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NewSchool of Architecture & Design

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NewSchool of Architecture & Design Welcomes Renowned Architects Steven Holl, Juhani Pallasmaa and Sergei Gepshtein  as Guest Lecturers in Neuroscience for Architecture

 Special four-day executive course focusing on exploring the juncture of brain and the built environment 

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – August 14, 2017 – NewSchool of Architecture & Design (NewSchool) is excited to welcome world-renowned architects and visionary leaders as guest lecturers at its new, innovative Neuroscience for Architecture Summer Intersession Program. This special four-day executive course, which kicks off today and runs through August 17, 2017, provides American Institute of Architects (AIA) continuing education credits for attendees, but more importantly, examines the juncture of brain and the built environment.

Leaders in the field of neuroscience for architecture will discuss their work as it relates to building bridges between these two fields. Special guest lectures and panel discussions will be held, featuring renowned architect Steven Holl, FAIA and noted Finnish architect/author/critic Juhani Pallasmaa, Hon. FAIA. Joining them will be NewSchool neuroscience faculty members Gil Cooke, FAIA and Tatiana Berger, Assoc. AIA, along with guests Gordon Chong, Ph.D., FAIA and Alison Whitelaw, FAIA. Prominent neuroscientists featured in the program include Fred Gage, Ph.D., Thomas Albright, Ph.D., and Sergei Gepshtein, Ph.D. of the Salk Institute, and Eduardo Macagno, Ph.D., Founding Dean of the School of Biological Sciences at UC San Diego.

Special Guest Lectures:

Juhani Pallasmaa is a Finnish architect, professor of architecture, and dean at the Helsinki University of Technology in Finland. Pallasmaa’s approach to architecture and design is rooted in phenomenology, in which he allows the environment to inform his designs. As a leading international figure in contemporary architecture, design, and art culture, he has written and lectured extensively throughout the world on architecture and the visual arts, environmental psychology, and cultural philosophy for more than 40 years.

Steven Holl, who leads an internationally renowned architecture and urban design office with locations in New York City and Beijing, is an American artist and award-winning architect. He is known for his organic design approach in which the site itself generates an “architectural idea,” which he then applies. Holl is recognized for his ability to blend space and light with great contextual sensitivity and to utilize the unique qualities of each site to create a concept-driven design. He was one of the keynote speakers at last fall’s Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture conference.

Sergei Gepshtein is the founding director of the Collaboratory for Adaptive Sensory Technologies at the Salk Institute. With a background in neurobiology, psychology, and vision science, he brings a unique perspective on how visual systems organize information and shape our perception.

The Neuroscience for Architecture Summer Intersession Program will include studio work along with other guest lecturers and studio time. This unique course also features noted neuroscientists describing current research and discussing its implications for design. This course is intended for licensed architects, urban designers, planners, design professionals, healthcare industry professionals, doctoral candidates, and post-graduate students in architecture and related fields. 

For more information on NewSchool of Architecture and Design, please contact Rachael Lighty at rlighty@newschoolarch.edu. 

About NewSchool of Architecture & Design:
Located in San Diego’s design district, NewSchool of Architecture & Design prepares students for career success in design fields through an emphasis on interdisciplinary and global design skills, industry collaborations and real-world projects. Programs include architecture, construction management, product design, media design, design studies, and interior architecture and design. NewSchool is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission. NewSchool’s Bachelor and Master of Architecture programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NewSchool is one of more than 70 institutions in 25 countries that comprise the Laureate International Universities network. Through collaborations with sister  institutions in the Laureate network, including Domus Academy in Milan, Italy, NewSchool students are prepared to work in global and diverse organizations. For more information, visit www.newschoolarch.edu

Struggling With Space: Collection Browsing, Architectural Illustrations, and Remote Storage Decisions

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Lucy Campbell and Barbara Opar, column editors

Column by Janine J. Henri , Architecture, Design, and Digital Services Librarian, UCLA Arts Library (jhenri@library.ucla.edu)

 

 


Many architectural publications are still only published in print. Not everything researchers need is available from architect or firm websites or blogs, and many older architecture titles have lasting research value. Faced with a broad collecting mandate in support of professional and academic degrees, and a library facility that reached capacity many years ago, selecting materials for remote storage has become a part of my weekly routine.  Recurring queries on librarian discussion lists regarding selection of materials for storage is evidence that UCLA is not facing this issue alone.

