eNews
16 December 2004

In This eNews...

Dean's Journal
Faculty Promotions
Scholarship and Awards
Design>Build>Texas Studio
Update
Commencement Address
Alumni Updates
All-Class Reunion -- March 5
Friends of Architecture -- Roma!
Solar Decathlon Awards
Second Life: Virtual Reality
Planning
Contacts
eNews Archive

Dean's Journal

During the past two weeks, I have had several meetings on two important topics: the University’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and informal forums to discuss actions that can help improve the “disciplined culture of excellence” (to borrow from the Commission of 125) in the School.

The growth of the School and the deteriorating physical conditions of Battle Hall create some urgency around the CIP. Both Associate Professor Dan Leary and Assistant Professor Dean Almy serve on the University’s Faculty Building Advisory Committee. They provide excellent advocacy for our School. Center for American Architecture and Design director Michael Benedikt and Architecture and Planning librarian Janine Henry provided useful advice regarding the improvements needed in Battle Hall. Our “ballpark” estimate is that $15 million is needed. Any changes to Battle and the West Mall Office Building will need to consider the placement of a new César Chávez statue on the West Mall. Yesterday, Professor Leary told me that we have been added to the CIP Futures's List.

In informal weekly forums with faculty, several transformative ideas have been suggested. The concepts most frequently donated include: using advanced studios for research explorations, reducing faculty contact hours to allow more time for scholarship, greater sabbatical opportunities, enhancing the research infrastructure of the School, increased funding for graduate student and minority scholarships, and increased funding for visiting scholars and critics. The general observation is that the School will continue to be a leader through more faculty research and strengthened graduate programs.

On Friday, December 3, Professor Michael Garrison and Jada Garrison hosted a reception at their new home to support the Solar Decathlon. The event was a success and $25,000 was noted that evening.

Right: Michael and Jada Garrison's home,
Austin, Texas.

On Saturday, December 4, we held our fall graduation dinner. My remarks are also included in this e-News.

We held our semester-ending, all-School studio review on Tuesday, December 7. Each faculty member pins up her or his work, then makes a brief presentation, which is followed by discussion. Concerning the first and second year studios, several faculty members noted that three credit hours do not adequately account for the time spent by students in the studio. The first-year and second-year studios produce strong drawing and design skills, but writing skills especially are compromised. We discussed balancing the “studio culture” with other academic concerns.

This fall, Design V was offered for the first time in several years for junior architecture students. (Interior design continues to offer Design V, too.) Assistant Professors Dean Almy and Billie Faircloth and Lecturer Christine Mueller approached the studio as an opportunity to explore design as research linked to the faculty member’s scholarship. Billie Faircloth reported that “it was a very purposeful inquiry into design.”

Six “vertical” architecture studios, two landscape architecture studios, seven advanced architecture studios, two “Tech. Com.” studios, and the Gensler interior design studio were presented. This is the first time landscape architecture studios were included in the all-School review. The work of Assistant Professor Hope Hasbrouck and Lecturer Jason Kentner’s MLA students was well received. We spent considerable time debating the “vocational” versus the “academic” nature of our offerings. The general consensus is that we seem to balance practical and theoretical considerations. We use these all-School reviews to reflect on the semester, prepare ourselves for juries, and revise our curricula.

On the morning of December 8, I served on Billie Faircloth’s Design V jury. She used La Tourette as “site” to explore the application of prototype materials. The students presented thoughtful explorations of materials they conceived and created, then applied to their site.

That afternoon, I participated in Jason Kentner’s first-year landscape architecture studio. His students redesigned two Austin parks--Adams Hemphill and Duncan. The students exhibited strong understanding of the context of both parks and considerable sensitivity to their users.

The next day, I participated in Hope Hasbrouck’s second-year landscape architecture studio. These students prepared a master plan for the adjacent Laguna Gloria and Mayfield properties in Austin. They displayed significant maturation in both their design and representational skills. They used models and transects to present their work in addition to plans. Several solutions were quite poetic. For instance, MLA student Paige Huffman spoke of creating a “memory trail” in her walk through a field of ground mimosa.

On Saturday, December 11, Michael Garrison, Dean Almy, and I conducted portfolio reviews of Professor Garrison’s vertical studio students. The quality of eight students’ work that we reviewed was consistently strong. This particular group all had first degrees in architectural studies or environmental design, plus some work experience. The undergraduate institutions represented include Clemson, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Colorado, the University of Florida, the University of Michigan, and Washington University. They expressed an interest in balancing their commitment to sustainability with a strong understanding of architectural design.

