ACSA News

High-Performance Building Week May 23-29, 2011

2011-05-25T08:51:00.009-04:00

The High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition (HPBCCC), established by ASHRAE, will host a week-long event, May 23-29, 2011, highlighting the importance of high-performance buildings to federal, state and local policymakers and the general public.

Events for the week kick off on Tuesday, May 24, with a Congressional press event, held at 9:30 a.m. in 2325 Rayburn House Office Building. Press may contact Amanda Dean, adean@ashrae.org to register to attend.

Speakers include ASHRAE President Lynn G. Bellenger, P.E., as well as representatives from the Institute for Market Transformation, the International Code Council, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), among others. Panelists will discuss how high-performance buildings impact jobs, the economy, environment, safety and security, as well as what “high-performance building” means in practice and what it takes to get there.

Download the list of events here. For a complete listing for the week’s events please go to the website at www.hpbccc.org and click on the individual invitations. Please note that all events require RSVPs.

Download Press Release

Lawrence W. Speck, FAIA 2011 AIA/ACSA Topaz Winner

2011-05-23T09:25:00.000-04:00

ACSA Educators Bestowed AIA Fellowship in 2011

2011-05-16T15:10:00.009-04:00

The 2011 Jury of Fellows from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) elevated 104 AIA members to its prestigious College of Fellows, an honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the profession. Of this year's college, six were ACSA educators:

Stanley Allen, Princeton University
Michael Fifield, University of Oregon
Ron Haase, University of Florida
Martin Harms, California Polytechnic State University
Clark Llewellyn, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Dan Pitera, University of Detroit Mercy
Robert Shibley, University at Buffalo, SUNY
Joy Swallow, University of Missouri at Kansas City
Kim Tanzer, University of Virginia

The 2011 Fellows were honored at a ceremony at the 2011 National AIA Convention and Design Exposition in New Orleans.

The Fellowship program was developed to elevate those architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.

Read AIA's press release here: http://www.aia.org/press/AIAB087471

DesignIntelligence Expands Its Survey

2011-05-12T09:17:00.000-04:00

Architecture students are now invited to register their opinions on architecture schools at this URL: http://www.di.net/surveys/students.

Three Schools Awarded NCARB Grant

2011-02-07T09:33:00.001-05:00

Architecture schools at three U.S. universities are recipients of the 2010 NCARB Grant, a monetary award from the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB) to support new projects that further the integration of education and practice.

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona was awarded $4,000; and the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and North Carolina State University received $3,000 each. The awards total $10,000.

The NCARB Grant for the Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy is awarded annually to schools to implement new for-credit curricular initiatives that integrate practice and education. Grants are awarded to programs that desire to turn good ideas that might involve risk into reality; have a long-term impact on students, faculty, the curriculum, and the profession; and give other schools high-quality ideas for initiating new programs.

Click to read more at NCARB.org

NEA Grant: Universal Design

2011-02-01T16:08:00.003-05:00

The National Endowment for the Arts recently launched funding guidelines for Art Works, an update to the existing Grants for Arts Projects category. This funding opportunity is available to organizations with Universal Design projects in disciplines including, but not limited to, planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, product and fashion design, and communications and graphic design. The Office of Accessibility has supported the growth of the Universal Design field through its leadership initiatives and welcomes this new opportunity to offer funding for Universal Design projects through Art Works.

Art Works Guidelines: http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/GAP12/DesignAW.html

Webinars: NEA staff will be conducting a series of webinars on the new Art Works guidelines:

· February 3, 3:30-4:30 pm

with Accessibility, Challenge America, Local Arts Agencies, and States & Regions staff

· February 7, 3:30-4:30 pm

with Design, Media Arts, Museums, and Visual Arts staff

Inquiries: NEA staff is available to answer questions regarding Art Works and Universal Design.

Jen Hughes

Design Specialist

Design Department, Art Works

hughesj@arts.gov

Katie Lyles Levy

Accessibility Specialist

Office of Accessibility

levyk@arts.gov

Transformation Initiative: Natural Experiments Grant Program

2011-01-25T09:01:00.004-05:00

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) invites investigators to submit proposals for funding to support scientific research that make use of natural experiments to evaluate the impacts of local, state, and federal policies in the areas of housing and community development. HUD is particularly interested in funding evaluations that can help policymakers determine how to spend taxpayer dollars effectively and efficiently, though other types of projects will also be considered.