 

 

Overflow books that cannot be shelved due to lack of stack space. The library has book trucks in aisles and every nook and cranny.

 


Many collection managers select material for remote storage or withdrawal based on circulation activity. However architecture collections are frequently browsed and used on site. Some books may be too heavy to carry to studios, workspaces may be unsecured, and when the library provides free scanning, scans may be all that are desired. Some libraries track in-house use, but this can miss researchers who sit in the stacks, perusing each book on a topic. Besides circulation statistics, how can we select materials for remote storage? My approach has been to consider the relationship between intellectual access, browsing, and expected use.

 

 

A student browses a section of stacks looking for suitable content.

 

 

 

For back issues of journals the decision is easier. The Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals does such a great job of indexing articles down to the project level, with descriptions of specific types of illustrations (plans, site plans, elevations, sections, models, axonometric views, etc.). Volumes can be retrieved from storage the same day or next weekday, depending on when a request is submitted. However book descriptions are less detailed. When a book concerns a single building (or project), we can expect that it is described in our library catalog with the name of the building (or project) as a subject. This subject access, plus the mention of illustrations and plans, is enough for a user to know whether the book is on topic. Users can determine (sight unseen) that these books are worth requesting, and I often select these types of books for remote storage. When a book features several buildings (as in discussions of typologies, materials, fabrication technologies, design methods, etc.), the book’s subject(s) will not necessarily include building names. Our users will be unable to determine which building might be illustrated from the description in the catalog. I am more likely to keep these types of books on site so researchers can browse them to quickly determine relevance. I also tend to keep books with plans that include a scale on site, since researchers frequently seek this information. I also use my knowledge of the curriculum, local research needs, and the ways different books are consulted, in order to decide what to store. For example, books used primarily by historians and theorists who tend to plan out their research and are able to wait a day for a book’s retrieval are better candidates for remote storage than books primarily used by designers who tend to have unanticipated research needs during the design process. At UCLA, which is on the quarter system, a single day delay can derail a project.

 

 

A section of stacks with books about tall buildings. Many patrons search for materials on a specific subject by browsing.

 

 

 

Several years ago when I discussed my storage selection process with a faculty member, he responded by stating he believed that we must keep as many highly illustrated books on campus as possible. One of his important considerations when browsing illustrated materials, is that he is looking for specific views or details. No bibliographic description will help him identify which title includes the one photograph that shows a building from the specific angle he seeks. Over time, through browsing, he has developed his own knowledge of which books have the specific views he needs to make his point (or that one view no one else has published), and he wants to make sure his students are also able to develop that kind of familiarity.  I acknowledge that this way of browsing physical books is lessened somewhat by the growing availability of titles in Google Books, but since Google’s ‘snippet views’ do not necessarily show the needed illustrations, for now, browsing physical books in the stacks is still a core architecture research method.

 

 

 

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

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Corey Saft, former ACSA Board member, professor, and practicing architect noted for sustainable, economical design and construction will give the commencement speech at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Friday, August 4th. 

To read more about Corey and his work, visit here. 

