News & Events Archives

BEFORE 2005 NEWS ARCHIVE

CM Student Rides to Victory at National Collegiate Rodeo Championships!

Ben Londo, a construction management major from Milton Freewater, Ore, took first place in Men's All Around category at the competition, helping the Cal Poly team earn top honors.

New Concrete Blade Sculpture Dedicated in Poly Canyon

A Concrete Blade Sculpture designed and built by five graduating students from Cal Poly’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design, was dedicated on Saturday, October 16, 2004, in Poly Canyon.

Dean Tom Jones officiated the ceremony for over 100 people who had also attended Cal Poly’s Homecoming weekend. The ceremony brought together the five graduating CAED students with the graduates of 41 years ago who had originally designed and built the Concrete Blade Sculpture with the late Dan McMann, of post-tensioned concrete. The sculpture, which started as a senior project in 1963, was initially entitled, "A Sculptural Study in Pre-stressed Concrete."

The 1963 graduates, Ken Minor, an architect from Santa Barbara, Steve Gilmore, an architect from Chico, and Mark Haselton, a professional engineer form Atlanta, Georgia, served as technical advisors to the current students over a twelve month period (pictured L-R). Costs for creation of the sculpture were contributed by Haselton’s company, Continental Concrete Structures, a post-tensioning engineering and manufacturing company in Alpharetta, Georgia, and from Gilmore and Minor.

"When the concrete flower was built it was absolutely stunning, and like the new one, it still is today. Sited at the entrance to the hillside of experimental structures, it’s a real showstopper. It’s not only creative engineering, it’s a true ellipse and beautiful work of art, and credit for that goes to Ken," says Mark Haselton.

The five students who worked on the sculpture came from three of the five departments within the CAED. They acted as an interdisciplinary design and construction team to create an elegant, modern structure that is anticipated to last more than 100 years. The students, Jon Voorhies, construction management, Susan Smilanich and Robert Pacheco, architectural engineering, and Mike Mc Donnell and Ben Green, landscape architecture, jointly designed the sculpture, procured the materials, built the nine pre-cast concrete blade forms, placed the high-strength concrete in the forms, and assembled the structure with great care and precision.

Nick Watry, an architect/engineer, CAED graduate of 1964, and instructor in the CAED Construction Management Department, served as the faculty advisor for the student team.

CAED Open House 2006 Highlights

You’re invited to enjoy this year’s Open House celebration of “Cal Poly: Choice of Champions!” A flotilla of events will be hosted by the college on Friday, April 21, for new Fall 2006 students, and on Saturday, April 22, for the general public. The fun includes the first public tours of the winning Solar House, the Design Village Competition, student exhibits, alumni receptions, and much more!

A news release with more details about Open House can be found at Robert E. Kennedy Library's online archives, Digital Commons. Search under 2006 press releases.

LA Professor to Assist World Monuments Fund While at American Academy in Rome

The World Monuments Fund has asked Landscape Architecture Professor Gary Dwyer to assist them with the photographic documentation of their architectural preservation project sites in Italy. The WMF rescues and preserves imperiled works of art and architecture. Gary’s was Artist in Residence at the American Academy in Rome from mid September to mid November 2005.

ARCE Professor Chairs Committee Studying Int'l Codes

Structural engineer and Architectural Engineering Professor Craig Baltimore recently chaired the Structural Engineering Institute Design Practices Committee to study the growing complexity of international building codes.

Nick Watry Completes Successful Inaugural Year as Appointed Hasslein Chair

Architect, Engineer Nick Watry has been bringing real-life experience to the classroom as the inaugural recipient of the George Hasslein Endowed Chair for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environmental Design. Read more about Nick’s approach to teaching and view the announcement card highlighting his accomplishments in the news release found online at Digital Commons. Search under 2006 press releases.

CAED Alumni and Friends Invited to the "Drawing Room" July 31-August 7

This summer alumni and friends are invited to learn the art of travel journaling when the "Drawing Room" visits the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Landscape Architecture Graduate Wins Design Competition

Bronwen Mastro is one of this year’s winners of the fifth annual Wayne Grace Memorial Student De sign Competition. Read more in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Architecture Professor Wins AIA Education Award

Architecture Professor Alice Mueller received the 2005 American Institute of Architects Education Honor Award for her students’ community-based “Cal Poly Downtown Studio” project. Learn more about Alice and the award in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

CM Teams Take First Place and More at the ASC Competition

The Commercial Team of Tina Webb, Scott Chappelle, Jared Mettee, Matt Sutton, Garret Tomforde, and Jimmy Picard took first place in their division while other Cal Poly teams also did very well.

Study Abroad Course Offered in Spain in July

Cal Poly’s 2006 Study Abroad Program in Spain takes place from July 1 to 29. The program will visit Valladolid, the capital city of lovely Castilla y Leon, in the central region of Spain, and will feature towns such as Segovia, a medieval hill town with a Roman aqueduct. Travel also includes Madrid and the beautiful North Coast and Basque region.

Structural Forum Brings Historic Preservation Experts to Cal Poly Feb. 11

Three noted speakers will share their experiences and insights into historic preservation and how it relates to structural engineering and design at the 16th Annual Structural Forum on Saturday, Feb. 11. Read more about the speakers and the schedule of events for the free, public lectures of the daylong program, "Reinforcing History: Structural Design for Historic Buildings" in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Emeritus Professor Double-Parks to get Great Photographs

Gary Dwyer will present his photography exhibition, "Double-Parking in the Crosswalk, a Cross-Eyed Look at Contemporary Italy," Monday, Feb 20. The free lecture and exhibit will take place at 3 p.m. in the Berg Gallery, Building 05, Room 105, in Cal Poly’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design.

Rare Historical Building Materials Exhibit Jan. 30 - Feb. 16

Ornamental details salvaged from historic buildings including an auditorium in Memphis where Elvis often performed will be on display in the college’s main lobby. The free exhibit offers the public a rare opportunity to view Architecture Professor Howard Weisenthal’s personal collection of hard-to-find brick, cast iron and terra cotta pieces from the 1890s through 1930, and to view student drawings in the Beaux-arts style displayed with historical facts. Read more about exhibit hours, tours and more in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Landscape Architecture Students Present Design for Healing Garden at French Hospital Feb. 8

This project will be a memorial to San Luis Obispo firefighter Greg Otto. The students are designing the garden as a soothing environment for patients and their families, as well as hospital employees. Located in a courtyard at the center of the hospital, the healing garden will be accessible to people with disabilities. Learn more about the project and the public presentation in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

CM Alumni Events and Center For Construction Excellence Groundbreaking Announced

Several construction management alumni regional events are planned from Reno to San Diego, and the public is invited to enjoy groundbreaking festivities for the new building May 5-7.

