SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE Celebrating 125Years of Architecture

89 Pages·2016·37.04 MB·English

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Celebrating 125 Years of Architecture
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Architect: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
EDITOR IN CHIEF Cathleen McGuigan, [email protected]
MANAGING EDITOR Beth Broome, [email protected]
DEPUTY EDITOR Suzanne Stephens, [email protected]
FEATURES EDITOR Josephine Minutillo, [email protected]
SENIOR EDITORS Joann Gonchar, aia, leed ap, [email protected]
Linda C. Lentz, [email protected]
PRODUCTS EDITOR Julie Taraska, [email protected]
NEWS EDITOR Anna Fixsen, [email protected]
WEB EDITOR Miriam Sitz, [email protected]
ASSISTANT EDITOR Alex Klimoski, [email protected]
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Sam Furnival, Jake Bittle
COPY EDITOR Anna Shapiro
ART DIRECTOR Michael T. Powell, [email protected]
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Kaylee Foster, [email protected]
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR, Peter Coe
PRESENTATION DRAWINGS
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sarah Amelar, Fred A. Bernstein, Robert Campbell, faia,
C.J. Hughes, Blair Kamin, Jayne Merkel, Clifford A. Pearson,
David Sokol, Michael Sorkin, Sarah Williams Goldhagen
SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL Naomi R. Pollock, aia
Curve CORRESPONDENT
INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS David Cohn, Tracy Metz, Aric Chen, Chris Foges
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Iwan Baan, Roland Halbe
Appeal
With its innovative conical indentations, the luminous
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Freed & Partners’ 7 Bryant Park becomes an extension ARCHITECTURAL RECORD (ISSN: Print 0003-858X Digital 2470-1513) September 2016, Vol. 204 No. 9. Record is
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09 2016
NEWS
Celebrating 125 Years
27 A NEW SCHOOL FOR SANDY HOOK By Miriam Sitz
30 EPA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON FORMALDEHYDE LOOKING BACK LOOKING FORWARD
EMISSIONS By Anna Fixsen
101 INTRODUCTION 139 INTRODUCTION
31 BARRAGÁN’S REMAINS COMPRESSED INTO 140 VISIONS OF THE FUTURE
102 RECORD’S TOP 125 BUILDINGS
DIAMOND By Miriam Sitz
145 THE ROAD AHEAD FOR DRIVERLESS CARS
119 25 CULT CLASSICS
32 YALE’S BEINECKE LIBRARY RESTORED By Sarah Amelar
By Fred A. Bernstein 124 MY FAVORITE BUILDING
147 MATERIAL FUTURES By Bradley Quinn
35 ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FILM FESTIVAL 128 25 LOST TREASURES By Robert A.M. Stern
150 ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION’S
PREVIEW By Anna Fixsen 132 A HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURAL CRITICISM CHANGING COURSE By Jonathan Massey
36 NEWSMAKER: MICHAEL MINER By Anna Fixsen IN RECORD By Suzanne Stephens
152 AMERICA’S TOP ARCHITECTURE
SCHOOLS 2017 By Anna Fixsen
DEPARTMENTS
24 EDITOR’S LETTER: ACROSS THE DECADES WITH
ARCHITECTURAL RECORD 53 EXHIBITION: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF DENISE THIS PAGE: VIA 57 WEST, BY BJARKE INGELS GROUP.
39 HOUSE OF THE MONTH: OLSON KUNDIG’S SCOTT BROWN By Anna Fixsen PHOTO BY IWAN BAAN.
MIDCENTURY RESTORATION IN BERKELEY 57 FIRM TO WATCH: HOU DE SOUSA By David Sokol
By Lydia Lee
60 BOOKS: DANIEL M. ABRAMSON’S OBSOLESCENCE See expanded coverage of Projects and Building Type Studies
45 GUESS THE ARCHITECT Reviewed by Aleksandr Bierig as well as Web-only features at architecturalrecord.com.
46 INTERIORS: AIDLIN DARLING DESIGN’S IN SITU 63 BOOKS: ROBERT A. M. STERN AND JIMMY STAMP’S SEE ONLINE CONTENT PAGE 21 .
