AAU Architecture

06/20/2024

https://www.archpaper.com/2024/06/juneteenth-african-american-memorial-hines-ad-texas/

To coincide with the Juneteenth holiday, the African American Memorial by Hines A+D broke ground today in Texas.

11/14/2023

Academy of Art University School of Architecture Alumnus Peter Hope (M.Arch 2023) among the winners of the AIA East Bay 2023 Design Awards

School of Architecture Alumnus Peter Hope (M.Arch 2023) was able to secure a win as a Student Project Recipient in the Honors Award category. Peter’s master of architecture thesis project “Urban Refuge” addresses homelessness in Oakland, by examining the development potential of existing tent cities. The project is located in the Acorn industrial area of Oakland. Throughout the pandemic, the site was occupied by a tent city that the project responded to, by reclaiming and repurposing the rough industrial context including its materials. The resulting semi permanent architecture incorporates already existing city services available to city-sanctioned tent cities and the implementation of a larger support network for the people who made this space their home.

Projects that draw a societal relevance, or socially engaged projects that question the status quo and look for a way to improve current conditions through architecture are the hallmark of the School of Architecture. The school sees architecture as a cultural practice and a way to enhance the quality of life for all people Peter’s thesis is a great example for the mission the school has set out for itself.

Urban Refuge:
Assisting in the development of tent communities through modular and trauma sensitive design.
Peter Hope M.Arch Academy of Art University School of Architecture
Faculty: Eric Reeder

Homelessness in the United States is a problem that disproportionately affects California. According to the world population review, the homeless population in California is 161.5 thousand; that is 16x more people affected by homelessness than the national average, 11.4 thousand. It is suffice to say that the issue of homelessness is not going away any time soon. Of all the cities in the United states, three of the cities with the highest homeless population exist in the bay area. San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco account for 10% of the homeless population of the entire state.

The object of this study and project proposal is to find ways to create better spaces of refuge for the unhoused residents of Oakland who currently call tent cities home. Tent cities are one way that the unhoused communities organizes themselves. Tent cities can pop up anywhere, from highway medians to the side of the road. The selected site for this project is inhabited by a fledgling tent city that has not quite found an organizational rhythm as others in Oakland have. It is also positioned in an industrial zone which presents opportunities for city sanctioning, should the project be successful. �
Homelessness is an issue that is becoming more and more important to address in the bay area. The homeless population has increased 43% in the past year and housing in the bay area is scarce, with 83% of residentially zoned land is low density single family housing. Addressing the homeless problem requires creative and efficient problem solving in the areas of land use and programming. With residential land being occupied by predominantly low density housing looking elsewhere might provide more solutions to the problem. Locating and adaptively reusing sites that are already occupied by the homeless could not only be a solution to more efficient use of land in the city of Oakland, but it could also act to serve the community that resides there already. This is similar to the idea of programs such as “urban alchemy”, who bring the services to the people who need them most. Reusing lots that are already occupied by people affected by homelessness is an opportunity to bring social, health, and housing services to them at a larger scale.

10/26/2023

2023 AIASF DesTech Symposium | Transforming How We Design and Build: Access + Equity

AIASF IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN AND THE AIASF DESIGN TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE PRESENTS AN ALL-DAY 2023 DESIGN TECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2 AT THE NEW CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN IN SAN FRANCISCO. (6.0 LU PENDING)
AIASF is working to address access, or lack thereof, and equity in the workplace. While we have made significant strides at national, state, and local levels as a leading organization in the AEC industry, the AIASF chapter intends to continue promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through impactful programs that aim to supplement our mission and values.

According to statistics database Zippia, “23.3% of all architects are women, while 76.7% are men. And in 2021, women earned 92% of what men earned”.

The event will go from 10am-7pm and includes lunch and a happy hour hosted by Autodesk, at the new Center for Design + Architecture.

Our faculty member Argelia Barcena, Assoc. AIA, Gensler was one of the organizers and will be one of the hosts for this event. We are excited to share this with you.

Calendar 2023 AIASF DesTech Symposium | Transforming How We Design and Build: Access + Equity 2023 AIASF DesTech Symposium | Transforming How We Design and Build: Access + Equity Thursday, November 2, 2023 @ 10:00 am - 7:00 pm PDT Registration Now Open! AIA Member: $90 | AIA Student: $30 | General:....

08/30/2023

AAU Students Participating in the 4th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism

During the 2023 fall, AAU Graduate Students participated in the 4th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, contributing works for the International Global Studios initiative. The Advanced Design Studio under Faculty Eric Reeder worked on the topic of ‘Land Architecture, Land Urbanism’ theme, as graduate students designed ‘land-bridges’ over the Han River in Seoul, South Korea in one of three prescribed locations. Studio works of 31 Universities from around the world will be exhibited. The biennale in Seoul features forums, lectures, public programs, and exhibitions highlighting Seouls past, present, and future embracing urban ecological awareness for the next 100 years. The exhibition opens September 1st and will run until October 29th.

Participating students:

Amy Recinos, Ana Carolina Coutinho, Brice Young, Delvin Mwende, Eric Grossman, John-Franklin Sarullo, Morgan McCaleb, Reinaldo Alvarado, Samuel Sukamto, Shaunton Davis, Taehee Kim, Tuvia Millstein, Yona Goldfeder

https://competition.seoulbiennale.org/en/

06/30/2023

https://www.acsa-arch.org/press-release-joint-statement-on-the-supreme-courts-decision-regarding-race-conscious-admissions/

Equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging represent our combined core values. We will continue to advocate for inclusive collegiate admissions because its educational benefits are integral to moving the architecture profession forward. Diverse student perspectives and lived experiences will not on...

06/20/2023

https://mitchellwall.com/juneteenth-and-black-architecture/

"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them....

05/16/2023

https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/stories/why-architects-must-not-give-up-hand-drawings-physical-models/

Despite the rise of CAD, BIM and now AI, low-tech creative mediums remain of vital importance to architects and designers.

01/24/2023

For some of our new students considering the purchase of a computer:

Looking to boost your design capabilities this year? Check out our selection of the best laptops for architects, catering to a range of budgets.

12/13/2022

Our final reviews are commencing at the school of architecture, we wish all our students the best!