Newsletter | Mar/Apr 2018


Book Talk with Christie Coffin

On June 21th Christie Coffin will discuss her latest book: Making Places for People: 12 Questions Every Designer Should Ask, at Laurel Bookstore, Oakland.

Making Places for People explores twelve social questions in environmental design. Authors Christie Johnson Coffin and Jenny Young bring perspectives from practice and teaching to challenge assumptions about how places meet human needs. The book reveals deeper complexities in addressing basic questions, such as: What is the story of this place? What logic orders it? How big is it? How sustainable is it? Providing an overview of a growing body of knowledge about people and places, Making Places for People stimulates curiosity and further discussion. The authors argue that critical understanding of the relationships between people and their built environments can inspire designs that better contribute to health, human performance, and social equity―bringing meaning and delight to people’s lives.

Christie Johnson Coffin practices architecture in the Western Unites States and internationally in Taiwan, India, and Nicaragua, with a focus on social design for health-care and research laboratory buildings. She is also author of Changing Hospital Environments for Children.

Jenny Young teaches design and human factors in design. Her research on small town development focuses on the roles public buildings play in town stability and vitality. Her architectural practice includes consulting on schools, libraries, clinics, and designing residential projects.

Electronic and paper versions of the book is available here

ACE Mentoring Scholarship

by Maryam Moayery Nia
The ACE (Architecture. Construction. Engineering.) Mentor Program of America, Inc. (ACE) helps mentor high school students and inspires them to pursue careers in design and construction. Their mission is to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and to support their continued advancement in the industry.
More than 9,000 students from 1,000 high schools annually participate in ACE. ACE not only engages sponsors and volunteer mentors to expose students to real-world opportunities, it financially supports each student’s continued success through scholarships and grants. Since inception, ACE has awarded over $15 million in scholarships to promising participants.
In the 2018 season, OWA-DP generously provided a $1,000 scholarship to a young woman graduate who was interested in going into the field of architecture.
The winner is Cindy Li and the award ceremony will be on May 16th. Cameron White and Conyee Chan from OWA steering committee are going to be in the ceremony award.

Youth art exchange Scholarship

by Raffaella Falchi & Hannah Chatha

YAX’s constituency is San Francisco public high school students. Youth from any SFUSD high schools can join, representing over a dozen schools citywide. The majority come from the OMI/Excelsior neighborhoods, with 6 different first languages, and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds: 26% Latinx, 36% Asian American, 8% Black, 16% multiracial, and 14% white youth. Most (over 80%) qualify for free/reduced lunch. Approximately 15% of youth identify as LGBTQ, and there are approximately 58% Female and 42% Male identifying participants.

YAX’s young architects work on real-world projects from concept to construction, working with clients, community organizations, architects, and city agencies. Structured on real world project-based learning activities, youth gain architecture and construction skills as they learn how they can positively shape the built urban environment. These young architects have designed and built substantial public projects in San Francisco including the first two youth designed and built parklets, a Civic Center Living Innovation Zone, and temporary interactive installations.

Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals and Youth Art Exchange are partnering to support graduating high school seniors from YAX architecture and visual arts programs to advance their study of architecture and design related fields in higher education. YAX sparks a shared creative practice between professional artists and public high school students, furthering youth as leaders, thinkers, and artists in San Francisco. The Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals supports and promotes women in design-related fields in all phases of their professional lives.

OWA will award scholarships to female-identifying YAX college-bound high school seniors based on demonstrated artistic and academic achievement, financial need, and an express interest in pursuing an education in architecture and visual art design related fields. The students eligible for assistance must be graduating public high school seniors who are present or former Youth Art Exchange students and intend to continue their education at a four-year college or university. Consideration will be given to artistic and academic achievement and financial need.

Scholarships will be awarded on an annual basis in August. Students must continue to attend classes and maintain no lower than a 3.0 grade-point average (or equivalent).

In the 2018, OWA-DP generously provided a $1,000 scholarship to one student who submits a 500 word essay on the importance of women in architecture or other design-related fields and 3 work samples of their architecture or design projects and complete a brief application with demographic information.

From all the submission OWA received this year, Steering Committee has chosen Naomi Hawksley based on her great resume. The award ceremony will be on May 16th. Helen Vasquez from OWA steering committee is going to be in the ceremony to present the award to Naomi.

Naomi Hawksley work sample

Naomi Hawksley work sample

OWA + DP presents #Me Too

by By Bridget Basham/ Spring Friedlander

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/is-the-metoo-movement-just-for-outing-celebs-and-politicians_us_5a2e1709e4b04e0bc8f3b658

Join professional women and men in July for a facilitated conversation around the following topics:
• Celebrating/ demonstrating behavior worthy of modelling
• Stories of Harassment
• Disrupting a Toxic Work Culture


Featured guests to help ground the conversation through sharing their own experiences, while attendees are invited to express themselves with colored paper and pens, producing a mapping of the discussion
throughout the day.
The workshop will be concluded with a visioning exercise and an initial list of resources for support.

