CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:
See complete listings for details.

Historic Preservation Symposium scheduled this Friday and Saturday

The Center for Heritage Conservation will hold its Seventh Annual Historic Preservation Symposium, “Preparation for Preservation Practice: A Comprehensive Perspective,” March 24-25 in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium at Texas A&M University’s Langford Architecture Center.

The annual symposium, which coincides with the National Council of Preservation Education’s spring 2006 board meeting, also at Texas A&M, will explore the various approaches to preparing professionals for the practice of historic preservation.

The center will also hold pre-symposium workshops and demonstrations at the College of Architecture’s soon to be completed “Architecture Ranch” facility at Texas A&M’s Riverside Campus.

Invitations to the event are being sent to representatives from the Association for Preservation Technology International, the Preservation Technology Network, and the Heritage Conservation Network.

“With the recent adoption of National Architectural Accreditation Board criteria requiring knowledge of key philosophies and legislation relating to work on existing buildings, as well as the influence of vernacular architecture,” center director David Woodcock said, “this year’s topic is timely for architectural education, and it will provide an opportunity to reinforce the value of cross-disciplinary teams.”

For information on the 2006 Historic Preservation Symposium, contact Kristi Harpst at 979.845.0384 or e-mail kaharpst@gmail.com.

Construction Science program
earns ACCE reaccreditation

The American Council for Construction Education recently renewed the accreditation of the Bachelor of Science in Construction Science degree program offered by the Department of Construction Science at Texas A&M University.

“The program has maintained the stringent standards of ACCE, and has proven to the board, through a visiting team of its peers and industry practitioners, that the program is worthy of reaccreditation,”reads an ACCE press release on the accreditation results.

The construction education program at Texas A&M University was established in 1946 as a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Construction. The degree program name was changed to Bachelor of Science in Construction Science in the fall of 1992. Current enrollment in the undergraduate program is approximately 600 students.

The undergraduate curriculum is aimed at educating construction generalists who are able to enter the construction industry at the lower management levels, with potential for swift advancement to middle management positions.

The ACCE was established in 1974 to be a leading global advocate of quality construction education, and to promote, support, and accredit quality construction education programs around the world. The organization is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the accrediting agency for four-year baccalaureate degree programs in construction, construction science, construction management and construction technology.

Students help Gu design sculptures
to grace Texas A&M campus

The Artist in Residence program at the College of Architecture is currently hosting world-renowned artist Wenda Gu. He is working with students to design several neon sculptures made from words translated from English to Chinese, and back again, changing their meanings to create a playful exchange between the two languages. The student’s designs will be displayed in a public exhibition at a date to be announced, in the form of 2-D digital prints and 3-D video displayed on monitors.

The neon series is part of a larger project by Gu to create works of art emblematic of a future not ruled by racial or national boundaries. The Artist in Residence committee plans to fabricate these sculptures and install them in a public place on campus to provide a welcoming presence to international students and scholars and to build awareness of connections between Texan and non-western culture. The neon sculptures will form the first of a series of new artwork installations on campus by artists and students representing a variety of cultures.

A New York based artist, Gu came from China in 1987. His art projects, which have been exhibited around the world, are usually large in terms of time scale and cultural span.

For more information, visit:
http://www-viz.tamu.edu/faculty/lurleen/air/
air_sp06t.htm

Two BED undergraduates earn Glasscock Center research grants

Environmental design majors Justin Curtsinger and Preethi Srikanth were among seven Texas A&M undergraduates to receive 2006 Undergraduate Research Awards from the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research. The grants pay up to $500 for research expenses.

Curtsinger, will use the funds to continue studying the history of faculty housing at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, 1876 - 1940s. While focusing on the concept and unique characteristics of on-campus neighborhoods, or communities, his report will detail the layout of faculty houses and trace their evolution and ultimate removal from campus.

Srikanth was part of an eight-member architecture studio that recently toured hospitals in the United Kingdom. The students contrasted the U.K. medical facilities with their U.S. counterparts and talked with hospital clients and architects. The goal of Srikanth’s research is to design a “hospital for the future”that addresses issues of flexibility, adaptability and sustainability. He and his fellow students will present their research results to representatives of the British National Health System.

