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January 30, 2009
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Texas A&M landscape architecture
programs ranked among best in U.S.

The graduate and undergraduate programs in landscape architecture at Texas A&M University are ranked among the nation’s best in the 2009 edition of “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools,” a list compiled annually by the Design Futures Council, publishers of the bi-monthly Design Intelligence newsletter.

This year, the Master of Landscape Architecture program ranked fourth and the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture placed fifth in the annual nationwide survey which asks academic and industry leaders which accredited professional programs best prepare students for today’s and tomorrow’s real-world practice.

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Pictured above, a landscape treatment for Grand Army Plaza, the sprawling traffic circle at the top of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, sketched by Namrata Deshpande '09, a Master of Landscape Architecture student at Texas A&M University. The design, created in associate professor Nancy Volkman's second-year MLA studio, was entered in the "Reinventing Grand Army Plaza Design Competition."

M.Arch program ranked 5th
among public universities

The Master of Architecture program at Texas A&M University ranks fifth nationally among public universities in the 2009 edition of America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools, a list compiled annually by the Design Futures Council, publishers of the bi-monthly Design Intelligence newsletter.

The fifth-place 2009 finish represents a leap forward from last year’s ranking, which placed the program ninth among public universities. Among both public and private schools, the Texas A&M Master of Architecture program jumped from 18th place in 2008 to 11th place this year, tying with Clemson University, Kansas State University, the University of Virginia and Princeton University.

“This upward trend is an indication of the high-quality of work that’s been carried out in the department, where we see architectural design as the defining feature of our program,” said Glen Mills, head of the Department of Architecture at Texas A&M University. “It also illustrates the high caliber of our faculty and students.”

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Founding director of the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, Dennis Wenger, will be on hand for the center's 20th anniversary event this Saturday, Jan. 31.

HRRC marking its 20th anniversary with
presentations by top disaster researchers

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, on Saturday, Jan 31 the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture is hosting a daylong public workshop, “Resilience in the 21st Century,” featuring presentations by some of the nation’s leading hazards researchers.

The workshop will be held 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. in Preston Geren Auditorium, located in Building B of the Langford Architecture Center on the Texas A&M campus. The event is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about HRRC activities. In addition to lectures, the event will include a poster exhibit featuring student research and lunch.

 “Twenty years ago the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center started as an idea,” said Sam Brody, the center’s acting director. “Today, we have eight core faculty, two research units, approximately $4.5 million in external funding, and are supporting over 25 students in our labs.”

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Buildings from the Perkins + Will portfolio.

Distinguished firm Perkins + Will
featured at Feb. 2 Rowlett Lecture

A team of speakers from Chicago-based Perkins + Will, a top 10 international design firm that has completed projects across the United States and in 43 countries around the world, will discuss their firm’s present and future approaches to design Feb. 2 at the 2009 Rowlett Distinguished Firm Lecture, hosted by the Texas A&M College of Architecture’s CRS Center for Leadership and Management in the Design and Construction Industry.

The event, which annually highlights a distinguished firm from the design, planning and construction industries, begins at 1 p.m. at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at the George Bush Presidential Library on the Texas A&M campus in College Station.

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Preservation and Sustainability:
Historic preservation symposium
slated Feb. 27-28 at Texas A&M

Registration is under way for the Center for Heritage Conservation’s 10th Annual Historic Preservation Symposium, “Building on Green: Preservation and Sustainability,” scheduled Feb. 27 and 28 at the Texas A&M College of Architecture.

“This year’s theme is about implementing the greening of historical structures and how to do it sensibly,” said Robert Warden, CHC director.

Donovan Rypkema, principal of Washington D.C.-based PlaceEconomics, will kick off the symposium with a Feb. 27 public lecture in the Preston Geren Auditorium, located in Building B of the Langford Architecture Center on the Texas A&M campus.

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Research:


Student designed dormitories at the new Texas A&M University's Soltis Center for Research and Education in Costa Rica.

College played integral role in design
and construction of Texas A&M’s new
Costa Rican research, education center

When students begin studying this spring at Texas A&M University’s new Soltis Center for Research and Education in Costa Rica, their experience will take place on a foundation laid years earlier by students and faculty from the College of Architecture.

The facility, which includes classrooms, dormitories and other facilities, is located on a 40-acre site adjacent to the Monteverde Cloud Forest about a two-hour drive from the Central American country’s capital, San José.

In 2005, Bill Soltis, a 1955 mechanical engineering graduate from Texas A&M, approached his alma mater about donating the land and building new facilities to provide an international experience for students and to protect the area’s unique ecological setting while increasing awareness for preservation efforts. He has spent most of his life in the construction business, including construction of facilities in Costa Rica.

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Lee’s study to chart children’s reactions
to improvements near elementary schools

Chanam Lee, assistant professor of urban planning at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, has secured a three-year, $252,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to research how patterns in children’s walking to school are affected by changes in a school’s surroundings.

Lee’s research project, “The ‘Whys’ and ‘Why Nots’ of Active Living: Barriers and Motivators among High Risk Children,” will track the changes in student walking patterns following sidewalk, street crossing, and other improvements around 11 elementary schools in the Austin Independent School District. The grant is from the foundation’s Active Living Research program.

“Most of the schools selected for the study are in lower income areas with a large minority population, and had already received the funding to make those environmental changes,” said Lee.

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Hamilton co-authors new book
detailing evidence-based design

A new book co-authored by D. Kirk Hamilton, FAIA, associate professor of architecture at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, introduces professional designers to the concept of evidence-based design, with case studies showing how such an approach can lead to successful outcomes with a variety of building projects.

Hamilton, associate director of the college’s Center for Health Systems & Design, co-wrote the book, “Evidence-Based Design for Multiple Building Types,” with David H. Watkins, FAIA.

