March SoA Newsletter
Dear Students, Colleagues, and Friends,
We were preparing to send out our March newsletter two weeks ago when everything suddenly changed. Since then, Woodbury School of Architecture has transitioned to learning, teaching and working remotely.
The collective resilience shown by members of our community is nothing short of remarkable. We are all transformed by these events. Each of us is learning and experimenting, discovering new workflows and innovating. I encourage everyone – students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends – to continue sending us questions, ideas and news. These provide clues to solutions as well as comfort and inspiration.
I want to express my gratitude: to the students for inspiring each of us to craft dynamic new learning experiences; to our faculty for expanding their teaching repertoires and focusing on our student’s success; to our staff who quietly and professionally continue to maintain continuity and stability in our core educational processes. Finally, I want to extend my deepest admiration to our administrative team – Ewan Branda, Heather Flood, Christoph Korner, Jose Parral and Ryan Tyler Martinez – for their creative solutions and fierce determination to prove that we can, not just do this, but do this well!
We look forward to connecting with each of you as we launch additional career support resources and public events online.
Ingalill & the Woodbury School of Architecture Community
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Remembering Merry Norris, Arts Advocate & Godmother of LA Architecture
Merry Norris, an arts and architecture advocate based in Los Angeles, passed away on March 16, 2020. As a member of Woodbury School of Architecture’s Board of Advisors, Merry championed public art awareness and design excellence through her many roles as consultant, curator, executive, and public servant. She dedicated her career to the cultural and civic life of Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. You can find out more information about Merry’s life and her many contributions in a recent piece by the Los Angeles Times.
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José García & Jesús Limón Discuss Building for the Future and Designing in San Diego
Alumni José F. García (BArch ’05) and Jesús Fernando Limón (BArch ’05) founded Prismática architects in 2012 in San Diego. Prismática aims to deliver architectural design services to a variety of clients, and is involved with the local community through cultural and art events through constant collaborations. We recently caught up with José and Jesús to discuss their personal careers and how they are building projects for the future.
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Alumni Spotlight: Lauren Amador on Embracing Identity in Architecture & Design
Alumna Lauren Amador (BArch ’15) is the founder of Amador Architecture. As a second-generation architect and Angeleno, she founded her practice with the mission to design and open the only lesbian bar in the City of Los Angeles, the Fingerjoint. Amador is currently designing a portfolio of custom residences, ADUs, and commercial projects. We recently caught up with Lauren to discuss her personal career path and how she’s working to change the way designers consider identity in architecture.
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Paulette Singley Explores How to Read Architecture with Archinect Sessions
On the most recent episode of the Archinect Sessions podcast, Professor Paulette Singley discussed her book, “How to Read Architecture.” Joined by Donna Sink, Ken Koense, and Paul Petrunia, Archinect looked at how Singley’s work is a “must read for architecture students, architects, designers and admirers of the built world.” Find out more about Paulette’s book and listen to the podcast.
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James Rojas Combines Design and Engagement through Latino Urbanism
Alumnus James Rojas (BS Interior Design ’82) is an urban planner, community activist, and artist. He has developed an innovative public-engagement and community-visioning method that uses art-making as its medium. Through this method he has engaged thousands of people by facilitating over 1,000 workshops and building over 300 interactive models around the world. We recently caught up with James to discuss his career and education, as well as how he’s shaping community engagement and activism.
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Gerard Smulevich Awarded 2020 AIA|LA Photography Citation for Best Image
This year, the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Chapter awarded professor Gerard Smulevich a 2020 AIA|LA Photography Citation Award for Best Image. The awards honor the vision of photographers who reinterpret the built environment through their own highly-individualized aesthetic. This year, they announced the selection of thirteen stills and two Instagram feeds as 2020 Photography Awards recipients.
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Woodbury’s Interior Design Programs Receive STEM Designation
All interior design programs at Woodbury have been designated as STEM degrees. The School received approvals from the University Curriculum Committee and Office of Academic Affairs, and from WASC and the Department of Homeland Security’s Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). International students enrolled in these programs can now apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion OPT for a total of 36 months.
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Joshua G. Stein Presents Casting Lessons at the Graham Foundation
Professor Joshua G. Stein presented his research on casting techniques and the recuperation of traditional craft into architectural digital fabrication at the Graham Foundation. In “Casting Lessons” he examined how material technique might offer methods for grounding discussions around digital form making, historical style, and urban data-scapes. Stein presented in conjunction with the exhibition “Poured Architecture: Sergio Prego on Miguel Fisac.”
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