Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Dustin L. Littrell

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue are back w/ ZETA Communities

2011-02-12T00:09:04Z

In the residential sector, a building that produces as much energy as it consumes, or a Net Zero Energy (NZE) Building, is increasingly technologically viable. Yet, to achieve true scalability, these high-quality, efficient and architecturally advanced buildings must be coupled with affordability.

Please join us on Wednesday Evening, Feb 23th beginning at 5:45PM at the AIACV Chapter Office for this month’s 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD) where Shilpa Sankaran and Taeko Takagi of ZETA Communities will discuss an innovative approach to achieving affordability with offsite precision-building. The team will also present project case studies and live energy performance tracked by the DOE Building America program.

The event is FREE and open to anyone and NO rsvp required, Refreshments will be provided. See the FLYER for more information.

What: 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD) – ZETA Communities
When: Wednesday, February 23rd @ 5:45-7:30pm
Where: AIACV Chapter Office, 1400 S Street, Sacramento (Enter on 14th Street)

UDA / AIACV: Open Design Dialogue

2010-10-25T18:08:02Z

AIACV / UDA Present:

Open
Design
Dialogue

What does the future of Architectural Design hold for our City?
This is an open discussion about the role that architecture and design plays in our regions post-recession rebound.

Free Admission
Wednesday, Oct. 27th
Doors open at 5:30pm
Program from 6:00-7:30pm
AIA Central Valley Chapter Office
1400 S Street (Enter on 14th Street)

9/22/10: 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue, "Midtown Pilot Alley"

2010-09-20T15:24:30Z

This Wednesday's Design Dialogue will feature a presentation on the "Delivery of the Midtown Pilot Alley" by Julie Young with the Alley Activation Group and Steve Cohn, Council Member, City of Sacramento. Both Julie Young and Steve Cohn spearheaded the effort to implement a pilot project to activate the alley between 18th and 17th Streets/ L Street and Capital Ave that is currently under construction. On the 2nd year anniversary of UDA's "Imagine Alley Event", Council Member Cohn and Julie Young will present on the status of the Midtown Pilot Alley, global efforts to activate alleys, and efforts to name Sacramento's alleys.

Join UDA and the AIA for a discussion and idea session on future steps to activate Sacramento's Alleys.

Topic: “Midtown Pilot Alley”
Presenters: Steve Cohn & Julie Young
Date: Wednesday, September 22nd
Time: Doors at 5:30 PM/ Program 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Location: AIACV Chapter Office – Gallery, 1400 S Street (please enter on 14th Street)
Info: Free Admisson
Please click on the link to view the flyer

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue - "Original Projects" with Nathan Wieler

2010-08-23T21:35:24Z

Please join us once again for this month’s Fourth Wednesday Design Dialogue (FWDD) as we discuss Original Projects with Nathan Wieler.

Nathan Wieler, originator of projects like the Dwell Home, Modern Birdhouses, The Greenbelt House, Harvest Farm Community, Development Supported Agriculture, and Zoom Culture talks about the stories behind each project, along with lessons learned and applied to his new collaborative venture Original Projects.

Topic: “Original Projects”
Date: Wednesday, August 25th
Time: 5:45 – 7:30 PM
Location: AIACV Chapter Office – Gallery, 1400 S Street (please enter on 14th Street)
Info: Free Admisson
Please click on the link to view the flyer

The Next American Dream...Is Sacramento Ready?

2010-08-17T18:19:51Z

The Next American Dream

Is Sacramento Ready?

We used to get dressed up to go “downtown.”

It was an occasion.

It was the place to be.

It was the energy of every growing city.

But times changed.

Suburbia was born.

And we deserted downtown.

It’s time to rebuild our urban cores.

Does Sacramento have the will to rebuild?

Please join us at the Crest Theatre

for a screening of

The Next American Dream,

a documentary film about a downtown coming back to life.

Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010

Social Hour – 5 to 6 p.m.

Screening – 6 to 7:00 p.m.

After-Party – Social Nightclub (10th & K)

Please click on the link below to confirm your attendance!
http://thenextamericandream.eventbrite.com/

This screening was not brought to you by an association, a chamber, a media outlet, a developer, a politician or the filmmaker. This film was brought to you by people who call Sacramento home. Most importantly, this film was brought to you by a group of people who are ready to change the landscape of our region.

For more information about The Next American Dream, visit www.nextamericandream.com or email us at thewilltorebuild@gmail.com

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue – “Aspen Project”

2010-07-27T15:00:19Z

Please join us once again for this month’s Fourth Wednesday Design Dialogue (FWDD) as we discuss the Aspen Project with Randy Sater of Teichert Land Co.

