SOLAR DECATHLON DAY IN AUSTIN

On Monday, September 17, a day marked as "SolarD Day," a crowd of nearly 300 people celebrated the unveiling and open house of the BLOOMhouse, UTSOA's entry to the 2007 Solar Decathlon. The Solar Decathlon, an international competition set in the heart of Washington, D.C., represents a strong display of how solar power is not only a viable energy source, but an attractive one for responsible dwellings.

Austin City Council Member Brewster McCracken, Dean Fritz Steiner, and student project manager Alex Miller addressed the crowd with optimism for a clean-energy future through innovative projects such as the BLOOMhouse, proclaiming the day "SolarD Day in Austin."

Following the remarks, students involved in the design and construction of the BLOOMhouse led tours of the home, describing the innovative design, materials, and ideas behind the solar-powered house. In true UTSolarD fashion, the open house brought together a diverse community of Austinites, students, sponsors, family, and friends as the house opened its doors to the smiling and inquisitive visitors. Many remarked about the house's striking graphics and skin, while also pining for a playful Dutch Tub of their own.

The house is set to leave Austin for the bi-annual competition on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on September 26. Two shifts of students will be traveling to the competition, which attracts over 300,000 visitors. As construction draws to an end and the house prepares to ship out, the team is still seeking support. Donations to help offset last minute costs, as well as travel and meal expenses are greatly needed and appreciated. If you are interested in supporting the UT SolarD Team by making a contribution, please contact Amy Martin, Development Associate, at 512-471-6029.

Events

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

LECTURE

Monday, September 24
Goldsmith 3.120, 5:00 p.m.
Sponsored by The Henry Luce Foundation

Yoshio Kato
Tamkang University
Taiwan

"Solar Works in Japan and Taiwan, 1970-2007"

Yoshio Kato is known as one of the pioneers of green architecture in his native Japan. Kato graduated from the School of Architecture at Waseda University in 1968. Following graduation, Kato worked for the Osaka Expo and started his own architectural firm, Environmental Architecture Design Atelier. Since that time, he has continued his design efforts through designing natural solar houses and publishing articles in Japan. He participated in the third American Passive Solar Conferences and in international meetings on these topics in Asia and Europe through his office in Tokyo. Since 2003, his office has been located in Taiwan.

EXHIBIT

September 24 - October 19
Mebane Gallery
Goldsmith Hall
Sponsored by Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum

"2 x 2: An Exhibition of Work by
Specht Harpman and designsubset"

Specht Harpman works at multiple scales, always engaging and educating their clients in the process of making architecture. This installation highlights three residential projects, including the award-winning zeroHouse(tm). The show also features several full-size wall assemblies and two urban design proposals from Specht Harpman Leisure Industries.

designsubset is the design practice and partnership of Assistant Professor Billie Faircloth and Jim Faircloth. Its goal is to develop inventive relationships among material, environment, and fabrication. designsubset's show is titled "BOX OF 500."

LECTURES

Wednesdays, September 12, 19, & 26
Goldsmith 3.120, 7:00-10:00 p.m.

William Allin Storrer
UTSOA Adjunct Professor

Three Lecture-Seminars on Frank Lloyd Wright's Architecture:

"Prairie Failure and Usonian Triumph, Frank Lloyd Wright's Democratic American Architecture"

The lecture series studies Usonian architecture, asking how the concept of Usonia is relevant today. The point will be made that organic architecture springs from the nature of the site and client. In the Prairie years, Wright abstracted generically for his designs, primarily the idea of the cruciform cathedral into the cruciform plan of the Prairie house, secularizing this in the pinwheel plan. Usonia took a major step forward with site-specific abstraction, making each house unique to site and client.

William Storrer is an educator and a noted scholar of the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Storrer published the first comprehensive catalog of Wright's built work, The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright: A Comprehensive Catalog; as well as The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. He is also responsible for developing a definitive numbering system (The Storrer Catalog Numbering System) of Wright's built works. He created The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright: A Guide to Extant Structures to provide maps and directions to Wright's built works. He also wrote, edited, and published a monthly newsletter FLlW Update (1988-1998) that he has continued to publish as an online newsletter. Beyond Frank Lloyd Wright, he has written over 400 articles for newspapers and magazines about the arts, technology, and travel in the United States, England, and New Zealand.

SUSTAINABILITY COLLOQUIUM

Wednesday, September 26
Battle Hall 101, noon to 1:00 p.m.

