university of michigan taubman college of architecture + urban planning fall 2008 portico contents monica ponce de leon, 2008– 1 Letter From The Dean douglas s. kelbaugh, 1998–2008 3 Footprints james c. snyder, 1997–1998 4 College Update robert m. beckley, 1987–1997 8 Faculty Update robert c. metcalf, 1974–1986 20 Student Update reginald malcolmson, 1964–1974 26 A Conversation with Monica Ponce de Leon philip n. yountz, 1957–1964 28 Class Notes wells ira bennett, 1937–1957 45 Calendar emil lorch, 1906–1936 Cover and inside back cover: Museum Store designed and built by Steven Mankouche for the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD). See page 13 for additional information. Cover Images: Beth Singer letter from the dean It is my honor and pleasure as the eighth dean of this college to introduce and welcome the ninth dean. Born in Venezuela, with degrees from Harvard and the University of Miami, Monica Ponce de Leon is a distinguished architectural practitioner and academic. Prior to moving to Michigan, she was a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Previous teaching appointments include Georgia Tech, Northeastern, and the University of Miami. She has been a visiting professor and delivered lectures at many schools. Office dA, in which she partners with Nader Tehrani, is one of the top design firms of its generation. It has won many awards, including a remarkable ten Progressive Architecture Awards! I was on the jury in 1998 that awarded her third PA Honor Award, and can attest that it was the jury’s favorite and selected for the magazine’s cover. Her virtuoso design work, which brings a rich materiality and tactility to modernism, has been widely published and exhibited. Several years ago, even though I’d never met her, I was moved on the spur of the moment to pen a complimentary note to her after seeing an article about the Beijing Art Center. The building is a tour de force in brick, as was her Casa La Roca that appeared on the cover of PA. Her public housing project in Chicago—for senior citizens who are raising their grandchildren—is both imaginative and humane. And her new apartment building in Boston, which I was able to visit during the AIA Convention, shows that excellent design can be green. To continue her engagement in practice, Office dA will open a second office in Ann Arbor. Monica is an experienced and accomplished teacher. Her studio and seminars at Harvard have had provocative titles: “Disassembly Required: Ecotourism in the Ecuadorian Rainforest, Constructing the Unwanted Building, and Chores and the Pleasures of Household Equipment”. For the past five years, she has been director of the Digital Lab at the GSD. Her interest and passion for digital fabrication pervade her academic and professional interests and are sure to enrich our curriculum. Fittingly, she and her husband Greg Saldana, an architect with a specialty in building conservation, have moved into a house in Barton Hills designed by Bob Metcalf, the college’s fifth dean. They have two young children, Beatriz and Simon. 1 I am confident that Monica will take the college to new heights, building and expanding on its recent successes while continuing to respond to challenges and opportunities such as globalization, new technology, diversity, and sustainability. These leadership changes are essential in institutions, especially large universities, and provide important time for renewal and growth. We are lucky to have recruited such a stellar academic and professional to head the college. (The Dean Search Advisory Committee and Provost are to be commended.) I trust that you will provide Monica with the same level of support and interest that you have demonstrated over the last 10 years. It has been a wonderful tenure for me as dean, and I look forward to my role as a faculty member after a leave to recharge and prepare to teach. I’ve enjoyed the last decade immensely and thank you again for sharing it. I hope this summer and your future summers are good ones. Cheers, 2 portico | fall 2008 foot prints 2007–2008 Foot Prints offers a look back at the past academic year’s events, exhibits, and lecturers Visiting Faculty & Fellows 2007–2008 Blaine Brownell, Visiting Professor in Sustainable Design Pablo Garcia, William Muschenheim Fellow Douglas Graf, Colin Clipson Visiting Fellow and Charles Moore Visiting Professor Coy Howard, Eliel Saarinen Visiting Professor Tsz Yan Ng, Walter B. Sanders Fellow Patrick Rhodes, Sojourner Truth Visiting Fellow Robert Somol, Max M. Fisher Visiting Professor Exhibits 2007–2008 Architecture of Objects China Near_Now Exhibit Drawn Out: Faculty Drawing Exhibit Fellows Exhibit: Brownell — Garcia — Ng M.A.T.G.O.: Michigan Architecture 3G1 2007 Michigan Architecture Thesis 2007 To Build or Die in Chicago: The Work of Joe Valerio Lectures 2007–2008 Aaron Allen* Mukul Kumar* Saira Badar* Ratoola Kundu* Sunil Bald Matt Lassiter* Percy Bates Reinhold Martin Ed Blakely Senhiko Nanada Kadambari Baxi Catherine Seavitt Nordenson Giovanna Borasi, Guy