EMERGING
SPRING 2012 Vol. 6, No. 2
AIA AWARDS p. 4
Margot Siegel p. 7
Design Democracy p. 12
Spring 2012 Events Calendar p. 8–9
1 EMERGING SPRING 2012
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EMERGING
THE BEST WAY TO LEARN IS TO DO enhanced cultural awareness (“Welcome to Istanbul” pg. 14). Our plans to develop the current May-term program in Istanbul to sustain a full semester-long program is linked to private support.
In design, the best way to learn is to do. With research suggesting that the self-employed may constitute as much as 40 to 45% of all workers by 2020, and a majority by 2030, trends like these represent an enormous change in how people will live and work, and in how businesses will operate, in the future. Here at the college we’re preparing students for this coming shift. Each day, our students are learning how to conceive and implement unique ideas through actionable plans, projects and strategies. From transforming public spaces in order to adapt to future societal needs (“Good Design, Every Day, For Everyone” pg. 12), to revitalizing vacant spaces (“Starling Project Reinvigorates University Avenue” pg. 6), to introducing the health care industry to functional patient apparel (“Students Design Better Hospital Gown” pg. 4), College of Design students are blazing a path to a future that is theirs for the taking. In the following pages , you’ll notice that our students are driven to engage their talents in socially responsible, sustainable, and collaborative ways–setting the standard by doing high quality, interdisciplinary work. You’ll also notice the key role many of you – our alumni and friends – play in ensuring that our students have the resources necessary to change and enhance the world around them for the better in the years ahead. Last year, our College Design Mentor program matched 231 graduate and undergraduate students with alumni professionals in their field (“Design Mentors Wanted” pg. 13). From career exploration and networking, to experiential learning and skill building, these mentor relationships create a valuable bridge from the classroom to the workplace. We also believe global perspective is a fundamental component of design education. Students who participate in study abroad programs return to the College with an 2 EMERGING SPRING 2012
Erika Gratz
As our national and global economy continues in flux following the economic collapse of 2008, there’s increased debate surrounding the ‘value of education.’ Specifically, are students learning skills that will enable them to prosper in the new economy?
Finally, we’re excited to officially announce the opening of our digital prototyping and fabrication facility (“DigifabLab Opens” pg. 6), yet another step in leading technologies coming to the College of Design in an effort to fuel student innovation and creativity in the new economy.
The next economy doesn’t demand employees who repeat facts and follow orders, but just the opposite: creative, entrepreneurial individuals able to see an unmet need and to provide a product or service that addresses that market, whether it exists locally or across the globe. This entrepreneurial spirit is thriving at the College of Design. By continuing to work together, there’s no limit to what our students will be able to do. Thomas Fisher, Dean You can follow Dean Fisher on Twitter @MNDesignDean
SPRING 2012 VOL. 6, NO. 2 EDITORS
Jolene Brink and Trevor Miller
ART DIRECTOR
Jeanne Schacht
WEB COORDINATORS
Theresa Tichich & Paul Jarvis
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Warren Bruland
COPY EDITOR
Sharon Grimes
COLLEGE LEADERSHIP
Thomas Fisher, dean; Lee Anderson, associate dean for academic affairs; Brad Hokanson, associate dean for research and outreach; Kate Maple, assistant dean for student services; Trevor Miller, director of external relations; Kathy Witherow, chief of staff.
DEPARTMENT HEADS
Renée Cheng, School of Architecture; Lance Neckar, Department of Landscape Architecture; Missy Bye, Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel
COLLEGE OF DESIGN ADVISORY BOARD
Dan Avchen, Ann Birt, Nedret Butler, Bill Chilton, Pat Cummens, Ted Johnson, Ed Kodet, Tim Larsen, XiaoWei Ma, Tom Meyer, Linda Mona, David Mortenson, Richard Murphy, Paul Reyelts, Greg Van Bellinger, Rich Varda, Bob Worrell
OUR MISSION
Through a unique commitment to creativity and advancing technologies, the College of Design at the University of Minnesota leads, innovates, and educates in the full range of design fields by researching ongoing and emerging issues, exploring new knowledge, and addressing and solving realworld problems, all while adhering to socially responsible, sustainable, and collaborative design thinking. Emerging is published fall and spring semesters by the University of Minnesota College of Design for alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the college. This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Please call 612-626-6385 or fax 612-625-1922.
NEW WEBSITE FURTHERS COLLEGE MISSION
Send address changes to cdescomm@umn.edu.
Have you visited the new College of Design website? A rotating features section highlights some of the interesting news coming out of the College each day. The features bar also includes student stories, exhibitions, a gallery, and important College of Design initiatives. In an effort to better communicate our mission and vision for the future we’ll be regularly updating design.umn.edu in the weeks and months to come. You can also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/UofMDesign and on Twitter at @UofMDesign.
Printed on 100 percent postconsumer fiber, processed chlorine free, FSC recycled certified and manufactured using biogas energy.
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The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Cover, top: Jessica Barness (graphic design) book featured in the 2012 College Book Art Association juried exhibition “BiblioTech”; bottom: photo provided by Andrew Kudless of Matsys. Kudless will speak during the catalyst lecture series on March 6.
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AROUND THE COLLEGE
AIA AWARDS VJAA AND STEVEN HOLL TOP HONORS The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board of Directors selected Minneapolis-based Vincent James Associates Architects (VJAA) for the 2012 AIA Architecture Firm Award. In a press release announcing the award, AIA recognized VJAA’s “consistently rigorous approach to research-driven form-making.” The Firm Award is the highest honor given to an architecture firm.
CLINTON HEWITT AWARDED ASLA FELLOWSHIP
A team led by VJAA, which included associate professor of architecture Marc Swackhamer and associate professor of art Diane Willow, won the Weisman Art Museum Plaza Design Competition in November.