The authors “have written this enlightening book showcasing the process and products of evidence-based design, a practice that should be in the top drawer of every architect's toolkit,” wrote Christine McEntee, executive vice president and chief executive officer of The American Institute of Architects.

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HRRC researchers documenting recovery
efforts in Galveston after Hurricane Ike

Researchers from the Hazard Research and Recovery Center at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture encountered snow, giant mosquitoes and a devastated gulf coast landscape while investigating Hurricane Ike recovery efforts in the Galveston area last December.

The project was funded by a $145,671 grant from the National Science Foundation through a quick-turnaround program that allows researchers to go out into the field and collect data that’s fleeting, said Van Zandt.

“The grant is huge for the NSF’s quick response program, almost double the usual amount,” said Sam Brody, acting HRRC director. “It’s being supported by three NSF programs, a testament to the importance of this type of work,” he said.

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Neuman, Bright say planning needed
to deal with Texas population growth

At the Texas A&M University Transportation Center for Mobility’s monthly meeting Jan. 26, urban planning professors from Texas A&M’s College of Architecture presented research that shows a great deal of careful planning will be needed to deal with booming population growth in the area of Texas known as the Texas Urban Triangle over the next 20 years.

Michael Neuman and Elise Bright, professors of urban planning at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, and Aggie graduate students conducted the study, which led to a 140-page report, ”Texas Urban Triangle: Framework for Future Growth.” They researched key strategic factors shaping the future growth of the mega-region, including current and future needs for water, energy, housing, education, transportation, and other infrastructure.

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Nancy Klein, an expert in the art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, shares her knowledge with colleagues in the Acropolis museum in Athens, currently under construction.

Klein talks with researchers at
new Acropolis museum location

Nancy Klein, assistant professor of architecture at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, talks to Greek and British colleagues about her research on 6th century B.C.E. Greek architecture in the new Acropolis museum in Athens.

Currently, only the first floor of the museum is open, with the rest of the museum scheduled to open in March.

In 2008, an exhibit of photographs of ongoing Acropolis restoration efforts was displayed at the J. Wayne Stark Galleries. Klein, who specializes in the art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, introduced the exhibit with a public lecture about the restoration efforts and importance of the Acropolis.

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Zhu researching walking patterns
of Austin ISD elementary students

Xuemei Zhu, assistant professor of architecture at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture and a Faculty Fellow at the college’s Center for Health Systems & Design, is heading a study to learn about how personal, social, physical and environmental factors affect children’s walking-to-school behaviors.

The study, “Safety, Health, and Equity for Active School Transportation: Interactions among Multi-Level Factors and Specific Needs of Low-Income Hispanic Children,” has received a two-year, $186,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Active Living Research Program.

“We’re trying to learn what kind of environment would encourage children to walk to school each day, instead of being driven, as a way to stay physically active and healthy,” said Zhu, who received a Ph.D. in architecture from Texas A&M and joined the Aggie faculty in 2008.

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Shepley discusses role of research
in design in online video series

A lecture, “From Academia to Practice,” by Mardelle Shepley, director of the Center for Health Systems & Design at Texas A&M University, is currently featured in Healthcare Design magazine’s online video interview series.

In the presentation, Shepley describes her adventures moving from the academic setting to an architectural practice for several months, and what the experience taught her about the information needs of practicing architects wanting to pursue evidence-based design.

Designers, she said, are much more comfortable once they realize evidence-based design doesn’t mean taking the art out of architecture.

The entire lecture can be viewed online at http://www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com

Studios:

Mills emphasizes design in third of
series of departmental gatherings

Glen Mills, head of the Department of Architecture at Texas A&M University, is improving his department using a tradition from his native South Africa.

On January 14, Mills convened the third indaba since he took the reins of the department in the fall 2008 semester. Indaba is a Zulu term for a forum involving shared ideas, collaboration and discussing issues that affect a community. January’s indaba was a free-ranging discussion among architecture faculty members about the quality of design carried out in the department.

“I’m emphasizing the design and the design process as a defining mark in our department, because I believe that’s the big contribution that Texas A&M’s department of architecture can make globally to the making of the built environment,” he said.

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Students in Gabriela Campagnol’s fall ’08 design studio ready a pavilion for display.

Students design, build Modulor
pavilions for final studio review

The quad next to the Langford Architecture Center building A at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture sported a look inspired by the architect LeCorbusier during a final review of student work in a design studio led by assistant architecture professor Gabriela Campagnol.

With a $200 budget per team, students designed and built three full-scale pavilions, with some level of enclosure, based on LeCorbusier’s Modulor system.

The Modulor system, published in 1948, was developed by LeCorbusier based on physical dimensions of the average human with the goal of achieving harmony in his designs. He described the system as a “range of harmonious measurements to suit the human scale, universally applicable to architecture and to mechanical things."

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Ricardo Solar and Shannon Stutzman listen to comments about their arena design by architecture professor Michael O’Brien.

Students present arena
designs for fall ‘08 review

Students in a Texas A&M design studio led by Marcel Erminy, senior lecturer in the Department of Architecture, presented drawings and models for a new College Station sports arena in a final project review last December.

The review, held in the Langford A atrium, utilized a display system developed by Erminy for a recent photo exhibit.

See the photo gallery

Students present designs for
reuse of Kingsville landmark

Students in a studio led by Robert Warden, professor of architecture at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, presented designs for the adaptive reuse of Kingsville’s historic Flato Opera House during a fall 2008 semester review.

Architects apply the concept of adaptive reuse to buildings that have outlived their original purpose by creating a design to change a building’s primary function while attempting to retain its architectural uniqueness.

The opera house’s owners, Nancy Bryant and Michael Krueger of Kingsville, are looking for ideas for possible new uses of the building in Kingsville’s historic downtown.

