2008-2009 News & Events Archive

CRP Student Honored by Hispanic Caucus Institute

City and regional planning graduate student Ulises Gonzalez has received the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Graduate Young Professional Fellowship in Housing Policy. One of 20 chosen nationally for the honor, Gonzalez will spend nine months in Washington, D.C. assigned to a congressional and then a federal agency. Gonzalez earned his master’s degree in city and regional planning this June. 


Go to the Gonzalez News Release in the Public Affairs section of Digital Commons, Kennedy Library and search Gonzalez in the 2009 news releases for more information.

Congratulations CAED Grads!

The CAED’s Commencement ceremonies are set for Saturday June 13 at 9:30 am in Alex G. Spanos Stadium.  CAED alumnus Rob Rossi will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters and provide the keynote address. Following the event at approximately 11:30 am, the CAED will host their very own commencement activities in the Cal Poly Recreation Center.

See the commencement news release for more information. Go to Digital Commons at Kennedy Library and search the 2009 news releases for Commencement.

Architecture Student Wins Design Competition

John Vierra was awarded first prize in the American Institute of Architecture Students Livable Communities Design Competition. He completed the project as a 3rd year studio project with advising from faculty member Margarida Yin. The 2009 competition, sponsored by AARP, challenged students to learn about universal design and designing for an aging population while creating a mixed-use development.

For more information read the Cal Poly news release at Digital Commons by searching the 2009 articles for Vierra.

CRP Department Awarded $1.5 Million Grant

The City and Regional Planning Department received a $1.5 million grant to help prepare the 2010 State of California Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. This plan will use various management techniques to protect against risks of wildfires, earthquakes, landslides, floods and human-caused hazards. This project is being led by faculty members William Siembieda. Michael Boswell, and Project Director Ken Topping. For more information, go to the Cal Poly news release at Digital Commons, Kennedy Library and search for Hazard Mitigation in the 2009 articles or contact the CRP department.

Guest Lecture – "Increasing Public Readiness"

Come hear this talk by one of America's leading thinkers about making our cities and towns safer places.

Who: Dennis S. Mileti, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Natural Hazards Center,
University of Colorado, Boulder
When: Tuesday, May 26, 4:10 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Where: Cotchett Education Building 2, 2nd Floor, Room 204

Go to the CRP Department home page for more information.

Architecture and Landscape Architecture 5th Year Shows

The Architecture Department will host their 5th year show "Rise and Run," which will feature student thesis projects in Chumash Auditorium. The event starts Friday, May 22 with a reception from 6-9 p.m., and will be open Memorial Weekend, May 23-24 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information go to the Rise And Run website.

The Landscape Architecture Department 5th year show will exhibit student senior project work in the Berg Gallery May 29-30. An opening reception will be on Friday, May 29 noon-5p.m. and the exhibit continues on Saturday, May 30 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information call the Landscape Architecture Department at (805) 756-1319.

Cal Poly Wins Bank of America's Annual
Low-Income Housing Challenge

The CAED-led team was composed of twelve students from six departments: architecture, business, city and regional planning, construction management, landscape architecture, and industrial technology. The Cal Poly team partnered with People's Self-Help Housing to create a physical and financial proposal for an 80-unit farm worker housing development in Santa Barbara County. The development qualifies for LEED Silver certification.

Highlights for CAED Open House April 16-19, 2009

You’re invited to campus to enjoy this year’s Open House celebration “Design Your Future.” The college will host several events on Friday, April 17, for new Fall 2009 students, and on Saturday, April 18, for the general public. On Saturday ride a free shuttle up Poly Canyon to see the Design Village Competition with teams building to the theme “Post-Apocalypse: Form Follows Fiction.” Also enjoy tours of the award-winning Solar House, student exhibits and much more! For information about the schedule and daily events, go to:

• Open House web page for new students
• CAED Friday Open House schedule
• CAED Saturday Open House schedule
• Design Village Competition web site for events, location and schedule
• The Solar House and 2005 Solar Decathlon web page

Alumni Social Celebrates 45 years of Architecture
History at Cal Poly

In celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Architecture Department, BAR Architecture and the Architecture Department are sponsoring an Alumni Social during the 2009 AIA Convention in San Francisco. The reception will celebrate the hard work, late nights and student shenanigans from the last 45 years. $20 per person is payable at the reception. Registration at the AIA Convention not required.