Nonprofit organizations, for profit organizations located in the U.S (HUD will not pay fee or profit for the work conducted under this NOFA), foundations, think tanks, consortia, institutions of higher education accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and other entities that will sponsor a researcher, expert or analyst are eligible.

See the link below to apply.

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=0ywjN5FfVypzXLppfh5Qz8yhT9LQL5WNvDYr55nvk8hbTd13Lhff!1018814583?oppId=65873&mode=VIEW

smARTpower

2011-01-06T11:19:00.001-05:00

smARTpowerSM engages a diverse range of American visual artists to work with communities around the world to create community-based projects. The artists will collaborate with local artists and young people in China, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Kosovo, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Venezuela. Focusing on direct community engagement that encourages dialogue, experimentation and creativity, this program is designed to stimulate discourse around local or global social issues including the environment, education, health, girls and women’s issues and freedom of expression.

The inaugural program—designed and funded by ECA and administered by the Bronx Museum of the Arts—will kick off in Spring/Summer 2011. The call for applications is now open. Applications are available online until February 28, 2011.

Intelligent Cities Initiative

2010-10-22T16:31:00.005-04:00

The National Building Museum announced the launch of its Intelligent Cities initiative.

Over the next 12 months, the project will explore how data and information technology are changing cities. Information surrounds us - data on how much energy we use in the home, projected traffic congestion, and census reports. But how do we make sense of all this information? How do we make connections between the way we travel and our health or the growth of cities and economic output? The Intelligent Cities attempts to make these connections visible and more importantly USEFUL. Starting with the November 1 issue of TIME magazine (on newsstands today), NBM will have a full page ad mashing up data about the home and asking the public to respond to a series of questions that will be geo-coded by zip code. These ads will continue each month through April, 2011. As part of this initiative, NBM will host a public forum in June 2011, a publication next fall and ultimately all of the work will culminate in an exhibition opening in 2013.

NBM released their first polling question, asking how one chooses where to live. And then compare your responses to fellow citizens. Next month will feature the next infographic and polling question about how kids travel to school.

Visit the Intelligent Cities web page, for essays, videos, and related links.

TIME magazine has created their own Intelligent Cities channel on their website featuring links to our site and an initial article by Bruce Katz, Director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings.

NSF Workshop – Collaborative Practice: When Engineering Design Meets Architecture

2010-09-01T13:42:00.003-04:00

Penn Design, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pa
November 4 - 5, 2010

The Architecture Program at Penn DESIGN in collaboration with The Stuckeman School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and the Department of Architectural Engineering at Penn State University will host the NSF Workshop – Collaborative Practice: When Engineering Design Meets Architecture.

The event, co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), will be held in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania on November 4th and 5th, 2010. The workshop is dedicated to the cultivation of a common research language amongst architects and engineer with the goal of overcoming many of the historic barriers that have hindered effective collaboration between the disciplines. Throughout the two day event, successful interdisciplinary teams of researchers will communicate their strategies for obtaining NSF support for research in design. A select number of professional and industry partners will discuss building related advances that have resulted from research in both fields, while NSF personnel will clarify the organization’s goals, procedures and evaluation criteria. We are interested in devising new and effective strategies for increasing the range of collaborative opportunities available to architects and engineers.

To this end, the organizers seek participation from academic colleagues primarily from universities with strong programs in both engineering and architecture. Interdisciplinary research teams working across institutional boundaries who have or who are planning to participate in funded research are encouraged to apply for a sponsored workshop registration. Interested parties are asked to submit a one page project description of their collaborative research whether past, present or in the planning stages, clearly identifying all team members. Participants who are selected are not expected to make a presentation, but should they wish to can by communicating their interest within the project description. Teams of researchers who submit by September 1 will be assured consideration. Sponsored participants will be contacted by September 20, 2010. Please address all responses and enquiries to Franca Trubiano at trubiano@design.upenn.edu.

William Braham, Penn Design
Tim Simpson, Penn State
Franca Trubiano, Penn Design
Dan Willis, Penn State

GSA/NEA Call for Proposals

2010-08-23T13:22:00.004-04:00

The General Services Administration and the National Endowment for the Arts have partnered to offer a new opportunity to perform research, analysis, and planning for a new design initiative. Please find the RFP below:

As stated in the RFP below, excellence in Federal design is not a luxury, but rather a government imperative. Quality design and effective design processes can improve the reach, efficiency and quality of government program delivery. It can enhance the quality and impact of public architecture, infrastructure, and urban design services that government provides to the American people, as it symbolizes our nation’s enduring values.

