Hello from the students currently studying in Roma, Italia. As these students near the end of their time abroad they gather here to say hello, to all those they left in Auburn. They look forward to returning and sharing their experiences with everyone.

The College of Architecture, Design and Construction will host the 2008 Integrated Practice and Architectural Education Symposium on Wednesday, February 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Parker/B6 Auditorium, Dudley Commons. The symposium is open to the public, and will feature Marty Doscher from the Los Angeles based design firm, Morphosis Architects; Tom Hysell, AIA, Beth Scarano and Derek Cunz of Mortenson Construction; and Renee Cheng, AIA, Head of the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota. The speakers will discuss the impact of close collaboration between design and construction professionals on project design and construction, and the new technologies driving the evolution of a unified team approach in the industry system. The symposium will also examine how this paradigm of project delivery will influence design and construction education. For more information, contact David Hinson at hinsodw@auburn.edu.

The Sustainability Institute on Campus will be presenting a Symposium on Global Climate Change tomorrow Wednesday, January 30 from 9am to 7:30 pm in the Hotel and Dixon Conference Center. This event is in conjunction with the nationwide Focus the Nation symposium. Throughout the day faculty from a number of colleges on campus will be making presentations. Two that definitely should not be missed are Christian Dagg’s and Michael Robinson’s presentations. Professor Dagg will be discussing Solutions to Climate Change from 3:15-4:30 pm. Professor Robinson will be making a presentation on the Future of the Gulf Coast from 1-2pm. Go over to the Hotel and Dixon Conference Center and support the CADC faculty as they discuss the Global Climate Change Problem and It’s Solutions.

The Institutes Rationale: Truly non-partisan discussions about the challenges, opportunities, and solutions associated with climate change are now occurring at all political levels in the country from local to national. This is an opportunity for educators to take a leadership role, and catalyze a process which indeed will “Focus the Nation.” For the last 150 years we have been engaged in an unprecedented natural experiment, drastically altering the basic nature of the planet’s climate control system. Focus the Nation is engaging the country with the question: How far can we let that experiment go?

For More Information and Schedule Visit: www.auburn.edu/projects/sustainability/AUFocus.php

“An Architecture of Decency” by Krista Tippett will air on public radio stations nationwide from Thursday, November 15 through Wednesday, November 21, and it will be featured online at www.speakingoffaith.org during the same time.

Both the radio program and website will feature the voices of people that were interviewed while at Rural Studio, as well as Krista’s conversation with Andrew Freear. Listeners may hear the program online via downloadable or streaming audio, including podcasting. The site will also include an interactive map that features the audio, video, and photography captured during “Speaking of Faith’s” visit.

Although ‘Speaking of Faith” is not carried on any Alabama public radio stations, individuals in Alabama will be able to access the program through the website. You may also learn more about the show by visiting Rural Studio Roadtrip, where “Speaking of Faith’s” Senior producer Mitch Hanley and Online editor Trent Gilliss document their week-long journey through Alabama to visit the Rural Studio.

“The pumpkin carve has grown from a small student competition to a community event that attracts hundreds of people,” noted Dan Bennett, dean of AU’s College of Architecture, Design and Construction. “Each year visitors are amazed at the traditional Halloween and current event themes that are used by our students in their designs for the pumpkin carve.”

This year, more than 400 pumpkins, many with intricate designs and current-event themes, will be judged on creativity, appearance and craftsmanship. Festivities begin at 9 a.m., with pumpkins going on sale for $4 and the carving begins. At noon, hot dogs, burgers, chili and drinks will be on sale and the student costume contest will begin. At 5 p.m., pumpkin carving ends and the pumpkins will be lighted. Face painting will be available for kids and food will be on sale. The children’s costume contest and pictures with Aubie will begin at 6 p.m., with the judging of pumpkins carved by CADC students only beginning at 6:30 p.m. and awards presented at 7 p.m. Pumpkins will be available for viewing until 8 p.m. A live video stream of all the day’s activities will be provided on the Internet at www.cadc.auburn.edu/pumpkincarve/. The college encourages the community and students from other curricula to come out from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to participate in carving; the competition is open to all members of the university. The Dudley Courtyard is located between Dudley Hall and Dudley Commons, which is adjacent to Graves Amphitheater.

Schedule
9 am: Pumpkins and t-shirts go on sale
Noon: Dog Days and Chili available; Student Costume Contest
5 pm: Carving ends, lighting begins, Dog Days Dinner, and face painting
6 pm: Kids Costume Contest
6:30 pm: Judging and announcement of winner follows

The award was one of many for Hinson in 2007. Hinson’s work on the DESIGNhabitat 2 manufactured home collaboration with Habitat for Humanity garnered him and his students’ American Institute of Architects (AIA) awards on the state and national level, including the Special Housing Award at the AIA’s national convention.

“It is a great honor to be nominated by our students for national recognition and I’m surprised and pleased to receive the Educator Honor Award,” Hinson said. “Recognition like this is one of the most satisfying experiences any teacher can have.”

