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As part of our mission that targets education, LiA has been collecting books and magazines for its annual book drive: From an Architect’s Bookshelf. The intent of this program is to be able to start or expand an architectural library at local schools in Dallas that have a high percentage of minorities enrollment.
More than 20 Architecture and Engineering firms participate and send their books to the Dallas Center for Architecture, where they are sorted, labeled and packaged. So far, LiA has been able to donate more than 1,500 books and over 500 magazines to local middle schools and high schools, some of which have an Architecture career pathway program.
This year, and after going through our selection process, our beneficiary school for 2012 is Longfellow Career Academy. On Tuesday November 20th, they received more than 200 books and over 400 magazines! As part of our distribution event at the school, LiA members had a presentation on Being an Architect, and shared their personal stories with the students with the ultimate goal of acting as mentors and role models, for these students to be inspired to stay in school and go to college. Thank you to our volunteers: Gus Hinojosa, AIA; Jimmy Castellanos, AIA; Mike Reyes, AIA; Yesenia Blandon, Assoc. AIA; Celi Sims, Assoc. AIA; Leslie Rios, Assoc. IIDA, David Munoz,
“This year’s book drive was special to me in many ways. The school benefiting from the book drive was the middle school I attended. Not only am I an alumni from there, but that’s where architecture was introduced to me as a possible career. As I gave my speech on my personal story on how I chose architecture, I saw myself in all those kids listening to us. Though I was terrified to be speaking to a crowd of young teens, it was all worth it when I saw the kids fascinated as they glanced through all the architecture magazines and books. I’d like to give a special thank you to my 8th grade art teacher Ms. Read at Longfellow Academy who introduced me to the world of Architecture”
Leslie Rios, Associate IIDA
HOK
REGISTER NOW FOR ENLACES!
After being in exhibition at the Texas Society of Architects Convention in Austin and the Austin Center for Architecture, our annual exhibition in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month comes back to Dallas! We are very excited to have two other exhibitions join ENLACES:
AIA Austin Latinos in Architecture PERSPECTIVASdosmil12
AIA Dallas Women in Architecture EXPRESS YOURSELF
ENLACES Reception will take place at The Dallas Latino Cultural Center
Friday December 14th
6-8 pm TO REGISTER:
http://www.aiadallas.org/cde.cfm?event=398920
Come and take a look at the exhibition, meet the designers and celebrate with LiA on its third year full of success! 2012 was quite the year for AIA Dallas LiA, we were able to create programs of value in our communities, spread the word about our profession, as well as start and strengthen partnerships with local organizations:
Here are some of the highlights:
PROFESSIONAL COMPONENT
- AIA Dallas LiA attended the 2012 AIA National Convention in Washington D.C., after being recognized with the 2012 AIA Diversity Recognition Program Award-
http://liacommittee.blogspot.com/2012/04/aia-dallas-latinos-in-architecture-is.html
- LiA’s Reception at the Dallas Center for Architecture, in collaboration with Firm Talk
- A Lecture by Michel Rojkind (Mexico City) - OVERSTIMULATION, in collaboration with AIA Dallas Design Awards Committee. We had a good crowd (about 60 people) that came bright an early on a Friday morning as Michel shared his thoughts on some of his projects-
http://liacommittee.blogspot.com/2012/10/rojkind-lecture.html
- ENLACES Opening Reception at the Dallas Center For Architecture – with more than 100 attendees, we recognized the work of our peers, helped raise funds for our scholarship fund and enjoyed great food by the Latino Culinary Institute!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.487624577923422&type=1
- ENLACES, joint exhibition with LiA Austin PERSPECTIVASdosmil12, as part of the Texas Society of Architects Convention, with an exhibition that followed at Austin’s Center for Architecture
- Networking Happy Hour at HDR Inc.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.458280360857844&type=1
- AIA Dallas LiA was part of the inaugural Multicultural Summit organized by AIA National – Strength Through Diverse-Cities, hosted in Dallas this year – at the Dallas Center for Architecture
http://www.aia.org/about/initiatives/AIAB095577
EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT
- From an Architect’s Bookshelf Book Drive. This year we were able to collect more than 300 books and over 400 magazines! Our beneficiary school: Longfellow Career Academy.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.513486412003905&type=1
- Art Auction benefitting the DCFA Minority Scholarship Fund – this program was initiated this year, we will follow up early next year for distribution of the funds that were raised! Thanks to all the artist that donated their work for such a great cause!
