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February 4, 2010
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Former student Adrian Smith '66
designs world's tallest building

When the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, officially opened Jan. 4 in Dubai amid a flurry of fanfare, former Texas A&M architecture student Adrian Smith ’66 was among the honored guests. It was he, after all, who designed the shimmering spire that soars more than a half mile above the desert in the United Arab Emirates, rising to an official height of 828 meters, or 2,716.5 feet.

“It was the culmination of many years of work and one of the most thrilling moments of my career,” said Smith, 65, who studied architecture at Texas A&M for four years spanning 1962-66 before being lured by a summer internship to Chicago where he eventually landed a job, finished his degree and went on to become the world’s most experienced designer of supertall buildings.

See story, photos

Pictured above is the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, as seen from various angles. The building was designed by former Texas A&M architecture student and renowned architect Adrian Smith while he was working for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago. In 2006, Smith started his own Chicago-base firm, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. Photos by James Steinkamp Photography, © Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture.

Aggie Solar-Decathlon house gets new life
as 'SU CASA' in SA's Mission Verde Center

The Texas A&M College of Architecture's Solar Decathlon groHome, an Aggie-designed residence powered by the sun, is the centerpiece of San Antonio's new Mission Verde Center @ Cooper, a multipurpose education, training and research center for renewable and energy-efficient technologies, water management and conservation.

Now dubbed "SU CASA," for Sustainable Urban Center for the Advancement of San Antonio, the home will be used as a demonstration and hands-on teaching tool.

The center will be operated by the Texas Center for Applied Technology, which operates within the College Station-based Texas Engineering Experiment Station, the engineering research agency of the state of Texas.

See story

Pictured above: John Murphy, Dean of UTSA College of Architecture, and Jorge Vanegas, Dean of Texas A&M College of Architecture, chat at SU CASA opening.

Aggie NAHB chapter earns
chapter of the year award

The Texas A&M Chapter of the National Association of Home Builders was named the nation's outstanding student chapter at the association's January convention in Las Vegas.

"This year, the NAHB was looking for student chapters to show what they've done to promote diversity in residential construction management and in their organization, as well as their sustainable construction initiatives," said faculty adviser Russ Peterson, assistant professor of construction science.

See story

Pictured above: Jeremy Morgan, center, prepares for NAHB contest with fellow Aggies and Prairie View A&M students. Morgan was named Texas A&M's outstanding student in the contest.

Dean envisions new border studio as catalyst
for positive transformation in Texas colonias

Michael Graves

The launch of a unique architecture design studio this semester in South Texas could mark the beginning of a permanent academic effort by the Texas A&M College of Architecture focusing on U.S.– Mexico border issues.

Though plans are still taking shape, the first border studio will likely focus on “designing new residences for a group of colonias residents living in flood zones," said Peter Lang, an associate professor of architecture who is leading the fourth-year course. "We would like to work with those communities and help them start a process of transferring into new housing."

This first effort, said Jorge Vanegas, dean of the college, is the beginning of what he envisions as a permanent design studio focused on the border.

"I want our students to be aware that many people in the world never have access to good architecture and urban planning," said Vanegas. With a studio in this region, he continued, “we can roll up our sleeves, ask colonia residents about their communities, then listen and respond, working with them to create something of transformational societal value. That's the reality I want to see."

See story

Pictured above: Carlos Reimers’ Spring 2007 design studio received awards in a national design competition for sustainable colonia housing. Their entry integrated local housing practices and materials, sustainability, and housing knowledge derived from their research in the Texas colonias."

Architect Michael Graves' lecture offers
'A Grand Tour' of
his illustrious career

Michael GravesMichael Graves, hailed by a New York Times critic as "truly the most original voice American architecture has produced in some time," discussed his illustrious career in a special guest lecture, "The Grand Tour," Dec. 3 at the Texas A&M College of Architecture.

In addition to his diversified and prolific design work, Graves taught at Princeton University for almost 40 years, and is the university's Robert Schirmer Professor of Architecture emeritus.

See story, watch video

Giesecke Lecture Series to feature
innovative Danish architect Feb. 8

A partner at a Danish architecture firm who has led notable design projects across the globe will speak Feb. 8 as part of the Texas A&M College of Architecture’s Dr. F.E. Giesecke 1886 Lecture Series honoring the founder of the university's architecture program.

Andreas Pedersen, associate partner of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in Copenhagen, Denmark, will speak at 5 p.m. in the Preston Geren Auditorium, located in Langford Architecture Center’s building B. The lecture is held in conjunction with the Texas A&M Department of Architecture Spring 2010 Lecture Series.

See story

Symposium eyes technology's
role in historic preservation

Technology's evolving role in building documentation is the focus of the 11th annual Historic Preservation Symposium sponsored Feb. 26 – 27 by the Center for Heritage Conservation at the Texas A&M University College of Architecture.

