Roadtrip (19)! - Taubman College [U. Michigan] Fall 2010 Lecture Series

Taubman College of Architecture at University of Michigan

2010 Fall Lecture Series

2000 Bonisteel Boulevard Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2069

Lecture Series

All lectures are free and open to the public, unless noted. All lectures will be held in the Art + Architecture Auditorium, 6:30 PM.

Taubman College Lectures

2010 Fall Lecture Series Poster (PDF 2MB)

September 14

Matias Del Campo
SPAN Architecture & Design
"Architectures of Desire (Sensibility, Obsessions and Advanced Design Techniques)"

September 17

Marcelo Spina
Patterns
"Embedded"

September 21
*POSTPONED*

Toni L. Griffin
Harvard University, Graduate School of Design
"Urban Planning and Design for the American City"
Co-Sponsored by the CEW Frances and Sydney Lewis Visiting Leaders Fund

September 28

Kathleen James-Chakraborty
University College Dublin
"From the Bauhaus in Calcutta to the Swiss Minaret Debate: Who Wants Modern Architecture and Why?"

October 1

Thom Mayne
Morphosis Architects
John Dinkeloo Memorial Lecture

October 5

Hou Hanru
San Francisco Art Institute

October 12

John Peponis
Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Architecture
"Proposals and Propositions in Architecture"

October 15
11:30 A.M.

Peter Kuttner
Cambridge Seven Associates
Distinguished Alumnus Lecture

October 22

Rick Lowe
Project Row Houses
"Towards Social Sculpture"

October 29

Richard Sennett
New York University and the London School of Economics
Raoul Wallenberg Lecture

November 2

Benjamin Bratton
University of California, San Diego
"Surviving the Interface: Envelope and Polis"

November 5

Yeohlee Teng
YEOHLEE Inc.
"Inspiration and Technique"

November 12

Jeff Kipnis
The Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture
Robert Swanson Lecture

November 19

Lisa Iwamoto
Iwamoto Scott
"Synthesizing Techniques"

November 23

Gary Steffy
Gary Steffy Lighting Design Inc.

November 30

Marcos Cruz
Bartlett School of Architecture
atelier marcos and marjan

December 3

Michael Meredith
MOS/Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Symposia

September 11
University of Michigan Museum of Art

The Art Book Today: Print Projects in the Digital Age
Sponsor: UM Department of History and Art

September 24-25
Rackham Auditorium

Future of Technology Conference

November 10-11
Flint, MI

Sparking Reinvention: The Evolution of a Factory Town
UM/Urban Land Institute Real Estate Forum

Event Supporters

Bernard L. Maas Foundation, Guido A. Binda Lecture and Exhibition Fund, John Dinkeloo Memorial Lecture Fund, Raoul Wallenberg Lecture Fund, Frances and Gilbert P. Schafer Visiting Professionals Fund, J. Robert Swanson Fund, Taubman College Enrichment Fund, Taubman College Lecture Fund

Copied above from the Taubman Lecture/Event website for your enjoyment.

Cleveland Beer Week, Oct. 15-23, 2010

the 2nd Annual Cleveland Beer Week

October 15-23, 2010

various events held all around Cleveland Ohio

When the city becomes the "Third Place" (think Oldenburg) where the exchange of ideas and fostering of community is lubricated by the measured consumption of local fermented grain based wares and this congregation is celebrated, one could easily be convinced they had entered some Utopian dream.

Alas, it is still Cleveland albeit viewed for a week through rose tinted beer-goggles. So grab your bus pass (no driving for YOU!) and your tickets to the myriad of events and go enjoy the company of others who understand the value of craft and quality in delicious liquid form.

Why the GCRTA aren't a huge partner in this I don't know, what better way to expose people to public transit then to make it overly accessible to a whole week of self inflicted impairment. I know, the goal is to be responsible and make good decisions (not something generally understood given our region's track record) but when it tastes so good it is probably best to plan to be extra cautious and take the bus or train to the various events. Or if you live in a rather convenient place, then walk and burn off some of those extra calories.

