Breaking Ground–a candid discussion about treading unfamiliar territory
April 18, 2009
Plus Student Showcase with Diana Chi and Ryan Moran
| Last April Friends of San Diego Architecture presented a program that introduced the Young Architect of the Year Award winner, Aaron Anderson, and two students from NewSchool of Architecture & Design who designed a medical clinic for a remote village in Peru. It was well-received, so FSDA decided to set aside one program each year to honor the YAYA Award winner and two architectural or design students from San Diego who have been awarded a scholarship or have creative projects of interest to the public, especially those related to our built environment.
We are pleased to welcome our three award winners this month: Matthew Ellis, the YAYA winner for 2008 and Diana Chi and Ryan Moran, winners of NewSchool Arts Foundation International Study/Research Scholarships. Diana chose Rome and Ryan went to Paris. We hope you will join us to learn more about how Ellis is shaping his practice through a combined knowledge of construction and design ability, and how Chi and Ryan are preparing for future careers in architecture.
Ellis credits much of his success to working in construction during his high school and college years. He has a working knowledge of construction, materials and their limitations, and an appreciation of a contractor’s process of getting a building built. After working for Austin Veum Robbins Planners in San Diego for five years, Ellis started his own practice, Blue Motif, as a designer and consultant–working on single family residences and tenant improvements. In 2004 he had an opportunity to form a partnership with artist Paul Basile on a Design/Build development. They bought a large commercial warehouse in Barrio Logan and refurbished it as a fabrication studio for Basile, loft offices for Blue Motif and, with floor space to spare, they included a gourmet restaurant named The Guild. A restaurant in this location was not without risk, but it served a need in the community and was an impetus for other investors to consider development possibilities in the area. The Guild attracted attention and won a Citation Award from the San Diego AIA and the 2007 Energy Efficiency Integration Award sponsored by San Diego Gas and Electric. It was praised for its use of salvaged, recycled and sustainable materials. Matt’s wife, Teresa, is also an architect who manages to work part-time and still take care of two small children with another addition in June. Student Showcase Diana Chi, originally from Rosemead, CA, is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture at NewSchool of Architecture & Design. She is currently working on her thesis project which focuses on how architecture affects the human sciences. Diana received her undergraduate degree from UC San Diego in Studio Art with a minor in Computer Science. This scholarship gave her the opportunity to pursue her research in Rome. There she began her preliminary studies to research how the human senses are engaged by architecture. Her presentation to FSDA is: The Trajectory of the Senses Ryan Moran chose Paris for his study abroad. Ryan’s thesis/project for his master’s degree is a carbon neutral (zero energy) skyscraper in Manhattan. He graduated from NYC with a Bachelor of Architecture. Having taken two road trips throughout the United States and visited many cities in Europe and Ireland, Ryan is a seasoned traveler. He has also lived in New Jersey, Boston and Sydney, Australia and traveled extensively while living there. Ryan volunteers at Habitat for Humanity and USGBC-SD and is also involved in two For FSDA, Ryan will be presenting: Mapping What Makes Paris so Successful |
Ellis, founder, president and CEO of Blue Motif Architecture was presented the 2008 YAYA Award from San Diego’s AIA chapter. He graduated from Ball State University, Muncie, IN with a B.A. in Architecture and a B.S. in Environmental Design in 1997.