Topic: “Aspen Project”
Date: Wednesday, July 28th
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Location: AIACV Chapter Office – Gallery, 1400 S Street (please enter on 14th Street)
Info: Free Admisson
Please click on the link to view the flyer

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue, “Transportation – Moving Forward”

2010-06-18T00:24:06Z

At the next 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue, City of Sacramento Senior Planner – Jim McDonald will be reviewing the City’s General Plan, comparing the 1988 version and it’s evolution into the 2030 General Plan. Jim will also be discussing the implementation of the Blueprint, creation of neighborhoods, recognition of urban design, support for transit and complete streets policies.

Additionally, we will review a number of the City’s key implementation tools, including: Pedestrian Friendly Street Standards, Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plans, the City’s Revised Level of Service Policy and the Shovel Ready Development Program.

Presenter: Jim McDonald – Senior Planner, City of Sacramento

Topic: “Transportation – Moving Forward”

Date: Wednesday, June 23rd

Time: 5:45 – 7:30 PM

Location: AIACV Chapter Office – Gallery, 1400 S Street (please enter on 14th Street)

Info: Light refreshments provided, contact Dustin Littrell for additional info at dustinlittrell@hotmail.com

Please click on the link to view the flyer

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue – “On The Riverfront”

2010-05-24T20:09:36Z

Please join Urban Design Alliance for our 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue, May 26th from 6-7:30pm, to discuss current development projects along Sacramento Riverfront.

Featured guest include staff from the City of Sacramento (Rachel Hazlewood and Beth Tincher), the City of West Sacramento (Katy Jacobson) and local historian William Burg. This dialogue will provide a historical context for past landuses and activities on the riverfront and how they relate to redevelopment today. Speakers will also discuss opportunities and challenges to riverfront development.

Topic: On The Riverfront: Exploring Sacramento’s Evolving Riverfront

Presenters: William Burg, Rachel Hazlewood and Beth Tincher (City of Sacramento), Katy Jacobson (City of West Sacramento)

When: Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Time: 6-7:30pm

Where: AIA Central Valley Gallery, 1400 S Street, Sacramento

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue – “The American Suburbs”

2010-04-27T19:17:46Z

Please join us once again for this month’s Fourth Wednesday Design Dialogue (FWDD) as we explore the American Suburbs with Sacramento Architect, and recent TEDx Sacramento presenter David Mogavero:

Experimental design may not seem appropriate for Sacramento’s Central City, but the unique set of constraints existing in a less-urban fabric is an ideal setting.

Among Sacramento’s suburbs exist great opportunities, where the outcome has the potential for huge impacts on the region. It’s here that design challenges and a convergence of cultures are giving way to a unique new paradigm. Reduced traffic congestion and access to affordable housing are just a few of the results when we explore the Next Design Frontier – The American Suburbs.

Presenter: David Mogavero, AIA – Principal, Mogavero Notestine Associates

Topic: “Next Design Frontier – The American Suburbs”

Date: Wednesday, April 28th

Time: 5:30 – 7:30 PM

Location: AIACV Chapter Office – Gallery, 1400 S Street (please enter on 14th Street)

Info: Light refreshments provided, contact Dustin Littrell for additional info at dustinlittrell@hotmail.com

Please click on the link to view the flyer

The following is an excerpt from April 21, 2010 Sacramento Press story on the TEDx event:

Next was a live presentation titled “David Mogavero: An American Frontier.” Mogavero is senior principal at Mogavero Notestine Associates, with special expertise in the areas of ecological building, environmental planning, infill development, urban design and energy-efficient design.

Mogavero said the suburbs are a unique American institution, generating vast amounts of appreciation and scorn. Suburbs are the most inefficient form of human habitation ever done on earth, and an important place for focusing on environmental change in America, he said.

He started his practice by doing passively heated homes for people moving back to the land, mostly hippies. He realized that if he was going to be an ecoarchitect he had to work in the fabric of the community. He has done infill work in Sacramento and throughout Northern California.
The quantity of issues relative to urban sprawl are immense. People are moving back to urban America in large quantities, mostly in central cities. This has both limitations and opportunities for capturing infill growth.
In Sacramento, we build on average about 10,000 homes per year. Sacramento can only handle 19,000 new units – about two years of growth. The opportunity is tens of thousand of acres of underutilized areas such as parking lots, vacant housing and shopping center spaces, which can be eliminated for hundreds of thousands of houses and apartments.
When you have to design in these kinds of situations, you take the perspective of “do no harm.” You’re trying to instill more density but have an industrial complex that causes you to be creative. As an example, there is a commercial district in Yuba City – an opportunity to put people in a place with a services available now.

