July 2010
Dear Friends of Public Architecture,
 One of the pro bono projects we feature frequently around here is the nonprofit Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP). The vision of the organization's extraordinary founder, Martha Ryan, makes it a heartening story in and of itself. Martha and her staff aim to provide poor and homeless families the opportunity to end childhood poverty. HPP is, however, also a story of how a quality facility can have a profound impact on an organization's ability to serve their mission. For me personally, it is a proud but awkward story because my private practice, Peterson Architects, was the pro bono architect. That said most of the design decisions that you see is really someone else's work. In brief, we guided HPP away from constructing a new building and instead advised them to purchase an existing one that only needed modest renovation. These decisions ultimately saved HPP a large amount of money, allowed them to serve a couple thousand more families and helped elevate the organization to higher level of performance.
Recently, we have been upgrading our public presentation with the help of the talented graphic designer, Alex Lin of the Brooklyn-based design firm, Studio Lin. HPP was an integral part of the story we wanted to tell. Mark Darley had previously done a great job of photographing the building unoccupied, but for the presentation we wanted to show how building was being used. Last week we revisited HPP here in San Francisco with photographer, Carla Dal Mas. When a building services its purpose, it falls into the background, making room for the foreground of people's everyday use. Alvaro Siza wrote that buildings are like big dumb beasts standing out in the rain. For the structure's creator, in our case its tailor, it is a humbling, yet deeply satisfying thing to witness. On this visit we saw expectant mothers in classes, families nervous about their future, and passionate clear-eyed staff working to help those families find a better more stable way of life. It hardened our resolve that pro bono design can play a significant role in creating social change.
John Peterson, AIA
Founder & President
Contents:
1. The 1% Nonprofit Featured Service Request
2. Volunteer Spotlight: Alex Escamilla
3. Partner Spotlight: StopWaste
4. Interesting Reads This Month
5. Upcoming Public Architecture Presentations
1. The 1% Nonprofit Featured Service Request
Bicycle Transportation Alliance - Portland, Oregon
Project Title: BTA's Office Layout
Services Requested: Facilities Needs Assessment; Interior Design & Brand Integration; Facilities Renovation
 The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) works throughout Oregon to create healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safe, convenient and accessible. Headquartered in the heart of downtown Portland—the most bike-friendly city in the United States—their central location is ideal for staff and visitors to walk, bike or take public transportation. But BTA's lease will be up soon and they have the opportunity to renew it for another three years. The organization hopes to partner with a 1% firm to address short term spatial challenges such as inadequate privacy and noise abatement in their crowded office, as well as long term planning as staff and programming continue to grow. With conditions like these, it's easy to imagine how a thoughtful design strategy could help staff work more efficiently and thus further BTA's mission.
Click here for a list of the 15 firms and 9 nonprofits joining The 1% in June, which brought the program total to 799 and 381 participants respectively.
2. Volunteer Spotlight: Alex Escamilla
 Alex Escamilla just completed her first year as an MBA student at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business and joined Public Architecture as a Summer Associate, completing her term just last week. Alex worked on business development and marketing for The 1% Program. Her project involved collecting and analyzing market data, brainstorming new programs and services with the executive staff, and examining program feasibility.
Prior to attending business school, Alex received her BA in Art History from Wesleyan University and worked in a number of start ups in New York City's creative industry. Throughout her career, Alex has focused on developing the management practices and marketing strategies which bring success and scale to small creative businesses. After graduate school, she hopes to pursue a career which draws on her passion for art, design, marketing, and small business.Currently, Alex is on her way to Abu Dhabi to work at an international film festival.
3. Partner Spotlight: StopWaste
 As trailblazers in sustainable waste removal and material reuse, StopWaste aims to divert 75% of waste from landfills by promoting sustainable consumption and disposal patterns. StopWaste.org is an agency operated jointly by the Waste Management Authority of Alameda County and the Source Reduction and Recycling Board. The Agency is dedicated to achieving environmentally sound solid waste management and resource conservation for the people of Alameda County. They provide strategic planning, research, education and technical assistance to the public, businesses and local governments. They create innovative programs to maximize waste prevention, recycling and economic development opportunities
StopWaste works to affect change in the East Bay as a pro-active public policy advocate and by pursuing strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations. In March, StopWaste partnered with Build It Green to co-release a study, The GreenPoint Rated Carbon Calculator on climate change and the resource benefits of building green homes. Public Architecture's initial relationship with StopWaste stemmed from Meri Soll and Wes Sullens acting as members of our advisory team for the Design for Reuse Primer we are developing for the USGBC. The Primer will be released in early September. We are currently working with StopWaste and other leading members from the design, construction, reuse, environmental, municipal, and job training communities to create the Bay Area Commercial Reuse Exchange. Collectively, we have secured funds to undertake a feasibility plan. The innovative Exchange will handle commercial material reuse, something for which the local reuse businesses have been unable to accommodate. We hope it will serve as a model nationally.
4. Interesting Reads This Month
Change Observer | "Catapult Design: How to Run a Design Firm for Social Change"
Vanity Fair | "Vanity Fair's World Architecture Survey: the Complete Results"
Fast Company | "Is Humanitarian Design the Next Imperialism?"
Fast Company | "Are Humanitarian Designers Imperialists? Project H Responds"
World Architecture News | "Time is running out to vote for the next big thing in the Grant for Change programme"
Architectural Record | "Affordable Housing Goes Green in the Bronx"
Sustainable Business Oregon | "Oregon Company to Build Paper Houses in Haiti and Beyond"
Good Magazine | "Project: Take a Photo of Someone Doing Something Good"
5. Upcoming Public Architecture Presentations & Participation
USGBC Emerging Green Builders Competition | New Orleans, LA | August 26-28, 2010
Invited juror
MOMA | New York, NY | October 3, 2010
Invited participant, Small Scale, Big Change: New Architectures of Social Engagement
IIDA MN Northland Chapter | Minneapolis, MN | October 4, 2010
Invited speaker, First Monday Forum
ReuseConex | Raleigh, NC | October 18-19, 2010
Invited speaker
Click here for more information.
 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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