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) named Emeritus Professor Clinton Hewitt an ASLA Fellow during its 2011 annual meeting and Expo. The award recognizes the contributions of individuals to their profession and society at large, and is conferred on individuals in recognition of exceptional accomplishments over a sustained period of time. An ASLA Fellowship is among the highest honors awarded to its members.
AIA also announced that Steven Holl, architect for the 2002 addition to Rapson Hall, will receive the 2012 AIA Gold Medal. The Gold Medal is given to an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.
Two of the three VJAA principals are graduates of the University of Minnesota School of Architecture. All three currently teach at the school: Vincent James, FAIA, is Cass Gilbert Visiting Professor; Jennifer Yoos (BArch ’91) is an adjunct professor; and Nathan Knutson (MArch ’94) is a professor in practice. VJAA’s staff also includes Dzenita Hadziomerovic (MArch ’06) and Nat Madson (MArch ’07), both adjunct instructors at the college.
VJAA and Holl will be honored during the 2012 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in Washington, D.C., in May. For more information visit z.umn.edu/vjaaholl.
Mark Heitoff
“Clint is the embodiment of the climate of respect that underpins the everyday dignity of the University of Minnesota,” said Professor Lance Neckar, head of the Department of Landscape Architecture. Hewitt retired in 2009 after almost three decades of service to the University as professor and associate vice president for campus master planning. In honor of his achievements, friends and colleagues established the Clinton N. Hewitt Fellowship for students with exceptional potential in the field of landscape architecture.
Paul Crosby
For more information, please visit z.umn.edu/clinthewitt.
American University of Beirut Hostler Student Center, designed by VJAA. Pictured left to right: VJAA architects Nathan Knutson, Vincent James, and Jennifer Yoos.
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Ralph Rapson Hall, designed by architect Steven Holl (pictured), recipient of the 2012 AIA Gold Medal.
Keith Mensah (left), the 2011 recipient of the Clinton N. Hewitt Fellowship, with Clint Hewitt (right).
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AROUND THE COLLEGE
FISHER AND CHENG NAMED TOP DESIGN EDUCATORS FOR 2012 DesignIntelligence (DI) magazine has recognized Dean Tom Fisher and Architecture Head Renée Cheng as two of the country’s top 25 most admired design educators for 2012. DI selects educators from the disciplines of architecture, interior design, industrial design, and landscape architecture who exemplify excellence in design education leadership.
STUDENTS DESIGN BETTER HOSPITAL GOWN
Fisher is a leader in the public-interest design movement, and a longtime researcher and advocate for using design to tackle the major economic, environmental and societal challenges facing the world. In a press release from the University, Fisher explained that he’s honored by the ranking. “Our college is one of the most comprehensive in the country, and these rankings say a lot about the quality of our faculty and the educational experience here.”
Apparel design students Linsey Gordon and Silvia Guttman approached “Project Better Gown” with functionality and patient comfort in mind. As a result, their dark teal hospital gown with neon green trim earned first place in the national competition and a $25,000 Fellowship Grant from the Park Nicollet Foundation during the Park Nicollet Foundation Celebration for Life Gala on October 29. Their design also received the People’s Choice Award.
Professor Cheng, whose research involves documenting case studies of buildings that integrate design with emerging technologies, appreciates the synergy generated by her work with Fisher. “We each teach critically important courses in the professional program; together they instigate rich dialogue about the past, present, and future of architecture, generating critical questions that permeate throughout the school.”
“Knowing that a patient’s comfort within their clothing and environment plays a crucial role in recovery was a central theme in solving a design problem that has plagued the medical community for decades,” explained Gordon, a graduate student in the apparel design program.
DI also ranked the graduate program for landscape architecture among the most admired in the country “for its community engagement, strong environmental focus, and scholarship aligned with education.” The interior design graduate program was also recognized as most admired “for its strong research and reputation.”
You can watch the video at z.umn.edu/bettergown1.
Gordon and Guttman competed against 35 students from five college design programs around the United States. The goal was to create a new hospital gown that puts the needs of the patient first and foremost, while still meeting the medical needs of doctors and nurses. They were featured on CBS in October.
This is the fourth time Fisher has received this recognition (2008–10), and the second time for Cheng (2011). It is a unique distinction for two faculty members from the same institution to be on the top 25 list at the same time. This is the third time, and second year in a row, for the College of Design. Interior design professor Denise Guerin was honored in 2009 and 2011. You can read more at z.umn.edu/di2012. Tom Fisher (top) and Renée Cheng (bottom) working with students.
4 EMERGING SPRING 2012
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STUDENTS ASSEMBLE GARMENTS FOR HAITIAN CHILDREN The fall 2011 issue of Emerging mentioned a project underway in Sherri Gahring’s apparel design class. It involved her students assembling sundresses and jam shorts for orphans at the Grace Village orphanage in Titanyean, Haiti. Thanks to contributions to the College of Design Education Fund, College of Design students had enough materials to assemble over 80 garments. Karen Moen, a board advocate for Healing Haiti, delivered the clothing in late November and reported, “The kids were super excited … they got to choose their outfit and these kids don’t have many choices. They knew they looked gorgeous!” Learn more about College of Design work in Haiti at design.umn.edu/haiti.
AMBER BILLINGS WINS ORBIT SPOTLIGHT SERIES DESIGN CONTEST THE GIFT OF SHELTER
THE GIFT OF SHELTER KEEPS GIVING Girls and boys in Titanyean, Haiti, wearing their new garments.
Apparel design students prepare jam shorts and sundresses.
An online campaign in December 2011 to raise funds for college initiatives with local Habitat for Humanity projects surpassed its $10,000 goal. The money will provide hands-on, real-world experiences for students. It will also further the college’s mission to address and solve real-world problems, while adhering to socially responsible, sustainable, and collaborative design thinking. To read more about our work with Habitat for Humanity visit design.umn.edu/hfh.
