Eight student teams and three professional design teams competed for cash and prizes on September 16, 2016 during PARK(ing) Day Miami; one team winning 'the best parklet in all of Miami.' The competition challenges teams to design and build amazing mini-public spaces for one day all over Miami. Fourth and fifth-year undergraduate students participated by designing and building three ‘urban-agricultural’ themed projects, led by Professor James Brazil, who recently joined SoA as the first recipient of The Emerging Practitioner Teaching Fellowship. The projects were curated in collaboration with local businesses to offer a temporal perspective on how to reclaim ‘in-between’ public spaces, such as parking spaces, in the Wynwood Art District. SoA students, Dorianne Marie Paris Dutari, Donnie Garcia-Navarro, Chloe Pereira, Davin Micah Stencil and Yuanxun Xia won the ‘Emerging Designer’ category with their project, Hexat Garden. The competition was made possible through the generous support of the Parks Foundation, Urban Impact Lab, the Miami Center for Architecture & Design, AIA Miami, Miami Dade County Parks, Neat Streets Miami and Miami Parking Authority. The student team's project descriptions are as follows:

Hexat Garden
Student Team Members - Dorianne Marie Paris Dutari, Donnie Garcia-Navarro, Chloe Pereira,
Davin Micah Stancil, Yuanxun Xia

"The concept for the 'Hexat Garden' parklet design was to create an interactive space characterized by a hexagonal topographic garden. We made a modular design which can adapt and evolve in the site and have the potential to morph into a different structure. Our aim was to bring people together through this interactive herb garden as well as bringing awareness to urban agriculture in the city."

Box of Eden
Student Team Members: Shaikha Al-Duwaisan, Gabe Fischler, Randa Hadi, Corey Weiss

"The 'Box of Eden' parklet is an inverted perspective on Wynwood's relationship with the theme of urban agriculture. The exterior of the boxed garden installation is framed by sharp white gallery walls, the dominant interior typology of the art district. The arrangement of the installation in relation to the parking space is determined by the placement of mirrors, forcing the perspective of the visitor. Only by sitting on the movable bench or walking along the sidewalk edge of the parklet can you view the secret garden. The garden installation was curated in collaboration with the adjacent business Plant the Future, a business dedicated to making vegetable art, who sponsored the plants along with the Flowering Tree Society.

Plant Your Gr(ASS)
Student Team Members: Avleigh Du, Andrew Schneider, Samantha Schneider, Zachary Silver

"Our interactive parklet, 'Plant Your Gr(ASS)' is an urban collaborative unit that can be transported to different urban locations and become easily interactive and relevant at any place in a neighborhood. Consisting of nine lounge units with removable and adjustable seating, this installation also houses small plants and trees for shade and opportunities for public green space and DIY crafting elements that can be affixed on the backs of the lounge units. Due to the construction of these lounge units, which consists of a repetition of wooden planks held by a single rod at each intersection, they can be produced relatively quickly. While the focal point of the installation is the student-designed adjustable seating that can be easily arranged in multiple configurations to cater to a space, the project is not complete without the contributions of local businesses in the endeavor to promote urban agriculture and green design. From the trees and plants provided by local nurseries, to compost from cafes for the plants (Panther Coffee), to refreshments and recyclable crafting supplies from local restaurants and businesses, involvement from local businesses is what completes and brings a sense of community to our parklet.

Our students along with the AIAS, Student Council, and the Asian Students Association and Faculty came together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival referred to as the Moon Festival on September 15. The Mid-Autumn festival is a traditional Chinese celebration dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-906 ce). It is celebrated on the day of the Autumn Equinox when the moon is the brightest and most round.

The festival this year was bigger than expected with over 125 students, faculty and community guests in attendance. “Much like our Thanksgiving Holiday is is a time for family gathering and celebration,” said Professor Armando Montero who helped students organize the gathering, “many of our students are far away from their families and we want them to know that we at the School of Architecture are their extended family.” The festival featured traditional food including homemade Moon Cakes and Tea, in a setting of beautiful decorations and artwork. Local Chinese Opera Vocalist Angie Luan sang “Beijing, my hometown” and a very talented 9-year old boy, Hanming Xie, played a Chinese Bamboo Flute. All in all everyone had a great time!

SoA Professors Cristina Canton, Jaime Correa, Adib Cure, Steven Fett and Carie Penabad’s project proposal, the Underline Pavilion was selected as a winner for the 2016 Miami Foundation’s Public Space Challenge. The competition uncovers the best ideas for creating, improving and activating parks, plazas and local gathering places. Everyone in Greater Miami, individuals, groups, for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations can participate. The idea for the proposal was born out of the collaborative efforts of this past year's USERVE events. The group’s concept was “to improve the M-Path below the Metrorail, before and after The Underline is built. The Underline has a unique challenge; it limits the use of permanent structures that could provide much-needed shade along the corridor. We will create a highly visible, annual architectural competition for a temporary shade structure to be added to The Underline project. The annual competition will be run through the University of Miami’s School of Architecture; and we will build and install the first selected design. Our goal is to enhance public open space in the city by creating an iconic structure to be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.”

