In summary, the A Better World conference aims to connect students, professionals, and individuals from a variety of disciplines in order to build a global community of socially conscious and passionate innovators. It was primarily composed of students and faculty from the Brown University and RISD design programs, but since it’s creation in 2008, it has quadrupled in size and influence. It is still planned and run almost entirely by students which in and of itself is an incredible feat to add on top of an ivy league coursework.

Often the content of the sessions was geared towards undergraduate students just beginning to grapple with the concepts of “social design.” There were, however, a couple speakers who significantly stood out in their depth and experience from all of the others. Dr. Wofgang Feist, the originator of the Passivehaus concept and method was teleconferenced in from Germany to present on his projects over the last 40 years. Elizabeth Johansen of Design that Matters (DtM) presented some fantastic case studies of their products that “allow social enterprises in developing countries to offer improved services and scale more quickly.” Their organizational model of collaboration and partnership is definitely one to note and follow. As an evolving ethnographer, I was especially intrigued by Panthea Lee and her work with Reboot. Their process of Immersion Research, Collaborative Design, Iterative Development, Training/Monitoring, and Evaluation is the exact model I think should be applied to humanitarian design projects.

One of the most complex and rich presentations was by a panel discussion the “Future of Zero Energy Architecture.” Dror Benshetrit shared some incredibly simple but powerful structural systems by Studio Dror and Peter Yeadon of Decker Yeadon, focused on material and smart technology that can address issues of water and energy conservation. But perhaps my favorite set of speakers were those gathered to discussed “Socially Engaged Architecture” of the built works for underserved and neglected communities. I heard from Rural Studio (as presented by Elena Barthel) speak for the first time about their faithful work in Hale County, Mississippi. Also, having recently learned of the work by MASS Design, I was excited to hear founder Michael Murphy share of their healthcare design work in Rwanda and Haiti. Someday soon, I hope Rebuild Sudan is speaking in this group and of our work with local communities in South Sudan.

In addition to these great input sessions, I met some fantastic people! Tino Chow, one of the original founders of the project and current Partner at Big New Ideas (look for their work as the elections draw near in the Creative Action Network and with #OccupyDesign), Matt Girgsby founder of Ecolect and owner of Anchor in Providence which also houses Asher Dunn of the incredibly beautiful furniture design firm Studio DUNN. Sheena Yoon of REaction Strategy Group, John Bielenberg of ProjectM, and Amanda Coen who is a photographer and writer for Inhabitat. Look for Amanda’s name more on this blog as she and I are conspiring on a web project… more on that soon!

All in all it was a fantastic and inspiring weekend. Ideas were flowing from all directions and I can only hope they begin to grow legs in the months that follow because a better world cannot be created by design alone.

So when it came time to register for our wedding, we both cringed… not only did we have to pick out “stuff” but then we had to invite people to give it to us. Though this was a normal practice by all other standards, it still felt awkward for us non-gift givers. But as we looked around at our hand-me-down-pots and eclectic sets of dishes, we knew some new things would be in order. As our first gifting option though, we strongly encouraged people to give to a cause so important to both of us, education and Rebuild Sudan. (As many of you know, I have served as Board President for this organization for the last two years. Never have I been a part of a project I believed in more or felt better fit to serve.)

We had an overwhelming response from this alternative gifting option. I think non-givers and givers alike appreciated a more creative and intential way of giving. Many gave more to Rebuild Sudan than they ever would have spent on a household gift. To date, we’ve raised nearly $3,000 and I can think of no greater way to commemorate the beginning of our lives together than contributing towards something we care so much about.

We’re not the only ones who have used donations to Rebuild Sudan as a way of celebrating milestones. Last year, Sarah Gerber (our Director of Communication) and her husband, David Gerber (who joined our trip in 2009), gave to Rebuild Sudan on behalf of each of their guests instead of a traditional favor.

This year, after meeting Michael Kuany at an event in DC, Amanda Frayer and Dan Schramm also felt drawn to the organization’s mission. They decided to forgo a registry entirely and asked their guests to give to Rebuild Sudan (see the page HERE). Though their nuptials are over, the money has kept coming in and to date, they’ve raised over $2,500 for the organization! (you guys rock!) Kevin Knox, the board’s Vice President, is turning 31 this year and is asking people to celebrate creatively by giving $31 to Rebuild Sudan. What a great way to embrace age for with each year, comes another dollar!

