October 2006
Dear Friends of Public Architecture:
September was another banner month for our ScrapHouse project. The latest wave of interest grew out of the ScrapHouse documentary that aired throughout the month on the National Geographic Channel. In large part due to the film, ScrapHouse continues to attract inquiries from around the globe, most recently from design publications in China, Ireland, and Vietnam.
 One of the most significant outcomes of ScrapHouse has been our relationship with a nonprofit organization called the Technology Access Foundation (TAF). In the early wake of ScrapHouse, we received a phone call from King County, Washington, informing us of their desire to build a larger, permanent building that incorporated salvaged materials. King County had identified land, potential seed funding, and a deserving tenant--TAF.
Yesterday, October 1, TAF celebrated its 10th anniversary. Established in 1996, TAF provides technical and computer skills training primarily for minority and disadvantaged youth throughout the Seattle area. Widely celebrated, its accomplishments are many, and well-documented on its website, www.techaccess.org.
 To date, Public Architecture has assisted TAF with identifying and selecting The Miller|Hull Partnership, an architecture firm highly-regarded both regionally and nationally for its environmentally-responsive design--and also a member of our 1% Solution program. Public Architecture also helped prepare materials for review by the King County Council, which subsequently voted to award TAF a $2 million capital grant toward the building. Additional funding toward the $13 million (est.) building includes a $1 million capital challenge grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Click here to learn more about the future home of TAF, affectionately known as the 21st Century Community Learning Center.
Hats off to TAF on its 10-year anniversary.
John Peterson
Founder & Chair
Contents:
1. HKS Joins 10 for 1 Program
2. New 1% Solution Firm Pledges & Program Update
3. 1% Solution Program Director Sought
4. Build Boston Community Design Symposium
5. Exhibition & ScrapHouse Documentary Screening
6. Upcoming Lectures & Presentations
7. What You Can Do to Support Public Architecture
1. HKS Joins 10 for 1 Program
We are pleased to announce another firm in our 10 for 1 program: HKS, Inc. (Dallas, TX). Founded in 1939, HKS is headquartered in Dallas with more than 14 offices and 1,000 employees worldwide. HKS was recently ranked the fourth largest architectural/engineering firm in the United States in regard to annual volume, according to Building Design & Construction magazine's July 2006 issue. HKS was one of the first firms to pledge through the 1% Solution program.
HKS joins Perkins + Will (Chicago), McCall Design Group (San Francisco), and Elness Swenson Graham (Minneapolis). We remain in close conversation with a range of firms, who we hope to soon count among our 10 for 1 participants.
Our new 10 for 1 program is an effort to better support and celebrate the pro bono and public interest design pursuits of leading firms. The program represents a $10,000 investment by these firms as a demonstration of their commitment to the 1% Solution.
For more information, email jcary@publicarchitecture.org or call 415/861-8200.
2. New 1% Solution Firm Pledges & Program Update
 During the month of September, Public Architecture welcomed three new firms as 1% Solution pledges. Collectively, they have committed nearly 3,000 hours in the year ahead, raising our annual pledge total to over 37,000 hours.
The three firms include: Kahler Slater (Milwaukee, WI)
pv+r (Panama City Beach, FL)
McMonigal Architects, LLC (Minneapolis, MN) In early-September, Public Architecture visited the firm of Kahler Slater to discuss the 1% Solution. Special thanks to principal John Horky for arranging the conversation and his efforts over the past year to secure Kahler Slater's pledge. For the third straight year, Kahler Slater has recently been named one of the Top 25 Best Small Companies to Work for in America.
Is your firm part of the solution? Click here to pledge your 1% today.
3. 1% Solution Program Director Sought
As a result of the growth and projected expansion of the 1% Solution, Public Architecture is seeking its first fulltime director to lead this unique program. The ideal candidate possesses a range of education and experience related to program coordination, operation, and execution.
Click here to download the position description.
Interested candidates are asked to submit a letter of intent, resume, and any supporting materials to jcary@publicarchitecture.org. Review of applications and candidates is ongoing.
4. Build Boston Community Design Symposium
Thursday, November 16, 2006
 On Thursday, November 16, the Community Design Resource Center of Boston, the Association for Community Design, and Public Architecture will co-sponsor a day-long symposium on community design. The symposium is part of the larger Build Boston convention and tradeshow, sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects/AIA. 8:00-9:30am
C04: Networking Breakfast: What is community design?
10:00am-Noon
C08: Community visions, big and small
1:00-2:30pm
C32: Waste not: how used and surplus building materials can gain a second life
1:00-2:30pm
C33: Sustainability and community in Pittsfield and Northampton
3:15-4:45pm
C57: Having their say: Involving youth in shaping our communities
3:15-4:45pm
C58: Design determinism?...Process shapes product in affordable housing
5:30-7:00pm
C75: Beyond Katrina and Rita: Reshaping housing and community revitalization The package cost for the symposium is $240 if you register before October 20, and $280 if you register after that date (this is a significant savings over the individual workshop costs).
Visit www.buildboston.com/community or call 800/544-1898 for more information.
5. Exhibition & ScrapHouse Documentary Screening
In addition to the lectures and presentations noted below, a small exhibit on the work of Public Architecture will be on display throughout the month of October at the Charlottesville Community Design Center. The exhibit coincides with our presentation later this week, and officially opens on Friday, October 6, as part of the Design Center's "First Friday" gathering. Special thanks to Katie Swenson and John Semmelhack for hosting us.
ScrapHouse, the documentary, will be one of an assortment of films shown on "Green Building Movie Night," part of Petaluma Build It Green, taking place this week in Petaluma, Calif. The screenings will start at 7:00pm on Friday, October 5, at the Masonic Center, 9 Western Avenue (corner Petaluma Blvd. South).
6. Upcoming Lectures & Presentations October 4, 2006
Howard University (Washington, DC)
Invited lecturer
October 5, 2006
Charlottesville Community Design Center (Charlottesville, VA)
Invited lecturer
October 6, 2006
Hampton University (Hampton, VA)
Invited lecturer
October 12-16, 2006
NOMA Annual Conference (San Francisco, CA)
Panelists
October 16-18, 2006
Design Futures Council Summit on Sustainability (Santa Fe, NM)
Speaker & Senior Fellow Inductee
October 27, 2006
Catholic University of America (Washington, DC)
Invited lecturer
October 27-29, 2006
AIA National Associates Committee Annual Meeting (Washington, DC)
Speaker
October 30-31, 2006
Iowa State University / AIA Iowa (Ames, IA)
Invited lecturer
November 1-4, 2006
ACSA Administrators Conference (Scottsdale, AZ)
Panelist
November 3-5, 2006
AIACC Desert Practice Conference (Indian Well, CA)
Panelist Click here for a list of upcoming lectures and presentations.
7. What You Can Do to Support Public Architecture
Wondering what you can do to support Public Architecture?
Click here for 10 ways to contribute to our work.
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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