Here is a bit more about him from his blog:

“I am a one person architectural firm in Fair Oaks, California. I am a former journeyman carpenter and construction superintendent.  I received my professional degree in architecture from the University of Southern California after studying in Florence, Italy.  I have been in practice on my own since 1999.  I also teach a one month architecture class to high school seniors each year.

My design philosophy

For me architecture is more than function and more than form.  Architecture is about making places with meaning that resonate in the soul.  Wonderful form making and crystal clear functionality can contribute to that special quality but it is an understanding of the client, the site and universal truths of the human condition that are needed in making a beautiful and memorable place.

I also believe that buildings need to be good citizens not only from a sustainable and energy efficient point of view, but also from an urban perspective in considering how a given building can contribute to making a better city.

Lastly, there are times when a client needs a very simple and functional design, or a store layout just like the one they did last year.  That is fine too.  I totally understand and embrace the fact that architecture can’t be making a profound artistic statement all the time.”

Periodically we will be sharing his posts on the Chapter website, and will provide a direct link back to his blog.

Enjoy!

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I discovered this building while cruising Santa Cruz looking for some architectural entertainment.  The front elevation is pretty straight forward but come around the north side and whoah!  There is this cut away at an angle where the roof stays straight and the wall is angled back.

I love the little opening in the front elevation that takes you through to this funny space.  It is a little like the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole.  Except that the reality seems to be the same on each side of the threshold.  There was a service going on inside and I was not able to see the impact of the outside geometry on the plan.  I love imagining the decisions that went into this building’s design.  Who made the call to create this geometry and what was the reaction when that idea was shared with others?  Then what did people say when they saw the finished building?  I make no assumptions that it was an architect involved here although if you look at the symmetrical, hierarchical composition of the arch top window and the two rectangular side windows,  there is clearly some design sensibility at work.  So many questions!  This one is on the list for future research.

Vist: http://saxonsangles.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/a-mysterious-little-santa-cruz-ca-building/

It has without a doubt been a very rough couple of years.  Lots of architects out of work, offices closed and uncertainty everywhere.  But the upside is that it has taught us how to look for new work and new markets, taught us the true value of collaboration, and given value to the AIA by way of insight, shared ideas and resources.

2011 has also been a healthy year for our Chapter in providing help and education to members, design celebration in programs and events, and an increasing role in public policy and it has been a real joy and honor serving as your President this year.  We have outstanding leadership in the office with Kimberly Anderson as Executive Director and Marina Hill helping execute all the programs and daily tasks.  We have had an outstanding Board that have provided  for engaged Board meetings, lively debate and a lot of good humor.  We also bid a fond goodbye to Don Comstock, FAIA who is making his third retirement to spend more time with his family.  As a retired firm principal, a retired Chapter Executive Director and now a retired Chapter Trustee he is moving on to some well deserved and overdue free time.  We as a group will miss his council and wit and I personally will miss his guidance and support.

As an architect I am optimistic.  I think that is a core characteristic of our profession and my optimism says 2012 will be better.  Most economic indicators are showing improvement and while Washington may be stuck running political circles there is movement on the building front.  It will be a slow recovery and will take us to a place we have not seen before.  It will be a “new normal” but as architects we are quick to adapt and see opportunity.  Small firms will leverage their resources and share with other small firms and providers of specialty services.  Large firms will merge and leverage their great knowledge and employee base to provide ever more specialized services.  But at the core of all of this is people and we as a profession are very good at helping people.  So as long as there is growth there will be people with needs and we will be there to serve them.

I wish all of us a happy and more prosperous New Year and we all look forward to new opportunities and the work of the outstanding 2012 Board led by President Maria Ogrydziak, AIA.

Be engaged, be creative and be optimistic.

by Bruce Monighan, AIA ~ 2011 Chapter President

At the beginning of this year in my message to the membership I asked “What do you want?”  As we near the end of a very full and successful year for the AIACV I find myself still without a clear answer to that question from 8 months ago.

The Chapter has provided a variety of programs from those mandated for continuing education credits to esoteric film screenings and dialog.  We have engaged the public in the 4^th Wednesday Design Dialog and engaged professional minds in Design Matters.  We have toured buildings, celebrated design at our Design Awards Gala and Capitol Mall Ideas Competition and become a partner with the City of Sacramento in monthly discussion of how to create a better private/public partnership.  We have even engaged in advocacy efforts through our partnership with Region Builders working to create better regional practices and uniformity of public jurisdictions.

As members we must be pretty proud of those offerings and accomplishments…..but I still wonder what do the individual members need, want, expect?  Not everybody wants to volunteer or participate so what is their take-away?  The only way to know is to ask you or for you to tell us.