So, whatever you’re celebrating or whatever milestone you may pass this year, think about how you could use Rebuild Sudan gift your gifts. May you commemorate in such a way that it’s impact outlasts your experience and its purpose extend beyond your day.

This article was originally published on Rebuild Sudan’s blog on 23 September 2011

In the course of these years, we’ve gathered others along with us in the journey. It is often these pairings at weddings that brings us back together. We look the same and tell the old stories that make us laugh until our cheeks hurt. Ryan fills his speech with hyperboles and Brad eggs on Matt’s shameless commentary. Tessa gives flying hugs and Justin’s Harclerode humor has become even drier than remembered. I can predict the night will not end until stories of studies in Italy are fondly recanted. Likewise, a memorable moment almost always marks the evening and is added to our collection of experiences together.

And sometimes, when we’re sitting all together again, I just look around and smile. I have become more of who I am today because of these people. In our five years together at school, we saw some of our best and worst moments, shared more late nights and strong coffees than could be imagined. We critiqued and we cheered, challenged and competed. And maybe what’s kept us all together another five years is that we haven’t stopped. We laugh at the memories but we always move conversations deeper and connect with the things that brought us together at the beginning. Discussion of art exhibits our need for beauty; stories of urban life experiences reveal a quirkly love of community. Our idealism shows us that only faith can fill the gap between what is and what could be; our pursuit of teaching reminds us we all have something to offer this world.

Weddings will soon cease to pull us back together. I know, however, we will find a new way to invent the crossings of our paths. And each time, I will savor these moments for they are too few and far between.

i visited the Cathedral of Christ the Light (click on photos in the gallery on the left of the page) a few weeks back to hear the architect from SOM tell about the project. it’s the first time i’ve gone to a lecture about a building in the building and it really got me thinking about what a different experience that was. rather than show photos of the 4 stories of wooden slats, he just pointed to them. when he spoke of the white light panels at the entrance and the ceiling, we turned around to see them. and when we told of the story of the relief sculpture of Jesus 2 stories high at the front and center of the room, He (as in Jesus) was already looking right at us. unfortunately, it was also night… which made any mention of warm, indirect lighting, or sunlight patterns painted on the floor an architectural taunt.

i think my critique of the space was the most authentic it could be. i wasn’t visiting the building later and trying to recall his spoken intent. no, i was there process as he was communicated. it truly was a unique situation and one i hope to replicate as often as i can.

if ever you’re in the bay area and i’m not enough excuse for you already, or are around but want an architecture immersion, let me know. i have an phenomenal place in mind for us to explore.

i get this question a lot. it’s the natural result of being a new person… i get asked the most basic of questions over and over again. and the benefit of the exercise is i’ve had countless opportunities to practice my response. the ironic thing, i still cannot figure out how to answer.

‘well,’ i hesitatingly begin,
‘i’m an architect by education,’ immediate eye brow raise and two points for me.
yes, it is the perk of being a student of architecture… i’m automatically assumed to have a high income, high profile, and high intelligence.
i’ll let you in on a secret, though… none of the above are true.
but can i let you in on another secret? i probably shouldn’t even call myself an architect, as i don’t even have autocad on my computer… which as all newly minted architecture students know, is our only purpose is life.

‘but, now i’m working as a sustainability adviser,’ continuing my explanation.

here’s the next problem, most people back at home didn’t even know what sustainability is, much less how to advise in it. at least here, the word ’sustainability’ has crossed their eyes a couple of times and i get slightly less ‘deer-in-headlight’ gazes.

i attempt to explain… ‘i help architects, engineers, owners, and developers manage and design more efficient buildings. buildings consume 60% of the energy we use and if we can do it in a more responsible, productive, and efficient way, all of us benefit. building sustainably doesn’t have to cost more but rather makes money, and usually, results in much more wonderful spaces to live/work in.’

‘hmmm,’ they usually respond.

‘really, we’re just trying to save the planet,’ i usually succumb to the fru-fru answer that makes even me uncomfortable.

‘oh, i see,’ they conclude. ‘well san francisco is a great place to do it!’