RESTAURANT By Lydia Lee PEDAGOGY AND PLACE AND CATIE MARRON’S CITY
50 COMMENTARY: PARAMETRICS AND POWER SQUARES Reviewed by James Gauer
By Michael Sorkin 67 PRODUCTS: RESIDENTIAL By Julie Taraska
ARCHITECTURAL RECORD SEPTEMBER 2016 19
09 2016
PROJECT 176 BLACKBIRDS, LOS ANGELES BESTOR 257 READER SERVICE
ARCHITECTURE By Deborah Snoonian Glenn 265 DATES & EVENTS
86 SWCTEOANRVTKRESROHO,S AP NT BIHAyE RVNCiScH tROoESrNi FaZO ONU PeNIwADNhAoOTu BIOsUeNIL CDIUNLGT URAL 182 AGRRCEHEINTEWCITCSH B HyO CUhSrIiNs GF,o LgOeNsDON BELL PHILIPS 272 BSNy AMPiSriHaOmT :S TitOzRRE ARCOBALENO IN MILAN
186 EAST SIDE LOFTS, FRANKFURT 1100 ARCHITECT
By Mary Pepchinski
BUILDING TYPE STUDY 974
192 CARMEL PLACE, NEW YORK NARCHITECTS
MULTIFAMILY HOUSING By Joann Gonchar, AIA
159 INTRODUCTION
TECHNOLOGY
160 AT HOME IN THE 21ST CENTURY By John King
162 VIA 57 WEST, NEW YORK BJARKE INGELS GROUP 209 PUSHING PREFABRICATION: FROM ENTIRE
By Josephine Minutillo BUILDINGS TO DISCRETE COMPONENTS, THE USE OF
OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION IS EXPANDING ACROSS
170 CORNER HOUSE, LONDON DSDHA MULTIPLE BUILDING TYPES. By Russell Fortmeyer
By Megumi Yamashita
ON THE COVER
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Matteo Pericoli is an architect, author, illustrator, and
teacher. After graduating from the Politecnico of Milan in
1995, he moved to New York, where he worked at Richard
091205 09 Meier & Partners Architects and other firms. In 2010, he
20142016 2016 SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE founded the Laboratory of Literary Architecture, a cross-
$9.95 www.architecturalrecord.com 21 3 Celebr8ating 1925 Years of Arch1it6ectu1r7e 2324 27 33 32 36 iU5dVll0iinuse fcsVwutipirrsela leowitndensa; d. N rLP yboee oewnrxodi cYpkooolsnol—ri rkUcta;oun ta rifnnouraednrmln eoWtedfl yi ;lan i Ttl diefvheoreewaws Ct —suin iiortn eyTnc u aOlturshiu dneate ,r W McI Mthaoyialrt yWlen.dch:i tan5udt0rtoe aWw.n H :r i6its3e rs,
4 18 22
37
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5 10 15 21 28 38
11 15 31
25
12 19 29 35
7 20
6 30
13 14 26
1. 30 St Mary Axe 9. Unité d’Habitation 17. Guggenheim Museum 26. Villa Savoye 34. Glasgow School of Art
2. Barnes Foundation 10. National Center for Bilbao 27. Austrian Postal Savings 35. Paimio Sanatorium
3. Empire State Building Atmospheric Research 18. Bauhaus Building Bank 36. Casa Milà
4. Sydney Opera House 11. Vanna Venturi House 19. Casa da Musica 28. Woolworth Building 37. San Cataldo Cemetery
5. United Nations 12. Heydar Aliyev Centre 20. Lovell Health House 29. Limoges Concert Hall 38. Yoyogi National
Headquarters 13. National Assembly 21. TWA Terminal 30. Solomon R. Guggenheim Gymnasia
6. Centre Georges Building of Bangladesh 22. Oslo Opera House Museum
Pompidou 14. Berlin Philharmonic 23. Pennsylvania Station 31. Fallingwater
7. Farnsworth House Concert Hall 24. Marina City 32. National Congress
8. Seagram Building 15. Tate Modern I & II 25. Jubilee Church Building, Brasília
16. Petronas Towers 33. Burj Khalifa
ARCHITECTURAL RECORD SEPTEMBER 2016 21
architecturalrecord.com
VISIT US ONLINE FOR EXPANDED SLIDE SHOWS, PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS, AND MORE.
