糖心原创

In June, I had the honor of preparing remarks for the 98^th Annual Business Meeting of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). NCARB is responsible for the licensure of architects and has taken innovative steps to improve that process with the Integrated Path to Architecture Licensure. IPAL allows select institutions, including NewSchool, to offer accelerated programs so that students can be prepared to pursue licensure upon graduation.

Here is a condensed version of my message to NCARB:

What gives us credibility and value in the eyes of the public, potential clients, and those who will live, work, and worship in buildings and places designed and realized by architects? Over the course of many discussions with my very good friend Patrick Sullivan, former Chair of the Department of Architecture at California State Polytechnic University, we determined five distinguishing characteristics of a professional:

1. An Advanced/Recognized Education Experience

Every individual who chooses to study a profession must have the burning desire within themselves to pursue an education. The bedrock of respect that underlies the profession is dependent on a vital culture of exploration and design thought within the academy. The complexity of our time, the increasing complexity of our tools, and the rising expectations for professional service demand a rich, measured education experience. It is true that there are many alternate sources of knowledge to inform an individual. However, what is necessary is the intensely personal experience of an architectural education that has itself been rigorously assessed by a diverse group of peers from education, practice, and the public sector.

2. A Proper, Rigorous Internship Experience

There is much in practice that simply cannot be simulated or mimicked in the academy. The logistics surrounding a major project are staggering when taken out of the context of a highly qualified professional team. A rigorous learning experience within the structure of an office allows for the continuum of academy to practice to flourish. IPAL gives greater exposure to professional preparation through additional coursework that matches in-office experience. It stimulates the motivated student to complete curricular work and address the licensing exam years ahead of the present average. Because of the shadowing and internship experiences, partnerships between offices and schools are increasing, further enhancing the desired goal of bringing the academy and practice closer along the continuum.

3. The Accomplishment of Licensure Along with a Responsibility for Continuing Lifelong Learning

Many years ago, as a recent graduate, I wondered about the value of licensure. I was convinced that I could operate outside of the system. I soon learned that licensure was actually liberating. It was a capstone achievement that validated my education and it forced me to sum up my experience in practice. It became clear to me that it defined me and validated me as a professional with real responsibilities for the health, safety and welfare of people. It became my proof of the value of my work to the public. Because the process toward licensure is a milestone that ultimately validates the education and practice of the individual, both the academy and the office must take responsibility for mentoring and guiding the individual to licensure.

4. Voluntary Membership in a Professional Association Along with the Voluntary Acceptance of a Code of Ethics

Voluntary membership in a professional association opens opportunities to identify and interact with like-minded peers. This is a tradition that extends well into Western history through a system of guilds and clubs. Knowledge communities work to advance the body of information available to the profession through the sharing experiences, related scholarship and case studies from practice.

As important as voluntary membership in a professional association is, it is equally important to commit to the voluntary acceptance of a related code of ethics. The ethical conduct of the profession is dependent on the personal commitment of every member to a shared system of beliefs and implies that buildings will have a powerful consistency focused on human-centered design.

5. The Commitment to Pro Bono Activity Even as it May Lead to New Forms of Professional Activity

Truly, one of the most important aspects of a professional life is the understanding of the necessity of a commitment to the less fortunate of our society. As architectural professionals, we are more than architects. We are citizen architects and designers. It is activity that broadens our understanding of the world while we see to the quality of life, the public welfare, of even the most underserved among us. I believe that giving returns ten-fold to the profession. It increases our value to society because we have first demonstrated our value. It moves us to think beyond traditional roles for our critical and creative abilities. Our commitment beyond ourselves calls upon our better nature.

The common ingredient among each of the five marks of a professional is the unyielding commitment to raising the standards of the profession. This must be our shared commitment irrespective of the perspective we bring to this discussion. It will be foundation of the respect we have for each other and it will give us reason to trust each other.

On May 19, NewSchool鈥檚 chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students hosted its annual Napkin Sketch auction. The event raised $3,800 to help students attend industry conferences. This year, there were 36 sketches contributed by 20 architects, including NewSchool president Marvin Malecha, who contribute five. Here he shares his perspective on napkin sketches.

The napkin sketch holds a hallowed place in design history. It is a medium that is at once frivolous and the carrier of sublime design ideas. The paper napkin is ephemeral. It is a fragile medium best suited to ideas of the moment. In the course of a design project it becomes tempting to use whatever means possible to convey or record an idea. It is therefore important to understand the bias of the individual who is drawn to such a medium.