Brody developing tools to balance
growth, ecosystem preservation

Urban planners walk a tightrope, managing inevitable growth while maintaining ecosystem function, weighing environmental issues such as preserving wetlands and water quality along side the task of mitigating natural hazards that threaten people. Texas A&M University urban planning professor Samuel Brody and other researchers help provide the tools such planners need to keep their balance.

"Here at the Environmental Planning and Sustainability Research Unit (EPSRU) in the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, we research actual problems, then feed that information to decision makers," says Brody, a professor in the College of Architecture's Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning. "We map, measure and analyze across space, looking at the effects of existing policies on ecosystems. Most of our research is funded by grants from agencies like the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Those funds support our lab, the hub of EPSRU in which six graduate students and one undergraduate work."

Read full story:
http://communications.tamu.edu/newsarchives/06/
030906news-8.html

Naderi develops software for
walker-friendly landscapes

Texas A&M University's Jody Naderi wants to know why people choose to walk —and she keeps stopping them to find out. Her first stop has been on her home campus, but she thinks the lessons learned there will be applicable in a variety of scenarios.

The landscape architecture professor has interviewed 150 campus pedestrians so far, and she and computer science graduate student Baranidharan Raman have used what they learned to write software to design walker-friendly landscapes.

Read complete story:
http://communications.tamu.edu/newsarchives/06/
030206news-8.html

College of Architecture workshop takes aim at rising energy bills

A one-day workshop created to help private companies, government and nonprofit organizations save money in Texas’ increasingly volatile energy market will be held March 24 at Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture.

Titled “Cutting Energy Bills in Texas: How to Develop an Energy Risk Management Strategy,” the course will be held in the Langford Architecture Center Auditorium on the Texas A&M campus. Registration costs $190 prior to March 14 or $210 thereafter. The fee covers the workshop as well as a continental breakfast, lunch and a reception after the event. Additional details and registration are available online at http://archone.tamu.edu/conted/.

The energy workshop is designed for building owners, managers and others responsible for electric and natural gas budgets in commercial, industrial, government and institutional buildings. It is also appropriate for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of recent changes in Texas energy markets and ways modern risk management principles can be applied to reduce energy costs and risks associated with today’s energy markets.

Read more:
http://our-news.tamu.edu/newsmanager/
templates/?a=1933&z=15

Administrative Notes

Student Research Week needs judges

This year's Student Research Week will feature poster and oral presentations by over 500 Texas A&M students. The event is slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 28th and 29th.

Faculty are needed to assist with the judging of student entries.

For more details, visit:
http://srw.tamu.edu/

Tickets available for Ian Tizard lecture

The Dean’s office has tickets available to the University Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday, March 28, 2006, with Ian Tizard, Ph.D. “I Feel Sick”-The Biological Consequences of Sickness Behavior. If you would like tickets please contact Dawn Trog.

Centennial gala sign-up deadlines Friday

The college of Architecture wraps up its yearlong 100th anniversary celebration with a gala event at the Miramont Country Club. The Centennial Celebration finale begins at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour followed by the banquet. The cost to faculty and staff is $50 per person and the dress code is business formal. Registration deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, March 24. For more information, contact Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or t-pannell@tamu.edu.

This Week's Calendar

Friday March 24

"The Making of Narnia"— Gavin McMillan, a visualization sciences student and employee of Rhythm & Hues Studios, will offer perspectives of the digital animation effects in the feature film, "The Chronicles of Narnia," 3-5 p.m. in Langford C105. McMillan will offer personal insight into his "life after the Viz Lab" and his employment with Rhythm & Hues animation studio. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at the Viz Lab, 979-845-3465, or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Energy Bill Workshop: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. In the Preston M. Geren Auditorium Jerry Jackson will lead a workshop on “Cutting Energy Bills in Texas with New Electricity Pricing.” For more information, contact Dolores Gonzales at 458-0102 or dgonzales@archone.tamu.edu. Or visit the Web site http://archone.tamu.edu/conted/.

Economics of Risk Lecture: Douglass Shaw, a specialist in environmental and natural resources, applied microeconomics, and urban and regional economics and professor in Texas A&M’s Department of Agricultural Economics, will lecture on “Economic Benefits Estimation from Risk Reductions: Arsenic and Other Natural Hazards,” 10 a.m. March 24th in Langford C 205. The lecture is presented by the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center at the Texas A&M University College of Architecture. Learn more about Shaw and his research at http://agecon2.tamu.edu/people/faculty/shaw-douglass/

The 7th Annual Historic Preservation Symposium demonstrations: 8:30 a.m. - 4:50 p.m. at the College of Architecture’s “Architecture Ranch” facility at Texas A&M’s Riverside Campus, the 7th Annual Historic Preservation Symposium will feature craft demonstrations, such as timber framing & ornamental metal work and offer a tour of a 17th century ship. For more information, contact Bob Warden at 845-7061 or r-warden@tamu.edu.