For Mogavero this is like jazz, which emerged from a convergence of cultures. Architectural development design is fascinating and fun for him for reasons like this: With a 10- or 15-acre site in the suburbs, you can integrate food into the project through agriculture. A community can be involved in the growing of food. There is also an opportunity for technology, which is more challenging in the city. Holistic integrated systems flowing back and forth continuously are possible in such areas. This is one of the most exciting venues in American building culture.

Negative Space - Architecture Matters Design Forum

2010-03-30T15:31:19Z

Join hosts Saxon Sigerson, AIA Arturo Levenfeld, AIA and Kris Barkley, AIA for a casual evening of design presentations and discussion centered around three examples of negative space: The Piazza San Marco in Venice; the open plaza at the Salk Institute; and Pershing Square in Los Angeles.

This topic is relevant as the City of Sacramento will soon be issuing an open design competition for recreating Capitol Mall. As the mall is the most prominent “negative” space in Sacramento it is important to achieve success with whatever solution is finally implemented.

The evening’s emphasis will be an open forum discussion of design as it relates to solutions for disparate negative spaces. What does it take to activate an open space and is design a critical element? Do any of the presented spaces offer any insight or act as examples of what not to do?

Date: Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Time: 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Location: AIA Central Valley Chapter Office 1400 S Street, Suite 1 Sacramento

AIA/CES: 1.5 Learning Units

Cost: $10 per person (+ ser vice fee at Brown Paper Tickets; includes pizza, tap beer and non-alcoholic beverages)

RSVP: Brown Paper Tickets www.brownpaper tickets.com/event/105730

Questions: Kim Anderson kanderson@aiacv.org 916-379-8798

"Under The Radar" - 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue

2010-03-12T18:21:25Z

Urban Design, and more specifically infill design, has become one of the most desired types of development in the central city and surrounding residential neighborhoods. With continued concerns about the city's design review process, lack of neighborhood support and a host of other issues, architects often find it challenging to fully expressing themselves through their architecture.

After living and practicing architecture in Sacramento for several years, David Sarti of Flex Architecture will reframe this discussion, focusing on his "Little Red House" and discussing the opportunities created by building small, asking the question: "Why is Sacramento so slow to embrace modern Architecture?"

David's affordable-modern approach to design has landed his "Little Red House" in countless blogs including Apartment Therapy, Future House Now and Small House Style in addition to the pages of Dwell magazine and Metropolis. By designing small, urban and affordable David sees this as an "Under the Radar" path to a more interesting Sacramento.

What: "Under the Radar" - Building Small in Sacramento

Who: David Sarti, Architect, Flex Architecture

When: Wednesday, March 24th @ 5:45-7:30pm

Where: AIACV Chapter Office, 1400 S Street (enter on 14th Street; accessible)

Info: See attached flyer for additional info, questions: contact Dustin Littrell, dustinlittrell@hotmail.com

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue - Parking Master Plan Update

2010-02-23T20:31:06Z

The Urban Design Alliance has invited Howard Chan, the City of Sacramento’s Parking Services Manager, to speak about the Central City Parking Master Plan Update at it's monthly Design Dialogue. Parking is a significant component of any urban development project and impacts the quality of urban spaces. Please join us for an interesting conversation with Howard Chan.

Topic: The Central City Parking Master Plan Update

Presenter: Howard Chan, City of Sacramento, Parking Services Manager

When: Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 5:45pm

Where: AIA Conference Room, 1400 S Street (enter from 14th Street; accessible)

Howard’s talk will cover: Central City Parking Master Plan Update

*Background

*Supply and Demand Analysis

*Efficiency Gains through use of Technology

*Planning Policy Revisions

*Economic Development Implications

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue - PARKING!

2010-02-18T21:27:15Z

Parking is a significant component of any urban development project and impacts the quality of urban spaces. Please join us for a conversation with Howard Chan, the City of Sacramento’s Parking Services Manager, who will speak about the Central City Parking Master Plan Update.