Nordenson Jennifer Tello Buntin* Elodie Nourrigat Thomas Campanella* Eric Peterson* Majora Carter Jonathan Rose Teddy Cruz Trecia Pottinger* Milton Curry Helena Safron* Yolande Daniels Neha Sami* Fusun Erkul* Felicity D. Scott Maya Evans* Werner Sobek Jonathan Hill Graeme Stewart* Mimi Hoang Joseph M. Valerio, FAIA Coy Howard Feng Wang* Li Hu Liu Yuyang Chang Ju* David Zach Douglas S. Kelbaugh FAIA Andrea P. Zemgulys* *Global Suburbs Conference 3 college update View of central business district, new global city for Turkey View of park and mosque in residential district, new global city for Turkey Istanbul Studio Last fall, 15 Master of Urban Design students from Dongjun Seo, Advait Sambhare, Shao-ning Yu, I-Ming six countries on three continents departed Ann Arbor Lin, Kelly Koss, Michael Johnson, Heather Smirl, Sarfaraz for Turkey, where they began an eight-week project Momin, Takara Tada, Tyson Stevens, Qian Li, Ross for the design of a new global city. After ten days in Davison, Donald Buaku, and Seong Yun Cho. Turkey meeting with government officials, city planners, architects, academics and developers, they returned to The Urban and Regional Planning Program received a Taubman College to develop the concept for a city of 3.5 seven-year reaccreditation—the maximum length possible— million people. from the Planning Accreditation Board. Global cities, centers of trade, communications, technology, arts and culture, are increasingly important A+A Courtyard parts of their countries’ interface with the world, symbolizing both established and emerging economies’ prominence on the international stage. New York, London, During the fall 2007 semester, with funds from the and Tokyo are frequently cited models for the phenomenon University, the courtyard of the Art & Architecture now spreading through the Mid East, Asia and South Asia. Building underwent a much-needed renovation. The badly deteriorated treated lumber decking was removed and With an expanding economy based on industry and replaced with concrete pavers interspersed with Sensitiles, technology, a young, educated and growing middle- a fiberoptic product invented at the college by alumnus class, convenient connections to the world by air and Abhinand Lath, M.Arch.’03. Also as part of this renovation sea, and rich history as the confluence of cultures, Turkey the roof top sodium vapor lights were disconnected and was identified as an ideal location for the MUD Program thousands of tiny LED lights were installed in five locust to explore the theme of the global city. The results trees in the courtyard. This lighting is powered by photocells addressed issues of urban form, sustainability, the effects and is light-sensitive. Concrete was replaced and the slopes of technology on urbanism, transit-oriented development, of the handicapped ramps reduced.The landscaping was modern Islamic architecture and disaster planning freshened up and new tables and chairs were added. (responding to Turkish seismic conditions) and culminated in design principles and guidelines that were applied to a series of districts across the proposed city. Led by Roy Strickland, director of the Master of Urban Design Program, the student members of the team (all of whom graduated in April 2008) were Joshua Anderson, 4 portico | fall 2008 A+A Courtyard with Sensitile fiberoptic terrazo tiles. Photo: Melanie Kaba 5 college update C-ing Energy’s Kinetic Kiosk is activated by clean energy The amphitheater at the base of Lurie Tower uses clean energy sources such as turbine, photovoltaic, or human power. power lights, displays, and sound system. WorkPlay Competition Taubman College was very well-represented among the Constantino, Ai Kawashima, and Michael Jen, was cited winning contestants in the first WorkPlay competition. for a pure sense of fun that engaged all North Campus Sponsored by UM’s Arts on Earth Committee, WorkPlay units through architecture and engineering with strong aimed to find ways to make the University’s North Campus roots in the visual arts. more appealing. Teams were asked to design a new, inventive, and compelling destination at the heart of the Two honorable mentions went to “The Hub” submitted North Campus that would result in a better equilibrium by Nicholas Senske, doctoral student in architecture; between work and play. The competition called for projects and “Fire & Ice” submitted by a team comprised of Shaun sensitive to the built and natural environments and that Jackson, associate professor of architecture Richard incorporated, promoted and/or celebrated sustainable Tursky, graduate architecture student, and Amanda Winn, design principles. The contest offered $20,000 in prize undergraduate architecture student. money and a $500,000 project budget for the winning entry. In all, 143 students, faculty, and staff from across the university formed 31 teams and submitted proposals. Jury members included the six North Campus deans, University Planner Sue Gott, University Architect Doug Hanna, and an architecture student.