News

A round-up of trending stories relevant to architectural organizations and AAO Member Spotlights. Plus, you make the news! Timely posts by and for AAO Members.

Landmark Charnley-Persky House in Gold Coast Flooded by Storm

(Chicago) August 20, 2014 - The Charnley-Persky House, at 1365 North Astor Street, experienced serious flooding brought on by storms that blew through Chicago on Tuesday afternoon. Water poured into the National Historic Landmark, which serves as the headquarters of the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH), through the sink and toilet of the second-floor powder room, on the north side of the house.

Film Screening: Software from Hard Rocks

Graphic for the film "Software from Hard Rocks"

The Architecture and Design Foundation hosted the Indian premiere of "Software from Hard Rocks," a film by Aashish Kumar. Told from the point of view of the film maker, "Software" traces how forces of globalization are bringing together the destinies of hi-tech reverse migrants from Silicon Valley and beleaguered Andhra farmers - a story of relocated homes, ruptured livelihoods, and disrupted legacies in the city of Hyderabad.

2014 DESIGN-ED Conference Wrap-Up

Image of the Lecture Hall at the 2014 Design-Ed Conference

Submitted by AAO Member Robin Vande Zande

On June 28 and 29, 2014, the DESIGN-ED coalition hosted its second conference on K-12 design education. The theme was “Integration Through Design” with presentations and workshops geared towards informing attendees about activities that are effective in the classroom, as well as looking toward the future where design is an integral part of every student’s education.

Inaugural AAO Webinar: The Pros and Cons of Thematic Programming

Graphic for Van Alen Institute's Spring 2014 program ELSEWHERE: Escape and the Urban Environment

On June 12, AAO launched its first-ever webinar series, inviting participants across all AAO Networks knowledge communities into one shared dialogue. Leading the inaugural discussion were Van Alen Institute's David van der Leer and Sarah Farwell, as they reviewed VAI's multi-year initiative "ELSEWHERE: Escape and the Urban Environment" as a relevant case study for the topic.

Member Spotlight: Offcite.org and Sunday Streets HTX

A typical scene from Sunday Streets HTX. Photo by David A. Brown of dabphoto.

This spring, the City of Houston launched a new initiative called Sunday Streets HTX - a street closures pilot that drew tens of thousands of Houstonians out explore their city from a different perspective all while promoting health and fitness. In this Member Spotlight, we hear from Rice Design Alliance staff member Raj Mankad, whose personal campaign to bring the Open Streets movement to Houston was a major factor in getting Sunday Streets HTX up and running.

Member Spotlight: Late Tuesday at RIBA

On March 25, The Royal Institute of British Architects hosted “Late Tuesday: High Tech Architecture” a four-hour event that included three 30 minute talks, two films, one workshop, two exhibitions on view, building tours, and live music. We caught up with RIBA Public Programs Manager Mike Althorpe to find out more about the motivations for condensing so much programming into one evening and how the audience responded.

 

Key Takeaways from Museums and the Web 2014

Presenter using Google Glass to photograph the audience, then tweet it

(Photo: Neal Stimler from The Metropolitan Museum of Art photographs the audience, displays it on the screen, and tweets it with the conference hashtag, all using Google Glass.)

Interview with Matthew Miller: Revisiting the "If You Build It" Documentary

The completed Windsor Farmers Market at dusk. From IF YOU BUILD IT, a Long Shot Factory Release 2013. Courtesy of Brad Feinknopf.

By now you've probably heard of "If You Build It" and you might have already seen the documentary. Since debuting in 2013, the feature-length film about design education has become a staple of the film festival circuit, bringing publicity to the design-build curriculum of Studio H co-founded by Emily Pilloton and Matt Miller. AAO spoke with Miller about his experience teaching ten teenagers in rural North Carolina while being filmed. When you cut 200 hours of footage down to 82 minutes, some parts of the story don't make the cut. Hear his thoughts on what was left out as the film chronicles an early stage of his design education career, and how he's currently working to transform high school shop class into a home for design education.

Rice Design Alliance Hometown Tour of Santiago, Chile

Skyline of Santiago, Chile

Join the Rice Design Alliance this June 8 through June 14 as we travel south to take in the architecture of Santiago, Chile. Rice School of Architecture Professor Carlos Jiménez and noted architectural historian Stephen Fox will be our guides for a one-week journey to the country's capital and cultural, political, and financial center, as well as nearby Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.

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