‘that’s why i’ve come,’ i conclude in a way that’s sarcastic to me, but genuine to them. and the dialog concludes.

but really sustainability? what does that really mean? and ‘saving the planet’? come on, that seems a little out there, a little arrogant. both are a lot bigger than we can understand. it’s not creating buildings/organizations which use less materials, energy, and waste. it’s actually creating places and organizations which produce more energy than they use… places that bring life, that regenerate, that leave a area better than it was before they were there.

‘is that possible?’ you now ask.

i think so. i really think so. someday, i hope to see out how. in fact, i might be spending all of my ‘someday’s learning how to do it. and that, i don’t believe is a fru-fru answer. i’ll try keep you updated on my process. but for now, i’m going to figure out what exactly it is that i do and how to explain it better.

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/jillmarie/1581080458/” title=”Brightworks Team [portland, or] by jillmarie, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2251/1581080458_9d8d9f394c_o.jpg” width=”356″ height=”504″ alt=”Brightworks Team [portland, or]” /></a>

brightworks:
jessica [sitting second from left] & i [on bench] with the portland group [everyone else]
with our projects in the background

cross it off of my list of things to do in life.
been there, done that; i’ve seen the taj mahal.
what did i think? you may ask.
overrated. i would reply.
i know that sounds arrogant, it’s one of the world’s seven wonders.
yes, it’s beautiful. it’s a brilliant white marble tomb.
the finest example of mughal architecture,
combining elements of persian, turkish, indian, and islamic architctural styles.
it’s carefully crafted details, standing majestically in front of the blue sky.
but still overrated.
one of the earth’s modern wonders?
come on now.

maybe i was tainted by the city of agra…
45% of the city involved in tourism. money can corrupt a place.
i was getting fired up at our taxi driver as he kept taking us to see local ‘art forms.’
a.k.a. over-priced stores in hopes of getting a kick-back.
my dad had to cool me down.
thankfully, i didn’t have a t-square in my hand. [see why here]

maybe it was because i was sick…
yes. i got the stomach bug again.
fever, headache, bathroom breaks, the whole bit.
i had no choice, i had to use the tap water to brush my teeth.
i think i should have opted for the bad breath.

maybe it was because this isn’t the india i love…
tourists everywhere in their mini skirts and short shorts.
put some clothes on! i wanted to say. we don’t dress like that here.

this isn’t india, i wished i could explain to them…
meet the people in the villages or sit around a fire as they play the jimbay.
find food for 1/5 the price you are paying and 5 times as good.
drink a chai with the locals in the morning and make chapatis with the women for dinner.
visit the fish markets as the catch comes in and hike in the himalayas.
this building, this place, this isn’t india.
but as you see in from the outside, that’s all you know of this country.
you come to take your photo in front it’s white mass.
you return to your home with a sense of accomplishment,
but you’re not much different from when you left.
see the india i’ve seen and see if you can leave the same way you came.
try to love the way you did before, give the way you did, live the way you did.
not possible.

bill clinton once said,
there are only two kinds of people in the world,
those who have seen the taj mahal and those who haven’t.
maybe.
or maybe not

because i never told you why…

i’ll never forget that first day of design studio.
‘what is architecture? what is space? why have you entered this profession?‘

the question seemed easy…but i was at a loss. every answer i could come up with didn’t seem enough. i knew there was more than i understood. i was at the beginning of something. everything i thought about architecture was thrown out the window that day. whatever i knew it entailed or believed it to be needed to be tested, processed, redefined… i had to choose for myself what i believed architecture to be and role i would play in it.

six and a half years later, i look back on that day and smile. i really had no idea what i was getting into. i had no clue where my path would take me or the people to which it would lead. if you would have told me how difficult the journey would be or how many times i would want to give up, i’d have quit that day. i look back now, thankful i didn’t know and thankful i didn’t quit. i see the world through the eyes of a designer, as one responsible for the built environment and the effect space has on life.
i’ll never be the same; i’ll never shake this passion.
. it will evolve. it will grow.
i think now i have more questions and less answers.
. i will add to them new truths as new understandings are made.
but i am changed.