HIGHLIGHTS
SCENES FROM THE NEWS
See more images of the new Sandy Hook School, in addition to an
expanded gallery of Denise Scott Brown’s photography from the Venice
Architecture Biennale exhibition Wayward Eye. [NEWS]
RAINBOW TOWER DRONE FOOTAGE
Get a bird’s-eye view of the Torre Arcobaleno in Milan with this drone-
filmed video showing the tower’s urban context. [SNAPSHOT]
MICRO-UNIT MOVIE
After reading this month’s story on Carmel Place, watch a video of the
architects explaining the design of the building as well as the fabrication
and installation of its micro-unit apartments. [BUILDING TYPE STUDY]
FEATURED HOUSES
Find photos, credits, and specifications for new residential projects in this
monthly online-only feature. [HOUSES]
THE RAINBOW TOWER, AS SEEN FROM ABOVE.
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MI McGuigan and former editors Mildred Schmertz and Robert Ivy.
D (
OR UP CLOSE WITH THE COVER
EC Take a closer look at this month’s panoramic cover, illustrated by Matteo Pericoli.
R
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A WORST BUILDINGS
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U Last month, nearly 100 readers submitted their nominations for the worst
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C buildings of the last 125 years. Now, click through the gallery to see some
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T of them.
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R READERS RESPOND
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P); Do you agree with our lists of the Best Buildings and Cult Classics? Let us know
O what you think in the comments section at the bottom of every article!
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R THE NEW SANDY HOOK
O
W SCHOOL IN NEWTOWN,
ET CONNECTICUT, BY
N SVIGALS + PARTNERS.
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© Follow us on Twitter at @ArchRecord
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H MILDRED SCHMERTZ, ROBERT IVY, AND CATHLEEN MCGUIGAN. Follow us on Instagram at @ArchRecordMag
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24 ARCHITECTURAL RECORD SEPTEMBER 2016 editor’s letter 25
that that was something that was relevant to our community, and we they made great covers and subject matter—they kept saying, what
would create issues devoted to, in some cases, a country. about the community?
Across the Decades With In China’s case, it was particularly powerful, because we watched
the explosion of the whole country as Chinese architects were training CM: We’re still incredibly impressed with spectacularly beautiful,
Architectural Record in the United States, going back to China and changing creatively what exotic buildings, but a magazine like record doesn’t have to settle on
had been a fairly staid design and construction environment. American one point of view. It is really a reflection of all kinds of architecture.
architects were going over and doing exciting things, including build- We love the mix and the plurality, and we can celebrate all of that.
A trio of editors discuss the changing world as ing whole cities from the ground up. But it’s true that many younger architects seem to have different val-
reflected in the magazine’s pages. ues, and we listen to them and try to reflect that.
CM: Mildred, what were the big issues the magazine confronted in the record in its long history was up against at least three other maga-
years that you were here? zines in the U.S., plus the British and Italian magazines. It was a larger
To mark record’s 125th anniversary, the two living former editors in chief joined field for print, and now it’s a larger field in terms of digital coverage.
me for a conversation about record’s past and present. Mildred Schmertz, FAIA, MS: For a long stretch when I was at record, we celebrated modernism. But record was always steadily in the middle. It wasn’t Progressive
who has an MFA from Yale in graphic design as well as an architecture degree, We showed it all the time, and reached as far as we could. The next Architecture, and yet it reflected a pretty broad spectrum of what was
came to the magazine’s art department in 1957, moved on to be a writer and editor great change was, of course, the Postmodern movement. And I can say going on. Do you agree with that?
and finally was made the first woman editor in chief, from 1985 to 1990. The late at this point that it was a great joy, because we’d gotten tired of the
Stephen Kliment succeeded her, and then Robert Ivy, FAIA, arrived as the top editor modern movement, and when I say we, I mean us, editor-writer folks. RI: Oh, I do. Absolutely.
in 1996. When he left to become CEO of the American Institute of Architects in 2011,
I was hired to take the helm. Following are highlights from our talk about the MS: The magazine in my day was more than the so-called starchitects.
