School of Architecture
The University of Texas at Austin
eNews
Dean's Journal |
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Sculpture detail, garden, Villa d'Este, Tivoli, Italy. Photograph by Fritz Steiner. |
Dean's Journal The past two weeks began with a meeting of our Advisory Council on Friday and Saturday, October 8-9. In my report to the council, I reviewed the steady growth in our graduate students over the three years and noted our new tenure-track and visiting faculty members. I explained my proposal for differential tuition and announced new endowments. I mentioned the acquisition of the William Storrer Archives and explained its significance for future scholarship. I focused on the key recommendations of the University’s Commission of 125. Council offered several ideas about these recommendations, notably a new core undergraduate curriculum and enhanced authority for program and center directors. I summarized my activities for the past six months and highlighted major accomplishments by faculty and alumni. I reviewed several program changes and ideas for new initiatives. The concept of an undergraduate minor in architecture studies garnered considerable positive reaction. I announced a Friends of Architecture tour of the “Gardens of Rome” next May. The tour will include visits to the American, French, and British Academies, Villa d'Este, Villa Guila, and many others. I look forward to previewing the highlights of the special trio on November 18 at the home of Rick Hawkins and Karen Fabbio. Associate Dean Louise Harpman, Professor Michael Garrison, and Visiting Associate Professor Sergio Palleroni presented work from their studios. Professor Harpman, with students David Hincher and Amy Siettmann, described Design>Build>Texas. Professor Garrison with students Lauren Derrington, Rea Koukiou, and Ann Tucker updated the Advisory Council on the 2005 Decathlon. Professor Palleroni explained his sustainable design efforts with the Yaqui Indians in Mexico as well as other indigenous people in developing nations around the world. The Advisory Council members look forward to studio visits, and this meeting was no exception. Council members attended the studio of Ruth Carter Stevenson Chair Carlos Jiménez, Sergio Palleroni, Lecturer Nester Bottino [M.Arch. ‘83], and the Gensler/Carl Matthews interior design studio. A highlight of the Advisory Council meeting was dinner Friday night in Professor Larry Speck’s new downtown loft. Professor Speck designed the high-rise apartment with his PageSoutherlandPage colleagues. The building enhances both the skyline of Austin as well as urban living opportunities. We had a terrific turn-out for the Advisory Council meeting. In business news, Susan Benz [B.Arch. ‘84] replaced Jay Hailey as council chair. On October 12 and 13, Paulo Martins Barata and João Luís Carrilho da Graça from Lisbon gave lectures. They were invited to Austin by O’Neil Ford Chair Wilfried Wang as part of his ongoing effort to link our students to interesting practices around the world. He is focusing on Portugal this fall. Our two Portuguese guests participated in Professor Wang’s jury on October 14. In Paulo Martins Barata’s lecture, he described “the importance of constructing buildings of permanence.” He related durability to the global ecological crisis. Buildings that last and that can adapt to changes in circumstances lessen the demand for new materials. He provided several examples from the work of his firm Promontorio Arquitectos. On Wednesday evening, I attended the dinner welcoming new faculty to the University. The event was supposed to be held on the lawn of the LBJ Library, but rain moved the dinner under the cover of the breezeway between the two LBJ School buildings. The presidential debate in Tempe, Arizona, at the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Grady Gammage Auditorium also dampened attendance somewhat. Even so, our new assistant professors Tracy McMillan and Samantha Randall, Visiting Professor Lynn Miller, and Lecturer Jason Kentner enjoyed meeting new faculty from across campus as well as university administrators. On October 14, I gave the keynote lunch presentation to the state American Planning Association (APA) conference. Some 470 planners attended the gathering, including many of our alumni and students, as well as national APA President Mary Kay Peck (from Nevada) and APA executive director Paul Farmer (from Chicago). Professor Patricia Wilson and Associate Dean Bob Paterson led a training session for the American Institute of Certified Planners. Also on October 14, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Board meeting commenced. We welcomed new executive director Susan K. Rieff. I chair the board’s planning committee, and we are embarking on a new gardens master plan with landscape architect Gary Smith. On Thursday evening, the board gathered at the home of past president Melanie Barnes and her husband Ben Barnes. The next day, the full board met and addressed the funding challenges that many non-profit organizations are facing. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is an asset for Central Texas and the nation. As a result, there was considerable optimism at the board meeting. Friday evening, October 15, I attended a reception at the Bauer House, hosted by Chancellor Mark and Judy Yudof. The event recognized individuals who support the University of Texas System. The next morning, I attended another reception, this one organized by President and Mrs. Larry Faulkner before the Missouri football game. That evening, we held a celebration of Lake/Flato’s AIA Firm of the Year Award at the home of Mickey and Jeanne Klein (see photos from the event below). The proceeds from this well attended event will be added to the Lake/Flato Scholarship Endowment at the request of David Lake [B.S.A.S. '77] and Ted Flato. Mayor Will Wynn attended and issued a proclamation declaring October 16, 2004, Lake/Flato Day in the City of Austin. AIA Austin co-hosted the event and Advisory Council member Tommy Cowan [B.Arch. ‘68] welcomed the guests on behalf of AIA Austin. Dallas Morning News architecture critic David Dillon spoke about Lake/Flato’s significant contributions in his keynote talk. He