On Monday, December 13, Michael Benedikt, Associate Dean Kevin Alter, and I met the University Co-op President George Mitchell. Barnes and Noble will be closing their store on Guadalupe Street in late January. The Co-op will recover that space and expand their art and architecture materials. We discussed the possibility of including exhibition and display space for the School in this new space.

--Fritz Steiner

Scholarship and Awards

"Lounge!," an installation co-curated by Associate Dean Kevin Alter that has been attracting considerable attention, was reviewed in the December 3 issue of the Austin Chronicle, in an article by Robert Faires titled "Lounge! Transforms Arthouse into a Space that Swings" (http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2004-12-03/arts_feature.html) and in the December 9 issue of the Austin American-Statesman in an article by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin titled "Lounge! Beckons Patrons to Experience Art."

From the Austin Chronicle: "[Co-curators Regine Basha and Professor] Alter shared an interest in how communities interact with art and architecture [...]. Of course, Basha and Alter had no idea that their lounge would take the form of a roomful of swings."

Describing "six weak knees," the centerpiece installation of "Lounge!", Robert Faires says, the large exhibition area of Arthouse "has been transformed into a large open room in which tables, desks, and seating for 60 people all hang from the ceiling by cables. All of the pieces are made of birch plywood and are so spare of design as to give even a Scandinavian architect pause."

The installation at Arthouse, 700 Congress, Austin, Texas, continues through January 16.

Right: "six weak knees," installation designed by Matthew Geller, Arthouse,
Austin, Texas; photograph by Bret Brookshire, Austin Chronicle.

Design>Build>Texas Studio Update

Professor Louise Harpman and students from the DESIGN>BUILD>TEXAS studio presented their Hill Country house at the United States Green Building Council's annual convention in Portland, Oregon, from November 9-12. The design/build project, which was developed as a house prototype as well as an educational model, was selected for presentation on two successive days of the conference. Students David Hincher, Amy Siettmann, Dale Buehler, Ben Allen, Adam Bouttee, and Anthony Lore were able to attend the conference and very ably presented the work of all 16 members of the class.

At the conference, students were able to meet with and thank many of the project's sponsors, including Pella (donation of all exterior doors and windows); Weyerhaeuser and Trus-Joist (donation of all structural lumber); and Bio-based (discount on spray-in insulation). Student travel and conference registration was supported by the generous gift of Dr. Gordon White, a member of the School's advisory council.

Visit the project's website for details and to watch their progress: http://www.designbuildtexas.com/.

On Saturday, December 4, commencement ceremonies were held for fall 2004 graduates of the School of Architecture. Following is Dean Fritz Steiner's address to the graduates:

Tonight, we recognize graduates in our architecture and historic preservation programs. Our planet needs your talents. Two of the biggest challenges we face are rapid population growth and increased urbanization. In the United States, some 80 percent of the population now live in metropolitan areas.

Population growth in urban and suburban areas will require good design and careful planning. As we move ahead, we need to be mindful of what already exists. As my colleague Dean Jan Cervelli Schach of Clemson observes, “Before anything new can be built in this new urban world something else needs to be fixed, preserved, or restored.” This new engine of commerce is called the restoration economy—a new economy based on the revitalization of both human and natural capital.

Architects and historic preservationists should play a leadership role in building this restoration economy. As our population grows, we will need new homes, new businesses, new schools, new transportation systems, new parks, and new hospitals. We will also need to protect historic structures, farm and ranch lands, and environmentally sensitive areas.

The restoration economy will be built around principles of sustainable development and regenerative design. Sustainability is located at the intersection of environmental, economic, and societal stewardship. According to Arizona State University president Mike Crow, “The field of sustainability may, in large measure, determine whether life will be possible on Earth in a century or more, but the field is so new that it has yet to be defined.”

Architects and historic preservationists thus can play a leadership role in defining emerging concepts such as sustainability and the restoration economy. This is necessary to help us address the challenges of modern society--explosive urban growth, environmental threats, and societal inequities.

In the Goldsmith hallways, one of our students, Amber Hong, is asking some provocative questions about societal inequities. Amber’s installations explore the status of women in architecture.

Much work needs to be done, but considerable progress has been made the past 20-30 years. I can recall the days when you could count the number of women architecture students at most schools on one hand. Currently, 54% of our B.Arch. students and 47% of our M.Arch. students are women. Other leading schools of architecture, including some Ivy League universities that once excluded women altogether, now have parity in student and faculty numbers.

The success of these new women in architecture will begin to be gauged 20 years or so from now. I believe the success of both women and men in architecture will be judged, in large part, by how well they contribute to the restoration economy and sustainable design.