Architecture Student Collaborates on Dance Production

"Metamorphosis," the 36th annual Orchesis Dance Company concert running Jan. 27-Feb. 4 will showcase the talent of Cal Poly students plus new work from guest choreographers in a variety of dance styles. Architecture sophomore Kate Barton collaborated with music senior Chris Conley in the creation of a ballet piece "Quattro," set to Conley's original music. The dance demonstrates the relationship between dancer and music.

ARCH Students Provide Ideas for Hearst Ranch

Third year architecture students from Professor Bruno Giberti's Arch 351 class took part in designing an upscale inn for the Hearst Ranch property. Read more about this project from the Tribune.

Architecture Graduate Wins Wood Products Award

Fifth-year Cal Poly architecture student Kendall Harris, working with Professor Jonathan Reich, earned one of the top three design awards in the 2003-04 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) wood products competition.

The Carl E. Darrow Student Design Competition, sponsored by the Wood Products Council, drew nearly 700 submissions worldwide for categories in architecture, interior design and furniture.

The competition challenged students to design a food market on the site of Boston’s Big Dig. Students were encouraged to be creative in their use of wood and wood products, paying attention to the properties and benefits of wood as a structural material. For the competition, Harris and Reich went to Boston to conduct site surveys and other research.

The prize-winning projects will be exhibited at the 2005 ACSA annual meeting in Chicago and the 2005 American Institute of Architects’ National Convention in Las Vegas. ACSA will publish the top three designs on a CD Rom.

Cash prizes were awarded to the winning students and their faculty sponsors.

Three Architecture Grads Declared "Laureates"

Architecture grads Lizbeth Gonzalez, Omar Barcena and Christopher Campbell were declared "laureates" at the Concours des Ecoles d’Architecture de Paris Palais de la Porte Doree regional design competition last spring in Paris. Read more about their success in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

ARCH Graduate Receives 2004 BS/AR Award

Architecture graduate Mario Madayag received the 2004 Business Week/Architectural Record (BS/AR) Award for his project on the Britomart Transport Centre.

ARCH Student Teams win in National Design Competition

Two teams of architecture students won two substantial monetary design awards in the interdisciplinary 2004 National “Low Impact Development” Student Design Competition. Read more about the teams, their awards and graphics in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Recent CAED Graduates in Santa Clara Valley Area Invited to Social Event Oct. 27

The AIA Santa Clara Valley Chapter invites emerging design professionals in the Bay Area to come socialize and learn more about advancing their careers.

Fall Hearst Lectures Series: 40 Below

The Series continues Oct. 13 at 8 pm with Craig Steely and Oct. 14 with Johanna Grawunder. They are followed Nov. 4 at 4:30 with Elias Crouch, and a joint lecture on February 3 by Larry Scarpa and LEED-certified architect Angela Brooks, both of the ground-breaking architecture office of Pugh + Scarpa.

Vellum/CAED Furniture Design Competition Oct. 14-21 Open Reception Oct. 14

Vellum home furnishings is hosting a design competition, gallery exhibit and silent auction to benefit CAED students. Experience this major show and the opening reception on Oct. 14.

Winter Hearst Lectures Series: "40 Below"

The Series kicks-off January 20th with architecture professors Rob Pena, Sandra Stannard and students with highlights of their 3rd Place finish in the Solar Decathlon Competition. Others in the series include Any Cohen of Gensler, Larry Scarpa and Angela Brooks of the Pugh + Scarpa firm, Cal Poly alumnus Jeffrey Gordon Smith, Japan’s Hitoshi Abe, and another Cal Poly alumnus Bruce Tomb.

Public Invited to Bandstand Dedication July 17 at Mitchell Park

Construction management students and members of two local Rotary clubs have built a bandstand at Mitchell Park in San Luis Obispo. Read more about the dedication with food, beverages, live music, games and free balloons in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert Kennedy E. Library's online resource for archived information.

Architecture and Landscape Architecture Programs Rank "Best in the West"

A national survey of practitioners has ranked Cal Poly’s undergraduate architecture program as one of the best in the United States at producing "graduates most prepared for real-world practice." For the first time, a separate ranking for landscape architecture education was added and Cal Poly’s program ranked first in the western United States. Read more in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Arch Students Present Concepts for the Ocean Science Building June 3

Architecture students have completed an eight week design project for a proposed LEED-Gold building for K-12 ocean science education to be located on the UCSB campus.

Solar Decathlon Entry Unveiled May 12

A solar-powered house designed and built by students will travel next fall to Washington, D.C., for the 2005 Solar Decathlon. Solar Cal Poly, the university’s interdisciplinary student team and the only California entry participating in this international competition, will unveil plans for the house during a campus kick-off event from 3-5 p.m. on Thursday, May 12. Read more in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

CAED Open House 2005 Events Announced

Visitors are invited to enjoy this year’s Open House celebration of "Oceans of Opportunity." A flotilla of events will be hosted by the college on Friday, April 15, for new Fall 2005 students, and on Saturday, April 16, for the general public. The fun includes the scenic Design Village Competition, student exhibits, alumni receptions, and the dedication of the Berg Gallery.

CM Student Team Wins First Place at National Homebuilders Competition

The construction management team topped 27 other universities to earn first place at the NAHB Student Competition. The team included Quincy McNames, Korey Carroll, Christian Edwards, Michael Crocker, Froy Gutierrez, Aaron Amchastegui, and CM coach Dr. Barbara Jackson. Read about the team’s accomplishments in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

CM Professor Panel Member at Int’l Seminar

Construction management Professor Barry Jones was invited to join an elite group of construction experts at a seminar at the Centre for Construction Innovation and Excellence in Manchester, UK.