The world has shifted and
magazine’s history under our collective watch, which stretches back 59 years. Record editors in chief, from left to right: Robert Ivy, FAIA (1996–2011); Cathleen The monthly collection of buildings contained work, such as a collec-
McGuigan (2011–present); and Mildred Schmertz (1985–90). changed dramatically over the tion of schools, that was well designed and well described. It should be
Cathleen McGuigan: Mildred, you were at record for 33 years and acknowledged that, besides showing greatly imaginative work, what
have the longest view of the magazine. What was its mission when you good.” And the merely good isn’t a rationale for publication either. period we’ve been involved, from made the magazine even better is that it paid attention to the very good
began, and how did you see it shift from the late 1950s to 1990? Because all architects should be doing good work. So the question is, everyday architectural performance.
the explosion of digital technology
what is the lesson in it? Does it have a point of view? What can it
Mildred Schmertz: The mission has been the same for 125 years, and share beyond meeting the criteria that any project in any community RI: And, Cathleen, that’s an important point about the nature of the
to globalization, climate concerns,
it’s simple: to serve architects in the profession, to keep their loyalty, should meet. publication—it has always struck a balance, presenting not only the
and to attract advertisers because of the size and quality of our and social questions. edge of the wave. It’s always had this pragmatic underbelly and has
readership. CM: We look for projects that embody a specific idea, that reflect some- hoped to relate to the architects, designers, and people in the construc-
thing new or innovative. We’re looking for excellence, but of course tion arena who actually go out and do the work. And so it’s never been
Robert Ivy: I agree the fundamental mission really hasn’t changed. I that’s subjective. It’s a group of editors making selections based on what Some of the Postmodernists did work of great appeal—I mean they completely about the latest trend but about design excellence, and also
would just add to that: we inform and inspire our audience; architec- we think is the best work out there. drew well. Michael Graves, Charles Moore—they had started to draw technical knowledge. It’s never been just flash and dash.
ture is both an art and a science. But the world has shifted and changed Let’s switch gears, and talk about digital content. Robert, the digital in new ways, and instead of scorning traditional architecture, they
dramatically over the period of time that Mildred and I and you have revolution started when you were editor, and it has had a huge impact were looking at it again but incorporating its values in an inventive CM: And being more than just flash and dash is more important than
been involved—everything from the explosion of digital technology to on us, because it enables us to do daily journalism. It helps us stay on way. I don’t know whether we had any theory; all we knew was that we ever. record’s role is arguably even more significant in a world where,
globalization, climate concerns, and social questions. We’ve all respond- top of key issues. We are seeing stories break and then evolve, and the were going to grab all that we could, because it looked terrific in the every morning, people turn on their computers or look at their phones
ed in one way or another to all of that through the publication. process complements what we do in the magazine. And yet print is still magazine. and see a whole bunch of little postage-stamp-sized images of buildings,
very important to us, and to our audience. from all over the world, and think they know architecture from look-
CM: When I got here, there was no question that this was a publication CM: Robert, when you took over, Postmodernism was on the wane, and ing at those teeny pictures!
of tremendous authority. But we also very consciously tried to frame RI: What digital has allowed you to do is bring news forward in a way we’d already had the deconstructivist burst. What we continue to do, which you both talked about, is to curate
the issues that affect architecture that Robert just mentioned. We have that we could not. Mildred and I had the luxury of time. We were able the best buildings of our time and select images that most accurately
kept our eye on cities, and have been covering other topics the profes- to choose, make selections for an audience, with the luxury to work RI: As I was coming into the role, we saw the convergence of the digital and beautifully reflect the experience of the building. We send writers
sion is confronting, such as diversity and the collaborative, inter - those issues out, get the photography, acquire the writer, and do all revolution with material prosperity. I was here during a period of un- to report on projects and we produce first-hand stories in layouts with
disciplinary world that architects now work in. Yet we’re doing all this those things print demands. But on the Web, you’re out there daily, paralleled money. We had a license to build anything the human mind plans and specifications, with all the information and insight that
in the context of presenting the best projects that reflect our time. with the latest, putting all those things together in a true publication could conceive because we were freed from this orthogonal framework, record has been providing for decades. There really is no better way to
That’s still the core of our mission. which is now more than a magazine. of what had been the drawing board and became computer-aided de- publish the experience of what makes a great work of architecture.
sign. It was as if someone had thrown a bomb.