Last spring, second-year graphic design student Amber Billings entered the Orbit Spotlight Series Design Contest after her adviser told her about the opportunity. College students from various creative disciplines around the country were asked to create an original pack design for Orbit gum’s latest flavor, Melon Remix. Billings was one of eight winners selected from hundreds of entries. Her award includes $5,000 and the sale of her limited edition pack design at various retailers—including Walmart— through February 2012. “As soon as I found out my design was chosen as one of the eight winning packs, I ran around my house to find my dad,” said Billings. “I’m going to use the prize money to help support myself throughout my time at college.” Billing’s pack design was inspired by what she learned from her recent color class where she used a variety of geometric shapes, with special emphasis on the square modules.
JOHN CARY SPEAKING AT 2012 COMMENCEMENT
VIDEOS INSPIRED BY DESIGN
STATE OF THE INTERIOR DESIGN PROFESSION z.umn.edu/stateofid Caren S. Martin (DHA) and Denise A. Guerin (DHA) discuss “The State of the Interior Design Profession”, with panelists including Janice Linster FASID (BS ’83) above. 5 EMERGING SPRING 2012
MENTOR AND MENTEE
100 DAYS WITHOUT OIL
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An interview with Marjorie Mangine (BS ’94) and Rodney Matthews (Housing Studies) on their experience participating in the College of Design mentorship program.
Molly Eagen (Architecture) lived without any oil-based products or infrastructure for a period of 100 days. The project was part of her graduate research at the School of Architecture.
ALUMNI AND HEATHCARE DESIGN z.umn.edu/redesignhealth Jess Roberts (BArch ’04, MArch ’06) and Allison Verdoorn (MArch) discuss the relationship between architecture and the health care industry.
John Cary (BA ’99) is an advocate, speaker, and writer, who has pioneered a career at the intersection of design and social change. He is the editor of PublicInterestDesign.org and his writing has appeared in an array of publications as diverse as CNN.com, The Christian Science Monitor, Fast Company, and GOOD. John has recently become a research fellow focused on public interest design within the University of Minnesota College of Design, and in May 2012, he will serve as the commencement speaker for the College. Watch for a video of his address on our website at the end of May.
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NEWS GOING MOBILE, GETTING SOCIAL
DIGIFAB LAB OPENS The College of Design’s Digital Fabrication Lab (or DigiFabLab), a state-of-the-art digital prototyping and fabrication facility, opened in October. The DigiFabLab allows students to explore additive and subtractive prototyping and manufacturing technologies with 3D printers, laser cutting systems, and CNC milling equipment. Eden Prairie, Minnesotabased Stratasys Corporation donated over $50,000 in 3D printing equipment for the space, located in Rapson Hall.
Jingyi Feng in the Rapson Hall courtyard participates in an architecture undergraduate class project involving adding load to structures until they crumble.
For more information, visit z.umn.edu/digifab1.
STARLING PROJECT RENEWS UNIVERSITY AVENUE
The evening’s kick-off presentation featured Jim Wehmann, senior vice president of global marketing at Digital River. He discussed how millions of people from around the world are overcoming historical barriers, through avenues such as social networks, mobile commerce, and App Stores to connect with their customers online. He highlighted how this shift will significantly impact direct marketing and customer relationships now and in the future.
The project’s name is a metaphor: starlings are birds that use existing nests. In an effort to revitalize vacant storefronts along the Central Corridor light rail line, students in the landscape architecture program are playing matchmaker. The Startling Project aims to bring property owners and local community organizations together for month-to-month opportunities while University Avenue is under construction. “The economic downturn has led to a surge of entrepreneurial thinking in all fields,” said cofounder Ben Shardlow. “Many individuals and groups are nimble and flexible enough to benefit from renting space monthly at an attractive price.” The project organizers, including landscape architecture student Kristen Murray and master of urban and regional planning student Ben Shardlow, have information on every vacant storefront between Highway 280 and Cretin-Vandalia.
Working in teams, seniors in Interior Design Studio VII worked for five weeks last semester developing a 50,000-cubic-foot multi-story lobby for a prototypical children’s theater. Design practitioners and code officials critiqued their designs.
You can view pictures from the event at z.umn.edu/ retailconnect1.
Groups looking for retail, office, studio, or event space can contact the Starling Project at z.umn.edu/starling. 6 EMERGING SPRING 2012
Students, alumni, and retail professionals came together for the annual Retail Connect event in October. The gathering featured marketing professionals and executives from Best Buy and Kohl’s. They shared examples of what their organizations have been doing online, including what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what’s next.
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MARGOT SIEGEL
Few individuals have been as important to the Goldstein Museum of Design as Margot Siegel.
A Generous Donation for a New Award By Lin Nelson-Mayson, director of the Goldstein Museum of Design It is with enthusiasm and gratitude that the Goldstein Museum of Design (GMD) announces the Margot Siegel Award. Since the College of Design’s formation in 2006, GMD has discussed the importance of establishing a national award program to recognize the value of design in creating solutions. With the help of a generous donation from longtime supporter Margot Siegel, this annual award will honor an innovative designer and bring him or her to the University for a workshop and public lecture.