Although architecture has arguably made good progress in increasing our numbers of women students and faculty, our record is not as good on other fronts. At UT and at other leading schools of architecture, there are disturbingly low numbers of African-American and Latino students and faculty. I believe the future of architecture and historic preservation (as well as planning, interior design, and landscape architecture) will be based in part on how closely the faces of practitioners reflect those of our fellow citizens in Texas and our nation. We have much work in this regard. I urge you to find ways to encourage more minorities to our professions.

Your creativity is your strongest asset. Creativity will be essential in the restoration economy. Balancing equity concerns with environmental constraints in an economically sound way is no easy task. Architects must not only balance these demands, but do so in a way that in Vitruvius’ words is “delightful.”

As I close my remarks, let me urge you to use your creative talents to give back to our society. You have much to contribute. The parents, family members, and friends who join us this evening have much to be proud of: you’ve done well! These bright new graduates are outstanding individuals with considerable promise.

As these friends and family have given to you, as your faculty and our school’s staff have contributed to your education, I’m certain that you new architects and historic preservationists will give to others as well.

Congratulations.

Alumni Updates

All-Class Reunion

Save the date! On March 5, 2005, the School of Architecture will host its second annual All-Class Reunion. The reunion will be held following the University's annual "Explore UT" open house. In addition, special activities will be held in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Class of 1985. Robert Tobias, Gregory Thomas, and other 1985 alumni are organizing this 20-year celebration. Details on all events on the March 5 weekend will be mailed to alumni soon. In the meantime, we encourage all alumni to mark their calendars, pass the date along to fellow alumni, and touch base with Stephanie Palmer at 512-471-0617 or stephanie.palmer@mail.utexas.edu to update contact information.

Friends of Architecture -- Roma!

Friends of Architecture is now taking reservations for the May 22-30, 2005 tour, "Roma! Gardens and Villas of Rome." School of Architecture Dean Fritz Steiner will lead the tour, which will focus on Rome's fascinating art, architecture, and of course, breathtaking gardens and villas. Among the tour's many sites will be an exclusive visit to the gardens of the Vatican, as well as tours of the British, French, and American Academies. This FOA educational tour will also include leisurely time for cocktails, delicious Italian dining, and shopping. Space on this tour is limited. For information regarding reservations or Friends of Architecture membership, please contact FOA Director Stephanie Palmer at 512-471-0617 or stephanie.palmer@mail.utexas.edu.

Solar Decathlon Awards

The School's Solar Decathlon team, led by Professor Michael Garrison, was picked in a competition sponsored by BP Solar over 18 other universities for their design of a photovoltaic system. The team will receive an award of solar panels that they will use to power their solar house, plus design and installation expertise from BP Solar. The competition was judged by BP Solar on the criteria of solar panel integration, aesthetics, and ease of construction.

The team also won second place ($500) in the University Energy Leadership Competition. Members of the team travelled to San Antonio to accept the award at the Emissions Reduction & Energy Leadership Summit and to give a presentation at the Summit. Team members welcomed the opportunity to educate hundreds of people on the UT SolarD team, the Solar Decathlon, solar energy, and sustainable design.

Second Life: Virtual Reality Planning

The following report on a recent planning class comes from an article by Brian Kennedy in the New Republic Online titled "The New Virtual-Reality Game That's Not about Killing."

One student spent his semester building a Home Depot. One spent some time as a beggar. Others worked with disabled children, held block parties, ran a lottery, and fell in love and got married. Assistant Professor Anne Beamish's students were playing a video game called "Second Life"--and they were being graded on it. Produced by the San Francisco-based Linden Lab, "Second Life" is one of a number of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). These are "virtual worlds" inhabited by thousands of subscribers who cooperate with one another to solve problems--or, alternately, try hard to kill each other.

Probably the most interesting use of "Second Life" [...] is by Professor Anne Beamish [...]. Her "Designing Digital Communities" class uses the game to, as her syllabus puts it, determine: "What makes good public space? What is community? How can architects, urban planners, and game designers create physical, social, economic, and institutional environments to facilitate and foster public life?" For a semester, Beamish had her twelve students spend a minimum of four hours a week playing the game (not surprisingly, "many spent far more," she says). They kept a journal describing their online experiences and "explore[d] ways of enhancing public life" by building in-game objects and events.

Although it's still basically a cult game, the larger implications of Second Life are strangely comforting; given almost unlimited power and no moral constraints, some people would still rather create something new and original than commit wanton destruction. And perhaps a world in which anybody can be anyone, and do anything, can provide us some valuable insights into who we really are.

Contacts
(area code 512)

www.ar.utexas.edu

Architecture and Planning Student Council + American Institute of Architecture
Students website, http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/apscaias/

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, jcraw@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
The School of Architecture
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station B7500
Austin, TX 78712-0222

“Unless otherwise noted, all photographs by Charlotte Pickett, Director of Photography, School of Architecture.