Howard’s talk will cover:

*Central City Parking Master Plan Update

*Background

*Supply and Demand Analysis

*Efficiency Gains through use of Technology

*Planning Policy Revisions

*Economic Development Implications

Topic: The Central City Parking Master Plan Update

Presenter: Howard Chan, City of Sacramento, Parking Services Manager

When: Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 5:45pm

Where: AIA Conference Room, 1400 S Street (enter from 14th Street; accessible)

Design Dialogue (FWDD) - Integrating Climate + Form

2010-01-15T19:22:30Z

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (FWDD)

WHEN: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 ... 6-7:30 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
WHERE: AIA Conference Room, 1400 S Street (enter from 14th Street; accessible)

PRESENTER: Matthew Piner, Owner/Principal, PinerWorks Architectural & Building Group
TOPIC: Integrating Climate + Form: A Valley City in Paradise ... please see attached flyer and feel free to post it in your workplace, if such posting is authorized.

PROGRAM DETAILS:
How do designers' and builders' responses to climate become elements of architectural form and style? Sacramento architect and green builder Matt Piner will discuss examples from local, global, and historical perspectives on certain architectural forms that are so prominent as to have their own name originated as building responses to the peculiarities of local climates.

VISUALS: Sacramento designer Noel Cruz, in collaboration with Matt Piner, has produced a slide show of images to illustrate the relationship between climate and architectural forms. These images will replay throughout the presentation and the dialogue.

LIGHT REFRESHMENTS: UDA will provide pretzels and filtered water. If you would like to bring additional food or drink to share, please feel free to do so.

VOLUNTEERS: If you are available to come by the AIA Conference Room at 5:00 p.m. on January 27 to help set up the room, we would greatly appreciate your help.

QUESTIONS: If you have questions, please contact Deanna Marquart: (916) 444-2042 or marquart-policy@comcast.net.

Makers Lab 2nd Sat. Mini-Furniture Show

2010-01-08T23:54:57Z

The Makers Lab is Sacramento’s newest design-build group and artist collaborative. The Makers Lab will be showcasing a small body of work from some of it’s most prolific members at the Applied Arts building this Saturday.

Located at 2418 K street the Applied Arts Building is a new center for emerging architecture and design in the Sacramento region.

The Makers Lab will be showing a variety of built work ranging from custom tables, lighting, mobiles, fine art and reclaimed objects. Brian Schmitt will be spinning some great dance music to set the mood for the pioneering new event series. Come check out this innovative new group of artists and craftsmen.

Saturday, Jan 9th

6-9pm

Applied Arts Bldg

2418 K st.

DIY's House Crashers Invade Locals Loft

2009-12-02T01:15:24Z

The DIY Network will feature one of Sacramento's very own on the Wednesday, December 3rd episode of House Crashers. Eli Bob, a bartender and native Sacramentan is the owner of a loft at the 4th Avenue Lofts development in Oak Park which was recently the focus of a "crash". Eli's loft was inundated with droves of contractors, production crew, friends and host Josh Temple back in October for three days during the remodel.

The upcoming episode entitled, "Rock N Roll Loft Lounge" the shows website describes the crash as follows: A single young bartender transforms his plain loft into a place to mix up drinks, fun and edgy style. With a stone covered wall, mounted stainless fireplace, diamond plate dining room table and leather flooring, the living area becomes a hip hangout for entertaining.

House Crashers is ambush renovation at its best. Host and contractor Josh Temple stalks a big-box home improvement store looking for unsuspecting weekend warriors, then follows them home with a large crew of experts in tow. Watch as stunned homeowners who journeyed into the store to fix a simple leaky faucet end up winning the remodeling lottery with dramatic, eye-popping room transformations.

Tune in at the following times (Check local listings for times and channels):

December 02, 2009 - 10:00 PM e/p

December 02, 2009 - 1:00 AM e/p

December 16, 2009 - 10:30 PM e/p

December 16, 2009 - 1:30 AM e/p

Old Soul at 40 Acres To Host Thanksgiving Food Drive

2009-11-26T00:17:11Z

Old Soul Co. is hosting the "Soul of the Soul" Food Donation Drive on Thanksgiving Day at it's newest location in Oak Park. The local coffee company is slated to open its doors to the neighborhood in early 2010 with it's third retail location. Old Soul will replace the now closed Starbuck's that once anchored the 40 Acres Art Gallery complex when it was remodeled back in 2003.

According to the company's website, One of the guiding principles of Old Soul from the beginning has always been "to be better tomorrow than we are today"; in our minds, this principle includes everything from our own individual self improvement to our overall product improvement. We recognize how these principles have shaped both ourselves and our business and have made them both successful; along those lines, we have started a community outreach program called 'The Soul of the Soul".

With Soul of the Soul we will be planning monthly volunteer projects within our communtiy in which any Old Soul employee, customer or client can participate. All projects will be based as locally as possible in order to maximize our influence on our immediate community. Old Soul will try to provide transportation and arrange carpools whenever feasible.

