REINVENTING THE TEXAS TRIANGLE

The expansion of metropolitan areas has formed a new geographical region throughout the world--the megaregion. Megaregions have linked economic, environmental, and transportation systems; and there is a need for policy coordination at this scale as population growth continues to put pressure on these systems. The Texas Triangle megaregion includes the metropolitan areas of Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin and is one of eleven emerging megaregions in the continental United States.

Transportation issues in the Texas Triangle were the topic of study in a 2006 class in the School of Architecture, "Metropolitan Transportation Studies with GIS"; and the history and economic development of the major Triangle cities and the megaregion planning implications were the focus of a 2007 research paper by Dean Fritz Steiner, Associate Dean Kent Butler, and Assistant Professor Ming Zhang, titled "Connecting the Texas Triangle: Economic Integration and Transportation Coordination."

These two pieces of work have been expanded into a new publication with the Center for Sustainable Development, Reinventing the Texas Triangle: Solutions for Growing Challenges. Created with assistance from Sara Hammerschmidt [MSCRP '09], this report looks at the history and economic structure of the major urban areas and identifies connections between them in order to develop sustainable solutions to the region's challenges, including reducing suburban sprawl by identifying preferred growth areas, developing a new transportation network, ensuring the region's economic competitiveness, and preserving natural resources and landscapes. This publication will be used as a resource for the Texas Triangle Megaregion conference in Houston, September 24 and 25, co-hosted by Houston Tomorrow and America 2050.

Reinventing the Texas Triangle: Solutions for Growing Challenges can be viewed on the CSD website.

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP

Assistant Professor Bjørn Sletto received a National Science Foundation grant of $19,924 for his work in Venezuela this summer. His project, titled "Venezuela Planning Visit: Developing a Model for Assessing Social and Ecological Implications of Declining Freshwater Quality in the Maracaibo Basin, Maracaibo, July 2009," will also fund two student field trips to Venezuela.

This grant is intended to support the development of a long-term, interdisciplinary research program. Professor Sletto will submit extended research proposals to two NSF programs, Geography and Spatial Sciences (GSS) and Coupled Human-Environment Systems (CHE), later this fall.

Dean Fritz Steiner's and Assistant Professor Talia McCray's article, "We Knew It All Along," appears in the July 2009 edition of Planning magazine in the "Viewpoint" section. It was adapted from their op-ed commentary, "Redesign Communities to Help Alleviate Obesity," that appeared in the May 26, 2009, edition of the Houston Chronicle.

Steiner and McCray wrote in response to a statement released in May by the American Academy of Pediatrics linking childhood obesity to the built environment in which children live.

Steiner and McCray reason, "We need to spread the word: New neighborhoods should be laid out to support walking to schools, parks, and recreational facilities. A mixture of uses guarantees more walking."

APA members may login and view the Planning article here. View the Houston Chronicle commentary here. A third version of their article will appear in an upcoming issue of Landscape Architecture.

Associate Professor Robert Paterson, Lecturer Rachael Rawlins, Dean Fritz Steiner, and Assistant Professor Ming Zhang co-wrote a chapter in Smart Growth Policies: An Evaluation of Programs and Outcomes, recently published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy collaborated with 18 leading land use researchers and planners to measure and compare outcomes in four states with statewide smart growth programs (Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and Oregon) and four states without such programs (Colorado, Indiana, Texas, and Virginia). The investigation reveals great heterogeneity. No state did well on all smart growth principles or on all measures, although individual states typically succeeded in their top priority policy area.

Professors Paterson, Rawlins, Steiner, and Zhang contributed the Texas case study chapter. The book is available for purchase or can be downloaded here.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

ALUMNI UPDATES

Led by principal Michael Jacobs [M.Arch. '95], Holly Street Studio Architects has designed a new exhibit building for the popular McCormick Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, Arizona, slated for construction in winter 2009. This new building is part of a campus of historic depots and railroading experiences within a 27-acre public park used for recreation, historic preservation, railroad car rides, and interactive learning experiences. It will house model railroads and artifacts for public view.

After an extensive master planning process, the building nestles alongside railroad tracks, cars, depots, and water towers. The design creates a long and low "railroad shed" with light filled open structure above, protective masonry walls along the edges, and an open entrance gallery. The building sits on a wooden plinth, arrived at from the park entrance along a sloping plane. Clerestory lights along the top edges of the walls allow the roof to float above. This sustainable design takes on a modular approach to each of the railroad display components, including perimeter walls, workshops, and circulation paths. The floor height varies around the models to allow various vantage points and open interaction with the model railroaders, creating an interactive experience for visitors.