noted that their award increased the stature of Texas architecture on the national stage. He noted their commitment to green design and to regionalism and how their work continues to evolve through collaboration. Ted Flato and David Lake acknowledged the contributions of their colleagues, many of whom are School of Architecture graduates. I highlighted their generous involvement to architecture education. Together David Lake, Ted Flato, and their associates have forged a practice that has simultaneously advanced sustainable design and creativity. Their work is neither modern nor postmodern, but something else, something new. Their work is from this region but also advances our region through a fresh, original vision. On Wednesday, October 20, I departed for my final meeting of the Planning Accreditation Board in Portland, Oregon. After two three-year terms, including two stints as chair, I will be ending my service on PAB. During that time we re-accredited approximately 75 planning programs and accredited nine new programs. We extended the maximum period of accreditation from five to seven years. We amended our bylaws and streamlined the accreditation process. We attempted to improve links between planning practice and the academy. We trained countless site visitors. We also moved the PAB office from Des Moines to Chicago and hired a new executive director. As my tenure draws to a close, I feel honored to play this role in improving planning education in North America. |
--Fritz Steiner |
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Events |
EXHIBIT Architects Andrew Thurlow and Maia Small are partners in Thurlow Small Atelier, a design research office begun in 2001 that explores the reciprocal relationship between digital technologies and material production Maia Small's previous professional experience includes the New York offices of Bernard Tschumi Architects, Kolatan / Mac Donald Studio and Archi-Tectonics, as well as the San Francisco office of Mark Cavagnero Associates. During the past four years, as an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee, College of Architecture + Design, she specialized in digital imaging through the development of an upper-level seminar, an introductory CAD course and the co-design of the college website. She completed her M.Arch. degree at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation where she received the Henry J. Adams AIA Medal; she earned her B.A. in architecture with highest honors at the University of California, Berkeley. Andrew Thurlow is an Assistant Professor at Roger Williams University, School of Architecture, Art + Historic Preservation, where he specializes in digital manufacturing. During the past six years at the University of Tennessee, College of Architecture + Design, he developed three courses that integrated architectural production and digital technologies: IntroCAD, AdvancedCAD, and Digital Manufacturing, a seminar that utilized CAD-CAM, reverse engineering and rapid prototyping technologies. His previous professional work experience includes the offices of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates and Ballinger Architects, in Philadelphia. He completed his MSAAD degree at Columbia University in the City of New York, GSAPP, where he received the CAD Design Honor Award; he earned his B.Arch. degree at Syracuse University, where he received the James Britton Memorial Award for Outstanding Thesis. Andrew Thurlow and Maia Small will present a lecture on October 25, in Goldsmith Hall, at 5 pm. |
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CONFERENCE This conference will investigate new points of entry for architects into the production of houses in the United States. Factory production of building components occurs on many scales of building and is evolving rapidly. Prefabrication offers benefits for building houses: higher quality, economy of scale and effective use of resources. We will bring together architects who have done groundbreaking work in this area with leaders from industry to generate a cross-disciplinary dialogue. Central to the discussion will be the paradox of making site-specific buildings somewhere else. |
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LECTURE Lecture description: "Emerging technologies propel us the way that evolving building systems compelled Modernism: if Modernism was about the systematization of architecture and the processes from the Industrial Age, then we explore how digital and material possibilities can compel architecture in the Information Age." |
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Joel Sanders says, "Ergotectonics blends the hard space-defining surfaces favored by architects with the comfortable humanly-scaled elements typically employed by interior designers, advocating the creation of flexible multipurpose environments responsive to the fluid nature of contemporary lifestyles and identities." His talk will focus on how ergotectonic principles inform a selection of recent projects executed at a wide range of scales from residential interiors in Manhattan to an equestrian center in Staten Island for the 2012 Olympics. |
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CENTER FORUMS The Center for American Architecture and Design hosts a Friday Forum Series from 12:00 to 1:30 in Battle Hall Reading Room (room 101). Throughout the fall and spring semesters, faculty, visitors, and graduate students at the School of Architecture offer their latest work up for freewheeling discussion and debate, with subjects varying from architectural practice, design, design theory, to the arts, planning, and the politics and economics of development. The idea is for faculty and students to meet in an informal atmosphere to debate and freely discuss topics "hot" on the minds of the speakers. Topics are announced approximately one week before each forum. The Friday Forum is also webcast live from http://www.utexas.edu/architecture/center/lunch_forums, and you are invited to call in live with questions or comments during the discussion at 512-471-9890. Lecture titles will be posted on the Center website (http://www.utexas.edu/architecture/center/lunch_forums/index.html) a week prior to each event date.