All are invited, FREE T-shirts, coffee, pastries & yummy food from Rick Mahan of The Waterboy!

When: Thursday, November 26, 2009 - Thanksgiving Day
Where: Old Soul at 40 Acres in Oak Park, Broadway @ 35th Street
When: 12:00 - 3:00 PM
What: "Soul of the Soul" Food Donation Drive

Architecture Matters Design Forum returns in December

2009-11-13T18:13:47Z

Join hosts Saxon Sigerson, AIA, Arturo Levenfeld, AIA, and Kris Barkley, AIA, for a casual evening of design presentations and discussion centered around three architecturally significant contemporary buildings.

As a follow-up to the first Design Forum in August we will be exploring different facets of contemporary architecture by comparing three significantly different buildings: St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco; Our Lady of Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles and the Seattle Public Library.

The evening’s emphasis will be an open forum discussion of design as it relates to context and program by exploring the architect’s design solutions.

Are these projects timeless in nature?

Do they offer an aesthetic that supports their program?

Or do either of these traits really matter?

Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: AIA Central Valley Chapter Office 1400 S Street, Suite 1 Sacramento
AIA/CES: 1.5 Learning Units
Cost: $10 per person (+ service fee at Brown Paper Tickets; includes pizza and drinks)
RSVP: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/90176
Questions: Kim Anderson, kanderson@aiacv.org

Powerhouse Science Center - FWDD

2009-10-28T19:29:27Z

Please join us as AIACV presents the Fourth Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD)) Tonight, October 28th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Chapter office.

This month AIA members Jason Silva and Courtney McLeod-Golden from Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects will be speaking and sharing images from the proposed Powerhouse Science Center located on Jiboom Street. This is an adaptive reuse project utilizing the Old PG&E Power Station adjacent to Lionakis' Water Intake facility and pedestrian plaza along the banks of the Sacramento River.

The Vision:
The Powerhouse Science Center will be the premier science & space learning center serving Northern California. It will serve as a model for 21st-century experiential education in science, math, technology, engineering, and space and an exemplary green building that serves as an environmental teaching lab.

The Site Plan:
Located on the Sacramento River in the River District, the historic PG&E Power Station is the first-choice location because the Power Station's position on the riverfront is highly visible, creating greater awareness of the Center.

The Promise:
The Powerhouse Science Center will feature generous exhibit space for current and traveling exhibits as well as a newly expanded and updated Planetarium & Challenger Learning Center. Movies, laser shows, and astronomy programs, a cafe with outdoor seating and more will be part of the Powerhouse Science Center.

This event is free. Light refreshments will be provided. The Chapter office is located at 1400 S Street, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95811.

Old Soul Co. Holds Open House In Oak Park

2009-10-17T00:01:08Z

Old Soul Co., a local roaster, baker and coffeehouse currently operating at two locations in midtown, announced it will be opening its third location at the 40 Acres Art Gallery and Cultural Center in Oak Park. The community and local media are invited to an Open House, where the Mayor and local civic and business leaders help Old Soul Co. celebrate the growth and renewal of a vibrant and vital neighborhood.

With a proven track record of investment and commitment to the community they live in, Jason Griest and Tim Jordan are proud to bring the Old Soul Co. brand to another corner of the central city that they love and admire; with renewed investment of time, energy and financial resources, these owners are excited about all that the Oak Park community has to offer, and are thankful to St. Hope Development for sharing in their vision of creating "THE" community gathering spot for the area.

WHO: Owners – Tim Jordan and Jason Griest
Mayor Kevin Johnson
Council member Lauren Hammond
Oak Park Business Association President Terre Johnson
Community members and supporters

WHAT: Open House; Meet-n-Greet; Coffee and Pastry Giveaway

WHEN: MONDAY, October 19, 2009 at 11:00am – 4:00pm

WHERE: 3546 3rd Avenue, 40 Acres Art Gallery and Cultural Center (former site of Starbucks Coffee Co.)

Infill, What's the Appropriate Response?

2009-08-25T22:49:11Z

AIACV proudly presents the 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue!

Architect Bruce Monighan will share his experiences and insights related to infill development. Mr. Monighan has the ability to hear and relate to all sides of the "infill story" and will invite those in attendance to consider options about which they may have strong opinions, whether for or against. The goal is for attendees to leave the meeting with an enlightened perspective and new appreciation for the role of the architect in meeting the challenges of designing new buildings to fit within existing neighborhoods.

Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Place: AIACV Gallery

Cost: Free

Contact: Dustin Littrell, dustinlittrell@hotmail.com

Light refreshments will be provided. Please stop by and join us for a lively discussion.

