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.  
 
To watch the trailer or the entire feature film, click here.

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.  
 
To read the full article, click here.

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.  
 
To read more about the AIA Philadelphia's Design Awards Gala, or to see more photos, click here.  

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.  
 
To learn more about the NLNA Community Center Pavilion project, click here.

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. 
 
To read more about the Harbeson Award, or for a full list of past recipients, click here.  

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. Community Involvement members Fatima Olivieri, Megan Suau, and Laura Willwerth discuss their most recent pro-bono project created in partnership with Philabundance.

The Boston Society of Architects recently honored Harvard University River Houses Stone Hall, McKinlock Hall, and Dunster House with the William D. Smith Memorial Award. These residence halls, the first three of Harvard's House Renewal program, were recognized for their successful integration of accessibility and historical preservation.

Architect magazine recently announced that Tally®, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) application developed by KT Innovations, has won a 2016 R+D Award. The Autodesk® Revit® plugin is one of only five recipients of this year's award, which is given annually to specific projects that bring together innovative research and technology in the field of architecture.  
 
The software, created in partnership with Autodesk and thinkstep, garnered praise from the jury because of its ability to conduct LCA throughout the design process. Unlike the traditional method of performing a life-cycle assessment after a building is constructed, Tally provides on demand feedback about a material's environmental impact, allowing architects to make decisions that reduce a building's carbon footprint in the same time frame, pace, and modeling environment in which designs are generated.

Imagine you are able to gain quick insights about the environmental impact of building materials. How might it guide your design decisions? With Tally®, a Revit® plugin developed by KieranTimberlake's affiliate KT Innovations, designers can interact with and summarize life cycle data based on the materials in a Revit model, making rapid assessments not only possible, but a new best practice.