Diary From the AIA Conference
The annual AIA conference happens every June and this year we were lucky that it took place in our hometown of San Francisco.
We hosted an exuberant happy hour at our Market Street office, welcoming colleagues and clients and serving our signature yummy bites and drinks.
Several Field Paoli staff attended the conference and we asked them to share a bit about what interested and inspired them the most. So, even if you didn't get to attend the AIA conference, you can sit back, relax and learn some things about architecture. Enjoy!
Project Architect Roxana Breceda is Inspired by Pablo Russo and his Green Obsession
I was highly inspired by the lecture given by Paolo Russo director of Stefano Boeri Architetti called Green Obsession.
This architecture firm is devoted to a new type of architectural biodiversity, a type of architecture that not just focuses on human beings but also other living organism such as plants animals, and pollinators. The cohabitation of living organisms in architecture is something I have always been attracted to, and attending this lecture reminded me of how important it is to redefine our relationship with the living organisms that our existence depends on. As designers we can influence how people live, interact, work, socialize, etc. Therefore, it is our responsibility to design a healthier and more sustainable built environment for all living nature.
Example of how plants can be incorporated into design that Architetti shared during his lecture
Angela Chung, junior designer, wants to place Inclusive Design at the Forefront
I was inspired by the seminars and seeing the different design solutions used to address various issues. For example, one seminar was on inclusive design for the disabled, which includes physical and cognitive disabilities. The firm Sizemore Group addressed these in different projects by including sensory spaces for people to pause and collect themselves, and integrated ramps with a small staircase as a centerpiece. It was fascinating to see how these spaces put these issues at the forefront of the design to exceed beyond standard requirements. I hope to be able to bring this into the work we do to provide comfortable and beautiful spaces for all people.
Angela (on the far right) while enjoying a Bay Cruise as part of the AIA conference
Ben Griffin + Colleagues Get Creative with Urban Sketching
The urban sketching tour as part of the conference was a unique experience that allowed all locals and visitors to explore SOMA in detail while sharpening our sketching skills. The committee strategically placed checkpoints throughout the city where a guide created a specific task for the group to focus on. Tasks ranged from two point perspectives of nature vs cityscape to creating storyboards, complete with a character, conflict and context. After 30 minutes of drawing, the group reconvened to discuss our drawings and techniques. Sketchers came fully equipped with pens, pastels, and ink brushes which created a beautiful variation from one sketch to the next. With the great weather, company and skill building it felt like the perfect way to kick off our Saturday.
From left to right: Roxana, Ben, Yann and Angela show off their sketches, Yann's sketch of Soma, the throwdown, Ben shows off his sketch
Principal Yann Taylor is Pondering the Need to Bring People Together in a Just and Equitable Manner
And lastly, here are some thoughts from Field Paoli principal, Yann Taylor, on how he found a through line at the conference related to inclusivity and how he hopes to incorporate that into his retail architecture work.
I was most inspired by Mithun’s (AIA Firm of the year award recipient) commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Jacinda Ardern's keynote speech on leading with compassion and a Studio Visit with Laura Crescimano of Sitelab Urban Studio and their a commitment to the urban public realm.
The nexus between the above three is a focus on dealing with the challenges of living in a diverse society, and the need to bring people together in a just and equitable manner.
Mithun does this by emphasizing DEI within their staff, and addressing themes of affordable housing and environmental justice in their work; Jacinda did this through her exemplary response to New Zealand’s deadliest mass shooting incident, bringing the impacted communities together, and passing legislation that limited access to firearms (after all, guns and society don’t mix); and SiteLab Urban Studio does this through a commitment to participatory design for the betterment of our urban environments, and opportunities for the co-existence of folks from a multitude of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
Much of commercial real estate is built on the idea exclusivity; what I hope to bring to my work and to my clients is an alternative approach that is geared toward inclusivity – and I certainly believe that retail can be a vehicle for that.
Thank you for reading, we hope that you were inspired as much as we were. The next AIA conference is in Washington DC in 2024 - meet us there! In the meantime, check out some of our work here.