The symposium, titled "Technology Preserves," will be held in the Preston Geren Auditorium at the Langford Architecture Center on the Texas A&M campus. Registration is currently under way, with details available on the CHC website archone.tamu.edu/chc

See story

Research:

Urban planners' paper cited as year's best by
Journal of the American Planning Association

A paper penned by an assistant professor of urban planning and a former graduate student at Texas A&M has shattered myths about the safety of suburban road and related community design, said associate editors at the Journal of the American Planning Association, who selected the paper for prestigious journal’s 2009 Best Paper Award.

In their paper, authors Dumbaugh and Rae demonstrate how many of the safety assumptions embedded in contemporary community design practice are not substantiated by empirical evidence.

See story


Colonia mobility study finds
residents prefer walking

A mobility study conducted by two Texas A&M urban planning professors in a colonia near Laredo found that residents walked, instead of riding bicycles or driving, to their destinations whenever it was practical.

"We found, for example, that people walked more for social/recreational purposes, to interact with their neighbors,” said Chanam Lee, an associate professor who performed the research, which was funded by the Southwest Region University Transportation Center in El Cenizo, with assistant professor Cecilia Giusti.

See story

Vanegas says modularization can
increase construction efficiency

Jorge Vanegas, dean of Texas A&M's College of Architecture, touts the idea of modularization as one way to significantly advance construction efficiency and productivity in an interview published on the website of The Warrior Group, a construction management firm.

"I would tell any design professional, whether an architect, an engineer or an architectural engineer, who may dismiss modular construction because they feel it limits design that, in my opinion, it is the other way around: not exploring alternative techniques and processes such as prefabrication, preassembly, modularization and offsite fabrication actually limits design more," said Vanegas.

See story


Interactive BIM software developed
by SEL enhances Revit application

New software, developed by the Sustainable Environment Laboratory at Texas A&M, allows users to experience a real-time, game-like environment with Revit Architecture building models. The application can be downloaded at no charge for educational purposes.

The software, called Interactive Building Information Modeling, supports the sustainability of built environments by informing and enhancing architectural design and building commissioning with game and visualization technologies, said Charles Culp, associate professor of architecture and the lab's director.

See story


Academics:

CHUD helping to get an accurate
census count in Texas colonias

Promotoras, social workers from Texas A&M's Center for Housing and Urban Development, are fanning throughout Texas colonias to help the U.S. Census Bureau get as accurate a 2010 count as possible, wrote Steve Taylor in the Rio Grande Guardian.

When we get counted, said Anayanse Garza of the Southwest Workers' Union in the Jan. 17 Guardian, the government is going to allocate funds for hospitals, for schools, for Head Start, for roads, for housing and for jobs.

"If we are going to get access to that money we need to make sure we are counted and that we are counted right,” she said.

See story

Noted architectural historian, theorist lectures
at Texas A&M on 'architecture of surveillance'

Beatriz Colomina, a noted author and professor of architectural history and theory at Princeton University, presented “Blurred Visions: Architectures of Surveillance from Mies to SANAA," Jan. 25. It was the first lecture of eight to be delivered this semester as part of the Texas A&M Department of Architecture Spring 2010 Lecture Series.

Head of the doctoral program in architecture at Princeton University and director of the School of Architecture’s Media and Modernity Program, Colomina’s numerous books and essays examine the representation of architecture in print media, advertising, photography, film and television.

See story, watch video

rule

Urban planning students suggest
improvements for downtown Sealy

Master of Urban Planning students at Texas A&M proposed new sidewalks, signage, landscaping and vehicle, pedestrian and parking solutions to improve the historic downtown area of Sealy, a small Texas town 50 miles west of Houston.

Students, led by Elise Bright, professor of urban planning, also suggested downtown Sealy could benefit from a one- or two-screen specialty theater, a bar or pub with a dance floor and German or Czech restaurants, wrote Ashley Tompkins, managing editor of the Sealy News.

See story

COSC students excel in national homebuilders
contest, collaborate with PV A&M students

Students from Texas A&M competed in three teams at an annual homebuilders contest Jan. 19 and 20, netting a top-tier finish while furthering a partnership with their counterparts at Prairie View A&M.

Aggie students comprised a team that finished fifth out 39 teams from four-year programs in the National Association of Home Builders' Student Chapters Residential Construction Management Competition, which took place at the NAHB's International Builders Show in Las Vegas. Aggies also joined students from Prairie View A&M, competing in two additional teams composed of students from both universities.

See story, photos


Students showcase building information
modeling skills to construction executives

Students in a building information modeling class at Texas A&M began their fall 2010 semesters as novices, but by semester's end they presented BIM-based construction schedules for a campus project to a panel of industry professionals.

"It's not easy for anyone to learn multiple applications in a very short amount of time," said Julian Kang, associate professor of construction science, who led the BIM class, "but the students worked very hard during the semester."

