Thursday, September 28, 2006

Special Exhibition: Your House, My House

Your House, My House

October 14 - January 7, 2007
Bay Area Discovery Museum
557 McReynolds Road
Sausalito, CA 94965

Take a fantastic journey into the homes of people around the world in this international, hands-on travelling exhibition, Your House, My House. Visit a Mongolian herder's ger, an m'bure from the topics of Fiji and a stilt house from a Malaysian fishing village. Create your dream house in the "Design Center" and "Build Your Own" tabletop houses out of plant material, brick, stone and timber.

Exclusive Members' Opening and Breakfast
Sunday, October 15
9-10 am

For more information: membership@badm.org

Ratcliff Exhibit at Oakland Museum

The Architecture of RATCLIFF
A Retrospective on 100 Years of Distinguished Architecture


The Architecture of RATCLIFF is a photographic retrospective on 100 years of distinguished architecture. Highlights include photos of architectural landmarks designed by the RATCLIFF firm, including the Oakland Airport Terminal II, the University of California-Berkeley Life Sciences Building, Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Palo Alto, Berkeley City College, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fresno, and many more.

Launch of the book that inspired the exhibit, The Architecture of RATCLIFF, will be announced at a later date. Published by Heyday Books, this extensively researched saga of the Bay Area’s oldest architectural firm is written by Woodruff Minor with photographs by Kiran Singh.

October 1, 2006 – December 31, 2006.
Wednesday – Saturday, 11 am – 4 pm
Sunday, Noon to 4 pm

Oakland Museum of California café
10th and Oak Streets,
Oakland, CA 94607

Admission to the RATCLIFF exhibit is FREE.

For more information: Liz O’Hara at 510/899-6400 or Mary Tressel at 925/798-9421

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Design Charrette in Burlingame

From AIA San Mateo County:

BURLINGAME DESIGN CHARRETTE DESTINATION: SOBA
(South of Burlingame Avenue)

A Volunteer Community Service Event

Saturday, September 30th 2006
8:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Burlingame Recreation Center
850 Burlingame Avenue
Burlingame

The event will focus on creating a vibrant Howard Avenue between El Camino Real and California Drive, with an emphasis on improved connections with Burlingame Avenue, the train station and the surrounding residential and business neighborhoods.

For more information: Connie
connieb@aiasmc.org

Recruitment of Oakland Residents to Serve on the District's Measure B

From Kerry Hamill, Board of Education:

Dear Constituent,

As you know Oakland voters approved Measure B, a $435,000,000 bond measure, for the Oakland Unified School District at the June 6, 2006 election. The bond measure is a Proposition 69 Measure requiring the appointment of an Independent Citizens Oversight Committee to monitor and to report on the expenditure of Bond proceeds.

The District has been recruiting members for the Committee since September 1, 2006. The formal qualifications and application, in major languages, is available from the District’s web site at
http://webportal.ousd.k12.ca.us/SchoolBondInfo.aspx or may be obtained by telephoning 510/879-8200. (A copy of the English language version is attached to this e-mail.) The Committee is required to have among its members at minimum those specified on page 1 of the application.

I am writing to urge if you meet the qualifications, and are interested in serving, to apply for appointment to the Committee. Given our interest in seeing that the bond proceeds are well spent, pursuant to the District’s adopted Facilities Master Plan in effect at the time of passage of the bond measure by the voters, may I count on you to serve or help the District find qualified applicants willing to serve on the Committee? An application must be fully completed and returned to the District’s Secretary with a postmark of October 1, 2006, or hand delivered to District Secretary at the Office of the State Administrator, no later than 5 p.m., Friday, September 29, 2006.


Thank you in advance for your assistance.

