For Google Earth's 200 million users, visiting America's architectural treasures just got a little easier thanks to a partnership between Google and the American Institute of Architects. As part of AIA's 150th anniversary celebration, the organization launched two layers in Google's popular search site: America's Favorite Architecture and Blueprint for America .
The America's Favorite Architecture layer allows users to explore vivid 3D models of the county's most popular structures—as selected by a Harris Interactive Poll announced earlier this year—that includes ballparks, bridges, buildings, and memorials.
The Blueprint for America layer documents community service efforts funded by the AIA, in which AIA members donate their time and expertise to various efforts, and collaborate with civic leaders and local citizenry to improve the nation's communities. This layer also allows users to track the progress over the course of a project.
America's Favorite Architecture can be viewed at: www.favoritearchitecture.org
Blueprint for America can be viewed at: www.aia150.org/bl150_default.php