Dedication of George Hasslein Sculpture Oct. 16, 2004 Highlights CAED Homecoming

Alumni and friends are invited to attend the special dedications of a bronze sculpture in memory of CAED founding Dean George Hasslein and two student projects in Poly Canyon: the Concrete Blade Sculpture, and the Fratessa Tower in memory of ARCE Department Head Paul Fratessa. Read more about our 2004 Honored Alumni Mark Montoya and the Vellum/CAED Design Competition and Silent Auction in the respective news releases. Go to Digital Commons and search under 2004 press releases.

"Convergence" Architecture Show May 27 - 30

This year’s fifth year show "Convergence" will be showcasing the work of more than140 graduating architecture students including this work by Chris Pilgard. It opens Friday, May 27 at 3:00 pm with a reception, and runs through Monday, May 30 at Cal Poly’s Chumash Auditorium.

AIA Alumni Reception May 19 in Las Vegas

The reception will be at the MGM Grand in rooms 123 and 124 from 6–10 p.m.

Job Fair and Landscape Architecture 5th Year Show in the UU May 12–14

The Career Services Job Fair begins Thursday in the Chumash Auditorium with an emphasis on the CAED Friday. The 5th year landscape architecture show "Pin Up" begins Friday at 9:00 a.m. and ends Saturday in the University Union, Room 220.

Spring Hearst Lectures Series: "Compressed Energy"

The Series continues April 22 with architect Jennifer Siegal, author of "Mobile: The Art of Portable Architecture," followed May 6 by Alois Ruf, Jr, a master Porsche innovator from Germany. Others include Teddy Cruz with Rene Peralta, and Billie Tsien.

Environmental Career Symposium and Reception April 14

The event will be held in the Chumash Auditorium and is open to the public. Beginning at 4:15 p.m. and the reception starting at 5:45 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.

Technology and the Built Environment Focus of CS Forum April 6 - 8

With a theme of Architechnology, the Construction Sciences Forum will focus on where the building profession is headed. The keynote speaker will be Greg Papay.

Landscape Architecture Design Week To Focus on Broad Street Village

The Landscape Architecture Department will sponsor its first-ever Design Week from March 28-April 1. Learn more about Design Workshop, an award-winning, international firm practicing landscape architecture, planning and urban design, and the department wide, five-day intensive experience for students and faculty in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Former Dean Gar Day Ding Remembered

Gar Ding, CAED dean emeritus Gar Day Ding, 75, of Midlothian, Va., died peacefully at home Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005, surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer. A private memorial service will be held later. Mr. Ding was born in the Fah-Yuen Province, China, Nov. 14, 1929. He had a distinguished 50-year career in architecture and civil engineering. He obtained bachelor's degrees from the University of Auckland, New Zealand and from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and a master's degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia. He was a lecturer in architectural science at the University of Sydney, Australia, taught architecture at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the University of Cincinnati, Miami University and the University of Illinois of Urbana-Champaign. He was a research professor emeritus of architecture at UIUC and a professor and dean emeritus of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Cal Poly from 1984-1993.

Ding was a member of many professional engineering and architectural societies, was co-author of "Models in Architecture," an Architectural Science Textbook series, and was listed in "Who's Who in America" in 1979. Mr. Ding is survived by his wife of 51 years, Maisie Ding; four children and seven grandchildren. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org, or American Cancer Society, ATTN: Web, P.O. Box 102454, Atlanta, GA 30368-2454. Letters of condolence can be sent to Maisie Ding, 5717 Long Cove Rd., Midlothian, VA 23112.

The Next Winter Hearst Lecture Series has been postponed to April 8

Speakers include Raveevarn Choksombatchai, a leading Bay Area landscape architect; Rebecca L. Binder, FAIA, an architect on the frontlines of planning. The lecture by award-winning architect and professor Mary-Ann Ray has been postponed to April 8. Read more in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Cal Poly Chosen for National Solar-Home Competition

Cal Poly is one of 19 teams chosen from around the world to compete in a two-year "Solar Decathlon" to design and build the most energy-efficient and innovative home possible, and the campus and public will soon get their first look at students' ideas.

Schematic design ideas by Cal Poly students will be on display from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 5 in Room 314 of the campus's Architecture and Environmental Design Building.

Teams from the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Spain were selected this fall by the U.S. Department of Energy and co-sponsors to build 500- to 800-square-foot solar-powered dwellings that can generate enough energy to power a household, operate a home-based business and run an electric vehicle. The results will be judged on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2005.

The 10 separate contests that make up the decathlon include such things as design and livability, design presentation, interior comfort, lighting, and energy balance, as well as communicating information about the house, powering the kinds of electronics a home business requires and charging the electric car.

Cal Poly's Solar Decathlon team already includes students and professors from the colleges of Architecture and Environmental Design, Engineering, and Liberal Arts, and students from other colleges are expected to join in the project. To broaden participation, a student design competition will be launched during winter quarter, led by the campus's Renewable Energy Club. Special courses are expected in the spring.

Because the contest means building an actual small home, transporting it to the nation's capital, rebuilding it there, then bringing it home, it will be expensive -- an estimated $250,000 to $500,000. The team plans to raise the money through public and private donations. Public Affairs - Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo "The Department of Energy has been eager to get Cal Poly involved," said Architecture Professor Robert Peña, "because of the reputation of this school as being a hands-on, technically and professionally oriented school."

Peña and professors Sandy Stannard (architecture) and Jesse Maddren (mechanical engineering) are anticipating an entry that is not only aesthetically and technically innovative but that also might serve as an example for rethinking contemporary patterns of residential living. Among the issues the team is exploring are a high-quality, low-cost prototype design for disadvantaged populations, the use of new technologies and materials, and the thoughtful application of principles of sustainability.

Architecture Program Best in the West Again in National Survey

A national poll of practicing architects has once again ranked Cal Poly’s architecture program as one of the best in the United States at producing "graduates most prepared for real-world practice."

The survey, conducted for the architecture and engineering journal DesignIntelligence, rated Cal Poly's program No. 3 in the nation among Bachelor of Architecture degree programs and the best bachelor's program west of the Mississippi.

Cal Poly also scored as practically the best value in architecture education in the nation, one point (582 to 583) behind a school that charges no tuition at all, even though the survey was looking at the tuition out-of-state residents pay to attend Cal Poly.

