A Request for Architectural Mentors:

This is my annual request for firms to volunteer to mentor the students in CRC’s Arch 332/334 design class, Spring, 2012.  I know that many of you have volunteered in past years and have reported that they find the process rewarding on many levels: 1) It gives you a chance to support and influence the development of the next generation of architects;  2) It is invigorating to the office to be reconnected to their education roots and the enthusiasm of the students;  3) It gives the office an opportunity to assist the students in learning altruism and giving back;  4) It can be educational for the office staff. 

We are going to take on  2 projects:  1) for the period of Jan 18-Mar 5, the student team (probably 3 students) will be researching and proposing for a Sacramento suburban and urban neighborhood.  If you have a particular project neighborhood that you would like them to evaluate, they can choose that as their subject, otherwise they will make a choice of their own.  What I am trying to do is to get them to compare and look holistically at the issues of creating a modern livable neighborhood.  There will be two stages for this project: 1) a research stage for them to evaluate existing conditions, what are the issues, and what is a livable neighborhood; 2) to propose and develop responses to the defined issues;  2) for the period of Mar 5-May 5, the same student team will be entering the ”Leading Edge Student Design Competition”  www.leadingedgecompetition.org where they will be designing a zero-net energy, 4-6 unit  townhouse style residential building with an outdoor children’s play yard and an internet café/juice bar open to the public.  The project site is in Merced.  Our students have won or placed in this international competition several times in past years.

I will give lectures, guidance and we will have guest speakers to help the students proceed with the research necessary for both projects.  For each stage, the mentors will hear progress presentations at some interval and propose areas or issues for the students to study and help “nudge” their proposals in appropriate directions.  Some architectural offices have weekly progress presentations of their office projects and just add the student presentations to this process.  So let’s say that it takes the students 20 minutes to present their progress presentation, one or a committee of professionals can offer as much critique time as they feel is necessary.  So I’m guessing that it will take anywhere from 1 ½ hours to 2 hours every two to three weeks, starting probably the middle of February and ending the middle of May.  We usually have a public power point presentation of the student work at the end of the semester.  Last year we had the presentations at SMUD.  Some offices sometimes pull in their consultants but this is not necessary.  The students then will prepare the boards for submission by June 15, 2012. 

The primary purpose of this class is to introduce the student to the concept of “livable communities”.  We will investigate how the settlements that we create integrate our values of community and resource conscious design.  Additional topics include resource conscious design, control of heat and light (passive and active strategies), building orientation for natural and mechanical heat dissipation and maximum lighting effectiveness; solar energy; human thermal comfort; climate, site analysis, energy flow, heating, cooling ventilating and day lighting of architectural environments. 

 If you are interested in participating, please contact John Ellis at ellisjd@crc.losrios.edu

 Thanks to all of you that have donated you time and energy in the past.  The benefit of connecting academia and the profession is extremely important to all of us.

Solomon Dubnick Gallery
1021 R Street, Sacramento (in the Fuller building just a few blocks away from the AIACV office.)

To view Diana’s work visit her website at: http://www.dianajahns.com/tempwork.html

Posted By: Amy Crelly

A Perfect Circadian Day: Exploring the Daylight/Darkness-Health Connection
FEBRUARY 22, 2012
5:30 – 7 PM
UC DAVIS CONFERENCE CENTER BALLROOM
LECTURE ON EMERGING TOPICS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Join award-winning lighting design experts James Benya and Deborah Burnett for this fast-paced multimedia presentation on the connections between lighting and human health. Held at the UC Davis Conference Center, Davis, CA, this hour-long talk will reveal breakthrough research findings and provide those in attendance with the tools and understanding to create an indoor environment that promotes health, healing and cognitive function while also enhancing energy efficiency. This event is part of the Don Aumann Memorial Lecture series at UC Davis. It is dedicated to the memory of former CLTC Program Director Don Aumann, and supports his vision for sustainability through education and action.

Cost: Free and open to the public.
Contact: Kelly Cunningham, kcunning@ucdavis.edu.
More information is at http://cltc.ucdavis.edu/

About ACE:

ACE was brought to Sacramento in 2007 and is a collaborative effort between educational institutions, the local construction industry and the Construction Industry Educational Foundation. The goal is two-fold: first, to expose high school students to the world of architecture, construction, engineering and the building trades; second, to introduce the students to an array of career opportunities within the industry.

Each year, the students are given an RFP that they must respond to as if they are trying to win the bid. The students work as a team with mentors from the local construction industry to create a project that is later presented to a panel of judges from different industry fields. These projects are judged on a number of different criteria and each winning team is awarded at the annual ACE Awards Banquet. Also at this banquet, we are able to award a number of students with scholarships to further their education within the industry.

