Events

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

LECTURE

Friday, October 5
Goldsmith Hall 3.120, 5:00 p.m.

Kevin Bone
The Cooper Union
Principal, Bone/Levine Architects
New York

"Water, Structure and Landscape: Two Case Studies from New York City"

The lecture will examine two major infrastructure initiatives that shaped New York City -- the transformation of the harbor and estuary into one of the major and commercial ports in the nation and the architecture and engineering of the New York City water supply system.

Kevin Bone was raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and began his architectural training during high school as a studio assistant to local architect Elizabeth Wright Ingraham. After a semester at the School of Environmental Design at the University of Colorado Bone moved to New York City and attended Pratt Institute where he graduated with honors from the B.Arch. program in the spring of 1978.

Throughout the past twenty years, Bone has maintained a studio for independent architectural investigations. Studio work has included participation in numerous competitions and exhibitions.

Since 1983 Bone has been a partner and principal in Bone/Levine Architects. The practice won AIA design awards in three consecutive years (2001, 2000, 1999) for residential work. Bone/Levine Architects is currently working to complete the Manhattan Sky Villa, a three-storey private residential addition atop an existing historic New York City building. The practice is also extensively involved in architectural preservation, technical consulting, and general building renovation. Bone/Levine Architects has just completed the reconstruction of the historic Manhasset, a 140-unit, grand upper-Broadway apartment house that is a designated New York City Landmark. The 12-storey, block-long structure was 50% destroyed by a devastating fire in the spring of 1999. Current work includes a private residential project in Mexico and development of experimental eco-dwellings and land use planning for a nature conservancy in western Colorado.

LECTURE

Tuesday, October 11
Goldsmith Hall 2.302B, Dean's Conference Room, 6:00 p.m.

Charles A. Phillips
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Sponsored by the Jahn Lectures Series in Historic Preservation

"A Reliquary for Menokin:
Using an 18th Century Platform to Explore the Future of Construction"

Charles A. Phillips, AIA, AIC PA, specializes in the architecture of museums and the preservation of historic buildings. He has a B.A. in History, B.Arch. and M.Arch. in Preservation from The University of Texas at Austin. His professional activities have included Damage Control and Repair Division Officer in the USS New DD-818; Director of Restoration, Old Salem, Inc.; and 30 years in private practice, combining the skills of a cabinetmaker, architect, and architectural conservator. His clients have included the Smithsonian Institute, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Valentine Museum, The National Trust, and The International Masonry Institute. Phillips recent work involves conservation of the Maryland State House where George Washington resigned his commission and consulting on the conservation of the ceremonial offices for the Vice-President of The United States.

LECTURE

Monday, October 15
Goldsmith Hall 3.120, 5:00 p.m.

Billie Faircloth
designsubset
Austin, Texas
Sponsored by Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum

"Box of 500"

Billie Faircloth began her undergraduate architectural studies at The School of Design, North Carolina State University. After completing her architectural internship, Faircloth pursued graduate studies at the Harvard Design School where she focused on emerging material research; there, she earned the title of Distinction and received the post-professional Kevin Kieran Award, which recognizes academic excellence. Faircloth joined the faculty at The University of Texas School of Architecture in the fall of 2002.

Faircloth is committed to maintaining a constant dialogue between academic research and professional practice. In addition to her assistant professorship, she is the co-partner of designsubset, an emerging design practice and collaboration with Jim Faircloth; its goal is to develop inventive relationships among material, environment, and fabrication. In the spring of 2005, designsubset was invited to participate in an emerging practices competition sponsored by the Philbrook Museum of Art titled LANDed, Innovative Garden Structures. Their winning competition entry and first experimental project, ROAMroom, was installed on the museum grounds through the spring of 2006.

LECTURE

Tuesday, October 16
Goldsmith Hall 2.302B, Dean's Conference Room, 6:30 p.m.

Brent A. Gabby
Principal, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Boston, Massachusetts
Sponsored by the Jahn Lectures Series in Historic Preservation

"Iconic Masonry Structures: A Closer Look for Durable Repairs"

Brent A. Gabby, P.E., is a principal and leader of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger's preservation technology practice area. With more than 20 years of experience, Brent has extensive experience specializing in investigating, diagnosing, and designing repairs to building envelope problems, including windows, walls, and roofs.

He has investigated and designed repairs for nationally and locally recognized historic landmarks and buildings such as the Walter Gropius House, Lincoln, Massachusetts (ca. 1938, National Historic Landmark); Plymouth Rock Building, Boston, Massachusetts (ca. 1899, National Register of Historic Places); Boston Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts (ca. 1890, National Register of Historic Places); Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut (ca. 1850, National Register of Historic Places); John Adams Courthouse, Boston, Massachusetts (ca. 1895, National Register of Historic Places); Milwaukee City Hall (ca. 1896, National Historic Landmark); and Montauk Lighthouse (ca. 1790, National Historic Landmark).