The rankings, released in the November 2003 issue of DesignIntelligence, were the result of a survey mailed last summer to the partners, principals and personnel directors at more than 1,000 firms throughout the United States.

"It is especially significant that we offer the West’s highest-quality program and also its most affordable," said R. Thomas Jones, who became dean of Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design last summer. "We are able to defy the wisdom that small programs are best. Cal Poly’s architecture program is among the nation’s largest, and at the same time we have a proven record of high-quality learning with extraordinarily low fees.

"We're a millimeter from being the best value even for out-of-state students," Jones said. "For California residents, our programs are a truly exceptional value."

To calculate value, the magazine looked at its survey rankings along with five other criteria. Cal Poly received the highest scores given for survey ranking, selectivity, resources such as technology and studios, and the quality of its dean, faculty and students. Cooper Union of New York City, which edged out Cal Poly for top value, is a private school that gives all of its students full scholarships.

For its ability to prepare architects well for a career in the field, the survey ranked Cal Poly’s bachelor's degree program third in the nation behind only the University of Cincinnati and Cornell University.

The magazine also polled within each region, because, it said, it has found that reputations sometimes are better at a distance than near home. Cal Poly topped the Western region bachelor's program rankings as well.

Dean Jones attributes Cal Poly's effectiveness partly to the combination of programs within the College of Architecture and Environmental Design and to the collaboration among those programs and with programs in other colleges.

"What is unique about this highly ranked architecture program," Jones said, "is that it is in a college with the full spectrum of disciplines involved in the making of great places. Our students are exposed to a combination of disciplines unique to Cal Poly, and there may be an increased appreciation by practicing architects of the value of learning with the same professionals that graduates will work with in their practice."

Besides an Architecture Department, the college includes departments of Architectural Engineering, City and Regional Planning, Construction Management and Landscape Architecture.

"This philosophy of collaboration extends to our sister colleges at Cal Poly," Jones said, "as exemplified by our solar decathlon team, which is working on designing and building the most energy-efficient and innovative home possible." That team also includes students in the colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts.

This is the second year in a row that Cal Poly's architecture program has been rated best in the West. A 2002 poll, combining bachelor's and master's programs, ranked Cal Poly No. 2 in the nation behind Harvard.

DesignIntelligence is published by the Design Futures Council, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank dealing with architecture, engineering and building technology.

Cal Poly’s five-year architecture program first awarded degrees in 1965 and educates an estimated one of every five architects in California. More information on the department is available on the college's Web site, www.caed.calpoly.edu.

Holiday Greetings from the CAED

Our fall newsletter features holiday cheer from Dean Jones and news from all five departments. Read more about student and faculty accomplishments, the solar decathlon, our honored alumnus, alumni travel, and a Centennial Campaign update in the 2004 CAED News Letter.

Hearst Lecture Series Celebrates WOMEN in Architecture + the Built Environment

The fourth and final lecture on Oct. 29 will feature a panel discussion on "Project Delivery Systems: Recent Trends and Cutting Edge Choices" supported by the Clark Construction Group. The Series celebrates the 100 year anniversary of Julia Morgan distinguishing herself as the first licensed female architect in California. Visit the exhibition about her legacy at the Kennedy Library through March 25.

"Natural Light and the Italian Piazza" Exhibit at PAC Through Nov. 30

An international exhibition of photographs about natural light, architecture and people in Italian town plazas is on display in the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly through Nov. 30. Read more about free special events and the work of Architecture Professor Emeritus Sandra Davis Lakeman in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Construction Management Teams Shine in National, Regional Associated Schools Competition

CM teams along with students from other programs won a national and a regional prize at the competition! The Third Place National Team is Arvin Daeizadeh (CM, senior), Elizabeth Gabel (CM, junior), Joe Chin (ME, senior), Denny Gier (CM, Prof/Coach), Aidan Bassinger (CM, junior), Greg Haskell (ME, senior) and Kevin Tominaga (CM, senior). More on the teams and former department head Jim Rodger, honored at the event in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Design Village, Hearst Lectures, Student Work and Exhibits Highlight CAED Open House April 16-18

This year's Open House features the Design Village Competition with free shuttles up Poly Canyon, the "Tower of Power" dedication, and exhibits about the Solar Decathlon, Virtual Reality, alumni and faculty member art, plus student work from all five CAED's departments.

Students Display Proposals for Paso Robles March 12-13

This "Acorn Building" sketch by Hugo Gonzalez is part of an exhibit by architecture and landscape architecture students featuring ideas for Paso Robles' downtown and a connection to the Salinas River. Read more about the two separate displays in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Students Propose Downtown SLO Housing March 9th

Digital images by architecture students, like this one by Matthew Hofmann, will be unveiled along with a 12-foot-square model of downtown San Luis Obispo. Read more on the project that identifies eight sites for high-density housing and others for urban gardens in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Architecture Student Applies Lessons of History To Bay Area Landmark

Jonathan Lopez is applying the lessons of pre-Columbian ruins to an almost vanished San Francisco landmark. Read how a Worldwise Fellowship from RTKL Associates supported his journey in the news release at Digital Commons, Robert E. Kennedy Library's online resource for archived information.

Cardboard Furniture Show Winners

Cal Poly architecture students will once again be learning valuable – if unusual – lessons on how to create comfortable and esthetically pleasing chairs when they compete Jan. 15 in the Cardboard Furniture Show and Competition.

They will display their corrugated creations from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. inside the Gallery of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED), Building 05, Room 105. Admission to the show is free, and the public is invited to view the chairs and even sit in them so that they can cast their vote between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. for the “People’s Choice” award. The winner of this category, which will be a blend of the most comfortable and the most aesthetically pleasing design, will be announced at 4:30 p.m. along with other categories such as “Most Innovative Design” and “Best Use of Materials.”

More than 50 students in two fundamental architectural design classes have designed and constructed the furniture made from only two 4-foot-by-6-foot sheets of cardboard and quarter-inch cotton string, without the benefit of either glue or tape. The show’s faculty advisors this year are architecture professors Howard Weisenthal and James Bagnall.

Weisenthal said the one-week assignment combines problem solving, construction detailing and ergonomics. Documentation of the designs will be available after the event.