How to help:
If you have an interest in coordinating submittals and helping to identify themes relevant to us as design professionals, please contact either Spring Friedlander (SpringF.Remodeling@sbcglobal.net) or Bridget
Basham (bbasham@hkit.com
) and include "#Me Too" in the subject heading.

If you would like to share your stories with us, (anonymous submissions are welcome, but do indicate your preference), please email: metoo.sfba.owadp@gmail.com.

2018 Milan Furniture Fair, April 17-22nd

by Conyee Chan

57th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano: 434,509 attendees and 1841 exhibitors, in 6 days, from 188 different countries, made for a 17% increase from 2016. 57th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano: 434,509 attendees and 1841 exhibitors, in 6 days, from 188 different countries, made for a 17% increase from 2016.

Somehow all the stars have aligned this year in the last minute, I decided to fly to Milan on the spur of the moment to check off the very top of my to-do list for the past few decades- Milan Furniture Show (Salone Del Mobile).

Not sure what to expect, I have attended many large scale international furniture shows in US and Asia. Why is this the most talked about event in the industry of all time?

Having studied architecture and italian in Roma for a semester almost 2 decades ago, I hope I could survive with my broken Italian. Just to make sure I’m not going alone, I posted my itinerary on facebook and wechat (china’s facebook) and immediately learned friends who are designers, developers, furniture manufacturers, retailers are coming from all directions: San Francisco, Austin, Shanghai and Singapore.

As soon as I landed in the city, I realized The Milan Furniture Fair is truly the biggest celebrations in world of design. During this week, Milan, a city of 1.3 million, is flooded with over 435,00 attendees from 188 countries. Instead of paying 400-800 Euro per night, thank God I have a friend in Milan who graciously hosted me in their family apartment.

It is not just about furniture, 1400 events/art/installations celebrate innovation and trends in every corner of the city including furniture, fashion, technology, architecture, materials etc. Top brands from every industry like Prada, Moooi, to Sony and Mini Cooper, many with their own pavilions, containing special exhibits and events for duration of the week.




WeWork collaborated with HAY, the Danish design label, and speaker brand Sonos to create a pop up installation at the expansive Palazzo Clerici.


A typical day in Milan Design Week looks like this: First, recover from last night with an espresso at your new favorite street corner cafe and joke with your italian grandpa barista; Pick a design district to check out the amazing installations and pop ups; Cram in the metro for 30 mins to get to the furniture exhibition; Target your focus ( kitchen, bathroom, modern or classical furniture); Continue to walk 15 miles in and out of 24 massive exhibition halls for another 5 hours; When your legs are about to collapse, take a break in one of the restaurants; Finally 4pm get out before everyone rushes to the metro; Meet up with friends for Aperitivo + 10 other showroom parties; Crash; Repeat.

I enjoyed seeing not only innovations in design, but also the many opportunities to meet and potentially collaborate with exhibitors. I was reminded that innovation really comes in many forms, nothing too big nor too small. There are exhibitions of studies on 3-way zippers, 3 layer 3D laser cutting, “self-blooming” shading device with the Sun, as-well-as the Sony Pavilions’ 3-dimensional projector of architectural plans.

With so much to see and explore, one full week was still not enough. It is so hard to contain thousands of these brilliant ideas into 2 dimensional iphone images. I was so inspired and filled with energy and passion to design. I encourage all of you to attend at least once in a lifetime, whether you are a designer or not!

Conyee and Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s BREATH, large suspended coils of a special pollution-neutralising fabric.

OWA Mixer at Farley's East

by Maryam Moayery Nia
OWA had an event at Farley's East at Oakland, on Thursday April 19th, 2018. It was a great social event where the older and newer generations of OWA members could meet in a casual setting.

From steering committee Bridget Basham, Helen Vasquez and Maryam Moayey Nia were at the meeting. They talked about OWA policies and benefits with the new members and then about the upcoming events.

Shown in the photo below from right to left Rachel Slonicki, Retreat Administrator, Maryam Moayey Nia (Steering Committee (SC) Newsletter), Genevieve Marsh, new member living in Auburn, Natalie Haydon-Hawkins, who found us on Facebook and works in San Francisco, Helen Vasquez (SC Membership), Bridget Basham (SC Programs), and Wendy Bertrand, long time member were photographed by rejoining past member Josephine Ortega.

Also Rachel Slonicki, Retreat Administrator, described the retreat event for the new members and talked about the 2018 retreat program.
At the end all of the attendees introduced themselves. They talked about their backgrounds, current positions and projects.

