Dean's Journal

Saturday, May 21, was a full day of graduation celebrations. I donned my academic regalia at 9:00 a.m. for the Graduate School's masters' ceremony, followed by the doctoral proceedings at noon. In the afternoon, we held our School commencement, followed by dinner. (Elsewhere in this issue of eNews, Peter Pfeiffer's [M.Arch. '83] speech for our graduating students is included.) After dinner, the University-wide ceremony was held on the South Mall, complete with fireworks, music, and laser lights.

On Sunday, May 22, Assistant Dean Kris Munoz Vetter and I left for the Friends of Architecture (FOA) "Roma: Gardens and Villas of Rome" tour. The trip was organized by FOA Director Stephanie Palmer (who is on maternity leave) with Kris and me. We were joined by Kris's husband Paul Vetter [B.Arch. '94], Advisory Council member Diane Cheatham and her husband Chuck Cheatham, Advisory Council member Bibiana Dykema [B.Arch. '79] and her husband John Dykema [M.Arch. '79], Advisory Council member Jay Hailey and his wife Ann Hailey, Molly and Mike Hatchell, and Laura and Don McDonald.

After checking in at the Grand Hotel del Gianicolo, we took a quick introductory walking tour of several major attractions, including the Pantheon, Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Navona, and the Janiculum Hill (the location of our hotel). That evening we had a fabulous group dinner at Antico Arco, just outside the Aurelian Wall across from Porta San Pancrazio.

The next day, we visited the Vatican Gardens with Vatican guide Roswitha Wagner. The gardens comprise 15 acres or one-third of Vatican City. Closed until recently because of the death of Pope John Paul II, access is very limited, and we were told our group was among the first to visit in some time. For me, the Vatican Garden highlights were the green parrots flying above Giardino all' Italiana and the casino designed by Pirro Ligorio for Pope Pius IV. At the Vatican, many themes in Italian garden design were introduced, including the concept of otium, Latin for refined leisure; the use of classical allegories; geometries of plants and water to symbolize the harmony of people with nature; and secret gardens that were both private to the patrons of the villa and revealed inner truths--"the secret garden in ourselves," in the words of Ms. Wagner.

Afterwards, we were given a tour by Lella Gandini and Lexi Eberspacher of the American Academy grounds, including the Villa Aurelia gardens. We had a reception in the Mercedes and Sid R. Bass Garden, where we met Academy Fellow Sarah Kuehl, who works with Peter Walker and is a key member of the team designing the Blanton Plaza and Speedway Boulevard on the UT-Austin campus.

Loggia, Villa Madama. Photograph by Paul Vetter.

The next morning, we visited Villa Madama, begun by Cardinal Giulio de' Medici. The first Renaissance villa in the Rome region to be built outside the city, it was designed by Raphael and his students. The villa is maintained by the Italian government for official state visitors and is seldom seen by others. Our driver, Silvano, thought we must have connections with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in order to arrange the visit, since he was aware that Presidents Bush and Clinton and others had recently visited the villa on the occasion of Pope John Paul II's funeral, but we assured him our visit was focused on architecture, not politics. Villa Madama is viewed as a precursor to contemporary sustainable design because of the way the building fits in natural surroundings and how it uses the site's microclimate. Villa Madama with its decorated loggia, garden, and fish pond is also quite beautiful.

Afterwards, we went to Villa Giulla, built as a country retreat for Pope Julius III. Several leading Renaissance figures contributed to the design of the villa, gardens, pavilions, and fountains, including Giacomo Vignola, Giorgio Vasari, the sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati, and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Villa Giulia houses the Museo Nazionale Etrusco, with its remarkable pre-Roman collections of antiquities.

We traveled by motorcoach to Piazza del Popolo for lunch and afterwards explored Borghese Gardens by foot. The area had been called the "hill of the gardens" in Roman times. With the fall of Rome and the abandonment of the aqueducts, the area declined. Noble families began resettling the hillsides again during the Renaissance. The large park area now is the location of museums, the zoo (which has been recently renamed a "biopark"), and cultural facilities, such as several national academies and schools. We walked through Borghese Gardens to the British School at Rome, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1911. After a private tour of the British School, we attended a lecture by scholar Felicity Harley of the University of Adelaide, titled "The Survival of Pagan Gods? Fourth-century Rome and the Genesis of Christian Iconography."