Professor Rocco Ceo is attending a conference at the University of Notre Dame titled: “The Art of Architecture: Hand drawing and Design” from September 29 to October 1. He will be delivering a juried paper whose title is: ”FSD: A Brief history of the Full Size Detail/Full Size Drawing, and its Role in the Construction of Vizcaya from 1913-1921.” This paper is part of my beginning research on the drawings of Vizcaya. Drawing credit: Paul Chalfin, sketchbook study, archives.0017.jpg, Vizcaya Museum and Garden Archive, Miami, Florida.

Jaime Correa, Associate Professor in Practice at SoA, and Marco Lampugnani, a renowned Italian architect and historian, will be the two keynote international speakers at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, in Pachuca's, "Day of the Architect" in Mexico on October 3.

Associate Professor Allan Shulman was one of four panelists for the “Sea Level Rise Task Force: Miami Architects Address Adaptation,” at MCAD on September 20. He presented his book Building Bacardi: Architecture, Art & Identity (Rizzoli) at Books & Books on September 16, and will be a panelist for the Escribe Aqui writers’ festival at the Betsy Carlton South Beach on September 29. He is lecturing at UNAM in Mexico City on October 5 and speaking about the Bacardi book at an event sponsored by Glocal magazine for Design Week Mexico on October 8. The exhibit The Discipline of Nature: Architect Alfred Browning Parker in Florida, for which he was a guest curator, opened at HistoryMiami on September 24, and included a conversation moderated by Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, SoA's Malcolm Matheson Distinguished Professor of Architecture and Master of Urban Design Program Director. Image Credit: © 2007 2030, Inc / Architecture 2030 and © 2007 Google, Inc.

SoA alumni, Ehsan Sheikholharam, and North Carolina State University PhD Candidate received the a travel award sponsored by Dumbarton Oaks and the Mellon Foundation. With the award, Sheikholharam was able to attend the 2016 Garden and Landscape Studies Symposium, Landscape and the Academy. Read more.

The Dean would like to welcome the following individuals as new members of the SoA Staff:

Wyn Bradley - Director, Special Programs (date of hire 9/26/16) Wyn was hired as a Director of Special Programs to develop an expansion of graduate and professional programs for the School of Architecture. Wyn has extensive experience in historic preservation, urban design, town design and government relations. Her projects have included single-family residential and small- scale commercial. She has worked on projects in the Bahamas, New Mexico, Costa Rica, California and South Florida. She has acted as architect, owner and developer for several historically sensitive projects. She has been a part-time faculty member since 2009.

Nicole Hejazi - Asst. Director, Graduate Programs (date of hire 9/12/16) Nicole hails from Lebanon and has over 15 years’ experience in administrative and management positions in Germany and the United Arab Emirates, working with government and international educational institutions. Her background with foreign organizations provides her with the unique ability to communicate with all levels of professionals, both public and private sectors. She speaks German, Arabic, and French. Nicole’s position as Assistant Director will encompass a broad scope of responsibilities for the Graduate Programs at SoA.

Derek Acosta - Communications Specialist (date of hire 9/26/16) Derek recently graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communications from University of Gainesville and has been involved with promotion, marketing and social media for various entities. He will support the SoA Communications staff as a temporary employee.

September 26 - 2017 Hines Competition Introductory Meeting
Dr. Chuck Bohl is hosting an introductory session on the Urban Land Institute Hines Student Competition. The annual, two-stage competition offers graduate students (5th year B.Arch. students are eligible) “the opportunity to form multidisciplinary teams and engage in a challenging exercise in responsible land use. Student teams comprising at least three disciplines will have two weeks to devise a comprehensive design and development program for an actual project- a large-scale site full of challenges and opportunities.” The UMSoA submission, Matrix Park, (faculty advisers Veruska Vasconez and Li Yi) by Stephanie Douthit, MBA, Stefani Fachini, B.Arch., Gabriel Flores, and Lily Kasapi, MRED+U, and Team Leader, Melodie Sanchez, B.Arch., won $10,000 as one of four finalists last year, out of the 131 submissions by 59 universities. Join Dr. Bohl and faculty on Monday, September 26, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. in Rinker Classroom for pizza and a conversation to learn more about the 2017 competition, eligibility, and team formation. If you are interested but unable to attend the meeting please email mredu@miami.edu.

September 28 - Pizza with Jake / AXP Informational Meeting
Join Assistant Professor Jacob Brillhart for a pizza info lunch session and learn more about AXP(the Architectural Experience Program) and NCARB at noon in Glasgow Hall. Begin to earn hours towards your professional experience requirement now!

September 26-30 - Open City Studio Show
The work of the Open City Studio from this past summer in Tokyo will be on display between Monday, September 26 and Friday, September 30 in the street-side jury room.  The subject of the work focuses on the "pencil building", a distinctly narrow, and tall building type that emerged in Tokyo during the economic boom of the 1960s 70s and 80s.  Students documented site conditions and designed multi-story tower buildings fitting on the equivalent of one parking space. The work will be on display in the Streetside Jury Room (former RADLAB), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

September 28 - Revit Workshop
The Agamedes chapter of Alpha Rho Chi is holding a Revit Workshop for all students at Glasgow Hall from 6 - 7:30 p.m. All students must bring a laptop and download the Revit program before you attend.