- Summer Camp at the Latino Cultural Center, in collaboration with CaraMia Theater Company
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.447666948585852&type=1
- Geometry & Architecture Class at Williams Preparatory
- Career Day at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Elementary School
- Career Day at Longfellow Career Academy
- Greiner Middle School Architecture Club Tour, in collaboration with 2012 DISD Leadership Class
- Design Studio Crit at Texas A&M Prairie View School of Architecture
- Clerkley Architecture Academy Summer Program in collaboration with Texas Tech University
- Creation of TALLERX, an Architecture After School Program for high school students that will kick-off in January 2013, in collaboration with the Latino Cultural Center
COMMUNITY COMPONENT
- Discussion Panel & Family Day at the Latino Cultural Center, in collaboration with Big Thought – hands-on activities, photography and building bridges with Legos in celebration of the opening of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge by Santiago Calatrava
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.376461379039743&type=1
- West Dallas Charrette, in collaboration with the Dallas CityDesign Studio – LiA served as translator and facilitator with members of the community
- Panel Discussion and Hands on Activity at the Latino Cutural Center, in collaboration with Big Thought
http://liacommittee.blogspot.com/2012/07/lia-guest-speaker-at-latino-cultural.html
Here is the LINK for you to join LiA on its final event of 2012, hope to see you all there!
http://www.aiadallas.org/cde.cfm?event=398920
For those of you who will be attending the 73rd Annual Texas Society of Architects Convention in
Austin, don’t forget to stop by and take a look at the ENLACES 2012 boards that
will be on display as part of the Convention! This year, LiA Austin and LiA
Dallas are joining efforts so that LiA has a stronger presence, with PERSPECTIVAS 2012 also on display! This is the first time such a record number of Latino Architects and Designers are celebrated from all
On the same note, while in Austin, plan to stop by for the after party, organized by LiA Austin at the Austin Center for Architecture, where the ENLACES and PERSPECTIVAS exhibition will remain for about four weeks – refer to attached flyer for more details. As part of this joint event we are also collaborating with AIA Dallas Women in Architecture – what a great opportunity to show the relevance of diversity in our profession
More information available at AIA Austin
What stimulates you? What do you see as the boundaries of
Architecture? Can buildings be more than space with an envelope?
These were just a few of the questions that were posed by
Michel Rojkind, founder of rojkindarquitectos, a Mexico-City based innovative firm founded in 2002, a firm
that has been recognized by Arch Daily, Architectural Record and that takes
every commission as an opportunity to explore the power of design. Michel was
invited as part of the jury that came to select and award the 2012 AIA DallasDesign Awards. He spoke with us this Friday morning, at the Latino Cultural Center.
With a contagious attitude, Michel explored his firm’s
projects from very unique perspectives: from buildings that rather than
fulfilling the client’s program become a critique of the political system in a city
where the unexpected is ubiquitous and part of daily life; from buildings that
seem to be resolved on their entirety when drawings are issued – only to find
that the local craftsmen have a true know-how and can solve very unique
detailing in quite astonishing and cost-effective ways; from diversifying a
practice not only in terms of typology of projects but by cutting across and in
between disciplines, such as industrial design.
Michel’s presentation was followed by a one-on-one interview
led by Heath May, AIA (HKS), where the discussion dealt with the Architect’s
relationship with technology, media, fabrication methods, buildings that need
to be more than sustainable objects within themselves, that start being
entities which provide something in return to the place and the community with
which they share, to embrace our architectural past and re-interpret that past,
providing solutions that speak of our time.
