Archinect - News

Your next career could be Staff Architect at Habitat for Humanity in Indianapolis

2024-03-08T11:25:00-05:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Japanese-speaking Retail Architect at O’Neil Langan Architects, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Staff Architect at Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity.

Based in Indianapolis, the role calls for an individual “responsible for overseeing the design and modifications of house plans and layouts to provide a cost-effective product that will serve the homebuyers' needs.” Among the requirements for the role are a college degree or commensurate residential construction-related experience with 5-10 years of specifically related experience and education.

Related on Archinect: Mississippi State University studio teaches the value of collaboration between its architecture and building construction science students. Photo: Megan Bean, courtesy of MSU College of Art, Architecture, and Design.

Why the role interests us

The open role at Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity offers u...

Populous unveils $1 billion Eleven Park stadium design for Indianapolis

2023-02-20T12:45:00-05:00

Populous has revealed designs for its new 20,000-seat multipurpose soccer stadium in Indianapolis.

Their design for the city’s Indy Eleven professional soccer franchise will anchor a larger mixed-use development located at the southwesternmost corner of downtown that includes apartments, a hotel feature, office spaces, and retail all wrapped in a color-changing LED facade that’s supposedly reflective of the “forward-looking nature of the development.”

Populous’ Phil Kolbo shared, “A world-class stadium is designed as a true destination, a reflection of its community and a catalyst for growth in the area. This is our mission with the new stadium for Indy Eleven.”

Image courtesy Indy Eleven and Keystone Group

“Eleven Park will not only change the skyline of Indianapolis, but will add over a thousand jobs, have a huge economic impact, create quality of life benefits and attract talent and opportunities to our city and state,” added Ersal Ozdemir, the Chairman and Founder of Keystone Gr...

As Indianapolis' first Black Deputy Director, architect Lourenzo Giple pushes for economic development while 'preserving the integrity of the neighborhood'

2021-08-20T16:52:00-04:00

On August 16th, the Indianapolis Star (IndyStar) announced architect Lourenzo Giple as the city's new Deputy Director of Planning, Preservation, and Design. The newly appointed deputy is determined to making changes the city has been missing for years. Giple shared with Brandon Drenon of IndyStar, "Historically, zoning and planning have not been equitable. I want to do my best to shift some of those inequities."

Giple grew up in Liberia, where his family eventually fled the country because of a civil war. When his family immigrated from Liberia to Indianapolis, he discusses how his experience and upbringing in the city's lower-economic neighborhoods provided him a perspective for how architecture and urban planning could elevate the city into an equitable place.

Aerial view of Indianapolis. Image © Evan Walsh via Flickr

This new role within the Department of Metropolitan Development will cover long-term projects for city development, strategies for new architectural design, and tran...

More Than 'Insensitive': The architecture community responds to the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields' job post

2021-02-18T17:40:00-05:00

On February 13, 2021, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields posted a job listing searching for a new director. While their goal was to find potential applicants for hire, what resulted was another glimpse of marginalization within the hiring process. What made this job description so volatile was their search for an individual who would help maintain "the Museum's traditional, core, white audience." I first learned of this news while scrolling through my Twitter feed and seeing a tweet made by long-time Archinector and Archinect Sessions podcast co-host Donna Sink.

Donna provided a screenshot of the listing and followed up with an updated image of the job post with "corrections" made by the museum a few hours after her tweet was posted. Sure, edits were made, but the damage was already done. Seeing a job description like this was disappointing and stomach-turning, to say the least, but does it shock me? Not entirely.

9am Saturday 13 February 2021 Newfields is still actively s...

LGBTQ-focused preservation takes off in Indianapolis

2019-06-07T09:19:00-04:00

The IHPC said it would use a comprehensive study performed by Indiana Landmarks in 2016 that identified 104 historic properties with LGBTQ significance. The historic preservation group’s criteria in compiling the list included civil rights, arts, health, businesses, residences, events, organizations, and name affiliations.

The move to imbed consideration of LGBTQ sites of historical significance in future planning efforts makes Indianapolis a pioneer for LGBTQ preservation in the country.

The city is currently working to update all of its 17 historic area plans and will now move to include the recommendations from the Indiana Landmarks study into those efforts.

Indianapolis aims to complete the planning updates by 2023.

Deborah Berke-designed stylish, sustainable tower opens in Indianapolis

2017-01-17T17:13:00-05:00

Nine glassed-in, metal-fin bearing stories make up the new Deborah Berke Partners-designed Cummins Indy Tower, which officially opens this month. With its "projections and inflections," the building simultaneously juts and struts through the metropolis, creating a slender and ecologically conscious corporate HQ.

Referring to Cummins' past collaborations with architects like Eero Saarinen and Kevin Roche, Deborah Berke notes that “over the decades, Cummins has demonstrated a commitment to great design that benefits its employees, its customers, and the community. This building carries that legacy forward with an environmentally sustainable design that dignifies the work going on inside while enhancing the urban realm.