October 5 - Habana Deco: Art and Architecture of Cuba
Tour the Art, Architecture and culture of Havana Cuba through images taken by Sharon Koskoff. There are hundreds of Art Deco buildings in Cuba; however, they are destined to be demolished as the info structure deteriorates without architectural preservation.  Please RSVP by Friday September 30 at public.library.nova.edu/FHC or call 954-262-4627.

October 6 - Museo de Arte Buenos Aires 60th Anniversary
The museum celebrates its 60th anniversary with R & R Studios, Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt's installation, Instant Happiness.

October 6 - The Villagers’ Celebrate “50 Years of Saving Places”
The Villagers, Inc. is Miami-Dade County’s oldest historic preservation organization, founded in 1966, to help save Coral Gables’ landmark Douglas Entrance. Today, with membership of more than 200 women and men, The Villagers have supported more than 60 local projects. With a clear-cut mission, “dedicated to the restoration and preservation of historic sites,” special events and publications were launched to serve as fundraisers. During their annual Holiday House Tour, The Villagers have raffled an historically-inspired quilt for the last 26 years. Fourteen of the quilts, handmade by members, will be a featured part of the museum exhibit to help illustrate The Villager’s story and, simultaneously, the story of historic preservation in Miami-Dade. The quilts showcase the unique, and often quirky, tapestry that makes Miami-Dade so special. Visually, the Quilts will transport visitors on a journey through SoBe Art Deco and Biscayne Bay, through the Coconut Grove Jewels of El Jardin and Old School House, the environmentally significant Everglades, the iconic pop-culture of the “Tan Don’t Burn” Coppertone sign, and Key Biscayne’s Lightkeeper’s Cottage at the Cape Florida Lighthouse. The quilts will be on display at the Coral Gables Museum from October 6 through October 23.Regular museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, noon until 6 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; and Sunday, noon until 5 p.m.

October 8 - 2016-17 Cintas Foundation Fellowship Awards Ceremony & Finalists Exhibition
The Cintas Foundation and Miami Dade College's Museum of Art + Design at the Freedom Tower will be exhibiting the visual arts finalists’ work through December 30, 2016. The exhibition, which features works by each of the eleven visual arts finalists, is free and open to the public. A reception and awards presentation will take place on Saturday, October 8, 2016 at the Freedom Tower at 7 p.m. RSVP now.

October 9 - Sandblast Competition
Come have fun in the sand with your team as AIA is hosting their annual Sandblast Competition in Crandon Park. This year’s theme: “Olympics around the world.” The Team registration deadline is September 29. Contact UMsoaAIAS123@gmail.com to sign up!

October 10 - Eran Chen
Eran Chen AIA, is the founder and executive director of ODA, an architectural firm based in NYC. Eran is known for creating buildings that are radically innovative as well as fiscally and ecologically responsible. Since its inception in 2007, ODA has quickly become one of the most prolific and influential firms of its kind. Having developed groundbreaking residential projects in New York, Eran’s work has been widely featured in such publications as The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Spaces, Architectural Digest, Interior Design, and World Architecture News, among others. Eran’s contributions to architecture have been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Boston Society of Architects (BSA). He received a B.Arch Diploma with Honors from the Bezalel School of Art and Design in Jerusalem, where he serves on the board and as guest lecturer. He is a registered architect both in the State of New York and Boston and a member of The American Institute of Architects. Prior to founding ODA, Eran served as a principal at Perkins Eastman NYC. He will present a Currents lecture on Monday, October 10, at 6:30 p.m. in Glasgow Hall.

October 10 - Exhibit on Display: Jaime Correa’s (RE)thinking URBANISM 
How will large numbers of people living together respond to the environmental threats posed by climate change? Will new habitat aspirations and modes of production emerge as a result of critical vulnerabilities in personal property, safety, and general welfare? Should our designer’s imagination be used to raise a new political awareness where inventiveness operates to undermine the complacent convictions of the reasonable and the respectable? Under the current conditions of uncertainty, should we use utopian ideas to generate an allegorical call for innovative design and greater preparedness? Or, should do more of the same while expecting different results? Professor Jaime Correa’s (RE)thinking URBANISM induces the spectator to answer these questions while recomposing, laboriously, a series of utopian fragments for a new urban puzzle. His colorful capricci exalt the capacity of our imagination to create new models of living through an unprecedented typo-morphological catalogue in which the sum is greater than the parts. The exhibition will be on display from October 10 to November 3, 2016 in the Korach Gallery. The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 24 and will feature a short talk from Correa.

October 12 - Benjamin Kirtman 
Benjamin Kirtman is a Professor at the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Department of Atmospheric Sciences. He is also Director of the Cooperative Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Studies, as well as, the Director of the Center for Computational Science Climate and Environmental Hazards Program. He will give a High Noon lecture at 12:15 p.m. in Rinker Classroom.