Heather Venhaus
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

"Bringing the Landscape into View:
Developing the Sustainable Sites Initiative"

Landscapes are a significant, but often overlooked, element in the creation of the sustainable built environment. Vegetation, soils, and hydrology are integral to human health and well-being and have important implications for architectural design and operation. The Sustainable Sites Initiative, a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the U.S. Botanic Garden, is a project aimed at developing a rating tool for measuring, recognizing, and verifying the design, construction, and maintenance of sustainable landscapes. The project will include appropriate performance targets for site-based resource stewardship, and the final product will potentially be included in future versions of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Rating System. In this session, Heather Venhaus will describe the progress to date on the Sustainable Sites Initiative and the challenges ahead in developing a rating tool for sustainable landscapes.

Ms. Venhaus is an environmental designer at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, where she works on activities such as the annual Conservation Development Symposium and the Sustainable Sites Initiative. She collaborates with teams of scientists, designers, and educational advisors on projects emphasizing sustainable design, landscape restoration, and environmental education.

EXHIBIT

September 10, 2007, through January 4, 2008
Visual Resources Collection
Sutton Hall 3.128 (Monday-Friday, 8-5)

Opening Reception:
Thursday, September 27, 3:00-5:00 pm

"Images from India: Photography by Sarah Hill"

Traveling throughout India for six weeks in summer 2006 with the Advanced Travel India Studio led by Lecturers Pankaj Gupta and Christine Mueller, Sarah Hill was provided with many opportunities to document the visually rich environment. The selection of images in this exhibit represents a small sampling of over 3700 digital images that are now part of the School of Architecture's Visual Resources Image Collection; the images will be available shortly for use by the University community for study, teaching, and research.

Sarah Hill graduated from the School of Architecture in May 2007 with a Master of Architecture degree. This project was supported in great part by a ~FAST Tex Grant from the University's Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment.

EXHIBIT

Through October 2007
Architecture & Planning Library
Battle Hall

"Information, Technology, and the Public Library"

On display are drawings and models prepared by Professor Louise Harpman's advanced design studio (spring 2006) for the new Blanco Library in Blanco, Texas.

As part of the studio, the students presented their proposals in the typical school of architecture jury format at school, but also in a large "town hall" style meeting in Blanco. Local residents, planning officials, and journalists from Blanco, Johnson City, and San Antonio attended the session. The student projects were on display throughout the summer of 2006 at the Blanco Library and were also featured in the Blanco County News.

RICHARD DODGE MEMORIAL SERVICE

A memorial service will be held for Richard Dodge, UTSOA emeritus professor, on Tuesday, September 25, from 6:00-8:00, in the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center on The University of Texas at Austin campus. Professor Dodge died on August 10 following a brief illness.

The Alumni Center is located across the street from the Darrell K. Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium at 2110 San Jacinto Boulevard. Limited parking will be available at the Center. Paid parking garages are located at 210 East MLK Blvd. (Brazos Garage) and 2401 San Jacinto Blvd. (San Jacinto Garage). For special needs parking, contact Chris Marcin at cmarcin@austin.utexas.edu or 512-471-5111.

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP

Specht Harpman's (Associate Dean Louise Harpman, principal) zeroHouse project is featured on the cover of the September 2007 edition of Texas Architect. It is the only project, from a roster of 65 unbuilt entries, the jury selected for a Texas Society of Architects Studio Award this year, praising its "rigorous inquiry."

ZeroHouse is a 650-square-foot prefabricated house designed to operate autonomously, with no need for utilities or waste connections. It generates its own electrical power, collects and stores rainwater, and processes all waste. It can be installed in places unsuitable for standard construction, including in water up to 10-feet deep or on slopes of up to 35 degrees.

Read the entire article by Texas Architect editor Stephen Sharpe and view zeroHouse plans and renderings on the TSA website.

Dr. Patricia A. Wilson, Professor of Community and Regional Planning (CRP), received a Fulbright Senior Specialist Award to give two day-long workshops in Lima, Perú, on Participatory Planning for Disaster Recovery at the invitation of the School of Architecture at the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería (UNI) in Lima. While the workshops were planned months in advance, they occurred just two weeks after a major earthquake hit the southern coast of Perú. As a result, Dr. Wilson was also interviewed on national television about the lessons from Katrina for disaster recovery and was asked to collaborate on recovery planning in the affected region. Those interested in getting involved in reconstruction planning on the southern coast may contact Dr. Wilson directly.

Following the workshops in Lima, Dr. Wilson, along with CRP and architecture graduate students, collaborated with faculty and students from the host university to design and conduct a 4-day participatory planning charrette on sustainable tourism development with an indigenous Quechua-speaking community at 11,000 feet in the Andes near Cuzco. The lessons learned will be documented in a book on participatory planning in ecologically fragile communities in Perú that Dr. Wilson is writing with her Peruvian colleagues at UNI.

As a result of the successful collaboration, the host university has invited Dr. Wilson to bring planning and architecture students from UT on a yearly basis to engage in participatory planning in ecologically fragile communities in Perú.