The event will be located at BAR Architecture on
Friday, May 1st from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For more information and to RSVP for the event please go to the Architecture Department’s web page.

Construction Sciences Forum to Focus on
“Integrated Project Delivery”

The forum will offer an overview of a collaborative team approach to project delivery utilizing the benefits of BIM technology and production of more successful projects. The forum is open to the public in the Berg Gallery on April 7 and 8. The forum opens at 5 p.m. with a keynote address by Michael Fuller, “Building Smart- An Integrated Approach to Project Delivery. April 8 will feature a product show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a barbeque dinner and roundtable discussion. Tickets are required for the dinner. For more information about the forum and tickets contact Mary-Alice Avila by email or by phone (805) 756-7358.

LA Students Receive Prestigious National Awards

Landscape architecture students received 5 of the 24 national awards available from the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF). These awards are given to outstanding students in their last two years of academic study to aid them in finishing their degrees. The five students who won these awards are Yessenia Alvarez-Lopez, Saul Cuevas, Kevin Blakeney, Mark G. Spencer and Anna Kim.

For more information about the student's awards go to Digital Commons, Kennedy Library, and search 2009 articles on Yessenia and Saul.

CM Teams Earn Most Awards at ASC Competition

Construction Management students competed against schools from around the country at the 2009 ASC Reno Competition. Eleven CM teams competed and they won a total of 6 awards: four 1st place awards in the categories of Heavy Civil, LEED, Mechanical, and BIM; one 2nd place in Electrical; and one 3rd place in Multi-family. Cal Poly won the most awards of any school. Go to the CM Department Competitions web page or the Cal Poly news release at Digital Commons in a search for 2009 ASC Reno for more information. Or, to read more about the Construction Management's Heavy Civil team recent win at the Associated General Contractors National Student Competition in San Diego, search "Heavy Civil."

Design Village 2009 Competition

Students from across the U.S.A. compete by designing a structure from a theme, hauling their structure into Poly Canyon by hand, building their structure in 12 hours and then living there for the weekend. Open to visitors during Open House, Saturday, April 18th. Shuttles available 10AM-4PM.

Design Village web site.

Paul Crawford Lecture Series Begins

The first lecture in the series, "The Livable City: Form Based Coding for Sustainable Urbanism," will cover how form based code can play a role in combating climate change and creating truly sustainable urbanism. Presenters Geoffrey Ferrell and William Spikowski will explore the essential ingredients in effective codes for urbanism and will address persistent misconceptions. The City and Regional Planning Department hosts this lecture April 16, 2009, in the Berg Gallery from 12:30-5:30 pm.

For more information, download the Paul Crawford Lecture Series Flyer (pdf).

Beyond Brasilia

CAED professors Vicente del Rio and William Siembieda have published a new book, Beyond Brasilia, which explores Brazilian urbanism. This illustrated volume covers an impressive range of urban experiences in Brazil. Go to the CRP Home page for additional information.

CBF Fee Increase Consideration

The Campus Fee Advisory Committee at Cal Poly has approved the submission of a College Based Fee increase for consideration by our students. For more information about the proposal including the schedule for student consultation meetings and advisory vote go the the CAED College Base Fees web page.

Focus the Nation

A year ago Cal Poly participated in the Nation’s largest national teach-in, Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America. Cal Poly attracted over 4,000 people, bringing together students, faculty, administration, staff, community members, and political figures.

From February 3rd until February 5th, a series of events will be held at the Cal Poly, SLO campus. The Empower Poly Coalition, composed of over 20 clubs, will be hosting Focus the Nation II: Building a Sustainable Economy.

When: February 3 - 5, 2009
Where: Chumash Auditorium and other venues.
For additional information: Focus the Nation web site.

Speidel Named to George Hasslein Endowed Chair for
Interdisciplinary Studies at Cal Poly

Cal Poly’s College of Architecture & Environmental Design named Elbert O. Speidel, AIA, to the George Hasslein Endowed Chair for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environmental Design.

Speidel is a licensed architect with more than 40 years of experience in architecture, construction and applied research and development in the classroom. He holds a patent for the Poly-Pod, a prefabricated polymer housing unit; has worked in the U.S. and Europe on the development of polymers for the construction industry; and consulted on polymers developed for the World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan.

