Feature Stories

War on Terrorism Memorial Contest begins today with 5:30 p.m. meeting

Members of the Texas A&M University classes of 1968 and 2003 are teaming up with current College of Architecture students to design and construct a memorial dedicated to Aggies who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the nation’s ongoing war on terrorism. The structure, planners say, will also gratefully acknowledge the many Texas A&M former students who guard and protect the United States, while also acknowledging the national response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. soil.

The memorial’s design will be chosen in a juried design competition open exclusively to students currently enrolled in College of Architecture degree programs. An organizational meeting to kick off the competition is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12 in the Preston Geren Auditorium in Langford Building B on the Texas A&M campus.

The first stage of the two-stage competition culminates with participants submitting ideas and “design attitudes” for the proposed memorial, rather than a final design. Three finalists will be chosen by the jury to advance to the second stage, in which they will form teams to fully develop their concept in the context of the site and the location. The teams will make public presentations and the jury will chose a winner.

Competition organizers envision the memorial design competition as a vital component of the College of Architecture’s design culture, transcending the classroom and design studio experience, said Taeg Nishimoto, the architecture professor who is spearheading the college’s participation in the competition.

Additional details on the War on Terrorism Memorial Competition will covered in Tuesday’s meeting.

Artist in Residence Paolo Piscitelli
lecture, performance scheduled

Visiting artist Paolo Piscitelli will lecture on “nonobjective sculpture” 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 13 in the Texas A&M University College of Architecture’s Preston Geren Auditorium, located in Building B of the Langford Architecture Center on the Texas A&M campus.

Piscitelli is the Fall 2006 Artist in Residence at the college. His visit is supported by the College of Architecture Artist in Residence Program in cooperation with the College of Liberal Arts and the Visualization Laboratory.

For the full story:
http://archone.tamu.edu/archcom/
InsideTrack/full_9-12-06_Paolo.htm

Noted architectural theorist lectures
6 p.m. Sept. 18 in Geren Auditorium

One of the world's most provocative writers on architecture, Nikos Salingaros, professor of mathematics, urbanist and architectural theorist from the University of Texas at San Antonio, will lecture 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18 in the Preston Geren Auditorium, located in the Texas A&M College of Architecture’s Langford Building B.

Salingaros will offer lecture goers an alternative perspective on evidenced-based design.

Salingaros is know for his unique theoretical insights combining the relationship between mathematics, science, and architecture. His work is seen by many as forging a crucial scientific underpinning for innovative ideas of a new humanistic architecture married to the timeless content of traditional architectures.

For the full story:
http://archone.tamu.edu/archcom/
InsideTrack/full_9-12-06_Salingeros.htm

The Avatar+PTL exhibit in the Italian Pavilion at the 10th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale includes a futuristic model of Venice, complete with a patch of bamboo forest.

Lang builds bamboo forest
at 2006 Venice Biennale

Peter Lang, assistant professor of architecture at Texas A&M’s Santa Chiara Study Center in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy is participating in an installation at the 10th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy, Sept. 10 – Nov. 19.

His group, Avatar+PTL is working with Maurizio Cardenas, an architect with Arup Italia, and Yona Friedman, who is producing a video interview for their exhibit in the Italian Pavilion. The group has built a large-scale futuristic model of Venice. Lang is focusing on a “a fully integrated market environment in a bamboo forest.”

Lang’s bamboo forest exhibit, additional information and a live webcam from the Italian Pavilion can be accessed from http://www.padiglioneitaliano.org/

Architecture-for-health luminaries
featured at Wednesday lectures

A semester-long architecture-for-health lecture series, featuring luminaries in the field of health facility design and planning, is currently under way at the Texas A&M College of Architecture.

The public lectures, sponsored by the college’s Center for Health Systems & Design and related affiliates, are held 2 - 3 p.m. Wednesdays, on the 4th Floor Central Studio in the Langford Architecture Center Building A on the Texas A&M campus.

The remaining lectures include:

• Sept. 13 — “Creating an Inspiring Architectural Workplace,” with Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, CEO of HKS, Inc.;
• Sept. 20 — To be announced;
• Sept. 27 — “Architecture with People in Mind,” with Anthony Haas, AIA, WHR Architects;
• Oct. 4 — “Hospital Design-Practical Results of the Newly Designed Hospital Ship: Africa Mercy,” with Don Stephens, principal, Mercy Ships;
• Oct. 11 — “Roadmap to the Future: A Planning Process that Links Strategy, Operations and Capital Asset Planning,” with Kevin Schlaht, The INNOVA Group;
• Oct. 18 — “Applying Research to Long Term Care Design,” with Susan Rodiek, Ph.D., NCARB, associate director of the Center for Health Systems & Design at Texas A&M University;
• Oct. 25 — “The 2020 Hospital,” with Scott Latimer, AIA, with Kurt Salmon Associates;
• Nov. 1 — Jean Mah, AIA, of Perkins & Will – Los Angeles;
• Nov. 8 — Merle Bachman, Hank Adams and Ted Sutherland of HDR
• Nov. 15 — “Master Planning of Large Hospital
  Campuses,” with Terri Oelrich, RN, of NBBJ