A new book, Philosophy and Design: From Engineering to Architecture, co-edited by Dr. Steven Moore with Drs. Peter Kroes and Pieter Vermass of Delft University, and Dr. Andrew Light of the University of Washington, will be published by Springer, Berlin, and will appear in the early spring of 2008. The book derives from a special meeting of the Society for Philosophy and Technology at the Technical University of Delft in July 2005 that examined how architects and engineers "design."

LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER NEWS

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Executive Director Susan Rieff will be honored by The Nature Conservancy for her conservation efforts with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its 13th annual Conservation Leadership Awards Luncheon on October 4.

Rieff has directed environmental policy and legislation at state and federal levels, spearheaded large-scale multiagency environmental projects, and coordinated national conservation actions and initiatives.

The event will be co-sponsored by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Austin American-Statesman.

ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI UPDATES

Louis Waddell [B.Arch. '90] has accepted a Senior Architect position at Kohn, Pederson, Fox in London, England. He will be relocating there from Paris, France, where for the past five years he has been a free-lance architect working primarily with Dominique Perrault Architecture, Studios Architecture, and Architecture-Studio.

Michael Voit [B.Arch. '91], AIA, NCARB, an associate principal with F&S Partners, recently earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management, graduating with Highest Honors. During his coursework, he was awarded a Dean's Merit Scholarship and earned membership in Sigma Iota Epsilon Honorary and Professional Management Fraternity.

Voit has been employed with F&S Partners since 1992. He is a LEED accredited professional, a member of the American Institute of Architects, and a member of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International.

TSA ALUMNI RECEPTION

Thursday, October 18
The Austin Center for Architecture
6:30 p.m.

This year's annual Texas Society of Architects convention will be held in Austin. Even if you are not planning to attend the TSA convention, all alumni of the School of Architecture are invited to attend a reception at the Austin Center for Architecture on Thursday, October 18, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Printed invitations have been sent via mail, and we hope you will plan to join your fellow alumni and Dean Steiner at this event, sponsored by John Nyfeler, FAIA, and Sally Fly, Honorary AIA. To r.s.v.p. and/or update your mailing address, visit us online. Please contact Stephanie Palmer at 512-471-0617 or stephanie.palmer@mail.utexas.edu with questions.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

The School of Architecture is continuing its effort to find (and maintain) the most accurate contact information for all of our alumni. From young alumni receptions to 50-year reunions, and everything in between, we hope you will stay in touch. Would you like to mentor a student? Do you need to hire a fellow Longhorn? Looking for networking or continuing education opportunities? We can help, but we need to know how to reach you!

Alumni may update their records, contact preferences, and search for fellow graduates by logging on to the University's online alumni directory. Or, you may always contact Stephanie Palmer, Alumni Relations Director at stephanie.palmer@mail.utexas.edu or 512-471-0617.

Thanks for helping us improve our relationship with you. We look forward to hearing from you!

FRIENDS OF ARCHITECTURE

For nearly fifteen years, Friends of Architecture has been opening the doors to significant architecture, giving design patrons a broader knowledge and more profound appreciation for the art and skill behind some of the world's most impressive structures, stunning interiors, and breathtaking landscapes. And, while FOA has always had a hand in shaping the future of fine design by providing vital funding for the enrichment and expansion of programs within the School of Architecture, we think you'll find that being a "friend" is now better than ever.

We are proud to introduce the new Friends of Architecture, with new benefits and new friends!

Broadening our membership in 2007-08, we are thrilled to welcome many new "friends" to our roster by including all annual donors to the School of Architecture. This will better support our belief that anyone who contributes an annual gift to the UTSOA should be considered a "friend" of architecture, and it is also a way for all of our alumni and donors to become more connected with the School. Speaking of making connections, we also think you'll like our refreshed membership levels. At www.friendsofarchitecture.org, you'll notice new corporate levels that offer your firm enhanced recruiting and student sponsorship opportunities. We've also re-named all of our other levels, and although the names have changed, the benefits have only gotten better. Among the exciting new benefits, you will find new opportunities to observe and interact with School of Architecture students and improved access to UTSOA facilities.

Private support for the School of Architecture is a crucial component of our ability to recruit and retain the highest caliber faculty and students. If you believe in the significance of the built environment and are looking to take part in shaping its future by supporting excellence within The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, we want to call you our "friend." Join us today by making your annual donation at www.friendsofarchitecture.org!

DEAN'S JOURNAL

With the beginning of the academic year, I have tried to stay put in Austin. The new school year brings a flurry of activities including football games. With Assistant Dean Julie Hooper, I made day trips to Houston and San Antonio to visit with alumni, firms, and two of our new Advisory Council members, Mike Wheeler and John Grable, FAIA. In spite of the recent economic downturn, business remains good for architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture firms in Texas. There is considerable enthusiasm for our graduates who are in great demand by Texas firms.

