The San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects, announced the winners of the 2011 AIA San Francisco Design Awards program.

At the gala, winners were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the built environment in the categories of Energy + Sustainability, Excellence in Architecture, Historic Preservation and Innovation in Rehabilitation, Integrated Practice, Special Achievement, Unbuilt Design, and Urban Design in the Bay Area. Each of these award categories was divided into three subcategories-Honor, Merit, and Citation.

All the winners, after the break.

Construction is underway for the sustainable landmark CITIC Bank headquarters tower. Foster + Partners design for the 100 meter high skyscraper in Hangzhou, China intends to establish and iconic presence for the Bank in a prominent location within the new central business district situated adjacent to the Qian Jiang River.

Resonating with elements of traditional Chinese culture, the tower’s form draws inspiration from the shape of the ancient ‘dou’ or ‘ding’ vessel, a traditional symbol of wealth, dignity and stability.   The facade of the diagonally-braced structure  pulls inwards near the base to form a symmetrical V-shape across the south-facing elevation. Wrapped in a diagrid lattice, the floor plates widen as the tower rises expanding to provide panoramic views of the river and the surrounding public plaza.

Last Tuesday we told you we were giving away three copies of Allied Works Architecture Brad Cloepfil: Occupation. Now, thanks to Allied Works Architecture, three happy reigstered users will enjoy this great new book.

In a global competition for a new luxury destination in Wadi Rum, Jordan Oppenheim Architecture + Design‘s winning proposal, Wadi Resort, provided an ecological sensitive design solution. Slated for completion in 2014 the project is comprised of 47 desert lodges setting forth a future primitive experience. The design set out to reinterpret the way society deals with surrounding nature by taking full advantage of the mystical valley where desert sand meets desert stone.

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‘Ghost 13 Ideas in Things’ will be a three-day International Architecture Conference from June 14th- 17th, 2011. Held at architect Brian MacKay-Lyons farm in Nova Scotia, the theme ‘Ideas in Things’ will address the discipline of architecture as a whole and offer a critique of the current separation of the academy and practice, or the mind and the hand. Keynote Speakers for the conference are Kenneth Frampton and Juhani Pallasmaa. Additional speakers include Deborah Berke, Marlon Blackwell, Wendell Burnette, Ted Flato, Andrew Freear, Vincent James, Rick Joy, Francis Kere, Richard Kroeker, Tod Kundig, Brian MacKay-Lyons, Patricia Patkau, Dan Rockhill, Brigitte Shim, and Peter Stutchbury. A book and a film will document the Conference and participation is limited to 200 registrants.

Additional information about the conference following the break.

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Revealed earlier this month in Milan, Sawaya & Moroni‘s New Collection 2011 includes pieces from high profile architects Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid, and Dominique Perrault. William Sawaya and Paolo Moroni, founding partners of Sawaya & Moroni, focus the production of their furniture on contemporary designs intertwined with differing cultural backgrounds, resulting in unique pieces and a selective group of architects and artists.

Ben van Berkel of UNStudio also presented new furniture this month in Milan.

More about the chairs after the break.

Two thousand eleven marks the 100th anniversary year of Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s personal home and “laboratory” in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Taliesin represents more than just great design—it exemplifies Wright’s philosophy that the true sense of organic architecture is the integrated oneness of the land, the building and spirit of life.

On May 24th the Whitney Museum of American Art will break ground on a 200,000 sqf facility, designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Renzo Piano. Located in the Meatpacking District adjacent to the southern entrance to the High Line, the building will provide the Whitney with essential new space for its collection, exhibitions, and education and performing arts programs in one of New York’s most vibrant neighborhoods.

The University of Toronto’s Responsive Architecture at Daniels (RAD) will showcase robots that build architecture May 27th thru 30th. The RAD Workshop: Archibots will investigate the potential for robots to build (or destroy) environments.

The Jaume Fuster Library in Barcelona, Spain, designed by architects Josep Llinás and Joan Vera, occupies a once vacant lot. The 5,026 sqm building was the recipient of a 2006 FAD, one of the most prestigious awards in Spain. Peter Kok shared this video that he shot of the Jaume Fuster Library.

This coming Monday, April 25th the Urban Design Forum presents the opportunity to hear discussion about the stalled Civic Square development and other “interim use” sites in downtown Seattle. Sean Canady from GGLO, Robert Smith from Foster + Partners and City of Seattle representatives will be present. The Seattle Civic Square project, which completes the final phase of a ten-year civic masterplan, provides a vital new focus for Seattle’s civic life, reinvigorating the south downtown area for the whole city’s benefit.

The John Hancock Tower Boston, designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects, will receive the AIA 2011 Twenty-five Year Award at the annual convention next month. To mark the occasion, Henry N. Cobb, FAIA, Founding Partner of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects, will discuss the history of the project and its influence on subsequent tall buildings designed by his firm. Organized by the Center for Architecture the discussion will be this coming Monday, April 25th and is free to AIA members.

Heliotrope Architects’ North Beach Residence, a new home located on Orcas Island’s North shore, has received a 2011 AIA National Housing Award. Featured previously on ArchDaily, the North Beach Residence is situated among the trees directly between the beach and the meadow, with walls of glass opening out to both. While actual shelter is provided, the experience is of nearly complete openness to the environment, with a minimized structure meant to disappear from view.

The internationally touring exhibit ‘Struggling Cities’ focuses on the proposals of urbanization by Japanese architects in the 1960s including:

The fifth annual unconference, ‘Living Future 11′ is the forum for leading minds in the green building movement seeking solutions to the most daunting global issues of our time. The education program will focus on ”Our Children’s Cities: Visualizing a Restorative Civilization” and the out-of-the-ordinary learning and networking formats will provide innovative design strategies, cutting-edge technical information, and the inspiration needed to achieve significant progress toward a truly living future.

At 82 Frank Gehry shows no sign of slowing down. Working on 20 projects at any given time, the Pritzker Prize winning architect’s latest completed work New York by Gehry had its formal opening just last month. In this interview Gehry shares how he was inspired by ice hokey, that Gian Lorenzo Bernini is one of his greatest influences, and what he has always wanted to design.

More following the break.

This short video by architectural photographer Pedro Kok, features the Rolex Learning Center at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland. Designed by SANAA, the building features impressive concrete lines that create a fluidity between the interior spaces.

Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects are continuing to move forward assisting those who have been displaced following the Japan earthquake and tsunami. The Ex-Container Project, which we featured just last week, is one affordable design solution offering easy transport and installation without compromising quality.

Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects are providing daily updates, via their Twitter account, about the reconstruction progress in the disaster areas.

Further details about the project and how you can offer support can be found here.