Dress, 1977, Goldworm (designer, Robert Goldworm, American, 1926–91), wool, from the collection of Margot Siegel
Handbag with print of Andy Warhol ‘Marilyn’ Loop Designs 7 EMERGING SPRING 2012
Few individuals have been as important to GMD as Margot Siegel. Aside from the impact of GMD’s namesakes, Harriet and Vetta Goldstein, Siegel’s leadership and commitment are unmatched. Siegel is founder of Friends of the Goldstein (now GMD’s membership) and is a significant contributor of objects to the collection. She is guest curator of “Fashion Lives/Fashion Lives,” an exhibition honoring her mother’s impact on Twin Cities fashion. Siegel was also
the focus of “Intersections: Where Art Meets Fashion,” and helped establish the ground-breaking Margot Siegel Apparel Care Fund for the GMD collection’s preservation and care. Siegel’s prescient vision of fashion as a significant area of study, her commitment to the Goldstein as an organization, and her strong leadership reverberates throughout GMD today.
Margot Siegel was formerly a freelance writer and co-owner of the public relations firm Siegel-Hogan Enterprises (SHE). A driving force behind the Goldstein Museum of Design, she currently resides in Miami, Florida.
GMD has benefited tremendously from not only her thoughtful donations, but also her continued leadership and support throughout the years. Siegel is a life-long Minnesotan who recently moved to Miami to be closer to family, where she continues to support GMD from afar. The impact of the Margot Siegel Award will contribute to advancing the missions of GMD and the College of Design as centers for design innovation and excellence.
Dress, 1980s, Zandra Rhodes (English, b. 1940), acetate, acrylic, rayon, from the collection of Margot Siegel Dress, 1960s Gideon Oberson (Israeli) wool doubleknit, from the collection of Margot Siegel
The Margot Siegel Design Award will bring innovative designers to the college for workshops and public lectures.
Visit GMD’s website, goldstein.design.umn. edu and watch for more information about this exciting new award in the near future.
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2012
SPRING
COLLEGE OF DESIGN
LECTURES Lectures begin at 6 PM in 100 Rapson Hall, unless noted
Beyond Shelter: Architecture and Human Dignity
Marie J. Aquilino, Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture, Paris
Thursday, February 23 Book sales and signing follow program
Identity and the American Landscape: The Photography of Wing Young Huie Wing Young Huie, photographer
Monday, March 19
NATURE 3.x
Matthew Tucker, Landscape Architecture, University of Minnesota College of Design
Monday, April 9
Building Urbanism: Design Process at EE&K/Perkins Eastman Architects
Peter Cavaluzzi, FAIA (BArch ’83), EE&K a Perkins Eastman company
Thursday, April 26
Image from Beyond Shelter: Architecture and Human Dignity
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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE CATALYST LECTURE SERIES Localizing, Visualizing + Translating Hilary Dana Williams, Drake University
Monday, March 5
Bodies in Formation Andrew Kudless, Matsys
Tuesday, March 6
Smart Clothing: Building Intelligence and Interactivity into Everyday Artifacts Lucy Dunne, University of Minnesota College of Design
Wednesday, March 7, 11:15 AM, 45 Rapson
Sampling Devices
Ken Tracy, Yogiaman Tracy Design
Thursday, March 8, 12:30 PM, 56 Rapson
Light/Information/Energy Sheila Kennedy and Frano Violich Kennedy & Violich Architecture Ltd.
Thursday, March 8
Image from Bodies in Formation @UofMDesign
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EVENTS
EXHIBITIONS
Lectures and exhibitions are free and open to the public. Registration required for most events. indicates registration fee.
GOLDSTEIN MUSEUM OF DESIGN McNeal Hall Gallery, St. Paul
twelve: 44th Annual Fashion Show
January 21–May 20
Saturday, February 18, 5:30 and 8 PM shows
Best Pitch: Selling Your Ideas with Style Wednesday, February 29, 7 PM
Character in Costume: A Jack Edwards Retrospective
Quest for the World’s Best Baskets June 9–September 9
Opening reception June 8, 6–8 PM
Design Intersections
GOLDSTEIN MUSEUM OF DESIGN HGA Gallery, Rapson Hall, Minneapolis
Thursday, March 29, 10 AM–7 PM
January 17–March 1
Design in 7: 7 Stories, 7 Minutes
Leonard Parker: An Architect’s Architect
Tweak? Leap? What Does Design Thinking Demand?
Wednesday, April 4, 7 PM
Digital Provocations
A symposium on the role of digital technologies in architectural education and practice
April 12–14
Fashion and Health Symposium April 20–22
Toy Product Design PLAYsentations
Smarter Living—The 2,000-Watt Society
March 17–May 6
Opening reception March 23, 6–8 PM
Master of Architecture Final Project Award Winners and Master of Landscape Architecture Capstone Award Winners May 9–May 26
Graduating Student Exhibitions Early May, dates and locations vary
Wednesday, May 2, 7:30 PM
AIA National Convention Reception— Washington, D.C.
Watch for details about our alumni reception with AIA MN at the national convention. convention.aia.org.
Rapson Hall is located at 89 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis 55455 (East Bank) Parking in Church St. Garage, 80 Church St. S.E. McNeal Hall is located at 1985 Buford Ave., St. Paul 55108 Parking in Gortner Ave. Ramp, 1395 Gortner Ave.
May 17–19
2012 Design Conference See Change: The Power of Visual Communication
All programs subject to change.
May 15–16
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Watch for details: seechangeconference.org.
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From Sampling Devices 9 EMERGING SPRING 2012
For all lecture, event, and exhibition details and updates visit
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University of Minnesota College of Design
This publication is available in alternative formats upon request.
University of Minnesota College of Design
For disability accommodations, please call 612-626-9068.
