Latest Posts

AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice Recognizes Two SOM Projects

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The AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice recognized two SOM projects in the 2018 Justice Facilities Review Awards. The program calls attention to strategies for the implementation of sustainable justice principles?, and innovative approaches to the design and construction of justice facilities in the United States. Projects chosen as award recipients demonstrate quality of form, functionality, and current architectural responses to … Continued

Dawveed Scully Participates in AIA Panel on Spatial Equity

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On Thursday, September 6th, ?SOM Senior Urban Designer Dawveed Scully will speak at an event hosted by the Washington, D.C. chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ Urban Design Committee??. Titled “Spatial Equity in DC,” the event includes a screening of Chocolate City, a documentary by Ellie Walton and Sam Wild, and a panel discussion.  Panelists will discuss topics explored in the film, including displacement and gentrification. Scully … Continued

Mina Hasman to Deliver Keynote Speech at International Conference on Sustainable Design

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On Thursday, September 13th, SOM Associate Mina Hasman will deliver a keynote speech at the Sustainable Design of the Built Environment conference in London. Hasman leads the sustainability group in SOM’s London office and was recently appointed to the RIBA Commission on Ethics and Sustainable Development.? The conference centers on sustainability in architecture, urban design, and planning, and building energy performance. Presenters and … Continued

Two SOM Projects Win AIA California Council Design Awards

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Tenaya Towers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and Geffen Hall at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) were recognized by the AIA California Council in the 2018 Design Awards. The program recognizes exemplary architecture that reflects thoughtful, sustainable, innovative, and well-crafted design. Both Tenaya Towers and Geffen Hall received a Merit Award. The Tenaya Towers … Continued

SOM Leads AIA San Francisco Tour of Moscone Convention Center

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On Friday, August 24th, SOM Design Director Mark Schwettmann led an American Institute of Architects San Francisco (AIA San Francisco) tour of the Moscone Convention Center Expansion and Improvement project. Set within the footprint of the existing site, the improved Moscone Center reinvents the relationship between the convention center and the city. Designed by SOM … Continued

Adam Semel to Speak at Bisnow Chicago’s State of the Market Panel

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SOM Managing Director Adam Semel will participate in the Bisnow roundtable “Chicago State of the Market: Hospitality, Office and Capital Markets Outlook.” The event will take place on Friday, August 31st. Semel will be joined by leaders from various industries to discuss trends and topics that impact the future of Chicago’s commercial real estate. Potential topics include plans for the revitalization … Continued

SOM Designs 27-foot-long Morphing Pavilion for Los Angeles Exhibition

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Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) partnered with the MAK Center for Art and Architecture on an exhibition that explores the intersection of art, engineering, and architecture. Set in the historic Schindler House in West Hollywood, Calif., Poetic Structure: Art + Engineering + Architecture highlights several projects the firm has developed with world renowned artists … Continued

Gallery: Fantastical Floating Sculptures That Will Send Your Mind Soaring

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Standing beneath one of Janet Echelman’s giant, airy, uplifting pieces, you might just think a group of groovy extraterrestrial spiders have come to pay us a visit. The pieces, woven from strong, light fibers and tinted in rainbow colors, sway and flow in the sky, turning blank urban spaces between buildings into a place of … Continued

Poetic Structure: Your Last Chance to See This Exploration of Design + Engineering

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Since 1936, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has designed some of the world’s most noteworthy buildings, from the Burj Khalifa in Dubai — the world’s tallest — to Los Angeles’ much-praised concrete and glass federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. If you’ve ever wondered how the engineers at SOM plan large-scale buildings and lesser-known public … Continued

The World’s Most Beautiful Factories Revealed

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… Taking residence in a 100-year-old decommissioned firehouse, Optimo [Hat Company] design and manufacture hats using mid-20th century techniques. Its factory reflects the company’s values, retaining historic features and matching them to a modern interior using blackened steel, walnut and cork. Porthole windows have been created where fire poles once were, enabling visitors to see the … Continued