Either way, take the time to expand your palette and experience some local offerings.

Designing a Better Cleveland - Book Launch

Designing a Better Cleveland

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

5.30 - 9pm

Cleveland Public Art

1951 West 26th St., Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland Public Art is pleased to announce the printing of Designing a Better Cleveland, a mini-primer written by Steven Litt with ideas for how citizens can actively participate in determining the future of our city. Designed by Rini Uva Lee, this book is an outgrowith of Spectrum: The Lockwood Thompson Dialogues at the Cleveland Public Library, which is an annual program that addresses contemporary issues in arts and culture.

Join us for a book release party on Thursday, October 14, at 5:30pm to get a copy of Designing a Better Cleveland. Talk with both the author and designers of this booklet and enjoy complimentary refreshments at CPA: 1951 West 26th Street in Ohio City.

Local Foods Week - Oct. 4th 2010

Join us on October 4th to kick-off Local Foods Week

Join the Local Food Cleveland Network on Monday, October 4th at the Great Lakes Brewing Company Tasting Room as we kick-off Local Foods Week 2010.

We'll learn more about exciting Local Foods Week events including farm tours, potlucks and restaurants dinners. We'll also get an update on local food happenings from the second Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summit. And together we'll explore how we can engage more people in the local food economy and how to spread this action.

Register Today!

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Local Foods Week 2010 Kick-Off

Local Food Cleveland Network Event

Monday, October 4, 2010 - 5:30pm to 8:30pm

@ Great Lakes Brewing Company Tasting Room (Directions)

Register for this event

Agenda

5:30 - 6:15pm Registration and open networking

6:15 - 7:45pm Program

7:45 - 8:30pm More networking!

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Take the Local Foods Week "Eat Local Challenge":

1. Eat at least one local meal each day of the week and post photos and recipes on Local Food Cleveland

2. Attend at least one Local Foods Week event

3. Support your local farmers markets, restaurants and retail shops

Take the challenge!

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10 Events to Celebrate Local Foods Week 2010:

1. Local Food Cleveland Network Event - Monday, October 4th
   Join the Local Food Cleveland Network on Monday, October 4th at the Great Lakes Brewing Company Tasting Room as we kick-off Local Foods Week 2010.
   Register here >>
2. Taste of Autumn - Monday, October 4th
   The annual Coit Road Farmers’ Market Benefit hosted by Fred Griffith of Good Morning Cleveland features live music and the taste of the local harvest from area farmers prepared by ten of the region’s finest chefs. View event details >>
3. Growhio Launch Party - Tuesday, October 5th
   Growhio is throwing a launch party in Ohio City to showcase its new website, designed by thunder:tech. Join us for site features, food, drink, music, memberships, merchandise and more. View event details >>
4. Food Policy Coalition Meeting - Tuesday, October 5th
   Join the Food Policy Coalition and learn about the need for infrastructure - including food processing and distribution - that can support the expansion of the local food economy. View event details >>
5. Restaurant Night - Wednesday, October 6th
   Get out and support the restaurants that support local farms! For one night only local restaurants will feature special dishes from local farms. Participating restaurants and menu details coming soon! View event details >>
6. Movie Night and Potluck - Thursday, October 7th
   Watch a movie about local foods followed by a community potluck featuring dishes made with local ingredients. More details and location coming soon.
   View event details >>
7. Lunch Mob - Friday, October 8th
   Pack a local lunch and join other local food enthusiasts for a spontaneous pinic in the park! This event will take place in centrally located city park, but the location will not be revealed until Friday morning. Stay tuned to LocalFoodCleveland.org and check your e-mail! View event details >>
8. Support Your Local Farmers Market - Saturday, October 9th
   Visit one of Northeast Ohio's amazing farmers' market this Saturday morning.
9. Ohio City Farm Open House and Tour - Sunday, October 10th
   Get a guided tour of the Ohio City Farm from 1pm - 4pm. Stop by the farm and meet the farmers including Central Roots, The Refugee Response, Great Lakes Brewing Company and CHMA Rivertower growers. Festivities will include local food bites, live music, educational displays and more! View event details >>
10. Slow Food Terra Madre Harvest Dinner - Sunday, October 10th
    Reserve your seat at the Flying Fig for cocktails and dinner as we celebrate the fall harvest and say “buon viaggio” to Slow Food Northern Ohio’s 2010 Terra Madre delegates as they prepare for this year’s event in Turin, Italy. Tickets to the dinner - which will feature ingredients from local and urban farms - are $35 and include wine. Call the Flying Fig today for reservations: (216) 241-4243. View event details >>
    