An article about landscape architecture in the July 11 edition of the Austin American-Statesman featured the backyard of recent alum, Cameron Campbell [MLA '09].

Campbell says, "I was inspired to design and build the addition as an investment in the quality of our daily lives and have an outdoor space we'd actually use (rather) than making an ornamental garden one can only view. I personally view the garden just like the living room of my house, where I like my living space clean and free of unnecessary clutter. It helps me have a clearer mind and also makes it easier to maintain."

Architect magazine announces Good Fulton & Farrell as one of the top architecture firms in the nation. The Architect 50 is a new recognition program by the magazine to honor the top 50 U.S.-based architecture firms.

Good Fulton & Farrell was founded in 1982 by UTSOA alum and active UTSOA advisory council member Larry Good, FAIA, LEED AP [B.Arch. '72].

According to Amanda Hurley, senior editor at Architect magazine, The Architect 50 "promotes a more well-rounded definition of success," and "comprises a trifecta of critical goals for every practice: profitability, sustainability, and design quality."

Good Fulton & Farrell ranks 17th nationally and is the top ranked Texas firm. The firm ranked ahead of several larger, national and multi-national firms, and was the only Texas-based firm in the Top 25.

"The Architect 50 award recognizes firms exhibiting excellence in design, sustainability, and management, which aligns nicely with the balanced approach we have always taken to our practice," said Duncan T. Fulton III, FAIA, LEED AP, managing principal of Good Fulton & Farrell. "With financial criteria being one of the factors considered, this achievement is even more significant, given today's climate, and is an indicator of the value behind our services."

The firm's initiatives such as a sustainability committee, a sustainability director and encouraging staff to obtain education/registration for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation were noted by editorial team at Architect. In addition, design awards and firm recognition awards received by Good Fulton & Farrell in 2008 were ranked and weighted according to the organization giving out the award and the level: national, state, or local.

Architect and Salt Lake City Councilman Søren Simonsen [B.Arch. '92], along with urban designer and City Planning Commissioner Kathleen J. Hill announced a joint business venture that will offer architecture, urban planning and design, consulting, and development services aimed at building sustainable communities.

Simonsen and Hill were previously employed with Cooper Roberts Simonsen Associates (CRSA) of Salt Lake City. Simonsen was a principal at CRSA for 15 years and has won many awards for his projects aimed at sustainability and community development.

ALUMNI EVENTS

Being an alum has its benefits! As an alumnus of the School of Architecture, you will have many opportunities for ongoing contact with the school and our alumni community:

• Social and intellectual enrichment at one of our annual socials or mixers
  
• Expanded networks for professional growth and development by attending our series of lectures and exhibits
  
• Connections with UTSOA students, staff, and faculty, and continued involvement in the welfare and future of the school by joining Friends of Architecture

We are continuing our effort to find (and maintain) the most accurate contact information for all of our alumni. Stay in touch with former classmates--update your record and contact preferences by logging on to the university's online alumni directory.

More details will be available on the School of Architecture alumni web page as events approach. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Stacy Manning at smanning@austin.utexas.edu or 512.471.0617.

CAREER RESOURCES FOR ALUMNI

Did you know that as an alumnus of the University of Texas, you have access to valuable career tools such as AccessUT and Texas Exes Career Services?

AccessUT is an online job and internship database within the university's Hire Texas web site that allows students and alumni to view postings from employers searching for their next hire. It also provides employers a free, centralized place to post professional, career-related job and internship opportunities for students and alumni.

The Texas Exes offers important career services such as one-on-one career consultations, resume critiques, coaching, online career assessment tools, seminars, job-searching resources, networking opportunities, and a Virtual Career Center.

STUDENT CONNECTIONS

BEDROSIAN + HUIE CAPTURE FIRST PLACE IN SALK INSTITUTE COMPETITION

Last week, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) announced the winners of the Preservation as Provocation: Re-Thinking Kahn's Salk Institute, International Student Design Competition. Graduate architecture students Brian Bedrosian and William Huie won first place for their "Looking into the Distance" entry. Professor David Heymann served as faculty sponsor. The award consists of cash prizes of $3,500 to the students and $1,500 to the faculty sponsor.

Administered by ACSA and sponsored by The American Institute of Architects, Historic Resources Committee (AIA HRC), the program challenged students to envision the preservation of Louis H. Kahn's Salk Institute while rethinking current conventions about composition, construction, and building performance. The goal was to envision a new type of facility that would be unimaginable without the existing structures.