The Educator Honor Award comes as a result of Hinson’s efforts as a professor in the classroom and as faculty advisor to the Auburn AIAS chapter.

“Many former students cite him as the professor that they learned the most from,” Auburn architecture graduate Cayce Bean said in her letter supporting Hinson’s nomination. “When teaching, it is clear that Professor Hinson’s philosophy is that the student should be the center of the discussion. He is here to educate the students and through that process educate himself. I can think of no other professor at Auburn that is more dedicated to the quality of student life and education than Professor Hinson.”

Hinson joined the College of Architecture, Design & Construction (CADC) in 1997 after working in private practice in Philadelphia and was named head of the School of Architecture in 2007.

Hinson teaches upper-level design studios, lecture courses in construction technology and professional practice, and seminars on leadership and civic engagement. In addition, he is actively engaged in research into the evolving challenges of architectural practice and how higher education can best prepare students to succeed as professionals and as community leaders.

Hinson has also been active in local, regional and national AIA programs and initiatives – including leading the effort to establish the Young Architects Forum, co-founding AIA Philadelphia’s Community Design Collaborative, leading the AIA’s Educator-Practitioner Network, and serving as an IDP Educator Coordinator.

Hinson holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Auburn University. He is a registered architect in Alabama and Pennsylvania and holds an NCARB Certificate.

Senior Anna Bevill was awarded an Honorable Mention award for her work as chapter president, while the chapter’s fifth grade architecture project won the Community Service Honor Award. The Auburn AIAS chapter also received Honorable Mention in the Chapter Honor Award category.

Auburn has the largest AIAS chapter in the country with more than 200 members. This year marks the third consecutive year the Auburn chapter has earned honors in the AIAS national awards program.

“This tradition of winning national awards illustrates that our AIAS chapter has outstanding leadership and a solid commitment to service,” David Hinson, School of Architecture Head and AIAS Chapter Advisor, said. “Our AIAS chapter is known across the country as one of the best student organizations to be found in any architecture program.”

Bevill, a senior from Houston, Texas, is earning a dual degree in architecture and interior architecture and received the award in the Chapter President Honor Award category of the event. Bevill was instrumental in organizing the Auburn AIAS Internship Fair that featured a record number of 58 firms on campus to interview students. Bevill also led the chapter’s efforts to host the AIAS South Quad Conference, the annual Pumpkin Carve and the chapter’s collaboration with Auburn area fifth grade students.

The chapter earned the Community Service Honor Award for their work with the Auburn City Schools in the fall of 2006. The project allowed 40 architecture students to share their experiences as students with children in each fifth grade class in the Auburn community. As a result, the children were exposed to an understanding of the built environment and the rewards of working in the field of architecture.

Due, in part, to the Auburn chapter’s work with area fifth graders the chapter received the Honorable Mention award in the Chapter Honor category. The award jury noted the chapter’s many community service projects, including Pumpkin Carve and Beaux Arts Ball, along with the its continued growth and financial stability in presenting the award.

Scholarships were provided by Dick Danner Construction, Vernell Barnes, Dr. Barbara Miller, Pitts Family Foundation, Joseph Bynum and Pamela Dorr. The donors worked with the College of Architecture, Design & Construction’s Director of Multicultural Affairs, Carla Jackson Bell, and the Office of Development in creating the scholarships. The donors focused specifically on students in Alabama’s Black Belt and surrounding communities.

The donors’ commitment to provide scholarships for Black Belt students ties in with Auburn University’s long-standing relationship to bring educational resources and opportunities to the region. The College of Architecture, Design & Construction has played a vital role in that relationship, assisting with personal development and exploring strategies to improve community and economic development.

Students Elizabeth Ballard (Huffman High School/Birmingham, Ala.), Jeremy Duff (Ramsey High School/Birmingham, Ala.), Kymlyn Owens (Valley High School/Valley, Ala.), Yesufu O’ladipo (Ramsey High School/Birmingham, Ala.), Jonathan Tubbs (Southern Academy High School/Greensboro, Ala.) each received full scholarships that covered the cost ($545) of attending the camp. Duff, Owens and O’ladipo will return to the Auburn campus as freshmen this fall.

The students spent an intensive, exciting, week at the workshop that introduced the students to basic design concepts and ended with an architectural design project. The students had hands-on exercises in design studios, technical demonstrations and professional guest speakers as part of their daily experience.

To sponsor a student for the 2008 Summer Camp, please contact Tara Jones by email at jonestg@auburn.edu or by phone at 334-844-1161.

The School of Architecture is housed in the College of Architecture, Design & Construction. The CADC offers degree programs in Architecture, Interior Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Community Planning, Building Science, Industrial Design, Graphic Design and Design-Build. The components of the CADC are annually regarded and ranked among the best in their respective disciplines nationally for the quality of education and quality of students.

Auburn University is a comprehensive research institution with more than 23,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff. Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.

