December 8, 2014 General (runoff) elections occurred over the weekend for a handful of federal and local offices. Following is an overview of the results. U.S. Senate In the only statewide contest Cong. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, defeated incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, by a twelve-point margin (56 percent to 44 percent). This race drew considerable national attention several months ago as it became clear that Cassidy was gaining serious momentum and was in position to unseat Sen. Landrieu, a three-term incumbent and … Continue reading Louisiana General Election Recap→
Now in its second year, The Emerging Gulf States 2014 Symposium was held November 14-15 at Tulane University in New Orleans and drew 92 architecture students, Associate AIA members and young architects from around the region. A diverse group of speakers discussed how emerging professionals are reaching beyond the traditional modes of practicing architecture to successfully collaborate with allied professionals and their communities and make meaningful change through design. Speakers included Alex Gilliam of Public Workshop, Allison Hoadley Anderson, FAIA of unabridged Architecture, Sarah Gamble … Continue reading ENGAGE | emerging [aia] gulf states 2014→
Following is a review of who’s who and what’s next in key Louisiana elections. As a reminder, all candidates in Louisiana run against each other in their respective primary regardless of party affiliation (i.e., we do not have partisan primaries). With the primaries over now, candidates who did not win outright will advance to runoffs, which will be decided on December 6th. U.S. Senate Three-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, and Cong. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, squared off in what was one of … Continue reading Louisiana Elections Update→
By: Stephanie Riegel | The Baton Rouge Business Report Planning Director Frank Duke says new design guidelines being drafted for Baton Rouge should ideally include height restrictions for new downtown buildings. Duke says one of the biggest problems with the city’s existing zoning code is that it allows for unlimited building heights downtown. “It creates the perception that there is unlimited value, which means you have a lot of surface parking because people are waiting for that right price, that great catch to come in, … Continue reading A Call for Height Restrictions on New Downtown Buildings→
by: Helene Combs Dreiling One of the best examples of this effort—even amidst bankruptcy and a historic unraveling of a once-dominant American city—is the Detroit Collaborative Design Center (DCDC), a nonprofit architecture and urban design firm that offers proof that neighborhoods that facilitate holistic wellness and preventative care are as valuable as doctors who make house calls. What began as an effort to encourage healthy living surrounding a new health care center morphed into a 40- to 50-year plan for an entire neighborhood in southwest Detroit built … Continue reading Healthy Community Planning Means Healthier Neighbors→
Mayor Mitch Landrieu has appointed Jeff Hebert as New Orleans’ first chief resiliency officer. Hebert currently leads the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority. The New Orleans Advocate reported the position of chief resiliency officer is being created in cities nationwide as part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities program. The foundation describes the effort as $100 million push to help cities prepare for future stresses. Hebert will remain with NORA, which manages thousands of properties taken over by the state after Hurricane Katrina. Landrieu has designated … Continue reading NOLA’s First Chief Resiliency Officer→
Matt Shaw | Architizer Remember those days in high school of thinking that being an architect meant glamorous commissions and an uninhibited creative license? Remember how all of you relatives said, “Well, we will always need buildings!”? Well, a lot has changed since then, and now being an architect comes with the struggle to find well-paying work and avoid deliriously long hours. But maybe these employment problems aren’t as bad as we think. The Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project has created a series of interactive infographics that … Continue reading Does an Architecture Degree Pay? These Interactive Infographics Have the Answers→
Gregarious and compassionate at heart, design-focused by nature and dedicated to his practice, Seamus McGuire is an emerging professional in Louisiana’s architectural arena. McGuire earned his B.arch from LSU in 2010, when the industry was at a lull. He decided to further his education and headed to Kansas, enrolling in Studio 804, a Design Build program at the University of Kansas. After receiving his master’s degree, becoming LEED certified and certifying two LEED Platinum buildings, McGuire began practice at KTGY, a multi-family … Continue reading Seamus McGuire, AIA→