The lectures are sponsored by the Center for Health Systems & Design’s Health Industry Advisory Council, the College of Architecture and Texas A&M University. Speakers and topics are subject to change.

College of Architecture continues
online partnership with Autodesk

The Student Design Community sponsored by Autodesk® is a free website for design students in the fields of architecture, construction, civil engineering and mechanical engineering. Design students and faculty can download free one-year software licenses, find jobs, discuss projects, share work, learn from the experts, and make new friends. The website is a vehicle for students to collaborate with other students on their campus as well as other universities around the world.

Free downloads for Texas A&M design students include Autodesk Inventor Professional, Autodesk Revit Building, Autodesk Civil 3D, Autodesk VIZ and Autodesk Raster Design.

Autodesk Revit Building is ideal for architecture and construction engineering students who need building information modeling. Autodesk Civil 3D software is a powerful civil engineering application that uses a dynamic engineering model to help accelerate projects and maximize accuracy. Autodesk Inventor software is one of the hottest 2D and 3D mechanical and manufacturing design application available to design students.

Last Friday at the Architecture Ranch, students began assembling the College of Architecture's entry in the DOE's 2007 Solar Decathlon.

Magazine eyes “Home on the Range for Aggie Architecture School”

The August issue of Building Design and Construction magazine included an article, "Home on the Range for Aggie Architecture School, which offered an overview of the College of Architecture's new Built Environment Teaching and Research Facility, or Architecture Ranch.
The article is available online at:

http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/
CA6361813.html?text=architecture+ranch

Administrative Notes

Faculty research symposium
submissions due MONDAY!

September 18 is the deadline for submitting materials for the College of Architecture’s Oct. 30 faculty research symposium, “Research on the Built and Virtual Environments: Global Symposia Presentations 2006.”

Three items are requested from each participating faculty member. Presentation abstracts, print-quality graphics illustrating the topic, and a list of each faculty member's invited presentations and published papers since June 1, 2005 should be submitted to Kathy Waskom at k-waskom@tamu.edu.

A list of presentations and published papers should be submitted by all faculty members, even those who are not presenting at the Oct. 30 event. Also, faculty new to the college are encouraged to participate.

Submissions may also be placed in the “Global Symposium 2006” folder located on the CARC-SHARED (or “S”) drive on the college’s server. This is especially useful for large graphic files. Those uploading their submissions to the server should follow-up with an e-mail notifying Kathy that the submissions have been submitted.

The abstracts, artwork and list of current research are used to create a publication that serves as a the symposium program and, more importantly, is utilized throughout the year to showcase faculty research initiatives.

The daylong research symposium is slated for October 30.

Calendar Highlights:

September 12

CIAC members interview COSC job seekers: Construction Industry Advisory Council (CIAC) companies will hold job interviews with construction science students 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Kyle Field (2nd floor skyboxes on West side) and the Career Center (209 Koldus). Student may sign-up for the interviews during the Sept. 11 Department of Construction Science Career Fair in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood, 845-0289  aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu

September 15

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning monthly faculty meeting: from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Langford C207. For more information, please contact June Withers, 845-1019 or e-mail jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

September 16

Aggie Football: A&M vs. Army (AT&T Corps Classic) at San Antonio

September 19

COSC Career Fair: Construction companies vie the attention of Texas A&M construction science students at the second of two Construction Science Career Fairs to be held this fall in the Langford A atrium. Students attending the 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. event will have an opportunity to sign-up for interviews with participating companies on the following day. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood, 845-0289  aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu

National Association of Home Builders Student Chapter meeting & dinner: 6:30 - 10 p.m. in Langford B Exhibit Hall and Geren Auditorium. For more information, contact Joe Horlen at 845-0289 for e-mail Ann Eastwood at aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

September 20

Companies interview COSC job seekers – Construction companies will hold job interviews with construction science students 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Kyle Field (2nd floor skyboxes on West side) and the Career Center (209 Koldus). Student may sign-up for the interviews during the Sept. 19 Department of Construction Science Career Fair in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood, 845-0289  aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu

Department of Architecture lecture: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the Geren Auditorium. Details to be announced. For more information, contact Malcolm Quantrill at 845-7878 or e-mail casa@archone.tamu.edu.