"The students won’t get wet this year as they usually would at our Cardboard Boat Regatta. This year the test will be for them to construct the chairs to not fail over the course of the daylong exhibit,” he said. “They’ll also be required to use the chairs daily in their studio labs for the duration of the quarter, so they’ll have to be built to last and hopefully incorporate a comfortable design.”

Bagnall continues, “You rarely see chairs made out of such a minimal amount of cardboard. Because of these limitations the students must re-think what a chair is and be creative to find innovative solutions.”

San Luis Paper Company of San Luis Obispo is co-sponsoring the competition with the CAED. They have generously donated all of the cardboard and cotton string in association with Textile Brokers Co. of Gardena, CA, Tharco Container of Santa Fe Springs, CA, and Shurtape Tech, Inc. of Hickory, NC.

“The Cardboard Furniture Show and Competition is a very challenging and fun way to showcase our product,” said Doug Hoffman, president of San Luis Paper Company.

Top awards for the for the competitors will be provided by two Cal Poly alums: Carl Zdenek III, a 1986 graduate of Cal Poly’s architecture program and founder and principal furniture designer of Soma Ergonomics, and Eric Pfeiffer, a 1992 grad from the landscape architecture program and designer/owner of Offi & Company, producers of home and office furniture. The awards will be in the form of designer furniture.

Planning Grads Create "Virtual" Success

Two Cal Poly city and regional planning students are about to enter the so-called real world with their feet successfully planted in the virtual one.

Jason Gavin and Andrew Rubin are the creators of VirtualSLO.com, an award-winning Web site that gives tourists, property buyers, shoppers and others 360-degree looks at scenic and business locations throughout the county.

Gavin, from San Diego, and Rubin, from Malibu, began creating their interactive "visual guide to the Central Coast" in 2001 while pursuing undergraduate study. As they get ready to receive their bachelor's degrees -- Rubin this Saturday, Gavin early next year -- the pair are guiding a business with several employees and a growing client list.

Among their several awards, the one VirtualSLO's founders are most proud of is winning second place earlier this year in a five-state student entrepreneurial leadership competition sponsored by Loyola Marymount University. They won third in the 2003 Ray Scherr Business Plan Competition sponsored by Cal Poly's Orfalea College of Business.

City and Regional Planning Department Head William Siembieda gives the pair high marks for combining their education with commercial applications.

"In city and regional planning we speak about 'visual communication' as a core planning skill," Siembieda said. "Andy and Jason have taken this concept and applied it to grow their own business. They used technical skills and conceptual ideas from their courses and successfully fused them into a digital product that people are using and clients are paying for. They deliver visual information about places and spaces that is useful and practical.

"We hope," he said, "that other students will have the similar dedication and creativity to take a chance, do something different, and have fun at it."

XL Construction Pledges $50,000

One of the greater San Francisco Bay Area’s leading builders of facilities for healthcare, bio-tech and micro-electronics companies has committed $50,000 to help fund a conference room in a new building planned for Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design.

San Jose-based XL Construction Corp. is helping pay for the room to help construction management students, professors and industry leaders collaborate on projects. In the XL Construction Conference Room, students will be able to focus on team projects and practice the presentation skills necessary for class demonstrations, student competitions and entering the workplace. Faculty members will use the space for meeting with small groups of students and visiting practitioners, as well as for strategic instructional planning and departmental meetings.

The principal partners at XL Construction, founded in 1992, are Eric Raff and two 1983 graduates of Cal Poly’s construction management program, Dave Beck and Mario Wijtman. "This is the first major gift from a company started and largely managed by Cal Poly construction management alumni," said Allan Hauck, Construction Management Department head. "This represents a new milestone in that our program started just 30 years ago and we now have grads in significant positions in the construction industry able to support a program they experienced firsthand."

"Nearly half of our project managers and engineers are Cal Poly grads," said Beck, a vice president at XL Construction. "We all share a solid industry-oriented background we earned through our education at Cal Poly, giving us a tremendous start to our professional careers. We see this donation as a way for greater numbers of students to receive valuable skills, in turn providing our industry with the talent and resources needed for it to grow and prosper."

Employees of XL Construction who are Cal Poly alumni are joining together to lend additional support through a matching donation program with the company.

"Cal Poly grads at XL Construction have enjoyed great success and have made a significant contribution to our company," said Wijtman, a vice president at the firm. "We share a close connection to the construction management program. For this reason, XL Construction and our Cal Poly alums are proud to team up for this gift to help make the college’s new building a reality."

"Increasingly our college exposes students to the growing call from clients for construction techniques that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly," said R. Thomas Jones, dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. "XL Construction is recognized as a leader in building complex, technical construction projects, and is one of the first companies to build a bio-tech laboratory for a client to be submitted for 'gold' certification under the LEED-CI (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design -- Commercial Interiors) guidelines. These kinds of projects save owners costs in the long run as well as saving resources for future community needs. We look forward to this growing partnership with a company whose ideals and practices so closely parallel our own."

CAED Alumni and Professor Published Nationally

Two CAED Alumni and Professor Published Nationally. Cal Poly alums Bryan S. Ridley (B ARCH '01) and Brian Price (B ARCH '02) have their design portfolios featured in a new book Portfolio Design third edition, by Harold Linton and published by W.W. Norton. They originally produced the work in a course by Landscape Architecture Professor Gary Dwyer (Edes 333 Professional Presentation). The book showcases the works of Ridley and Price on the front and back covers as well as in chapters illustrating excellence in composition, layout and digital technique. The book is in use by numerous colleges and schools of design and is available nationwide.

Granite Construction Pledges $300,000 Toward New CAED Building

Granite Construction Company, one of the nation's largest heavy civil contractors, has committed $300,000 to help fund a laboratory in a new building planned for the CAED.

Memorial for Raymond Nordquist, Sat, Jan. 10

We are sorry to announce the passing of Cal Poly architecture professor emeritus Raymond Edward Nordquist, 77, who passed away Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2003, in San Luis Obispo.

Born Feb. 22, 1926, Ray was a veteran of World War II, went on to receive his BS in architecture from Montana State College in 1950, and a master of architecture degree from UC Berkeley in 1971. He was a designer/draftsman in architectural offices from 1950-53 and was a practicing architect in Montana from 1953-64 on projects such as schools, hospitals, churches, commercial building, motels and residences. In the fall of 1964 he came to work at Cal Poly into what was known then as the Architecture and Architectural Engineering Department. Ray went on to dedicate 27 years of service to Cal Poly, mostly in the Architecture Department of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED). He retired in 1991.