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NEWS STUDENTS Jessica Barness (Graphic Design) has work featured in the 2012 College Book Art Association juried exhibition “BiblioTech” at the San Francisco Public Library. Silvia Guttman and Elizabeth Hillmann (both Apparel Design) launched a clothing line for women called Silvia & Elizabeth. The line consists of elegant day-to-night garments. Ashley Grzywa (Architecture) received the Fibiger Prize for Research for her project “Affordable Housing
Alternatives: Analysis of Community Land Trusts (CLTs).” The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota recognized the following students (all Architecture) for their proposals to save Minnesota’s endangered historic places: Travis Herr, the Best Preservation Award; Elle Poppe and Emily Richardson, the Best Reuse Award; and Justin Pille, the Best Creative Solution Award. Elizabeth Hillmann (Apparel Design) received second place for her earthquake rescue suit in the 2011 Safety Products Design Challenge. The competition was sponsored by Safety + Technical Products and Narrow Fabrics Institute. She also received the Eden International Travel Award at the International Textiles and Apparel Association annual conference for her piece “Soft Glow.”
community by presidential couple Eric and Karen Kaler. You can watch the video at z.umn.edu/holidays. Retail Merchandising students collaborated with the Weisman Art Museum (WAM) Shop to design a window display for its reopening in October. The window designers included Dooyoung Choi, Nicole R Gruber, Karen James, Morgan Mae Neisinger, Grace Louise Nordloh, Katherine E. Taylor, and Courtney Lynn Zeidler. Bailey Sears (Graphic Design) had her design selected for the University’s fall direct mail appeal. Envelopes and letterhead containing her graphic were mailed to 260,000 alumni around the world.
Alumni fundraising appeal design by Bailey Sears
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Joel Valdez (Graphic Design) and Nathan Wong (Graphic Design, Retail Merchandising) each received $1,000 in the University’s Driven to Discover video contest. You can watch them at z.umn.edu/dtdwinners.
MADE magazine’s 2.11 issue features Barry Kudrowitz (DHA) in an article titled “Toy Boy.” To read the story, visit z.umn .edu/made211. Kudrowitz also launched a new app called Word Bounce, available for download from iTunes.
Alice Yonke (Architecture) took top honors during the Student Sustainability Symposium sponsored by the Institute on the Environment with her project “Envisioning our Food System.” Emily Lowery (Landscape Architecture) placed second with her work “Fish, Forests, and Futures.” Elizabeth Turner (Architecture) placed third with her piece, “Sustainable Design, Construction, and Maintenance of Educational Environments as Learning Opportunity.”
On December 18, the graduating class of graphic design students showcased their work during the “18°: A Senior Design Show” at Worrell Design in Minneapolis.
FACULTY Blaine Brownell (Architecture) headlined the “Material Matters: New Smart Materials and Applications” conference held in Toronto, Ontario, in November. Sketches by Renee Cheng (Architecture) are featured in a book celebrating the 50th anniversary of the St. John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville, Minnesota. The Abbey was designed by Marcel Breuer.
Mary Guzowski (Architecture) was selected by the University’s Institute on the Environment to receive one of 13 Mini Grant awards.
Helen Koo (Apparel Design) had work featured at the Appleby Hall Art Gallery in the female student and alumni art show, “Mosaic”.
Garments available from Silvia & Elizabeth
Landscape,” in November. She also helped launch a new website for the academic-artist collaborative project, Mapping Spectral Traces. The group plans to hold a symposium at the University in October 2012. For more information visit z.umn.edu/mst2012.
Dean Tom Fisher is a contributor to The Huffington Post. You can read his recent articles online at z.umn.edu/hptomfisher.
Elizabeth Hillmann’s earthquake rescue suit design
Marilena Mihal (graphic design) created the holiday e-greeting sent to the extended University
The University and College Designers Association honored the College of Design’s student-run journal There with an award of excellence for its 2010 issue, “Craft”. The journal was displayed during the 41st annual UCDA Design Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
Artwork by Jessica Barness
Rebecca Krinke (Landscape Architecture) gave a lecture in Fargo, ND, on her public art work “The Emotional @UofMDesign
Robert C. Mack, FAIA (Architecture), founding principal of MacDonald and Mack Architects, and Todd Grover AIA (Architecture), a partner at MacDonald and Mack Architects, received the 2011 AIA Minnesota Firm Award.
GRANTS John Carmody (CSBR) is principal investigator on a $500,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Commerce for Phase V of Sustainable Buildings–2030, a progressive energy conservation program to reduce energy consumption and total carbon emissions in buildings by 2030. Lucy Dunne (DHA) received an award from the Minnesota Space Grant to travel to NASA headquarters in Houston, TX. Students from the college will accompany Dunne on her trip. Rebecca Krinke (Landscape Architecture) and Ozayr Saloojee (architecture) received 2012 Special Events Grants funding from the University. In addition, 19 College of Design faculty
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members received a 2012 Imagine Fund Annual Award. Gerrett Mosimen (CSBR) is principal investigator on a $50,000 award from the Minnesota Department of Commerce for a project titled “Architecture 2030 Training.” Lin Nelson-Mayson (GMD) is principal investigator on a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to the Goldstein Museum of Design for operating support. David Pitt is coprincipal investigator on a grant from the Metropolitan Council for a usability study of Scenario Visualization Software.
Alexandria Corbett (BS Retail ’11) started the fashion lifestyle blog CrediblyClueless.com. Recent faculty, staff and alumni contributors to the Berg Fashion
The parents of interior design student Holly Stahl, who passed away in a car accident on December 21, 2010, established two scholarships honoring their daughter’s memory. One scholarship is reserved for College of Design students who have overcome adversity. Tawana Terrell, a second-year interior design major, was named the first recipient of this award. Terrell, a nontraditional student, put off her education at the University to help her son through a four-year battle with cancer. For more information visit z.umn.edu/hollystahl.