A few sightings at this bright and early lecture included
students and faculty from Skyline High School as well as from UT Arlington,
Nate Eudaly – Executive Director of the Dallas Architecture Forum, Brian
Mackay-Lyons – Founder of the Ghost Laboratory, who was here also as a jury for the Design Awards. We were quite pleased to see about 60 people that decided to wake up a bit earlier today!
Michel was not apologetic about questioning everything; he
actually finds the nature of children as a way to approach every situation,
without any preconceptions. He left us with a challenge: to challenge our own
process of thinking. This was a true overdose of stimuli – quite fitting for a
Friday morning.
Thanks again to our lecture breakfast sponsors:
FREE Registration at: http://www.aiadallas.org/cde.cfm?event=394950
Join us this Friday at the Dallas Center for Architecture!
Register at: http://www.aiadallas.org/cde.cfm?event=393723
“Parents can inspire and motivate their children just like my parents motivated me”, said LiA member Salud Sierra, as he addressed a room full of students and parents. LiA was one of many guest speakers that were invited by teachers Peter Goldstein and Elizabeth Castro to speak at Skyline's Architecture Cluster student orientation this year. “Our Orientation includes all four grade levels of Architecture Cluster students and their parents, and is an opportunity for parents to get involved with our program and learn more about the DISD magnet architecture program, and architecture as a career. The LiA presentations have always been an important component of this annual event.” Mr. Goldstein stated.
This was the third year that members from LiA attend and participate in this special event. Members Jimmy Castellanos AIA, and Salud Sierra, stood in front of a large group of mostly Hispanics students and parents, where Jimmy first talked about LiA and part of its mission statement to serve and support our local communities. After the brief introduction Salud then began by talking in Spanish about how lucky Skyline students were to be part of the Architecture Cluster and how he wished he had the resources that they have available to them back when he was in high school. Parents and students listened with great attention as he then continued to share his story of how his parents motivated him to first graduate high school and then to graduate with a Masters of Architecture from Texas A&M University. At the end of the evening students and parents alike were very interested in learning more about LiA. “We hope that by sharing our stories of how we were able to achieve our goals, we can inspire the young architects of tomorrow to achieve theirs”. Jimmy Castellanos concluded.
Exhibitors this year include: Rick del Monte, AIA, Adriana Meyer, Alejandra Rodriguez, Margine Biswas, AIA, Juan Manuel Latorre, Gus Hinojosa, AIA, Mauricio Amado, AIA, Hilda Rodriguez, Assoc. AIA, Jesus Rodriguez Jr., Ricardo Montoya, AIA, Alexis Flores, Fernando Andrade, AIA, Patricio Sanchez, Omar Cantu,AIA, Leonardo Gonzalez Sangri, Salud Sierra and Clemente Jaquez.
Registration Costs:
Payment in Advance
$10 Members
$15 Non Members
Payment at the Door
$15 Members
$20 Non Members
Sponsored by:
Rivera Engineering, LLC
Perkins+Will
HKS
Corgan Associates Inc.
Milby Attorneys & Counselors
HINOSOJA Architecture & Interiors
Ponce-Fuess Engineering
L.A. Fuess Partners, Inc.
TO REGISTER GO TO:
http://www.aiadallas.org/cde.cfm?event=393723
We went over dozens of donated art, architecture and interior design books and have them ready to be distributed to our two beneficiary schools in October!
Thank you very much to each of you who donated a book or has volunteered time to this program; Your donation will provide local educational institutions with an architectural library, supporting education, creating awareness of architecture and art and raising exposure of our profession as a career path. THANK YOU!
This year we collected 202 books and over 400 architectural magazines, enough to help two schools with starting their own architectural library!
We will be updating you on the distribution of the books and on the beneficiary schools.