The building’s articulated facades and distinctive form serve a purpose—to create a comfortable, light-filled work environment for employees that adds to the vitality on Market Street. Adding some muscle to the great bones of downtown Indianapolis, the park is a public am...

Salvaged Love: Archinect Sessions #73 with Michael Bricker, founder of People for Urban Progress, the Indianapolis non-profit repurposing architectural trash into local treasures

2016-07-21T15:55:00-04:00

When Indianapolis began demolishing its RCA Dome in 2008, Michael Bricker saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To save the stadium's white, Teflon-coated fiberglass roof from the landfill, Bricker salvaged 13 acres of it, and turned it into shade structures for the city, as well as locally-designed accessories. With this project, People for Urban Progress was born.

Bricker is the Founder and Executive Director of People for Urban Progress, aka PUP, based in Indianapolis. The non-profit is focused on diverting building materials from wasting away in landfills, and repurposing it for local improvements. Trained as an architect and also working as a production designer, Bricker has gone on with PUP to turn old stadium seats into bus stops, and fabric from Superbowl XLVI into handbags. Sessions' own Donna Sink is a board member at PUP, and Bricker joined us on the podcast to discuss the organization's goals and design ethos.

As a bonus for Sessions listeners, get 15% off anything in PUP'...

Can an Indianapolis arts collective pull off a fairer form of gentrification?

2015-08-21T13:30:00-04:00

“I helped change one neighbourhood into a hipster place, and then we got priced out of there.” Artist Jim Walker is describing the shift in fortunes of the Fountain Square district of Indianapolis, where his Big Car arts collective was born a decade ago – and of the artists and residents who have been forced to move on by the neighbourhood’s gentrification. [...] Is there a more equitable way? That’s just what Walker is trying to find out with his latest arts-led Indianapolis project.

What Separates Actual Innovators From Those Who Just Talk About It?

2015-06-01T11:21:00-04:00

"...we’re losing focus on the how and why of innovation. We throw the word around so casually that it’s starting to become synonymous with the idea itself. But let’s be clear: An idea is not innovation. Innovation is about matching need with execution. It’s about changing the conversation and following through."

Chief Innovator at PUP, Michael Bricker, pens a brief article on the need for stamina in the design field.

I and others have often argued here that "design" doesn't end after the initial concept sketch, that in fact this is where design begins: in the wrestling of the idea into reality and the multiple thousands of decisions that have to be made along the way.

"The Erection, the Inkblot, and the RFRA Riff-Raff": Morphosis' Vals tower, Zumthor's LACMA, and Hoosier hospitality confronts RFRA on Archinect Sessions Episode #23

2015-04-02T19:25:00-04:00

It’s been a strange week, especially in Indiana. On this episode, before getting to the RFRA-ff, we hit on a neat architectural inversion: LA-heavyweight Morphosis designs a "middle-finger" luxury tower in the quaint mountain town of Vals, Switzerland, while the subtly grand Swiss museum-master Peter Zumthor pushes a calligraphic inkblot for LACMA on LA's Miracle Mile. Vals is already home to Zumthor's Therme Spa. It’s like Trading Spaces, but with starchitects!

On the latter-half of our show, Amelia, Donna and Ken talk with Brian Newman, Archinect Sessions’ legal correspondent, about Indiana’s controversial revisions to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act – with our own Donna Sink on the ground in Indianapolis, we dig into how this national and local issue would affect architects and the profession.

Paul is away this week, on vacation in the outer reaches of Peru, blissfully out of Skype's reach. He'll be back as soon as he re-enters the connected world.

As always, you can send us y...

Architecture's expensive taste: Weekly News Round-Up for December 1, 2014

2014-12-08T17:45:00-05:00

Friday, December 5:

William B. Callaway, noted Bay Area landscape architect at SWA Group, dies: He is survived by his four children and wife, Barbara Meacham. A memorial will be held in January.

Thursday, December 4:

How architecture is helping make Arcadia a magnet for Chinese money: LA Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne unpacks the changing style of residential architecture in southern-California's San Gabriel Valley, built to appeal to wealthy Chinese immigrants.

Wednesday, December 3:

NCARB announces reciprocity program across the US, Canada and Mexico: Qualified, licensed architects from the U.S., Mexico or Canada can now apply for a credential to work within any of those countries. The so-called "Tri-National Mutual Recognition Agreement for International Practice of Architecture" was born of the 1994 NAFTA Agreement.
Deborah Berke's design for new Cummins distribution HQ is unveiled: Berke beat out Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and SHoP Architects when chosen fo...

Deborah Berke's design for new Cummins distribution HQ is unveiled

2014-12-03T15:11:00-05:00

Since Cummins Inc. appointed Deborah Berke Partners back in September, the company finally revealed DBP's design of their new global distribution business headquarters in downtown Indianapolis to the City of Indianapolis’ Metropolitan Development Commission today. The Commission could vote on the plan as early as December 17.

