News
Christine West, AIA elected Chair of City Plan Commission
KITE Principal Christine Malecki West, AIA, was elected Chair of the Providence City Plan Commission. Having been appointed to the commission early in 2012, she succeeds Steve Durkee in the role of Chair.
Sustainable House Competition Winner Breaks Ground
The first house built from Christine West's winning design for the Providence Sustainable Housing competition has broken ground. The Olneyville Housing Corporation is constructing the first of several versions of the house on Hyat Street in the Providence neighborhood of Olneyville.
Carter Center featured in Design New England magazine
William Morgan's article about the Carter Center for Music Education ("Places: Sound Consolidation") is featured in the January-February 2013 issue of Design New England magazine. (For those who prefer it in print, it can be found on the newsstands on pages 48-55.) Will captures nicely the creative and technical challenges that KITE and our team faced and resolved with this project.
Two KITE projects win AIAri Design Awards - NBC and Vedanta Society
KITE is once again honored to be recogized with multiple design awards at AIAri's annual gala. The Vedanta Society won a Merit Award in the Interiors category, and the new Narragansett Bay Commission Operations Building in the shadow of the giant wind turbines on Field's Point won in the Sustainable Design category.
William L. Kite, Jr., FAIA named to Capital Center Commission
Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chaffee has appointed KITE founder Bill Kite to the Capital Center Commission, which reviews all designs proposed for the special overlay district in the northern portion of downtown Providence.
Silver+Gold+Silver+Gold+Silver! 5 RI Monthly Design Awards go to KITE
We are very excited to have won a record number of Design Awards from RI Monthly for five separate projects in a variety of categories from commercial new construction to residential renovation. The projects receiving awards are:
World Landscape Architecture features Narragansett Bay Commission
The webzine World Landscape Architecture features the 'landfill garden' at Narragansett Bay Commission, highlighting the work of L+A Landscape Architecture with KITE on the newly completed Operations Center.
Christine West, AIA on ULI Boston Panel on NE Investment Opportunities
On September 12, 2012, KITE Principal Christine Malecki West, AIA will be one of the featured speakers at a special program by the Boston chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) entitled "Investment Opportunities in 5 New England Markets", including the parcels cleared in Providence by the moving of I-195. Each of five cities will be represented by two speakers presenting perspectives from the public and private sectors. Also representing Providence will be Colin Kane, chair of the I-195 Commission as the public perspective, while Christine will speak from the private sector.
"Why Wait? Interim Development of the I-195 Parcels"
On July 26th, KITE Principal Christine West, AIA was a featured speaker at the AIAri Conference entitled "Why Wait? Interim Development of the I-195 Parcels". The conference included a mini-charrette where architects and other attendees shared ideas on how to make the empty parcels in the center of downtown Providence vibrant over the next few years as new buildings are planned and developed. Christine gave an overview of her TEDxProvidence talk entitled "This is the Place", and shared plans to develop a method to engage the community in an informed, positive, and productive process through the 195 Hopes project.
KITE wins 2012 Design Award from Custom Home Magazine
KITE is excited to announce that national design publication Custom Home Magazine has awarded the Bristol Residence in Bristol, Rhode Island with a Merit Award in their 2012 Design Awards. Selected from over 400 entries, the professional-level kitchen in particular caught the juror's eye with its "high style - and a killer view":
KITE Principal Christine Malecki West, AIA speaks on I-195 Opportunities at TEDxProvidence
TEDxProvidence was a fantastic success! With an eye toward the imminent opportunities in the parcels vacated by the I-195 relocation in Providence's Jewelry District, KITE's Christine Malecki West, AIA spoke about how we can appreciate the City's unique sense of place and influence new development with a positive, constructive approach. Entitled "This is the Place", the video presentation will be available shortly on YouTube.
"Practice Makes Perfect" Series to Feature KITE
KITE Architects will be featured in the "Practice Makes Perfect" series of lectures and firm tours presented by the Providence Preservation Society oriented toward giving the public and inside view into how architects think and work.
KITE Nominated for Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award
KITE Architects is honored to have been nominated for consideration in the 2012 National Design Awards of the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum in the category of Architectural Design. The multi-disciplinary design awards are bestowed in recognition of excellence, innovation, and enhancement of quality of life, and are recognized in an awards ceremony and gala to be held in New York City at Pier 60 on October 20.
Kingstown Crossings earns LEED Gold Certification!
KITE is pleased to announce that the first phase of Kingstown Crossings Apartments has officially received certification through the LEED for Homes program adminstered by the US Green Building Council at the Gold level.
KITE's Narragansett Bay Commission earns AIAri Design Award
KITE was thrilled to receive an Merit Award for their design for the Narragansett Bay Commission Operations Building at their annual AIAri Design Awards Gala at Ocean Cliff in Newport on December 2.
I-195 and Capital Center Compared: "MAKE NO LITTLE PLANS- a symposium on visions for the city of Providence"
KITE Principal Christine West, AIA co-chaired the 2011 Providence Preservation Society's educational symposium looking back at the development of Capital Center in Providence, then looking forward to the imminent redevelopment of the I-195 parcels.
Carter Center Inspires Original Music
Premiering May 22, 2011 at the Providence Veteran's Memorial Auditorium, KITE Architects' work to create the Carter Center of Music Education has helped inspire an original orchestral work "Credo", by composer Roger Chichy and performed by the RI Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Following is the official statement:
PPS Awards 1577 Westminster Street with Neighborhood Revitalization Award
The Providence Preservation Society awarded the new building at 1577 Westminster Street designed by KITE Architects with a Neighborhood Revitalization Ceremony at their annual Preservation Awards on April 28, 2011.
Albert Garcia, AIA Speaks on AIAri Green Roof Panel
Albert Garcia, AIA appeared as an expert panelist at the March 24, 2011 seminar at AIAri headquarters on green roofs. Albert presented an in-depth case study on the extensive green roof systems now underway at the Narragansett Bay Commission, as well as the code issues affecting its installation in a high wind zone.
Mayor Taveras Appoints Christine West, AIA to Providence Building Board of Review
On February, 3, 2011, the members of Providence's City Council confirmed Mayor Taveras' appointment of KITE Principal Christine West, AIA to the Providence Building Board of Review for a three-year term. The confirmation was followed by a swearing-in ceremony in the Mayor's beautiful office overlooking Kennedy Plaza.
WBNA Honors KITE with Community Development Award
The West Broadway Neighborhood Association recognized the efforts of KITE to construct the new building at 1577 Westminster Street along with Barbara Sokoloff Associates at their annual meeting on January 11, 2011.
Carter Center for Music Education wins AIAri Design Award
KITE is thrilled that their design for the Carter Center for Music Education for the RI Philharmonic and Music School has won a Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects Rhode Island Chapter in the Interiors category.
Ira Rakatansky Visits KITE
The architects at KITE had the privilege of sitting down to have a conversation with noted Providence architect Ira Rakatansky, who has just published a book of his work, "Ira Rakatansky: As Modern As Tomorrow". Mr. Rakatansky studied with Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer at Harvard in the late 1940's, and continued to be a standard bearer for modernist ideals throughout his career. He shared stories from his early studies and career and discussed a wide range of topics.
University Club Wins a Gold Rhode Island Monthly Design Award
KITE is pleased to have earned a Gold Design Award from Rhode Island Monthly in their Annual Design Awards program for 2010 for their design of a new bar and informal dining suite within the University Club on Providence's historic Benefit Street. Photographs and story appear in the November 2010 issue.