September 22

Dept. of Architecture faculty meeting: 11 a.m. - noon in the Langford Gallery.

September 23

Aggie football: A&M vs. Louisiana Tech

September 25

Faculty Recognition Banquet: The College of Architecture's annual presentation of special awards and recognitions to outstanding faculty is set for 6:30 - 10 p.m. at the Presidential Conference Center. For more information, contact Trish Pannell at 458-0400 or e-mail t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Memorial Competition 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., Langford B 102. For more information, please contact Taeg Nishimoto, 845-8283 tnishimoto@archmail.tamu.edu.

September 28

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Student Advisory Council meeting & lunch: with department head at noon in Langford A321. For more information, contact June Withers, 845-1019 or e-mail jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

September 30

Aggie Football: A&M vs. Texas Tech

October 4

National Association of Home Builders Student Chapter meeting & dinner: 6:30 - 10 p.m. in Langford B Exhibit Hall and Geren Auditorium. For more information, contact Joe Horlen at 845-0289 or e-mail Ann Eastwood at aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

October 6-7

Disaster Recovery & Redevelopment: Interdisciplinary Student Research Symposium — This two-day student-led event will explore relevant new research in rapidly developing field of disaster recovery and redevelopment. Abstracts will be accepted through July 30 in the following thematic areas: the natural and built environments; social and economic vulnerability; public policy; resource management; design and (re)development; physical planning; and other related topics. Complete papers are due by Sept. 30. The symposium and a student-managed online peer-reviewed journal will be structured around the thematic areas list above. The journal will publish the symposium's most exemplary papers. Symposium speakers include: Dr. Shirley Laska, director of the Center for Hazard Assessment and Response and Technology at the University of New Orleans; Ty Symroski, director of growth management for Monroe County, Florida; and Dr. Walter Gillis Peacock, director of the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center at Texas A&M University. Registration is $30. More details and online registration are available on the College of Architecture's Office of Continuing Education Web site: http://archone.tamu.edu/conted/ or by contacting Dolores Gonzales at 458-0102 or e-mail dgonzales@archone.tamu.edu.

October 7

Aggie Football: A&M at Kansas

October 7 - 8

Building inspection workshop: The Department of Construction will holding its fall Building Inspection Workshop 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. in Langford C 105. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or e-mail aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

October 11

Department of Architecture lecture: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the Geren Auditorium. Details to be announced. For more information, contact Malcolm Quantrill at 845-7878 or e-mail casa@archone.tamu.edu.

October 13

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning monthly faculty meeting: from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Langford C207. For more information, please contact June Withers, 845-1019 or e-mail jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

October 14

Aggie Football: A&M vs. Missouri

October 20

Dept. of Architecture faculty meeting: 11 a.m. - noon in the Langford Gallery.

October 21

Aggie Football: A&M at Oklahoma State

October 25

Department of Architecture lecture: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the Geren Auditorium. Details to be announced. For more information, contact Malcolm Quantrill at 845-7878 or e-mail casa@archone.tamu.edu.ill at 845-7878 or e-mail casa@archone.tamu.edu.

October 26

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Student Advisory Council meeting & lunch: with department head at noon in Langford A321. For more information, contact June Withers, 845-1019 or e-mail jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

October 27 & November 3

LAUP Professional Advisory Board meets in the Langford Gallery.For more information, contact Robin See at 8-4307 or e-mail robin-see@tamu.edu.

October 28

Aggie Football: A&M at Baylor

October 30

8th annual faculty research symposium: The College of Architecture's eighth annual daylong faculty research symposium, "Research on the Built and Virtual Environments: Global Symposia Presentations," is slated for Monday, Oct. 30. Abstracts, supporting print-quality graphics and a list of each faculty member's invited presentations and published papers since June 1, 2005 are due by Sept. 18 to Kathy Waskom at k-waskom@tamu.edu. The presentations and publish paper lists should be submitted by all faculty members, even those who are not presenting at the Oct. 30 event.

November 1

National Association of Home Builders Student Chapter meeting & dinner: 6:30 - 10 p.m. in Langford B Exhibit Hall and Geren Auditorium. For more information, contact Joe Horlen at 845-0289 or e-mail Ann Eastwood at aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

November 3

CPC/AIC Exam: The Department of Construction will give the Certified Professional Constructors/American Institute of Constructors required exam to all graduating seniors 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. in Rudder Rm. 601. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or e-mail aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

LAUP Professional Advisory Board meets 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Langford A Gallery. For more information, contact Robin See at 458-4307 or e-mail robin-see@tamu.edu.