1) 109 Moving to 419: The 109 lab is migrating to the 4th floor to Dudley Hall Room 419. This process will take place starting on Monday, July 16. Just to clarify, the 109 lab is moving only in spirit. There are, in fact, 31 brand new computers already occupying room 419. The official opening for the 419 lab will be Monday, July 16 while the official closing date of the 109 will be Monday, July 23. This means that for 1 week both 109 and 419 will be open at the same time. This should give ample time for all to migrate from 109 to 419.

2) Reminder…CADC12 will be down: This is just a reminder the CADC12 File and Print Server will be unavailable on July 13 beginning at 4:00pm due to maintenance. An upgrade to the Server will be performed and data transfer will occur. Due to the nature of the upgrade the Server must be taken offline for several hours. All file and print services will be unavailable during this time. Access to the class folders, staff and faculty folders will be unavailable. Printers will be unavailable to all during this process. Expect CADC12 to be up and running and all file and print services restored by 5:00am Saturday, July 14.

3) New Digital Video Cameras: The School of Architecture has purchased 4 brand new Digital Video cameras for checkout from the CADC Library. The new cameras are Sanyo VPC-HD1a and uses a Secure Digital (SD) card instead of tapes. Two High Speed SD cards will be provided with each camera along with a tripod and docking station. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac platforms.

4) Papercut: CADC-IT has purchased software called Papercut to track printer usage. This software documents the “who”, “what”, “when”, and “where” for print jobs. This means that it tracks who was printing, what was printed, when it was printed, and what printer was used. It also tracks other details such as paper size used, if color was used, how many pages were printed, etc. The School of Architecture is using this for information gathering only for the moment. There is also a Papercut client that will reside on all the lab and cart workstations. This client will allow you to do something you never had an opportunity to do before. ..see exactly how much you have printed over a given time period. Huzzah! Now, when you first see the Papercut client don’t panic. It shows you not only how much you have printed, but also assigns a dollar amount to each print job and a total of what you are being charged for all your print jobs in total. YOU ARE NOT BEING CHARGED. These are just arbitrary prices that have no meaning. Starting fall semester the Papercut client will start showing up on all lab and cart computers.

5) New Software: The School of Architecture is planning on having the AutoCAD 2008 Suite, Adobe CS3 Suite (including the new Dreamweaver and Flash), and Rhino 3D version 4 by the beginning of fall semester.

6) Off to France from Thursday, July 12 through Friday, July 27. This is just a side note, but just letting everyone know that I will be going on vacation starting the afternoon of Thursday, July 12. I will be back at work on Monday, July 30. In my place Blake Potts, my assistant, will be handling Architecture IT needs. He will be in my office in Room 432 and will answer my phone and e-mails. Blake will continue working on the Summer projects in my absence and can handle any IT related problems. Feel free to abuse Blake in while I am gone. Just kidding  Seriously, Blake can handle most everything I can, so don’t be shy throwing problems at him.

Davis, a native of Gulf Shores, Ala., graduated in the Spring with a Master’s degree in Community Planning and an undergraduate degree in geography, also from Auburn.

“Nicole’s consistently strong performance in the areas of academics, research, and service exemplifies the best of graduate student achievement in our program,” John Pittari, Community Planning Program Chair, said. “She was a dedicated learner who graduated with one of the highest academic averages in her class and impressed the professional colleagues with whom she worked in her planning internship so much that they have now hired her on a permanent basis.”

This marks the second consecutive year that an Auburn Community Planning graduate has received the Outstanding Student Award. The Community Planning program is a part of the School of Architecture in the College of Architecture, Design & Construction (CADC).

“This is excellent national recognition for Auburn as the award is open only to accredited planning programs throughout the United States,” Dan Bennett, Dean of the CADC, said.

The purpose of the Outstanding Student Award is to recognize outstanding attainment in the study of planning by a student who is being graduated from an accredited program during the academic year of the award.

The AICP is the professional institute of the American Planning Association. It provides recognized leadership nationwide in the certification of professional planners, ethics, professional development, planning education and the standards of planning practice.

ONB is a unique public-private partnership with a dual mission: To make the Birminham City Center the #1 choice for business, healthcare, living, the arts & entertainment, and to Promote communication, understanding and harmony among the diverse racial and ethnic groups in the Birmingham community.

In its 40 year history ONB has played a significant role in:

• Revitalization of Five Points South.
• Preservation of more than 70 historical structures through tax incentives.
• Renovation of Linn Park.
• Inauguration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast - one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the country.
• Development and implementation of the City Center Master Plan from Five Points South to the Convention Complex.
• Real estate development and redevelopment through innovative public-private partnerships.
• Creation of the Business Improvement District (BID) which sets aside property assessment dollars to assist with City Center safety and cleanliness.
• Creation of the City Action Partnership and City Action Patrol
• Promotion of the Birmingham Pledge, an initiative focused on motivating individuals to treat others with dignity and respect regardless of race or color.

Founded in 1957, ONB is a Section 501 ( C )(3) non-profit organization supported equally by a contract with the City of Birmingham and contributions from business, individuals and Jefferson County.