I have my own experience with a seminal design idea recorded on a drink napkin that guided the work of a team through a complex client community. The sketch became an informal/formal basis of agreement regarding the progress and direction of the Chancellor鈥檚 residence at North Carolina State University after a lengthy and sometimes uncomfortable search for the right expression. However, for me this use of a napkin sketch is an anomaly. I have a hierarchy of papers and pencils that demark the exercise of sketching on a substantial pad, to more professional communications recorded in a notebook. The napkin sketch is an exercise of folly and free daydreaming. Please do not misunderstand me: free daydreaming is one of the most important regular exercises that a creative individual can undertake.

This is the best way to describe the sketches titled 鈥淭emple to Wishful Thinking鈥� and 鈥淏each Folly.鈥� Both sketches are simple musings about life and site, the sacred and the inconsequential.

The pursuit of the idea of sacred is represented in the sketch titles as 鈥淧ath to a Sacred Place.鈥� This sketch is a bit more intense than the first two in that it represents the uphill struggle, often in less than ideal places, to achieve the sacred as it is represented as the bright light at the end of an uphill journey. The bright light recurs in my daydream sketches. It is my belief that the better is always ahead even though great darkness must sometimes be traversed. This optimism is reflected in the titled greeting the sky. The tower reaching out of the darkness, like the light at the end of the path is an expression of optimism.

The final sketch, 鈥溾�橧nterwoven Trees鈥� of Life,鈥� is a frequent exploration for me. It is an ancient symbol of family and the strength derived from a mature family unit. The natural forms derived from the tree trunks interwoven to carry a unified tree canopy is nature鈥檚 way to dramatically illustrate the model for the human family.

Is the napkin sketch folly? Yes. But it is through free exploration that folly provides that serious subjects may be pursued. Like staring out of a classroom window drawn to the miracle of a spring day, folly is after all serious business.

On April 22, the College of Design at NC State University moved me deeply by honoring me with their Designlife Award. It is an award I helped create 20 years ago as dean of that college, but I never thought of being a recipient.

I grew up in a small town. My father operated a Mobil garage and service station. He was a mechanic who never quite knew what would come through his door for repair work on any given day. I realize now that he was a creative spirit who thrived on invention. We lived next door to the garage. I like to say that I grew up under the sign of Pegasus because it was the tallest thing on our property.

I worked in my father鈥檚 service station from about the time I could walk. One summer in particular, everything needed to be changed. It was a moment I remember because the impact of design first became evident to me. We were told that Mobil was undergoing a 鈥渇ace lift鈥濃�攅ven the flying red horse changed directions鈥攁nd we had to conform.

Later, when I was a student at Harvard, Eliot Noyes came to speak. I was excited. He was, along with Chermayeff & Geismar, the architect of that 鈥渇ace lift.鈥� His presentation confirmed for me the importance of that early moment in my design consciousness. Even from within the context of that small-town service station I felt the power of design. It is an inspiration that led me to teach design thinking for more than 20 years.

The Designlife Award recognizes 鈥渢he practice of good design as a sign of good citizenship.鈥� The importance of citizen architects and designers is something I believe in strongly. It means being part of a community first, understanding its context, place, and culture. I was very fortunate to be part of the NC State community for 22 years, just as I am now fortunate to lead NewSchool鈥檚.

As I was growing up, my mother taught me that the strength of a community is in its ability to think in diverse ways by regularly reminding me that 鈥渋f everybody is thinking alike, nobody is thinking very much.鈥� I see the Designlife Award as encouragement to keep the design of life as a priority. My imagination is inspired by what is yet to come

President Malecha is the keynote speaker at this weekend鈥檚 Friends of San Diego Architecture Saturday Morning Speaker Series, hosted on the NewSchool campus

For more than 30 years, the Friends of San Diego Architecture has been hosting a Saturday Morning Speaker Series, open to the public. NewSchool of Architecture & Design (NewSchool) is proud to host this inspiring public lecture series on its campus, located at 1249 F Street in San Diego, every third Saturday of the month.

This weekend on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8:30 a.m., NewSchool President Marvin J. Malecha will be the keynote speaker. His presentation, 鈥淓ducating Architects in Sustainability,鈥� is focused on preparing design minded learners to become citizen architects and designers, who employ sustainable and regenerative practices in the development of the buildings and artifacts of life.