See story, photos


Students create design-build plans for proposed
multidisciplinary construction science building

Students in a design-build capstone class traveled to Houston Dec. 2 and presented plans to industry professionals for the design and construction of a proposed multidisciplinary construction science building at Texas A&M’s College Station campus.

Three groups, including undergraduate students preparing to enter the construction industry and graduate students in architecture and civil engineering made presentations at Satterfield and Pontikes Construction, Inc. They were led by José Fernández-Solis, assistant professor of construction science.

Each student team formed a virtual design-build company for the project, and developed three portfolios for each firm: one with information about the company, another about the company's design services and another about its construction services.

See story, photos, watch video

Financial services firm ING
honors college educators

The dean of the College of Architecture and an assistant professor of architecture have been recognized by a financial services company for their contributions to the success of student athletes at Texas A&M.

Jorge Vanegas and Kevin Glowacki were presented with the ING Financial Services' Professor of Excellence Award prior to the start of two men's Aggie basketball games in January.

ING awards Aggie educators considered exemplars of dedication, high standards, contributions to quality education, and the success of student athletes.

See story

Also online:

Healthcare design focus at Texas A&M
lauded in December Architect magazine

Two COSC students garner
2009-10 Who's Who honors

Construction science student carries
college's colors during commencement

Business office staffer
wins Linda Todd Award

TRC student worker wins
Aggie Ring scholarship

In the Studio:

Students create designs for rebuilding
Haitian district during daylong charrette

Students at Texas A&M created designs for new housing in the Bel-Air district of Port-au-Prince, one of the Haitian capital's areas hit hardest by the Jan. 12 earthquake.

The designs were created during the Department of Architecture's daylong charrette, which takes place at the beginning of each long semester. This spring's charrette began Jan. 22 at 8:30 a.m., when students received their instructions.

"Students were asked to design an urban block," said Glen Mills, head of the department. "The charrette is about architecture for a crisis-ridden area where there is need for the reconstruction of communities."

See story

Pictured above: Craig Babe, assistant professor of practice in architecture, and Susan Rodiek, associate professor of architecture, evaluate the students' designs.

Designs for Monte Alto community center
presented to U.S. congressman, residents

Faculty from Texas A&M presented designs created by students for a proposed Rio Grande Valley community center to a U. S. congressman and area residents during a Jan. 23 trip to the region.

"The College of Architecture responded to a request from congressman Rubén Hinojosa to create designs for a community center in Monte Alto," said Jorge Vanegas, dean of the college. Monte Alto is an unincorporated community 15 miles north of Weslaco.

Acting on Hinojosa's request, Laura Trevino, lower Rio Grande region associate director for the college's Center for Housing and Urban Development and Salomon Torres, a district director on Hinojosa's staff, contacted Mark Clayton, professor of architecture and CHUD's associate director for academic affairs, about the possibility of a design studio at Texas A&M.

After Clayton and Logan Wagner, assistant professor of architecture, met with representatives from Monte Alto and Hidalgo County in May and June 2009, the studio was slated for fall 2009.

See story, watch video

Aggie vizzers help 'Up'
garner Oscar nomination

Former visualization students from Texas A&M made major contributions to "Up," the Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios summer smash that received a best picture nomination Feb. 2 from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The academy also nominated the film, which had 18 Aggies in the credits, for Best Animated Feature Film.

It's already been a good awards season for "Up," which won a Golden Globe from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Jan. 17 for Best Animated Feature Film.

See related story, "18 former Aggie Vizzers help “Up” soar," in Fall 2009 archone. newsletter to learn how former visualization students helped make the movie.

Pictured above: Carl Fredricksen takes flight in “Up.” Former students from the Aggie visualization program had a hand in creating the animated feature, which scored a best picture nomination Feb. 2. Photo © Disney/Pixar.

Leading architectural blog suckerPUNCH
features Esquivel's students' studio work

Work by students in a third-year design studio at Texas A&M has been posted on a leading architecture blog, suckerPUNCH, that selectively posts design submissions.

"The idea," said Gabriel Esquivel, an assistant professor of architecture who led the studio, "was about letting the students use their instincts and sensibility, creating arguments through the reinvention of a modern typology, the high-rise, and use it as a vehicle for discussion," said Esquivel in the blog .

See story, photos

Students create designs for Houston
art, architecture museum building

Students in a fall 2009 first-year graduate studio at Texas A&M explored alternative designs for a new art museum in downtown Houston.

The Anza Falco Museum of Art and Design will begin operations in a transitional structure scheduled to begin construction later this year.

"The students' projects addressed how materials are not just about construction choices," said Gabriel Esquivel, assistant professor of architecture, "but also a means of creating diverse sensations in a space, focusing on the effects produced by the materials’ textures and surfaces."

See story, photos

Mini-mester students encounter
design process in Costa Rica

With help from an exotic Central American locale, students were able to discover and unleash their creativity in the first formal course offered by the College of Architecture at Texas A&M's new facility in Costa Rica during a January mini-mester.

