What Is the Future of Architecture in San Diego?
May 16, 2015
For two years FSDA has been talking about the Panama-California Centennial Exposition in 1915. The first year was the history and development of Balboa Park and this year, the focus has been on trends in the design of the built environment and architectural styles.
Today the discussion will focus on what the future is for San Diego’s architecture. Mike Stepner, Prof. of Architecture at NewSchool of Architecture & Design (NSAD), will moderate a panel of three professionals in the architecture field with different perspectives because of age, education, and societal changes.
What is the role and responsibility of the new generation of architects
and designers facing changing demographics, climate change, growth,
sustainability? Are schools teaching what needs to be taught to address
these issues? What changes are taking place right now? What do you
see happening 10, 25, 50 years in the future?
Mike Stepner, our moderator, has lived in San Diego since the seventies and devoted his life
and career advocating for a beautiful, healthy and safe built environment. He has had many roles: city planner, the only official City Architect, civic leader, dean of NSAD, and a long-time professor at NSAD. He was the planner for the historic Gaslamp District and has won many prestigious awards throughout his career. He is highly respected for his advice and opinions on urban development and public projects.
Kurt Hunker, Architect, joined the faculty at NSAD in the late ‘80’s and has filled many roles during the school’s growth. He chaired History and Theory, helped plan the graduate program, conducted the Internship Program, and restructured NewSchool Design Clinic. Serving as the first director of the Executive Masters Program, he also wrote and taught the entire curriculum and has taught many of the courses since then. Hunker also maintains an architectural practice, a consulting firm that provides planning and design services to clients and other architects.
As an educator Hunker has seen many students become architects. It will be interesting to hear what he feels students need to be taught to be prepared for what’s ahead.
Michael Burnett, Architect, a southern California native, grew up knowing he wanted to be an architect. While attending Woodbury University San Diego, he worked for Studio E, a firm specializing in multi-family affordable projects. He quickly learned the importance of creating good design on small, complicated in-fill lots which required tight budgets and special financing. This experience influenced his future direction. In 2008 Burnett received a Master of Architecture in Real Estate Development at Woodbury. For his thesis Mike became an Architect/Developer with mxd830, a market-rate eco-friendly mixed-use infill building near downtown San Diego. He handled everything from acquisition to lease-up/management. During construction, he formed a company called FoundationForForm Architecture. Since that time, he has developed other mixed use eco-friendly projects on infill lots with rave reviews and award-winning buildings.
Claudia Salazar, Assoc. AIA, received her B. A. from San Diego State University in Applied Arts and Sciences, Emphasis in Interior Design. She followed this with a Master of Architecture at NewSchool of Architecture & Design. Shortly after that, one of her mentors asked her to be his teaching assistant and this evolved into an opportunity to teach design courses. Ms. Salazar is the Design Director for the Workplace practice area at Gensler, an international firm with a branch in San Diego. She has extensive experience in corporate architecture and interiors and offers invaluable information to both colleagues and her students at NSAD. She also teaches an international design workshop in Queretaro, Mexico through the exchange program that NewSchool offers. When NewSchool announced the formation of the Academy School of Design Advisory Board which provides guidance to the school’s bachelor of interior design program, Claudia became a board member.
A Special Day: Friends of San Diego Architecture Celebrates 30 years! We have some extra treats in store and hope you will plan to stay a little longer than usual. We plan to have a cake and punch, give a special gift of appreciation for a relationship which began 30 years ago, and announce a special gift FSDA has received. Lastly, Joshua Larson, Chairman of the Student Collage Competition, will be announcing the winners and awarding their prizes.