profession on issues that matter to the design community and the general public alike. “Edge Digital: The Interactive Building,” brought together thought leaders from the design and tech communities to explore the technological potential of interactions between humans and architecture. The related public program will take place at the Center for Architecture in November.

This month also marks the fifth annual Archtober, New York City’s Architecture and Design Month. Through tours and events, the month-long festival aims to raise awareness of the important role of design in our city and to build a lasting civic and international recognition of the richness of New York’s built environment. Archtober kicked off with the opening of Designing Affordability: Quicker, Smarter, More Efficient Housing Now, on view through January 16^th, 2016 at the Center for Architecture. The exhibition presents 23 case studies that address ways of reducing costs without compromising design quality. The corresponding symposium on October 3^rd featured keynote speaker Carl Weisbrod, chair, New York City Planning Commission.

Tomas Rossant, AIA, is the president of AIA New York and a founding partner and design principal at Ennead Architects LLP, New York, N.Y.