The project will aim to translate this understanding into a new initiative that enhances the General Services Administration’s commitment to design excellence, and informs the National Endowment for the Arts investments in good design, livable communities, and creative place-making. Overall the aim is to foster the precepts of “The Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture,” as well as inculcating an ethic of quality design across Federal agencies in such areas as urban design, landscape architecture, graphic design, and in public spaces generally.

This project is a partnership between the GSA and the NEA. Please follow the link below for more information and to apply for this Federal Business Opportunity:

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=878ebcca84130744428405ab62d814e2&tab=core&_cview=0

Proposals are due on or before 12:00pm, E.S.T., September 9, 2010.

Please note: Potential contractors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) before being considered for award. Information concerning CCR requirements may be viewed via Internet at www.ccr.gov or by calling 1-888-227-2423.

Sincerely,

Jason Schupbach

Design Director

National Endowment for the Arts

1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 729

Washington, DC 20506

p:202-682-5786 | c:202-604-3508 |f:202-682-5721

schupbachj@arts.gov

Casey Jones

Director, Design Excellence and the Arts

U.S. General Services Administration

1800 F St, NW 3341

Washington, DC 20405

[O] 202 219 3859 | [C] 202 570 1418 | [F] 202 501 3393

casey.jones@gsa.gov

GSA/NEA Call for Proposals

2010-08-23T13:22:00.003-04:00

This project is a partnership between the GSA and the NEA.

Please follow the link below for more information and to apply for this Federal Business Opportunity:

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=878ebcca84130744428405ab62d814e2&tab=core&_cview=0

Proposals are due on or before 12:00pm, E.S.T., September 9, 2010.

Sincerely,

Jason Schupbach

Design Director

National Endowment for the Arts

1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 729

Washington, DC 20506

p:202-682-5786 | c:202-604-3508 |f:202-682-5721

schupbachj@arts.gov

Casey Jones

Director, Design Excellence and the Arts

U.S. General Services Administration

1800 F St, NW 3341

Washington, DC 20405

[O] 202 219 3859 | [C] 202 570 1418 | [F] 202 501 3393

casey.jones@gsa.gov

UIA: Architectural education research

2010-07-14T09:21:00.002-04:00

UIA announces an international competiton for research papers that

aims to encourage creativity in architectural education. It is

organised in the framework of the reflection groups of the UIA

Architectural Education Commission by the Federation of Institutes of

Korean Architects (FIKA), UIA Korean Section.

This competition is open to individuals or groups of individuals

holding a graduate degree from 5-or-more year programmes in

architecture or urban design and architects entitled to practice in

their countries of residence. It is organised exclusively on-line. The

first selection will be made on a Regional basis. An international

jury will make the final selection.

The research papers, of 30 000 characters maximum, will focus on

teaching and learning methods in architecture; heritage and

sustainability; architecture for all; cultural diversity; spatial

needs; architecture and urbanism.

Prizes

The international jury will award one grand prize of 1500 euros; two

second prizes of 1000 euros each; three third prizes of 500 euros each

and nine honourable mentions. These will be presented during the 2011

UIA Congress in Tokyo.

Main dates

• Regulations posted on web site 3 June 2010

• Registration period 15 October - 30 December 2010

• Transmission of texts 1st February - 30 March 2011

• Publication of results 30 June 2011

• Presentation at UIACongress September 2011.

Participation

The competition language is English. The registration fee of 20 euros

will be paid on-line, by PayPal or credit card, at the time of

registering on the competition site:

www.uia-researchcompetition1.org

Learn more about the UIA Architectural Education Commission

http://www.uia-architectes.org/texte/england/Menu-4/2-Commissions-b.html

ACSA Feedback Request

2010-07-08T09:15:00.001-04:00

ACSA is planning for future conferences and would like your input. We have a brief survey that will take less than 5 minutes to complete. It asks about areas of international research and about partnerships with engineering.

We would very much appreciate your input by [7 days from date sent].

ACSA Survey

Virginia Tech Wins European Solar Decathlon

2010-06-30T09:43:00.002-04:00

The European Solar Decathlon announced Virginia Tech as the first place winner for their entry, Lumenhaus.

