Crit Club Uncovers San Diego Architecture in Process
Pedro Tavares, Woodbury graduate and Project Manager at R&S Tavares Associates, Inc., is known for instigating conversation on architecture, development and design. He created MRED Fireside chats, a series of informal, round table discussions and project tours in San Diego. The chats are for discussions on architecture, design, local policies and the future of residential development in San Diego. Expanding beyond the Fireside chats, Pedro’s latest project is Crit Club, a monthly meeting of professionals aiming to improve the built environment of San Diego by showcasing works in progress, sharing lessons learned and receiving critical feedback from other design professionals.
Crit Club was founded as a forum to bounce project ideas off of fellow architects and designers as buildings are being designed. Where the Fireside Chats were for touring completed projects, Crit Club focuses on projects in process. The Club’s first meeting was held on campus, and subsequent meetings at Architects Local’s offices, a firm started by MRED Alumni Steve Waldron. The second meeting was held on July 25th and was sponsored by Hub & Spoke Communities. Andrew Malick, MRED Alumni, shared the plans for an 80 unit building he’s currently permitting and Pauly DeBartolo, former head of the San Diego Architecture Foundation, shared his experiences with permitting projects across multiple jurisdictions.
This coming month Crit Club will have Beri Varol, another MRED Alumni, sharing a mixed use project he’s currently designing and Andrea Vazquez, an employee of Steve Waldron, sharing a restaurant concept they’re working on. Crit Club plans to continue with 2 or 3 project presentations a month. As a forum and ongoing discussion on San Diego’s future, the club aims to promote architecture and design processes that better the San Diego region.
Sign up here for the Crit Club Mailing List.
MSArch RED Program
The Master of Science in Architecture in Real Estate Development (MSArch RED) program seeks to build upon the unique perspective and ethos of the architect. The program is unlike a real estate development program where the curriculum is offered in a traditional lecture setting. Instead, the entire curriculum of the 12-month, three-semester program is delivered through a studio-based format. For the thesis, students develop and prepare finished presentation packages for their projects including market analysis, partnership agreements, funding proposals, architectural designs, and sales and leasing strategies. Many students have gone on after graduation to successfully build their thesis projects.