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President's Message
By Kevin S. Fleming, AIA
“Gateway to the Arts” or rather “Gateway to our Future”
I arrived at the International Center for Possibility Thinking to witness the last of a five-hour jury discussion centered upon the submissions for this year’s Student Design Competition. The program was a hybrid transportation center entitled “Gateway to the Arts” situated on a triangular site on the “5” freeway in Santa Ana. The jury: consisting of Michael Palladino AIA, Barbara Helton-Berg AIA, George Proctor, Michael McDonald and Ric Abramson AIA, were in the process of placing the order of the finalists. Based on the comments being offered, it was eminently obvious that the submission finalists offered plenty of material for observation and debate. I was astounded by the quality of the comments as well as the submissions that had generated them.
I was immediately recounting my own experience as a young student of architecture facing the daunting and often brutal criticism aimed at my own work. There is always a very personal attachment to the labor of love we induce into our projects and we often feel a need to protect and defend them. The projects singled out for recognition (as well as several others I would have selected myself) didn’t require any defense. They spoke proudly of their presence and accomplishment.
Bringing together these entries from five different educational institutions in Orange County into the inspiring space of Richard Meier’s International Center for Possibility Thinking at the Crystal Cathedral campus placed an impeccable aura of professionalism upon this event. I believe this venue alone elevated the inspiration of both participants and jurors. This become most readily apparent as some two hundred people, participants and their friends and family of all ages, gathered in the meeting space for the presentation of the awards.
After a warm welcome from this year’s AIAOC Director of Education; Shazad Ghanbari, Ph.D., Int’l. Assoc. AIA, and an engaging synopsis of the event from the Competition Chair; Arthur Danielian, FAIA, we were treated to a wonderful oracle embrace from our host for this year’s event, Dr. Robert Schuller. With his gift of speech, Dr. Schuller recounted his own love of architecture and his pleasure with seeing his architectural accomplishments being used to support and promote the future of the architectural profession. I would hope this event could continue with the same enthusiasm and vibrancy offered here. Thank you Dr. Schuller.
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I would like to personally congratulate all those who participated in the success of this event, especially this year’s winners:
| First Place |
Ryan Lamb
(Orange Coast College) |
| Second Place |
Marty Schibler
(Orange Coast College) |
| Third Place |
Aaron Dingson, Yeshe Phang and Andrey Fomichenko
(Westwood College of Technolgy) |
| Honorable Mention |
Nathan White
(Orange Coast College) |
| Honorable Mention |
Randy Machado
(Orange Coast College) |
| Honorable Mention |
Danny Thai
(Golden West College) |
| Honorable Mention |
Justin Poazi
(Saddleback College) |
TAF/
Environmental Award |
Devin Denman and Matt Moran
(Orange Coast College) |
My best wishes to you all. You are the future of our profession.
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