Oklahoma State University

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Professor Randy Seitsinger, FAIA, was named in September 2016 to the position of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology.  In this capacity, Professor Seitsinger works closely with CEAT Dean Paul Tikalsky on matters related to academic outcomes, staffing, scheduling, and accreditation.  Randy’s prior experience as Head of the School of Architecture from 1995-2016 serves him well in understanding the workings of the university and anticipating the needs of units in the College.  As Head and a Professor in the School of Architecture, Randy participated in the summer European Studies program often and as a design studio critic and juror whenever possible, in addition to his administrative duties.  Randy was responsible for securing the Donald W Reynolds Foundation grant that made the renovation and addition to the Architecture Building possible; the project received an AIA Oklahoma Honor Award for its design in 2012.  Because of his longstanding involvement in architectural education and for service to the AIA in Oklahoma, Randy was elevated to FAIA in 2015.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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The College of Architecture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is pleased to announce Associate Professor Timothy Hemsath and architectural doctoral candidate Kaveh Alagheh Bandhosseini have published through Routledge an insightful, research-driven book packed with hundreds of simulated illustrations entitled “Energy Modeling in Architectural Design”.

This ground-breaking book provides the reader with detailed energy-saving, design methods and resources for simulation in architectural design. While there have been other books and journals that have included parametrically-driven building forms for energy simulations in architectural design; they are often limited to a single climate and residential design. This book takes energy-efficient designs to a new level.

“We explored three different offices sizes in three different U.S. climate zones, and we coupled newer lighting metrics with energy simulations which is extremely novel,” stated Hemsath.

Using research proven methods, Hemsath and Bandhosseini detail how to use design elements and the identification of climate opportunities to create energy savings and help reduce the energy footprint of new buildings. From project conception, the authors demonstrate how to utilize important fundamental passive design elements for software-agnostic energy modeling. The book also provides a step by step guide to creating and testing parametric models for a structure that is not only beautiful but high-performance and efficient.

Artfully illustrated with more than 100 color images, this book includes a pattern guide for high-performance buildings. These illustrations are a small representation of the thousands created during their research using the Holland Computing Center.

“Hemsath and Bandhosseini have delivered a timely and informative introduction to building energy modeling. Energy modeling has become an essential tool for modern architects to understand when designing high-performance buildings. This book is richly illustrated and provides vital information that will assist architects in making energy saving design decisions,” commented Jason Glazer, P.E., BEMP; principal engineer at GARD Analytics Inc. and chair of ASHRAE Standard 209.

Leading energy experts concur, “Understanding the energy consequence of architectural design decisions is the foundation for high-performance design. The authors of “Energy Modeling in Architectural Design” provide the framework for all architects to effectively use energy modeling as a design tool,” said Tom Hootman, AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, author of “Net Zero Energy Design”.

A copy of “Energy Modeling in Architectural Design” can also be found on Amazon.com  

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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Bicak Research to Explore Criteria for Makerspaces

University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Architecture is pleased to announce Nathan Bicak, assistant professor of interior design received a Layman Grant Award for his project entitled “A Spatial Taxonomy and Best Practices Criteria for the Interior Design of Makerspaces”. This auspicious project will serve as a foundation phase for future work focused on establishing developmental strategies, design criteria and best practices for makerspaces as an emerging interior space typology.

While making and makerspaces have evolved from a sub-cultural movement to the mainstream at a rapid pace, there has been limited research on best design practices. A makerspace developed with evidence-based practices has greater potential for success and longevity when its stakeholders, community leaders and developers are well informed. It is critically important that an institution or community understand common equipment, space standards and the potential of said spaces in various markets in order to determine appropriate actions and strategic plan development.

This project will involve the collection and examination of equipment resources, creative pursuits, user demographics and social capital in a variety of existing spaces. The target audience for this project will be organizations seeking direction on makerspace implementation in their communities.

Makerspaces were born from the Maker Movement, a “do it yourself” effort started by hobbyist engineers in the 1990s. These facilities offer equipment and studio space to individuals and organizations who might not otherwise be able to afford it. They democratize small scale manufacturing through equipment like 3D printers, laser cutters and Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machines for the purposes of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Layman Grant Award program is supported by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Office of Research and Economic Development, which funds work that enhances a researcher’s ability to obtain external funding to support prominent scholarship. There are two tracks: the Layman Seed Program, which funds new projects by non-tenured junior faculty, and the New Directions Program, which funds tenured faculty who are re-entering research or branching out in new directions. 

