San Diego Architectural Foundation

The latest issue of "By Design" has arrived! Click above to view, and find our feature article by SDAF member, author and radio host Dirk Sutro, new books and Architectural App reviews, PechaKucha recaps, an O&O update, Norwegian Stavkirks in our new feature, The World of Architecture and more!

We also want to extend a big thanks to those SDAF members who supported our recent Strategic Planning process by participating in the member survey. Your input proved invaluable, and the information gleaned from it has been incorporated into our vision for the future, which we will be sharing more of in the coming weeks and months.

Part of that vision is providing benefits to our members that better express our appreciation for your support. We are incorporating many new and creative ideas into this goal, and are really having some fun with it. For starters, we are extending an invitation to our members to attend our exclusive interview with UCSD Campus Architect Boone Hellmann for free!

"A Very Special Evening with Boone Hellmann" will be held at the Neurosciences Institute, part of the Performing Arts at the Neurosciences Institute program on Wednesday, June 15th. The interview, open to the public, and free to SDAF members, will begin at 7:30. It will be conducted by Keith York (ModernSanDiego.com), and feature some very special guests. A cocktail reception prior to the interview ($25 for members) will begin at 5:30 in the courtyard of the Neurosciences. You must RSVP to this event to ensure seating! Click here for more info and to RSVP. We hope to see you there!

If you are looking for an opportunity to become involved, meet new people, and enjoy a challenging, fun and satisfying position, we have just the role for you - SDAF needs a Volunteer Coordinator (or two!)!

Participation in SDAF as our Volunteer Coordinator offers a great way to become immersed in the design/build community, enhance your network of contacts, and further develop your management skills.
   
Our current coordinator, Jenny Duck, will be transitioning into other areas of SDAF, but she will be around and is excited to help our new coordinator(s) transition into the role.

"For the past year and a half, I have had the privilege of serving as the Volunteer Coordinator for the San Diego Architectural Foundation (SDAF). Getting involved in the Foundation has been such an amazing opportunity – both at the professional and personal level. I have met so many great people and forged new friendships in the design community." Jenny Duck

Please take a moment review the position. Then, let us know of your interest by sending a note to volunteer@sdarchitecture.org. We look forward to hearing from you! 

^{top left: Hamilton Row, 2008 winning project for North Park Main Street
top right:: MXD830, 2009 winning project for Greater Golden Hill CDC
bottom left: Village at Market Creek, winning project for Jacobs Center for  Neighborhood Innovation}

That's right! The call for nominations was made in the summer of 2010, and Friday, April 29th marks the last day to nominate a project in your neighborhood for the 2011 $25,000 Community Vision Award!

If you know of a mixed-use (both commercial and residential) project within your community that exemplifies design excellence, demonstrates positive results of community interaction with design and development entities (i.e. is community supported), provides for “Smart Growth” in terms of both respecting existing community patterns and yet is still additive to the quality and urban nature of the community, and is designed and built with sustainable design and environmental sensitivities - then we encourage you to encourage your community group to nominate it! It could mean $25,000 for further enhancement of your surroundings.

Learn more abou the Community Vision Award here. Nominations are accepted from community organizations only.

On February 20, 2010, SDAF took part in a Global PechaKucha for Haiti event.

This year, another unimaginable crises has occurred and continues to unfold in Japan, home of PechaKucha Night, and another global event, Inspire Japan, will take place on April 16th.

Although SDAF is not officially taking part in this global Ustream event, PKN San Diego Volume 11 will be held as planned on April 20th, and SDAF will be donating a portion of the night's proceeds to Habitat For Humanity through PechaKucha. In addition, we are hoping to include a presentation to pay homage and Inspire Japan.

Do you have something to share based on Inspire Japan's main themes of INSPIRE, JAPAN, THE ISSUES or RECOVERY? Great ideas or solutions that help deal with the issues at hand whether earthquake, tsunami, nuclear or the road to recovery are all welcomed - or the additional presentation could simply be about things that inspire us (like PechaKucha), or Japan and how it has inspired you. If you do have something to say and 20 images to say it with, send a note to pkn@sdarchitecture.org.

Read more about Inspire Japan here. If you have something to share but not enough time to put a presentation together (we need your images by April 13), please write us anyway. We hold 4 PechaKucha Nights a year, and we believe the themes mentioned above will prove significant for a long time to come.

