April 2009
Dear Friends of Public Architecture:
 In these all too serious times, it is our pleasure to introduce a special new book with a softer side and important message, playfully named “Mommy & Daddy Do it Pro Bono.” A children’s book written by our friends Aaron Hurst of the Taproot Foundation and Kara Hurst of Business for Social Responsibility, Mommy & Daddy Do It Pro Bono introduces the next generation to the concept of giving back--by giving what you know.
Each of our nearly 500 firm members of The 1% program will be receiving a complimentary copy. Additional copies as well as information volume discounts are available for purchase through the do it pro bono, website and elsewhere.
Public Architecture is delighted to host the first launch party for the book on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:30-8:30pm, to which we invite all friends and supporters. Click here to RSVP for the San Francisco launch or to find out about book signings in other cities.
In closing, we’d like to give a little shout out to our friends down the street at Architecture for Humanity who are celebrating their 10th anniversary today.
John Peterson
Founder & President
Contents:
1. Serve America Act Update
2. Pavement to Parks to Launch Next Month
3. 18 Firms, Including Gensler LA and HLW LA, Join The 1% Program
4. Pro Bono Action Tank Leadership Group Retreat
5. Eizenberg and Forbes Join Public Architecture Board of Directors
6. Volunteer Profile: Steve Sharafian
7. AIA Convention in San Francisco
8. Upcoming Events & Presentations
1. Serve America Act Update
 Last week, the House of Representatives voted 275 to 149 to pass the Kennedy Serve America Act, following a strong bi-partisan vote in the Senate of 79 to 19. The legislation now goes to President Obama, known for his outstanding leadership for the pro bono movement, in making service a "cause of his presidency," who has promised to sign it.
This bi-partisan legislation will dramatically expand national and community service opportunities and support a new generation of social innovation. Now, significantly increased numbers of Americans will have the opportunity to improve our communities through service and social innovation.
Public Architecture has humbly supported this amazing effort through participation in multiple discussions, and in writing emails and letters, all on behalf of our incredible roster of firms and supporters. We should all feel proud to be part of this landmark policy.
Visit www.servicenation.org to learn more about the Serve America Act.
2. Pavement to Parks to Launch Next Month
 Public Architecture’s Open Space Design Initiative will soon expand with the addition of a new project opening in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco next month.
Public Architecture is designing a new pedestrian plaza to be sited at the intersection of 17th and Market Streets. Inspired by New York City’s “Public Plaza Initiative,” the 17th & Market plaza reclaims an underutilized section of the public right of way for pedestrian use. A block of 17th Street is being closed to create the plaza, though the street trolley will continue to pass through the site. The plaza is a temporary street closure, but after a trial period, if the neighborhood is in support of it, it will become permanent. There are roughly 20-30 sites around the city that have been identified as prime locations for such an intervention, so this first plaza is considered to be a pilot project with the potential for significant replication.
In keeping with several of our design and research efforts, salvaged materials will be a significant component of this project. Special thanks to the hundreds of professionals that completed our recent Design for Reuse survey; results and analysis will be forthcoming. Preliminary findings will be presented by Associate Design Director Liz Ogbu at the upcoming Building Materials Reuse Association conference, April 28-30, in Chicago. Registration is available online for this leading national conference on issues related to deconstruction, salvage, and reuse of building materials.
Click here for more details on the conference.
3. 18 Firms, Including Gensler LA and HLW LA, Join The 1% Program in March
 Public Architecture extends a hearty welcome to the 18 new firms and 7 nonprofits that joined The 1% program in March. Click here for a complete list of these new participants.
This month the program welcomed the Los Angeles offices of Gensler as well as HLW International. Combined, these two distinguished design practices have pledged almost 5,000 hours of design services annually, conservatively valued at $500,000.
HLW LA is already hard at work on a pro bono project for Trash for Teaching a nonprofit that collects clean and safe cast-off materials from manufacturing processes (that would otherwise become trash) and repurposes them as educational resources. The project involves converting a 3,500 sq ft storage space into an educational workshop and display area for repurposed materials.
Public Architecture continues to develop case studies to be profiled on our website of pro bono projects and practices that incorporate pro bono service in novel and interesting ways. Please contact the Public Architecture staff at info@publicarchitecture.org to recommend case studies.
Visit www.theonepercent.org for more information.
4. Pro Bono Action Tank Leadership Group Retreat
 Last week, Public Architecture had the honor of participating in a significant two-day retreat for a core group of leaders in the pro bono field. The retreat united the likes of corporate leaders Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One, Deloitte, Gap, Merck, and Target as well as the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, Corporation for National & Community Service, Foundation Center, and the Pro Bono Institute.