Led by Jorge Vanegas, dean of the college, 20 students in various disciplines spent two weeks in the university's Soltis Center for Research and Education in San Ysidro de Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica, which sits adjacent to the Monte Verde Cloud Forest and near an active volcano.

See story, photos

Also online:

Viz student videos showcased
online, available via iTunes U

Undergrad viz students showcase
art, animations in year-ending show

Mann, architecture-for-health studio
featured by Texas A&M Foundation

Class Acts:

Museum adding former student's
Emergency Chair to its collection

A chair that can be assembled without nails or screws, created by a former design student at Texas A&M, will enter the Milwaukee Art Museum's permanent collection after being a part of its Green Furniture Design exhibit.

David Sellers, who earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree in 2002, designed the "Emergency Chair," which is on display at the Milwaukee museum through March 14, 2010.

See story


Outstanding alumnus named
head of AIA New York Chapter

An outstanding alumnus of Texas A&M's College of Architecture will pursue a theme of "Architect as Leader" during his yearlong term as president of the New York chapter of the American Association of Architects.

Anthony Schirripa, chairman and CEO of Mancini•Duffy, a New York architecture firm, earned Bachelor of Environmental Design and Bachelor of Building Construction degrees at Texas A&M in 1973.

See story

Former student's firm helps build
self-sustaining home in Houston

A former Texas A&M architecture student's consulting firm was on the project team that built the first self-sustaining home in the Houston area.

Alvaro Grisales, project manager at Grisales Consulting Group, led his company's involvement with the Virginia Point residence in the Upper Kirby neighborhood. Grisales, a certified Revit professional and LEED Accredited Professional, earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M in 2004.

The 5,000 square-foot home, owned by Daniel Hedges, a partner in a Houston law firm, and Adele Hedges, chief justice of Texas' 14th Court of Appeals, gets all its electricity and water from 140 roof-integrated solar panels, geothermal energy and a rainwater harvesting and filtration system, said Grisales.

See story, watch video

Former student's firm designs, builds LEED
Platinum home for old Mueller Airport site

An Austin home that received the highest certification from four "green" building programs was built and sold by an Aggie builder in a development that's transforming the city's old airport space into a mixed-use urban village.

Durrett Interests, LLC, built the home at Mueller, a new community rising at the site of the city's Robert Mueller Airport, which closed in 1999. The development is located three miles north of downtown.

The firm was founded in 2001 by Marshall Durrett, who holds three degrees from Texas A&M: a Bachelor of Environmental Design in 1997, a Master of Science in Land Development in 1998, and a Master of Science in Construction Management in 1999.

See story

Former construction science
student is a new Texas Ranger

A Texas A&M construction science graduate began the new year by realizing a long-held dream to become a Texas Ranger.

When he was a middle school student in Plano, Texas, Drew Pilkington, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Construction Science degree from Texas A&M in 1997, went to an event that would change his life, according to a recent story in the Beeville Bee-Picayune.

See story

Former construction science student
wins poetry slam, launches business

After earning a Bachelor of Construction Science degree from Texas A&M in 2005 and landing a job in the construction industry, Tina Sylvester's career took an unexpected turn when she participated in an event for performance poets.

She won the event, called a poetry slam, which includes dramatic vocal and physical interpretation and can be enhanced with music, dancers, props, costumes and sets.

See story

Class Acts: Former students
touch base with the college

Catch up with your old classmates in the archone. newsletter’s Class Acts section, a regularly updated list of recent activities reported by former students of the Texas A&M College of Architecture. Class Acts highlights professional achievements, as well as marriages, births, retirements and just about anything College of Architecture graduates care to tell their old friends.

In addition to the former student news briefs listed by class year, each semester’s Class Acts section also offers more detailed features on former student activities.

The college encourages former students to use Class Acts to report news of interest or professional achievements and to update their contact information so they keep abreast of college activities of interest to them.

Former students can report news and update their contact information online at archone.tamu.edu.

While there, please remember to enter your current e-mail address. To save funds, as well a few trees, the college is relying more and more on electronic communications.

Also online:

Outstanding alumnus Oscar Stewart
succumbs to illness in Houston

Former student Farr
selling his art online

Events:

Lectures, design charrette, visiting pros
featured at 2010 ASLA Aggie Workshop

The 35th Annual Aggie Workshop, a three-day conference organized and hosted by the Texas A&M student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, is slated for Feb. 11-13 at the Langford Architecture Center on the Texas A&M University campus. The annual event aims to bridge the gap between students and professionals in landscape architecture and urban planning.

The 2010 Workshop will feature luminary speakers, design charrettes and roundtable discussions with industry professionals structured around the theme, "Enrichment," said event chair Elizabeth Chapman, a fourth-year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture student. Workshop participants will explore how landscape architects can provide an enriching experience through design work and the natural environment and, in turn, improve the quality of life in communities.

