Big Events this Week

LOTS going on this week beginning with our friends at Enterprise Community Partners and culminating with the Structures for Inclusion conference.

Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellows 6x10
Monday, March 21, 6:00 pm-7:30 pm.

Ten-minute presentations by six recipients of the Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship, including Daniel Splaingard, a Rose Fellow currently working at Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation in Chicago. You will have the opportunity to learn about community design projects all over the country - and about applying to this three-year fellowship program.
      The Rose Fellowship fosters a unique partnership among a fellow, a host organization, and Enterprise to carry out a three-year fellowship plan. The fellow contributes his or her time and energy to work as part of the host organization’s staff, building capacity and bringing fresh experience and ideas to the organization. The host provides mentorship and guidance, supporting the development of the fellow’s career by providing meaningful experiences in design, development, financing, construction management, resident engagement—and in some cases—community planning. Enterprise provides an annual stipend, coaching, training and opportunities for sharing and learning among the fellows. Applications for 2012 Rose Fellowships will be accepted beginning May 1, 2011.

Refreshments will be served.
This event is sponsored by Community Interface Committee
Learning units: 1 LU
Location: AIA Chicago, 35 East Wacker Drive, #250
More info.

Back-to-School Volunteering

AIA Chicago Chapter's Community Interface Committee is taking up AIA Illinois Chapter President Mike Rogers' challenge for every architect to visit a local school to talk to children about what architects do. CIC's initiative is well-timed given that school starts up again in a couple of weeks. And, given an architects' predisposition to talk about both themselves and their profession, this doesn't sound much like a challenge at all. Last spring I was invited to talk about architecture at Coliss High School as part of their "Focus on Careers Day" and had a lot of fun. From AIA Chicago:

Working in Schools - Session 1
Mon., August 23, 6:00 to 7:30 pm, Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan Ave.
Sponsor: Community Interface Committee

What buildings, ideas, people, or activities first made you excited about architecture as a kid? AIA Illinois president Mike Rogers has challenged every member visit a school during 2010 in order to help students discover architecture and better understand the profession. We are partnering with CAF for a series of “Architects in the Schools” visits. Workshop Session 1 covers what to expect at the school, how to work with various age groups, and introduces the classroom-ready lessons.

Working in Schools - Session 2
Mon., September 13, 6:00 to 7:30 pm, Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan Ave.
Sponsor: Community Interface Committee

See August 23. Session 2 includes hands-on training in specific activities requested by local teachers to help integrate architecture into their math, science, history, and art lessons.

CIC School Outreach Challenge - Save the Date

The Presidents' Challenge

In response to Michael Rogers' Challenge as spelled out in the Spring Envision newsletter of AIA Illinois (see above), the Community Interface Committee is organizing a program for interested architects to reach out to public schools.

On Wednesday, April 21st at 6pm, at the Chicago Chapter Office of AIA an education specialist from the Chicago Architecture Foundation will talk about reaching out to public schools, what to expect, what to present, how to address the students, etc. An informal discussion will follow.

There will be more details as the date approaches but check out the challenge and take the initiative.

AIA Chicago Chapter Bridge Program Comes to a Close

I wrote briefly of the Bridge Program in the past but haven't elaborated on it much. The intent was to pair Fellows of the AIA with emerging professionals to provide valuable mentorship. Upon its conception the mission was extended to include a community outreach project.

The bucolic setting of Frank Lloyd Wright's Frank J. Baker House.

Last Sunday the mentors and mentees were graciously invited by Walter Sobel, FAIA to his Frank Lloyd Wright designed Frank J. Baker house in Winnetka. Mr. Sobel, now in his 90's (this blog reported him to be 95 in 2008, although he doesn't look a day over 88 to me) shared some of his stories with us too. Aside from some physical ailments — he used a walker to get around — he seemed to be in good health with his mental faculties in check. Which lead me to thinking we ought to have a system in place to keep retired architects engaged with the profession. Here's a guy with 70-plus years of experience and no outlet for sharing them.

Note the bare essentials in the foreground.

Which brings me back to the bridge program. Over the last several months we mentees have been narrowing down and refining our ideas for what our community outreach project will be. The mentors dropped in from time-to-time to mingle and offer input. In the end we presented two proposals to the AIA Board of Directors who then agreed to foot the bill for us to attend the AIA Holiday Party.

The Mentor Mentee Mingle

The two programs we decided upon are a Community Interface Committee (CIC) and a group dedicated to working with a local church on a structure to support their efforts in urban farming. Here is the mission statement for the CIC:

The Community Interface Committee is dedicated to increasing the visibility and participation of architects within community groups and non-profit organizations.

The Committee will act as:

1. A network and forum for exchange of knowledge related to public interest work.

2. A point of contact for community groups and non profit groups that seek solutions.

3. A liaison between the AIA and established pro-bono design groups

4. Support for architects’ involvement in civic activities

And an interesting Matrix comparing the proposed services with those provided by local and national for-profit and not-for profit entities:

The inaugural meeting for the CIC will be on Feb. 23rd at the chapter offices of AIA Chicago. I'll keep you posted on the urban farming structure project.

So while those programs continue and carry on the legacy of the Bridge Program, it officially came to a close with the reception at Mr. Sobel's house. It was great to have some of the mentors out including Steve Burns, Dirk Lohan, Tod Desmarais, Peter Exley and his wife Sharon, Louis Garapolo, John Nelson, Jack Train, Dan Wheeler and AIA Chicago Chapter President Walter Street and AIA Illinois Delegate Laura Fisher.

Story time with host Walter Sobel, FAIA.

My thanks to the Sobels, the mentors that dedicated their time throughout the Program and attended the reception, and the AIA Chicago Chapter for taking on the initiative, lead by Matt Dumich, Mark Schwamel and Brett Taylor. It sounds like the Program has gotten other chapters to take notice.

Wright's typical Cathedral-like spaces following a low-ceiling entrance.