Pennsylvania State University

Architecture’s Hadighi coedits new book on fashion label building he co-designed

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Mehrdad Hadighi, Stuckeman Chair of Integrative Design and head of the Department of Architecture at Penn State, has coedited a new book that explores the architecture of the 11-story Lafayette 148 New York clothing factory in China, which he designed in collaboration with Tsz Yan Ng, an assistant professor of architecture in Taubman College at the University of Michigan.

The Lafayette 148 New York label is described as “clothing designed for the modern, sophisticated woman made from the most luxurious fabrics.”

Twisted, which was recently published by Actar Publishers, features detailed documentation of the building and explores the architectural, socio-cultural, artistic, and historical contexts of the building in Shantou, China. The factory is organized around the flow of production – from the design of a garment to the shipment of the final product.

Hadighi and his coeditors – Ng and Marc J. Neveu, head of the architecture program in The Design School at Arizona State University – break down the design process of the Lafayette 148 New York building while weaving in essays about the complex socioeconomic and structural challenges such a project presents.

The publication, which is geared to those with a strong interest in architecture, touches on some of the larger issues that go into the design of a building, including the ecological footprint, social concerns regarding labor and construction and the historical context of the area, among others.

More information on Twisted can be found on the Actar website.

Cover imagery: But-Sou Lai Photography

Tulane University

Title: Tulane School of Architecture’s Community Design Center Nationally Recognized for Collaborative Approach

Feb 7, 2019Thirteen years of working hand-in-hand with partners, students, and faculty has led the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design at the Tulane School of Architecture to be recognized with a national architecture award this week.

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture named the Small Center, which is housed within the Tulane School of Architecture, as one of only four Collaborative Practice Award recipients for the 2018-2019 academic year.

In particular, the award highlights the Parasite Skatepark project, a New Orleans park that officially opened in 2015 following years of efforts by local skaters to establish a recreation space. The Small Center provided various types of technical assistance, such as convening stakeholders and designing the park’s masterplan. Ultimately, collaboration between a nonprofit of local skaters, city and state agencies, professional architects, and Tulane students led to the designation of the city’s first official skatepark.

The project shows that the design process can serve as a capacity and coalition builder, said Ann Yoachim, Small Center director and professor of practice at the Tulane School of Architecture. And the award is a reflection of the center’s belief that engagement is a core part of any successful design effort, she said.

“Teaching students to recognize the value of partner expertise, the necessity of a multitude of voices to produce high-quality responsive design projects, and the power of design to address larger societal issues is at a core of the Center’s mandate. We are honored to be recognized by our peers for this commitment,” Yoachim said. “Together, we will continue to work to create a city that is shaped by all.”

“This award is a recognition of the Tulane School of Architecture’s leadership, through the Small Center, in architecture and social engagement. We are committed to supporting our community through high quality design and beauty, which are essential to develop pride and care for neighborhoods,” said Iñaki Alday, dean of the Tulane School of Architecture and Koch Chair in Architecture. “Each project is also an innovative exploration, advancing the field of design and of community engagement processes through multidisciplinary modes, all in the real life.”

Since 1997, the ACSA’s Collaborative Practice Award honors best practices in university-based and community-engaged programs. This award was proposed by Thomas Dutton and Anthony Schuman as a means to recognize ACSA’s commitment to community partnerships in which faculty, students and neighborhood citizens are valued equally and that aim to address issues of social injustice through design.

Call for Nominations: 2019 ACSA Representatives on NAAB Visiting Team Roster

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

2019 ACSA Representatives on NAAB Visiting Team Roster

Deadline: March 6, 2019

The ACSA Board of Directors seeks nominees for 2019 ACSA representatives on the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) school visitation team roster member for a term of four years. The final selection of faculty members participating in the accrediting process will be made by NAAB.