LECTURE

Wednesday, October 17
Goldsmith Hall 3.120, 5:00 p.m.

Ruth Alvarado Pflücker
Architect
Lima, Perú
Sponsored by O'Neil Ford Chair

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."

LECTURE

Thursday, November 1
Goldsmith Hall 3.120, 5:00 p.m.

Reed Kroloff
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

SYMPOSIUM + EXHIBIT

Mebane Gallery
Goldsmith Hall

"counterMEASURES"

The University of Texas at Austin will be hosting the counterMEASURES symposium on November 1-2, 2007. Additionally, design proposals for New Orleans will be on view in the Mebane Gallery November 1-30.

The counterMEASURES symposium + exhibition will examine New Orleans as a case study for what strategies and tactics landscapes, urbanism, and architecture may adopt to achieve resilience in the face of extreme circumstances. Participants include:

Symposium:
Michelle Addington, Yale University
Eelco Hooftman, GrOSS.MAX
Kristina Hill, University of Virginia
Reed Kroloff, Cranbrook Academy of Art
Nina-Marie Lister, Ryerson University
Anuradha Mathur, University of Pennsylvania
Miho Mazereeuw, Wheelwright Fellow
Albert Pope, Rice University
Fritz Steiner, The University of Texas at Austin
Charles Waldheim, University of Toronto

Design Invitation:
Emery McClure Architects
Miho Mazereeuw
designsubset
Chris Hight and Natalia Beard
North Design Office
SWiMcau

We are very appreciative of the support of our donors. Special thanks to:

Exhibition Underwriter
The Howard E. Rachofsky Foundation

Symposium Underwriters
Edward W. Rose III Family Fund of the Dallas Foundation; McCall Design Group; Andersson.Wise Architects; Urban Edge Developers, Ltd.; Texas Gas Service; Boone Powell, FAIA; Gay Kokernot Ratliff; Dick Clark Architecture; Charles E. Lawrence; Laura Toups; Helen Thompson; Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA

LECTURE

Wednesday, November 14
Goldsmith Hall 3.120, 5:00 p.m.

Lori Ryker
Author, Off the Grid
Livingston, Montana

LECTURE

Monday, November 19
Goldsmith Hall 3.120, 5:00 p.m.

Rebecca Aarons-Sydnor
Sustainable Design Consulting
Richmond, Virginia
Sponsored by the UTSOA Materials Lab and
the Gene Edward Mikeska Endowed Professorship for Interior Design

EXHIBIT

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

"Images of 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.

MARTIN S. KERMACY MEMORIAL SERVICE

A memorial service will be held for Martin S. Kermacy, UTSOA emeritus professor, on Tuesday, October 16, from 5:00-6:30, in the Battle Hall Reading Room on The University of Texas at Austin campus.

Please r.s.v.p. by October 11 to Judy Parker at jparker@mail.utexas.edu or 512.471.1922. If you have any questions or have special needs parking, contact Chris Marcin at cmarcin@austin.utexas.edu or 512-471-5111.

We invite you to share your stories, comments, and memories of Martin S. Kermacy here. They will be included in a Memory Book in The Martin S. and Evelyn S. Kermacy Collection in the Alexander Architectural Archive.

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP

As part of the "Architecture at the Umlauf Monthly Lecture Series," Associate Professor Juan Miró and Miguel Rivera, Miró Rivera Architects, will present their lecture, "Responsible Architecture," on Thursday, October 11, at 7:00 p.m. The series is co-sponsored by the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and by Scott Harvey and Carla Umlauf of AvenueOne Properties. For information, including admission cost and to make reservations, call 922-3574 or respond to rsvp@aveone.com.

Assistant Professor Smilja Milovanovic-Bertram has curated the exhibition "Lessons From Rome: The Work of Robert Venturi, Tod Williams, Paul Lewis, and Thomas Pfifer" that opens on 10 October and will run through 6 November, 2007, at the American Academy in Rome.

This exhibition explores the relationship between travel, conceptualization, and production of architecture by presenting case studies of four prominent contemporary architects, all Fellows of the American Academy in Rome--Robert Venturi, FAAR'56, RAAR'67; Tod Williams, FAAR'83; Paul Lewis, FAAR'99; and Thomas Pfifer, FAAR'96. The architects' contemporary projects are juxtaposed with influential Roman sites, buildings, and landscapes, along with quotes from interviews regarding their Rome experiences. The exhibition is supported by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in Fine Arts.

Addditionallly, Professor Milovanovic was a moderator of the "Politics, Power and Architectural Production" session at the "Second International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Science" in Granada, Spain.

Associate Professor Nicole Wiedemann has accepted the John G. Williams Distinguished Professorship for the spring 2008 semester at the University of Arkansas Department of Architecture. She will continue to teach at UTSOA and will commute between schools during the semester.