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A model of the college’s proposed construction science building by Keith Meredith, Ronnie Hernandez, Matthew Hubbell and Keith Kemper for a studio led by Logan Wagner.

Students unveil designs explorations of
of proposed construction science building

Students in a studio led by Logan Wagner, assistant professor of architecture at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, presented design concepts for the college’s future Construction Science and Interdisciplinary Studies building during a semester review at the college’s Wright Gallery.

They created their designs for the site of the building at the corner of Ross and Bizzell streets, across the street from the Langford Architecture Center’s B and C buildings.

A team of students consisting of designers Keith Meredith and Ronnie Hernandez and builders Matthew Hubbell and Keith Kemper presented a proposal for a 60,250 square-foot building that extends over Ross Street, connecting with the Langford B and C buildings.

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Academics:


Students meet with a representative of the Beaumont Housing Authority as part of their research and design efforts.

Beaumont newspaper notes urban
planning students’ renewal efforts

Beaumont city leaders have begun implementing ideas from urban planning students at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture in an effort to revitalize the city’s North End neighborhood with a $20 million federal grant in the wake of damage from Hurricane Rita in 2006.

The Beaumont Enterprise, in a Dec. 3 story by Dee Dixon, reported on a presentation by students Walter Peacock, Jared Briggs and Lone Avery to city and community leaders. Their recommendations combined research prompted by an October visit from Aggie graduate and undergraduate students to the North End.

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Construction Science students, Peterson
win awards at NAHB’s 2009 convention

A student team fielded by the Texas A&M Department of Construction Science finished near the top in the National Association of Homebuilders Residential Construction Competition held Jan. 20 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The Aggie team placed fifth in a field of 37 in the contest, staged during the Jan. 20-23 NAHB’s International Builders Show.

As part of the competition, the team of K’Rina Graham, Charlie Wolfe, Jeremy Morgan, Magee Solomon, Loren Schleimer, and Adam Sonntag, made an oral presentation to a panel of homebuilding industry professionals from across the nation, then fielded questions.

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International building construction group
welcomes new Texas A&M graduate chapter

Students in graduate programs at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture will be assisted in their development and research aims through participation in the newly endorsed Texas A&M University Postgraduate Built Environment Research Chapter of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building Construction (PGR-CIB).

“Congratulations to the PGR-CIB officers who have worked so diligently in securing this honor,” said chapter advisor José Fernández-Solís (pictured at right), assistant professor of construction science, who praised the chapter’s diversity. “The student chapter has more than 50 members from all college departments.”

CIB strives to provide a global network for international cooperation in research and innovation in building and construction in support of an improved building process and improved performance of the built environment.

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Photo by construction grad student
published in engineering magazine

Kunal Bhagwat, pursuing a Master of Science in Construction Management degree at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, was working as a site engineer for the Hindustan Construction Company in April 2008 when he took an unusual journey.

The company is working on the gigantic Bandra-Worli Sea Link project in Mumbai, India. Kunal, whose company is building the link, rode on a crew basket high above one of the bridge’s pylons and snapped a photo of the scene. His photo appeared in the Jan. 5 issue of the Engineering News Record.

Bhagwat now works at the college’s Office of Student Services.

When finished, the link will be just over 3 miles long and is expected to relieve traffic congestion in Mumbai.

Click photo for larger image

Aggie education named
#1 in cost-effectiveness

Texas A&M ranks first among the nation’s universities when it comes to how much money its graduates make compared with how much is spent on their education, says Smart Money magazine.

“Who would’ve guessed that Texas A&M … would deliver a payback more than two and a half times that of Harvard?” wrote Smart Money’s Neil Parmar. “Public universities turn out to be a far better deal than virtually all the privates we surveyed.”

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Honors:


From left, faculty member Kirk Hamilton and Outstanding Alumni Jean Mah and Joe Sprague were named to a select list of those making a difference in healthcare facility design.

Prof, 2 former students listed among 20
making a difference in healthcare design

Texas A&M’s College of Architecture was well-represented in Healthcare Design magazine’s 2008 “Twenty Who Are Making a Difference” list, with one professor and two outstanding alumni earning distinction.

For its annual end-of-year list, the magazine asked recognized architects, interior designers and consultants in the healthcare design profession to nominate fellow professionals they saw making a significant difference in advancing the design of healthcare facilities in 2008.

Kirk Hamilton, FAIA, FACHA, an associate professor of architecture and associate director of the college’s Center for Health Systems and Design, made the list.

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Italian doorknobs yield award,
prize for study abroad student

Jennifer Branham, an environmental design major at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, turned a class project during her fall 2008 semester abroad in Italy into a second-place finish and cash prize in a contest sponsored by her host city, Castiglion Fiorentino.

In the competition, “Portrait of Castiglion Fiorentino,” Branham and fellow students at Texas A&M’s Santa Chiara Study Center, which is located in the Tuscan village, were invited to submit entries using any medium that captured the essence of the walled town of 12,000 people located approximately 130 miles north of Rome.

Branham’s entry, “A New Perspective,” was a study of the town’s doorknobs, ranging from the ordinary to the ornate.

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Publication lists A&M landscape architecture
professors among ‘most admired educators’

Forster Ndubisi (picture at far right) and Michael Murphy, two members of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning at Texas A&M University, were named among the “Most Admired Educators of 2009” in the latest edition of America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools, an annual publication compiled by the Design Futures Council, publishers of the bi-monthly Design Intelligence newsletter.

Forster Ndubisi, professor and head of the department, and Michael Murphy, associate professor of landscape architecture, were among 26 educators nationwide listed by the publication as examples of excellence in design education leadership. The Design Intelligence staff compiled the list from a survey of design professionals, academic department heads, and students.

Ndubisi has headed the LAUP department since the fall 2004. In addition to authoring numerous articles, papers and book chapters, he’s written three books, one of which received the Certificate of Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Washington chapter.