Legacy Society Tour: 9 a.m. - noon at the Langford A Gallery, the Texas A&M Foundation Legacy Society members will hear Michael Lindell talk about research activities at the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center. The Legacy Society recognizes individuals, corporations and foundations whose cumulative current giving to Texas A&M University totals $100,000 or more, and also individuals who plan to make future gifts through their estates. For more information about this special HRRC presentation to the Legacy Society, contact Trish Pannell at 458-0400 or t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center Staff Meets 10 a.m. - noon in Langford B 209 to discuss HRRC research initiatives, make assignments, and provide a forum for staff and student presentations. For more information, contact Carla Prater at 862-3970 or carla@archone.tamu.edu.

COSC Interviews Sally Morgan 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. In the Langford Gallery. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

VIZA Admissions Committee meets 2 - 4 p.m. In Langford C 429 to review admission applications for fall 2006. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 5-3465 or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Saturday - March 25

7th Annual Center for Heritage Preservation Symposium 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium the Center for Heritage Conservation’s 7th Annual Historic Preservation Symposium, “Preparation for Preservation Practice: A Comprehensive Perspective,” features guest presentations. For more information, contact David Woodcock at 845-7850 or woodcock@archone.tamu.edu or visit the Web site at http://archone.tamu.edu/hril/symposium2006.htm

Veena Concert: An evening of Indian classical music sponsored by the TAMU chapter of the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPICMACAY) is slated for 5 - 10 p.m., Saturday, March 25 in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium and the Langford B Exhibit Hall. Admission is free. The concert will feature Shreevidhya Chandramouli on the veena – an Indian stringed instrument, with four main and three auxiliary strings on a lute-like body. Also scheduled, in the Exhibit Hall, are performances on flute, violin and mridangam – a barrel-shaped double-headed drum with one head larger than the other. For more information, contact Nethra Subramanya at 979-204-3024 or nethra@tamu.edu or visit http://spicmacay.tamu.edu

5th Annual Faculty Performing Arts Showcase at Texas A&M University will be held on Saturday, March 25th at 7:30 pm in Rudder Auditorium. The Showcase is free to all. The Faculty Performing Arts Showcase includes a multitude of faculty members performing pieces ranging from modern dance, flute and piano pieces, electronically composed modern music arrangements, poetry, and animation film works.   Participating faculty members are from many departments throughout campus, including Music, Performing Arts, Health & Kinesiology, Architecture and Engineering.  In addition, the dance and film works showcase faculty-choreographed and composed works, with undergraduate and graduate students from dance and architecture.

Monday - March 27

COSC Interview with Jochen Teizer: 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. in the Langford Gallery. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu. What position is Teizer applying for?

Tuesday - March 28

College of Architecture Executive Committee Meets 9 - 11 a.m. in Langford A 217. For more information, contact Sue Wade at 845-1223 or swade@archone@tamu.edu.

ENDS 231 Egg Container Design Drop: 2 - 4 p.m. in the Langford A Atrium, ENDS 231 students will test egg container designs by dropping them from the third to the first floor. For more information, contact Anne Nichols at 845-6540 or anichols@tamu.edu.

CARC 481 Student Portfolio Review: 5 - 9 p.m. in the Langford B Exhibit Hall, the portfolios of students enrolled in the CARC 481 seminar will be reviewed by professors as part of their application to gain entrance to upper level studies and semester away venues. Though admittance to upper level is based on GPA in two categories, the portfolio competition allows for the recognition of student excellence. The top ten students receive certificates and up to four students may receive a book award at the departmental scholarship banquet in April. For more information, contact Dick Davison at 845-6581 for dgonzales@archone.tamu.edu.

Study Abroad Orientation -- Italy & Spain: 6 - 8 p.m. in Langford C 111 and C 208 an orientation class will be held for students who are planning to study abroad in Spain and Italy. For more information, contact Dolores Gonzales at 458-0102 or dgonzales@archone.tamu.edu.