The CRE Solution

2010-06-10T11:03:00.004-04:00

Architecture 2030 has released a report to address the commercial real estate (CRE) meltdown currently underway in the US. Titled "The CRE Solution," the report ties tax incentives to high-performance buildings. It is targeted to thaw the frozen CRE market, reduce foreclosures and small business failures, create building sector jobs, reduce energy consumption and emissions, and provide a robust and viable market for PACE and building efficiency revolving loan funds now being established in parts of the US.

Architecture 2030 recommends that Congress implement the ‘CRE Solution’, providing a tax deduction tied to specific energy reduction targets that will create 1.3 million jobs while restoring credit capacity and liquidity in the CRE market.

Read the report: http://www.architecture2030.org/pdfs/theCREsolution.pdf

Design in Action: Inspiring Solutions for People and Cities

2010-06-08T10:10:00.004-04:00

2010 Association of Architecture Organizations Conference

November 15-16, 2010 Chicago, IL

Join us for a two-day conference of inspiring ideas and practical solutions. Hear from today’s game changers who are mobilizing design to transform our world now. Learn from colleagues at leading architecture centers who are inventing new ways to solve old problems. Discuss real opportunities for collaboration. Find out who is reaching growing audiences despite the squeeze on financial resources. Rethink and energize your approach to common challenges.

Registration begins July 15, 2010

The Association of Architecture Organizations’ Annual Conference is a catalyst for international dialogue and practical learning on issues confronting design educators and leaders of nonprofit architecture centers.

Interested in leading a Conference Workshop? Learn more.

Special Pre-Conference Boot Camp:

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Don’t miss this exclusive workshop designed for start-ups and emerging architecture centers. Space is limited. For more information, please contact aao@architecture.org.

View flyer online.

AIA 2011 National Convention Call for Presentations

2010-05-25T13:21:00.000-04:00

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

The AIA 2011 Convention in New Orleans presents an opportunity to explore how innovative approaches to planning, design, and construction, along with evolutionary or revolutionary approaches to practice, collaboration, and partnerships can create more resilient urban ecosystems where cities of all scales contribute to a region’s sustainability and regeneration. If you are interested in presenting during next year’s convention (May 12-14, 2011).

Click here for submission requirements.

Deadline for proposals is July 1, 2010

AIAS Studio Culture Public Policy for review

2010-05-17T09:26:00.003-04:00

At the AIAS spring meeting, the Board of Directors accepted the first draft of a public policy on the topic of “Studio Culture.” The Board has released a draft statement to its members and stakeholders for a 30-day public review and comment period.

Upon the closing of the comment period, a special working group will incorporate the comments into a final draft of the statement to be considered at the Grassroots Board of Directors meeting in July. The Board may then refer the statement back to the designated group for further work, reject it, or approve it as a statement of AIAS policy. Once approved, the policy statement will be issued in an appropriate form and will be included in a compilation of official policies maintained by AIAS and distributed to all AIAS constituencies.

The current edition of the AIAS Public Policies, approved in July 2009, can be found at the AIAS Web site: http://aias.org/advocacy_service/public_policies.php

Please address all comments and suggestions to Vice President Brett Roeth at broeth@aias.org. Comments must be received no later than Friday, June 11.

Studio Culture Draft Statement

The Student Architecture + Design Initiative launches their first annual Global Student Showcase

2010-04-05T12:47:00.001-04:00

Non-profit SADi just launched their first annual census of student architecture and design at www.student-showcase.org with the aim of collecting, organizing, displaying, and celebrating undergraduate and graduate thesis work. Students face a July 1, 2010 deadline for uploading images and an artist’s statement from their 2009/2010 thesis. Over time, SADi hopes to build and disseminate the definitive open-access collection of student architecture and design.

The patchwork of existing student showcases are useful but difficult to navigate and synthesize. Coverage is spotty, there is no uniform publishing schedule, and this work, once removed from the school sites, is typically lost to the viewing public. Geoffrey Rubin, SADi cofounder, notes the benefits of a permanent, universal repository of student work:

“Students can draw from the collection as they develop their own projects, and they can host their finished work on this free, dependable platform. Universities can archive and display the complete thesis work of their students, facilitating both accreditation and outreach. Academics can use the collection to develop lesson plans, ensure the originality of student submissions, and study the evolution of student thesis work over time. And lay users can enjoy the breadth and depth of exciting, daring, and beautiful architecture and design.”