Note: The Design Dialogue in September is tentatively scheduled to take place on the 5th Wednesday, September 30. The topic is K Street, and the venue for this meeting may be at a location on K Street downtown. Please save the date and watch for future notices about Design Dialogue in September!

UDA Design Dialogue: Urban Agriculture

2009-07-22T00:25:38Z

UDA Design Dialogue: Design Challenges for Urban Agriculture

The Urban Design Alliance of Sacramento sponsors Design Dialogues once every-other-month, each dialogue covers a different topic related to urban design in our city. The next dialogue topic, "Design Challenges for Urban Agriculture," will be Wednesday, July 22nd from 6 to 7:30pm at the AIA office Central Valley Conference Room, 1400 S Street (enter on 14th Street)

The main presenter will be Bill Maynard, the City of Sacramento's Community Garden Coordinator. This month's dialogue is envisioned as a workshop/charrette, during which time participants will break into small groups to brainstorm and design 6 different edible urban gardens. Each site will have opportunities and constraints associated with it (for example, contaminated soil, water access, curb appeal, etc). We want to see how creative participants can be in overcoming the many obstacles for small-scale urban agriculture in Sacramento!

Come join us for this exciting workshop!

Urban Design Alliance of Sacramento
www.udasacramento.org

UDA's Design Dialogue: Architecture For Humanity - SF

2009-06-22T22:13:46Z

As part of the Urban Design Alliance's dialogue series, Stacy Jed, a Steering Committee Member for the San Francisco chapter of Architecture for Humanity , will be discussing the importance of pro bono design services and the work that AfH has done locally and around the world.

Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: AIACV Gallery – Enter on 14th Street

Light refreshments will be provided.

Transportation & Parking: Bikes are welcome — bring your own lock. The AIA facility is 1-1/2 blocks from the Light Rail station on 13th between Q & R. On-street parking is available and some of the neighboring businesses allow shared parking in their empty off- street lots in the evening.

Some background information: Architecture for Humanity is a catalyst for innovation. We learn by doing. We know the value of sharing success stories and lessons learned—our own as well as those of others. To foster knowledge sharing and promote best practices, we developed the Open Architecture Network (www.openarchitecturenetwork.org). This groundbreaking on-line network empowers architects, designers, builders and their clients to share architectural plans and drawings—including CAD files. All plans are shared through an open-source model and can be freely downloaded by all.

Each year 10,000 people directly benefit from structures designed by Architecture for Humanity.

Architecture for Humanity brings people who care about sustainable development together. We provide a range of design and construction administration services to partners and clients through a global network of design, development and construction professionals with local expertise and knowledge.

Design is important to every aspect of our lives. It informs the places in which we live, work, learn, heal and gather. We engage all stakeholders in the design process. We believe our clients are designers in their own right.

Design is the ultimate renewable resource.

http://urbandesignalliance.wordpress.com/news/

http://www.architectureforhumanity.org/

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD)

2009-05-26T20:19:11Z

BROADWAY: THE EDGE EFFECT

· Wednesday, May 27, 2009 … 6:00-7:30 p.m. (doors open at 5:30)

· 1400 S Street, AIA/CV Conference Room (enter from 14th Street, NOT S Street … wheelchair accessible)

· FREE EVENT … sponsored by Urban Design Alliance (UDA), American Institute of Architects, Central Valley (AIA/CV), and, for May 2009, also The Greater Broadway Partnership (GBP)

· Special refreshments will be provided by The Greater Broadway Partnership

· Come early! Display boards will be available to view before the program starts promptly at 6:00.

Concept – At 4WDD in May, we want to explore ways in which Broadway stabilizes and enriches the neighborhoods on either side of it. “Edge effect” is a term borrowed from ecology, where it refers to activity in the areas between land uses. Broadway exhibits a degree of diversity that is similar to nature’s edge effect. Specifically, it attracts people from a mixture of backgrounds and neighborhoods to partake of offerings in entertainment, dining, and everything from unique microbusinesses to multinational retail. This unusually broad array of commercial activity is further variable, depending on the time of day. On Broadway, these characteristics add up to a high-energy center that feels generally safe as a place to congregate and thus draws people from other parts of the city as well as from adjacent neighborhoods. Any number of other well-known streets in Sacramento have many of the same characteristics but do not enjoy Broadway’s reputation and status as a destination. But part of what makes Broadway vibrant is that it is in never-ending flux, ensuring that unpredictable changes and new development will occur. The question of interest for urban design is: Will future development enhance or diminish Broadway’s “edge effect”?

