At KieranTimberlake, we use several mediums at one time to develop our designs. That means it's important for us to move between sketches, computer models, and physical prototypes with ease. We also want our entire team, including experts and non-experts alike, to engage with our digital models in order to derive insight from what they see and contribute to the design process. One of the tools we've tested to achieve this ideal collaboration and integration is Modelo, a web-based application for presenting 3D and virtual reality models. The results have been so positive that when the company asked us to share our experience with their product in a video, we were happy to oblige.
To learn more about some of the other technologies we use in our design process, clickhere.
To see more Modelo content featuring Partner Matthew Krissel's speculation on the architecture in the next 5–10 years, click here.
Opening in 2017, the US Embassy in London emphasizes the role of architecture in diplomacy. Illustration by studioAMD
The US Embassy in London was recently featured on the art and design website Artsy. Listed alongside such striking works as the Ghana National Museum of Slavery and Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Image and Sound, the embassy was named cited as one of the buildings that will “define architecture in 2017.” Writer Anna Kats praises the embassy's unique and transparent polymer-clad cube exterior that “rejects the fortress-like designs of so many other American embassies,” noting that this design results in a building that “interacts with and is semipermeable to the densely populated surrounding neighborhood while maintaining the necessary standards of high security.”
Did you know that the average low-income American can only afford to spend $5.20 on food per day? This past year, KieranTimberlake partnered with local hunger relief organization Philabundance to develop an app, called CAN-opy, that generated awareness and donations through a game that challenges users to create a balanced meal with just $5.20. In total we've raised over $10,000, but we want you to help us raise even more. Starting today, if you play our game and donate, KieranTimberlake will match your gift, up to $25,000.
Mars City Facility Ops Challenge students will use virtual reality to simulate life on Mars. Click the video above for a brief tour of Mars City's Mission Control.
As part of KieranTimberlake's commitment to dedicate 1% of its time to community service and engagement, the Community Involvement group collaborates with nonprofit organizations on pro-bono projects of various scales. In this Report from the Studio, Community Involvement members Fátima Olivieri and Efrie Friedlander discuss their work on Mars City.
As part of KieranTimberlake's commitment to dedicate 1% of its time to community service and engagement, the Community Involvement group collaborates with nonprofit organizations on pro-bono projects of various scales. In this Report from the Studio, Community Involvement member Theresa Starrs discusses the group's involvement with Spark.
This past December, a new documentary examining the work of late architectural legend Eero Saarinen aired in the American Masters series on PBS. KieranTimberlake was proud to sponsor the production of this exciting film. Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future examines some of Saarinen's most iconic work, including the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the TWA Terminal in New York City, and the David S. Ingalls Rink in New Haven. Having completed the renovation and expansion of Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges which were among Saarinen's last works, KieranTimberlake is doubly inspired by this film.
181 Mercer is a 735,000-square-foot multi-use building that contains classrooms, art and athletic facilities, meeting areas, and student and faculty housing. Illustration by studioAMD
A story about KieranTimberlake's design for a new multi-use building for New York University recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal's real estate section. In the piece, “NYU Expansion Aims to Make School More Inclusive,” reporter Josh Barbanel describes the design for 181 Mercer, a new 735,000-square-foot building that was unveiled to the University community on December 8, 2016. He outlines the history of the site and how the building meets NYU's mission, highlighting the ways in which the building ties itself to the surrounding community. In addition to a glass facade that visually links the building and neighborhood, 181 Mercer's footprint was shifted in order to create a landscaped pedestrian walkway through the block, bringing connectivity and life to a previously dark and gloomy landscape.
This fall, KieranTimberlake was honored with several awards from both the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). KieranTimberlake's work for the Congregation Rodeph Shalom synagogue received a Gold Medal at the local chapter's annual Design Awards Gala, earning praise from the jury for its masterful symmetry between the historic original building and its modern, glass addition. The AIA Philadelphia also recognized the Consortium for Building Energy Innovation and the firm's studio at 841 N. American Street with Merit Awards. Both of these projects, along with Dilworth Park were additionally honored with Citations of Merit by the AIA Pennsylvania.
Team members from KieranTimberlake and the NLNA break ground on the new Community Center Pavilion.
Photo courtesy of NLNA
Ground broke last month on the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association's new Community Center Pavilion. The new pavilion was funded thanks to a grant from the Penn Treaty Special Services District and was designed by KieranTimberlake's Community Involvement group as part of the firm's commitment to dedicate 1% of its time to community service and engagement.
The Northern Liberties Community Center Pavilion will replace an existing gravel yard that currently hosts multiple programs including a children's summer art camp, the NLNA Annual Plant Sale, and other overflow Community Center events. Created in partnership with landscape architect Studio Bryan Hanes and structural engineer Larsen & Landis, the new pavilion will continue to accommodate these programs, but new landscaping and a new mirrored roof will transform the space into a more flexible, open, and public greenspace that will better serve the neighborhood's needs.
Last month, the Philadelphia chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) honored KieranTimberlake Associate Joanne Aitken, FAIA, with the John Frederick Harbeson Award. The award, presented annually at the AIA Philadelphia Design Awards celebration, recognizes longtime members of the architectural community and their significant lifetime contributions to AIA Philadelphia, the architectural community as a whole, and the greater Philadelphia community.
Over the course of her career, Aitken has been involved in numerous initiatives that have contributed to the Philadelphia's architectural landscape. During her time as president of the AIA Philadelphia, she helped plan the 2000 AIA National Convention, part of which included establishing the first Charter High School for Architecture and Design. As a founding member and Chair of the Steering Committee of the Design Advocacy Group of Philadelphia, Aitken has also encouraged a discourse on planning and high quality design in the Philadelphia region. In West Philadelphia, Aitken initiated the Calvary Methodist Church's conversion into the Calvary Center for Culture and Community and helped establish the West Philadelphia Streetcar Suburb National Register Historic District.