Former CAED Dean Emeritus Paul Neel recalls, “He came to work at Cal Poly when the architecture program was still quite small and was a member of our faculty before the CAED was officially a college. Ray was an outstanding teacher in graphics and design and I always enjoyed working with him.” After his retirement from Cal Poly, Ray helped create Residents for Quality Neighborhoods (RQN). He also assisted current San Luis Obispo Council member and former CAED professor Ken Schwartz with his campaigns and council issues. Raymond was a very gifted watercolor artist and was an active member at the San Luis Obispo Art Center, where a memorial library has been created in his honor. He was treasurer of the Watercolor Society for several years.

Raymond is survived by his wife Lexie; son Eric Nordquist and daughter-in-law Candy and grandchildren Evan Raymond and Alexandra Renee of Templeton; daughter Brenda Stafford and son-in-law David, granddaughter Kelli Elizabeth of San Luis Obispo; grandson Korey Edward and grand-daughter-in-law Kasey and great-granddaughter Courtney Paige of Longmont, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his first wife Tess in 1989 and sister Betty in 1986. In lieu of flowers, family members have requested donations be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association office in Grover Beach (805 481-9364). A service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 10, at Wheeler-Smith Mortuary Chapel of San Luis Obispo, 2890 South Higuera Street (543-6871), with inurnment to follow at San Luis Cemetery. For details please call (805) 544-2830.

Memorial for Ed Turnquist, Saturday, Dec. 6

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design is sad to announce the passing of beloved retired faculty member Ed Turnquist, 63. Ed courageously battled cancer for more than six years. He passed away on Sunday afternoon, November 30, at his home in Atascadero, surrounded by family and friends. Ed began teaching in the Construction Management Department in 1989 and retired in April of 2001. He loved teaching and often said teaching students in the CM Department "was the greatest job in the world." Prior to that Ed worked for Bechtel Power Corporation from 1967 to 1989. He received his MBA from the University of Florida. Ed’s tremendous sense of humor will be missed. He is survived by his two sons, Scott, who resides in the Bay Area, and Michael who lives in Atascadero with his wife Stevie.

Services for Ed will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, December 6, at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 4500 El Camino Real, Atascadero. No charities have been named by the family. Friends and family will gather following the service at the home of Janice Emmack.

"Celebration of Life" Nov. 15 for Paul Fratessa

Paul. F. Fratessa, SE, the former department head of Cal Poly’s architectural engineering program, passed away Sept. 26 at his home in Lincoln, CA, after a long and courageous battle with melanoma. He was 65.

In the professional world, Fratessa was a registered structural and civil engineer in California. After working for 18 years with structural engineering firms, he became CEO of his own firm, Paul F. Fratessa Associates, Inc., in Oakland, for more than 20 years. He then moved to San Luis Obispo in 1995 to join the Cal Poly faculty as the Architectural Engineering Department head and served for seven years before retiring in the fall of 2002 to be close to his family.

“Paul turned his focus from over three decades of successful professional practice and involvement in the field of structural and earthquake engineering to the field of education,” said Abe Lynn, interim department head. “The tangible improvements that Paul brought to the department during his tenure at Cal Poly are surpassed in their benefits only by the level of collegiality, optimism and enthusiasm that he generated in the faculty, staff and students,” adds Lynn. “His vision left an imprint on the department in the form of national recognition and a strong base of support from both the academic and professional communities. He will be long remembered and deeply missed.”

His major accomplishments on behalf of Cal Poly students include expanding architectural engineering student enrollment by more than 50%, securing seven tenure-track faculty, increasing private funds to create ten student scholarships, and the renewal/replacement of much of the department’s lab equipment.

Among his numerous professional activities, Fratessa served on the state board of directors of the Associated General Contractors from 1984-1987. In 1989 he was president of the board of directors of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), and was elected one of their honorary members in 2002 for his service to the membership. In 1992 he was president of SEAOC’s board of directors and was later elected a fellow of SEAOC and SEAONC in 1995 and 1996. Additionally he served as chairman of SEAOC’s College of Fellows from 1999 to 2002.

Fratessa was active in earthquake public safety efforts as well on the California Seismic Safety Commission from 1986 through 1995, and was appointed chairman of the commission in 1994 and 1995 by governors George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson. Likewise, in 1992 he was a member of the board of directors of the California Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE).

His literary contributions include a long list of articles and papers for structural engineering-related publications and conferences.

Paul is survived by his wife, two daughters, a son, a son-in-law, and three grandchildren.

A mass was held at SS Peter & Paul Church in Rocklin on September 30. A “Celebration of Life” in honor of Paul Fratessa will be held Saturday, November 15, at 2 p.m. at 2078 Coldwater Lane in Lincoln.

In lieu of flowers, family members have requested donations be sent to establish the Paul F. Fratessa Memorial Endowment Fund at the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Building 5, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407.

Emily Alstot Memorial Saturday, November 8

Emily Nicole Alstot, 20, of Ojai and San Luis Obispo died Friday afternoon, Oct. 31, 2003, from a car accident in Santa Barbara County. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Clausen Funeral Home of Ojai.

Emily was born Dec. 5, 1982 in Bakersfield and lived in Ojai for 16 years. She was a third-year architecture student at Cal Poly. She worked hard and was very focused in everything she did. She spent time with her family and her soulmate Nick Acevedo. She also enjoyed Kacee, the family pet labrador. Emily is survived by her father and mother, Creighton and Kathleen Alstot of Ojai; loving sister Erika Venable and husband Charles; nephews, Ayden and Bryce Venable, all of Ojai; grandmother Mary Catherine Alstot of Ojai; grandfather John Marks of Fresno; great-aunts, Dorothy Jean Warren and Virginia Bogus of Ojai; and numerous aunts and uncles. She is preceded in death by her grandfather Benson Alstot; and grandmother Corky Marks.

CAED Ambassadors Debut at Homecoming!

This weekend, when Cal Poly alumni return to campus for Homecoming, they will see the brand-new maroon polo shirts worn by the members of the new College of Architecture and Environmental Design Ambassadors Program.