Nominating Procedure

  1. Members of ACSA schools shall be nominated annually by the ACSA Board of Directors for inclusion on a roster of members available to serve on visiting teams for a term of four years.
  2. Proposals for nomination shall be solicited from the membership via ACSA News. Proposals must include a 2-page curriculum vitae (please include any accreditation experience).
  3. The ACSA Nominations Committee shall examine dossiers submitted and recommend to the board candidates for inclusion on visitation team rosters.

Nominee Qualifications

  • The candidate should demonstrate:
  • Reasonable length and breadth of full-time teaching experience;
  • A record of acknowledged scholarship or professional work;
  • Administrative experience; and
  • An association with several different schools.

Each candidate will be assessed on personal merit, and may not answer completely to all these criteria; however, a nominee must be a full-time faculty member in an accredited architectural program (including faculty on sabbatical or on a temporary leave of absence.)

ACSA Nominee Selection
Candidates for NAAB team members shall be selected to represent the geographic distribution of ACSA regional groupings. The number of candidates submitted to NAAB will be limited in order to increase the likelihood of their timely selection by NAAB for service.

Description of Team and Visit
Pending acceptance of the Architectural Program Report (APR), a team is selected to visit the school. The site visit is intended to validate and supplement the school’s APR through direct observation. During the visit, the team evaluates the school and its architecture programs through a process of both structured and unstructured interactions. The visit is intended to allow NAAB to develop an in-depth assessment of the school and its programs, and to consider the tangible aspects of the school’s nature. It also identifies concerns that were not effectively communicated in the APR.

The visit is not independent of the other parts of the accreditation process. The visiting team submits a report to NAAB; NAAB then makes a decision regarding accreditation based on the school’s documentation, the team report, and other communications.

Team Selection
The visiting team consists of a chairperson and members selected from a roster of candidates submitted to NAAB by NCARB, ACSA, the AIA, and AIAS. Each of these organizations is invited to update its roster annually by providing resumes of prospective team members.

A team generally consists of four members, one each from ACSA, NCARB, AIA, and AIAS. NAAB selects the team and submits the list to the school to be visited. The school may question the appointment of members where a conflict of interest arises. The selection of the chairperson is at the discretion of NAAB. The board will consider all challenges. For the purposes of a challenge, conflict of interest may be cited if:

  • The nominee comes from the same geographic area and is affiliated with a rival institution;
  • The nominee has had a previous affiliation with the institution;
  • The school can demonstrate that the nominee is not competent to evaluate the program.

NAAB tends to rely on experienced team members in order to maintain the quality level of its visits and reports and to comply with COPA and U.S. Department of Education guidelines. Each team member shall have had previous visit experience, either as a team member or observer, or shall be required to attend a training/briefing session at the ACSA Administrators Conference or ACSA Annual Meeting.

Nominations Deadline and Calendar
The deadline for receipt of letters of nomination, including a 2-page curriculum vitae (please include any accreditation experience), is March 6, 2019. E-mail nomination preferred; please send all nomination information to msturges@acsa-arch.org. ACSA will notify those nominees whose names will be forwarded to NAAB by May 2019. ACSA nominees selected to participate on a visiting team will be required to complete and submit a standard NAAB Visiting Team Nomination form. NAAB will issue the roster of faculty members selected for 2019-2020 team visits in November 2018.

Nominations should be sent to:

Michelle Sturges (ACSA, Board Nominations)
1735 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Email: msturges@acsa-arch.org

Art and Architecture e-Portal: A New Resource

AASL column, January 2019
Lucy Campbell and Barbara Opar, column editors
Column by Barbara Opar

Ever wish you could easily search the contents of book chapters and locate topics within them?  Yale University Press is currently in a pilot phase with a new product that does just that. The A&AePortal (www.aaeportal.com) is an innovative and dynamic platform that features important art and architectural history books in an accessible and highly discoverable way.  Developed with a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this e-resource includes offerings by Yale University Press, MIT Press, Harvard’s Belknap Press, the Art Institute of Chicago, Harvard University Art Museums and the Yale University Art Gallery, with Princeton University Press titles soon to be added. .

