January 2005: Half time…
- From: Archventures eNews <avenews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: avenews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 14:40:01 -0500
Archventures, now a six-month old organization, is half way through
its pilot year experiment of developing a "Learning Office" - a new
model for "Reflective Architecture Practice and Proactive Education".
Before we embark on Part II of our adventure (aka: Spring 2005) we'd
like to stop for a moment, and ask for your candid advice.
What, from your perspective, have we been doing well, and what not so
well? A penny for your thoughts - at simon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
..
Mission impossible?
Does our mission statement fit the organizational structure that we
are proposing to develop? Our current mission is "...to promote a
better built environment by engaging architecture learners from all
walks of life, and of all ages, in service-learning activities that
address the needs of under served communities and the public at
large".
We've kept a low profile so far, to maintain a work environment that
is conducive to experimentation. As our model of operation becomes
more coherent we expect to generate greater exposure.
Archventures' structure has emerged from the Case Study of our first
pilot project. It is rooted in our own beliefs about architecture, our
perception of the field's strengths and weaknesses, and builds on the
recommendations of the 1999 Internship Taskforce. The question of
whether our adventure is possible and/or sustainable will be resolved
at the end of our pilot year (Summer 2005).
::
Two thousand four
Incorporated (7/14); launched pilot project, engaging 4 designers with
the H Block community garden initiative (7/17); held first board
meeting (9/6); attended the AOC Woods Hole workshop, receiving a
loaner toolkit (10/15); uncovered "the secret life of buildings"
...with a Citizen Schools Apprenticeship engaging 5 middle school
students in a Post Occupancy Evaluation of a "green" school (12/8);
led an informal Case Study of the new Artists for Humanity EpiCenter
(12/4); drafted a case study and crafted a funding aid for the H Block
project (in the form of a visitors guide).
::
Two thousand five
In the upcoming year we will continue to refine our model of
operation. Encouraged by positive feedback from our Artists for
Humanity case study, we're planning a series of similar events
throughout 2005. Tentative destinations: Carpenter Center, Boston &
Cambridge City Halls, Boston Society of Architects, Rural Studio, and
Turkey.
::
Cardboard and beer crates
We'd like to invite you to join us next summer as we venture to the
epicenter of the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake in Turkey. Over the course of
a whirlwind weekend, following the 2005 UIA Congress in Istanbul, we
will conduct an informal case study in Degirmendere – the site of
Shigeru Ban's relief housing project made of cardboard tube walls and
beer crate foundations.
Mehemet Anbarlilar, who worked on the project and studied it in a
studio directed by Shigeru Ban in 2000, will lead a pre-venture
orientation. Participation is free, travel and accommodations are at
your own expense, and space is limited.
Read more about Ban's work at…
http://www.time.com/time/innovators/design/profile_ban.html
::
New archventurers
Maya Sadeh (Advisory Board): Maya holds a B.Sc. in Biology and
Environmental Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a
M.Sc. in Environmental Epidemiology and Policy from the London School
of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Jason Pearson (Board of Overseers): Executive Director of GreenBlue, a
nonprofit organization that researches, promotes, and enables
on-the-ground design and implementation of ecologically intelligent
industry.
Jeremy Hockenstein (Board of Overseers): Strategy consultant for
non/for profit entities, and CEO of Digital Divide Data - an
innovative social venture in Cambodia.
Kate Cooney, PhD (Board of Overseers): Kate is an Assistant Professor
at the School of Social Work, Boston University. Her research
interests include social entrepreneurship and hybrid for/non-profit
organizations.
..
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