On Thursday, May 26, we journeyed outside of Rome to the hill town of Tivoli. We first went to Villa Adriana, where the Emperor Hadrian built a sprawling complex of over 30 buildings on nearly 750 acres. Sited just below Tivoli, Villa Adriana has been extensively excavated since the 17th century. It inspired several Renaissance scholars, artists, and architects (many of whom used it as a source of building materials and decoration).

FOA tour members enjoying a sumptuous lunch on a balcony overlooking Villa d'Este. Photograph by Paul Vetter.

From the main balcony at Villa d'Este. Photograph by Paul Vetter.

We took lunch on a terrace overlooking the world-renowned Villa d'Este. Afterwards, we toured the stunning gardens, another creation of Pirro Ligorio. With its representations of the rivers of Tivoli and Rome and many other hydrological marvels, d'Este stimulated our senses and our imaginations.

That evening, I attended a symposium at the American Academy honoring a new book by Vincenzo Cazzato. His book explores the architecture and gardens at the American Academy as well as the influence of its landscape architecture fellows. The symposium featured a panel that included Advisory Council member Mary Margaret Jones. She was a fellow at the Academy at the same time as me, as was her husband, the artist Doug Argue. After the symposium, Mary Margaret, Doug, and I ate dinner, played pool, and reminisced.

On Friday, May 27, our Friends of Architecture group first visited the Academie de France a Rome at Villa Medici. The French Academy is the oldest in Rome, being housed in the villa since 1803. Located near the top of the Spanish Steps, the villa and gardens were created by Cardinal Ferdinando de Medici beginning in 1576.

After our visit to the French Academy, we traveled to the Alban hill town Frascati for lunch. The Alban hills were created by volcanoes. The soils are rich and the farms productive. Our local escort, Maria, took several of us to a rustic osteria where we feasted on fresh porchetta, prosciutto, bread, and golden Frascati wine. Over the centuries, Romans have retreated to the Alban hills to escape the summer heat. It is also located strategically for defense and during the Second World War housed German troops. As a result, the area experienced Allied bombing, which took its toll on several villas.

FOA tour members at Villa Falconieri, in Frascati, Italy. Photograph by Paul Vetter.

The restoration efforts have been extensive and provide a model for historic preservation. Villa Falconieri is a notable example of such restoration. The villa's central building was designed by Francesco Borromini between 1540 and 1550. The main building has been restored since the war and now is occupied by the European Center of Education. The gardens, however, remain largely in ruin.

We next walked to nearby Villa Aldobrandini designed by Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno, and Giovanni Fontana for the Borghese family. Its terrace gardens and fountains were the work of Orazio Olivieri of Tivoli. After visiting the gardens and returning to our motorcoach at a central piazza in Frascati, Bibiana Dykema looked back at Villa Aldobrandini and noted its considerable "curb appeal."

On Saturday, we visited Borghese Gallery. There, our private guide provided a tour of several of Giovanni Bernini's most famous sculptures, including Apollo and Daphne, David, and Pluto and Proserpina. We also saw masterworks by Titian, Raphael, Caravaggio, and others. That afternoon, we set out on our own. I walked around the familiar streets of the Trastevere, returning up the hill to our hotel to watch a thunderstorm arrive to wash away the heat.

On Sunday, we drove an hour north of Rome to Bagnaia. Like Tivoli and Frascati, Bagnaia, which derives from bagno meaning bath, is a retreat from Rome. The gardens of Villa Lante are an example of the late Renaissance, or Mannerist, phase of Italian design. Here, clearly the garden design was derived from other places we had visited, most notably Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana.

Dean Steiner dons an obligatory cuffia to enjoy the hotel's swimming pool after a hot day touring Rome. Photograph by Kris Munoz Vetter.

We then wove around the hilly roads, getting lost in narrow streets and hazel nut groves a couple times along the way, to Caprarola. There, Vignola converted a medieval fortress into a Renaissance villa for the Farnese family between 1566 and 1569. The villa is being used as a set for a new film based on Boccaccio's Decameron, which resulted in some odd, temporary adaptations to the villa. Sunday evening, our group had a farewell dinner at Ristorante Scarpone in the Monte Verde neighborhood of the Janiculum Hill before we returned to Texas on Monday morning.