The e-Portal has about 120 titles at present, and additional books are added monthly.  Of the twenty subject areas, those which most directly relate to architecture are: General art history and theory, Architecture and urban history, Design and graphic design and Landscape Studies. Currently there are 13 titles under Architecture and urban history. Yet, this limited list includes the essential William McDonald two volume set, Architecture of the Roman Empire.

A broad search of Frank Lloyd Wright yields 79 results, ranging from brief mentions of his work to substantive information on the Imperial hotel, Temple Sholom, and the Barnsdall and Hollyhock houses. The book chapter on the Temple Sholom has been extracted from Alice Friedman’s American Glamour and the Evolution of Modern Architecture.

 A quick search of the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals yields mostly design information on the building, making Friedman’s book chapter even more important. In addition to text, the Art and Architecture e-Portal includes a feature that allows for several ways to search the over 20,000 images in the database, all of which are tagged with robust metadata, and many images that were originally in black and white in the print books have been replaced with color on the site

Designed to support instruction, the e-portal also provides a way of creating course packs for instructors.

As it grows, the Art and Architecture e-Portal has the potential to become a valuable tool for the study of architecture. About 60 institutions are currently trialing this resource, which will be launching in July 2019 for institutional subscriptions.    If you are interested in learning more about the A&AePortal for your institution, contact sara.sapire@yale.edu.

 

Tulane University

Title: Alumnus Firm Wins AIA New York Honor Award in Urban Design

Jan 31, 2019

Tulane Architecture alumnus Derek Hoeferlin (’97), principal of St. Louis based derek hoeferlin design (dhd), received an AIA New York 2019 Honor Award in Urban Design for the firm’s project +StL: Growing an Urban Mosaic. The project was an urban and landscape proposal for St. Louis, Missouri, and was one of four multi-disciplinary finalist teams for the “Chouteau Greenway Competition” in 2018, sponsored by Great Rivers Greenway in St. Louis. Additionally, the project will be published in the Spring issue of Oculus and exhibited at the Center for Architecture in Manhattan between April 15 – June 29, 2019.

“Receiving validation from outside St. Louis, and from the highly competitive AIA New York chapter no less, not only lends credibility to the merits of our proposal, but maybe more importantly the award helps advance the vision of the long-term project, regardless of whether we won the competition or not,” Hoeferlin said. “To achieve such vision, our proposal advocates to visibly and physically join North and South St. Louis neighborhoods at the central east-west corridor that spans between the Arch/Mississippi River and Forest Park/Washington University. The +StL figure builds on connectivity and investment planning already underway by local partners, and also provides a multidimensional armature for future projects by the client, Great Rivers Greenway, and many others.”

Tulane University

 

Title: Preservation Alumna Launches Online French Quarter Archives

Jan 31, 2019

Alumna Brook Tesler (MPS ’14) has launched a new online portal that archives a wide range of documents for properties, buildings and structures in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The Vieux Carré Virtual Library is a map-based electronic archive of tens of thousands of Vieux Carré Commission (VCC) images, documents, and records. It is designed to preserve historic artifacts from deterioration and natural disaster, while also connecting the public to the inner archives of the VCC as an integrative educational and planning resource.

This project is an ongoing initiative of the Vieux Carré Commission Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to support the VCC in preserving and protecting not only the French Quarter’s invaluable historic architectural heritage, but also its tout ensemble, or its quaint and distinctive character and ambiance. The website project was developed in partnership with Tesler Preservation Consulting and the City of New Orleans, funded in part by grants from the Ella West Freeman Foundation and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation.

To view the Vieux Carré Virtual Library, click here. Hear more about the project by watching the WWL-TV news story here. Read The New Orleans Advocate story here.

Tulane University

Title: Tiffany Lin Work Selected for Exhibition at University of Massachusetts

Jan 29, 2019

Tiffany Lin, Associate Professor of Architecture at Tulane, will have her work on exhibit at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, running Feb. 4-28, 2019. The exhibit, Datum Drawing explores the use of datum in drawing as an architectural or spatial point of reference.