For more information: call Edgar Rakestraw, Jr. at 510/879-8200.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Site tour of Congregation Beth El, Berkeley Synagogue and School

10/05/06
Small Firm Forum: Site tour of Congregation Beth El, Berkeley Synagogue and School


Please join us for a tour of the Synagogue and School that was completed in September, 2005. Alex Bergtraun, AIA, Local Project Architect, working w/ MRY Architects of Santa Monica and Owner's Rep. for Beth El will lead the tour and discuss the 9 year journey. He led the congregation through the initial site purchase, feasibility studies, the design phase, approval and construction process to create this new home. It includes Synagogue, School, Administration and Social spaces all under one roof. A discussion of "Green" practices (this being the 1st geothermal project in Berkeley ), creating "sacred" space, and the adventures of working w/ a large family of congregants towards a common goal will all be a part of this visit. Alex is a long time member of the SFF who has been absent for some years because of his intense involvement with this project. We welcome him back and look forward to a stimulating and fun walk through with all of you on the 5th!


Time: Noon-1:30pm

Location: 1301 Oxford Street, Berkeley Meet @ Oxford St. Entrance; One block north of Rose Street across the street from Live Oak Park

Contact Person: Miltiades Mandros (510) 654-3800

Cost: None for AIA members, $3 Non-members
This is a brown bag lunch and all are welcome.
1.5 CES/LU


For more information: Linda Randolph, AIA 510-745-9318

Monday, September 25, 2006

Chapter Fellows Meeting Tuesday 9/26

The Fellows of AIA East Bay are meeting at 2pm on Tuesday, September 26 at the AIA East Bay office. The group will be reviewing the nomination materials for this year's Fellowship candidates.

For More Information: Call Sidney Sweeney 510/464-3600

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Sketching Session and Tour Sunday 10/8

From Jane Lin, Assoc. AIA:

"The next Sketch Session will include a tour of the Oakland Hills
Sunday October 8th from 2-4pm
Meet at the Rockridge BART Station

This tour will be of the East Bay Hills and the houses that have sprouted after the Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm. The firestorm happened fifteen years ago on October 20, 1991. A major portion of the area was wiped out. The hills have been repopulated with many new examples of contemporary Bay Area residential architecture.

If you would like to be part of this tour, which will include plenty of opportunities for sketching, please RSVP to me at
gojanelin@gmail.com"

For more information: gojanelin@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

FRP, An Alternate Material for Restoration, Replication And Strengthening

From Michael Scott, Assoc. AIA:

Tour of Kreysler & Associates Facility

FRP, An Alternate Material for
Restoration, Replication And Strengthening
Friday, 22 September 2005
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
American Canyon, California

The tour is intended for Architects, Contractors, Preservationists, Historians, Specification Writers and anyone else associated with the replication and reconstruction of architectural elements of historic buildings.
Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) has become a recognized and accepted method of replicating and/or reconstructing historic masonry, sheet metal, or plaster assemblies. Proper specification and detailing are critical to successful use of the material. Bill Kreysler of Kreysler & Associates will discuss FRP and lead a tour of K&A fabricating facility. K&A has an established track record of using FRP on historic projects including the Flood Building, Ferry Building, and over 15 other landmark or historic buildings in the bay area alone. The tour and presentation will also touch upon K&A’s sculptural and digital fabrication work.

For more information: Michael Scott, Assoc. AIA 510/817-1408 or Michael_P_Scott@nps.gov

Request for Projects for Wendy A.Jordan's Book

Do you have projects featuring great ideas for Universal Design or Aging in Place?

Author Wendy A. Jordan wants to know about them. She is writing a book for the general public on this important area of home building and remodeling, and is seeking a range of good-looking kitchens, bathrooms, entries, multi-level accommodations and other interior and exterior areas as well as space plans that demonstrate creative, effective accessible design.

Professional-quality photos are a plus. Submit inquiries, short project descriptions and/or photos as soon as possible to wendyajordan@hotmail.com .


It's best to send the images themselves directly to the publisher for quality assessment; I'll receive them next. Attached is a file that explains the requirements for submitting photos. Original transparencies also are fine. Please send your photos by Federal Express using the recipient's account number, (contact for account number). Please mark "universal" on the package.

The package should go to:
Betsy Gammons
Rockport Publishers
33 Commercial Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
phone: 978-282-9590


For more information: wendyajordan@hotmail.com or Wendy at 202-363-5563.