CITY FORUMS The Community and Regional Planning Program hosts a "City Forum Series," where urban planners and design professionals discuss aspects of contemporary metropolitan development. The events are held on selected Fridays from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Texas Union, Board of Directors' Room, 4.118 (on Guadalupe Street between 22nd and 24th Streets). A complete City Forum schedule is available at: https://webspace.utexas.edu/ejm1209/www/fall2004program.htm. For more information on City Forum Speaker Series or to be added to the email list, contact Mark Yznaga at markyznaga@austin.rr.com.
OTHER EVENTS November 10
For up-to-date information on School of Architecture events, |
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| Scholarship |
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Professor Kevin Alter's Hardouin House was featured in this month's Austin-based Tribeza magazine, their design issue, as the cover image, plus 12 pages inside. The Hardouin Residence is a renovation and substantial expansion of an existing, two-story house in Austin, Texas. The 1600 square-foot extension adds a master suite, family room, kitchen and breakfast room. In the design, alterstudio focused attention on light, space, function, and the interrelationship between the interior spaces, the courtyard, and the garden landscape. Close attention was paid to the choice, detailing and juxtaposition of materials. Such materials included Leuders limestone, Afton Green granite, butt-glazed windows, and built-in cherry cabinetry and furniture. An exhibition of the firm's work is currently showing at Texas A & M University. |
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Two proposals from Associate Professor Juan Miró's firm, Miró Rivera Architects, have been included in the recently released book Imagining Ground Zero: Official and Unofficial Proposals for the World Trade Center Site. One proposal is a design for the entire WTC site from 2002, the other is a design for a memorial from 2003. The book, edited by Suzanne Stephens and published by Rizzoli and Architectural Record, is a compilation that includes official competitions' entries as well as proposals from many renowned architects like Tadao Ando, Rem Koolhaas, Helmuth Jahn, Morphosis, Coop Himmelblau, Williams-Tsien, KPF, Bernard Tschumi, Michael Sorkin, Richard Gluckman, and Zaha Hadid. |
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Alumni Updates Snøhetta, the international architecture, landscape and interiors office based in Oslo, Norway, has been awarded the commission to design the International Freedom Center, a museum and cultural building on the former World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan in New York City. Snøhetta includes several School of Architecture alumni: Craig Dykers [B.Arch. '85], Elaine Molinar [B.Arch. '88], and James Dodson [B.Arch. '95]. Mr. Dykers is principal architect on the World Trade Center project. The primary functions for the new Museum Complex building includes two cultural centers: The Drawing Center and The International Freedom Center. In addition, the Visitor’s Center for the September 11th World Trade Center Memorial will also be housed in the project. The total size of the building is approximately 25,000 square meters and is expected to cost approximately $200 million. Snøhetta will develop this project together with the internationally respected firm of Adamson Associates who will be the Associate Architect. Snøhetta is most well-known for its completion of the Alexandria Library in Egypt and the Norwegian Embassy in Berlin, and the soon to be completed New National Opera in Oslo and the Turner Contemporary Museum in England. Craig Dykers and Kjetil Thorsen are the founding partners of Snøhetta. Since its formation Snøhetta has won numerous international awards and has been represented in exhibitions around the world. Many have characterized their work as having a presence that resonates with the surrounding context. More information can be found on their website: www.snohetta.com. |
McCall Design Group, an award-winning architectural design firm founded in 1989 by Michael John McCall [M.Arch. '80], captured the first place "Best of Show" award at the 21st annual competition for the L.E.A.P. Sand Castle Classic held at San Francisco's Ocean Beach. Each fall, teams of architects and developers join together with Bay Area school children to create towering castles, fantastic creatures, giant monuments, and other incredible formations in 20 by 20 feet plots, using sand as their only medium. The theme of this year's contest was "A Race to the Finish." The winning design was a joint effort of the fourth grade students at Ulloa Elementary School and the designers and architects at McCall Design Group. The design featured a giant octopus alongside sea turtles, starfish, and crabs racing towards a checkered finish line held up by two playful penguins. The event raises money and awareness for L.E.A.P., a non-profit organization that encourages imagination and creative thinking in children by bringing visual and performing artists and architects into the classroom for extended residencies. |
 McCall Design Group's winning entry in the L.E.A.P. Sand Castle Classic. |