11 EMERGING SPRING 2012
Jerry de Gryse (BLA ’79) received multiple awards from the 2011 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects for his leadership with Inspiring Place, a multi-disciplinary planning and design firm. The awards included the Award for Planning, Award of Excellence in Urban Design, and the Medal for Landscape Architecture. Roald Gundersen (BArch and BED ’89) won the green building category for the 2011 Clean Tech Open. Gundersen is the founding partner and CEO of Whole Trees Architecture and Structures. Marvin Malecha (BArch ‘73) received the F. Carter Williams Gold Medal from AIA North Carolina. Malecha is dean of the College of Design at North Carolina State.
Thomas Meyer (BArch ’74) received the Alumni Service Award for 30-plus years of service to the University of Minnesota. Natalie Ross (MLA ’11) was shortlisted for her project
“Combat Concrete” in the Strip Appeal design competition. Krista Skoglund (BA Arch ‘11) received the Tessie Agan Outstanding Undergraduate Student Paper Award from the Housing Education and Research Association. Eric Tkachenko (BA Arch ’96) accepted a one year assignment as a military construction planner in
Afghanistan with CH2M HILL. He will be stationed at Kandahar Air Field. A project by Matt Wilkens (BED ’98) was featured in Landscape Architect & Specifier News. Wilkens currently serves on and is past president of the Design Student and Alumni Board.
NEW FROM THE DESIGN BOOKSHELF BIM in Academia
Everyday Spaces of Healthcare
Edited by Peggy Deamer and Phillip G. Bernstein, with an essay by architecture head Renée Cheng
By Professor of Architecture William F. Conway In thirteen case studies, William F. Conway reviews problems and possibilities that face designers and clients in a select series of contemporary healthcare facilities. From “health centers” and “neighborhood clinics” to “convenience clinics” and “concierge care” his images, diagrams and text explore new possibilities for old spaces.
What’s the future of BIM? Renée Cheng’s essay, “Facing the Fact of BIM: Architectural Curricula Past, Present, and Future,” argues that tools like BIM are helpful in practice but often in conflict with historically used pedagogical approaches toward architectural education. “Identifying the most valuable aspects of current and past educational models will help us as we develop a positive future education for architects,” explained Cheng.
His attention to “everyday spaces” introduces readers to innovative approaches in familiar territories—gardens, pathways, waiting areas and retail environments. Mr. Conway’s research seeks to identify healthcare projects that employ these everyday spaces, recognize the positive benefits that can accrue from attention to them, and share findings with those who may be interested in learning more about this practice. This research was funded by the University of Minnesota College of Design, the Thomas Horty Healthcare Design and Build Fund, and Conway+Schulte Architects.
Rural Design: A New Design Discipline By Dewey Thorbeck, Center for Rural Design Who should read this book? Rural areas around the globe are undergoing profound change. This creates considerable challenges and stresses for residents and the ecosystems upon which they depend. Students, academics, and design professionals involved with rural design at any level will benefit from reading Rural Design.
What’s the future of healthcare facility design? of Healthcare Professor Conway reviews problems and possibilities facing designers and clients in a select series of contemporary healthcare facilities. His case studies introduce readers to innovative approaches to four familiar territories: gardens, pathways, waiting areas and retail environments. Everyday Spaces
Conway
TAWANA TERRELL AWARDED HOLLY CHRISTINA STAHL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
’71) was the 2011 recipient of the AIA Minnesota Special Award. His firm, Damon Farber Associates, has received more than 45 awards and honors since its inception in 1981.
Laurie McGinley (BA Arch ’00, MArch ’11) will present “Contested Terrains” at the 28th annual ELEA conference in San Salvador, El Salvador.
E vE rydAy S pACES oF H EA ltHC A rE
Mary Vogel (CDes) received support from the Red Wing Area Fund to support her project,
Library articles include: “Black Leather Jacket” by Marilyn DeLong (DHA), Monica Sklar (PhD Design ’10), Kelly Mohs ALUMNI Gage (DHA ’08), and Juyeon Artwork by Beth Loraine Bowman Park (DHA ’08); “Snapshot: (post-baccalaureate Housing 19th-Century Medical Views Studies ’08) will appear in the on Dress” by Margaret Deppe group show Entanglement: A (DHA ’05, PhD Design ’10); Group Exhibition of Collage “A Brief History of the Purse at the Fox Tax Gallery in up to 1930” by Kathleen Minneapolis through April 2012. Campbell (GMD) and Jean McElvain (MArch ’02, PhD Samuel Carlsen (MArch ’08) DHA ’08); and “19th-Century received the Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship to provide Afro-Brazilian Men’s Dress” by Kelly Mohs Gage (DHA ’08). design leadership for St. Paul’s Central Corridor light rail project. Damon Farber, FASLA (BLA “Sorin’s Bluff: Site Evaluation and Preliminary Concepts.”
William F. Conway FAIA
The Fashion Reader: Second Edition By Linda Welters (Home Economics ‘81) and Abby Lillethun, with an essay by Claire Lacoste Kapstein (DHA ’06) and apparel design faculty member Lucy E. Dunne, What’s happening in fashion? Students, scholars and anyone interested in contemporary fashion will enjoy key writings covering the history, culture and business of fashion from a wide range of sources. The new edition includes sections on psychology, sustainability, communications, design, ethnicity, merchandising and the fashion business. It also includes new essays covering fashion history from Antiquity to the Renaissance.
