This past week was declared “Architecture Week” in the City of Buffalo by Mayor Byron Brown in honor of the contributions made by architects in the community and recent advances being made in their field. The highlights of the week were the grand opening of the city’s newest architectural academy and a three-day conference that was held downtown.
On October 12, Buffalo Public Schools, the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, the American Institute of Architects and LP Ciminelli celebrated the grand opening of the new Architecture and Design Academy at the International Preparatory School at Grover. This event also included the unveiling of LP Ciminelli’s Construction Connections “Discover Design” Architecture program.
The goal of the new Architecture and Design Academy is to incorporate architecture and design literacy into a rigorous curriculum in order to prepare students to be strong competitors when they reach higher education. The program will provide students in grades 9-12 with a liberal arts base while also allowing them to build skills in fine and graphic arts.
“The academy is really a vehicle to prepare students in Buffalo for a university education,” said Kelly Hayes McAlonie, associate director of UB’s Capital Planning Group and vice president for public advocacy of the American Institute of Architects New York State. “The focus is on helping students reach college, and to attend architecture school.”
LP Ciminelli, who served as the Program Manager, was responsible for developing the architectural enrichment program. They based the “Discover Design” program on the goals of awareness, attraction and retention.
“The creation of mentoring, internships and co-op positions may attract students who realized that in today’s job market a degree is just a starting point,” said Gene Partridge, Executive Vice President of LP Ciminelli. “The goal of the program is to encourage immersion in the workforce and foster network experiences to retain a highly talented local group of individuals.”
Architecture Week continued with the Buffalo/WNY Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) 2010 Convention, which was hosted at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on October 14-16.
The theme of the convention was “Creating the Fabric of Our Culture.” The event highlighted the significance of architects and landscape architects in building and sustaining our community. The convention brought together nationally renowned speakers from Chicago, Toronto, New York, Charleston and Oakland, CA to discuss contemporary construction methods used for sustainable design and green infrastructure. Topics included green roofs, permeable pavements, brownfield redevelopment, high performance buildings and the use of rainscreens. The event also included educational sessions on the Buffalo waterfront, the legacies of Olmsted, Wright and Richardson and tours of the city’s top architecture.
“This is an exciting time to be stewards of the built environment both as landscape architects and architects,” said Joy Kuebler of the ASLA. “This conference is a wonderful venue to foster and strengthen our relationship with each other and our greater communities.”