See story

College calendar chock-full
of luminary guest speakers

This spring, a host of noted scholars, designers, and business leaders from the architecture, land development and allied healthcare professions will share their expertise with students as part of three different lecture series under way at the Texas A&M College of Architecture.

The Department of Architecture Spring 2010 Lecture Series, which began Jan. 25 with a presentation by noted author, architectural historian and theorist Beatriz Colomina from Princeton University, will feature eight speakers of comparable import. The lectures are slated primarily on Mondays at 5 p.m. in the Preston Geren Auditorium and continue through April.

See lecture dates and speaker bios

View video of Beatriz Colomina lecture

The Texas A&M Real Estate Development Association's Spring 2010 Lecture Series features six of the state’s top real estate professionals sharing their professional experiences with students. The lectures, slated for 7 p.m. in the Langford Architecture Center’s Wright Gallery, began Jan 28 with Dan Leverett, vice president of the commercial division of The Woodlands Development Company and continue through April 22.

See lecture dates and speaker bios

The Spring 2010 Architecture-For-Health Lecture Series offers a distinguished lineup of 13 allied healthcare professionals who will discuss issues related to health care and healthcare facilities design. The lectures are scheduled 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays in the Wright Gallery. The lecture series, advised by the Texas A&M Health Science Center, is co-sponsored by the Center for Health Systems & Design, the CHSD Health Industry Advisory Council, the Student Health Environments Association, Global University Programs in Healthcare Architecture, the Texas A&M College of Architecture and the Department of Architecture.

See lecture dates and speaker bios

Feb. 18 ‘In Theory’ talk show to
focus on Haiti relief, recovery

A diverse group of Texas A&M disaster relief and reconstruction experts from the departments of architecture and landscape architecture and urban planning will be featured panelist in “Missing Haiti,” a special edition of “In Theory,” the talk show moderated by associate architecture Peter Lang, which will be taped in front of a live audience 12-1 p.m. Thursday Feb. 18 in the Wright Gallery.

The panel will focus on a broad range of issues that go beyond the banner headlines, exploring the broader ramifications of emergency relief, long-term reconstruction projects and strategies for preserving existing community structures.

See story

Follow the college on
Facebook and Twitter

Since launching last year the College of Architecture’s Facebook page has amassed more than 1,600 fans.

Also, the Texas A&M College of Architecture sends out regular “tweets.” To follow us on Twitter, and keep up with the latest breaking news and events, subscribe at: http://twitter.com/ArchCollegeTAMU

Calendar Highlights:

Through February
“Walking with Presidents,” a photo exhibit celebrating the historical influence and contributions of African-Americans on U.S. presidential politics, runs through February in the Wright Gallery, located on the second floor of building A of the Langford Architecture Center. The collection, which belongs to the MSC Visual Arts Committee, documents the history of African-American political leaders as shown through images collected from presidential libraries and other sources. The exhibit begins with images from the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt and now includes pictures of President Barack Obama.    See more photos

Feb. 2
Associated General Contractors meet 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2 in the Preston Geren Auditorium. A representative from SpawGlass will speak. The AGC focuses on providing networking and learning opportunities, extracurricular activities, service to the community and recreational activities. For more information, contact Ryan Stoll at rms0157@tamu.edu

Feb. 3-5
AIAS Career Fair: The Texas A&M Chapter of the American Association of Architecture Students will host a career fair for architecture students 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Feb. 3-5  in the Langford A Atrium, the Wright Gallery, and Langford B Exhibit Hall. For more information, contact Jennifer Branham at jennlee7@gmail.com

Diane Osan Feb. 3
"Improving Design Through Computer Simulation: Ambulatory Care Case Studies" — an Architecture-for-Health lecture featuring Diane Osan, FAIA, a senior principal with FKP Architects is set for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3 in the Wright Gallery. Osan has spent 23 years in the planning and delivery of healthcare projects at FKP, she excels in leading large, complex teams through the design process to develop operationally efficient, aesthetically pleasing environments. She's made presentations at the American Society for Hospital Engineering and the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions.

Emerging Green Builders meet 6 - 7:30 p.m. in Langford C 307. Emerging Green Builders are students and young professionals dedicated to becoming and recruiting the future leaders of the "green" building movement. EGB groups around the country offer young people the opportunity to get involved in "green" building locally, gain access to U.S. Green Building Council resources, and participate in local events. For more information, contact Keaton Tucker at kingtuc@gmail.com

Feb. 4
SWAMPSWAMP meets Thursdays: The Aggie Screen Writing Acting and Media Production Club gathers 7 - 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4 in Langford C 307. The club provides a venue for students interested in screenwriting, acting and movie production to share their appreciation for film, collaborate on ideas and stories, socialize, learn more about all aspects of filmmaking, have a ton of fun and make movies. For more information, contact Carol Lafayette at lurleen@viz.tamu.edu

Feb. 5
LAUP faculty meets 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Trisha Gottschalk at 979.845.2030 or trishagtamu.edu