A 1967 graduate of Cal Poly’s architecture program, Speidel has served in an advisory capacity for CAED students while practicing as an architect and running a case goods and millwork business in San Luis Obispo.

The endowed chair was created to honor the college’s founding dean, George Hasslein, FAIA, and continue his vision of student-focused education. The post brings preeminent practitioners and scholars to the classroom to enrich and inspire the interdisciplinary environment. The endowment, administered by the college in consultation with the CAED Foundation Board, supports the selection of one primary annual scholar with provisions for additional associate scholars.

Architecture 3rd & Landscape Architecture 10th in
2009 National Rankings

The architecture program at Cal Poly is ranked the third best undergraduate program in the nation by Design Intelligence. The Landscape Architecture Department is ranked 10th in the list of the nation’s Top 20 undergraduate programs.

For additional information go to Digital Commons, Kennedy Library, and search Public Affairs' 2009 articles for DesignIntelligence.

Connections: Fall 2008

The latest edition of Connections Alumni Magazine highlights the achievements of several CAED alumni and takes readers to projects around the globe. In addition, there is news of the dedication of the Construction Innovations Center, a centerpiece of the campus as well as the College.

Download the 2008 Connections Magazine (pdf).

Architecture Students Place in Leading Edge Competition

Reece Evan Satava and Oscar Zarate took home two of three top awards in the 2008 Leading Edge Student Design Competition/Challenge Two. More than 500 entries were received from across the globe. Satava won second place and Zarate earned a merit citation.

Read more about the judges’ review of the successful entries in the Leading Edge news release at Digital Commons, Kennedy Library. Search Public Affairs' 2009 articles for Leading Edge.

Architecture Professor Don Swearingen Honored with
International Educator Award

Professor Swearingen is the recipient of the 2008 Cal Poly International Educator Award. For the past 34 years, he has served as the lead faculty advisor for the CSU International Architecture Programs in Denmark and Italy. Because of his enthusiasm and commitment for international education, thousands of Cal Poly students have had the opportunity to study abroad.

Read the Swearingen news release found in the 2009 articles, Public Affairs section of Digital Commons, Kennedy Library.

French Hospital Medical Center Healing Garden

French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo recently unveiled its new Healing Garden in a courtyard situated in the center of the hospital. The garden, designed by Cal Poly Landscape Architecture student Wade Sherman features a mosaic tiled fountain with engraved plaques to honor loved ones. The garden was the idea of two French Hospital Emergency Department nurses who wanted to continue the legacy of San Luis Obispo firefighter Greg Otto and help cancer patients and their families cope with the disease.

Construction Innovations Center Dedication

On October 4th the College hosted a dedication ceremony for the $33 million Construction Innovations Center. The ceremony was followed by the groundbreaking for the Center’s next phase, the new Simpson Strong-Tie Materials Demonstration Lab. The Construction Innovations Center is a new 30,000 square foot building dedicated to construction management featuring seven dedicated labs, 12 classrooms and lecture halls, faculty offices and headquarters for the California Center for Construction Education. The Center was designed to support the hands-on interdisciplinary approach central to Construction Management’s curriculum and will facilitate interdisciplinary research and education among all five majors within the College of Architecture and Environmental Design.

People from Left to Right: Mark Montoya, Morley Builders; R. Thomas Jones, CAED Dean; Lauren Bungardner, CM Student; C. Nicholas Watry, Alumn; Warren Baker, Cal Poly President; Allan Hauck, CM Dept Head; Sandra Ogren, VP University Advancement; Alan Hanson, Regional Manager Simpson Strong-Tie

People from Left to Right: Chris Burnett and Jeff Sturdivan from Simpson Strong-Tie; R. Thomas Jones, CAED Dean; Allan Hauck, CM Dept Head; Warren Baker, Cal Poly President; Alan Hanson, Jake Blair, and John Krueger from Simpson Strong-Tie

Cal Poly Hosts 7th Annual UC/CSU/CCC
Sustainability Conference

Architecture Professor Margot McDonald and other event leaders have done an admirable job at organizing this conference that has attracted 1,100 registered participants. It is the largest of its kind in California and demonstrates our campus’ interest and capacity to host large conferences and symposia in the future. Registration is closed and there is no opportunity for walk-in participation. Following the conference you may view proceedings, presentations and photos published at the DigitalCommons@Cal Poly.

Visit the Sustainability Conference web site.