    
    Local Food Cleveland.org

AIA Ohio takes Northeast Ohio for a Ride

west 65th and detroit ave.

In a stunning (but not wholly unexpected) display of remaining completely out of touch with reality AIA Ohio recently awarded Robert Maschke Architects a 2010 Merit Award in the New Buildings, Renovations and Restoration Catagory for the Gordon Square Bus Shelters in Cleveland, Ohio.

The "shelters", which have been modeled in Sketchup for your pleasure, is constructed of a panel of perforated stainless steel "folded" to form both the "canopy" and bench seat and have obviously been purposed in absence of waiting for a bus in inclement weather. I admit, the form is handsome, almost sculptural however the function is completely ridiculous. I will bullet point for clarity.

• There is room on the "bench" for only one person due to the angle of the adjacent wall. Unless you have a kid with you or are a series of nesting dolls (in which case you could really decrease your space needed if you just "nested").
• The only area to stand under the canopy is perforated, which lets in rain, snow, goose poop, etc.
• The sides are either open or perforated which does nothing to stop rain, snow, road spray, etc.
• The material is amazingly hot in summer and extremely cold in winter. In fact it acts like a radiator panel sapping your body heat in cool weather.

Point of fact, as a shelter this piece of work is an abhorrent failure. So why did AIA bestow an award to the future President of the Cleveland Chapter? Most likely because AIA has a hinky definition of what architecture is. Despite the modernist rhetoric about "design for (the) people, or the explanation of "creating habitable space" the only proof in the pudding so to speak is the ever vacuous and subjective definition of beauty which has only as much value as a lazy person will give it until said beauty affects your day to day. While TOD (transit oriented design) and "bus shelters" are continuously designed by people who don't or probably never will take public transit to save their life we are going to end up with sculpturally pretty but realistically pointless expensive crap littering our landscape, making a mockery not only of the profession but also further alienating the public whose tax dollars fund our little follies and who actually are faced with the tenacious burden of using said spaces.

I was vehemently informed by a project defender that one of the goals of the piece is to further the conversation about architecture and design. For those of you nodding and stroking your chin this is one of those bullshit knee jerk responses when everyone knows that a horrendous mistake has been made but instead of admitting it and moving on we force a faux scholarly debate to hide the mistake to pretend/hope it has some value. You know what? Every piece of shitty design furthers the conversation. So does every decent piece of design, in fact most things done with public funding "further the conversation" in that people talk about them and their value. Hell, if the region/city/area has a culture of design then EVERYTHING furthers the discussion simply because you have people wanting to talk about it. On one side there is the pragmatic "save our money" argument, on the other the "you get what you pay for" argument.

I think we are owed some serious change. I mean, this sort of mess is embarrassing.

the locals have already bestowed their opinion.

William McDonough Lecture - Kent State - Oct 12th

William McDonough Lecture

Tuesday, October 12th

7.30pm

Cartwright Hall, Kent State University

Lakewood Bikeway Planning Community Meeting - October 5th

Bikeway Planning Community Workshop To Be Held On October 5

Help us make our city a great place to ride!

The Planning and Development Department will host a Lakewood Bikeway Planning Community Workshop on Tuesday, October 5 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM in the Lakewood Public Library Auditorium, 15425 Detroit Avenue.

This workshop is the first opportunity for residents to share their input and ideas about commuter and recreational bicycling in Lakewood.