The presentation will also include a discussion of the nature of a design education, the context design decisions and examples of work from architects and students. This includes an energy-related design project and presentation highlighting the importance of international travel to inform comprehensive and inclusive design practices.

鈥淣ature is certainly among the paramount influences on the work of an architect,鈥� said President Marvin J. Malecha, NewSchool. 鈥淗owever, it鈥檚 important to understand the influence of culture upon how the human mind perceives the influence of nature. My hope is to underline this notion during my discussion and for attendees to leave with a new outlook on architecture and design.鈥�

President Malecha has more than forty years of experience in academia, architecture, and global design education. He was recognized as the 1980 Rotch Traveling Scholar and has continued receiving many prestigious awards and honors throughout his career. These include an honorary membership in the European Association for Architectural Education; the Distinguished Professor Award in 2002 from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA); and, the Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education in 2003, awarded jointly by the AIA and the ACSA. He was inducted into Sigma Xi, the scientific research society, in 2006; and, in 2009 served as President of the AIA. He has also authored many books and articles; the latest is Being Creative: Being a Creative (June 2015). To complement his administrative responsibilities, he teaches courses on critical thinking and professional practice. He also maintains an architectural practice in association with others.

For more information on President Malecha, visit newschoolarch.edu or check out his President鈥檚 Blog.

For more information on NewSchool of Architecture & Design or to interview President Malecha, please contact Rachael Lighty at rlighty@newschoolarch.edu.

糖心原创 NewSchool of Architecture & Design:

Located in San Diego鈥檚 design district, NewSchool of Architecture & Design prepares students for career success in design fields through an emphasis on interdisciplinary and global design skills, industry collaborations and real-world projects. Programs include architecture, construction management, product design, media design, design studies, and interior architecture and design. NewSchool is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission. NewSchool鈥檚 Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NewSchool is one of more than 70 institutions in 25 countries that comprise the Laureate International Universities network. Through collaborations with sister institutions in the Laureate network, including Domus Academy in Milan, Italy, NewSchool students are prepared to work in global and diverse organizations. For more information, visit www.newschoolarch.edu

For 30 years, has been presenting inspiring lectures and community-centered conversations about our built environment. We are proud to host their meetings and public lectures every third Saturday of the month on the NewSchool of Architecture & Design campus.

On Saturday, February 18, at 9:30 a.m., I have the privilege of presenting to this group about 鈥淓ducating Architects in Sustainability.鈥滿y presentation will include a discussion of the nature of a design education, the context of design decisions, and examples of work from architects and students. This includes an energy-related design project and a presentation about the importance of international travel for informing design practices.

Whether you are practicing architect or designer, aficionado, student, or someone considering these professions, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn about what it means to be a Citizen Architect or Designer who employs sustainable and regenerative practices in the development of the buildings and artifacts of life.

The event is free for students, and a suggested donation of $5 for all others. I look forward to seeing you there.

At NewSchool, we believe in human-centered design鈥攁 problem-solving process that starts and ends with people. To be successful at that, our students learn to be Citizen Designers and Citizen Architects while they work on their studies as an architecture major.

Citizen Designers are members of a community first before they are students of design degree.聽They understand its context, its place, its culture. They take part in its democracy by interacting with government, community groups, and planning boards, as well as volunteering with nonprofit organizations. They do everything from sponsoring a Little League team to taking part in the discussion of what a city should look like over time. They are part of the lifeblood of the community. And as you would expect of a responsible citizen, they undertake projects that benefit the welfare of the community.

They also interact with their community as designers. They are not a 鈥渢roubled genius鈥� who swoops into a city, cape flying behind them, to plop down an ego-driven artifact and leave, never to be seen again. The Citizen Architect鈥檚 goal is to leave behind a project that considers the people who will live and work in that building. The Citizen Architect asks, What is the impact of this building on the greater context of our community?

One of NewSchool鈥檚 many champions for the concept of Citizen Architects is Mike Stepner, chair of our architecture programs, so I asked him to share some examples from the work he does with students in San Diego. Here鈥檚 what he told me:

鈥淥ne of the things we have done at NewSchool since its founding is engage students in projects that are real鈥攖hat have a client that is part of the community. The city often requests that students look at projects and issues, and then offer a proposal. We are an urban laboratory for the city.