On September 11, I flew to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to participate in the X-Treme LA charrette. Landscapeforms, in partnership with the Landscape Architecture Foundation, invited 24 leading design firm principals to nominate their best and brightest young talent to participate in an intense, demanding three-day charrette calculated to challenge and inspire Gen X design leaders. The experience sought to foster creative thinking and team building. We focused on the future of downtown Kalamazoo, a once innovative manufacturing center. Like other so-called Rust Belt cities, Kalamazoo has experienced economic decline. However, the city appears to be on the rebound and has a potentially bright future.

After a welcoming dinner and a tour of the Landscapeforms street-furniture factory on Wednesday morning, September 12, three teams of eight young designers got down to work. Three seasoned practitioners--Thomas Balsley from New York City, Chip Crawford of HOK in St. Louis, and Barbara Faga of EDAW in Atlanta served as team leaders. I was to be a co-host, representing the Landscape Architecture foundation. However, due to a family emergency, Barbara Faga had to leave Wednesday after our factory tour. As a result, I took over as team leader, which reminded me how fun studios can be.

After working into the night on Wednesday and Thursday morning, the three teams presented their ideas to Kalamazoo officials and to Western Michigan University planners mid-day. The teams suggested practical strategies for improving circulation and adding green spaces, as well as more inventive propositions for enhancing the city's identity and attracting the creative class.

From Kalamazoo, I flew to New York City. Center for Sustainable Development director Elizabeth Mueller and I met with Miguel Garcia of the Ford Foundation about funding possibilities. We also discussed our involvement in the American 2050 with Bob Yaro of the Regional Plan Association.

While I was in Kalamazoo, the Austin American-Statesman featured our 2007 Solar Decathlon entry, the BLOOMhouse. On Monday, September 17, Austin Councilman Brewster McCracken participated in a ribbon-cutting event and read a proclamation from the city declaring it the UT School of Architecture Solar Decathlon Day. The BLOOMhouse will be shipped to Washington, D.C., on September 26. We still need funds to ship the house to the National Mall and to support student travel and lodging. If interested in making a contribution, please contact Amy Martin, Development Associate, at 512-471-6029.

Also on Monday, I introduced guest speaker Yolande Daniels of Columbia University and SUMO Architects. She reviewed the evolution of SUMO's work through projects in New York City, Japan, and Miami. Professor Daniels titled her talk "Alienated Labor," which she described as the distance from the hands-on approach of her early projects. In her talk, she explained, "Architecture is always two-faced. Each construction is an erasure."

On Tuesday, September 18, I met with Associate Dean Louise Harpman, Matt Morris of Lake|Flato, and a delegation from the Blanco Library, including Kathleen Anglish, Shirley Beck, Nell Krueger, and Gwen Risinger, in the Reading Room of the Architecture and Planning Library. We reviewed an exhibit of designs for the Blanco Library completed in Dean Harpman's 2006 advanced studio. This studio was a funded research project and design studio, during which Professor Harpman and the School of Architecture worked closely with the Blanco Library and its Boards of Directors, who provided the research funds. Funding enabled the students to perform in-depth research concerning library precedents and enabled the class to travel to Seattle and Phoenix to visit those cities' impressive central and branch libraries.

I then attended lunch in Austin's City Hall for the launch of the "I Live Here, I Give Here" campaign. Although Austin ranks high on many measures, the city is 48 out of 50 large American cities in giving to non-profits. The "I Live Here, I Give Here" campaign is devoted to expanding philanthropy in Austin. I returned to City Hall later in the day to meet with Mayor Will Wynn about the progress of Envision Central Texas. Yesterday, at the Envision Central Texas executive committee meeting, Associate Professor Bob Paterson unveiled the beta version of the Quality Growth Toolbox.

Later yesterday, I attended UT-Austin President Bill Powers' State of the University Address. He outlined the major academic accomplishments of the University, as well as our budgetary challenges. President Powers noted that excellence across the University is our goal and that the "greatest enemy of excellence is settling for 'pretty good.'" The President outlined our strategies for not settling for the status quo and for advancing the quality of teaching and scholarship.

—Fritz Steiner

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 to tell us your story. Students, faculty, and staff may send updates to eNews editor Pamela Peters at p.peters@mail.utexas.edu. Alumni, please send your news and contact updates to Alumni Relations Director Stephanie Palmer at stephanie.palmer@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
utcsd@mail.utexas.edu, 512.475.8013

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

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

Director, Friends of Architecture and Alumni Relations
Stephanie Palmer, stephanie.palmer@mail.utexas.edu, 512.471.0617

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

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

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

Webmaster
Christopher Rankin, crankin@mail.utexas.edu, 512.495.4620

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