Studio Daniel Libeskind setting new sustainability standards in Las Vegas, South Africa takes out World Building of the Year award and The Netherlands unwilling to invest in sustainability.
UNITED STATES
Studio Daniel Libeskind has announced that the retail and entertainment district of his CityCenter development in Las Vegas has achieved LEED + Gold Core and Shell certification from the USGBC. This makes the development the largest retail district in the world to have achieved such high sustainability standards. CityCenter, which opens in December, was created with a vision of introducing a new level of environmental consciousness to the Strip.
SOUTH AFRICA
The Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre by Peter Rich has won the World Building of the Year award. The jury agreed that the way the project related to the land and overcame issues of sustainability, politics and social improvement made it a "highly deserving winner." The World Building of the Year jury was chaired by Rafael Vinoly.
THE NETHERLANDS
Results from the European Architectural Barometer, a research project examining the demand for and willingness to invest in sustainable construction materials, found that The Netherlands is the only country where the majority of architects (65 per cent) found a need for sustainable products, but were not willing to invest in them. Almost one half of Spanish architects found that there is no demand for sustainable materials, and the other half is unsure if such a need exists.
DENMARK
COBE, in collaboration with Public Architects, Grontmij Carlbro and Bartenbach LichtLabor, has been awarded first place in the international competition for the new Norreport Train Station in Copenhagen. Eleven ventilation towers will be placed on the plaza surrounding the train station, providing fresh air to the underlying train platforms. The towers will also light the plaza and be digital information pillars with LED screens displaying information about train departures, events and advertisements.
UNITED KINGDOM
The London Development Agency (LDA) is insisting that commercial property developers use leading architectural practices to design new housing schemes. According to group director for design, development and environment at the LDA, Peter Bishop, the strategy is now official policy after being tested on Barratt Homes' St Andrews scheme. "I think it is a really good example of how you can bring in a really good team without making the scheme unviable," he said.