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Williams captures honor from
Center for Teaching Excellence

Yauger Williams, assistant professor of visualization at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, has been named a Montague Scholar by the Center for Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M.

The center established the program in 1991 to recognize excellence in teaching early in a faculty member’s career. Williams, who joined the Aggie faculty in 2003, and his fellow Montague Scholars received $5,000 grants to develop and research innovative teaching techniques, the results of which the CTE uses for faculty development programs.

The center’s program was named for its founding donor Kenneth Montague, ’37.

Williams focuses on the globalization of art, design and technology with an emphasis on image and word.

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Woodcock named chairman of
AIA historic resources committee

David Woodcock, professor of architecture at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, has been named chairman of the American Institute of Architects’ Committee on Historic Resources for 2009.

Woodcock has served on the advisory group of the committee, the AIA’s oldest, for the past four years.

Under Woodcock’s leadership, the committee will be hosting a one-day workshop on sustainability and preservation at the AIA’s national convention in San Francisco, as well as a two-day symposium, “Capturing the Past for Future Use: Integrating Documentation with Repair, Design and Construction Practice in Historic Building Rehabilitation,” at the Association for Preservation Technology International conference in Los Angeles in November.

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Rogers named associate head of
Center for Heritage Conservation

Julie Rogers, senior lecturer in architecture and visualization at Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture, has been named associate director of the college’s Center for Heritage Conservation.

Rogers, who holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture, Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Environmental Design degrees from Texas A&M, has been an Aggie faculty member since 1992. She specializes in Southeast Asian art and architecture and is also interested in design foundations, design communica0tions, drawing and design methods.

In 2005, Rogers received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Former Students, the organization’s highest honor.

Fisk travels to Tennessee to honor his
late father at recycling station opening

The Herald and Tribune newspaper in Jonesborough, Tenn. reported on a guest appearance in October by Pliny Fisk III, an associate professor at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, at the dedication of a recycling and composting center honoring Fisk’s late father.

“Working with the town of Jonesborough in the early 1990s before his death,” states the article, “Fisk developed a vision for a composted product that would greatly reduce Jonesborough’s municipal waste disposal and create a valuable product for resale.”

The paper noted that following the ceremony, Fisk and fellow pioneer in sustainability, his wife Gail Vittori, discussed their latest green initiatives.

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Geva named vice chair of historical society;
editing preservation journal with Volkman

Anat Geva, associate professor of architecture at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, was elected vice chairwoman of the Construction History Society of America in November at its inaugural symposium, “Learning from Design and Construction Failures,” in Atlanta.

The American group is a branch of the England-based society, which was formed in 1982.

The society is dedicated to the study of the history and evolution of all aspects of the built environment — its creation, maintenance and management. It provides a forum for scholars and professionals in the field to meet and exchange ideas and research.

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Class Acts:


Charlie Kolarik, a former architecture student, designed a brand-new facility for the Budweiser Clydesdales.

Budweiser Clydesdales luxuriating in
Aggie-designed facility in Missouri

They’re in Budweiser ads, parades and special events across the country — the Clydesdales: magnificent, distinctive horses, one of the world’s top corporate icons in the world, will be bred and reared in a state-of-the art breeding facility in Missouri that was designed by Charlie Kolarik, a former student at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture.

Kolarik, who earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree in 2002 and a Master of Architecture degree in 2004, is a project architect at gh2 Gralla Equestrian Architects in Norman, Okla. At the firm’s Norman office 12 other architects work solely on equestrian projects throughout the world; Kolarik was tapped to head his firm’s involvement in the Clydesdale breeding farm project.

At a press tour of the newly opened facility in November 2008, Jim Poole, general manager of Clydesdale operations for Anheuser-Busch, gushed about the Clydesdales’ new facility.

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Former vizzers‘ work receives award
nominations from Visual Effects Society

Special effects in hit movies created by three former visualization students at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture were recognized with nominations Jan. 19 from the Visual Effects Society for its 7th annual awards contest.

"Because visual effects continue to grow in complexity and intensity, touching every aspect of the entertainment industry, we are proud to announce the nominees and their work, which have been deemed by the judges as the best of the best,” said Jeffrey Okun, chairman of the VES awards committee. “I congratulate all the artists on their achievements."

Craig Hammack’s work snared two nominations: he and a team of fellow animators from Industrial Light and Magic were nominated for Best Visual Effect of the Year for the valley destruction scene in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”

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Photo credit (c) Paramount Pictures, and Lucasfilm Ltd.

Houston AIA makes donation to museum
in honor of Aggie Outstanding Alumnus

The Houston chapter of the American Institute of Architects honored Preston Bolton, FAIA, an Outstanding Alumnus of Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, with a donation to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts in Bolton’s honor during a Dec. 17 ceremony at the museum.

The donation, a tea set and three silver pieces designed by the Italian architect Gae Aulenti, is part of a partnership between Houston’s AIA chapter and the museum, which has established an AIA Houston Design Collection featuring more than 25 objects designed by noted architects including Josef Hoffman, Eliel Saarinen, Sir Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, Louis Sullivan and William Lecaze.

“This year AIA Houston has chosen to honor Preston M. Bolton, FAIA, for his uncompromising efforts to support and improve the Houston community,” said Brian Malarkey, president of AIA Houston.

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Pictured above, Preston Bolton and his grandson, Preston Elsom, at the Dec. 17 ceremony.

Online magazine interviews viz grad
who develops iPhone applications

Ryan Mitchell, a MS Visualization Science graduate from Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, was recently interviewed by iPhone Footprint, an online technology magazine, about his development of game applications for Apple’s iPhone.

Mitchell is currently working on the game, “Gone Fishing,” for the iPhone, slated for release in mid-February. It’s his sixth game for the iPhone, following “Cursed Slots,” “Turkey Shoot,” “Slamming Slots Baseball,” “Magic Skull,” and “Call Santa.”

