Defining Architectural Design Excellence in a Measuring Society with Will Bruder, Tom Fisher, Ed Feiner, Jane Weinzapfel, Susan Szenasy, Anne Schopf
Join us at the AIA National Convention in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The AIA Committee on Design (COD) is focused in 2012 on seeking definitions of architectural design excellence. Five prominent leaders of our profession have spent the past 10 months discussing and searching for those definitions. The definitions are important because they will allow architects to more clearly explain the value of their work to their clients and because architects will develop a greater shared understanding of architectural excellence and a greater ability to judge their own work as it develops. In addition, the presenters hope that attendees will contribute their own ideas. A related conversation is already under way in the COD Discussion Forum on the AIA.org Web site—a discussion that will continue long after this event. All architects invited to join that conversation.
Will Bruder is well known for his work in the southwest, and with projects now further afield brings an international perspective to the discussion. Tom Fisher is Professor of Architecture and Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. He has taught, lectured, and written extensively about architecture over the last few decades. Ed Feiner was the instigator and leader of the GSD design excellence program and brings insight on how to achieve excellence in public architecture. Jane Weinzapfel, of Leers Weinzapfel, provides a grounded voice in how to design with difficult programs in complex locations. Susan Szenasy, editor of Metropolis Magazine, is not an architect and provides a public point of view on how to judge excellence. Anne Schopf, former Chair of COD and design partner at Mahlum Architects in Seattle will moderate the conversation. It promises to be rich with insightful perspectives and provocative candor.
This workshop is a primary fund-raiser for COD. The fees for this lecture help COD continue to support design excellence through our awards programs, publications, and conferences.
Wednesday, May 16 | 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Earn 3.75 CEH | Cost $155.00
Register for this event here.
Meet The 2012 AIA COD Architectural Intern Scholars
April 10, 2012
The AIA’s Committee on Design offered two scholarships to attend our Spring Conference in Columbus, Indiana, April 12-15 providing all travel expenses and registration to the conference for architectural interns who have a BArch or MArch degree and are Associate Members of the AIA. In return, the Scholars will:
- Record through photographs, video, note taking, recording and drawings the places visited.
- Record through photographs, video, note taking, recording and drawings the Discussion, Parlor Chat, and other presentations.
- Post to the AIA_COD Twitter account as the conference is in session.
- Publish 15 blog posts on the COD website, and cross-reference through Facebook and Twitter. The posts should describe the places visited, lessons learned and your discoveries, and the ideas you garnered during the events.
Meet the Scholars:
Sheena Enriquez graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2011 where, in addition to her studies, she honed her skills in telling a compelling story and reporting objectively. This, in part, lead to her being selected as the student commencement speaker at her graduation last May. Ms. Enriquez served one term as the Vice-President of the AIA Students at the Illinois Institute of Technology. During that time, she represented their chapter at the Grassroots Leadership Conference, AIAS Forum, and the Spring and Fall Midwest Quad Conferences. Sheena is currently employed by the IIT Office of Undergraduate Admission as an Admission Counselor active in recruiting students and in outreach activities to underserved student populations. A cycling enthusiast, Sheena has been characterized as energetic, intelligent, enthusiastic and dedicated in her work to improve the world and can be found communicating her ideas on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Ms. Enriquez’ blog posts may be seen at: http://www.inventingthefuture.iit.edu/journal/author/iit-inventingthefuture
Aaron W. Trahan has been extremely active since graduating from Northeastern University with both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Architecture in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Not only has he been working full-time at Elkus Manfredi Architects in Boston – gaining experience on projects ranging from single family affordable housing to master planning and large scale developments, he has also been active in the Boston Society of Architects Housing Committee and is a contributing writer on the architecture blog UrbDeZine Boston. Aaron has been in charge of a social media and web design strategy for the BSA Housing Committee and is well-versed in the digital technologies of blogs, Facebook and Twitter, among others.
Aaron is extremely passionate about sustainable philosophy being successfully integrated into practice and design, and is a strong advocate for sustainable affordable housing, community development, and urban agriculture. You can typically find Aaron riding his bicycle around Boston, looking for a quiet place to read and catch up on work.
UrbDeZine Boston http://boston.urbdezine.com/
BSA Housing Committee at http://twitter.com/#!/BSAHousing
Celebrate National Architecture Week!
April 10, 2012
The best way to celebrate National Architecture Week is to look at architecture–around you, online or better yet, join us in Columbus as we consider and discuss architectural excellence. Join some of the best design architects in the country in Columbus, IN, on Thursday, April 12 from 1 – 3 p.m. for the Committee on Design’s Conference Symposium – “What is Architectural Design Excellence?” This symposium is free and open to the public and is being hosted by the Indiana University Center for Art + Design, 310 Jackson St., Columbus, IN 47201. The symposium features Susan Szenasy of Metropolis, Will Bruder, FAIA from Phoenix, Ed Feiner, FAIA of Perkins+Will, formerly with the GSA Design Excellence Program and Jane Weinzapfel, FAIA of Leers Weinzapfel in Boston. Anne Schopf, FAIA of Mahlum in Seattle will moderate and Kelly Wilson, the director of IUCA+D will also participate.
