Here are some of the honors our students earned in 2008.
AIAS FORUM 2008: ENERGY
Our College chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) competed for the honor of hosting this global gathering of architecture and design students and the annual convention of the AIAS December 29, 2008-January 1, 2009. More than 650 students and professionals from around the world converged upon Denver to explore design and sustainability. FORUM explored not just issues related to sustainability and “green” design, but also the “energy” of great architecture. Student Chair Andrew Atchley (M.Arch student), in conjunction with the Denver host committee and countless sponsors and supporters, assembled some of the leading architecture and design experts to serve as thought leaders, catalysts and mentors. Andrew and his colleagues recognized the inherent challenges those in the design world face as they try to create structures that not only minimize environmental impacts but also provide form, function and sense of place. The speakers and programs explored those issues and helped students work toward solutions that can be utilized in their classrooms and in future practice. For more information see the website.
In his role as a Denver Zoo Planning Intern, Jeramy Boik, MA candidate in Landscape Architecture, managed the shipwreck structure project that was added to the zoo’s polar bear habitat this week. The $23,000 two-part shipwreck is constructed of steel and all-natural woods and finishes. Zoo staff’s expectations were exceeded when all four resident bears (Frosty, Voda, Olaf and Soosha) were given access to the ship for the first time. They spent a great deal of time exploring the new addition to their home, looking for hidden treats, climbing up the top of the ship and playing with the attached balls and ropes. “The shipwreck is a great way to stimulate natural behaviors in the bears,” says Denver Zoo Manager of Behavior Programs Emily Insalaco. “We are conducting some formal observations, and so far, since the shipwreck was installed, not only have we seen more of some behaviors such as foraging for food, digging and manipulating objects, but we have also seen more variety of behaviors, including vocalizing and a bouncing behavior that we usually only see them do on ice or with favorite toys.” Landscape Architecture lecturer George Pond is Vice President for Planning and Capitol Projects at the Denver Zoo. See photos in the Denver Post article here.
Leo Darnell, Master of Architecture student, served on the Downtown Denver Partnership jury to evaluate nominations for its annual Downtown Denver Awards. The awards jury of 20-25 people selected the six award winners for projects completed in 2007. This year, the DDP decided to include a student from the Auraria Campus and Leo was selected.
Claudia Folska, PhD Student in Design and Planning, has been named by Mayor John Hickenlooper and approved by the Denver City Council to sit on the Denver Commission for People with Disabilities. As a commissioner, Claudia advocates for the civil rights of people with disabilities and advise the Mayor on effective ways the City can serve this population.
Morgan Landers, MURP student and Chair of the Student Representative Council for the American Planning Association, was on the University of Colorado Denver team selected to compete against the University of Denver team in the Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge, sponsored by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. It is an intense competition of research, financial analysis, problem solving, presentation development, judges’ questions and oral delivery before hundreds of commercial real estate professionals. To read more about it, visit the website here.
AIA Colorado North recognized its 2008 architectural design, honor and president’s awards recipients during a ceremony on October 17 at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. These annual awards recognize firms and individuals within a nine-county area of northeastern Colorado for excellence in the field of architecture. Heather Ludwig, Assoc. AIA (ENVD’06 and current M.Arch student), was named Associate of the Year. Heather is an Architectural Intern at The Neenan Company in Fort Collins. This award recognizes an unlicensed architectural intern or associate member of AIA Colorado North whose contribution to the profession of architecture in AIA Colorado North has been outstanding.
Kathleen Luttrell, Master of Architecture and Master of Urban Design dual-degree student, attended the two-week residential International Architecture Master Class with Glenn Murcutt in July 2008. Sponsored by the Architecture Foundation Australia, the prestigious program was limited to 30 places. The first week was held at ‘Riversdale’, the Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre on the Shoalhaven River south of Sydney, and participants live in what has been described as Murcutt’s ‘Master Work’. The second week was held at the University of Sydney School of Architecture. Murcutt personally leads the Master Class, stays at ‘Riversdale’ with the participants and tutors all groups. Glenn Murcutt, Australia’s best known architect, was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize for 2002 (the ‘Nobel’ Prize of Architecture), and is a Visiting Professor at Yale University.