鈥淔or example, Balboa Park is the heart and soul of the city. Years ago the school was asked by a former mayor to take a look at a lot of issues that were in the park and the students came up with some ideas in a broad based report that is still being used. A few weeks ago, I was asked to go to a meeting of the public-private Balboa Conservancy to re-present the student work to new members because they are using it as a wish-list of things they鈥檇 like to do.

鈥淎nother example is Mission Valley. We spent a year with three classes working on recommendations for this area, which was developed in a haphazard way. Our final review of the work was held in the office of a newspaper. That work is relevant again with media and government officials because of the Chargers moving from San Diego to LA. It is another example of how the work we do in class has a long life.

鈥淚n my studio class, we just completed in December two studies: one for Mira Mesa, which is a 1960s-70s suburban area that is ripe for change, and one for the area around San Diego State University at the request of the City of San Diego Community Planning Group. That planning group has requested a digital copy for their website and for the students to present at board and community meetings. For both, we were asked to come up with ideas. We forwarded our work to the city, and it becomes part of the city鈥檚 resources for what they want to do in the area.

鈥淎nother project was North Park, an older neighborhood. Our students did an urban study of the business strip, which has been used by the business improvement district. Many students have remained involved and there were grants for further studies and many continue to volunteer. They got hooked in class and stayed with it. I run into former students at community meetings all the time.鈥�

The stories of the student learning experience are rooted in a project-based process. This way of teaching causes students to confront the most fundamental issues and needs of people through the section of projects that address community needs. The values imbedded in such a process lay the foundations for careers focused on benefit to the greater community. This is the process by which the notion of Citizen Designers and Architects evolves.

At NewSchool of Architecture & Design, we offer a wide range of degrees in architecture, design, construction degrees, and management. Contact our Enrollment Team today to learn about a degree program for you.

鈥淲e shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us,鈥� Winston Churchill* said during the debate over how to rebuild the Commons Chamber after it was destroyed during WWII. Some wanted seating in a horse-shoe design, but with Churchill鈥檚 approval, the original adversarial design鈥攚ith opposing debaters facing each other two sword-lengths apart鈥攚as retained as a reminder of the importance of a lively but civil two-party system.

Space and human behavior are intertwined. Understanding neuroscience has everything to do with becoming human-centered designers. It means focusing on people as they are rather than on an idealized image of who they should be. It is coming to understand the nuances of how the mind works and how cognitive experiences can be used to shape architecture, from the simplest wayfinding to complex issues of spatial composition.

On January 25, NewSchool is hosting a public lecture with Colin Ellard to further our thinking about the intersection of architecture and psychology. He joins us from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, where he uses environmental psychology, virtual reality, and other tools to help us understand the impact of urban design on human behavior.

What I hope our students and others in attendance will understand is that design is underpinned by evidence, with a body of literature and knowledge. It isn鈥檛 just what comes off the top of their heads. Design is influenced by information and science that should inform a designer as they start making choices that affect how people live, work, and play.

NewSchool will also offer Neuroscience for Architecture from August 14颅鈥�17 as one of its intensive course options during our Summer Intersession 2017.

*

International experiences are often considered an 鈥渆xtra鈥� in higher education. In design education, an international experience is essential for graduates to build their careers.

Even if you stay in San Diego after you graduate, you will interact with people from many cultures and in all likelihood will design for people in other countries or with funding from interests outside the United States. Even small firms are practicing around the world, thanks to technology. Employers are looking for people who are internationally savvy.

One of many examples of international opportunities at NewSchool is COMPOSTELAs, which is organized by Tatiana Berger, a faculty member with more than 20 years of international experience. This summer program is an intense three weeks in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, a UNESCO 鈥淲orld Heritage City鈥� known for its architecture. Students attend lectures, tour nearby Galician cities and Porto, Portugal, work with iron and granite with local masters in materials ateliers, and create a design project for the city. In addition to meeting the Mayor of Santiago de Compostela, students visit with the Pritzker-Prize winning architect, Alvaro Siza, in Porto. They also get to see architecture shaped by different cultures, environmental forces, and time periods.

COMPOSTELAs is a fun immersion experience for students, and it may also make them more employable after they graduate.

You can learn more about COMPOSTELAs at an created during the last trip on Friday, January 13.