Aggie Computer Graphics student group meets 7 - 9 p.m. in Langford C 414 to discuss work and events associated with computer media. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Wednesday - March 29

The Committee to Form a Department of Visualization meets 8 - 9 a.m. every Wednesday in Langford B 209 to discuss procedures and create proposals for creating a new department. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 845-3465 or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

American Institute of Architects-Students (AIAS) General Meeting: 6:30 – 8 p.m. in Preston M. Geren Auditorium. For more information, contact Christine Liu at 512-297-4749 or christine.liu@tamu.edu.

SPRING 2006: CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:

Thursday - March 30

PIXAR Demo Reel & Resume Review: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. representatives from PIXAR Animation Studios will review MS VIZA demo reels and resumes in Langford C 429. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas/845-3465/marge@viz.tamu.edu.

PIXAR Presentation: 7 - 10 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium in Langford B representatives from PIXAR Animation Studios will present offer students a behind the scenes look at feature animations. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 845-3465 or marge@tamu.edu.

March 30 - April 1

AIAS Film & Architecture Series triple feature: The Texas A&M University AIAS chapter's Spring 2006 Film & Architecture Series will observe the College of Architecture's upcoming centennial celebration weekend with a triple-feature including "The Fountainhead," with Gary Cooper, and both the classic and anime versions of "Metropolis." All three films are scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium, but if the weather permits, organizers will screen the movies in the Langford courtyard.

Here's the AIAS film series line-up:

March 30 - "Metropolis" (the anime version), is a deliriously dense, retro-futurist visual feast. This animated thriller is not a remake of Fritz Lang's futuristic silent classic, but the title fits.

March 31 - "The Fountainhead": a 1949 film based on Ayn Rand novel. Individualistic and idealistic architect Howard Roark (Gary Cooper) is expelled from college because his designs fail to fit with existing architectural thinking. He seems unemployable but finally lands a job with like-minded Henry Cameron, however within a few years Cameron drinks himself to death, warning Roark that the same fate awaits unless he compromises his ideals. Roark is determined to retain his artistic integrity at all costs.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041386/

April 1 - “Metropolis:” Fritz Lang's 1927: Surreal, sprawling, and operatic, drawing on biblical and medieval Christian imagery as well as H. G. Wells' "The Time Machine," Fritz Lang's deeply influential pulp allegory "Metropolis" colonized a new realm of the imagination that has shaped subsequent science fiction from "Flash Gordon" to Star Wars, from "The Jetsons" to "Blade Runner." It is the future, and humans are divided into two groups: the thinkers, who make plans, but don't know how anything works, and the workers, who achieve goals, but don't have the vision.

The date for the final movie of the AIAS's Film and Architecture Series, "The Passion of de Jeannne d'Arc," has not yet been set. Some critics have called the 1928 work by Carl Theodor Dreyer the best silent film ever made.

Friday - March 31

PIXAR Demo Reel & Resume Review: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. representatives from PIXAR Animation Studios will review MS VIZA demo reels and resumes in Langford C 429. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas/845-3465/marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Centennial Celebration Gala: The college of Architecture wraps up its yearlong 100th anniversary celebration with a gala event at the Miramont Country Club. The Centennial Celebration finale begins at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour followed by the banquet. The cost to faculty and staff is $50 per person and the dress code is business formal. For more information, contact Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Classical Indian music concert: An evening of Indian classical music sponsored by the TAMU chapter of the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPICMACAY) is slated for 4 - 9 p.m., Friday, March 31 in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium and the Langford B Exhibit Hall. Admission is free. The concert will feature Shashank Subramaniam ( http://www.shashank.org/shashank.html) and group playing bamboo flute, violin and mridangam -- a barrel-shaped double-headed drum with one head larger than the other. Also on Friday’s venue are sarode artist Shankar Bhattacharya, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and vocalist Mysore Mohan, who is on the chemistry department faculty. Both are faculty advisors for SPICMACAY. Bhattacharya is an expert on the sarode, a traditional Indian string instrument. He plays Hindustani classical music. Mohan, a vocalist, sings ragas based on the Carnatik style of Indian classical music.