“I am thrilled to be a part of an exhibition that showcases speculative drawing and painting as integral to the architectural design process,” Lin said.

A datum line is a line to which dimensions are referred on engineering drawings, and from which measurements are calculated. The term datum refers to a piece of information or a fixed point of scale that serves as a reference in defining geometry of a composition and in measuring aspects of that geometry to assess its relations to another value in space.

The exhibit features two architects and two artists that employ the use of datum lines in their work. Along with Lin’s architectural art, the exhibit will also include Aaron Collier, Assistant Professor of Art at Tulane University; Perry Kulper, Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan; and Derek Lerner, an artist based in New York City.

“It is an honor to be in a group show with Perry Kulper as we often reference his work in core studio teaching and I look forward to meeting him,” Lin said.

Click here for more information about the exhibit and its related events.

Tulane University

Title: Associate Professor Graham Owen Publishes in Architecture Philosophy

Jan 22, 2019

Associate Professor Graham Owen has published an article titled “The Anthropology of a Smoke-filled Room” in Architecture Philosophy. The essay is a critical assessment of participant-observation studies of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) undertaken from the perspective of Actor Network Theory (ANT), an approach developed by philosopher and anthropologist Bruno Latour.

Owen’s paper contrasts the relative absence of discussion of issues of studio labour and working conditions with their prominence in recent work by activist observers of architectural education and practice, and examines the reasons that ANT might have a “blind spot” to such issues. Owen also spoke on OMA, on the topic of the post-political, at the “Building as Service” conference held in July 2018 at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

To read the full article in Architecture Philosophy, click here.

Auburn University

Architecture students in Prof. Matt Hall’s + Prof. Behzad Nakhjavan’s studio abroad installed an exhibit of work in the School of Architecture at Dudley Hall from their study abroad trip to Scandinavia. This spring marked the first semester of the new study abroad option for architecture students—an intensive 9-week program focused on Scandinavian culture, architecture, and design.  Matt Hall is an Assistant Professor of Architecture in APLA who recently received an Auburn University Faculty Award for Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Excellence. This award recognizes outstanding teaching across the University and is awarded by a committee of retired faculty. Prof. Hall is the director of the Scandinavian Study Abroad Program and a principal and designer at Obstructures.

APLA Alum owned and operated Cakeitecture moves from Auburn, AL to a new location in Opelika, AL:

Many of the construction projects on Auburn’s campus have alumni involvement, and construction is ongoing:
https://www.oanow.com/news/auburnuniversity/no-winter-break-for-campus-construction-at-auburn-university/article_d708032a-0891-11e9-acb2-4728d1e7549e.amp.html?fbclid=IwAR1xRfFSgEWo-GyzjHCcUvI8vdMI_wroalvSH5Lf172sZrEbnRzEmNh-dEw

Rui Wang is the Outstanding Graduate Student in Landscape Architecture this year. According to her professors, Rui has demonstrated exemplary work during her time in the program. Her Alabama Lab project proposed a river boat tour which would educate citizens in Decatur about the unique ecology of the Tennessee River.

Big news!!! Rural Studio is launching a new graduate program in the fall of 2019. Join us in Hale County, Alabama while you get a Master of Science in Architecture / Option in Public Interest Design. Deadline for applications is January 31, 2019:  http://ruralstudioblogs.org/post/180595125863/big-news-were-starting-a-masters-program-at-rural?fbclid=IwAR2g8Vv94PCYOqoJd44XZEToOCcqUnSmOdYDU7Ps1PW2g6XGlTA4OwJFTDA

Read about APLA’s Rome Studio:  http://cadc.auburn.edu/architecture/news/view/616?fbclid=IwAR1sv7jmsEc5JUA21Ch-mXnFUqT36x8lYnzd_lMQLAfQY38-f5kW5hBEBOI

Corey Thomas is this year’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Architecture. Corey served as an ambassador ( @au_cadcambassadors ) before graduating in the spring. According to one of his former professors, he “will never let an opportunity to explore a new idea, place, or experience slip by.”

