Disclaimer related to Michael Sorkin:
For years Sorkin has distributed inaccurate and damaging claims about our organization Terreform ONE.
In 2006, Michael Sorkin and Mitchell Joachim founded a new non-profit organization called Terreform*. This name they mutually agreed upon would represent their partnership and collaboration with others. A year later many of the additional partners believed that the one partner - Sorkin - was not promoting the work of Terreform. He had numerous conflicting agendas including his private practice. He also published our work under his office of twenty years; Michael Sorkin Studio. Our non-profit was sharing the same space as the profit driven Michael Sorkin Studio; this is a severe conflict of interest according to IRS 501c3 guidelines. Terreform soon devolved into a classic example of "Founder’s Syndrome". We found it impossible to collaborate with Sorkin as an equal. We were afflicted with one member who wished to solely control our collected mission and re-define it at will. The breaking point occurred when he forcefully introduced a project outside of our charitable goals – a super luxury hotel in China. Therefore, we asked Sorkin to leave Terreform. Since that moment he has continued to pilfer our prior work as his own. We lawfully own the trademark to the name (view our USPTO registration). Any unauthorized use of our Terreform mark or similar derivation will deceive and confuse the public.
Terreform ONE (Open Network Ecology) has chosen its own direction without Sorkin and within the essence of our original mission statement. His business methods are questionable and unethical. He has taken our logo and design work without any compensation or permission. We have no relationship with him whatsoever. Our name has been protected since 2006 and we legally operate under the seal of New York State (view our NY certificate of Inc). Sorkin has used a few of his academic connections to attempt to tarnish our reputation. We are being bullied and threatened by this bitter individual. We are in the business of providing a better future. Sorkin is in the business of promoting himself and battering others as a critic. We are wasting our valuable energy in defense from Sorkin’s tirades.
Additional Facts
Sorkin claims to be "President" of Terreform Inc. This assertion is dubious, considering his first public corporate certificate is listed under the name "Commonspace Inc." and declares Michael Sorkin as Executive Director and Chair. His wife Joan Copjec is the Vice Chair (view the Commonspace public documents). Moreover, Sorkin has never been known as "Terreform" until Oct. 2006. This date marks the start of an unincorporated volunteer collaboration between peers. We are saddened that Sorkin does not realize he was a member of team called Terreform, not its overseer. We were never employees of this organization in any capacity. We ask the question; why would several accomplished architects agree to work for Sorkin for free with only marginal credit?
Project Credits
Sorkin has misappropriated, altered and/or failed to credit many projects that were performed under the umbrella of our early Terreform partnership. The following projects were never intended to be additions to his private work at Sorkin Studio; Shanghai Main Station District in China, Riva Ring in Istanbul Turkey, Almere Hout in Netherlands, Green Brain A Smart Park for a New City in Korea, and Loisaida 2056 for the History Channel in New York. Another specific example of his unacceptable behavior was the surreptitious publication of the Coorg Houses in India for AD magazine without any credit or attribution beyond his own. For our other Terreform projects, Sorkin simply removed the cover pages and switched them to Michael Sorkin Studio LLC.
Terreform ONE:
Mitchell Joachim
, Maria Aiolova
, Melanie Fessel
, Dan O'Connor
, Oliver Medvedik
Tax Exempt Status
: Terreform ONE is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization
View our IRS 501c3 Letter of Determination (pdf)
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*Craig Bromberg, "Gang of Green: Terreform," DigitALL, Samsung, p. 10/48 Fall 2007. |