“I pretty much work all the time that I am not spending with my wife, kids, and family. I have a corner in the living room with two computers that I sit at while we will watch movies and TV,” he said.

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Peña honored by west Houston chamber
for military service during World War II

William M. Peña ’42, an Outstanding Alumnus of Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, received the “Heart of Service” award from the Houston West Chamber of Commerce Nov. 13 during a luncheon at the Omni Houston Hotel at Westside honoring military veterans.

The chamber honored Peña for his military service, support and contribution to the community, his faith and his embodiment of the entrepreneurial spirit. He resides in the west Houston area.

Peña was attending Texas A&M when the United States entered World War II. He served as a second lieutenant in the Army, leading a platoon in the Battle of the Bulge. His left foot and part of his left ankle were blown off by a land mine in March 1944 as he was trying to reestablish his platoon’s communications during a battle.

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Landscape architecture graduate heading
Aggie former student association board

Shelley E. Potter, who received a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from Texas A&M’s College of Architecture in 1978, continues her tradition of service as chairwoman for The Association of Former Students association’s board of directors in 2009.

Potter, a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, is a landscape architect with Jeff Potter Architects in Longview.

After graduating summa cum laude from Texas A&M, she became park planner for the city of Longview in 1981.

Since beginning her landscape architecture practice, she has served on numerous civic boards, including the Longview Planning & Zoning Commission and Smart Growth Task Force.

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Former student who helped
build Astrodome dies at 95

Kenneth Zimmerman, who earned a degree in architectural engineering from Texas A&M University in 1934 and went on to create the structural design of the Astrodome and other Houston landmarks, died in a nursing home in Houston Dec. 17 at age 95.

"Zimmerman had an intuitive understanding of structures, so he knew how to design them," said Narendra Gosain, senior principal and executive director of Walter P. Moore's Structural Diagnostics group; Moore worked at the Moore firm after World War II until retiring in 1982.

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Photographs by former vizzer
featured in fine arts magazine

Photographs by Igor Kraguljac, who received a Master of Science in Visualization Sciences degree from the Department of Visualization at Texas A&M last December, explore the visual style known as chiaroscuro in a six page feature appearing in the spring 2009 edition of Oranges and Sardines magazine.

The article includes a terse interview with Kraguljac as well as six photos from his chiaroscuro series, which were exhibited at the college’s Wright Gallery during the spring 2008 semester.

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Outstanding Alum addresses sustainable
development at Rochester speaker series

W. Cecil Steward, FAIA, an Outstanding Alumnus of Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, believes sustainable development, as a response to global warming, will rival the Renaissance in its effect on society.

Steward, founder and president of the Joslyn Institute for Sustainable Communities in Omaha, Neb., and dean emeritus of the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska, aired his views Nov. 18, 2008 at “Reshaping Rochester,” a lecture series hosted by the Rochester, New York, Regional Community Design Center.

He received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Texas A&M in 1956, then launched a career as an architect, educator and sustainable communities developer.

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Land development grad’s book details
housing boom, bust in Southern Calif.

In his new book “The Great Housing Bubble: Why Did House Prices Fall?” Larry Roberts, who holds a Master of Science in Land Development degree from Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, explains what caused the bubble, what caused it to burst, and tips for buyers and sellers as prices tumble.

Roberts, who lives and works in Southern California, compiled the book from his frequent contributions to the Irvine Housing Blog, where his opinionated posts about the area’s real estate has gained many admirers and detractors. Irvine is located about 40 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

“Long before Lehman (Brothers) crashed, Fannie Mae was taken over, and even before home prices were dropping nationally, he was one of the few voices presenting real information on the housing bubble,” wrote MalibuRenter on Amazon.com about Roberts and his book. “A full year before house prices started to crash, he was predicting it … an excellent read, and an important one.”

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Events:


Students begin a design charette during the 2008 workshop.

Aggie Workshop 2009 to feature acclaimed
landscape architects and design charettes

Landscape architect and planner David Yocca, pictured at left, a principal with the Conservation Design Forum, will bring his passion for sustainable design to Texas A&M’s College of Architecture Feb. 20 as the keynote speaker at Aggie Workshop 2009, “Arising Forefronts: Are We Prepared?”

Workshop 2009, the 34th annual landscape architecture conference at Texas A&M, organized and hosted by the Aggie student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, takes place Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 19 - 21, at the Langford Architecture Center on the Texas A&M campus. Workshop aims to bridge the gap between students and professionals in landscape architecture and urban planning with speakers, design charettes and panel discussions.

“This year’s event,” said Kelli Ivy, chair of the ASLA Workshop committee, “is intended to explore what landscape architects have accomplished, are accomplishing and aspiring towards, and reveal innovative ideas and career paths.”

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An image from December’s exhibit at the college that celebrated contemporary design.

College hosts French traveling exhibit
defending contemporary architecture

A traveling photo exhibit, designed to address critics of contemporary architecture, took over three floors of the Langford Architecture Center’s Building A at Texas A&M University in December.

Sponsored by the College of Architecture, the exhibit, “Extra Muros, Architectures of Delight,” was originally produced and designed from a catalog of photographs and criticisms of contemporary architecture co-ordinated by the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine/Institut Français d’Architecture.

The exhibition, specifically tailored for international presentation, focuses on architecture in tune with current urban situations, territorial or program-related issues that are relevant throughout the world. Through a critical mass effect, the 40 projects presented show that “good” architecture is not as rare as it seems, and that if we do not see it, it is because it is not where we expect it, or because it’s simpler, more modest or simply less preoccupied with its durability than we might imagine.

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Portraits by Robert Schiffhauer will be on display at a local museum through March 31.