In 2007 we sponsored 3 schools, 2008 13 schools, 2009 15 schools, 2010 12 schools, and this school year 11 schools. The ACE Mentoring Program brings students and employers together allowing both parties to plan and prepare for a future within the construction industry. To date, over $40,000 in scholarships has been awarded to students pursuing a career within construction. Well over 95 mentors from our industry have been working with students to help guide them and spark their interest about the construction industry.

We have had tremendous support from our local construction industry throughout the years. For example, some of our mentors and contributing companies from last year are:

Jason Passalacqua from Buehler & Buehler
Alberto Villalpando and Clint Williams from Turner Construction
Noel Cruz from AIA
Diane Buckley from Signature Reprographics
Debi Stevens, AIA and James Willsie from Rainforth-Grau Architects
Bryan Holt and Heman Chand from HMH Builders
Samuel Vasquez, Suzanne Sasaki and Matt Melcher, AIA from Lionakis
Jaycen Russell from ImageWorks Architects, Inc
Michael Buschow, AIA from GRA Architects

This is only to name a few mentors and local companies. The amount of local support throughout the years has been phenomenal and continues to grow.

We invite you today to help us continue this successful program through financial donations. This program is provided for the students and schools at no cost and the local professionals donate their time to help mentor these students. Without the financial support from the industry, we would not be able to reach so many young high school students with such great success.

To learn more about this program, feel free to visit the following sites:

Foundation Site: http://ciefsac.org/programs/ace-mentor-program/
Local Affiliate Site: http://www.wix.com/sacramentoca/ace#!
National Site: http://www.acementor.org/

You can also contact ACE anytime:
ACE Mentor Program of Greater Sacramento
(916) 442-8991 ex. 116
1331 T Street, Sacramento, CA 95811

In the April issues of Comstock’s Magazine, we will be featuring our Annual ACRE/BOMA Office Guide that includes an Interior Design Photo Essay, this year focusing on lobbies/entryways.

We are looking for your ideas for editorial consideration as we’ll have three or four showcased in 2-page spreads so it’s a great opportunity to highlight your/your client’s project. We know we’ll have some outstanding entries from the downtown high-rises, but in addition would really like to see some entries from other areas as well (Folsom, West Sac, Natomas, El Dorado Hills, Roseville/Rocklin, Elk Grove, etc.) so if you have ideas in these areas that will be an added plus. We also prefer work that is more recent, not more than a couple of years old.

Please reply AASP with your ideas and a couple of representative photos for consideration by sending to claytonb@comstocksbusiness.com (and email him with any questions).

The year 2011 was a busy one for Dr. Kit Miyamoto, CEO and president of Miyamoto International. In April, Miyamoto kicked off Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief, a non-profit dedicated to saving lives through engineering, which Kit had conceived, founded and created. In August, Kit was appointed to the California Seismic Safety Commission by Governor Jerry Brown, and in October, he was awarded the prestigious Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award by ZweigWhite.

A Seismic Safety Commissioner assists the sitting administration and policymakers in investigating earthquakes, researching earthquake-related issues, and recommending policies and programs designed to reduce earthquake risk in California. Learn more about Kit and his appointment.

The Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award is given annually to a person who uniquely demonstrates courage in leadership. This is certainly true of Kit, who has consistently demonstrated his global vision and compelling leadership in the field of earthquake and structural engineering. Learn more about the award and Kit’s accomplishments. 

Posted By: Donna Lucchio

ULI Sacramento – How are the Region’s Healthcare Providers addressing the New Paradigm?

ULI Sacramento presents “How are the Region’s Healthcare Providers addressing the New Paradigm?” on Friday, January 27 at Sacramento State’s Folsom Hall.

Location:
Sacramento State Folsom Hall
Address:
7667 Folsom Blvd
Sacramento, CA (MAP)
Click here for map

Registration: 7:30 – 8:00 am
Speaker Panel: 8:00 – 10:00 am
Tour of the the new School of Nursing facility immediately following
at 10:00 am

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Engage in an interactive session with healthcare and real estate industry professionals who will share the challenges and opportunities and present their strategies for providing healthcare services within the new paradigm.

Healthcare Panelists:
-Bob Mitsch, VP of Facility Planning and Development, Sutter Health
-Mike Boyd, Exec Director of Facilities Planning, UC Davis
-Susan Nelson, Healthcare Property Specialist Cornish & Carey
-Mike Huaco, Vice President of Corporate Real Estate & Business Strategy, Kaiser Permanente

Real Estate Development Panel:
Tim Youmans, Principal, EPS
Randy Sater, President, StoneBridge Properties

Real estate panel will engage in a Q&A period with analysis and commentary on challenges and opportunities of realizing development strategies in the region from an economic, community and regulatory perspective.

Click here for flyer