For me, this journey back to Rome was nostalgic with every turn, every beep of a car horn, evoking a memory. I selected my favorite villas and gardens. One, Villa Madama, was added because I hadn't visited it before and I was curious about its sustainability reputation. Raphael and his students didn't disappoint us. In addition, I had confused Villa Falconieri with another. Still, it nicely illustrated a price of war and the possibilities of restoration.

We leaped into the strong surf of history. As my wife Anna Ostrowska Steiner once observed, one can touch time in Rome. As names and dates whirled around us, the diamond light and suggestive billboards and darting motorini captured our attention. We walked and talked, ate well and drank remarkable wines, and, in the end, came to appreciate a place that captures hearts and inspires minds.

—Fritz Steiner

2005 Commencement Address

The 2005 graduating class entering the Texas Union for the commencement ceremonies.

 

At the School of Architecture's May 21 commencement ceremonies, Peter L. Pfeiffer, AIA, Barley & Pfeiffer Architects, Austin, presented the keynote address. Following is the outline of his speech.

Class of 2005 will be embarking on their careers in the midst of tremendous societal change over the next 5 to 10 years due to peak in oil production coupled with spiraling demand in the U.S., India, and China.

• Next to farming, our built environment, and building it, consumes the largest amount of resources on the face of this earth.
• Hubert's curve - world oil production peak Thanksgiving 2005
• 100-watt light bulb of energy per day in China NOW, but what about when they start buying personal computers and cars the way we do?

Your talents and leadership will be needed.

Your education arms you with a unique skill set:

• Creativity
• A unique ability to analyze complex problems
• Thoughtful integration

Nearly 50% of buildings in America in 2030 will have been built since now.

Remember that you will be helping people build their dreams - not just buildings and places.

Your early projects will define you:

• Both in your market and in your own mind
• Choose what you do and whom you work for wisely

Don't become armchair critics.

• Become contributors of positive actions and things.
• Whether you think you CAN or you think you CAN'T, you're RIGHT.
• Success is 10% creativity and 90% sweat

FINALLY and MOST IMPORTANTLY
LEARN HOW TO ARTICULATE THE VALUE OF WHAT YOU DO

• Then "nudge" and convince - this is perhaps the most valuable skill you will have to hone if you want to be successful in your chosen profession - Urban planning, Designing buildings, homes - and their interiors, Preserving great landmarks, Site and Landscape design.
• Take your role as change agents in our built environment seriously!
• LEAD or help lead the way to a more sustainable society!!!

Event

Image courtesy of Les Wallach.

LECTURE

June 23
Les Wallach, FAIA
Line and Space, Tucson, Arizona
Goldsmith Hall 3.120, 6 p.m.

Lecture: "The Work of Line and Space: A Response to the Land"

Les Wallach, FAIA, founded Tucson-based Line and Space in 1978 to facilitate the design and building of innovative and ecologically sound architectural projects. More than 25 years later, the firm continues to strive for quiet integration of structure and landscape, designing projects that demonstrate and encourage environmental stewardship. Guided by a rare understanding and sympathy for the natural environment, Line and Space sets an example for other firms throughout the nation.

Projects explore both visual and non-visual aesthetics with a skillful use of native materials and innovative use of color. Also, as a proponent of the architect as builder, Line and Space constructs a number of its projects. Through this effort, Wallach and his associates demonstrate to clients, students, and fellow architects the value of continuing the design process until the last nail is pounded.

Line and Space is currently working on the new Poetry Center for the University of Arizona, the Phoenix Regional Library, and projects in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas, Nevada. Among these is the Desert Learning Center, where children actively learn to be stewards of their environment in a multiple-day desert immersion experience.

Learn more about the work of Line and Space during Wallach's presentation, "A Response to the Land." Co-sponsored with Texas Architect magazine.

Pinhole photograph by Sarah Hill.