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DESIGN DEMOCRACY FELLOWSHIPS
GOOD DESIGN EVERYDAY FOR EVERYONE Design Democracy Fellowships are awarded to architecture students with projects exemplifying values of good design, every day, for everyone. The 2011 fellowship winners are master’s of architecture students Ben Garrison, Aaron Frazier, Brent Suski, Amanda Pederson and Emerson Stepp. Each student will receive a tuition benefits award. “The quality of ideas and presentations gets better every year,” noted Dennis Mulvey (BArch ’76), a member of the 2011 Design Democracy jury. “It’s encouraging to see and be part of the Design Democracy Fellowship.” Mulvey and Rich Varda (MArch ’77), along with friends Scott Berry (BArch ’67), and William
Chilton (MArch ’80) initiated the Design Democracy Fellowship in 2005 to support professional degree architecture students. Design Democracy is supported by generous gifts from the Target Corporation, Pickard Chilton, Ericksen Roed and Associates, Mulvanny G2 Architecture, Michaud Cooley Erickson and Associates, MBH Architects Inc., RSP Architects, Ryan Companies US, and other School of Architecture alumni, firms, and allied professions. This year’s Design Democracy jury consisted of Mulvey, Sr. VP at Adolfson & Peterson Construction; Varda, Sr. VP of Store Design at Target Corporation; and Jon Buggy (B.Arch ’84), Managing Principal at AECOM, .
Aaron Frazier—Intermodal Transit Station
AARON FRAZIER Ben Garrison—Minneapolis Farmers Market Addition
BEN GARRISON
MINNEAPOLIS FARMERS MARKET ADDITION Garrison’s project envisioned an addition to the Minneapolis Farmers Market on North Lyndale. The design expanded the existing outdoor market space and proposed a new facility for a year-round market. With the newly built Target Field, the entire North Loop area is the site of a rejuvenation effort. Jurors praised the maturity of the design response and its demonstrated restraint integrating site and building. Garrison worked under the direction of adjunct professor Jennifer Yoos.
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INTERMODAL TRANSIT STATION Frazier designed the Intermodal Transit Station as part of his studio work for adjunct assistant professor Jeffrey Mandyck. Located in the North Loop of downtown Minneapolis, the transit station works to help people intuitively find their way among multiple modes of transit (LRT, intercity/commuter rail, bus, auto, bike, pedestrian) and engage their sense of place in an urban context. Jurors appreciated the challenging site and Frazier’s development of human-scaled elements such as a wall that incorporated shelves for resting a cup of coffee.
Brent Suski, Amanda Pederson, and Emerson Stepp—Haiti Reconstruction Project
BRENT SUSKI, AMANDA PEDERSON AND EMERSON STEPP
HAITI RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT Members of the Haiti Reconstruction Project worked with Jim Lutz, lecturer and codirector of the MS Sustainable Design Program. Their goal was to integrate community input with a traditional iterative design process in order to understand and design a sustainable infrastructure in Haiti. This focused dialogue fostered a dynamic, practical, and culturally appropriate solution. Jurors noted that students had to respond to multiple and different agendas by finding effective processes of communication, as well making a design proposal.
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ALUMNI
DESIGN STUDENT AND ALUMNI BOARD 2011—12
Front row: Maureen Kostial (BS Costume Design ’71); Lucy Reile, college to career coordinator; Mai Xiong (Interior Design), student president; Ada Ojiaku (BS Retail Merchandising ’06), alumni president Second row: Jennifer Voth (Apparel Design), Kelly Martinez (MArch), Stephanie Karp (BS Housing Studies ’06), Kate Maple, assistant dean; Laura M. Anderson (BS Graphic Design ’10) Third row: Allison Quinnell (BS Clothing Design ’07); Sophia Politis (Retail Merchandising); Gabrielle Goetz (Apparel Design); Marisa (Fredrickson) Koivisto (Architecture); Matt Wilkens (BED environmental design ’97); past alumni president; Cindy Zerger (MLA/MURP Landscape Architecture/Urban Planning ’08, ); Lori Mollberg, director of alumni relations Back row: Connor Murphy (graphic design); Stephanie Reem (BS Interior Design ’97); Heather Winkler (BS Interior Design ’03); Meg Parsons (MArch ’06); Coleman Iverson (Graphic Design); Rich Higgins (BS Graphic Design ’04); Charlie Young (Housing Studies) Not pictured: Beth Bowman (post-baccalaureate certificate Housing Studies ’08); Raymond Dehn (BA Arch ’93, MArch ABD ’96); Matthew Kessler (Landscape Design and Planning); Janice Linster (BS Interior Design ’83,); UMAA National Board; Kelly Martinez (MArch); N. Prescott Morrill (MLA); Marc Partridge (BA Arch ’79; MArch ’82); alumni president-elect; Hannah Schneider (Interior Design); Jennifer Voth (Apparel Design); Brittany Walker (Retail Merchandising)
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DIRTY LAUNDRY— DELIVERING THE DIRT ON DESIGN
DESIGN MENTORS WANTED
Dirty Laundry 2011 featured the lively and uncensored career tales of alumni Geoffrey Warner, AIA (BArch ’89), founder of Alchemy Architects and the weeHouse, and Ryan Carlson (BS Graphic Design ’01) with Brent Gale, co-owner/designer at Twin Six, an alternative cycling apparel company. At the December 1 opening in the newly remodeled Weisman Art Museum, the designers revealed some of their best and worst experiences working and launching businesses in design. Watch for the next load of Dirty Laundry coming fall 2012, presented by the Design Student and Alumni Board.
231 graduate and undergraduate design students were matched with mentors for the 2011–12 session of the College of Design Mentor Program thanks to our amazing volunteers. See a list of this year’s mentors and view photos from our November 2 kickoff event at: design.umn.edu/mentor.
Brent Gale left, Ryan Carlson
Mentor applications for our next session will be available online August 2012.
Couldn’t attend? Check out the 2011 videos at design.umn.edu/dirtylaundry. Geoffrey Warner, AIA
REGISTER NOW! DESIGN IN 7, APRIL 4 [PRESENTED BY THE DESIGN STUDENT ALUMNI BOARD] What can be shared in just seven minutes? Join us on Wednesday, April 4 at the Coffman Memorial Union Theater for the third edition of Design in 7. Listen as seven professionals from seven design fields share thought-provoking, inspiring, and sometimes curious tales from the trenches. This awardwinning program of the Design Student and Alumni Board sold out the past two years so
register early. You won’t want to miss it! Buy tickets and watch sevenminute videos from 2010 and 2011 presentations at design.umn.edu/ designin7.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Presentations begin at 7. A reception with the presenters follows the program and cash bar will be available.
