American Institute of Architects San Francisco Chapter

LECTURES

The Architecture of Community: Louis Kahn, Daniel Libeskind, and the Search for Jewish Meaning (1.5 LUs)
September 3, 7:00 pm
Free with Museum Admission | Admission is $5 after 5:00 pm.
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street, San Francisco

Mikveh Israel (unbuilt), Philadelphia © Louis I. Kahn Collection, University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

Mikveh Israel © Louis I. Kahn Collection

Suburban synagogues were the primary markers of the vitality of Jewish life after World War II. In the twenty-first century, Jewish museums have supplanted synagogues as the most visible symbol of the American Jewish landscape. In this first annual architecture lecture, Susan G. Solomon, author of Louis I. Kahn’s Jewish Architecture: Mikveh Israel and the Midcentury American Synagogue, will compare how Kahn and CJM architect Daniel Libeskind, AIA, have created Jewish meaning within the boundaries of modern architecture.

The Architect’s Forum (2 LUs)
September 10, 6:30 pm
Free to Home Tours participants | $20 Nonparticipants
Istanbul Rug, 424 9th Street, San Francisco

Sponsored by Dwell, 7x7, Hometta, Istanbul Rug

Alabama Residence © Bruce Damonte

This educational panel reveals details regarding the design, construction and overall costs related to the homes showcased in the 2009 San Francisco Living: Home Tours weekend. This year’s tours feature state-of-the-art, single-family homes in Glen Park, Cole Valley, Bernal Heights and the Mission District, among others. Participating firms include Malcolm Davis Architecture, Apparatus Architecture, Axelrod Architects, Boor Bridges Architecture, Edmonds + Lee Architects, John Maniscalco Architecture, LSarc, Mork-Ulnes Design, Sasaki|Architect: Strachan Forgan, SB Architects|Architect: Bruce Wright, Studio Sarah Willmer Architecture and WRT Solomon ETC.

Sensate: Bodies and Design (1.5 LUs)
September 17, 7:00 pm
$7 AIA/SFMOMA Members, Students and Seniors | $10 General Admission
Tickets include Talk and Performance.
SFMOMA, Phyllis Wattis Theater, 151 Third Street, San Francisco

Distortion No. 78 , 1933 © Estate of André Kertész

Distortion No. 78 © Estate of André Kertész

In the new exhibition Sensate: Bodies and Design, SFMOMA turns to architects and designers who use the body as a model for their work, whether in a direct reference like Oscar Niemeyer’s Vertebrae Chair or more obliquely, like Greg Lynn’s Embryological House. Hear architects Andrew Kudless and Alex Schweder, who have large-scale works specifically fabricated for the show, in conversation with Henry Urbach.

Re-thinking the American Strip Mall (1.5 LUs)
September 18, 6:30 pm (Please note UPDATED START TIME.)
Free; Registration required.
Crome Architecture, 905 Fourth Street, San Rafael

They are ubiquitous across the country and though uninspired in design and underutilized, we pass them every day. This conversation explores new strip mall design as an inspiring, sustainable, mixed-use center and explores the many ways strip malls should benefit the community. It also highlights the unique perspective of architects who specialize in retail projects, often located in these spaces.

Museums of Tomorrow: Profiles of the New Exploratorium, the Museum of the City of San Francisco, and the Walt Disney Family Museum (1.5 LUs)
September 22, 6:00 pm
$15 AIA Members | $25 Nonmembers
AIA San Francisco, 130 Sutter Street, Suite 600, San Francisco

Everyday design is a combination of science, art, history and innovation. The mission of these three new buildings is to teach through hands-on experimentation and interactive exhibits, to inspire a new generation of scientists and artists, and to celebrate our region’s history of innovation. Come hear how the three newest museums proposed for San Francisco will capture the community’s stories, celebrate science, and trigger the visitor’s imagination through art, animation and design.

Lecture with Piero Lissoni (1.5 LUs)
September 23, 7:00 pm
Free, Seating is limited and on a first come, first served basis.
CCA, Timken Lecture Hall, 1111 Eighth Street, San Francisco

Through his designs for Boffi, Living Divani and Porro, architect and designer Piero Lissoni creates objects to be used every day—in the bathroom, kitchen and throughout the home. Join us for an in-depth conversation with Lissoni as he speaks about the history of Italian modern design, form versus function and the inspirations behind his creations.

The Tiny Shed Challenge
September 27, 11:00 am
$15 AIA Members | $25 Nonmembers
Flora Grubb Gardens, 1634 Jerrold Avenue, San Francisco

Showcasing unique and site-specific shed designs, this talk inspires people to think beyond “off the shelf” solutions and take design back into their own hands. On display will be design concepts for sheds that might fall under the no-permit-required guidelines for San Francisco. Based on parcels indicative of the neighborhoods they are designed for, the designs will be site-specific, built of reclaimed & re-used materials, and they will be—of necessity—off the grid. The designs will also be envisioned for execution through collaboration with a host of local artisan/craftsmen who bring unconventional and unique visions to the project.

GOOD Design San Francisco
September 29, 6:00 pm
$10 General Admission
SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street, San Francisco
Presented by AIA San Francisco, CEOs for Cities, GOOD magazine and SPUR

Good design can solve everyday problems. Join Min Day Architecture, Mike and Maaike, Stamen Design, Surface Design, Kuth Ranieri Architects and Volume, some of the brightest minds from the vast and varied San Francisco design community, as they present simple solutions to some of the city's most pressing issues, selected by urban leaders who can help launch them into action. The urban leaders include Monique Moyer, Executive Director, Port of San Francisco; Nathaniel Ford, Executive Director, SFMTA; Chris Meany, Principal, Wilson Meany Sullivan; Michael Cohen, Director, City of San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development; Carlos Garcia, Superintendent, San Francisco Unified School District; Zahid Sardar, author, editor and columnist. The fast-paced event, which highlights multiple design solutions to everyday life, will conclude with a reception and more conversation on the fourth floor library and rooftop of the new SPUR Urban Center. The conversation will be moderated by design writer Alissa Walker, contributing editor for GOOD.

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