November 4

Aggie Football: A&M vs. Oklahoma

November 8

Department of Architecture lecture: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the Geren Auditorium. Details to be announced. For more information, contact Malcolm Quantrill at 845-7878 or e-mail casa@archone.tamu.edu.

November 9

Facility Management Industry Advisory Council Fall Meeting 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Annual fall meeting of the FMIAC. Progress during the past year will be reviewed and plans for the upcoming year developed. Faculty, students and industry representatives are invited to this meeting. Will be held in MSC, Room 292. For more information, please contact Susie Billings, 847-9357 or e-mail sbillings@archone.tamu.edu.

November 10

Outstanding Alumni Award Banquet: The College of Architecture will honor the 2006 recipients of the Outstanding Alumni Award 6:30 - 10 p.m. at Miramont Country Club. For more information, contact Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or e-mail t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Dean's Advisory Council fall meeting: The meeting will be held 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. in Langford A 217 Conference Room. For more information, contact Trish Pannell at 458-0400 or e-mail t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Fifth annual Health Industry Advisory Council meeting: The daylong HIAC meeting features lectures and member networking with faculty fellows from the College of Architecture's Center for Health Systems & Design. Dr. John Zeisel, president and co-founder of Hearthstone Alzheimer Care, Ltd. will present the keynote address. He will also be available to sign copies of his classic text, "Inquiry by Design," which is hot off the press. For more information, contact Judy Pruitt at 845-7009 or e-mail jpruitt@archmail.tamu.edu.

November 11

Former student open house: The College of Architecture's annual Former Student Open House is set for 8 a.m. - noon on Saturday, Nov. 11. For more information, contact Trish Pannell at 458-0400 or e-mail t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Aggie Football: A&M vs. Nebraska

November 15

Department of Architecture lecture: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the Geren Auditorium. Details to be announced. For more information, contact Malcolm Quantrill at 845-7878 or e-mail casa@archone.tamu.edu.

November 17

Construction Industry Advisory Council meets 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. in 601 Rudder Tower. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood, 845-0289 e-mail aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning monthly faculty meeting: from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Langford C207. For more information, please contact June Withers, 845-1019 or e-mail jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.


Dept. of Architecture faculty meeting: 11 a.m. - noon in the Langford Gallery.

November 29

Visiting artist lecture: Internationally acclaimed artist Ann Hamilton will discuss her work at 4 p.m. November 29 in the Preston Geren Auditorium. A reception will follow in the Langford B exhibit hall. The lecture is supported by the Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts and the College of Architecture.

Hamilton studied textile design at the University of Kansas, and later received an MFA from Yale University. Though her degree is in sculpture, textiles and fabric have continued to be an important part of her work, which includes installations, photographs, videos, performances, and objects. Samples of Hamilton’s work can be viewed online at:
http://www-viz.tamu.edu/faculty/lurleen/
air/ah/ah_index.html

Also, Hamilton was featured in the PBS series, “Art in the 21st Century.” Segments of that show can be viewed online at
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/hamilton/index.html

National Association of Home Builders Student Chapter meeting & dinner: 6:30 - 10 p.m. in Langford B Exhibit Hall and Geren Auditorium. For more information, contact Joe Horlen at 845-0289 or e-mail Ann Eastwood at aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

November 30

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Student Advisory Council meeting & lunch: with department head at noon in Langford A321. For more information, contact June Withers, 845-1019 or e-mail jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

December 8

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning monthly faculty meeting: from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Langford C207. For more information, please contact June Withers, 845-1019 or e-mail jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

December 18

Dept. of Architecture faculty meeting: 11 a.m. - noon in the Langford Gallery.

February 9

Rowlett Lecture 2007 12 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Annual lecture to be held in the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center For more information, please contact Susie Billings, 847-9357 or e-mail sbillings@archone.tamu.edu.

February 15 - 16

LAUP Career Fair: The The Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning will hold their student career fair in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, please contact Robin See at 458-4307 or e-mail rsee@archmail.tamu.edu.

March 30-31 and April 2-3

First international sustainable urbanism conference: The topic: Redefining Sustainability in Urban Regions. Conference will be held in the MSC, specific location and times will be forthcoming. For more information, contact Dolores Gonzales, 458-0102, or e-mail dgonzales@archone.tamu.edu

Enhancing Langford

Former student Shannon Rankin (above, center and below) of SKB Architects in Seattle, led College of Architecture students and faculty from all three departments in a two-day charrette last Friday and Saturday, exploring solutions for enhancing the Langford Architecture Center environment. Rankin is a member of the Dean's Advisory Council.