At NewSchool, we are extremely proud of our Lecture Series, which brings world-renowned guest lecturers to campus as part of our mission to enhance global design education opportunities for both our students and the local community and design industry. Last month, we were fortunate to have Billie Tsien, an internationally acclaimed architect who, with her husband, Tod Williams, was recently selected to design the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

I have known Billie for a long time, which has allowed me to see her work since the early days of her career. Consistent throughout is her deliberate and careful approach toward the process of architecture. There is a strong tendency in her process to listen and observe deeply before coming up with a design concept. That notion of deep understanding pervades their work.

Many times people will get a commission like the Obama library and within weeks you see them promoting some grand project. That work is often superficial and self-congratulatory. Billie鈥檚 work has a thoughtful, deep understanding of a place. It has an amazing tactile quality because it is about craft, material, texture, tone, and color. The real architecture of Billie and Tod鈥檚 buildings is how you touch it and how you interact with it. It has an intense humanity. Billie mentioned to me that Michelle Obama very much had it in mind that the library must enhance the life of everyone who comes to the park, not just those who visit the building.

I asked a few of our faculty for their reflections on Billie Tsien鈥檚 lecture:

Tatiana Berger, Associate Professor, Graduate Architecture, and Chair of the NewSchool Lecture Series Committee:

鈥淎s both an educator and leader in design, Billie displays a deep commitment to making the world a better place through architecture. She has a poetic approach to architecture, and her voice and influence is one we deeply value in educating our students.鈥�

Elena Pacenti, Ph.D., Chair, School of Design:

鈥淏illie Tsien walked the audience through a sophisticated journey about beauty and design: that territory where beauty is not just something aesthetically pleasing but comes from the meaning that people recognize behind every design choice. Her words perfectly complemented the visual power and poetry of the images of their work. I鈥檓 really glad that Billie鈥檚 lecture opened the academic year: 鈥淚nside Out鈥濃�攚here all dimensions and scales of design seamlessly blend鈥攚as the perfect keynote to celebrate the rounded, interconnected, human-centered design culture we promote at NewSchool through the dialogue between the School of Architecture and the School of Design.鈥�

Kurt Hunker, FAIA鈥擥raduate Architecture Program Chair:

鈥淲hat was eloquently on display in Billie鈥檚 words and images is an approach to architecture and design that counters the superficial contemporary fixation on 鈥榮tarchitects鈥� and icon-makers in favor of a much more meaningful, nuanced response to program, client and context our students would do well to emulate.鈥�

Leonard Zegarski, AIA鈥擴ndergraduate Architecture Program Chair:

鈥淥nly one word is needed: Inspirational! Her work lifts architecture out of the mundane and everyday that surrounds us. The work she produces meets any definition of architecture as proposed by either Louis Kahn or Le Corbusier. It 鈥榯ouches the heart鈥� after Cobu and 鈥榠t is the thoughtful making of space鈥� after Kahn.鈥�

Michael Stepner, FAIA, FAICP:

鈥淔or me the important messages were that words matter. Architects and designers must be able to convey their thoughts and ideas to others鈥攁nd enter in to a dialog. And that we must as architects and designers be able to make connections to the broader context鈥攏ot just architecture.鈥�

What did you think of Billie Tsien鈥檚 lecture? Who would you like to see speak at NewSchool?

In November, we were incredibly fortunate to continue bringing to campus world-class lecturers who are architecture masters and, despite their success, masters of humility. You can see it in their world-renowned work, and in the time and advice they shared with students in campus-only sessions. Perhaps because they are so good at what they do, they know how difficult it is to do great things, and they are humbled by the process.

Rick Joy鈥檚 work is most associated with the American Southwest. His firm in Tucson, Arizona, has completed exceptional desert resorts and residences that almost disappear into the landscape rather than standing out in the starkness. They are a demonstration of the deep humility he has for the context of his architecture.

Stephen Emmitt is an exceptional educator, and head of the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Bath, UK. His lecture spoke to the creativity in the process of bringing architecture to life through construction management鈥攅specially when there is a focus on the importance of people and what they bring to the table from their different vantage points.

It truly is a wonderful perk of the NewSchool community to interact with these speakers. Our goal with the lecture series and seminar sessions is to bring our students into contact with very accomplished people who know it is not about ego; it is about empathy and bringing talents to the table to make places for people to live and work and worship that are beautiful and human-centered.