1. What TED Said
In 1984, the Philadelphia architect Richard Saul Wurman, FAIA, launched TED—short for technology, entertainment, and design—as a one-off event intended to be a multidisciplinary forum for “ideas worth spreading.” Since then, it’s become an annual series of conferences that serves as populist bellwethers of innovation and storytelling for the creative class, which has included architects from the beginning of TED’s three-decade run. To commemorate 30 years, TED organizers have decamped from their usual Long Beach, Calif., venue to Vancouver, B.C., and have planned a special track for TED2014 on “30 Years of Architecture” for the March 17–21 event.
Learn more at ted.com.
2. Nervous Laughter
Two planets walk into a bar. “How are you?” asks one. “Not so well. I’ve got the Homo sapiens,” says the other. “Oh, well,” the first planet replies, “don’t worry—that won’t last long.” There are other groan-worthy sustainability jokes out there, but the point of them all is to raise awareness of intractable environmental problems. One of the ways you can make a difference is by attending the fifth annual Sustainable Structures Symposium at the Portland State University School of Architecture in Portland, Ore., on April 17 to 18, which will go beyond building envelopes and daylighting to assess structural systems and materials in high-performance buildings.
Learn more at sustainablestructure.org.
3. Aloha, Architecture
Sure, AIA chapters around the country will celebrate National Architecture Week (April 6–12) with seven days of fun. But AIA Honolulu has claimed the entirety of April for Architecture Month—a series of public-facing events, including film nights, walking tours, and a celebration honoring newly minted architects. There’s even an architecture firm crawl around Honolulu (Solo Cup not provided).
Learn more at aiahonolulu.org.
4. Detroit Days
This is a big year for architecture in Detroit. The University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture celebrates 50 years and the Detroit Collaborative Design Center celebrates 20 years in a one-two punch that includes special events, lectures, exhibitions, and community service projects. Among the festivities, John Ronan, AIA, founding principal of Chicago-based John Ronan Architects, will talk about his firm’s recent work during a March 27 lecture, which will include a discussion of the Poetry Foundation headquarters in Chicago (completed 2011), which garnered several national prizes, including the 2012 AIA Chicago Distinguished Building Award. Image © steve hall, hedrich blessing.
Learn more at udmercy.edu or jrarch.com.