Architecture+Design Education Network Conference 2006

Architecture+Design Education Network Conference 2006

Take advantage of the early bird discount before October 1st!
Identify . Connect . Elevate.

October 27-28, 2006
Chicago, Illinois

Join us in Chicago for the inaugural A+DEN Conference.Hear the unique perspectives of our distinguished keynote speakers - Meredith Davis, Anna Slafer + Fred Dust. Meet design education innovators at the Expo and learn from their wealth of experience. Discover ideas to bring back home and integrate into your work. Discuss the issues and initiatives that will advance design education at the national level. Come for a weekend of inspired dialogue and collaboration - identify, connect, elevate!


Updated Conference Schedule available online

For more information: A+DEN@architecture.org.

Oak Knoll/Central City East Redevelopment Merger Hearing

Tomorrow: Oak Knoll/Central City East Redevelopment Merger Hearing

Wednesday, September 20, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.

Oakland City Hall - Hearing Room One

The Oakland Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the merger of the Oak Knoll Redevelopment Project Area and the Central City East Redevelopment Project Area. The City’s Community and Economic Development Agency has recommended merging the two areas and portions of their affordable housing production requirements. The Agency also recommends additional amendments to the Oak Knoll Redevelopment Plan, including raising the tax increment and bond indebtedness limits, updating the land use map, expanding the list of authorized public improvements, and changing text references to the General Plan’s Reuse Plan component.

For more information: Aliza Gallo at 510/238-7405 or agallo@oaklandnet.com

Monday, September 18, 2006

A 60-minute documentary about Public Architecture's "ScrapHouse" project will premiere on the National Geographic Channel tonight, Monday, September 18. The listed airtime is 10:00pm (ET/PT).

The National Geographic Channel is presently scheduled to replay the documentary on Tuesday, September 19, at 1:00am; Sunday, September 24, at 2:00am; and Monday, September 25 at 3pm. For those of you in San Francisco, another live screening will take place next Wednesday, September 27, via Green Planet Films' Eco Film Night.

The free screening will start at 7:00pm and take place at Varnish Fine Art, 77 Natoma Street. Click here for more information.

Press
The documentary has generated quite a buzz within the media, including multiple newspaper articles and nearly a dozen radio interviews nationwide. At least two of the articles are available online via the San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Daily News. Thanks as well to Inhabitat.com for its current homepage coverage and to Archinect.com for its news reminder.

Click here to download a press release prepared by the National Geographic Channel.

For more information: Visit www.publicarchitecture.org

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Architects and Librarians Unite to Explore Library Planning

The Planning and Design of Public Libraries, a four-day Executive Education program from Harvard University Graduate School of Design will bring architects, librarians, library administrators and trustees together to examine concepts and methods for the planning and design of public libraries.

The program is scheduled on November 6-9, 2006 in Sacramento, CA, and immediately precedes the California Library Conference also in Sacramento.

Program participants will explore the future role of public libraries and how their programming and design is evolving rapidly to meet the changing demands of patrons for library services and technology.

Meeting the needs of a diverse population of users and the demand for new computer technology, electronic media and Internet access has had a significant impact on the function and design of public libraries. As a result, library design must take into account all of the issues that may affect its use in the future.

Today’s public libraries must incorporate flexibility and adaptability for future changes and expansion while addressing the current informational, educational and cultural needs of their communities.

The Planning and Design of Public Libraries will feature lectures, interactive team-based planning and design exercises, and virtual tours. Program participants will also visit several innovative library projects including Sacramento Central Library and the Carmichael Branch Library.

Other topics the program covers include budgets, timelines, and planning essentials, new technology and service models, renovation and addition strategies, and post-occupancy evaluation techniques.

The Planning and Design of Public Libraries will be led by Anthony Tappe, FAIA, who, as principal at Boston-based Tappe and Associates, Architects and Planners, has designed many public and institutional libraries throughout New England and upstate New York and by Hartford, CT-based library consultant Nolan Lushington, former director of the Greenwich Public Library, author of Libraries Designed for Users: A 21st Century Guide (Neal Schuman, 2002), and 2005 recipient of the New England Library Association’s Emerson Greenaway award for distinguished service.