Feb. 8
Andreas PedersenGiesecke Lecture, "Yes is More," Andreas Pedersen:
5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8 in the Preston Geren Auditorium, Andreas Pedersen, associate partner of Bjarke Ingels Group in Copenhagen, Denmark, will lecture as part of the College of Architecture’s Dr. F.E. Giesecke 1886 Lecture Series. Pedersen, who leads many of the Bjarke Ingels Group's master plan and large-scale projects in Europe and central and southern Asia, designed the prize-winning Shenzhen Energy Mansion in China and Zira Island, central Asia's first carbon-neutral master plan development in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Giesecke Lecture logo Among his other notable projects are the new Tamayo Museum, Ren People's Building, Lego Towers, Klovermark, Scala Library, Arlanda Hotel and his firm's contributions to the Venice Biennale in 2004 and 2008. An architecture instructor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Pedersen also lectures internationally on the Bjarke Ingel Group’s research and projects.The Dr. F.E. Giesecke 1886 Lecture Series honors Dr. Frederick E. Giesecke, who in 1905 founded the architecture program at Texas A&M, the oldest architectural education program in Texas. The lecture series was established in 2005 by a generous gift from Fort Worth, Texas architect Preston M. Geren, Jr. ’45, to honor Giesecke, his grandfather. For more information about the Dr. F.E. Giesecke 1886 Lecture Series, contact Sarah Deyong, assistant professor of architecture, at 979.458.1133 or sdeyong@tamu.edu. See Giesecke lecture story in the archone. newsletter for additional details.

Feb. 9
Shimon Gibson"Jerusalem City Planning in New Testament Times: New Excavations on Mount Zion": A lecture set for 7- 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9 will feature Dr. Shimon Gibson (pictured), director of the Dig Mount Zion Archaeological Project and the Zedekiah’s Caves project in Israel, He will examine urbanism in Jerusalem from the end of the 2nd century BCE and until 70 CE when the city was destroyed by the Romans. Urban zoning and planning subjects covered include: how the city was demarcated by three fortification lines; how political ideology influenced the growth of the Late Hellenistic city; and how the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple and Royal Palace, at the time of Herod the Great, inevitably changed the overall layout of the city. Gibson will also focus on new results from excavations he’s undertaken on Mount Zion, with the discovery of Roman domestic houses with wall decorations and finds of an aristocratic or priestly character. When known, sources for the building materials will be discussed in relation to strength of materials for the different types of structures throughout the city. Gibson will also highlight multidisciplinary research opportunities for Texas A&M faculty and students related to this prestigious project in historic conservation. Research opportunities include remote sensing, site investigation, architectural analysis, ancient building methods, techniques, and materials, as well as the digitization of artifacts and digital recreation of the ancient environment from a landscape perspective. Texas A&M faculty participating in the project include Sarel Lavy and Bob Warden, faculty fellows in the Center for Heritage Conservation. They will be joined at the lecture by project founder Michael S. Pincus and his associate, Charles Robinson. For more information, please contact Jessie Pincus, CHC faculty Fellow and construction science postdoctoral research associate, at 862.7189 or jessie_geo@tamu.edu

Feb. 10
LAUP Career Fair Pizza Social will be held 5:30 - 8 p.m. in Langford B Exhibit Hall. For more information, contact Thena Morris at 979.458.4306 or t-morris@tamu.edu.

Jennifer Aliber“Space Matters: Square Feet, Building Multipliers and How They Go Together,” an Architecture-for-Health lecture featuring Jennifer Aliber, AIA, ACHA, SBRA is set for 11 a.m. Feb 10 in the Wright Gallery. Aliber specializes in master planning, healthcare programming and planning at Boston's Shepley Bulfinch. Her clients include Bronson Methodist Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center, and Yale-New Haven Hospital. She lectures at a wide range of conferences, including Tradeline, Healthcare Design, and American Society for Healthcare Engineering.

AIAS meets 6 - 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10 in Langford C 307. The Texas A&M Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students promotes excellence in architectural education, training, and practice, fosters an appreciation of architecture and related disciplines, enriches communities in a spirit of collaboration, and organizes architecture students and combines their efforts to advance the art and science of architecture. For more information, contact Emily Sunseri at esuns_9@neo.tamu.edu

Feb. 11-13
Aggie Workshop35th Annual ASLA Workshop: Luminary speakers, design charrettes and roundtable discussions highlight Aggie Workshop 2010, the 35th annual three-day conference organized and hosted by the Texas A&M student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The 2010 Workshop is slated Feb. 11-13 at the Langford Architecture Center on the Texas A&M campus. As in previous years, the event will attract students, faculty and practitioners from across the state. For more information, please contact Tom Woodfin at woodfin@tamu.edu. See Aggie Workshop story in archone. newsletter for additional details.