i’ll never forget the day i picked up my cross for the first time.
‘who is God? what is faith? why have you chosen to follow Me?‘

i believed. i knew all the stories. i could give you all the sunday school answers. but something changed that february. i died that day to myself, i stood at the foot of the cross broken and overwhelmed by the fact that i could never be enough. He is bigger than i could ever fathom and deeper than i could begin to imagine. no matter how hard i try, no matter how good i am, i cannot meet His standard. to Him, there is no such thing as religion, just Truth. He is perfect and i am not. everything I thought Gd to be was thrown out the window that day. whatever i knew He entailed, what i believed life was like needed to be tested, processed, redefined… i had to choose for myself what i believed and what i would do with that belief.

i look back now twelve years later and smile. i really had no idea what i was getting into. i had no clue where my path would take me or the people to which it would lead. if you would have told me how difficult the journey would be or how many times i would want to give up, i may never have chosen Him that day. i look back now, thankful i didn’t know and thankful i made the choice. i see the world through the eyes of my Father, as one responsible for bringing Him glory and offering hope to a searching world.
i’ll never be the same; i’ll never shake this passion.
. it will evolve. it will grow.
i think now i have more questions and less answers.
. i will add to them new truths as new understandings are made.
but i am forever changed.
. He has forever changed me.

i’ll never forget that moment when the two tracks of my life crossed. the work behind the screen left me empty and no longer satisfied; it seemed temporary and fleeting. involved in ministry, leading, teaching and reaching out in relationships, it didn’t matter, i just needed to be a part of a purpose beyond the walls i was drawing…
then He tapped me on my shoulder. ‘what if the purpose i have for you isn’t out there, but right here? the people you’re surrounded by in your studio? they don’t know Me. i need you here.’

things after that were never the same. with each step i take, it becomes more clear to me that these two paths, as an architect and as a disciple, are not meant to be walked separately and independent of the other. the longer they overlap and intersect, the further they intertwine and correspond, the more alive i become and the greater glory He is given.

my education has taught me it’s not just about form, but space.
. my Savr has showed me it’s beyond religion to love.
my profession has equipped me to discern a person’s physical needs.
. my faith has allowed me to hear beyond their spoken words.
my degree has opened doors to serve along side His children of all beliefs.
. my walk has told of my pursuits beyond anything i could ever say.
my purposes are within the walls, outside of the walls, and beyond the walls.

when architects talk about their buildings, what they say is often at odds with the statements of the buildings themselves. this probably connected with the fact that they tend to talk a good deal about the rational, thought-out aspects of their work and less about the secret passion that inspires it.

the design process is based on a constant interplay of feeling and reason. the feelings, preferences, longings, and desires that emerge demand to be given a form must be controlled by critical powers of reasoning, but it is our feelings that tell us whether abstract considerations really ring true. to a large degree, designing is based on understanding and establishing systems of order. yet i believe that the essential substance of the architecture we seek proceeds from feeling and insight. precious moments of intuition result from patient work. with the sudden emergence of an inner image, a new line in a drawing, the whole design changes and is newly formulated within a fraction of a second. it is as if a powerful drug were suddenly taking effect. everything i knew before about the thing i am creating is flooded by a bright new light. i experience joy and passion, and something deep inside me seems to affirm: ‘i want to build this house!’

[peter zumthor. thinking architecture. page 21]

the question seemed easy enough…but i was at a loss. every answer i could come up with didn’t seem enough. i knew there was more than i understood. i was at the beginning of something. everything i thought about architecture was thrown out the window that day. whatever i knew it entailed or believed it to be needed to be tested, processed, redefined… i had to choose for myself what i believed architecture to be and role i would play in it.

five and a half years later, i look back on that day and smile. i really had no idea what i was getting into. i had no clue where my path would take me or the people to which it would lead. if you would have told me how difficult the journey would be or how many times i would want to give up, i’d have quit that day. i look back now, thankful i didn’t know and thankful i didn’t quit. i see the world through the eyes of a designer, as one responsible for the built environment and the affect space has on life.
i’ll never be the same; i’ll never shake this passion.
it will evolve. it will grow.
i think now i have more questions and less answers.
i will add to them new truths as new understandings are made.
but i am changed.

i’ll never forget the day i picked up my cross for the first time.
‘who is God? what is faith? why have you chosen to follow Me?’