Next year I am serving AIA California Council as Secretary / Treasurer and one of my missions will be to help structure the organization around the wants and needs of members.  In order to do that I will be talking with a lot of you, especially those of you we don’t see a lot.  I hope you will give me some good ideas on what we might be missing.

Statistically architects are held by the public as one of the highest and most honorable professions.  The public is interested in what we have to say and what our opinions are.  As I mentioned in our partnership with Region Builders and our Public Policy Committee meetings with the City of Sacramento we have moved the Chapter towards a larger role in shaping the policy environment of our region.  This of course comes with some level of discomfort as we move into areas we have not been participants in before.  But as the Board discussed early this year, “if you are not at the table you are not in the discussion” or as I heard a bit later, “if you are not sitting at the table you might be the lunch.” We have chosen to be a voice in those things that affect us: ordinances, fees, policies and procedures.  We have chosen to be visible.

We recently held a forum with the Sacramento City Council candidates for District 4 and will be publishing opinions on what we heard from them and how their position as a Councilperson would help or hinder our profession.  We have worked with Region Builders to identify obstacles in practice, profitability, and development that could be changed with lobbying of public officials.

Now is a unique time to affect change in our communities, to build reputations as problem solvers and advocates of good and sustainable design and be recognized as a “trusted advisor”.  You can be an agent of change by being part of the Chapter’s work, by volunteering in your community forums and Boards, or by seeking election in your local community.

Together we can create value and you can be part of shaping your own opportunity and the future of the region.

I am currently attending the 2011 Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ) National Conference in Los Angeles as a Social Media Scholar.

The AAJ is an AIA knowledge community dedicated to sharing knowledge and advancing the state of justice architecture. Basically my role will be to share experiences and happenings at the conference via various social media platforms(primarily Facebook and Twitter).

There are three tracts of speakers and events this year, each focusing on a different area of design in the justice world. I will be covering the Law Enforcement tract, while two other scholars will be sharing their experiences for Courts and Corrections/Detention respectively.

If you’d like to keep track of my experiences and engage in a dialogue please follow me on twitter @Chris_Hirai, or contact me via Facebook at the AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice page.

In addition, you can follow Albert Law covering the Courts track: @allawhk and Suzi Smith covering the Corrections/Detentions track: @suzatonic2

The Chapter has been proactive in the last 10 years in public policy interaction through the City of Sacramento Development Oversight Commission, individual member interaction with elected officials and with staff contacts, and while these efforts have been largely successful we have found resources of time and budget limited.  Early this year Region Builders was formed as a collaboration of developers, builders, contractor’s engineers and architects to help forge public policy direction and create a positive business environment for the design and construction industry.

While we recognized the potential for philosophical conflicts with a collaborative group like this we felt that the potential upside was too significant to not be a participant.  It was really a case of “be at the table or be on the menu”.  We felt it was better to be in a proactive position influencing the future of the region than being the “meal”.

The last few months have seen an amazing series of accomplishments by Region Builders and our influence of the policy agenda and the discussion continues to significant and productive.  Please put Region Builders website, www.regionbuilders.com on your list of favorites and stay tuned for continued good news.  And if the questions comes up “what is the AIA doing for me” point that person to the Region Builders website right after you point them to www.aiacv.org.

AIACV, working for your success

 Bruce Monighan, AIA
2011 President

Click here to listen.

Please note…it’s the third item of discussion, but worth waiting for!

Is your firm entering the competition? Click here for full details.

On Tuesday, July 5, 2011, Dean F. Unger passed away at his home in El Macero, CA, surrounded by his family. The Chapter sends our regards and warm thoughts to his family, friends and colleagues.

A memorial is set for 10:30 A.M., this Saturday, July 16, 2011, at the Veterans Memorial Center, 203 E 14th Street, Davis, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Yolo Hospice, 1909 Galileo Court, Suite A, Davis, CA 95618.

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Dean Frederick Unger, son of Charles Frederick Unger and Velma Wyatt Unger, was born in Sutter Hospital in Sacramento on December 23, 1928. Dean Was 82

Dean’s early development began in Sacramento’s Curtis Park where he attended Bret Harte Grammar School. He had a black cocker spaniel, Rastus, that he loved and showed in the Sacramento Dog Show. Dean clearly recalled riding in a rowboat down the street with two best friends during a flood in Curtis Park in the early 1930’s.

From Bret Harte Grammar School, Dean advanced to the California Junior High School and then to McClatchy High School, where he played football and was the Student Body President. After graduation from high school, Dean attended the University of California-Berkeley (CAL).