Juror comments: "This is the most comprehensive submission, possessing a clear organizational scheme and a strong physical connection to the existing Kahn building. From a preservation standpoint, this design is both complimentary and complementary to Kahn's design, but in a new and different way. The architectural form draws on Kahn's use of materials and light, and the proposal draws better attention to Kahn's work without copying it. The scheme would also perform very well environmentally, and programmatically it ties into the way the existing labs are used and maintained, which is critical to the way the Salk Institute is currently used. This was one of the few proposals that conducted a thorough and critical analysis of the programmatic construct of Kahn's Salk in relation to the labs and the service zones."

The winning projects will be on display at the ACSA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, March 2010, and at the American Institute of Architects National Convention in Miami, June 2010. In addition, the projects will be published in an online competition summary website in fall 2009.

2009 SOUND BUILDING WITH DISTINCTION AWARDS

The third-year faculty is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2009 Sound Building with Distinction Awards.

Bachelor of Architecture Students
Caitlin Coffey
Alexander Goldberg
Stephanie Griffith
Katherine Tucker

Bachelor of Science in Interior Design Student
Kimberly Cole

LAURA MCGUIRE RECEIVES FULBRIGHT AWARD

Architectural history Ph.D. candidate Laura M. McGuire has been selected for a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Scholarship to Austria for the 2009-2010 school year to complete her dissertation research. The announcement was made on July 14 by the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

McGuire is one of over 1,500 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2009-2010 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

The Fulbright Program, America's flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has provided approximately 294,000 people (111,000 Americans who have studied, taught, or researched abroad and 183,000 students, scholars, and teachers from other countries who have engaged in similar activities in the United States) with the opportunity to observe each others' political, economic, educational, and cultural institutions, to exchange ideas and to embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world's inhabitants. The program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Fulbright recipients are among over 40,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. For more than sixty years, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has funded and supported programs that seek to promote mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is administered by the Institute of International Education.

FRIENDS OF ARCHITECTURE

FRIENDS OF ARCHITECTURE

Friends of Architecture (FOA) is an annual giving program within the School of Architecture with a mission to increase knowledge and awareness of superior architecture, planning, and design and to advance quality education for future generations. Our members are current students, faculty, alumni, patrons, practitioners, and aficionados who believe in the significance of the built environment and are looking to take part in shaping its future by supporting excellence within the School of Architecture.

FOA membership benefits include involvement opportunities through the school's lectures, exhibitions, and publications and access to significant architecture and design with our exclusive tours.

How to Join
As of September 1, 2007, all donors to the Annual Fund Program who direct their gifts in the amount of $50 or more to the School of Architecture automatically receive a one-year membership to Friends of Architecture.

Make your gift today at our giving page. Click on "School of Architecture" in the right-hand menu to make your donation and start receiving your FOA benefits!

You may also make a contribution directly to FOA online. Log on to our website to join online, learn about member benefits, and get information about upcoming tours and events.

Events

For the latest updates, check out the online UTSOA Calendar.

Funding for lectures and exhibits is provided in part by the Herbert M. Greene Centennial Lectureship, the Wolf and Janet Jessen Centennial Lectureship, the Karl Kamrath Lectureship, the Edwin A. Schneider Centennial Lectureship, and the Brightman/York Endowed Lecture Series in Interior Design.

LADY BIRD TRIBUTE DAY

Sunday, July 26
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, Texas
Extended hours: 9 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m.
Free Admission

Join the Wildflower Center on Sunday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in honor of Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson and all she has done for our nation's treasured environment. Admission will be free for visitors during extended hours this Sunday, when free seed packets will also be handed out. Enjoy a broad range of activities for adults and kids, including:

• An exhibit of paintings and photographs including a never-before-exhibited Norman Rockwell portrait
• 10 a.m. docent-guided tour of the gardens and sculptures
• 1 to 4 p.m. book signing with the authors of the new Lone Star Wildflowers and Hummingbirds of Texas
• 1 to 4 p.m. origami crafting with paper artist Joan Son, whose 40 pieces are on display there
• 1 to 4 p.m. kids crafts building Eco-pots with seeds to take home and plant
• 2 p.m. reading of Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers by author Kathi Appelt
• Free take-home packets of a southwest mix of wildflower seeds for planting in the fall

Texas-born Lady Bird spent her years in the White House advocating for nature and the importance of conserving the environment. The Wildflower Center honors her this July 26 because on this day, in 1968, President Lyndon Johnson presented the First Lady with a plaque and pens used to sign 50 conservation, preservation, and beautification laws in tribute of her environmental advocacy.

EXHIBIT

Through August 2009
Materials Lab
West Mall Office Building 3.102 (Monday-Friday, 8-5)

"Object Ecologies - Contemporary Land | Art Museum"
Student work from spring 2009 Vertical Studio
taught by Professor William O'Brien, Jr.