i believed. i knew all the stories. i could give you all the sunday school answers. but something changed that february. i died that day to myself, i stood at the foot of the cross broken and overwhelmed by the fact that i could never be enough. He is bigger than i could ever fathom and deeper that i could begin to imagine. no matter how hard i try, no matter how good i am, i could not meet His standard.to Him, there is no such thing as religion, just truth. He is perfect and i am not. everything i thought God to be was thrown out the window that day. whatever i knew He entailed or believed life was like needed to be tested, processed, redefined… i had to choose for myself what i believed and i would do with that belief.

i look back now eleven years later and smile. i really had no idea what i was getting into. i had no clue where my path would take me or the people to which it would lead. if you would have told me how difficult the journey would be or how many times i would want to give up, i may never have chosen Him that day. i look back now, thankful i didn’t know and thankful i made the choice. i see the world through the eyes of my Father, as one responsible for bringing Him glory and offering hope to a searching world.
i’ll never be the same; i’ll never shake this passion.
it will evolve. it will grown.
i think now i have more questions and less answers.
i will add to them new truths as new understandings are made.
but i am forever changed.
He has forever changed me.

blessings to you on this easter day.

aside from last week, i can boldly state, i love my job. i wouldn’t go as far as saying i wake up excited to go to work. after my initial fight with the snooze button, it doesn’t take much to get me moving. our office operates much different than many architectural firms. we don’t work in teams or on one single project at a time. during any given week, i’ll have 5-10 projects run by my desk working with 3 different project managers. most of the work we do are smaller, community type projects which keeps my attention. i get bored easily on large, highly coordinated ones. the following a few consuming my time lately:

galichia heart hospital: ct remodel, or remodel, er addition
i love healthcare projects. it’s not because there contain huge opportunities for “Architecture”, but because the spaces i create and coordinate have such a huge impact on human life. i feel i can help people the most in healthcare type projects. but this one is a messy one. to build a hospital is one thing. to remodel it is another. moving patients, making nose, creating dust aren’t exactly welcomed in sterile environments. and talk about coordination. each week 12 of us [i the only female] sit around a conference room discussing the progress of the seven different phases. words like med gases, rad room, pixis machines fly around my head.
i’m getting better at understanding…slowly.

bcs/skt ventures: relocating office to remodeled old town building
my first job as a project manager. the client is an up and coming internet/phone company with a modern sense of style. they have never gone through a building process before with an architect and to my surprise, totally trust me. [oh, if they only knew!] they love the fabric of old town and want to preserve it as much as possible. however, it’s hard to do when you open up walls and realize they are supporting twice as much weight as they should in addition to having no shear support. this building, once three separate pieces, has a narrow corridor which runs down the middle. the old outside walls and windows are now inside…this is my favorite space. i’ve learned a lot about construction administration on this one, one of my great weaknesses. i’m not a commanding kind of person, so asking a contractor to move a wall really scares me.
i’m getting more confident…slowly.

don baxter & associates: new office building for a financial planner
another pm job, but this one from scratch…much easier. the first meeting my principal and i had with the contractor and don, we discovered a common love for wine. no sooner had we begun discussing his small wine stash in his office, than he pulled up a spread sheet of the 700 bottles he has collected at home. he opened a bottle to commemorate our first meeting and every meeting since then, we have taken turns providing a bottle. as the project’s design evolved, it became tuscan inspired. after the new year, i’ll hit the cd package hard and will get to put everything from the grading plan to the interior finishes together. though it’s location screams suburbia america, it will be the first i see go from my head, to my hand, to being built.
i’m becoming an architect…slowly.

throw in a new wood-oven pizza restaurant, programming for a retinal clinic, and LEED research for a new “gold building” in portland, along with city review comments and zone variance applications, and you have my working week. there was a time i longed for my phone to ring or reasons to send emails with my name at the bottom. now, i cringe when heather pages me and delay checking my message light. but i truly enjoy what i do. creating, molding, forming things into being and putting all the pieces together. ..i really don’t know of another profession which would fit me so well. someday, i’d like to do something i love so much that getting paid would be icing on the cake. the kind of job i am excited to get up for, one i would do without any financial reimbursement. i’m not there yet.
but i’m figuring it out…slowly.