Steve Fiskum (BArch ’73) with mentee Marisa Koivisto, DSAB member.
Mentor Christina Wagner (MArch ’08) and her mentees
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PRIVATE SUPPORT
Welcome to
Architecture Student Unpacks Cultural, Historical Landscapes
Istanbul
When Namdi Alexander (BS Arch ’11, M Arch current student) signed up for the 2010 May term in Istanbul, Turkey, he expected to come home with an academic paper about how an ancient city adapts itself to the modern world.
Pictured above: College of Design students on a ferry after visiting the Butler residence in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo by Ozayr Soloojee.
“I imagined a standard research paper with a few supplementary photographs,” explained Alexander. “But when we arrived and I began exploring and documenting the city it became clear this project needed to be much more than that.”
Private support sustains current programs and helps begin new ventures. Financial contributions from alumni Mark and Nedret Butler and other donors make the Istanbul—Minnesota Study Abroad fund possible.
Alexander, a nontraditional student, began his career at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. While completing his liberal arts degree, he decided to pursue an architectural education. Because his family lives in the Twin Cities area, the University of Minnesota was
I returned from Istanbul with an improved ability to quickly sketch and render architectural forms. But it was so much more than that. —Namdi Alexander (BSArch ’11)
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Gifts Here and Abroad By Sue Danielson Bretheim, director of development Gifts from generous donors help the College sustain current programs and begin new ventures. In the case of alumni Mark and Nedret Butler (both B Arch ’72) their gifts are doing both. The Butlers reside in Istanbul, where they have played generous host to students who visit Istanbul during May term with architecture faculty member Ozayr Saloojee.
Cover design and sketches by Namdi Alexander from his May term experience in Istanbul, Turkey
an ideal choice. “While the U of M may have been the default decision for me due to family reasons,” said Alexander, “it also happens to have been the perfect fit.” He believes the strength of the architecture program lies in its focus beyond simply learning to meet code. “I have felt from early on in the program that the goal here is to mold designers that specialize in architecture, rather than just architects. I believe this gives us a very unique and tangible benefit; an ability to question, analyze, and interpret design opportunities holistically across multitudes of scales. It also generates, design solutions that appreciate the interconnectedness of the various scales.” The experience of sketching and living in a city with a complicated, ancient identity took root in an expansive photographic exploration of the city’s architectural and cultural history. In the end Alexander developed Buying Istanbul, a 215-page book, which he describes as simultaneously a personal memoir, history lesson, and speculative analysis. “Istanbul offers an environment that is rich, paradoxical, sublime, gritty—tethered at once to an incredible past, a complex present, and an exciting, uncertain future,” said architecture professor Ozayr Saloojee. “For our students, the city is a living cultural laboratory, thick with history’s layers, a fracture-critical urban landscape, and perhaps most importantly, an openness for exploration, study, and immersion.” Students who participate in the Istanbul program also benefit from the generous attention of alumni Mark
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and Nedret Butler, who live in Istanbul. Alexander said that Nedret Butler “brought in multiple guest lecturers, arranged tours that would not have been possible without her professional connections. She sat in as a critic during our final review, and even had us out to her home for tea and desserts. Her hospitality was top-notch and frankly the experience would not have been the same without the time and effort she put into it for us.” In the future, Alexander envisions expanding his book concept into a series exploring other great cities: Buying Athens, Buying Cairo, Buying Rome. “My appreciation for culture and identity and how these ideas can form a landscape was transformed,” Alexander explain. “To say the very least, I returned from Istanbul with an improved ability to quickly sketch and render architectural forms, but it was so much more than that. I believe I returned a wiser and more well-rounded person.” You can view Buying Istanbul online at z.umn.edu/ buyingistanbul.
Gifts from generous donors help the college sustain current programs and begin new ventures.
Thanks to financial support from Mark and Nedret Butler the Butlers and other donors, new funds for Istanbul-Minnesota Study Abroad will further develop the May term program, helping sustain semester-long programs for the College. At the same time, the University’s Learning Abroad Center is working to establish new study abroad experiences for students from other colleges and departments, including history and studio art. “These experiences are fundamental to a design education, where understanding culture and context can be so critical to guiding the design process and its outcomes,” said Dean Tom Fisher. “The vision and financial support of the Butlers, along with gifts from Ertugrul and Karen Owen Tuzcu, Peggy and Dave Lucas, and Paul and Mary Reyelts, allow us to make Istanbul a key program among our study abroad options.” Study abroad at the University of Minnesota seeks to internationalize the curriculum and enhance students’ study experience within a specific cultural and historical context. The experiences transform students. As one Istanbul participant said, “As an American traveling to Istanbul, I had much to ponder.” We expect to hear the same response over and over as our students find their way to Istanbul and other sites abroad. Donor support can help sustain programs in study abroad and other areas for the College. To find out more about setting up a named fund, contact Sue Danielson Bretheim at 612-624-1386 or danie002@umn.edu. You can also visit our website, design.umn.edu, and follow the links for alumni and donors.
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INK LINK:
A LETTERPRESS MIXER The printing studios in McNeal Hall were packed on November 18 for Ink Link: A Letterpress Mixer, hosted by the graphic design program and Hamilton Wood Type Museum. Alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends attended the print studio open house to try pulling proofs incorporating letterpress, the Hamilton wood type collection, and screen printing. To see more images from the event, visit z.umn.edu/inklink2011.
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32 McNeal Hall 1985 Buford Avenue St. Paul, MN 55108
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