View our website to see the Conference itinerary and learn more about the Committee On Design.
Credit: Indianapolis Museum of Art
COD Columbus, Indiana conference attendees will get a special visit to the Miller House in April; a perfect time to see landscape architect Dan Kiley’s vision for a sublime property. The work was a collaborative project with a brilliant architect, Eero Saarinen, and remains a prime example of the way in which architects and landscape architects should work together. Listen to Kiley’s son-in-law, landscape architect Chris Dunn describe aspects of the Miller House project in podcasts on the Committee On Design’s website. There are 7 podcasts, each less than 90 seconds, entitled:
Creating A Masterpiece
Honing His Skills On Hollin Hills
Kiley And His Modern Contemporaries
How The Gardens Evolved
The Perfect Project
The Making Of A Museum
Visual Connection To The Landscape
Why Visit Columbus, Indiana?…For The Architecture!
April 5, 2012
Google Maps
If you are going to visit Columbus, Indiana with the Committee On Design’s Conference (April 12 – 15, 2012) and people raise their eyebrows and query, “Why Columbus, of all places?” You can say, “Because there is a unique collection of over 80 modern buildings, designed by nationally and internationally noted architects, including Eliel Saarinen, Eero Saarinen, I.M Pei, Harry Weese, Robert Venturi, Richard Meier, SOM and many more, making it one of the highest ranked cities in the U.S. for innovation and architectural design – according to AIA members.” Not only that, it was ranked 11th by National Geographic Traveler’s on a list of 109 historic locations to visit worldwide.
Visit the COD website for more information and follow the conference on our Facebook page and Twitter feed. We’ll be using the hashtag #CODColumbus during the Conference. The Committee On Design also has a Pinterest account with a board awaiting images from the Columbus Conference.
Thanks to John Winniger at WTIU – Indiana University, you can watch a short video entitled, Our Town Columbus, that offers a few more reasons why Columbus is a great place to visit.
The Committee On Design Is Going To Columbus, Indiana
April 5, 2012
Image provided by UnconfirmedBreakingNews.com
The Committee On Design is holding its Spring Conference in Columbus, Indiana April 12 – 15, 2012. COD Chair Mike Mense selected Columbus as part of his year’s theme: Defining Architectural Design Excellence.
His premise:
Why, after so many years of excellent public and commercial architecture in Columbus, Indiana, are there almost no modern houses?
Why, when you drive north from Florida’s South Beach passing miles and miles of waterfront houses, less than one percent are anything we would call architecture?
Why do Americans drive designer cars and drink designer coffee but live, most all of them, in a house or apartment that is pretending to be the home of some wealthy ancestors long deceased?
Are we determined as a profession to continue to define ourselves in ways that isolate us from the greater part of the society in which we practice?
Can we find some definitions of architectural excellence upon which we can agree and that we can explain successfully to the silent majority? Is it even something we want to do?
The exclusive opportunities for attendees to the Columbus Conference Include:
- The opportunity to meet and converse with many of the national and local architects who have worked in Columbus, Indiana, including Gunnar Birkerts, Ben and Cynthia Weese (representing Harry Weese), Daniel McCoubrey and Nancy Rogo Trainer (representing Robert Venturi), Ralph Johnson of Perkins+Will, Jane Weinzapfel, Kevin Kennon, Carlos Jimenez, Fred Koetter and Susie Kim.
- An open house tour, with personal photography allowed, of the Miller House and Gardens, “America’s most significant modernist house” per Travel+Leisure. The house showcases the collaborative design of leading 20th-century architects and designer: Eero Saarinen, Alexander Girard and Dan Kiley. You will be allowed to wander the house and gardens on your own, with docents available for information, instead of the limited guided tours. Personal photography is permitted, not allowed on public tours.
- Meet Will Miller, patron of modern architecture, son of J. Irwin Miller who commissioned the Miller House and started the renowned Cummins Foundation architectural program.
- The Cummins’ Friday evening reception and dinner at the Cummins Corporate Headquarters, designed by Kevin Roche, including tours of the workplace. Dinner provided by Cummins’ executive chef. You will also have the opportunity to meet and dine with Cummins executives and community leaders. Cummins Corporate Headquarters is a secured building and typically not open to the public except for the lobby.
- Tour Cummins midrange engine plant in Walesboro, an innovative sustainable design by Kevin Roche completed in 1973. Cummins facilities are not typically open to the public without special arrangements.
- If you have never been to Columbus, Indiana before, we will visit many of it’s unique collection of over 80 modern buildings, designed by nationally and internationally noted architects, including Eliel Saarinen, Eero Saarinen, I.M Pei, Harry Weese, Robert Venturi, Richard Meier, SOM and many more. Columbus was ranked 6th in the nation for innovation and architectural design by AIA members. It was ranked 11th by National Geographic Traveler’s on a list of 109 historic locations to visit worldwide.
- If you have previously visited Columbus, but not been back in the last 5-10 years, we will visit many new buildings and experience the ongoing redevelopment of the downtown, designed by noted architects Carlos Jimenez, Ralph Johnson, Deborah Berke, William Rawn, Cesar Pelli, Fred Koetter and Susie Kim.
Visit the COD website for more information and follow the conference on our Facebook page and Twitter feed.
