11th International Aldo Villa Award

Arizona Architect Michael P. Johnson Becomes First American To Win Italy’s Prestigious Aldo Villa Award
(October 2009 -- Bologna, Italy) Arizona architect Michael P. Johnson frequently travels to Italy, most often to attend Cersaie, the international exhibition for ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings. This time, he attended the show as an honored guest. On Thursday, October 1, 2009, the Italian Ceramic Society officially announced Michael P. Johnson as the recipient of 11th International Aldo Villa Award for his commitment to Italy’s ceramic sector. As part of the award, Cersaie organizers also presented a retrospective of his work, which was on display in the fair’s architectural gallery. In addition, he was asked to participate in Cersaie’s largest-ever architectural conference program. Johnson presented a session entitled “Living in the Desert” in which he showed various architectural projects as examples of building, dwelling and living in this arid environment.

Johnson is the first North American architect to receive this prestigious prize. The award was established in 1989 by the Italian Ceramic Society to recognize an individual who has contributed to the development of the ceramic industry. It is named after Mr. Aldo Villa, chairman of SACMI, the world leader in equipment and machinery for ceramics. The recipient of the award - a gold medal designed by sculptor and ceramicist Carlo Zauli - is selected by a Committee consisting of the Chairman of the Italian Ceramic Society and five members appointed by the Board of Directors. Previous honorees include: Dr Ibrahim Bodur, founding chief and chairman of the Board of the Kale Group (2007); Prof. Carlo Palmonari, director Centro Ceramico Bologna (2005); Filippo Marazzi, chairman of Ceramiche Marazzi Group (2003); Vittoriano Bitossi, chairman of Colorobbia Holding (2001); Josè Soriano Ramos, chairman of Porcelanosa S.A. Group (1999); Prof. Leopoldo Cini, honorary chairman of Italian Ceramic Society (1997); Prof. Philip Rosenthal; chairman of Rosenthal AG (1995); Romano Minozzi; chairman of IRIS Ceramica Spa (1993); Prof Alex Muller and Dr. Georg Bednorz, researchers at the I.B.M Research Center in Zurich (1991); and Adriano Bossetti, chairman of S.I.T.I Spa (1989).

It is widely known that Johnson appreciates Italian design and ingenuity. From furnishings to hard surfaces, his projects feature a carefully curated selection of products that are “Made in Italy.” Albeit humble, Johnson is no stranger to limelight as his projects have been recognized across the globe. Similar to the prize bestowed upon him by the Italian Ceramic Society, Confindustria Ceramica (the association of Italian Ceramics) and The Italian Trade Commission have chosen Johnson as a three-time recipient of the Ceramic Tiles of Italy Design Competition Award. He first caught the jury’s eye in 2001 for the exceptional design of the Yoder Residence, a private home in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2005, he was awarded both the Commercial Prize for the Wilkinson Office-Warehouse Reconstruction and the Residential Prize for the McCue Residence Reconstruction. Three years later, Michael P. Johnson earned the first ever Ceramic Tiles of Italy Legend Award for his commitment to innovative architecture and design using Italian ceramic tile. The Phoenix, Arizona based architect submitted two projects, the Bradley Residence and the Ellsworth Residence, that once again wowed the jury with their minimalist sophistication and modern aesthetic. Johnson was also the faculty advisor responsible for the construction of the award-winning Mod.Fab located on the campus of Taliesin West. The 500 sq ft building acts as a one-bedroom apartment for visiting faculty, lecturers and architects.

For more information on Michael P. Johnson, his built projects and studio projects, visit www.mpjstudio.com.

Happy Birthday to Paolo Soleri

Michael P. Johnson Design Studios Ltd. would like to wish Paolo Soleri a very Happy Birthday. On June 21st, 2009 (the summer solstice) Paolo Soleri will be 90 years old. We wish him continued success and happiness with all his current and future endeavors.

Design for the New Stand for Confindustria Ceramica

Piazza, a public square in an Italian town.
The joy one experiences with the engagement of the piazza is not limited to the beauty of the architectural elements, but more importantly, with the interaction with the people drawn to the environment. A visual, physical and human dialogue is unavoidable in such a setting.

Thus, the design solution I present to you is not just a stand but a “piazza” to create a visual, physical and human dialogue between the trade and the consumer.

The periphery of the piazza consists of four elements. The first element we encounter is the Information Desk, which I consider “the cathedral of knowledge.” The second element, the Catering Service, is “the communion of fellowship.” The third and fourth elements wrap a display of the elevated floor system creating a bench for overflow seating. These four elements creating the piazza are unified by an steel beam connecting them above, defining the architectural space.

The platform (i.e., the piazza) will allow four major products to be displayed by bisecting the space on the axis using 1’.0” x 2’.0” tiles in each sector.

The information desk element will be built using the 3m x 9m full porcelain tiles for the counter and back wall construction. The walls towards the piazza will be a display for a ventilated wall construction using porcelain 2’.0” x 4'.0” tiles. Sustainability will be a strong suit in our selection of materials and systems used.

The issue of product display is an important consideration. It has been addressed with the utmost concern, so as not to appear as a showroom. The products featured are intended to be used as architectural elements of design and provide for the display of no less than sixteen member companies to participate, showing the wide range of products and systems available.

A video wall is strategically located for viewing from the entire piazza. The use of existing tables and chairs scattered throughout the piazza allow a free-flow of activity.

The use of the elevated floor and ventilated wall systems can be stored and reused in subsequent years. It is intended for the four main elements to be pre-assembled in their entirety by the constructor and shipped to the site, thus limiting costly on-site construction by local contractors.

Taliesin Mod.Fab Project

Photo copyright: Bill Timmerman.

The Taliesin Mod.FabTM is an example of simple, elegant, and sustainable living in the desert. The one-bedroom, 600-square-foot prototype residence relies on panelized construction to allow for speed and economy on site or in a factory. It can be connected to utilities or be "unplugged," relying on low-consumption fixtures, rainwater harvesting, greywater re-use, natural ventilation, solar orientation, and photovoltaics to reduce energy and water use. The structure is dimensioned and engineered to be transportable via roadway.

The Taliesin Mod.FabTM was designed and built by graduate and undergraduate students at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture with the faculty guidance of Michael P. Johnson and Jennifer Siegal, project manager Christian Butler, recent M.Arch graduate, and assistant project manager Nick Mancusi, current BAS student.

The structure can be visited on the student-led Taliesin West Desert Shelter Tour, Saturdays at 1:30 until April 25, 2009.

For further information, more photos and list of all participants please visit the following link. http://www.taliesin.edu/pages/MODFAB.htm