The student-run organization will serve as liaison between the college and parents and alumni and assist with college visitor tours and special events. The group’s first large-scale involvement will be this week’s Homecoming 2003: The Spirit of Cal Poly.

At Homecoming, the CAED Ambassadors will help the college celebrate 40 years of building experimental structures in Poly Canyon with a “virtual tour” of the canyon given in the comfortable confines of the college’s Gallery, Room 105 of the Architecture and Environmental Design Building. The tours start Friday, as the student group joins Dean R. Thomas Jones in hosting the college's class of ’53 for a “Back to Class” tour, followed by a Parents Program tour. On Saturday the public is invited to the Gallery for a “Pre-Game Virtual Tour” from noon to 1 p.m. During the tour, the public will have the opportunity to meet some of the Ambassadors and see student design projects.

“Our inaugural group of CAED Ambassadors represents all five of our majors, and these students are the crème-de-la-crème of the college,” said Ellen Notermann, Ambassadors co-advisor and director of the college's Advising Center. “They will represent us well as our student voice for visiting alumni, industry representatives and advisory council members.” The group’s other advisor, Architecture Professor Allan Cooper, added, “Considering the workload of our majors, we really commend them for sharing their valuable time at CAED events and enhancing tours and the impressions visitors receive of the college. We hold these student leaders in high esteem.”

The CAED Ambassadors have 12 active members and are recruiting more. Karl Johnson, an architecture major from Topeka, Kansas, led the effort to establish the Ambassadors Program and is the group’s first president.

"I reasoned that it required three things: dedicated members, a relationship with the college Dean’s Office, and campus events that required our assistance," Johnson said. "By the end of the last school year we had achieved all three.”

CAED Ambassadors will assist at such coming campus events as new-student orientation, Open House, Commencement and general college tours. For more information, call the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at (805) 756-1311.

R. Thomas Jones, Architect and "Smart Growt"' Expert Named Dean 7/1/03

An architect who for the last two years has been helping lead California's efforts in affordable housing, sustainable development and land-use reform has been named the new dean of Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design.

R. Thomas Jones, executive director since March 2001 of the California Futures Network and a nationally recognized expert on "smart growth," was named by President Warren J. Baker to take over the dean's post as of Aug. 15 on the recommendation of a consultative committee made up of faculty members, students and administrators. Jones has 34 years' experience in architecture, planning, housing development, public policy and education.

"It's a distinct pleasure to name Tom Jones to this essential position," Baker said. "Tom is bringing to Cal Poly not only his long experience as an architect, but also decades of involvement at both the state and national levels in important issues affecting our communities. The College of Architecture and Environmental Design is gaining a dean with exceptional credentials, and we in the campus and local communities will gain the talent of an individual with rare experience in the public-policy debate over land use, housing and other major issues."

As director of the California Futures Network, Jones has worked closely with the Legislature and Governor's Office in coordinating a statewide grouping of 91 environmental, business, labor, social justice, housing, transportation and open-space organizations aiming to achieve more-sustainable development patterns in the state.

Among his many statewide presentations, Jones was a keynote speaker in February at San Luis Obispo County's Smart Growth Conference.

Before becoming director of the California Futures Network, Jones served for two and a half years as a Bay Area and national representative on smart growth and affordable housing issues for the San Francisco regional headquarters of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. There he also was involved in the Partnership for Regional Livability initiative directed by the U.S. Vice President's Office.

From 1983 to 1988 and again from 1992 to 1998, Jones served as a director of San Francisco's Asian Neighborhood Design organization, first as director of architecture and planning and later as director of community planning and development. There he designed or directed the design of several award-winning housing projects.

As San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos's architecture and urban planning representative from 1988 to 1992, Jones authored the city's first Affordable Housing Action Plan and then managed the plan's implementation.

In 1998 San Francisco Magazine chose Jones as Architect of the Year for his work in affordable housing and community development.

After earning a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1969 from Cornell University, Jones worked on housing, commercial and institutional projects in Boston and San Francisco. He served as a graduate teaching fellow in the University of Oregon's master of architecture program and practiced again in San Francisco and in New York. He returned to the Bay Area in 1982 to teach in UC Berkeley's Architecture Department.

During the past decade, Jones developed a working relationship with Cal Poly professors and students as a frequent guest lecturer and project reviewer for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design's San Francisco Urban Program.

Vicente del Rio Awarded Graham Grant

A Cal Poly city and regional planning professor has been awarded a $10,000 grant by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in Fine Arts to produce a book on contemporary Brazilian urban design.

Vicente del Rio is bringing together his own case studies on Rio de Janeiro and studies by Brazilian urban researchers on such topics as revitalization, social inclusion and gated communities. He is writing and compiling the book, "Beyond Brasilia -- Contemporary Urban Design in Brazil," with Cal Poly City and Regional Planning Department Head William Siembieda.

“The Graham grant is a great opportunity to develop some of my own interest in urban design methodologies and techniques in the developing world,” del Rio said. “With American design professionals working more and more abroad, they can learn some valuable lessons from the Brazilian experience and apply them here.

“In California," he said, "there is a growing debate surrounding 'smart growth,' with a focus on denser housing, mixed-use zoning, public transportation and sustainable urban development. Cities in Brazil, naturally, are much denser and depend more on public transportation. I feel the Latin American experience, especially in Brazil, can help us address important issues of urban form and transportation.”

A native of Rio de Janeiro, del Rio will conduct his research from San Luis Obispo.

At Cal Poly, del Rio is responsible for the City and Regional Planning Department's urban design studio classes. For the past two years, he has led student design-revitalization projects in Arroyo Grande.

"This award demonstrates national recognition of Vicente's talent," Siembieda said. "And he is sharing his international expertise with cities of the Central Coast."

According to Siembieda, the Graham Foundation grant is the country’s most competitive award for architecture and urban design. Of approximately 500 grant applicants this year, 100 received grants. A $10,000 grant is the largest the foundation awards to an individual.

Del Rio earned bachelor's degrees in architecture and planning in Brazil, a master's in England, and a doctorate in Brazil. He joined the faculty of Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design in 2001 after teaching architecture and urban design for more than two decades at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and working in state and municipal planning departments and in private practice in Brazil. He has lectured in the United States, Europe, Mexico and South America and written numerous journal articles and five books.