The success of this initiative hinges upon participation and organization. To encourage student submissions, SADi will offer a variety of cash awards and host an awards ceremony each fall. SADi will also work over the summer to ensure that submissions are properly catalogued, organized, and searchable. Rubin notes that, “this must be more than a virtual bulletin board; the full power of this initiative will only be realized when users can nimbly build their own albums and narratives.” Viewer access starting in September, 2010, will support advanced search, custom albums, special collections, and idea networking.

Please encourage your students to upload their work before the July 1, 2010 deadline. Learn more at www.student-showcase.org, or contact Geoffrey Rubin directly at grubin@sad-i.org.

Builders dream of a better Haiti - latimes.com

2010-01-26T12:42:00.001-05:00

Builders dream of a better Haiti - latimes.com

Posted using ShareThis

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Announces Plans for Forum on R&D Commercialization at Universities

2010-01-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

CONTACT OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

202-482-4883

WASHINGTON—U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today his plans to host a forum with university leaders and key stakeholders on the roles of universities in innovation, economic development, job creation, and commercialization of federally funded research next month in Washington, D.C

The forum, to be held February 24, will open a dialogue among administration officials, university leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and other stakeholders on the effectiveness of existing government and university policies, programs and practices that impact job creation and commercialization. Participants will discuss potential collaborative steps that the Commerce Department and administration can take working with universities and industry to increase and accelerate commercialization of federal R&D in universities.

“It’s not tenable for the United States to continue with the status quo,” Locke said at the Kauffman Foundation’s State of Entrepreneurship event. “In a world where innovation is critical to U.S. competitiveness, we must do everything in our power to optimize commercialization that stems from our nation’s vast research investments. The Commerce Department is working hard to find solutions, and as has always been the case, we will look to America's entrepreneurs to help chart the path back to recovery.”

Universities cultivate many of the critical capabilities needed to build an innovation economy, including the creation of new fundamental knowledge and technologies, the production of skilled industrial and research workforces, and entrepreneurship and leadership development. The federal government makes substantial investments in university-based R&D and has a long relationship with the university community. With input from many stakeholders, the Commerce Department will explore ways to increase and accelerate commercialization of new ideas from R&D that lead to new businesses and new jobs.

Source: Department of Commerce Press Release

Architecture Students and Professors on Spending the Stimulus

2009-08-04T14:55:00.002-04:00

ACSA-AIA call for entries highlights need for cross-disciplinary collaboration

by Sara Fernández Cendón

Source: AIArchitect

How do you . . . promote collaboration between academics and practicing architects to create ready-to-build projects worthy of funding from the economic stimulus package?

Summary: A call for entries issued by the AIA and ACSA has generated a range of proposals worthy of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding. And beyond that, the joint effort highlights the need for collaboration among academics, communities, and practicing architects to define problems and generate creative, scalable solutions.

Through its 2009 legislative agenda, Rebuild and Renew, the AIA has called on Congress to provide resources and incentives for architects to produce work consistent with the profession’s values. The priorities established by the AIA are especially crucial in light of the massive amount of funding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides for departments and agencies closely associated with the construction and design industries.

As funds continue to be distributed through federal, state, and local agencies, the AIA and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) have made more concrete the call for quality design interventions by soliciting projects that are both shovel-ready and shovel-worthy.

“We’re justifiably concerned that a lot of stimulus money is going to projects that are shovel-ready vs. design-ready,” says Thomas Fisher, Assoc. AIA, new president of the ACSA and dean of the University of Minnesota College of Design.

The joint call for entries, issued in April and open until September 1, has been an attempt to get academics and practicing professionals to combine their strengths in producing well-researched and feasible proposals to better communities across the country. In addition to generating project ideas worthy of Recovery Act funding, Fisher would like to see this effort become the beginning of a new culture of research in the profession, a way to reinforce a knowledge loop connecting architecture schools to practitioners with a continuous flow of information about research needs and results.

“We need to move beyond a model in which every particular solution has no broader applicability,” he says. “Solutions tend to be client-, site-, or program-specific, but we need to be able to recognize, in the process of addressing particular needs, that there are generalizable principles, ideas, and solutions that we need to share, peer review, and learn from.”

A neighborhood facelift

Among the entries received by the ACSA so far is “Sustainable Republic,” a proposal by the Miami University Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine submitted by John Blake. Blake is a design-build studio instructor at Miami University in Ohio and started working with the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood in Cincinnati in 2001.