EXHIBIT

January 27 through August 12
Visual Resources Collection's Inaugural Image Exhibition:
"Lensless Photography: The Art of the Pinhole"
Visual Resources Collection, Sutton 3.128

The exhibit showcases black and white pinhole photographs taken by students in Lecturer Russell Krepart's fall 2004 Vertical Studio. Various locations, from sites in Marfa, Texas, to a bathroom in Sutton Hall, provided a variety of lighting conditions challenging the students to experiment with pinhole technology and film exposure times. The photos were printed in the School of Architecture's Photo Union Darkroom (http://web.austin.utexas.edu/architecture/facilities/sutton/vrc/photo.html) by class participants. The pinhole cameras constructed by the students are displayed.

Scholarship

Assistant Professor Tracy McMillan's article "Urban Form and a Child's Trip to School: The Current Literature and a Framework for Future Research" was published in the May 2005 edition of the Journal of Planning Literature.

This article discusses the transportation and health problems that recent policies and programs attempt to address and outlines a conceptual framework that addresses the complexity of the relationship between urban form and a child's trip to school to guide future policy and research.

Alumni Updates

Robert Jackson [B.Arch. '70] and Michael McElhaney's [B.Arch. '87] firm, Robert Jackson & Michael McElhaney Architects recently received the Award of Excellence at the National AIA/Committee for Architecture for Education (CAE) Conference in Washington, D.C. Their Warren Skaaren Environmental Learning Center at Westcave Preserve was one of five projects to receive this prestigious level of award and was selected from a field of over 160 of the best educational facilities in the United States. The CAE grants the Award of Excellence to projects that excelled in all three of the following criteria: integration of functional needs and aesthetic considerations in design, while respecting the surrounding community and context; enhancement of the client's educational program through the thoughtful planning and design of facilities; and planning/design process that is educational, collaborative, and that builds the capacity of the school and its community to support its students. The jury commented that the Westcave project was "...a regionally evocative expression of an important new form of learning environment. The interactive community funding and design process significantly contributed to the realization of a project where every part works in support of the learning goals."

 

Ann Brudno [B.Arch '72], formerly an adjunct faculty member of School of Architecture was recently conferred a newly-offered MBA in Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI). In what she called "the most challenging educational experience of my life," Ms. Brudno became one of only 23 graduates nationwide to ever receive this degree.

Founded in 2002 by noted entrepreneur and business consultants, Gifford & Libba Pinchot, and by Dr. Sherman Severin, BGI's groundbreaking MBA in Sustainable Business (the nation's first and only of its kind) is designed to prepare leaders to build businesses that are economically successful, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable. BGI's innovative curriculum, which deliveries the core competencies of a traditional MBA program, also infuses corporate ethics, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility throughout every course. Rick Bunch, Executive Director of the Institute, says BGI prepares its graduates to "fill a void." He cites a study in which 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs said sustainable development is important to the future of their companies, but only 30% said they had the people to make their companies sustainable. For more information, visit http://www.bgiedu.org.

 

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.

Website Redesign

The School of Architecture is redesigning our website, and we want you to join in.

Just go to the Website Suggestion Form at http://www.utexas.edu/architecture/suggest and let us know what information, features, and applications you would like to see in the new School of Architecture website.

And it's all public, so even if you don't have a suggestion, go see what people are saying about the site.

Erratum

The editors of eNews wish to correct an error in the "CRP Student Award" section of the May 19 edition. The paragraph should have read:

Community and Regional Planning student Bige Yilmaz was selected as the winner of the American Planning Association Information Technology Division's Scholarship Paper Competition. Ms. Yilmaz's paper, "The Internet Diffusion in Middle-Income Countries," was selected as the winner of this competition. She will receive a $250 scholarship and a one-year membership to the IT Division.

Contacts

arch.utexas.edu

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

(area code 512)

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, Kris Muñoz Vetter, 471-6114, kmvetter@mail.utexas.edu

Publications Editor, Pamela Peters, 471-0154, p.peters@mail.utexas.edu

Friends of Architecture Director and Alumni Coordinator, Stephanie Palmer, 471-0617, stephanie.palmer@mail.utexas.edu

Director of Photography, Charlotte Pickett, c.pickett@mail.utexas.edu

Architecture and Planning Library, http://www.lib.utexas.edu/apl/index.html, 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.