Renee Cheng, Professor and Department Head: Renee Cheng will be one of the featured speakers for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) national conference on Lean Construction in San Antonio Texas. Speakers are industry leaders in integrated project delivery and lean principles.

Marc Swackhamer, Associate Professor: Professor Swackhamer’s practice, HouMinn, collaborated over the summer with the architects VJAA and artist Diane Willow to submit a “Request for Qualifications” to redesign the Mississippi River Bridge Plaza on the University of Minnesota campus. Their team was shortlisted and submitted a scheme for the competition on September 1. An exhibition of all four short-listed teams’ entries will be on display at the Weisman Art Museum’s grand re-opening on October 2, 2011. Teams will present their work to a jury on October 26, when a winner will be decided.  Professor Swackhamer also co-authored an essay with his HouMinn partner, Blair Satterfield titled “Built to Change: A Case for Disintegration and Obsolescence.” This essay appears in the newly published book “Matter: Material Processes in Architectural Production,” edited by Gail Peter Borden and Michael Meredith. Finally, Professor Swackhamer was appointed to a two-year term as Director of Design for the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota.

Lance LaVine, Professor: Lance LaVine received an International Travel Grant from the University of Minnesota for the work on his upcoming book that will compare 25 influential architectural texts with the design ethics manifested in 25 significant modern buildings.  The texts inlcude LeCorbusier’s seminal work “Towards a New Architecture” and others written after that period.  The buildings include LeCorbusier’s important buildings such as Villa Savoye and iconic buildings designed by others after that time. 

Robert Mack, Adjunct Professor: AIA Minnesota has recognized the firm MacDonald and Mack Architects, Ltd. with its 2011 Firm Award. Given biennially, this prestigious award is presented to firms that have contributed to the advancement of the profession in the areas of technology, service and design. MacDonald & Mack Architects has been described as “The gold standard for preservation architecture.” Stuart MacDonald and Bob Mack, Adjunct Professor in the School of Architecture  began their practice 35 years ago with unbridled energy, enthusiasm, and deep respect for treasured landmark structures.

Adam Marcus, Cass Gilbert Design Fellow: Adam Marcus has been appointed the Cass Gilbert Design Fellow for the 2011-2012 academic year. Adam comes to Minneapolis from New York City, where he practiced with Marble Fairbanks since 2005 and taught at the Department of Architecture at Barnard and Columbia Colleges. At UMN he is teaching undergraduate and graduate design studios, and he is organizing a symposium to be held in the spring semester that will focus on the role of digital technologies in design education.