In 1993, the University of Arkansas School of Architecture honored its founder, John G. Williams, with the creation of an endowment to support a senior visiting faculty position for distinguished individuals with records of significant accomplishment in both architectural practice and education. The intent of the program is not only to offer the students the opportunity to learn from highly respected professionals, but through interaction, to temper faculty discussions and responses to an ever evolving profession. Since 1997, the following Distinguished Professors have served in this position:

Brian Healy, Brian Healy Architects, Boston, Massachusetts, 2006
Javier Sanchez, Arq., Higuera + Sanchez of Mexico City, Mexico, 2005
Richard Taransky, FAAR, Richard Taransky Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fall 2004
Thomas R. Oslund, FASLA, FAAR, Oslund and Associates, Minneapolis, Minnesota, spring 2004
Julie Snow, AIA, Julie Snow Architects, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2003
Bryan MacKay-Lyons, Brian MacKay-Lyons Architecture/ Urban Design, Halifax, Nova Scotia, spring 2002
Maurizio Ranzi, Universita degli Studi Roma Tre, Rome, Italy, spring 2001
Chris Risher, Architect, Jackson, Mississippi, and Ed Blake, ASLA, The Landscape Studio, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, spring 2000
Edward Durell Stone, Jr., FASLA, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, spring 1999
Peter Eisenman, FAIA, Eisenman Architects, New York, New York, spring 1997, 1998

CRP DOCTORAL CANDIDATE
AWARDED $25,000 HUD GRANT

Community and Regional Planning doctoral candidate Rosie Tighe has been awarded a Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant (DDRG) by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for her project, "Opposition to Affordable Housing: How Perceptions of Race and Poverty Influence Views." This is a very prestigious award in the field of affordable housing policy. You can read more about the DDRG program on their website.

ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI UPDATES

Vennila Thirumavalavan [M.Arch. '01] and her firm, ArcheStudio Chennai, recently won an award from Design Share Inc. for the Eureka School in Parameswaramangalam, India. For more information on the project and the award, visit the Design Share website. The start-up firm earlier received the first prize and citation in a national design competition from the President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Ms. Thirumavalavan teaches part time at Anna University.

Michael Voit, AIA, NCARB [B.Arch. '91], 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. Mr. 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.

Anthony Grand [B.Arch, 82] received three Awards of Excellence for architectural illustration from ASAI (American Society of Architectural Illustrators) in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The projects have each been included in ASAI's annual juried exhibition, and information on the exhibition catalogue is available online. Anthony is a Senior Associate with ELS Architecture and Urban Design.

Austin-based architecture and interior design firm GS&C is demonstrating its commitment to environmentally sensitive building practices through its design of the Lone Star corporate campus for high-tech company Advanced Micro Devices Inc. GS&C is the architect of the 865,000-square-foot campus along Southwest Parkway in Austin, scheduled to open in early 2008.

The project is being headed by Tom Cornelius [M.Arch. '83], principal-in-charge at GS&C, along with several other UTSOA alumni, including design manager, Madison Graham [B.Arch. '77]; project manager, Katheryn Lott, AIA [B.Arch. '74]; and project architect, Ed Richburg, AIA [B.Arch. '72]. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is in charge of landscape restoration.

The project's architecture, design, and engineering team is pursuing LEED Gold certification for the new campus, which will allow AMD to consolidate its offices in the Austin area. In addition, green-building standards the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is developing in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council will be patterned partly after the GS&C-designed AMD office campus in Austin.

The project's environmentally sensitive features include: an innovative rainwater collection system; 100 percent renewable energy from the Austin Energy Green Choice program; 100 percent native landscaping; 100 percent structured parking, eliminating all surface lots; natural day lighting in all office buildings, using exterior sunshades and tandem light shelves on the interior.

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!

SUPPORT UTSOA

Private support for the School of Architecture is a crucial component of our ability to recruit and retain the highest caliber faculty and students. To find out how you can make a difference, we invite you to read about our annual giving program, Friends of Architecture, and our various other fundraising initiatives. Please visit our secure online giving page.

FRIENDS OF ARCHITECTURE

On Tuesday, October 2, Friends of Architecture welcomed students and corporate representatives to "Connecting with Friends" at the private home of Greg and Contessa McPike. In addition to networking, the event offered an exclusive tour of the home, "Soaring Wings," designed by Winn Wittman, AIA of Winn Wittman Architecture.

During the event, FOA officially introduced new corporate membership levels that will enrich the relationship between UTSOA students and members of the professional community. Corporate members will be offered specific opportunities to closely interact with our highly-sought-after students, while their financial contributions enhance our students' overall educational experience by allowing us to expand our programs and support student projects. Firms were also asked to consider directly impacting individual students by sponsoring their memberships in FOA and giving them the opportunity to be involved with FOA's impressive network of alumni, individuals, and organizations.

