The Committee on Design visited Columbus, Indiana in April, 2012. Click here to read the conference report written by John Morris Dixon, FAIA. Photos courtesy of Jim Childress, FAIA, Ann Thompson and Aaron Trahan.
2012 Member Slideshow: Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc. Philadelphia, PA.
February 19, 2013
Member Slideshows are created each year for the Spring Conference to illustrate the recent work of the attendee’s firms. All COD members are welcome to participate. Attendees have 6 slides and 60 seconds to present their projects, or whatever is on their mind. Many of the 2012 Member Slideshow slides are posted on the COD Pinterest page.
Nancy Rogo Trainer, FAIA, AICP, LEED AP BD+C, and Daniel McCoubrey, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, presented their slides.
Curtis Institute of Music, Lenfest Hall. New Construction & Restoration. Philadelphia, PA. Photo courtesy of Tom Crane.
Curtis Institute of Music, Lenfest Hall. New Construction & Restoration. Philadelphia, PA. Photo courtesy of Tom Crane.
Allentown Art Museum, Expansion & Renovation. Allentown, PA. Photo courtesy of Matt Wargo.
Dartmouth College, Rauner Library. Adaptive Reuse. Hanover, NH. Photo courtesy of Matt Wargo.
Haverford College, Campus Master Plan. Haverford, PA.
Radcliffe Institute, Schlesinger Library, Renovation. Cambridge, MA. Photo courtesy of Matt Wargo.
COD Columbus, Indiana Spring Conference Video
February 3, 2013
In April, 2012, about 120 members of the Committee on Design went to Columbus, Indiana for our spring conference. Together we explored the architecture of the community, talked with many of the architects who designed the projects, and met with citizens who have been active in championing modern architecture. We also discussed and considered how to measure design excellence. The following film was created by Boaz Ashkenazy and his crew at Studio216 as an overview of what we saw and experienced.
For a guide of the projects we saw, and the people we met, please see the Committee on Design to Columbus, Indiana here.
What Was Your First Experience With Architecture?
May 18, 2012
Hong Kong Skyline. Photo by Aaron Trahan.
By Aaron Trahan, Committee On Design Spring Conference Knowledge Scholar
During one of our afternoon statements on day 2 of the Committee On Design Spring Conference in Columbus, Indiana, I found myself distracted by a comment made by Nancy Rogo Trainer of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates. In her remarks on what defines architectural excellence, she noted that our views of architecture, whether deliberate or inadvertent, are formed by our experiences. Many of us architects, in fact, can probably trace our interest in a career in architecture to some experience with buildings that stuck with us throughout our lifetime.
I remember when I was twelve and thirteen years old, my father lived in Hong Kong as a result of his position at United Airlines. Because of this, I was exposed to a more global view of architecture at a very formative age, being able to travel throughout Southeast Asia during school vacations. I remember being fascinated by the skyline of Hong Kong, the hustle of the marketplaces that seemed like endless mazes, the planning strategy of the Forbidden City, and the elegance of the temples and monasteries.
This experience with architecture would later become the foundation of my decision to pursue a career as an architect, and develop a fascination with Asian architecture.
That being said, I pose the challenge to you, to dig into your past and remember one of your first experiences with architecture. I’m sure there are many, however the first one that comes to mind is probably the one that was most influential to you.