Women in Architecture Award 2018 winners

by Patrick Lynch

Two South American architects have been selected as the winners of The Architectural Review and The Architects’ Journal’s 2018 Women in Architecture awards. This year’s top prize, Architect of the Year, has been awarded to Peruvian architect Sandra Barclay, while Paraguayan architect Gloria Cabral has been selected as the winner of the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture, with both being recognized by the jury for their mastery of materials.

Architect of the Year
Founding partner of Barclay & Crousse, Sandra Barclay has been awarded the Architect of the Year for her work on Peru’s Site Museum of Paracas Culture (Museo de Sitio de Paracas). Located in the harsh environment of the Paracas Desert, the museum was built to replace a structure destroyed in a 2007 earthquake. Responding to these conditions, the building is designed to work with and withstand the difficult natural conditions.



Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture
Gloria Cabral, partner at Asunción-based Gabinete de Arquitectura, has been awarded the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture. A protégé of Peter Zumthor, Cabral has developed a keen sense of elevating humble materials in inventive ways. Employing perhaps her favorite material, Paraguayan brick, Gabinete de Arquitectura constructed the soaring brick arch selected as the winner of the Golden Lion at the 2016 Venice Biennale.
Cabral will receive a £10,000 prize named for former director of design at the V&A, Moira Gemmill. The fund will be used to support Cabral’s continuing professional development.


FADA / Gabinete de Arquitectura. Image © Federico Cairoli

Two other prizes awarded as part of the Women in Architecture awards program, the Jane Drew Prize and the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize, were given earlier this year to Amanda Levete and Madelon Vriesendorp, respectively.

News via The Architectural Review and Architects’ Journal https://www.architectural-review.com/today/women-in-architecture-award-winners-announced/10028699.article?blocktitle=WIA&contentID=20111

AIA SF Small Firms, Great Projects Submission

by AIA SF
Open to architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, and architectural lighting firms with 19 or fewer employees, Small Firms, Great Projects provides a platform for small firms to feature their best work in print, online, and in a companion exhibition.

You can view the 2018 program's submission details and a submission template here http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.aiasf.org/resource/resmgr/files/SFGP/2018_AIASF_SFGP_Submission_D.pdf
Submit your entry here https://www.conferenceabstracts.com/cfp2/login.asp?EventKey=CTRWFEHM

ELIGIBILITY
Architecture, Landscape architecture and interior design firms working on residential, retail, small business, or institutional projects.
Firms must be a local small firm with 19 or fewer employees.
Firms can submit one project for a one-page layout or two projects for a two-page spread. Entry fees are per project. Completion date not required for projects.
Firms may submit projects that have been previously published in Small Firms, Great Projects or other publications.

DEADLINE
Early Deadline: Friday, May 25, 1:00 PM
Final Deadline: Friday, June 8, 1:00 PM

ENTRY FEES
One-Page Layout + Exhibition Printing
Early $475 / Final $525 Members + Partners
Early $830 / Final $880 Nonmembers
Two-Page Spread + Exhibition Printing
Early $870 / Final $920 Members + Partners
Early $1,580 / Final $1,630 Nonmembers
*Entry Fees are nonrefundable

SUBMISSION PACKET
Completed Submission Form
Firm Logo
Main Image: 10" W x 12" H image in a JPG Format, 300 DPI Resolution
Detail Image: 3" W x 3" H image in a JPG format, 300 DPI Resolution
Full Page Image (2 Page spread only): 10" W x 12" H image in a JPG Format, 300 DPI Resolution
Firm Banner: 18" W x 48" H in a JPG Format, 300 DPI Resolution
Photographer Agreement (Recommended, but not required)

Women in Architecture Forum & Awards: Celebrate Design Leadership

by http://www.arwomeninarchitecture.com/index.php
Architectural Record presents the 5th Annual Women in Architecture Forum and Awards program to recognize and promote women’s design leadership on October 30th, 2018 at New York, NY. Join us for an afternoon symposium in Midtown Manhattan followed by a reception honoring this year's award winners.

Honoring Women in Each of the Following Categories:
Design Leader
For an architect with significant built work and influence
New Generation Leader
For an architect who is rising in the profession
Innovator
For an architect who has made a mark in innovative design, materials or building type
Activist
For an architect who has used her skills to design for social change, to affect the public realm or to perform pro bono work
Educator or Mentor
For a professional who has helped the advancement of women in the field

Who Should Attend
Architects
Engineers
Designers
Owners
Developers
Educators
Building Product Manufacturers

Registration Options
Individual Attendee: $125.00 per person.
Attendee 10 Pack: Register at Least 10 People at $100.00 per person.1
At lease 10 people must register during a single registration transaction and use the same credit card for payment to use this registration option.

Registration
BNP Event Registration Services
(844) 644-7449
bnp@executivevents.com

Find more about the event at http://www.arwomeninarchitecture.com/index.php



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