Traditionally in architecture, potential disparities between descriptions of site and conceptions of building have been reconciled through, what can be considered a descriptive and conceptual equalizer, representation. For example, Modernism was witness to "landscape as tabula rasa," reflecting an investment in buildings as synthetic, planar, structurally-gridded constructs. Applique, appropriated patterns, signs and symbols dictated an understanding of buildings during Post-Modernism, perpetuating a similarly artificial interpretation of ground. Contemporaneously, resonances between landscape and architecture are increasingly dependent on systems of organization--natural and synthetic--and their processes of formation.

"Object Ecologies" focused its research on the development of alternative reciprocities linking site and building. Temporarily eschewing common (albeit important), practice-oriented, site-defining elements--lot lines, setback requirements, zoning codes--"Object Ecologies" instead tested interpretations of site that highlight systemic attributes, life-cycles, time-based ecological processes, topological characteristics, etc. Likewise, "Object Ecologies" experimented with depictions of building as relationally-, conditionally-, and tactically-conceived formations.

Throughout the studio, students considered "composites." There are many ways to conceptualize the relationship between landscape and architecture; by choosing composites as our initial filler, students privileged the potentials of interconnectivity and reciprocity, while acknowledging the distinction between constituent parts.

Exhibition Credits: Bhujon Kang, Brian Rome, Aaron Sleator, Alexer Taganas.

EXHIBIT

January 16-August 14, 2009
Visual Resources Collection
Sutton Hall 3.128 (Monday-Friday, 8-5)

"Perceiving Space: The Hal Box and Logan Wagner Collection of Mexican Architecture and Urban Design"

Every summer from 1985 to 1996, with the assistance of volunteer teams from Earthwatch, W.L. Moody, Jr. Centennial Professor Emeritus in Architecture and former dean of the School of Architecture Hal Box, FAIA, and Dr. Logan Wagner [M.Arch. '79; Ph.D. in Latin American Studies, with an architectural history concentration, '97] explored, photographed, measured, and made scale drawings of over ninety towns in Mexico. The collection of over 8,000 slides taken during this period was donated to the School of Architecture's Visual Resources Collection (VRC).

The exhibit highlights a selection of images from a collection that documents communal open spaces built in Mexico from 2000 B.C. to the present, concentrating on the 16th and 17th century fusion of Mesoamerican and European architecture and town planning. Contained in the collection are images of sacred open spaces formed by ancient pyramids and the plazas, atrios, cloisters, and towns' central plazas.

The Hal Box and Logan Wagner Collection of Mexican Architecture and Urban Design are available in ARTstor and as part of the VRC's online Image Collection.

CONTACTS

In this fast-paced world, there's a lot of news to keep up with. We know you are doing great things, and we rely on you not only to share your stories, but also to keep us up-to-date on your contact information so that we can share our stories with you. Alumni, please send your news and contact updates to Associate Director of Constituent and Alumni Relations Stacy Manning at smanning@austin.utexas.edu. Students, faculty, and staff may send updates to eNews editor Pamela Peters at p.peters@mail.utexas.edu.

UT-Austin School of Architecture
soa.utexas.edu

Dean's Office
512.471.1922, fax 512.471.0716

Center for American Architecture and Design
christinewong@mail.utexas.edu, 512.471.9890

Center for Sustainable Development
teresacarr@mail.utexas.edu, 512.475.7995

Assistant Dean for Development
Julie Hooper, jhooper@austin.utexas.edu, 512.471.6114

Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs
Jeanne Crawford, jcraw@mail.utexas.edu, 512.471.0109

Graduate Program Coordinator
Rosemin Gopaul, gopaul@austin.utexas.edu, 512.471.0134

Associate Director of Constituent and Alumni Relations
Stacy Manning, smanning@austin.utexas.edu, 512.471.0617

Director, Career Services Center
Carrie O'Malley, carrie.omalley@austin.utexas.edu, 512.471.1333

Publications Editor
Pamela Peters, p.peters@mail.utexas.edu, 512.471.0154

Event Coordinator
Alley Lyles, alyles@austin.utexas.edu, 512.471.8187

Materials Lab
http://soa.utexas.edu/matlab, 512.232.5969

Visual Resources Collection
http://soa.utexas.edu/vrc/, 512.471.0143

Architecture and Planning Library
www.lib.utexas.edu/apl/, 512.495.4620

Webmaster
Christopher Rankin, crankin@mail.utexas.edu, 512.471.3703

UTSOA Mailing Address
The University of Texas at Austin
School of Architecture
1 University Station B7500
Austin, TX 78712-0222