Google и Американский Институт Архитектуры работают вместе

AIA and Google Team Up to Add Layers to Google Earth

At the risk of meandering off topic a bit- I haven’t used Google Earth in a while, but a new partnership between the AIA and Google had me up late last night using the program in awe once again. As part of a variety of initiatives commemorating the AIA’s 150^th anniversary, the organization has joined forces with Google to create two new layers in Google Earth. By clicking the “Featured Content” radio box on the lower left hand side of your screen, you’ll be able to see fully textured, 3-D versions of each of the 150 structures which were selected to for inclusion in the AIA’s “America’s Favorite Architecture” list, compiled through a nationwide poll which was conducted over this past winter in cooperation with Harris Interactive. (The Empire State Building took top honors- the White House finished second). The renderings look absolutely spectacular and the latest version of the program is definitely worth a download.

The second layer is a bit more practical from a green building perspective. The AIA’s “Blueprint for America” program is the major thrust of its 150^th anniversary initiatives. Under the program, AIA members will assist local leaders and citizens over the course of the rest of 2007 in addressing a variety of important issues such as homelessness, sustainability, and urban revitalization through urban planning and design. The Blueprint for America layer in Google Earth will allow you to follow these various projects as they develop across the country. There are already a variety of sustainable projects underway which are included in the layer (including the South Bronx’ Via Verde, winner of the first annual New Housing New York Legacy Project affordable and sustainable housing design competition) and, by clicking on the corresponding Blueprint for America icons once you turn the layer on (also under the “Featured Content” radio box), you’ll be able to access more detailed information about each particular project.