Blake had been planning the renovation of two buildings with Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, a nonprofit in the area. When the opportunity to propose a project worthy of stimulus funding came along, Blake knew right away the renovation project would be perfect. The structure, two late-1800s buildings with a central courtyard, includes 16 units that have been vacant for about five years. The five-story brick buildings never had central heating or cooling but retain much of the original hardware and millwork. The neighborhood itself presents many challenges—issues associated with gentrification, disinvestment, demolition, and other common urban issues.

Iowa State University’s Bridge Studio project, by Cole Baessler, Chris Cummings, Thomas Grier, and Jeremy Perrault.

“This is a nice case study for us, and a bit of a social experiment,” Blake says, explaining that in addition to helping to revitalize the neighborhood, the project—a prototype for mixed-income, pan-cultural housing—seeks to promote equitable development. In addition to the social aspects, the team wants to redevelop this structure with an eye toward energy efficiency.

During his spring 2009 semester, Blake worked with two other faculty members and about 20 students in a single studio to strategize about the project. The group considered how different scenarios might affect the buildings, the block, and the neighborhood.

“Now we’re in editing mode,” he says. “We almost have too many good ideas, but now we’re looking at the things we can’t live without in this project, and we’re trying to figure out how to make them happen.”

The proposed project is a partnership between the community, academia, and practitioners working in the field. As an academic, Blake recognizes the benefits of collaborating with practicing professionals and cites better code review and oversight for drawings as areas in which practicing architects can contribute valuable expertise to an academic team. He also thinks collaboration allows students to benefit from mentoring relationships with practicing professionals, and firms to detect and develop new talent.

Training for green jobs

Some of the submissions received by the ACSA so far are not exactly shovel-ready projects. The “Building Energy Training Workshop,” for example, is a classroom-ready project. As a practicing engineer, Simi Hoque, now assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, worked on low-income housing.

“I realized that much of what we know can be transferred to contractors to build better housing,” she says. “I read Van Jones’ The Green Collar Economy and decided to try develop the program for young people who are interested in joining the building trades.”

Hoque found a logical audience in students enrolled in YouthBuild, a job training program. The students, from Holyoke, Mass., were between the ages of 16 and 20, and most had dropped out of high school.

The Recovery Act provided some funding for Hoque’s idea through the Department of Energy. In addition to the $50 million that the Recovery Act allocates specifically to YouthBuild activities, the bill provides $500 million to research labor exchange and job training projects that prepare workers for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Hoque developed a curriculum in four modules with energy expert Craig Marden and graduate students Ryan Harb and Akanksha Sharma. Harb developed the curriculum for the first four-week module and then taught the classes to a group of 12 students. The module included background lessons on topics such as green building, energy auditing, and weatherization. Hoque also contracted the Center for Ecology Technology (CET), an energy training and weatherization services company based in Northampton, Mass., which provided the training for the second module.

The last two modules of the course were not taught because Massachussets discontinued funds for the YouthBuild program. But, through a new grant, Hoque will be able to start up again in September.

Iowa State University’s Bridge Studio project, by Cole Baessler, Chris Cummings, Thomas Grier, and Jeremy Perrault.

Iowa getting greener

Two Iowa State University submissions have a heavy focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. One of the projects, “The Bridge Studio—Green Housing,” submitted by Department of Architecture faculty member Nadia Anderson, consists of student-developed prototypes for single- and multi-family affordable housing. The prototypes were designed to incorporate energy efficiency strategies while remaining within typical budgets for nonprofit agencies working with HUD funds. Students prepared preliminary cost estimates and construction documents for their designs.

In addition to the green housing project, Anderson submitted a “Green Iowa Communities” project with colleague Carl Rogers. Like the green housing project, the “Green Iowa Communities” proposal involves architecture and interior design faculty and students, but it also includes landscape architecture. Anderson explains that, in some ways, the communities project is an extension of the green housing project.

“We have been working with students and nonprofits for a number of years to bring sustainable building and neighborhood design strategies into affordable housing,” says Anderson. “Typically we did a prototype house for a particular neighborhood. But our colleagues in landscape architecture helped us expand more fully into neighborhood design.”

Anderson says landscape architects contributed a solid understanding of broader-scale urban issues such as transportation, hydrology, and land use.

For the communities project, during the spring 2009 semester four groups of students worked with a different city or town in Iowa. Students were required to find places large enough to engage serious urban issues, and they settled on Des Moines, Waterloo, Iowa City, and Newton. Teams were instructed to ask questions such as, “Where are the big problems?” and “Where is there motivation and interest in doing something about the problems?” Students were also encouraged to make contact with key people in government and organizations in the community.