RI: We have always had a curatorial role—making selections of projects CM: Let’s talk about the shifts in relevant topics over the years. Robert, And, so, architects were developing computer programs, using soft-
that we think are going to interest people for a variety of reasons. The under your tenure, there was a real response to globalism. With ex- ware from the aerospace industry. And, all of a sudden, the forms of
good examples are ultimately more interesting than the bad. So, what we panding global markets for architects, you began to cover China buildings began to change. Architects were freed, and we had buildings
have typically done is held up the best examples and said, “Look at this.” intensively—you started the quarterly architectural record china in E that began to look like a snail or a slug or an exploding flower, or some-
BI Cathleen McGuigan, Editor in Chief
Shanghai in 2005, and during this time there was also a new focus on S thing like that.
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MS: Something that record would simply never do, which some other sustainability. CR For a period of time, buildings were extremely exuberant and defied
K
magazines have done, is take a building that is poor or mediocre and C any sort of label. And that created what came to be known as iconic
A
boot it around. The building itself isn’t that important really, in the RI: Part of the magazine’s role is to try to catch the wave of develop- © J architecture, from starchitects like Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid and
culture, and it always seemed to me very crude to make that kind of ment and thought. And in the years that I was active, there was this Y: Santiago Calatrava, where basically architecture became a form of
H
attack. explosion of international travel and knowledge, and architects were P urban sculpture as well as habitation.
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finding work in other parts of the world, not just in China. GR And, what evolved somewhat later, were people—young people in
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RI: Unless there’s a rationale for doing it. Architects have said for years, British architects had a moment of real creativity, and you could’ve T particular—asking, why these icons? In publications like ours, which
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“Why isn’t my project in record? I’ve done a school, and really, it’s made a whole publication out of Japan alone. As editors, we recognized PH had been purveying them and putting them on our covers—because
ARCHITECTURAL RECORD p SEPTEMBEeR 2016 rspectinvewse 27
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It’s almost like a war zone. Nothing like this has ever happened
in human history. Everybody in China has been moved.
—Ai Weiwei, on China’s construction boom, at the Asia Society in Switzerland.
Three footbridges span a landscaped bioswale,
providing a buffer between the school and the bus lane.
Steel columns, disguised as tree trunks, support a wavy
awning that hangs over the main entrance (this photo),
while inside, decorative aluminum trees adorn the
glazed wall of the atrium (bottom).
A New Chapter for the Sandy Hook School used four colors of concrete block and incorpo-
rated red-, orange-, and yellow-colored fins
around rear windows “to give everything a
BY MIRIAM SITZ
joyful or colorful touch,” explains project
On August 29, just under 500 students started state after an open RFQ process, began meet- manager Julia McFadden.
their academic year at the new Sandy Hook ing with a 50-member committee to under- Three footbridges, leading to the building’s
School in Newtown, Connecticut. New Haven– stand the community’s values and needs. main and secondary entrances, span a sloped
based architects Svigals + Partners led the “In a certain way, we needed to keep at bay rain garden, which, in addition to filtering
design of the 86,800-square-foot K-4 school, the history that gave rise to this architecture,” roof runoff, provides a topographic and spatial
working closely with the community, Consigli says design principal Barry Svigals. “We tried buffer between the school’s front windows and
Construction of Hartford, and a bevy of consul- to keep our eyes on our charge—to
tants to create an inviting, colorful, and secure bring our best work to the project.”
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R new campus filled with light and art. “The Nature emerged early on as a
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C intent of this building is to offer a warm and theme for the $50 million project. Set
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L comfortable environment for students,” said against a dense backdrop of wood-
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R Newtown Superintendent Dr. Joseph V. Erardi, lands, the building’s undulating
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CT Jr. at a media event on July 29, “and [the archi- facade of machiche and garapa tim-
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T tects] hit a grand slam with that.” ber planks references the surround -
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C Following the mass shooting on Decem - ing forested landscape, while three
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© ber 14, 2012, that took the lives of 20 children gabled “houses” rising from the roof
Y: and six staff members, Sandy Hook students recall steeples peeking through the
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P were transferred to the nearby town of trees. Fieldstone along the base of the
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GR Monroe. After a town referendum, the old wood rainscreen nods to New
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T ’50s-era school was demolished in the fall of England vernacular style. Toward the
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PH 2013, and Svigals + Partners, selected by the back of the school, the architects
Visit our online section, architecturalrecord.com/news.
