Calendar Entry: Public Interest Design 2013 Workshop

Bryan Bell and Design Corps will be offering a Public Interest Design Institute workshop at SCAD Atlanta 12-13 July 2013!  SCAD is very excited to be hosting this important workshop, and I hope we can count on IIDA GA to help Brian to get this approved for CEUs.
There is a growing sector in the field of architecture known as Public Interest Design documented in exhibits such as MoMA’s Small Scale, Big Change and publications like Design Like You Give Damn. The projects in this sector are unlike traditional practice in critical ways but are an area of great potential for the future of the profession.
The Public Interest Design Institute® will provide training to architecture and other design professionals in public interest design with in-depth study over two days on methods of how design can address the critical issues faced by communities. Training in public interest design is a way of enhancing an existing design practice and learning skills to become pro-actively engaged in community-based design.
The Harvard Case Method will be used to learn from examples. These case studies and best practices will be presented and discussed by leaders in the field. The curriculum will be formed around the Social Economic Environmental Design® (SEED) metric, a set of standards that outlines the process and principles of this growing approach to design. SEED goes beyond green design with a “triple bottom line” approach that includes the social and economic as well as the environmental. The SEED process takes a holistic, creative approach to design driven by community needs. This process provides a step-by-step aid for those who want to undertake public interest design.
Continuing education credits will be given as required of professionals by the American Institute of Architects as well as a certification in the SEED process.
Learning objectives will address:

• Finding new clients
• Learning about new fee sources and structures
• Understanding public interest design and how is it re-shaping the design professions
• Pro-actively finding a public interest design project
• Using a step-by-step process of working with a community as a design partner
• Leveraging other partners and assets to address project challenges
• Maximizing a project’s positive impact on a community
• Measuring social, economic, and environmental impact on communities

The Academic Leader of each session is Bryan Bell, the founder of Design Corps, founder of the Public Interest Design Institute, and a co-founder of SEED. Bell has supervised the Structures for Inclusion lecture series for ten years which presents best practices in community-based design. He has published two collections of essays on the topic, Bell has lectured and taught at numerous schools including the Rural Studio with Samuel Mockbee. He has received an AIA National Honor Award in Collaborative Practice. His work has been exhibited in the Venice Biennale and the Cooper Hewitt Museum Triennial. He was a Harvard Loeb Fellow in 2010-11 and a co-recipient of the 2011 AIA Latrobe Prize which is focused on public interest design. Other speakers will be national leaders of this emerging field.

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submitted by:  M. Shane Totten, AIA,  IIDA,  LEED AP BD+C,  IDEC
SCAD Professor and Associate Chair, Interior Design

Georgia's Own is Awarded IIDA Educator of the Year

 


IIDA is proud to announce the recipient of the IIDA Educator of the Year Award is Liset Robinson, IIDA, Interior Design instructor at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA.  The award celebrates excellence in leadership by an Interior Design educator, and is sponsored by Milliken.
Robinson is being honored for her extraordinary accomplishments and commitment to Interior Design education. She has showcased her dedication to the field with more than five years mentoring students, providing internship guidance and excellent instruction. Robinson will accept the award at the IIDA Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 10 at the Spertus Center, Chicago during NeoCon.  Robinson will receive a $10,000 cash award, from Award Sponsor Milliken.
Colleagues had high praise for Robinson.  “She is active in the professional community and is always seeking out opportunities to expand our students' understanding of Interior Design,” said M. Shane Totten, IIDA, AlA, IDEC, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Chair, Interior Design, SCAD Atlanta. “Her networking energy has resulted in innovative coursework reflecting areas of focus within the industry. She tirelessly volunteers for the advancement of the profession and in doing so, brings many great opportunities back to our students for their learning benefit.”
Robinson was named one of DesignIntelligence’s Interior Design Educators of the Year in 2007. She also has held several positions with the IIDA Georgia Chapter including Past President, President, Vice President of Professional Development, President-Elect and Treasurer.  Currently she serves as the Community Outreach Team Leader.
“IIDA is proud to honor Liset for her tireless devotion, enthusiasm, and service to her students and the Interior Design profession. She has gone above and beyond to share her knowledge and passion with the next generation of designers by helping them cultivate a desire to learn inside and outside of the classroom,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl Durst, Hon. FIIDA.
For more information about the Educator of the Year Award, The IIDA Annual Meeting at NeoCon or The Association, please visit www.iida.org.

Congratulations Liset!!!!  We are so proud of you. Thank you for all of your contributions to your profession and our IIDA chapter. 

Recent Grads ~ New Hires: Get to Know Stephen Mai

In this turbulent business economy, most graduates cringe at the thought of finding employment right out of school.  IIDA Georgia is featuring some recent success for graduates and the beginning of their career in our Design industry.  Get to know a little more about Stephen Mai who graduated from SCAD-Atlanta with a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design in this informal interview.

Hometown: Centreville, VA

Current Firm/ Company: Perkins+Will - Atlanta 

Current Professional Position: Interior Designer

Why did you decide to pursue Design as your career path?
"I wanted to impact the built environment in a human level. Designing for people is a thrill and a big challenge. There are many spaces out there that are not the most attractive or make you go “why did they do that?” I wanted to reverse that and make people go “I feel at ease in this environment.”

What benefits/experiences did you obtain as a Student member of IIDA Georgia?
"Networking was the biggest benefit for me when I was a student member. I volunteered at the IIDA office in Atl and was able to meet designers around the area, past IIDA presidents and the current president which led me to an interview and current position at P+W. It made the profession feel less intimidating as a student as well, getting to interact with people in the field I was trying to pursue."

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
"I would like to think I would still be doing healthcare design and learning more innovative ways to improve healthcare environments."

What is your dream job?
"For now my dream job is what I have. I am enjoying what I do and enjoying coming to work every day. Most of the times I can’t believe people are paying me to do this job. It sounds like a cliché but it’s true. But eventually I do see myself advancing and going to a position that allows me to direct and form the design intent."

What in the design field brings out your passion?
"The design field brings out a lot of my passions. I get to sketch every day, look at art and industrial design for mostly all projects I have been involved with."

Do you have a guilty pleasure or inspiration?
"Really fun thing to do sometimes is to go on Tumblr. Sometimes all you need for inspiration is to look at random images of art, photos of industrial design, architecture, fashion and just anything that makes you. Also listening to music while you work is a great way to zone out and just focused on your ideas." 

What 3 design elements can you NOT live without?
"Three design elements that I can’t live without are symmetry and balance, rhythm and color. These are the three elements that I always try to bring into any design. Without these in my eyes, a design is not as successful as it can be."