Deborah Berke went against Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and SHoP Architects for the development. The new distribution headquarters appears to have been receiving a very warm welcome from locals, as the project is considered a refreshing sight that can bring more architectural innovation into the city.

Located in a 4-acre plot in the Market East cultural district where the Market Square Arena previously stood, the plan includes a 10-story tower that will provide flexible office space, views, and natural light, a conference center, retail spaces, a parking garage, and an ample amount of public green space. The building is expected to break ground in early 2...

It's Deborah Berke for downtown Naptown!

2014-09-16T17:15:00-04:00

Cummins Inc. announced Tuesday morning that it has selected New York-based Deborah Berke Partners to design its global distribution headquarters in downtown Indianapolis.

Cummins Inc. has an important history of working with significant architects in Columbus, Indiana, the small Midwestern city where it is located. In selecting Deborah Berke Partners for its new global headquarters in downtown Indianapolis the company commits to fostering excellent design in the region, as well.

The Next-Generation Airport Is a Destination in Its Own Right

2014-08-27T14:45:00-04:00

With views of the downtown skyline, the $1.1 billion new Indianapolis airport has been celebrated for its sense of place, and for treating its passengers as "guests," much the way the hotel industry does. It has its own civic plaza, a light-filled central space with 35-foot ceilings that functions as the nexus of activity—every passenger, whether arriving or departing, passes through—where half of all the airport's shops and restaurants reside. [...] What is Indy doing right?

Cummins picks Deborah Berke, SHoP and TWBTA to design its Downtown Indianapolis HQ

2014-07-18T13:14:00-04:00

Cummins Inc. hasn't revealed even a back-of-the-napkin sketch of what its regional headquarters in Downtown Indianapolis might look like, but one thing is certain at this point: It won't be locally designed. The engine maker said today it's picked three small to mid-sized New York City architectural firms to compete for the contract to design the $30 million multi-story building [...]. The competitors are Deborah Berke Partners, SHoP Architects, and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects.

Here's some additional information about the Indianapolis office design competition we've received directly from Cummins Inc.:

"The design competition engages design and architecture experts to assist in delivering on the Company’s goals to construct a building that enhances the community, creates a productive workplace for Cummins employees and reflects Cummins’ mission and values. [...]

The winning architect will be announced in September and selected based on a number of factors including their ability to align with Cummins values, deliver on the vision of the building, and assemble a diverse team. [...]

Cummins initially announced plans to build its new Indianapolis office in March of 2014. Cummins will build on approximately four acres that previously housed a portion of Market Square Arena and expects to break ground in early 2015 and open in late 2016. The company’s plan for the site includes an office building with ground floor retail, a flexible learning center, public green s...

The PeopleForBikes Green Lane Project celebrates national kick-off in Indianapolis

2014-04-29T18:19:00-04:00

The Green Lane Project, established in 2012 by non-profit group PeopleForBikes, continues its ambitious mission to expedite the process of building more protected bike lines with six new U.S. cities in tow: Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and Seattle.

The program celebrated its national kickoff in Indianapolis today with transportation officials including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, who discussed the Department's prioritization on improving bicycle and pedestrian safety as more Americans are looking for alternative methods of commuting.

Back in March, the program selected the six cities out of 100 that submitted letters of interest. In addressing each city's current situation, The Green Lane Project will provide each city with financial, strategic, and technical assistance in constructing the bike lanes, which are valued at more than $250,000. The on-street lanes are separated from traffic by curbs, planters, parked cars, or posts to help organize...

In Indianapolis, a Bike Path to Progress

2014-03-05T11:07:00-05:00

Before the path arrived, Indianapolis didn’t have a mainstream bike scene — just streets designed to improve traffic flow. Now, children and the elderly have joined the spandex swarms of longtime cycling enthusiasts... The public art along the trail accentuates the path’s role as a sculptor of the city’s evolving identity. For example, Donna Sink’s “Moving Forward” is a series of seven stained-glass-hued eco-friendly bus shelters covered in lines from poems by local writers.

RTKL Gets to Design a 28-story Tower in Indianapolis

2013-08-13T18:12:00-04:00

The bid to design an $81 million, 28-story residential tower on the site of Indianapolis' former Market Square Arena just went to RTKL (together with developer Flaherty & Collins Properties). The winning design was chosen by a panel of local government, real estate and community leaders and prevailed over five other competitors.

Indy's Super Bowl Building Boom

2012-02-02T17:00:00-05:00

“I’m never trying to be disparaging to these other communities in any way,” says Bill Browne, a local architect on Indianapolis’ host committee who has looked at what other Super Bowl cities have done. “But we came away with the sense that they’re putting on an event. We’re certainly putting on an event here, but we are absolutely trying to transform a number of elements of our community as a part of this.”