Two CAP Master of Architecture students won awards in the Metal Construction Association 2008 Student Design Competition. Lee Parmenter received first prize ($2,500) and Ryan Jensen received third prize ($500) for their projects, sponsored by Associate Professor of Architecture Osman Attmann. The challenge was to design a new Maritime Museum and Historical Center for Chicago’s Northerly Island using metal as a prominent, creative, and structural element in the design and underscoring the flexibility, efficiency, beauty and sustainable qualities of metal. There were 142 entries from 23 colleges and universities throughout the United States, Greece, Japan, Bulgaria, Indonesia, and Czech Republic. Each of the unique designs was judged by a panel of working architects who spent four hours reviewing the projects. To see images of Lee’s and Ryan’s great projects, go to the MCA website.
Alecia Phillips, BEnvd student, received the Louise Moritz Molitoris Leadership Award from the Women’s Transportation Seminar. Having won the local award of $1,000 from the Colorado Chapter, Alecia went on to win this $3,000 scholarship at the international level. The scholarship is awarded to women pursuing undergraduate studies in transportation or a related field who demonstrate leadership skills, ability and interest. Founded in 1977, the Women's Transportation Seminar was created through the efforts of 40 women involved in transportation in the Washington, DC, area who recognized that a mechanism was needed to enhance professional and personal advancement and to develop industry and government recognition of the increasing involvement of women in the field of transportation. WTS is now an international organization of more than 4,000 transportation professionals - both women and men - with 42 chapters representing cities and states in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.
Mark Sullivan, PhD Student in Design and Planning, was awarded Second Prize and $1500 in the McDonald’s Corporation Design Competition for remodeling the restaurant at the 16th Street Mall and Cleveland Place in downtown Denver.
Jenn Thomas, Master of Landscape Architecture student, was profiled in the September Land Online magazine of the American Society of Landscape Architects, as part of their series of Historic Preservation Professional Practice Network (PPN) member profiles. Read Jenn’s profile here.
Mike Webber, student in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program, and his award-winning home renovation were featured in the Rocky Mountain News on Saturday, November 8. Mike won the 2008 Restoration for Living Award from Historic Denver for best exterior renovation. See the article here.
Robert Wonnett, Ph.D. student in Design and Planning, has been appointed to the permanent post of Vice Chancellor for Student Success at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, after serving on an interim basis. Robert plans to serve in the position until late 2009 and retire (early!) after 30 years of state service.
Bambi Yost, PhD student, was invited to speak to 125 participants about the Learning Landscapes Initiative at an international symposium hosted by KOMPAN Inc. in February 2008, in Long Beach, CA. The KOMPAN Building Generation Play Symposium, sponsored by the KOMPAN Play Institute, brought together several influential people whose focus on children and play is influencing the future of playgrounds.
CAP was well represented at the Environment and Design Research Association (EDRA) conference held in Veracruz, Mexico, in May 2008. Students giving papers were:
• George Awuor (PhD): Youth Participation in Community Service: The Mathare Youth Sports Assocation (MYSA) Environmental Clean-Up Program in Slums of Nairobi
• Illéne Pevec (PhD): The Sensory and Emotional Responses of Adolescents to Gardening
• Darcy Varney (MURP): Capturing Multiple Voices in School Design: Methods and Innovations; Darcy also presented the paper written with Kelly Zuniga (PhD), James Taurman (MURP), Tangier Barnes (MURP), and Doug Ragan (PhD): Building Links for Progressive Action: Connecting Youth, Teachers, and Urban Planning Students with City Planning Processes in Denver, Colorado.
• Bambi Yost (PhD): Techniques to Trigger Environmental Memories: Making connections to special places, events, and people
Through the Sustainable CU Fund, the CU Bicycle Program, and students’ efforts, CU Boulder will introduce custom-designed solar bike stations and kiosks later this year. Done by a team of eight CAP undergraduate students supervised by John Barbour, Senior Instructor of Planning, the general schematic design for the project was approved by the University of Colorado Design Review Board earlier this month. The team will likely be completing several stations on the campus, but the initial budget is for ~$80,000 to build a station at the engineering center. You can learn more here.