Four SOM Projects Win Design Excellence Awards from AIA Chicago

AIA Chicago has honored SOM with four Design Excellence Awards, the most bestowed upon a firm in 2014. The prestigious awards program recognizes exemplary projects by Chicago firms. Jinao Tower was named a Distinguished Building, while conceptual designs for Liansheng Financial Center and the U.S. Air Force Academy Center for Character & Leadership Development took … Continued

AIA Indiana Announces Design Award Winners for 2014

Completed in 1981, Chicago-based firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill received the 25-year award for their work on Columbus City Hall, anchoring the city’s other municipal buildings that were already there and establishing a clear area for the municipal government and police department, for which it houses.

On the Cover: Cathedral of Christ the Light

The construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland CA, USA, was completed in 2008, and the major superstructure element forming the Cathedral space is the glass and glulam laminated roof that rises above architectural concrete walls. The inner and outer concrete perimeter walls form two parallel circular arcs divided into six sectors by … Continued

SOM Experts Lead Course on Energy Modeling at Center for Architecture

This November, experts from SOM’s sustainable engineering and digital design studios will lead a two-day energy modeling course at the Center for Architecture. Through presentations and hands-on exercises, Arpan Bakshi and Sebastian Claussnitzer will introduce participants to the types of modeling tools available and how each can be used to inform the design of high-performance … Continued

Getting Regional Power to the People: Solutions, Strategies and Case Studies

Meredith Bostwick-Lorenzo Eiroa, SOM Associate Director, will participate in a panel discussion titled “Getting Regional Power to the People: Solutions, Strategies and Case Studies” on October 29, 2014. Held on the second anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, this event will bring together architects, engineers and other regional stakeholders for a conversation on energy distribution. Alongside Brendan … Continued

Mastering Natural Ventilation: 5 Crucial Lessons from Design Experts

The Kunming tower is among a handful of recent projects where SOM design teams are using the power of what the firm calls “passive dynamics” to provide free cooling and ventilation in buildings. Passive dynamics entails a number of design techniques and theories that share a common trait: the utilization of naturally occurring phenomena to … Continued

SOM’s Bishan Exhibition Center Opens

SOM’s Bishan Exhibition Center was officially opened at a ceremony on September 20th in the Bishan district on the outskirts of Chongqing, China. The glass and steel structure is the first building completed as part of SOM’s larger master plan for the new central business district. The 95,000-square-foot facility houses exhibition, office, and meeting spaces … Continued

Denver Union Station Wins ENR Mountain States Best Project Award

Denver Union Station has been recognized with the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Mountain States Best Project Award in the Airports/Transit category. The intermodal hub, planned and designed by SOM, opened this past spring. Denver Union Station was submitted for consideration in this awards program by Kiewit Corporation, who served as the contractor/design-builder on the transformative project. … Continued

Modernizing Moscone: Discussing the Latest Plans for the Expansion

On October 21, Kotting Luo, SOM Design Associate, will present plans for the expansion and modernization of San Francisco’s Moscone Center. He will be joined by Brook Mebrahtu, Senior Project Management of San Francisco’s Department of Public Works. The expanded and improved Moscone Center will be a memorable work of architecture that is luminous and welcoming. … Continued

In Memory: Robert Lewis Turner, Former SOM Partner

Robert Lewis Turner, former SOM Design Partner, passed away due to illness on October 12, 2014. He was 67 years old. Turner joined SOM in 1974 and became a Partner just 10 years later. A talented designer and leader, Turner played an instrumental role in SOM projects around the world and was renowned for encouraging … Continued