Schiffhauer portraits honoring
Obama’s inauguration on exhibit

An exhibit of 44 portraits by Robert Schiffhauer, associate professor of architecture at Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, are on display at the Brazos County African-American Museum in commemoration of the Jan. 20 inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States.

In the exhibit, “Abolitionists, Abraham Lincoln and Reconstructors,” Schiffhauer portrays the likenesses of Dred Scott, who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom in 1857, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, other prominent figures in African-American history, and Abraham Lincoln.

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‘Why I’m An Aggie’ video contest
accepting entries through Feb. 12

All Aggie students are eligible to show off their moviemaking skills by entering the “Why I’m An Aggie” video contest, with the creator of the top video receiving a Feb. 16 Texas A&M – Texas men’s basketball game VIP package.

The contest, sponsored by the Texas A&M Division of Marketing and Communications and Flip Video, is looking for fun, upbeat amateur videos that can include Aggie academics, campus life, culture, organizations, service, traditions or anything else about the Aggie experience.

The grand prize winner will receive the basketball package which includes two tickets to the Aggie-Longhorn game at Reed Arena February 16, 2009, two VIP passes to the pre-game reception which includes catered food and drinks, two passes to the post-game press conference, and an autographed basketball from Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon.

Read the full story


Yauger Williams discusses his work at a previous biennial College of Architecture Faculty Exhibit at Stark Galleries.

Submissions sought for Stark galleries’
biennial exhibit of art by college faculty

College of Architecture faculty still have time submit work for the biennial faculty art exhibit to be held March 26 through May 30 in the J. Wayne Stark Galleries at the Texas A&M Memorial Student Center.

As of Jan. 20, 12 faculty members have announced plans to participate in the show, according to visualization lecturer Mary Saslow, who is the college's liaison with the Stark Galleries for the show.

To be included in the exhibition catalog, a print quality color image and artist’s statement must be submitted by Feb. 6. Faculty who miss this deadline may still participate in the show, but will not appear in the catalog.

Feb. 27 marks the e-mail deadline for a complete list of works to be exhibited, including title, medium, dimensions, date of execution, and insurance value.

For more information about participation in the College of Architecture Faculty Biennial Art Exhibit, contact Saslow at saslow@viz.tamu.edu or 979.845.7073.


Architecture-For Health lecture series to
feature health facility design luminaries

Wednesdays at noon throughout the spring 2009 semester, leaders in health facility design will discuss the latest trends in their field at the Texas A&M College of Architecture as part of the Center for Health Systems and Design’s Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series.

Most lectures in the series, co-sponsored by the Student Health Environments Association, will be held in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building.

See lecture schedule


Photography by Marcel Erminy was part of the "c206" exhibit.

Art show highlights work by
Bienko, Dougan and Erminy

“c206,” an exhibit featuring the work of three faculty members who share a suite in Building C of the Langford Architecture Center, was featured in the College of Architecture’s Wright Gallery Jan. 20-24.

The exhibit included terra cotta pottery by Brian Dougan, assistant professor of architecture and photography by Marcel Erminy, architecture senior lecturer, and Joshua Bienko, assistant professor of visualization.

At the artists’ reception, held Thursday evening, Jan. 22, exhibit patrons were treated to live music furnished by architecture department head Glen Mills, on drums, and Mark Clayton, architecture professor, on guitar.

See more pictures

Thin blanket of snow covers
College Station in December

Environmental design majors Eugene Holub of Rockdale and Eric Pavik of Granbury built a snowman in the quad next to the Langford Architecture Center’s building A following a rare College Station snowfall Dec. 10.

They set the frosty little fellow on one of three pavilions designed and built by students in a studio led by Gabriela Campagnol.

Later that evening, more snow blanketed the Bryan-College Station area.

See additional photos

Fall show offers peek at Viz-a-GoGo 16


Patrons of the Department of Visualization’s 2008 Fall Show got a distorted view of the world in a presentation by Ben Sutherland, a Master of Science in Visualization Sciences student. Sutherland’s piece was one of 55 shown at the venue, which offers a peek at projects in production for Viz-a-GoGo 16, the Department of Visualization’s annual public showcase of graduate student work. The Viz-a-Gogo 16 exhibition of still work runs May 4-9 in the Rudder Exhibition Hall. Time-based work will be screened May 8 and 9 in Rudder Theater.

A group of high school students attending the visualization department’s Fall Show check out “The Third Dimension,” 3-D images produced by Shyam Kannapurakkaran and Alex Fleming.


Calendar:

Through March 31
“Abolitionists, Abraham Lincoln and Reconstructors,” an exhibit featuring 44 portraits by Robert Schiffhauer, associate professor of architecture, is on display at the Brazos County African-American Museum in commemoration of the Jan. 20 inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States. For more information on the exhibit, which runs through March 31, visit the museum’s website at http://www.bvaam.org/ or call 979.775.3961. The museum is located at 500 East Pruitt Street in Bryan.

Feb. 1-28
Artist in Residence — Michele Brody, the first of the three spring 2008 visiting artists, arrives in February. A native of New York, she has had one-person shows all over the world including Germany, Costa Rica and France. Her goal is to make her viewers more aware of the relationship between themselves, nature, and the urban environment. Her workshop, entitled “Green Environments,” counts as a 1-hour independent study. For more information, contact Carol LaFayette at 979.845.5691 or lurleen@viz.tamu.edu. More information on Michele can be found at her website http://www.michelebrody.com/.

Feb. 2
2009 Rowlett Lecture featuring Perkins + Will begins at noon Monday in the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at Texas A&M University. The 30th Annual John Miles Rowlett Lecture will feature distinguished firm Perkins +Will, a top 10 international design firm. For more information, contact Susie Billings at 979.847.9357 or sbillings@archone.tamu.edu. Registration and program information is available on the CRS website at http://archone.tamu.edu/crs/.