Jason A. Ramay [M.Arch. '97] was recently promoted to Associate with Architects Rasmussen Triebelhorn, AIA/PS, a full service Tacoma architectural firm. This promotion puts Mr. Ramay, who also holds a B.S. in philosophy from Lawrence University, on track to become a Principal of the 30-year firm. Mr. Ramay’s background includes municipal, educational, commercial, cultural, medical, industrial, and urban design projects. Extensive travel in Spain and Mexico augment his education and architectural experience. Currently, he is project architect for A.R.T.’s team for the $13.5 million, two-phase Yakima Valley Justice Center. |
BusinessWeek Magazine, Architectural Record, and the American Institute of Architects have named Alamo Architects as one of ten winners to receive its 2004 BusinessWeek/Architectural Record Awards (BW/AR Awards) for its design of the Humane Society/SPCA of San Antonio and Bexar County. The November 1 issue of BusinessWeek features the winners of its 2004 BusinessWeek/Architectural Record Awards (BW/AR Awards). Alamo Architects, a San Antonio firm, is one of the ten recipients to receive this award, and the only firm in the southwest region to be honored. Alamo Architects’ winning design for the Humane Society’s new facilities at 4804 Fredericksburg Road was recognized for accomplishing the client’s chief goal to increase adoptions while implementing programs designed to reduce the rate of animals returned. The architects’ translated design into significant and measurable results for the Humane Society: adoption numbers are up 95%, and visitation to the facilities has increased from 200-300 per week to over 2,000; many are repeat visitors, some of whom come to eat lunch in the courtyard. |
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We encourage all alumni to share news with us by submitting updates to alumni coordinator Stephanie Palmer at stephanie.palmer@mail.utexas.edu. In addition, if you know of other alumni who may not be receiving this, or other SOA publications, please forward their information to Stephanie or encourage those alums to contact her. |
| Friends of Architecture -- Roma! |
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Friends of Architecture is proud to announce a May 2005, Tour of Rome, led by Dean Fritz Steiner. In anticipation of the upcoming tour, FOA will host "An Evening with Friends" on Thursday, November 18, 2004, at 6:00 p.m. The evening, hosted at the home of Rick Hawkins and Karen Fabbio, will include vino, antipasti, and a preview of FOA's spectacular tour of Roman gardens and villas. Please contact FOA Director Stephanie Palmer at stephanie.palmer@mail.utexas.edu or 512-471-0617 for more information on FOA membership and events.
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The competition is set up to familiarize students with sustainable building practices and the LEED certification system. This year's competition required the design of a community park, 80,000 square feet of office space, a community center, 36 residences, and an underground parking garage as a spearhead for development of the Gateway district of Portland, Oregon. The competition required the attainment of LEED platinum, the highest standard for sustainability. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. |
Erratum The editors of eNews wish to correct an error in quoting Bruce Stiftel in the first paragraph of the "Dean's Journal" section of the 9 September 2004 edition. The paragraph should have read: We began the new school year with a faculty retreat devoted to scholarship. We gathered at the McKinney Roughs Nature Park with three guests: Nan Ellin from Arizona State University, Walter Hood from the University of California-Berkeley, and Bruce Stiftel from Florida State University. Professor Ellin described the potential role of architecture and planning academics as “public intellectuals” in the urban discourse. Professor Hood spoke about his reflective practice in Oakland and its relationship to his teaching and research. Professor Stiftel discussed measures of faculty research productivity and made the point that we need “standards without standardization” for assessing scholarship. |
Contacts Architecture and Planning Student Council + American Institute of Architecture Dean’s Office, 471-1922, FAX 471-0716 Career Placement Director, Sheila Balog, 471-1333, sheila.balog@mail.utexas.edu Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Jeanne Crawford, 471-0109, craw@mail.utexas.edu Graduate Program Coordinator, Rosemin Gopaul, 471-0134, gopaul@mail.utexas.edu Center for American Architecture and Design, 471-9890, christinewong@mail.utexas.edu Center for Sustainable Development, 475-8013, utcsd@mail.utexas.edu Assistant Dean for Development, Marjie French, 471-6114, myoung@mail.utexas.edu Publications Editor, Pamela Peters, 471-0154, p.peters@mail.utexas.edu Friends of Architecture Director, Stephanie Palmer, 471-0617, stephanie.palmer@mail.utexas.edu Director of Photography, Charlotte Pickett, c.pickett@mail.utexas.edu Architecture and Planning Library, 495-4620 Mailing Address “Unless otherwise noted, all photographs by Charlotte Pickett, Director of Photography, School of Architecture. |
