During interessesion Saturday, May 10 to Sunday, May 17 the campus library and archives business hours will be as follows:

Please see campus library hours or Mullen Library hours for more information.

The Governor General’s Medals for excellence in architecture is a Canadian architecture prize given this year to  Patkau Architects and Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects, both Vancouver-based, as well as Toronto’s Teeple Architects Inc. 

We have several books about Patkau Architects here in the EAM Library.  They are a well known Canadian firm designing many buildings throughout the world.  There are a great number of well-known firms mentioned in this little news piece from the Globe and Mail. 

You may have noticed a small difference on individual posts lately. If you look at the bottom you will either see a comment link or a comment form. Please, let us know what you think about the stories we post, and the library in general. We love feedback and will respond to any questions you might have.

While the comment form requires an email address, we will not make it public. This is just one way to combat spam. We will also review comments before they appear on the site to make sure nothing inappropriate gets posted.

Please communicate with us! We want to know what you think. Other ways to converse include our Facebook page, group and the suggestion box in the Mullen lobby. There are also a number of ways to contact a librarian directly.

We look forward to hearing from you!

“”You’ve scored tickets to a big show on the Las Vegas Strip. A Cirque du Soleil show, say. Or “Phantom of the Opera.” And something happens up there onstage.

A body sinks slowly to the bottom of the sea, trailing a swirl of iridescent bubbles as it descends. An enormous stage slowly tilts 90 degrees on its axis, spilling what had been a sandy beach over the abyss like an amber waterfall. A glittering chandelier plummets from the ceiling, halting mere feet above your head.

And you sit there stunned, wondering: How did they do that?

Someone has to figure out the technological trickery that creates the sort of staggering stage magic for which Vegas is famous. And UNLV is taking the lead, inaugurating a multidisciplinary program merging engineering technical expertise with the creative instincts of the fine arts — with the priceless advantage of access to the largest laboratory in the world, the Las Vegas Strip.”

Here’s a story from the New York times about the Newseum opening today April 11 in DC. The story is all about the architecture of the building and comparing it to several other famous architectural landmarks in Washington.

Today (Friday, 4/11) only, entry is free. Every other time, you will have to pay $20 to get in. Check it out!

Mullen Library and the campus libraries will be closed Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17 in honor of the visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Libraries will resume their regular hours on Friday.

Please see the Mullen Library hours or the campus libraries hours for more information.

So why is the Pritzker Prize awarded to just one person?  In this piece from Slate online, Witold Rybczynski discusses the phenomenon behind the so-called “Nobel Prize” for architecture and how it differs from the hard sciences and literature awards in that a successful architecture project is a team effort and not solely the work of one single architectural mind.  It is a very interesting way to look at these awards and how they fit into this business of many different parts all working to one common goal.

The American Planning Association has a great many policy guides available online for those involved in all types of planning, from billboard controls to provision of childcare- although students in engineering and architecture will most likely find the energy, environement, housing and neighborhood collaborative ones most useful!

About the APA policies:
“APA develops policies that represent the collective thinking of our members, and represents a collective view on positions of both principle and practice. APA policies are developed through a thorough process of chapter and division involvement under the overall guidance of the Legislative and Policy Committee. In addition to articulating specific policies that establish principles for better addressing our issues, APA develops more specific guidelines that recommend specific actions on the part of APA members through leadership, chapters, divisions, and allied organizations that move toward an improved social and political environment for planning to play its most effective role. Together, these two elements — policies and general recommendations — form APA Policy Guides.”

Conde Nast Traveler’s April Issue has published the New 7 wonders of the architectural world.  One of the seven is here in Washington D.C.!  The Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum has been named one of the seven wonders because of it’s curved ceiling of glass and steel over the courtyard connecting the building to itself.  This is a worthwhile place in the District to visit, not only for history and art, but for the courtyard’s architecture.  The courtyard officially opened this past year and is open when the museum is.

Engineering Village open house tonight (February 25) in the EAM Library, 200 Pangborn, from 5-7pm. Learn more about Compendex, the “most comprehensive interdisciplinary engineering database in the world.” Refreshments and the chance to win an iPod Shuffle. Stop by and check it out! Contact Alyssa Strouse, x6178 or strousea@cua.edu for more info!