Feb. 3
Firefighter to address ABC — The Texas A&M Student Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors meets 7-9 p.m. in Preston Geren Auditorium. Carl Wren with the Austin Fire Department will be the guest speaker. For more information, contact John Nichols at 979.845.6541 or jm-nichols@tamu.edu.

Feb. 4
“Cancer and Trends in Prevention and Treatment,” a lecture featuring Dr. Erin Fleener from the St. Joseph Hospital Cancer Clinic in Bryan, Texas, is slated for noon, Wednesday, Feb. 4 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A building. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

Feb. 5-6
COSC Career Fair Session I — The first session of the Department of Construction Science’s Career Fair will take place at the Brazos County Exposition Center, featuring firms from the department's Construction Industry Advisory Council. For more information, contact Shelley Smith at 979.862.7354 or shelleysmith@tamu.edu.

Feb. 11
Michele Brody AIR Lecture —Artist in Residence Michele Brody will lecture on her artwork 5–6:30 p.m. in the Langford A Gallery. For more information, contact Carol LaFayette at 845.5691 or lurleen@viz.tamu.edu.

“Caution & Safety in the Healing Zone,” a lecture featuring Samuel W. Burnette, a senior designer and principal with Earl Swensson Associates Inc. of Nashville, ESA is slated for noon, Wednesday, Feb. 11 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building.  The firm was founded in 1961, and provides design services in architecture, interior architecture, master planning and space planning. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

AIAS meets — The American Institute of Architecture Students meets 6:15-8 p.m. in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Jacob Spence at jwspence123@gmail.com.

Feb. 12
‘Why I’m An Aggie’ video contest deadline —The contest, sponsored by the Texas A&M Division of Marketing and Communications and Flip Video, is looking for fun, upbeat amateur videos that can include Aggie academics, campus life, culture, organizations, service, traditions or anything else about the Aggie experience. Details about the program, the contest, and specific instructions on submitting a video are at http://doyouwonder.tamu.edu/contest.html. Entries must be submitted by 6 a.m. Feb. 12.

Feb. 17
COSC Career Fair — Session II of the Department of Construction Science’s Career Fair is scheduled from 8 a.m.– 5 p.m. at the Brazos County Exposition Center. For more information, contact Shelley Smith at 979.862.7354 or shelleysmith@tamu.edu.

Feb. 18
“Therapeutic Gardens of the Hospital Civil de Culiacan,” a lecture featuring Heriberto Zazueto Madia, arquitectua y salud at Para Hospitales in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico is slated for noon, Wednesday, Feb. 18 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

Feb. 18-19
LAUP Career Fair — The Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning will hold a career fair from 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. in the Langford A atrium for students looking for jobs and internship opportunities. For more information, contact Myra Kretzchmar at 979.845.1046 or myrak@archmail.tamu.edu.

 

Feb. 19-23
“Arising Forefronts: Are We Prepared?” is the theme for Aggie Workshop 2009. The 34th annual landscape architecture conference at Texas A&M, organized and hosted by the Aggie student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, takes place Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 19 - 21, at the Langford Architecture Center on the Texas A&M campus. The workshop aims to bridge the gap between students and professionals in landscape architecture and urban planning with speakers, design charettes and panel discussions. For more information, contact Myra Kretzchmar at 979.845.1046 or myrak@archmail.tamu.edu. Or, visit the 2009 Workshop website at http://www.aggieworkshop.org/.

Feb. 21
Aggieland Saturday, the annual daylong, campus-wide open house for prospective students and their families is slated for Saturday, Feb. 21. Campus visitors can meet current students, tour the dorms, visit libraries and computer labs and see what Texas A&M has to offer. A number of special activities are planned at the College of Architecture. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 979.845.0289 or aeastwood@tamu.edu.

Feb. 25
“New Paradigms for Cancer Treatment,” a lecture featuring Richard L. Kobus, FAIA, FACHA, senior principal at Tsoi/Kobus & Associates in Cambridge, Mass is slated for noon, Wednesday, Feb. 25 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building. His firm provides architectural, planning and interior design services. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

AIAS meets — The American Institute of Architecture Students meets 6:15-8 p.m. in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Jacob Spence at jwspence123@gmail.com.

Feb. 27-28
10th CHC symposium — “Building on Green: Preservation and Sustainability” is the theme for the 2009 Center for Heritage Conservation’s annual symposium. The Friday night lecture in Preston Geren Auditorium, featuring keynote speaker Donovan Rypkema with PlaceEconomics of Washington, D.C., is open to the public. For more information and to register for the symposium, visit the Center for Heritage Conservation’s website: http://archone.tamu.edu/chc or call Charla Cook at 979.845.0384. The registration deadline is Feb. 6, 2009.

Feb. 27
Deadline for faculty submissions for the biennial faculty art exhibit to be held March 26-30 in the J. Wayne Stark Galleries at the Texas A&M Memorial Student Center. Feb. 27 marks the e-mail deadline for a complete list of works to be exhibited, including title, medium, dimensions, date of execution, and insurance value. For more information about participation in the exhibit, contact Mary Saslow at saslow@viz.tamu.edu or 979.845.7073.

March 1-31
Artists in residence — Members of the Rebar Group will be artists in residence in March. This art and design collective based in San Francisco concerns itself with the domains of environmental installation, urbanism and absurdity. Their workshop entitled “Ecocentric” counts as a 1-hour independent study. For more information, contact Carol LaFayette at 979.845.5691 or lurleen@viz.tamu.edu. More information on Rebar can found at its website, http://www.rebargroup.org.

March 3
ABC meets — The Texas A&M Student Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors meets 7-9 p.m. in Preston Geren Auditorium. For more information, contact John Nichols at 979.845.6541 or jm-nichols@tamu.edu.