February 11 -12
Construction Science Career Fair – Session I is slated 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Brazos County Exposition Complex. The purpose of the career fair is to help students secure full time positions and internships with Construction Industry Advisory Council members. The event is open to construction science students and CIAC members only. Interviews will be held from 2:30 – 5 p.m. on February 11 and from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday, February 12.

Feb. 11
LAUP Career Fair will be held 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 in the Langford A Atrium and Wright Gallery with lunch 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Langford B Exhibit Hall. For more information, contact Thena Morris at 979.458.4306 or t-morris@tamu.edu.

Scott McGarityREDA presents Scott McGarity, managing director of Colliers International Dallas-Fort Worth, 7-9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 11 in the Wright Gallery as part of the Texas A&M Real Estate Development Association's Spring 2010 Lecture Series. McGarity is responsible for the leasing and management of approximately eight million square feet in Dallas/Fort Worth and oversees project leasing, property management and new business development for investment and institutional clients. For more information, contact Jim Graves at jrg1981@gmail.com

Feb. 15
Craig Reynolds Capstone Lecture: Principal with BRW Architects & lead designer for the new Arts and Humanities Building, Craig Reynolds will speak 1:30 - 4:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 15 in the Wright Gallery as part of the Construction Science Capstone Course lectures. For details, contact James Smith at jsmith@archone.tamu.edu

Tau Sigma Delta meets 6 - 7 p.m. Feb. 15 in Langford C 307. The Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts celebrates excellence in scholarship, stimulates mental achievement, and awards students who attain high scholastic standing in architecture, landscape architecture and allied arts of design by the rewards of membership in an honor society. For more information, contact Brian Briscoe at briand.briscoe@gmail.com

Feb. 16
Staff Luncheon: College administrators and staff gather to dine and celebrate January and February birthdays noon Tuesday, Feb. 16 in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Jan McCoy at jmccoy@archmail.tamu.edu

“Missing Haiti” — "In Theory” special edition: A diverse group of Texas A&M disaster relief and reconstruction experts from the departments of architecture and landscape architecture and urban planning will be featured panelist in “Missing Haiti,” special edition of “In Theory,” the talk show moderated by associate architecture Peter Lang, which will be taped in front of a live audience 1-2 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 16 in the Wright Gallery.

Feb. 17
Upali Nanda “Art in the Healthcare Environment: An Evidence-Based Approach,” an Architecture-for-Health lecture featuring Upali Nanda, Ph.D., with American Art Resources is set for 11 a.m. Feb. 17 in the Wright Gallery. Nanda heads the research unit at American Art Resources, a company that develops healthcare art programs designed to increase patient satisfaction, boost employee morale and strengthen brand awareness. She serves on the editorial board of the Health Environment Research and Design Journal and the Research Committee for the Society of Arts in Healthcare.

Sarah WhitingFeb. 18
Sarah Whiting and Ron Witte lecture: 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 in the Preston Geren Auditorium, Sarah Whiting and Ron Witte, principals of WW, an architecture firm in Houston, will speak as part of the Department of Architecture’s Spring 2010 Lecture Series. Whiting, an expert in urban and architectural theory, is dean of the School of Architecture at Rice University, where Witte also serves as associate professor of architecture. Before coming to Rice, Whiting served on the faculty of the Princeton University School of Architecture. Perhaps best known for her professional criticism, Whiting has had dozens of articles published on urban and architectural theory. In addition to editing several journals, she has edited books on architects Ignasi de Solà-Morales and James Carpenter, is the author of the forthcoming book "Superblock City," and is the editor of "POINT," an architectural book series to be published by Princeton University Press.
Ron Witte This March, Witte will serve as the Herbert Greenwald Visiting Critic at the University of Illinois at Chicago's School of Architecture. He has participated in numerous international architectural projects, including work with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam, Reid & Tarics in San Francisco, and Jacques Couëlle in Paris. He has also lectured at leading universities around the world and across the United States. For more information about the Texas A&M Department of Architecture 2010 Lecture Series, contact Sarah Deyong, assistant professor of architecture, at 979.458.1133 or sdeyong@tamu.edu.

A study abroad informational meeting for construction science students is slated 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Melissa Daigneault at 979.845.0994 or mdaigneault@archmail.tamu.edu.

Aggieland SaturdayFeb. 20
Aggieland Saturday: The College of Architecture will join the campus community offering an event-filled program for prospective students and their families. Activities are scheduled 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Langford A Atrium, the Preston Geren Auditorium, the Langford B Exhibit Hall, and Langford C105, 207 and 307. For details, contact Ann Eastwood at aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

Feb. 23
Construction Science Career Fair is slated 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. in the Langford B Exhibit Hall and the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Shelley Smith at 979.862.7354 or shelleysmith@tamu.edu.