Join us on April 20th for PechaKucha Night San Diego: Volume 11 at the W Hotel. More information here. RSVP on Facebook here. See you there!

On March 26, 2011 San Diego Architectural Foundation, San Diego's official host chapter of the Tokyo-based PechaKucha Night, will partner with Starwood San Diego, the San Diego Japanese Consulate, NBC San Diego, Sophie 103.7 and Discover SD to honor the recent tragedy in Japan as part of a very special “Earth Hour” ceremony. “Earth Hour” is an annual sustainability initiative that encourages people to drastically decrease energy usage for one full hour. This year’s “Earth Hour” carries with it a theme of global preservation, and a deep compassion for the recent tragedy in Japan.

Earth Hour Benefit for Japan will feature fun drink specials, wonderful performances and special guests. Click here for details about what is sure to be an exceptional evening. SDAF is honored to take part in this significant event - we hope to see you there!^{printable flyer available below}

WSD_Japan_Flyer_8-5x11_rev3_PRINT.pdf

“Upon a solid basis relations of peace and friendship, which shall confer reciprocal benefits upon the citizens of both, and assure the concord, harmony, and mutual confidence wherein the two people should live, as good neighbors…."  the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed February 2, 1848

The Friends of Friendship Park have submitted a proposal to San Diego Border Patrol enabling increased access and providing a more park-like feel for Friendship Circle Monument Park located between the U.S., Mexico and Pacific Ocean. Designed by heralded San Diego architect James Brown of Public Architecture and Planning, the design restores much of the original feel of Friendship Park during the park’s open hours by allowing for full access to three locations on the international boundary: the historic monument at the center of the park, the bi-national garden located to the east of the monument, and the beach below the monument to the west.

In 2009, an Onion-awarded second fence was constructed some 100’away from the existing border fence, severely restricting pedestrian access to the Monument. The meeting spot is historically and culturally significant to U.S. and Mexican citizens alike. The proposal aims to reestablish use of the park by all.

With a desire to unite rather than rather than divide further, the proposal offers some thoughtful commentary along with a comprehensive plan, including security and options for the future.

view the proposal here

Friendship Park from Kaley Hearnsberger on Vimeo.

Our friends at the Friends of San Diego Architecture have launched a new website which includes a collection of almost 10,000 photographs of architecture in San Diego and beyond. The images were donated by Ned Paynter (1935-2007) a local historian and educator with a passion for travelling and architecture.

Paynter's photographs were taken over a period of 40 years as he traveled around the world with his camera in hand, ready to capture the great architecture of the world. Well organized into searchable categories, the collection focuses on the work of well-known modern American, British and European architects, in addition to urban landscapes from Medieval to Modern times.
  
Not forgetting his local stomping grounds, included in the San Diego gallery are nearly 500 photos, some of buildings which no longer exist including the one shown at right of the Tower Bowl, a 28-lane bowling alley built in 1940 and designed by prolific architect S. Charles Lee. Paynter entitled the shot "The Streamline Moderne by a West Coast Master". Sadly the Tower Bowl was demolished along with another Lee-designed gem just across the street, the Tower Theater. We're pleased to have access to the images providing these rich bits of San Diego design history. Thank you, Friends!

More about "West Coast Master" Lee's work here.

Ann Jarmusch recently wrote a piece for the San Diego Union Tribune about one of our region's architectural gems, the Neurosciences Institute. Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects with Joseph Wong Design Associates and completed in 1995, it has served as the venue for two of SDAF's  Inside the Design Studio series. If you've not yet made some time to drink this stunning local structure in, we highly recommend it.

Click here to read Jarmusch's SDUT piece._{^{Credit: Michael Moran}}

Cover story in Wednesday's Reader! Featured on Stepping Out With Barbarella on NBC Morning News this Thursday! Drink specials, door prizes, thinking, drinking and presentations at Quality Social on January 20! All in all, PechaKucha Nights rock!
 
Thank you, San Diego, for making PechaKucha Nights so successful. As part of an International 'family' of chapters, we are very proud to represent this region, and offer up such awesome presenters. Cheers!

click here to RSVP on Facebook