March 4
“Building a Medical Campus with Clinical Relevance and Economical Significance for Local Municipalities,” a lecture featuring Thomas William Jackson, chief executive officer of the College Station Medical Center is slated for noon, Wednesday, March 4 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

March 11
AIAS meets — The American Institute of Architecture Students meets 6:15-8 p.m. in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Jacob Spence at jwspence123@gmail.com.

March 14
CAPSO Conference — CAPSO is a dedicated credentialing and outreach services office reporting to the Division of Research and Graduate Studies. It is holding a one-day conference from 8 a.m.–10 p.m. in the Preston Geren Auditorium and Langford B Exhibit Hall. For more information, contact Joyce Sutherland at 979.845.5528 or joyce@stat.tamu.edu.

March 23-27
Student Research Week — This year’s theme is “Global Issues, Innovative Solutions” and registration is now open on a first-come, first serve basis until March 1 or when full. Students are encouraged to present their research. Any student who is the primary author of a research project, class paper or project may submit an abstract to be considered for the oral or poster competition. Visit http://srw.tamu.edu/students for more information about the competition and prizes.

March 25
“Planning and Designing the new Parkland Hospital” a lecture featuring Walter B. Jones, Jr., senior vice president of facilities at Parkland Health & Hospital Systems in Dallas is slated for noon, Wednesday, March 25 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building. The hospital instantly became a part of American history in 1963 when president John F. Kennedy was rushed there after being shot in Dealey Plaza. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

AIAS meets — The American Institute of Architecture Students meets 6:15-8 p.m. in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Jacob Spence at jwspence123@gmail.com.

March 26-30
Faculty Art Exhibit in Stark Galleries — College of Architecture faculty members will display their work in the biennial faculty art exhibit to be held in the J. Wayne Stark Galleries at the Texas A&M Memorial Student Center. For more information about the exhibit, contact Mary Saslow at saslow@viz.tamu.edu or 979.845.7073.

April 1-30
Artist in Residence Jenny Sabin, director of CabinStudio Research + Design in Philadelphia, will be artist in residence this April. Her workshop, “Biology, Weaving, and Architecture,” counts as a 1-hour independent study. For more information, contact Carol LaFayette at 979.845.5691 or lurleen@viz.tamu.edu. More information about Sabin can be found at her website, http://www.cabin-studio.com

April 1
“Report from Japan: Building Process and Healthcare Facilities,” a lecture featuring Shigeru Yamaki, operations general manager of Taisei Corporation’s Planning & Design Division is slated for noon, Wednesday, April 1 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building. Since its founding 131 years ago, the firm has completed many projects in Japan and throughout the world. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

April 7
ABC meets — The Texas A&M Student Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors meets 7-9 p.m. in Preston Geren Auditorium. Carl Wren with the Austin Fire Department will be the guest speaker. For more information, contact John Nichols at 979.845.6541 or jm-nichols@tamu.edu.

April 8
“Healthcare research at ZGF,” a lecture featuring Karl Sonnenberg, a partner at Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP in Portland, Ore is slated for noon, Wednesday, April 8 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building. ZGF has built 29 healthcare facilities throughout the country. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

AIAS meets — The American Institute of Architecture Students meets 6:15-8 p.m. in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Jacob Spence at jwspence123@gmail.com.

April 15
“Current Healthcare Work of HKS in the U.S. and Abroad,” a lecture featuring two College of Architecture’s Outstanding Alumni, Ronald L. Skaggs, FAIA, FACHA, FHFI, and Joseph G. Sprague, FAIA, FACHA, FHFI is slated for noon, Wednesday, April 15 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building. Skaggs is chairman emeritus of HKS, Inc., and Sprague is principal and senior vice president at HKS, one of the largest architectural and engineering firms in the nation. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

April 16-18
Texas Annual ASLA Conference in Austin — The Texas Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architectures will hold its annual conference at the Austin Convention center and the Courtyard by Marriott. For more information, contact the LAUP office at 979.845.1046 or visit the Texas ASLA website, http://www.texasasla.org/content/annual-conference.

April 22
“Hospitals in Japan: History, Trends and Technology,” a lecture featuring two scholars visiting Texas A&M from Japan: Kazu Okamoto and his wife Ruka Okamoto, is slated for noon, Wednesday, April 22 in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of the Langford A Building. Kazu is visiting from the University of Tokyo and the Kajima Corporation. The lecture is part of the Spring 2009 Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Student Health Environments Association. For additional information, contact Judy Pruitt at the CHSD, 979.845.7009 or jpruitt@tamu.edu.

AIAS meets — The American Institute of Architecture Students meets 6:15-8 p.m. in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Jacob Spence at jwspence123@gmail.com.

May 4-9
Viz-a-GoGo 16, the Department of Visualization’s annual public showcase of digital wizardry created by students in the Master of Science in Visualization Science program at the Texas A&M College of Architecture, features still, or “flat” work, all week in the Rudder Exhibit Hall. On Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, the main event — time-based work, will be screened at 7 p.m. in Rudder Theater. Prior to the screening, from 4-6:30 p.m. students will provide short talks and demonstrations of their thesis projects in the Rudder Exhibit Hall. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas-Carpenter at 979.845.3465 or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

May 6
AIAS meets — The American Institute of Architecture Students meets 6:15-8 p.m. in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Jacob Spence at jwspence123@gmail.com.

July 12-18
Camp ARCH, the Texas A&M College of Architecture’s summer camp familiarizes high school-age students with careers in fields taught at the college. The program, designed to teach participants about the opportunities available with an architecture-based degree, takes place in the Langford Architecture Center. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 979.845.0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

Obama on VIZ TV


Glen Vigus, senior visualization production specialist in the Department of Visualization, photographed a crowd watching Barack Obama's inauguration Jan. 20, at the Viz Lab. CNN posted the photo as part of its inauguration coverage. It's photo #12 in the series on the CNN website.
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