Presenters –

· Tina Suarez-Murias, AICP, is an environmental planner who brought the “edge-effect” concept to the 4WDD Committee. She will introduce and further explain this concept and its parallels with life on Broadway.

· Robin Datel, Ph.D., is an urban geographer and currently serves as Chair of the Geography Department at CSUS. Dr. Datel is an advisor to Capitol Public Radio’s “Around the World in 30 Blocks,” an audio tour of Broadway’s ethnic restaurants. She will provide a timeline to help illuminate the historical transformations along Broadway and refer to specific development “stories” as examples.

· David de la Pena, LEED AP, is a UDA Board Member, a practicing architect and urban designer with Mogavero Notestine Associates, and adjunct faculty in Landscape Architecture at UC Davis. He will frame the role of the community designer and discuss the relevance of work that his students completed last year on the Broadway corridor.

Visual Presentations -- Continuous slide show comprised of photographs and renderings depicting current conditions on, and proposed developments for, Broadway *** Student work from UC/Davis

Dialogue -- UDA encourages attendees to arrive early in order to have time to view the displays prior to the opening presentations. Following the panelists’ remarks, Brian Fischer, Director of Business Development, Sales, and Marketing for Midtown Grid, will facilitate a dialogue that ensures everyone an opportunity to ask a question and/or offer a comment on the presented concepts and information.

Questions? Please contact Deanna Marquart, UDA Vice President, marquart-policy@comcast.net, (916) 444-2042.

Information about UDA: www.udasacramento.org

Guerrilla Art - To Be Continued...

2009-05-05T17:45:50Z

Shrouded in a bit of secrecy, it was started late last night at about 10pm. The guerrilla artists came in with little more than a flashlight, ladder and a can of blue spray paint. I contemplated approaching the duo to see what they were up to, but instead allowed them to continue working as it appeared time was of the essence. Rain was approaching and they appeared to be working very quickly. I watched them for a few minutes before leaving them to their work.

To my delight, I walked over this morning to discover the beautifully outlined beginnings of a large mural.

It appears to depict 4 figures total, 3 females and 1 male. One of the figure stands alone and appears to be spraying someone or something while the other three are closer to one another.

This is the positive change I hope to see in this neighborhood; Guerrilla Art, not gang tags. Thank you!

To see the progress, visit OakParkNow for mural updates.

HLA to host Urban Cycling Clinic

2009-04-22T19:58:52Z

This Thursday, April 23rd from noon to 1:00 pm, HLA will be hosting a lunchtime Urban Cycling Clinic, presented by Erin Reschke of the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen. The clinic is intended to provide useful information both to beginners and more experienced urban.

This lunchtime presentation and discussion will address issues relevant to both seasoned commuters and new cyclists.

Topics covered include:
Legal rights and responsibilities
Positioning yourself in traffic
Common collisions and strategies to avoid them
Communication skills
Route Planning Skills
Necessary Equipment

HLA is located at 1050 20th Street in the MARRS building.

Please RSVP to echandler@hlagroup.com by Wednesday, 5:00 pm

Sacramento's catalyst developments

2009-04-20T19:34:10Z

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS - CENTRAL VALLEY (AIACV) presents - 4th WEDNESDAY DESIGN DIALOGUE
Join your neighbors, colleagues and friends for the 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue series returning monthly in 2009.Each even numbered month this year, the AIACV will present an Architecture related topic while each odd numbered month, UDA-Sacramento will be presenting a Planning related topic.

April’s AIACV Design Dialogue will focus on CATALYST DEVELOPMENTS with a panel presentation by:

Ron Vrilakas, Principal, Vrilakas Architects
Michael Malinowski, Principal, Applied Architecture Inc.
Desmond Parrington, Infill Coordinator, City of Sacramento

Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Location: AIA/CV Gallery – Enter on 14th Street

Light refreshments will be provided.

“Catalyst Developments” will consist of a panel discussion and a facilitated question & answer session. Panelists Ron Vrilakas along with Michael Malinowski, will briefly present and discuss their experiences in creating some of Sacramento’s most recognized infill developments. City of Sacramento Infill Coordinator Desmond Parrington will also be on hand to shed some light on Sacramento’s plans for future infill and some of the challenges architects and developers are facing. A dialogue between attendees and panelists will follow to discuss the influence development has had on Sacramento’s urban neighborhoods.

Transportation & Parking: Bikes are welcome -- bring your own lock. The AIA facility is 1-1/2 blocks from the Light Rail station on 13th between Q & R. On-street parking is available and some of the neighboring businesses allow shared parking in their empty off-street lots in the evening.