Joining Tappe and Lushington as instructors will be Jeffrey M. Hoover, AIA, principal and library design specialist at Tappe and Associates; and Elisabeth Martin, AIA, architect and library planner, MDA Designgroup, NY, and former director of planning and design for the Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY.

The Planning and Design of Public Libraries is registered with the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Continuing Education System.

For more information: Complete program and registration information can be found at
www.gsd.harvard.edu/execed.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Mills Cultural Landscape Heritage Plan Lecture Series

Mills Cultural Landscape Heritage Plan Lecture Series:

The first lecture will be presented October 11, 2006 by professor and renowned author Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz of Smith College. She will consider Mills within the evolving plan of women’s colleges in the United States and its bearing on the campus today.

The second lecture will be presented February 28, 2007 by author Phoebe Cutler, who writes and lectures on garden and landscape history. She will speak about the work of landscape architect, Howard Gilkey, the first landscape architect at Mills College, and Dr. Howard McMinn noted botanist, and their influence both regionally and nationally.

The third lecture will be presented March 28, 2007 by Vonn Marie May, Cultural Landscape Specialist and prime consultant for cultural landscape and buildings on the Mills College Landscape Heritage Plan. She will bring the campus up to date on the team’s findings of the campus’s development as influenced by numerous landscape architects and those architects who have worked at Mills.

For more information: Carrie K. Milligan, cmilliga@mills.edu or 510/430-2125

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Request for Projects for Duo Dickinson's New Book

REQUEST FOR PROJECTS, etc.
For Duo Dickinson’s new book for Taunton Press:

Saved By Design
-Dr. Duo’s Cure For The Common House

FIRST
Classic House Type (Cape, Center Hall, Ranch, etc.) ADDITION/RENOVATION
Need excellent existing condition photography or, PREFERABLY, a project that would be available for professional photography of “before” photos, BUT WOULD BE FINISHED/READY TO PHOTO NO LATER THAN JUNE 1, 2007! –owners’ names needed in text, but specific location can be vague, budget not needed. Full design credit will be given, as well as copious laudatory prose.

SECOND
Classic Scenarios/Problems/Dysfunctions you’ve found in renovating any Classic House Type (see above) If your specific description of “déjà vu” design flaws of these prototypic American home dysfunctions is useful, you will be credited, and if solutions are acceptable, they will be depicted, with full credit, in the book.

LAST
Submit your favorite Archi-speak phrase(s)/words/syntax This will be a rollicking good time of a book, and a little self-deprecation never hurt any profession–and once again, you will be credited…

SEND (ASAP!) TO: duo.dickinson@snet.net

For more information: calison-duos@snet.net

Builders Exchange of Alameda County Safety Training, Seminars & Events

The Builders Exchange of Alameda County Presents:

Upcoming Safety Training, Seminars & Events in September:
11th Heat Illness Prevention
12th Construction Personal Protective Equipment
13th Effective Hiring Techniques
14th Basic Estimating - 5 Sessions
20th Wage and Hour Law
27th Fall Protection

Other Events
A's Baseball & Playoff Push
Join us for Baseball & Dinner inside the West Side Plaza Club and help push the A's into the Playoffs!
Oakland Athletics host Chicago White Sox
Friday, September 15, 2006
Game Time 7:05 pm
Cost: $40.00 per person RSVP Must Be Accompanied with Payment.

Includes: Ticket to the game, Plaza Club Seats, Section 212, which the Plaza Club Meal inside the West Side Club.


Fall Invitational Golf Tournament
Monday October 23, 2005
Crow Canyon Country Club
711 Silver Lake Drive, Danville

Warriors Night
Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings
Tuesday, December 12th, 2006
7:30 pm at the Arena

Includes: 1 ticket to the Game - Section 220, Upper Bowl Seating. Pre-game Dinner at Francesco's Restaurant, 5:30-7.00 pm. Raffle Prizes.
Cost: $65.00 per person

For more information: www.beac.com