12.1.2014
This week marks the final lecture in the SoA Agenda - Call to Order lecture series, with guest speaker Sharon Johnston of the Los Angeles based firm, Johnston Marklee. Johnston is a graduate of Stanford University where she earned a B.A. in History & Art History.  She earned her architectural degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Johnston and Mark Lee founded their practice in 1998 and have since gone on to win various awards both in the Los Angeles area and internationally for a variety of their projects. 

An excerpt from their firm’s site states that, “While maintaining a deep commitment to architecture history and the discipline’s ongoing discourse, Johnston Marklee draws upon an extensive network of collaborators in related fields, engaging the expertise of contemporary artists, graphic designers, and writers to broaden the breadth of design research. Johnston Marklee ascribes to the model of collaboration in which the expertise of joining disciplines are sharpened, rather than blurred, maintaining permeable boundaries for greater results.” Please join us this Wednesday, December 3, at 6:30 p.m. in Glasgow Hall to welcome Sharon Johnston and hear her lecture titled, “Architecture and The Ecology of Objects.”  

Art Basel is officially upon us this week and as always will thrust Miami into the spotlight of the art world for the next seven days. One exciting event will be the opportunity for the UM SoA to collaborate with Dutch artist Theo Jansen on his Strandbeest project.  Jansen’s creations have been developed since 1990, meticulously formed using off-the-shelf items such as PVC tubes and recycled materials.  These “creatures” possess a life-like quality and are able to react to the surrounding elements such as wind and water.  Thanks to the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), of Salem, Massachusetts and Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet, Theo Jansen's Strandbeests at Art Basel Miami Beach will be on view from Decemeber 3-7.  A group of Strandbeests, each with unique characteristics and histories, will inhabit a prominent stretch of the beach in Miami Beach. Daily, visitors will be able to meet Jansen as he leads his larger-than-life, wind-powered creatures in demonstrations along the beach. An accompanying installation features Jansen’s newest Strandbeests, including the 42-foot-long Animaris Suspendisse, as well as a reproduction of Theo Jansen’s workshop on the beach and an exhibition of Lena Herzog’s photographs.  On Saturday, December 6, there will be an all-day student-artist collaboration with Theo Jansen. Together, students will build a unique Beest using Jansen's techniques. The following students are participating: Nicolas Delgado Alcega, David Aldana, Carolyn Anderson, Taylor Brophy, Gerardo Delgadillo, Maria Fasano, Kurt Gessler, Marisa Hartfield, Hitomi Maeno, Sydney Matsumoto, Benjamin Oberstein, Maria Oliveira, Bernardo Rieveling, Stephanie Riofrio, Melodie Sanchez, Stephanie Tarud, and Jiang Zhongzhou.  For a press release with instructions and information regarding this show, click here.

In other student news, 5th year architecture student, Daniella Cioffi, was mentioned in the Palm Beach Daily News this past week. Daniella is currently interning with the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach and is conducting research on demolitions and new constructions in the area from the onset of the Great Recession (2008) to today. 

The Miami Marine Stadium and Jorge Hernandez (along with Don Worth and Hilario Candela) were featured in this past Sunday's New York Times. The group seeks to raise $30 million in funds to refurbish and reopen the Modernist stadium to the public.

Last week's Meetinghouse collective, which pulled together creative makers of many disciplines and combined results of their efforts was featured in the Miami Herald. Professors Jacob Brillhart, Rocco Ceo, Austin Matheson and Veruska Vasconez (who also curated the exhibit) have their work on display through December 17 at the Huntington Building.

Please join the Harvard GSD and design industry leaders for an exciting symposium, Harvard Design: Miami. Harvard GSD Dean, Mohsen Mostafavi engages leading local and global architects, landscape architects, engineers, developers, and planners in discussions related to designing on, in, or near water and the unique challenges related to these environments in this era of unprecedented climate change. Elizabeth Plater Zyberk will take part in a discussion surrounding the design past, present and potential futures for Miami, on Sunday, December 7. The following day, on Monday, December 8, Dean Rodolphe el-Khoury and Carie Penabad will participate in the Coastlines: Architecture, Landscapes, and the Construction of Waterscapes session at 2:00 p.m. For a complete view of events, speakers, program updates, hotel blocks, directions and more, please view event details here.

Dr. Katherine Wheeler High Noon series lecture titled “The Victorian Working Drawing and the Architect as Masterful Dictator,” has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for the upcoming Spring semester.

After 19 years at the SoA, Jude Alexander will be retiring as the Graduate Program Advisor. Over the years, she has shepherded, mentored and touched the many lives of students and alumni. Although she will still reside in the Coral Gables area, her presence at the school will be forever missed and never forgotten.  A special celebration is being planned for mid-January.

The SoA community would also like to thank Carolyn White for her contributions over the many years of service as manager of Public Relations and Special Projects. Her responsibilities included writing SoA newsletters and bulletins, press releases, web material, as well as, announcing and organizing events and lectures. We wish her well, as she embarks on new endeavors.

[CANCELLED] December 3 High Noon faculty lunchtime series lecture, “The Victorian Working Drawing and the Architect as Masterful Dictator” by Katherine Wheeler. Rinker Classroom in Perez Architecture Center, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

December 3 SoA Agenda - Call to Order series lecture by Sharon Johnston of Johnston Marklee. Glasgow Hall in Perez Architecture Center, 6:30 p.m.

December 3-7  Art Basel Miami begins.

December 5 SEEDS, GreenU, the College of Engineering and the SoA present Dr. Amir Roth's lecture, "Building Energy Modeling: A Multi-Purpose Tool for Building Energy Effeciency." Dr. Roth is the Technology Manager at the Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office. Glasgow Hall in Perez Architecture Center, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

December 5 Furniture Exhibit of Austin Matheson's student class work. Korach Gallery in Perez Architecture Center, 9 to 7 p.m., reception at 5 p.m.