GLUCK+ New Series 'Changing Architecture' Yields Industry Insights In New York

UNITED STATES, N.Y. - April 26, 2013 - PRLog -- The panel experts were comprised of openhousenewyork Executive Director, Gregory Wessner, Janus Partners principal Scott Metzner, Pentagram partner Eddie Opara and GLUCK+ firm principals, all hosted by firm founder Peter L. Gluck.

Moderated by Susan Szenasy, Editor in Chief of Metropolis, she directly challenged each 'Changing Architecture' panel participant and the 200-strong audience to question the public focus of building development in the city.

Szenasy encouraged architects to take a more engaged role in the building process, by exploring the concept of the plus in GLUCK+ and the value of architect-led design-build in New York and nationally.

“All players in the process of designing and building have retreated into ever shrinking silos of responsibility. The plus in GLUCK+ is meant to represent our impulse to go beyond; to break through silo walls to engage in facets of both thinking and making that have been avoided by architects.

Critical discussion of urban development tends to focus on high profile (expensive) or immense projects. Meanwhile the urban fabric of cities is being rebuilt or re-purposed with little architectural oversight. Architectural thinking is seen as a luxury item not relevant to the real needs of the development process.

Architects need to acquire multi-faceted knowledge and accept previously shunned responsibilities (to ensure the quality and cost of the built result) in order to change this perception, and merit participation. There are many needed pluses. With the addition of these pluses, architects are the logical quarterbacks of the development game,” Peter Gluck, founder and principal GLUCK+, AIA.

The developer viewpoint was exceptionally salient in this context and setting, as GLUCK+ held the series launch at The Malt House, which is currently being designed and built with Janus Property in Harlem.

"Over and over again, we have seen that a strong collaboration with a knowledgeable and experienced architect, especially one who is equally knowledgeable and experienced in construction, has been a critical feature in the success of the extremely complex projects we have undertaken.

This collaboration, instead of limiting the ultimate design of either the project or a detail of the project, has produced architectural and master-planning solutions that are widely-recognized as being both superior aesthetic solutions, and equally importantly, solutions that meet the requisite real world needs of the community, the various government agencies and the leasing market," Scott Metzner, principal Janus Property.

Local Harlem community members in attendance also raised the pertinent questions of community involvement, to which Szenasy deftly underscored the importance of the community to step up to the plate as well.

[photo credits GLUCK+]