From the President

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After a year serving as First VP/President-Elect, I now begin my official term as President of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. I am aware of the honorable platform to which I was elected, as well as the privilege to lead ACSA in its ongoing process of making a profound difference in architectural academia.

I embark on this voyage with the highest sense of responsibility toward the discipline, our constituents, the Board, the Association and our four collateral organizations: AIA, NAAB, NCARB and AIAS. I am grateful for the lessons bestowed by those who served before me and am committed to providing continuity to their achievements as I also introduce an agenda for strengthening our international footprint, reiterating our protagonism and relevance in the future of our cities, ensuring equity and diversity, and demanding a continued presence in the STEM discussion.

Throughout the year, ACSA will host four important academic events: the Fall Conference in Marfa, TX (Crossings Between the Proximate and Remote), the Administrators Conference in Albuquerque, NM (Crossing Boundaries), the Annual Conference in Denver, CO (The Ethical Imperative) and the International Conference in Madrid, Spain.

I look forward to an exciting year and to the opportunity to discuss and debate the future of architectural pedagogy with current and future member schools.

Francisco Javier Rodríguez, AIA, DPACSA
2017-2018 ACSA President

See the list of all 2017-18 ACSA Board Members.

Visualizing the Architectural Research Process: A Collaborative Library Instruction Workshop

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Lucy Campbell and Barbara Opar, column editors
Column by Stephanie Beene, Fine Arts Librarian for Art, Architecture and Planning, University of New Mexico  

I arrived at the University of New Mexico in January 2016 as the Fine Arts Librarian for Art, Architecture & Planning. Within a few months, I was asked to teach a collaborative Research Methods Workshop for Architecture graduate students with Associate Dean and Professor of Architecture, Mark Childs. Throughout 2016-17, Professor Childs and I collaborated on the workshop and spent time assessing and developing it. Some of the experiments from those developments are presented here.

In the workshop, graduate students conduct field and/or archival research; literature reviews; create and compare maps and GIS data; conduct database and journal reviews; and use all four libraries on campus, including the Fine Arts and Design Library. Students create their own path to authority by interrogating the authority of other works and spaces. They assert their expertise as one among experts, by examining artifacts, data, and models, and placing them in conversation with one another.  Professor Childs and I challenge students to create visualizations, or concept maps, of the research resources they encounter, leading to a variety of curatorial, creative, and professional outputs.

We spend significant time framing the research process through Scholarship as Conversation.1 One of the ways we do this is by placing authorities and works in conversation with each other in a nonlinear, creative way. Students create a concept map2 or visualization of their research process, from literature encountered to end design products. By visualizing their research process as an investigation of scholarship, topics become conversations occurring across time, space, and media. I have found that concept mapping lowers the frustration threshold when emphasizing the iterative nature of research. It allows students to understand how and why something enters “seminal” status. Conversely, students are able see when a scholar or architect is unique or isolated in scholarly or professional circles. Taking public housing as an example topic, students quickly see the need to narrow the subject down by geography, city, material, and/or era. Students with this topic can easily discern clusters of discussion points in a concept map, where certain cities or subtopics have been more heavily discussed than others. Scholars, arguments, funding models, designs, models and site analyses begin to emerge as ideas to pursue for their own projects. Meanwhile, keywords, subjects, authorities, and experts begin to recur throughout the visualization, becoming the connective tissue between disparate resources. Some students’ visualizations include imagery, data, or schematics, leading us on a visual quest for additional images based on those already found, using tools like Artstor, or browsing through monograph and periodical collections. Through the iterative nature of research, additional lines of inquiry expand as the visualizations grow organically, allowing for inspiration and comprehension of a topic. By visualizing arguments in terms of conversations that build or collapse, like monuments, students are able to see how scholars mirror the act of construction.