Marlon Blackwell Architects one of top 50 firms in US:  https://www.archdaily.com/905884/architect-magazine-selects-the-top-50-architecture-firms-in-the-us-for-2018?utm_medium=email&utm_source=ArchDaily+List&kth=1%2C392%2C417&fbclid=IwAR1fG8Iwx9YnS_gq-qoQ2uid4uQb3-2OKW8UIfhoBSWJ2g5iL288SiQPTYk

Congratulations to APLA Alumna Amanda Herron Loper (05 BARCH/BI.ARCH), and her firm David Baker Architects recently named a Hive 50 Innovator:  https://www.facebook.com/ArchitectMagazine/photos/a.10150809918341273/10156454918641273/?type=3&theater&ifg=1

Read about the recipients of the 2018 CADC Awards:  http://cadc.auburn.edu/explore-cadc/news/view/610?fbclid=IwAR35xkOFJji6FUdT-QkF7aVgNhnIUSU24oGhzEL9kIS3xx6gOOPkbnW6Rzc

Rural Studio featured on Yes! Magazine online:  https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/where-homework-means-building-affordable-houses-20181101?fbclid=IwAR0TJ_3q2OmB9QiwfLusRxOzWD9sm-_7Qd4ZYstp8rAlC9WkREkJNB7PF7A

Anna Halepaska is this year’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Interior Architecture. She’s a fifth-year from Dallas, Texas, and has been described by professors as someone who demonstrates real “know how” and also “know why.”  A team of Auburn University architecture students led by APLA professor David Hinson recently finished building a custom-made home for Habitat for Humanity. (https://buff.ly/2OYopIE?fbclid=IwAR0Tfjq7Yf811tkLw_TU6NGFXQl9k6ugeaFXPByn5CY95ljhU0YXEbV16No)

APLA’s Prof. J Scott Finn names Associate Professor Emeritus (http://cadc.auburn.edu/architecture/news/view/609)

Fifth year BARCH student Jonathan Funk is this year’s recipient of the CADC Student Leadership Award. In addition to completing his thesis project focused on how immigration affects architecture, Jonathan manages to find time to lead the CADC Ambassadors as its President. Last summer, Jonathan was one of only a handful of students from across the country selected to participate in the 100 Fold Studio in Lakeside Montana. He helped complete a number of design-build projects which benefited the local community. #auarch #aucadc #designbuild Auburn University CADC Ambassadors 100 Fold Studio
APLA School Head Prof. Christian Dagg Named 2018 SEC Fellow (http://cadc.auburn.edu/architecture/news/view/606)

Many thanks to State Senator Tom Whatley for his community service grant supporting APLAs community outreach programs #cadc#wareagle#thisisauburn

Auburn Students Host 30th Annual Pumpkin Carve (https://www.facebook.com/AuburnUPhoto/photos/pcb.10157473747085021/10157473741855021/?type=3&theater&ifg=1)

University of Houston


Donna Kacmar, Professor at the University of Houston, has just released her latest book, “Victor Lundy: Artist Architect.”  Victor Lundy is an important yet underappreciated figure in the history of American architecture. The first book on Lundy’s life and career documents his early work in the Sarasota School of Architecture, his churches, and his government buildings. In addition to essays on his use of light and material, many of the architect’s original drawings, painting, and sketches now held at the Library of Congress – are reproduced here for the first time.

Graduate students in the design/build studio at the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design received accolades for their design and fabrication of an Embarkation Station at Port Houston. When it is installed, the nearly 400-foot structure will provide seating and shade from the hot Houston sun for many of the 30,000 passengers who take boat tours annually. On rainy days, the station’s roof will direct rainwater to four 130-gallon tanks to lower its flooding impact. Prof. Patrick Peters was the instructor. The project won the Mayor’s Proud Partner Award, Patrick’s 15thaward for his design build projects.

University of Houston Dean and Professor, Patricia Belton Oliver, FAIA, received the 2018 AIA Houston Educator of the Year Award.