In addition to offering access to the cutting-edge designers of tomorrow, Friends of Architecture continues its tradition of exploring the cutting-edge designers of today. We invite you to join us for our 2007-08 calendar of tours, where FOA will open the doors to some of the most exclusive and remarkable modern design. Mark your calendars for November 2-3, and plan on joining FOA and Associate Professor Juan Miró for "At Home in Austin." Oh, and if mid-century modern is more your style, you won't want to miss our Palm Springs adventure with Associate Dean Louise Harpman, February 9-11.

REMEMBERING RICHARD DODGE, 1936-2007

Richard Dodge, UTSOA emeritus professor, died on August 10 following a brief illness. A moving memorial service was held on September 25 at the UT Alumni Center. Friends, family, colleagues, and former students gathered to share stories and celebrate his life.

Richard Dodge taught at the School from 1967 to 2002. Dean Steiner shares his reflections on Professor Dodge's life and the memorial service in the "Dean's Journal," below.

The family has asked that those wishing to commemorate Professor Dodge and his contributions to the field of architecture consider making a gift to benefit students of the UT-Austin School of Architecture. If you are interested in designating a gift in his name, please contact Development Associate Amy Martin at amartin@austin.utexas.edu or 512.471.6029.

DEAN'S JOURNAL

Late on a muggy afternoon last week, a diverse community converged on the Alumni Center. The memory of our late colleague Richard Dodge formed the glue that brought over 200 people together on Tuesday, September 25. Friends from Richard's childhood in Oakland to his retirement near Elgin recalled Richard's wit and humility.

His family and friends were joined by many former students and colleagues. Fred Clarke [B.Arch. '70] flew from New Haven to participate. Two former UT Austin deans, Hal Box [B.Arch. '50] and Larry Speck, were joined by UT Arlington dean Don Gatzke. Richard served as interim dean of Arlington's School of Architecture after his retirement from UT-Austin. Hal Box had been the founding dean at Arlington. Former Austin dean Alan Taniguchi's son, Evan, who was a student of Richard's, attended as well. As a result, considerable Texas architectural history came together in the building Richard Dodge designed with his mentor, Charles W. Moore, the School's O'Neil Ford Chair.

Several faculty and friends paid tribute to Richard. In his remarks, former dean Hal Box highlighted his contributions as associate dean of the School. Hal noted Richard's skill at addressing difficult situations with grace and fairness. Lecturer Marla Smith [M.Arch. '96] described Richard's evolving role as her mentor, colleague, and friend. He integrated computer technologies into our curriculum ahead of the curve. While his technical contributions were significant, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs Kevin Alter stressed that Richard made these advancements as a fine designer. Computer technologies in Richard's hands were a means to achieve outstanding design.

I recalled Richard's generosity as a teacher and a colleague. His tenure as interim dean at UT Arlington came at a good time for our Arlington colleagues and for Richard. Their school faced a leadership crisis that Richard was able to address with intelligence and wit. From conversations with Arlington friends, Richard helped stabilize the situation and enact a new, positive course for the School. For him, the deanship presented the opportunity to apply a lifetime of academic experience in a key leadership role.

After retiring from the academic world for good, Richard enjoyed being an architect in Bastrop County. Most notably, he designed four banks for The First National Bank of Bastrop. These banks represent a wonderful gift to his community, as well as a crowning achievement for his life as an architect.

As the memorial service indicated, Richard Dodge was an important architectural educator and practitioner. In my view, the addition he and Moore designed for the Alumni Center provides the best and most thoughtful interactions with Waller Creek on campus. He made equally significant contributions as a friend, mentor, colleague, father, and husband. The memorial service gathered the distinct community that Richard Dodge helped create and acknowledged his special role.

The concept of community emerged again last Friday, when our Solar Decathlon BLOOMhouse slid off the flatbed truck that would take it to Washington, D. C. Fortunately, the accident occurred near the hangar on the Mueller Airport site where BLOOMhouse had been constructed. Also fortunately, beyond a few smashed fingers, there were no serious injuries. The community of students with Lecturer Russell Krepart [M.Arch. '02] pulled the house back on the truck. They were aided by film workers from the nearby Austin Studios. Russell reported later in the day that the truck, and a second one carrying parts for BLOOMhouse, had successfully departed.

On Saturday morning, I received a call. Texas A&M Professor Pliny Fisk heard about our accident. His A&M Solar Decathlon team was leaving, and he offered their help. He didn't know that the mishap occurred in Austin and thought it occurred along the way between Texas and Washington. Pliny offered to load our house on the A&M truck or parts of it. I explained the situation and wished the A&M team success. Pliny wished the Longhorn team a successful competition as well.

—Fritz Steiner