 

  1. The Association of College & Research Libraries “Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education” lays out 6 Frames, or “Threshold Concepts.” One of these is Scholarship as Conversation. It states “Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.”  “Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education,” Association of College & Research Libraries, last modified January 11, 2016, http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework.
  2. Academic OneFile, a Gale Resource, http://blog.gale.com/topic-finder/, allows students to begin their research by visualizing their keywords and phrases through concept mapping, either via wheel or tile format.  The tool will narrow their topic by thesaurus and synonym, while also linking to a range of articles and resources. While students are encouraged to use Artstor and Avery Index for more subject-specific and in-depth research, this is a good starting point for them — not only for broader topics like “public housing” but also to start them thinking about concept mapping and visualization and the ways in which scholars, articles, and ideas intersect with one another.

Life on the Mississippi

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Take the first left traveling north on the Mississippi River past St. Louis and you will hit Three Forks, Montana, the headwaters of the Missouri River, 2,000 miles later. The big Y down the middle of the US map, which encompasses nearly two thirds of the country, is the watershed of the Mississippi River. The red dot, just south of the confluence or the convergence of the Y, marks what former president of the Missouri Historical Museum Robert Archibald called, the geographical determinacy of the location of St. Louis. It seems that St. Louis is where it should be.

As I write a closing statement as president of ACSA, I am happy knowing that ACSA too, is where it should be. However, the beautiful map that describes the many courses of the river over time reminds us that we live in a dynamic relationship between time and place that requires our constant attention. While I will serve one more year as past president, I am confident that with the leadership of Francisco Rodriquez-Suarez, Branko Kolarevic, and Rashida Ng, along with the entire board of directors and executive director Michael Monti and staff, the organization is in good hands.

I had not planned to make a list of this last year’s work, but I can’t resist, knowing that much of what follows has been ongoing for a long time and is a reflection of a point in time for the organization, thanks to the hard work of so many:

  • We began the implementation of a new strategic plan, including an innovative dashboard to track outcomes.
  • We launched a new committee structure, with great enthusiasm from the membership and committee volunteers.
  • We launched a new journal, Technology | Architecture + Design (TAD).
  • We launched ArchCAS, a new online admissions service for member schools.
  • We had a successful election cycle, reflecting the new board structure with a first and second vice president and the consolidation of the secretary and treasurer.
  • We partnered with Equity by Design to produce the most extensive survey to date of gender and equity issues within the profession.
  • We held amazing member discussions about board representation, that led to a national election to change the bylaws and implement the new committee structure, a reorganized regional directors structure, and reduced the size of the board by two.
  • We convened member events in Chile, Hawaii, D.C., Chicago, and Detroit, with upcoming events in Marfa, Albuquerque, Denver, and Madrid, to name a few.
  • We continued discussions with our collateral organizations to help coordinate the arc of architectural education from K-12 through late practice.
  • We also continued to work with the collaterals to help improve the process and lower the cost of accreditation.

A familiar point of discussion among the collaterals has been the value of architecture and its perception. ACSA has remained steadfast in advocating that diversity is directly related to the value and influence of architecture. Of the five collateral organizations, two are directly related to architectural education, ACSA and NAAB. The other three, however, are dependent upon architectural education in a way that has often pitted the academy against the profession. Organizational defensive routines notwithstanding, we need to continue to close this gap in the arc, and I see progress. One reality is that while programs and faculty are committed to preparing graduates for the profession, that is not all that they are committed to. The totality of these commitments is what gives me great optimism for the future of architectural education. Schools are increasingly being driven by three meta themes; research, engagement, and experimentation. Research and engagement in the face of climate change, equity and poverty, the list goes on, is what keeps experimentation from being an academic exercise and leads graduates to exercise architectural intelligence as well as architectural expertise across a wide spectrum of domains. We will all be the beneficiary. Here again, diversity in our schools as well as in our profession is one of our greatest opportunities, recalling the map of the Mississippi River, this time as our map forward.

Sincerely,
Bruce Lindsey, writing from St. Louis

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