Samantha Abkes and her teammates Chris Cummings and Jake Tisinger chose Waterloo because Abkes grew up near the city and had watched it change throughout the years.

“As we did our research on Waterloo we began to uncover some serious issues,” she says. “A large percentage of people in Waterloo were at or below the poverty line, and after contacting their local food bank and speaking with them we decided our project would focus on finding ways to use the city to grow and produce food for Waterloo’s less fortunate.”

Abkes says the team proposed transforming vacant spaces into aesthetically pleasing and productive elements.

“Instead of huge planters filled with flowers gracing the streets of Waterloo, you could plant different colored pepper plants and herbs,” she says. “Now you have both vegetables for people to enjoy and the aroma of fresh herbs.”

The group working with Newton proposed turning the former site of a Maytag factory into a green-industries education center. Working on a larger scale, the team also formulated proposals for neighboring towns to contribute to a new regional economy with some communities producing parts for wind turbines, others producing biofuels, etc.

Anderson says early in the project students were encouraged to think critically about the nature of community. “A community isn’t necessarily only defined by physical space, but that’s what we usually think about—spatial boundaries,” says Anderson. “Given the kinds of interactions you can have now, there’s potential for broader definitions.”

Though none of the teams took on the idea of working with a non-spatial community, Anderson says they were successful in looking at a range of scales and in approaching communities as complex networks involving many overlapping systems.

“As architects and designers, we can bring together a lot of different kinds of information—technology, historical information, materiality, ideas about design—but the outcome doesn’t always have to be a building; it can be a set of policies and a game plan for a community in terms of how to go forward.”

ACSA president Fisher agrees. He says the ability to define problems and come up with a full range of creative solutions is one of the greatest values taught in architecture schools.

“We need to transition away from defining ourselves based on a particular application of our knowledge,” he says. “We need to apply design thinking to the design of systems and services—to envision new ways of living or new product categories.”

And, he says, in addition to strengthening partnerships between academia and architects in the field through efforts such as the ACSA/AIA call for entries, the profession needs to build its “implementation” skills and broaden collaborative efforts to include business experts and entrepreneurs. This, he says, is the crucial next step in turning good ideas into better communities.

House Passes American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES)

2009-07-08T15:46:00.003-04:00

On June 26, the House of Representatives passed the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), a bill to reduce greenhouse gases in the United States 83 percent by 2050. If the bill passes through the Senate, its provisions will have an immediate impact on various sectors of the economy, including the environmental design disciplines. This legislation offers the chance for ACSA members to provide the leadership and expertise required to accomplish the complex research projects on issues of climate change, resource depletion, and energy security.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act includes several initiatives and provisions that will benefit directly from the research and expertise of ACSA members, including:

• Energy and Efficiency Centers and Research (Secs. 171-174) provides funding for universities and private research communities via a number of programs that support the development and commercialization of renewable energy, such as the Clean Energy Innovation Centers (section 171) and the Centers for Energy and Environmental Knowledge and Outreach (section 173).

• Building Retrofit Program (Sec. 202) which aims to develop standards for national energy and environmental retrofitting policies for residential and nonresidential buildings.

• Green Resources for Energy Efficient Neighborhoods Act (Secs. 281-299) includes provisions such as energy efficiency demonstration projects for HUD-assisted multi-family housing projects.

• Clean Energy Curriculum Development Grants (Sec. 421) will award competitive grants to partnerships for the creation of curricula “focused on emerging careers and jobs in the fields of clean energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate change mitigation, and climate change adaptation.”

• The bill also provides numerous opportunities for product and appliance research, such as water efficiency and continued review of product standards and rating systems.

The bill also stipulates that every four years the National Academy of Sciences will submit a report to Congress that includes “a review of the most recent reports and recommendations and an analysis of technologies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.” “The American Clean Energy and Security Act offers architecture schools an incredible opportunity to demonstrate the relevance of our discipline in helping the country address its environmental challenges in a holistic way. I hope as many ACSA schools as possible can pursue the funding available through this legislation” urges ACSA President, Tom Fisher.

ACSA is committed to achieving the goals set forth by the climate and energy bill and we need your continued support and participation. Please contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to support this crucial energy legislation. As Nobel laureate Al Gore wrote on his blog concerning the urgency of this bill, “there is no backup plan.”