CM Professor, Barry Jones, Receives Two Fellow Awards

Cal Poly Construction Management Professor Barry Jones has been named a Fellow in professional societies on both sides of the Atlantic.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the United Kingdom's Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) chose Jones for their highest level of membership this spring. Later this year he will receive the American honor at an ASCE awards dinner and the British award at a ceremony in London. He was also admitted to the Americas Registry of Outstanding Professionals.

The awards recognize Jones's achievements both as a project manager in industry and as an educator and researcher. The U.K. native has maintained membership in the two international organizations as he has worked and taught in Europe, the United States and elsewhere.

"The ASCE and CIOB are in the forefront of the construction industry and education and training," Jones said. "I feel very honored that my achievements with both groups have been recognized."

"It is an incredible accomplishment for Dr. Jones to be named a Fellow in two separate professional organizations," said K. Richard Zweifel, interim dean of Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design. "With so few reaching this honor, his double recognition is a marvelous testament to the very high level of his contribution to the profession. Recognition of the professional credentials of constructors is increasingly critical in both the Untied States and abroad, as these managers take on broader responsibilities for the development of essential and highly complex projects."

Jones joined Cal Poly's construction management faculty in 2001, after a 17-year career as a construction project manager in Europe, the Far East and the United States. His specialization included broad responsibility in major commercial projects and heavy construction projects such as North Sea oil platforms. While working in the profession, he also taught at universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Malaysia.

At the University of Brighton (England), he directed the development of the first collaborative master’s degree program and became its first course director. He has authored or co-authored more than 20 international research articles on collaborative engineering and has specialized in developing and teaching innovative courses in construction management and engineering.

In 1999 Jones earned a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Southampton (England) with research that led to the development of a computerized system to solve construction problems involving several disciplines. He earned a master's degree in construction management and economics at Aston University, in Birmingham, England, in 1980.

Landscape Architecture Instructor Wins Rome Prize

A member of Cal Poly's landscape architecture faculty will take up residence in Rome this fall as one of 31 winners of the 107th annual Rome Prize Competition of the American Academy in Rome.

Lecturer Joseph Ragsdale won the prestigious award for a proposal to study the relationship between the material surfaces that make up the city of Rome and the "source landscapes" of those materials -- industrial sites, quarries and working communities.

Ragsdale will spend 11 months in the Italian capital living and working with the other 2003-2004 winners at the American Academy's 11-acre site on Rome's highest hill. The other winners include architects, landscape architects, visual artists, writers, composers, historic preservationists and scholars with interests ranging from the ancient world to modern Italy.

"The Rome Prize is considered one of the most significant accolades offered in the design and arts fields," said K. Richard Zweifel, interim dean of Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design. "Joe's receipt of this award puts him in the company of internationally recognized leaders in the arts and humanities."

Previous Rome Prize recipients include composer Samuel Barber, writer Ralph Ellison and architects Michael Graves and Robert Venturi.

Rome has lived with its environment for more than 2,500 years, Ragsdale said, and he hopes to find, in studying that relationship, new ideas for solving some of the problems found in America's contemporary urban landscape.

He describes his project as investigating "two landscapes linked by production -- one a source landscape of extraction and the other, a surface landscape of additive urban form. The city of Rome and supporting landscapes provide rich lessons for us to better understand how our own depleted landscapes can be regenerated and rundown industrial areas revitalized."

Ragsdale's professional work has included involvement in the site landscape for the Getty Center in Los Angeles, design for the plazas and waterfront at San Francisco's PacBell Park, and, most recently, work on urban revitalization projects and Superfund toxic cleanup sites in several states.

"My current research and professional work focus on a proactive role for landscape architecture in the regeneration of degraded post-industrial sites," Ragsdale said, "including proposals for establishing the next uses of and reconnecting communities to EPA Superfund sites. Current remediation efforts primarily focus on excavating our problems to a willing landfill or covering our problems with a cap. These efforts do not go far enough to respect the historic legacies, the local ecologies or the dedicated communities that are associated with these sites."

Ragsdale has been teaching at Cal Poly since January 2002. Before that he taught at the University of Virginia, where he earned his master's in landscape architecture in 2000. His graduate research on "post-industrial terrain" won a national student research competition. He earned his bachelor's degree in landscape architecture at UC Berkeley in 1991.

What became the American Academy in Rome was established in 1894 by a group of prominent Americans to provide an opportunity for American artists and scholars to pursue independent study in the ancient city, and the academy has become what some consider America's leading overseas center for advanced research in the arts and humanities. The Rome Prize is awarded through an open competition juried by leading artists and scholars.

Professor Barbara Jackson Receives National Award

Cal Poly Construction Management Professor Barbara Jackson won the Distinguished Design-Build Leadership Award for Academia for her benchmark study that examined the state of design-build education at U.S. universities.

The award was presented at the Design-Build Institute of America's 2001 Professional Design-Build Conference in Boston.

The design-build method is a collaboration of the disciplines of design and construction, with the architect and builder working as a team from the concept level through final construction of the project.

Jackson's study revealed that the design-build method is progressing dramatically. Statistically more than 35 percent of industry is currently using the design-build method, and because of its consistent increase in recognition, design-build could encompass more than 55 percent of the industry in the next 10 years.

According to Jackson, "It signifies that the design-build method is the trend of the future. More than 88, four-year construction management programs exist at universities, and Cal Poly is one of only four that teaches a 'stand-alone' design-build course, exclusively based on design-build project delivery and management."

A strong believer in integrated project delivery and the development of design-build and design-build practices, Jackson exposes her students to the design-build industry through her teachings and series of courses. As a vocal advocate of the design-build method, Jackson strongly encourages her students toward involvement in the Design-Build Institute of America student chapter, which she advises.

"This award is significant in that Barbara was nominated by her peers," said Richard Zweifel, interim dean of Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED). "Her original work in capturing the national perspective with regard to design-build education is indicative of her extraordinary success in bringing professional practice reality to her classroom instruction."

Jackson believes the award recognizes that "educators are uniting with fellow peers and professors and connecting with the outside industry."

The CAED welcomes opportunities for community-university cooperation in the form of scholarships, grants and work-study internships.

Connections Spring/Summer 2024

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