28 ARCHITECTURAL RECORD SEPTEMBER 2016 perspectivenews
parking. This bioswale is just one of the many building’s security systems.)
safety features discreetly folded into the proj- The students also played a direct
ect, says managing partner Jay Brotman: “It’s part in the design. “We have in all our
about controlling where people can go.” projects, to varying degrees, a connec-
Inside, the two-story building is conceived tion to the kids who are going to be in
as a small town organized around a wide the building,” says Svigals. At a work-
hallway—the “main street”—that runs the shop, the architects asked the children
length of the building. At the school’s primary to trace the shadows of natural elements
entrance, the hall widens to a sunny, double- like twigs and leaves. Those drawings
height atrium. Floor-to-ceiling glazing of the were digitized and carved into wooden
back wall allows views, from both the ground panels that adorn the build ing’s exterior,
floor and a second-floor catwalk, of an out- “reminiscent of when you carve a heart
door amphitheater. Decorative metal trees into a tree,” says Svigals. Adds Brotman,
crisscross the windows, which are colored in “When people see reflections of them-
autumnal hues at the top, while a kinetic selves in the building, they actually feel
sculpture by artist Tim Prentice hangs from a part of it.”
the atrium’s ceiling, swaying gently. “Tree houses” anchor the ends of each classroom wing. While the school is filled with references to RD
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The firm envisioned the three classroom nature, the town, and the students, there is no C
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wings as individual neighborhoods. Brightly courtyard,” says Brotman, adding that “natu- specific memorial to the 2012 tragedy. (A local L R
colored overhangs above each classroom door ral observation points are an element of commission is working to establish a perma- RA
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recall front porches and visually break up the security design that we looked to include as nent memorial elsewhere in the community.) T
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hall. Interior doors connect pairs of class- much as possible.” Yet the school’s history is never far from the TE
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rooms—yet another subtle safety feature There are more specific safeguards too, such minds of those involved. At the July preview of C
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which McFadden says school staff requested. as a manned surveillance gate at the small road the new facility, Newtown First Selectman A
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“It helps teachers feel like they’re not isolated,” leading to the school, a “heightened level of Patricia Llodra said, “Let me state unequivocally Y:
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she says. At the ends of upstairs hallways, “tree resistance” on first-floor glazing, and “different that we would trade, in a minute, this beautiful P
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house” breakout spaces allow students to look measures of hardening on certain walls,” says new school for the more familiar and aged R
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out into the edge of the forest behind the Brotman. (He, like all those involved with build- Sandy Hook School built in the ’50s if we could TO
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school. “You also get a fabulous view to the ing the school, avoids specifics about the just change the past.” n PH
CIRCLE 225
30 ARCHITECTURAL RECORD SEPTEMBER 2016 perspectivenews
EPA Issues Final
Formaldehyde Rule
BY ANNA FIXSEN
The brighT white trailers started arriving in late
2005, weeks after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to
hundreds of thousands of homes along the Gulf
Coast. The unadorned FEMA-issued units didn’t
look like much—aluminum siding outside,
veneer- clad cabinetry inside—but, to their dis-
placed occupants, the trailers were a godsend.
“It had that great brand-new smell that I Toxic levels of formaldehyde in FEMA-issued trailers (above)
thought was just wonderful,” said Jennifer were due to the resins in composite wood products (left).