Bicycling promotes efficient land use, promotes efficient use of road space, promotes equitable transportation, supports buying local, promotes health and fitness, reduces air and noise pollution, reduces traffic congestion, reduces taxpayer burden, reduces parking demand, reduces energy use, and is an integral part of a progressive community.

Lakewood has a significant bicycling population of both transportation and recreational riders. Most of the City is flat, densely-populated and was developed around streetcar lines creating a compact layout that offers relatively short distances between schools, parks, residential areas and commercial centers. Most vehicle trips inside the City are less than five miles round trip and because of Lakewood's layout could potentially be accomplished on a bicycle. However, the City currently lacks the coordinated infrastructure that supports bicycling in taking full advantage of that potential.

In the interest of improving the cycling environment, the bicycle plan's purpose will be to identify and then direct the implementation of a continuous network of cross-town routes and facilities. Such a network will promote safe and convenient bicycle travel throughout the community for riders of all abilities, skills and objectives.

For more information, contact Dru Siley in Planning and Development at 216.529.6630 or planning@lakewoodoh.net.

Copied from Lakewood City News Email

Lakewood Public Library Location Map

My big expose, Cool Cleveland secretly headquartered in *gasp* Lakewood!

I am sure that there are literally tens of people who actually do read the Cool Cleveland emails they receive in a timely manner. I admit I am usually a couple of days behind, mostly due to all the crap I have to constantly clean out of my email inbox (screen, it isn't physically a box or even a tab anymore, its just a link, so what is that?). So today, when I took the time to read it as soon as it popped in my email (or a few hours later, who is counting?) I thought that the address on the bottom of the email, from Cool Networks LLC looked a little fishy. The street number and zip code did not correlate with the city.

This is what I saw:

Cool Networks LLC / 14837 Detroit #105 / Cleveland, OH 44107

All contents (c)2010 Cool Networks LLC all rights reserved

A quick search on the Google Mapinator lent credence to my accusation that Cool Cleveland is actually headquartered in Lakewood, Ohio. A slightly denser more successful Cleveland (at least I like to think so) that is surrounded by Cleveland (Lakewood's largest suburb) on the East and South sides, has the Great Lake Erie to the North and something on the West that has Mitchell's Ice Cream and Century Cycles in it. It may be a city, I don't know, I try not to pay too much attention.

So what does this mean when placed under the lens of current county wide corruption and conspiracy? Is Mr. Mulready a gigantic liar face? Is there a massive cover-up? Are commercial spaces in Cleveland too scarce to come by for a small start up mass email good news office to find footing?

The answer to all the gripping questions above is most likely a big negative. While it may have been difficult to gain street cred hyping the happenings of Cleveland from the outside (by about two miles and a half if you measure the long way) it probably wouldn't have stopped any readers. So the actual important question is "Is all the deception worth it?"

"Probably not" says the one person I asked. When pressed upon how much that person cared they mentioned "its funny". I don't know how funny liars are to that person but apparently pretty humorous. My own opinion differs, G.W. Bush was a laugh-riot, but I don't think it was intentional, Nixon isn't funny at all unless we are talking about his Futurama persona, which is sort of funny-sad really.

Regardless, what is the value of the Cleveland, not-Cleveland self locating descriptions? First off it really does a disservice to all the intelligent and detail oriented Cool Cleveland readers who noticed the discrepancy. I for one was completely unproductive for at least 4 hours while trying to compute how that address worked (not including blog time). Secondly it mildly mocks the city it tries to support. Being honest would have gone mostly unnoticed, fibbing (or exaggerating) the location lets those same intelligent and detail oriented become online jerks who are now making slightly veiled comments that Cleveland does not support small business like Lakewood does. Thirdly it quite possibly throws the journalistic integrity of Cool Cleveland into question. How do I really know what city or location they are reporting on if it is all one big mess to them? Where will I end up if I follow their directions? In the Lake? In Brecksville? In CANADA?!

I am honestly hoping for a little more thought in my mass emails that I receive and usually don't read right away and I am expecting the good people at Cool Cleveland and Mr. Mulready to oblige. I eagerly await the apology that the fine City of Lakewood and its suburb known as Cleveland deserve.