Dean’s father, Charles F. Unger, graduated from Ames College in Iowa and was an architect in his early career. He started a highly respected construction firm, Unger Construction Company, in Sacramento, California. His father’s dedication to the building industry greatly influenced Dean to enroll in the University of California Architecture program. At CAL Dean joined his brother, Wyatt, a student of Engineering, who had recently returned from World War II after serving with the Navy “CB’s” in Okinawa.

Architecture proved to be the path to happiness for Dean and the year 1950 proved to be a landmark year. This year marked the acceptance of his marriage proposal to Peggy and his acceptance to be one of ten members to attend the Architectural Graduate School at UC Berkeley.

Upon Dean’s graduation from CAL with a Master of Arts in Architecture, he volunteered to serve in the Air Force during the Korean War. He took a battery of tests and qualified to be a Second Lieutenant. After basic training at Lackland Field in Texas, Dean was sent to Patrick Air force Base (a support facility for the Infant Missile Test Program at Cape Canaveral). At the end of the war, Dean returned to Sacramento to work as a draftsman for two fine men, Ken Rickey and Fred Brooks; Their stewardship helped define the ethical importance that is so meaningful to the practice of Architecture.

In 1959, Dean made the decision to become a sole practitioner by establishing Dean F. Unger, AIA, Inc. With his wife, Peggy, and their three children, Evan, Lynne and Bruce, Dean developed a loyal clientele. His relationship with long-time local residents and the outstanding reputation of his father (Charles Frederick Unger) and his brother (Wyatt Unger) helped him build his business.

While growing his company, Dean became active in local circles. He served as President for the Central Valley Chapter of The American Institute of Architects. He was also a member of the Sacramento City Housing Appeals Board, and a member of the first Sacramento County Parks and Recreation Commission; this commission coined the name “Discovery Park” and started the American River Parkway right-of-way. Dean served on the Crocker Art Gallery Advisory Board, as well. During his terms of public service, Dean’s Architectural practice grew and produced award-winning designs.

The high-point of his professional service came when State of California Governor, Ronald Reagan, appointed Dean to the State Board of Architectural Examiners’. Dean sat on the board for twelve years, serving four years as Board President. During that period, California was producing more architects than any other state. As President, Dean Unger, signed more “Certificates” for architects than anyone in the world, a feat of which he was very proud.

In 1982, Dean was awarded a Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects by his peers. During his tenure on the State Board of Architectural Examiners, and as a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Board, and as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Dean chaired the group to formulate the National Architect Design Exam, as well as the “Exam for General Knowledge of the Practice of Architecture” during the 1970’s.

Up until a month before his death, Dean continued to practice architecture through his company. The firm, which has been in business for over fifty years, has earned over 40 Design Awards. Dean F. Unger, AIA has over 2,000 successful design and construction projects to its credit. Some of Dean Unger’s most notable work included: the Yolo county Administration Center in Woodland, the Tuolomne County administration Building in Sonora, the Teichert Corporate Headquarters, the Point West Executive Park and the Farm Credit Banks in Sacramento, the Gold River Executive Center in Gold River, the Aspen Neighborhood, 5th & G Plaza, the UC Davis Faculty Club and the Veteran’s Memorial Building in Davis. Before his death he had been actively planning and designing a multi-use project to be built on family held acreage along the Sacramento River in West Sacramento’s Bridge District.

Dean’s younger son, Bruce F. Unger, AIA, a graduate of UC Berkeley Architecture Program, has served as CEO of Dean F. Unger, AIA, Inc. for the last 10 years. Under the leadership of Bruce F. Unger, the firm continues Dean’s legacy of design excellence.

Dean co-founded the Sudwerk Brewery in Davis in 1990, it has received many national and international awards over the years for its outstanding beer, including just recently another Gold Medal for its craft Pilsner at the 2011 California State Fair.

Dean was incredibly fortunate to combine his love of work and family. Besides working alongside his son Bruce for over 30 years, he partnered with his daughter Lynne Unger Yackzan in multiple development projects for 25 years and mentored and invested in his eldest son’s, Evan C. Unger M.D.’s Tucson, Arizona based Biotechnology Companies. In recent years he worked with several of his grandchildren on various design, development and brewing projects.

Dean was affectionately known by his family as “Granddaddy”. Some of his most cherished moments were with his family, especially his grandchildren, fishing trips with family and friends and his visits to his home at Lake Tahoe.

Dean is survived by his wife of 59 years, Peggy Unger, his children, Evan C. Unger (Susan), Lynne Unger Yackzan (Randy) and Bruce F. Unger (Lisa) and his eleven grandchildren, Wyatt, Heather, Lucy, and Bryan Unger, Lisa Yackzan Herrington (Gregg), Kimberly (Kenneth), Trenton, and Scott Yackzan and Dean, Adam and Emelia Unger.