Donelson of Gulfport, Mississippi, in a 2008
interview with a Sierra Club member. “I had regulations.” The president and CEO of the
never had anything brand-new before.” American Wood Council, Robert Glowinski, said
But the smell that had symbolized a fresh the new legislation is “consistent with good
start made Donelson, her family, and hundreds product stewardship.”
of others sick. “It could almost knock you But environmental advocates are more cau-
down,” remembers Becky Gillette, the Sierra tious. “It looks to me like the EPA has done a
Club volunteer, who also lived in Mississippi. pretty good job,” says Tom Lent, the policy
The symptoms weren’t subtle: burning eyes process that could take several weeks—panel director at the Healthy Building Network, “but
and throat, nausea, nosebleeds, and a relentless producers will have one year to comply, accord- the devil in these things is enforcement.”
croup known to residents as “trailer cough” or ing to an agency spokesperson. “Our position was to move the industry
“Katrina crud.” “The new rule will level the playing field for away from formaldehyde entirely, given that
Gillette’s neighbor, who lived in a FEMA domestic manufacturers . . . and will ensure we felt it was starting to develop some good
trailer, had a suspicion the symptoms were that imported products . . . will meet the new alternatives,” says Lent, citing the fact that
caused by formaldehyde—a carcinogenic chemi- standard,” said Jim Jones, an EPA official, in a some manufacturers have introduced soy-based
cal commonly used in the composite wood statement. adhesives in lieu of formaldehyde.
products that make up flooring, furniture, The EPA emission standards mirror rules set One portion of the rule that is cause for con-
cabinetry, and other elements of interiors. forth by the California Air Resources Board cern, says Lent, is an extended seven-year grace M)
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Beginning in April 2006, Gillette, in partner- (CARB), legislation that went into effect in 2009. period for laminated products, a time frame, T
T
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ship with her Sierra Club chapter, tested 69 Prior to the California regulations, formalde- according to the EPA, that is “more realistic.” B
trailers and found the vast majority had formalde- hyde emissions from composite wood panels “It’s not exactly kicking the can down the R (
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hyde levels exceeding what was considered safe. and finished goods were commonly as much as alley, but it makes it a long runway before this LI
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Testing by the Environmental Protection Agency 20 times higher than the new standards. actually starts taking effect,” says Lent. “If you A
(EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and The emission standards for the EPA rule are are just starting a hospital project, this is prob- E VI
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Prevention confirmed the findings. nearly identical to the CARB formaldehyde stan- ably good news, but for everyone with a faster O
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But in subsequent years, the federal govern- dards, primarily targeting the use of urea- timeline, you still need to figure out how to D
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ment did little to standardize and regulate formaldehyde resins (UF). The rules for hard - avoid formaldehyde emissions.” UI
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formaldehyde in building products. In the wood plywood with both a veneer and a compos- According to the EPA, the rule will impact N
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meantime, the chemical was found at toxic ite core would limit formaldehyde emissions to no nearly 1 million small businesses. But, because SI
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Chinese-made laminate flooring from Lumber 0.13 ppm. As with the California standards, com- manufacturers who haven’t been paying atten- A (
Liquidators—a product that was probably in- posite wood product producers, importers, and tion to the California market,” predicts Lent. DI
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stalled in tens of thousands of homes across the distributors, must also have their products tested “Hopefully, the rule will have a big impact on KI
U.S., according to a report by 60 Minutes. regularly by a third-party monitor. Chinese companies.” WI
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On July 27—nearly a decade after the first There are, however, a few changes to the While the burden of the new EPA ruling falls VI
FEMA-trailer scandal—the EPA issued its final CARB rules, including requirements for addi- primarily on the shoulders of composite wood ON
regulation to safeguard the public from the tional record-keeping. The EPA rule also obliges manufacturers, ultimately, according to Lent, ATI
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chemical. The rule, which Congress directed the manufacturers to disclose the results of their the architectural profession needs to set the bar G
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EPA to finalize, calls for domestic and imported quality-control tests—meaning that the public, higher for healthy building products and create R
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composite wood products—including hardwood via a Freedom of Information Act request, could a market for formaldehyde-free alternatives. © I
plywood, medium-density fiberboard, and access the information. “Anything you can pull off [to reduce emis- Y:
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particleboard—to be labeled as compliant with The wood industry is supportive of the new sions] is going to positively affect a life,” says P
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Title VI of the Toxic Substance Control Act and rule. According to the Engineered Wood Lent. “The work we do as specifiers, architects, R
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to be monitored by third-party certifiers. After Association, the new rule “prevents inconsisten- and interior designers is even more important T
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the rule is published in the Federal Register—a cies that could have resulted with state-by-state than the footprint of the individual project.” n PH