SALT/NFH 2009 Housing Competition

2009-05-20T10:36:00.001-04:00

Two San Francisco Bay Area housing non-profits, Suburban Alternatives Land Trust (SALT) and Northbay Family Homes (NFH) have, in the past 30 years, facilitated the building of 4,000 homes – half of them affordable to low-moderate income families. Together, SALT and NFH are sponsoring an open competition to develop ideas that optimize their site’s potential uses, including ideas that address the need for senior housing in a suburban setting. The Project site is located in the City of Novato, Marin County in a recently developed area known as “Bahia.”

The site contains two non-contiguous parcels (6.8 and 8.7 acres respectively) for a total of about 15 acres, with the possibility of transfer of development rights. SALT/NFH envisions the site supporting a set of complementary uses - with homeownership being the core use. The site is adjacent to existing homes, and over 600 acres of open space lands, land are managed by a local open space district, State Fish & Game, and the Marin Audubon Society. Although the competition is site specific, the Sponsors wish to also demonstrate the advantages of land banking that was used in this project and its potentials for other properties.

Designers are encouraged to develop and present ideas that reflect SALT’s mission: assisting low-income individuals and families to secure good housing, become homeowners and improve their economic position by working with donors of land to maximize and leverage tax advantages and benefits generated in the course of developing a full array for land use options for each parcel, including affordable homes, jobs, recreation, agriculture and open space.

The schedule calls for the detailed Competition Kit to be available in mid-August, 2009, with a briefing and site tour in late September 2009. Submissions will be due in early December 2009. Information regarding the Sponsors may be found at www.nfh.org Bill Liskamm, FAIA will serve as Competition Advisor. Please direct questions to him at bill@nfh.org .

Design is the new economic engine, but never a mention of architecture?

2009-05-13T10:48:00.003-04:00

Source: Marketplace/American Public Media

Job market has designs on new Dream

Doodlers and tinkerers, take heart. Design has moved from a decorative sideshow to center stage in the business world and, says commentator Kay Hymowitz, career opportunities abound.

Read the commentary

NAAB Releases 2008 Report on Accreditation in Architecture Education

2009-05-13T09:33:00.002-04:00

source http://www.naab.org/news/view.aspx?newsID=28

Washington, DC (May 13, 2009) - The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) is pleased to announce the release of the 2008 Report on Accreditation in Architecture Education. This report, to be produced annually, shares the accreditation decisions made by the NAAB in the previous year, provides a review of the aggregated statistics provided by each accredited program, and reports on other activities. The report is available at www.naab.org.

As stated by NAAB President Douglas L. Steidl, FAIA, “This report represents a new step for the NAAB: proactively presenting information on accreditation actions and accredited programs on an annual basis.” The decisions represented in this report were all made on the basis of visits and Visiting Team Reports submitted in 2008; these decisions were all effective January 1, 2008. There were 29 accreditation visits and eight focused evaluations in 2008 involving over 135 volunteer team members.

The data summaries are based on information submitted in the fall of 2008 through the NAAB’s Annual Report Submission (ARS) system. For the first time, 100% of accredited programs submitted statistical data to the NAAB. Notwithstanding minor adjustments that will be made in time for the 2009 annual reports, the ARS represents a significant step forward in the NAAB’s ability to collect and present data that is consistent, rigorous, verifiable, and comparable.

About NAAB: The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture in the United States.

Press Release

2008 Report on Accreditation in Architecture Education

Contact:

Lee W. Waldrep, Ph.D.

(202) 783-2007

lwaldrep@naab.org

New Task Force Coordinates Federal Transportation and Housing Investments

2009-05-04T16:41:00.000-04:00

Source: MacArthur Foundation
Citing research and work supported by the Foundation, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a new partnership to help American families gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs. The task force will enhance integrated regional housing, transportation, and land use planning and investment; redefine affordability and make it transparent; develop livability measures; and undertake joint research, data collection and outreach. HUD is also proposing to create a new Office of Sustainability that would work to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas. Testifying before Congress, Donovan cited the Foundation-supported study by the Center for Housing Policy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology that finds that the average working American family spends nearly 60 percent of its budget on housing and transportation costs. Donovan also highlighted other institutions and projects supported by MacArthur, including: Brookings Institution's Blueprint for American Prosperity, theChicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's integrated land use and transportation plan, and Denver's new Transit-Oriented Development Fund, in which the Foundation invested $2 million.