This is but one of many significant discussions being spearheaded by the Pro Bono Action Tank, a program of the Taproot Foundation, one of our most important partners. With the support of the aforementioned entities, PBAT has developed a series of valuable new resources for pro bono providers and beneficiaries, which they and we will be introducing in the coming weeks and months.
Visit www.probonoactiontank.org and www.taprootfoundation.org to learn more.
5. Eizenberg and Forbes Join Public Architecture Board of Directors
Public Architecture is pleased to welcome two new members to our board of directors.
 Julie Eizenberg, AIA, is a founding Principal of Koning Eizenberg Architecture, established in 1981 and based in Santa Monica, Calif. Julie is an astute observer and institutional iconoclast leading investigations that reshape the way we think about the conventional buildings of everyday living. Under her and partner Hank Koning’s lead, the firm has earned more than 60 awards for their projects, including 25 AIA awards. They have refocused architects' attention on the value and design potential of socially responsible projects by demonstrating architectural excellence in the design of many tight budget affordable housing projects and community buildings. Julie teaches and lectures around the world, serves as a regular advisor to the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, and is the author of the book Architecture Isn’t Just for Special Occasions.
 Rob Forbes is the head of Studio Forbes, which he established in 2007 to further his interests in design, culture, and commerce. Rob is best known as the founder of Design Within Reach, which he left in 2007, and for his vision which led the business into the leading retail destination for modern design in the U.S. Rob's previous professional experience includes ceramics arts studio work in the U.S. and abroad as well as retail management experience for Williams-Sonoma, London-based Selfridges, The Nature Company, and Smith & Hawken. Rob has served or continues to serve as an advisor or board member to Blu Dot, California College of the Arts, Dwell Magazine, ICFF, Mayors' Institute on City Design, Russell Wright Design Center, SFJAZZ, San Francisco Mayors Council on Greening, and the SFMOMA Architecture & Design Accessions Committee.
6. Volunteer Spotlight: Steve Sharafian
 Public Architecture, which has always relied our supporters’ time and insight, wishes to offer special thanks to Steve Sharafian a partner at Long & Levit LLP. Steve draws on his extensive experience in construction- and design-related agreements in providing pro bono legal counsel to Public Architecture, an invaluable contribution to our organization.. Steve recently received a Special Achievement Award from AIA San Francisco for his exceptional counsel to the architecture profession, and we’d like to join AIASF in recognizing Steve for his many contributions to Public Architecture and the community.
Additionally, we wish to thank our other current and recent volunteers for their service to Public Architecture:
Mary Casper, for Material Reuse research & office administration;
Kristen Dotson, for The 1% resource development;
Diana Mangasser and Amy Ress, for staffing the Matching Audit;
Nick McClintock and Toni Hsu, for their development research efforts;
Mike Murphy and Lola Feiger for their Open Space Strategy design and research assistance;
and Marta Alabau, Rob Clocker, Annie Koo, and Joseph Lee for their Day Labor Station design and research assistance. Click here to learn more Public Architecture volunteer needs and opportunities.
7. AIA Convention in San Francisco
 San Francisco is proud to host the AIA Convention to be held this month from April 30-May 2. Public Architecture will be participating in a number of events detailed below.
Public Architecture is especially proud to announce that our own Liz Ogbu will be keynoting the AIA’s annual Women in Architecture Dinner. A tremendous honor, granted previously to architect and Not-so-Big-House author Sarah Suzanka as well as Perkins+Will design principal and Public Architecture board member Allison Williams, among others, the dinner is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, April 30.
Those attending the convention should make certain to visit Public Architecture at the Holicm Inc. booth, where our Day Labor Station, which was awarded a Silver Medal in North America by the company’s Foundation for Sustainable Construction, will be profiled. The booth will be located on the floor of the convention Expo. See below and visit Public Architecture’s website for more of our convention activities.
8. Upcoming Events & Presentations
April 15, 2009 | San Francisco, CA
Mommy & Daddy Do It Pro Bono Launch Party [RSVP]
Hosts & Distribution Partners
April 28-30, 2009 | Chicago, IL
Decon 09: Building Material Research Association Annual Conference
Invited panelist, “Integrating Recycling and Reuse into Green Building Practices”
April 30-May 2, 2009 | San Francisco, CA AIA National Convention
Keynote speaker, Women in Architecture Dinner
Invited panelist, "Architecture for Social Responsibility" (F56)
Invited panelist, "The Power of Pro Bono in Practice" (S31)
May 4-5, 2009 | New Canaan, CT
The Philip Johnson Glass House
Co-organizer, Citizen Designer Conversation
May 27-29, 2009 | Oxford
The Ditchley Foundation
Invited participant, "How do Architecture and Society Interrelate?
 Established in 2002, Public Architecture identifies and solves practical problems of human interaction in the built environment and acts as a catalyst for public discourse through education, advocacy, and the design of public spaces and amenities. Visit www.publicarchitecture.org for more information.
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