Saturday - April 1

Former Student Centennial Open House, begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 1 with registration and coffee in the Langford B Exhibit Hall. The program, begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium. A barbecue lunch will be top off the event in the Langford A Atrium. There is no cost to faculty and staff who attend, but other guests will pay $15/person to cover catering costs. For information, contact Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Friday - April 7

Dollhouse Big Build Day: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the Langford A Atrium construction science student will be erecting dollhouses that will later be sold as part of a fund-raising activity. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood/845-0289/aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

"Into the New Millennium - FosterWerk 1980-2005," a special College of Architecture Centennial Lecture featuring Graham Phillips, chief design partner with Foster and Partners Architects, London. The event is set for 4 – 6 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium.

Tau Sigma Delta induction banquet is slated for 6:30 p.m. at the Alumni Center. Tau Sigma Delta is an honor society for architecture and the applied arts. The organization’s Web site can be found at http://stuact.tamu.edu/stuorgs/tsd/default.html. For more information on the April 7 event, contact Jennifer Bettiol at 979-450-2863 or jbettiol@neo.tamu.edu.

Saturday - April 8

Parent's Weekend Open House: The annual university-wide open house for undergraduate students and their families. For more information contact Michael White at 845-1285 or mwhite@archmail.tamu.edu.

Big Build Day dollhouse sale: continues 9 a.m. - noon in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

Tuesday - April 11

Staff Luncheon: noon - 1 p.m. in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Mashalle Mooring at mmooring@archone.tamu.edu.

Wednesday - April 12

Ph.D. lighting project: Jill Mulholland will set up her five case studies for review as part of her Ph.D. project which is being funded by a $20,000 Nuckolls Fund Grant. The projects will be installed in the Langford Gallery, the atrium and at the Architecture Ranch. On April 12 and 13 the work will be evaluated by lighting experts Charles Linn, Marietta Millet and Dick Peters. Three of the case studies will be presented in the gallery in video format running on continuous five-minute loops. Another will be installed at the Architecture Ranch and can be view from a car. For more information, contact Jill Mulholland at 779-7373 or jill.mulholland@gmail.com.

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Lecture Series: 5 - 7 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium. For more information, contact June Withers at 845-1046 or jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

Construction Science Scholarship & Awards Ceremony is 5 - 11:30 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

Thursday - April 13

MUP Professional Advisory Council meets 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Langford A Gallery. For more information, contact Clarissa Garcia at 845-1019 or cgarcia@archmail.tamu.edu.

Light show: Jill Mulholland’s lighting class will showcase their semester’s work in a light show installed throughout the Langford Architecture Center. The show begins at sundown and runs through midnight. Lighting experts Marietta Millet and Dick Peters will review the student work. For more information, contact Jill Mulholland at 779-7373 or jill.mulholland@gmail.com.

Department of Architecture Scholarship Awards Banquet & Ceremony is set for 6 - 10 p.m. at the Pebble Creek Country Club. The event is still being planned, but there will be a fee to attend and reservations will be required. Inside Track will update the relevant information when it is available. In the meantime, direct your queries to Melinda Randle 847-8918 or mrandle@archone.tamu.edu.

Wednesday - April 19

"Texas Chapels in the Landscape of Light" with Dr. Nora Laos from the College of Architecture at the University of Houston. Laos holds a Ph.D. in architecture and a M.F.A. from Princeton University; a M.Arch and B.S. in architectural studies from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. The lecture will be held 5 – 7 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium.

Annual Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Awards Banquet: 6 - 10 p.m. at the Briarcrest Country Club. The planning for the event is under way, invitations will be mailed closer to the banquet date. For more information, contact Clarissa Garcia at 845-1019 or cgarcia@archmail.tamu.edu.

Friday & Saturday – May 5 & 6

TEX-GRAPH 2006: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium and Langford B Exhibit Hall. Graphics researchers and educators from Texas gather for this mini-symposium to present current work based on computer graphics and interactive techniques. The planning for the event is under way. More details will be forthcoming. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 845-3465 or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Saturday - May 6

LAUP Department Picnic for faculty, staff and students and their families. The location and time of this event has not yet been established. For more details or suggestions, contact June Withers at 845-1046 or jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

Thursday - May 11

COSC Graduation Reception: 1 - 8 p.m. in Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

Tuesday - May 30

Secret Pal Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Langford B Exhibit Hall exclusively for Secret Pal participants. For more information, contact Susie Billings at 847-9357 or sBillings@archmail.edu.

Visiting artist Wenda Gu lectures last Monday at the Preston Geren Auditorium. See related story at top of page.