In May, the topic for UDA's 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue will focus on the Broadway Corridor in Sacramento. We have an exciting lineup of topics planned for this year’s series. Design Dialogues will occur on the last Wednesday of each month, so check

Questions: Dustin Littrell, Associate Director AIACV, dustinlittrell@hotmail.com

Information about AIACV: http://www.aiacv.org

DOC Proposal: Eliminate Design Review - Oak Park Neighborhood Assoc.

2009-03-31T19:21:56Z

The Oak Park Neighborhood Association's next meeting (April 2, 5:30, Oak Park Community Center, 3425 MLK Jr. Blvd) will include a presentation by Brian Holloway and other DOC and City Staff discussing the proposal to eliminate the Design Review Commission.

We are inviting other Neighborhood Associations, groups and communities to attend as to get a good cross section of our community as a whole and to document the response. The idea is to bring this back to the city council, showing the public outcry for the entire Design Review process.

Our objective is that we get as much of the surrounding communities to show up as possible and to ensure that our response is not misrepresented by either city staff or DOC members when they return to council with their report.

The meeting will be on April 2 at 5:30 pm, Oak Park Community Center, 3425 MLK Jr. Blvd.

ALLEYS IN SACRAMENTO'S FUTURE

2009-03-23T21:09:38Z

Urban Design Alliance-Sacramento (UDA) presents 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue:

When: March 25, 2009, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Where: AIA Conference Room, 1400 S Street (wheelchair accessible)
Admission: FREE EVENT, open to anyone who cares about design. Please come early, several displays to view!

Panel Presentation -- UDA has asked the two developers on the panel -- Jeremy Drucker and Aaron Zeff -- to describe what they initially saw, including where, that inspired them to come up with a comparable development concept for an alley in Sacramento. Tom Pace, the City of Sacramento's Long Range Planning Manager, will comment on alley concepts he has seen in a variety of locations; in addition, he will provide information on the "density bonus for alleys" that is included in the recently approved General Plan.

Visual Presentations -- UDA will provide a continuous slide show comprised of alley photographs from around Sacramento, California, other cities and states, and other countries. *** Developers Drucker and Zeff will display renderings of the concepts they are in various stages of proposing. *** Terry Green (Williams+Paddon) will display boards that depict a color-coding scheme for alley ID-&-safety. *** Ron Vrilakas (Vrilakas Architects) will display boards that depict alley landscaping and traffic management concepts suitable for alley-fronting retail and residences.

Dialogue -- UDA encourages attendees to arrive early in order to have time to view the displays prior to the opening presentation. Following the panel, Brian Fischer, Director of Business Development, Sales, and Marketing for Midtown Grid, will facilitate a dialogue that ensures everyone an opportunity to ask a question and/or offer a comment on the presented concepts and information.

Light Refreshments -- water and snacks (e.g., pretzels, crackers)

Questions: Deanna Marquart, UDA Vice President, marquart-policy@comcast.net, (916) 444-2042

Information about UDA: www.udasacramento.org [recently reconstructed and updated]

City Council Meet-up Party: Democracy 101

2009-03-09T20:30:40Z

Come join your fellow neighbors, entrepreneurs, activist and (you fill in the blank) to see Democracy in action. The 100 Minds group, an Oak Park based Think Tank, is hosting "City Council Meet-up Party: Democracy 101" at tomorrow's Council meeting.

Participants are encouraged to wear your Bikeramento shirt, LJ Urban shirt, Sacramento Park(ing) Day shirt or whatever cause you're passionate and a laptop for live twittering, blogging or transcribing of the evenings discussion.

You'll have the opportunity to see how democracy works on a local level and the steps necessary to take action. We'd like to show the City Council that we mean business with a large turnout of local leaders. This is Crowdsourcing in action!

When: Tuesday, March 10th @ 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Where: New City Hall, 915 I St., Sacramento, CA
What to bring: Your favorite shirt and your laptop!
Agenda: click for agenda

Armstrong's TT Bike Located?

2009-02-18T22:32:37Z

I’ve just learned that the stolen Lance Armstrong Time Trial bike, valued at $10,000 and used in the Sacramento Prologue of the Amgen Tour of California, has been located. A race announcer breaks the story on the Live Tour Tracker. No confirmation as of yet from local authorities, but it was rumor by the same announcer that someone from local law enforcement leaked the photos on a twitter page. Armstrong's own twitter page claims that another bike has also be recovered, that of Team Astana Cycling's, Jani Brajkovic.