Feb. 24
Tye Farrow Architecture-for-Health Lecture: Tye Farrow — A senior partner at Farrow Partnership Architects Inc. of Toronto, Tye Farrow FRAIC will speak as part of the Architecture-for-Health Lecture Series at 11 a.m. Feb. 24 in the Wright Gallery. Farrow draws inspiration from the natural world. He received the first annual Architect Award from the Stockholm-based International Academy for Design and Health and the Individual Architect Award from the U.S.-based Healthcare Facilities Symposium. He has also received the U.K.-based International Design Award from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

Paul Lynn

Feb. 25
REDA presents Paul Lynn, vice president of the Accelerated Marketing Division and Southwest regional manager of Chartwell Group in Houston 7 - 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 in the Wright Gallery as part of the Texas A&M Real Estate Development Association's Spring 2010 Lecture Series. Lynn is a widely quoted expert on the benefits of accelerated marketing via the real estate auction. A frequent speaker on the subject, he has addressed professional and trade organizations locally, regionally and nationally. He has authored or co-authored numerous articles that have appeared in real estate columns for various trade publications. For more information, contact Jim Graves at jrg1981@gmail.com

Center for Heritage ConservationFeb. 26-27
Historic Preservation Symposium, the annual event hosted by the Center for Heritage Conservation is themed "Technology Preserves." The symposium opens with a dinner and keynote address on Feb. 26 and is followed on Feb. 27 with a series of guest lectures and discussions in the Preston Geren Auditorium. For event details and registration information, visit the symposium website. or see CHC Preservation Symposium article in the archone. newsletter.

Ted FlatoMarch 1
Ted Flato lecture: 5 p.m. Monday, March 1 in the Preston Geren Auditorium, Ted Flato, principal of the award-winning San Antonio, Texas firm, Lake|Flato Architects, will speak as part of the Department of Architecture’s Spring 2010 Lecture Series. Flato counts Louis Kahn, Frank Lloyd Wright and Rudolph Schindler among his favorite architects. He served as the principal architect for the Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange, Texas. The project, which includes botanical gardens, a nature center, outdoor classrooms and structures on a 252-acre site, earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for New Construction Platinum certification — the highest level possible in the Green Building Rating System developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. To date, this is the only building project in Texas to achieve this rating. For more information about the Texas A&M Department of Architecture 2010 Lecture Series, contact Sarah Deyong, assistant professor of architecture, at 979.458.1133 or sdeyong@tamu.edu.

March 2, 9 & 18
Rodiek leads “Access to Nature: webinar: Susan Rodiek, associate professor of architecture, will be featured in live, one-hour webinars at noon March 2, 9 and 18 discussing the content of "Access to Nature," a three-DVD set that shows how to create healthy, inviting outdoor environments for seniors in residential settings at all levels of care. Rodiek created and served as program director for the DVD set. For more information, contact Judy Pruitt, 979.845.7009, or jpruitt@tamu.edu.


March 25-28
Illustrator Anita Kunz leads workshop: A weekend illustration workshop set for March 25-28 at the College of Architecture features illustrator Anita Kunz, whose work regularly appears in advertisements, books and magazines including Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, GQ and The New York Times. She was one of two artists chosen by Rolling Stone to produce a monthly illustrated History of Rock 'n Roll. Her work is exhibited in permanent collections in museums around the world and she is an Officer of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor. Times and locations for the workshop are pending. For details on the workshop, contact Leticia Silva at leticiaa@gmail.com

April 5
Francois de MenilFrancois de Menil lecture: 5 p.m. Monday April 5 in the Preston Geren Auditorium, Francois de Menil, a fellow in the American Institute of Architects and principal with the New York architecture firm FdM:Arch will speak as part of the Department of Architecture’s Spring 2010 Lecture Series. de Menil has served on numerous architectural review juries and is a trustee of New York's Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. He designed the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum in Houston, which displays dome and apse fresco paintings originally housed in a small 13th century votive chapel in Cyprus.

Save the Date: April 23

Francois de Menil

Rowlett Lecture 2010: Presidents of the nation’s leading professional organizations focusing on the built environment disciplines — George Miller, American Institute of Architects; Doug Pruitt, Associated General Contractors; Angela Dye, American Society of Landscape Architects; and Robert Hunter, American Planning Association — will be featured speakers at the 2010 Rowlett Lecture, to be held 1-5 p.m. April 23 in Rudder Auditorium. The series will be moderated by Jeff Potter, FAIA, vice president of the Dallas-Longview, Texas firm, POTTER, and an outstanding alumnus of the College of Architecture. The Rowlett Lecture Series, which features speakers of national and international significance, is organized annually by the CRS Center for Leadership and Management in the Design and Construction Industry at the Texas A&M College of Architecture. For additional information, contact Susie Billings at 979.847.9357 or sbillings@archmaiil.tamu.edu.

Visit archone. newsletter for full calendar of spring events

Hats off


Fall 2009 construction science graduates celebrate after receiving their official Aggie hard hats at the Department of Construction Science’s semester capping honors ceremony held Dec. 1 in the Wright Gallery. Outstanding construction science students were recognized at the event. See story and photos.

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