AIA Michigan's Weekly Highlights Feb. 12

AIA Michigan

Champion the profession. Nurture our chapters. Build Michigan better.

Feb. 12-Feb. 16, 2018

Obituary


Obituary and Photo courtesy of Mlive

Paul Duane Bowers, Jr. FAIA, died on Thursday, February 1, 2018 from a lengthy bout with Alzheimer's followed by a stroke in early January. "I am proud of and loved the family that I leave behind, Susan Breese Bowers, my wife of 33 years, my children and grandchildren: Paula Bowers, Avery and Skylar Grant, Cassandra Bowers, Alex, Paul and John Gezon, Scott (Susie) Bowers, Erin, Scott Jr., Kara, Maddie and Nicholas Bowers, Arlene (Brent) Early, Chloe, Weston and Ysobel Early, Julie (Thom) Goodyke, Sawyer and Parker Goodyke. Tracy Ryan (Michael) Wysockey, Harry, Suzy, Beau and Livy Wysockey, Kelly Ryan (James) Bonaccorsi, Riley and Stevie Bonaccorsi, Meredith Ryan (David) Bennett, Ryan, Katy and Charlie Reid. Those that preceded me in death: my late wife of 32 years, Mary Jean (MJ) Bowers, father Paul D. Bowers, mother Arlene Thomas Bowers, and sisters Carol and Barbara of Akron, OH." Paul is survived by brothers Jim (Elaine) in Akron, and Tom (Lorena) in Mexico. "My life's most important achievement, in partnership with Susan and Mary Jean, was raising eight children, all graduates from U of M, MSU, IU, Xavier and Kendall, and productive members of society today." Born November 4, 1931 in Canton, OH, Paul grew up in Memphis, and graduated from the University of Illinois. As an architect, he spent two years as an officer in the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, DC, before surveying the US and picking Grand Rapids for his family home in 1957. In 1960 he co-founded an architectural firm that would become the WBDC Group, and Architectural, Engineering, Planning and Interiors firm. In thirty-one years of practice, the firm designed two thousand projects worth two billion construction dollars. Some of the firm's most important projects are Steelcase Corporate Headquarters and Pyramid, 1970 master plan for downtown Grand Rapids, Van Andel Public Museum, Campau Square Building, Porter Hills Presbyterian Village, Applied Technology Center, and Student Center at GRCC, Seventy five Meijer stores, multiple projects at Butterworth and Blodgett Hospital, Standard Federal Bank in Troy, MI and Nissan Corporate Development Center in Farmington Hills. In 1969 he co-founded and designed Grand Valley Nursing Center, a 171 bed skilled nursing center in Grand Rapids, later to become a part of Spectrum Health. "I am proud of helping develop the local economy by providing over four thousand seven hundred person-years of work for citizens of Grand Rapids during my career." Commensurate with his career, Paul served the architectural profession as President of AIA Michigan and was a Director on the National AIA Board. He received the Gold Medal, AIA Michigan's highest award, and was elected to Fellowship in the National AIA, a selective group of the country's most outstanding architects. He served as a Director on several boards; Greater Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Butterworth Hospital, Dwelling Place, First Michigan Bank, and Plaza Towers condominium association. Paul was an Elder and former Trustee of Westminster Presbyterian Church, A Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary, a former member of Kent County Club and The University Club. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice or to In the Image, a volunteer-run center for clothing, household goods, free of charge for those in need. Their address is 1823 South Division Ave., Grand Rapids, MI 49507. Memorial service will be held on Tuesday, February 6, at 2:00PM, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 47 Jefferson Avenue, Grand Rapids , MI 49503.

Weekly Highlights

ACTION ALERT

Architects don't be fooled.

SB 157 is a bad bill, bad for engineers and bad for architects.

SB157 looks like it has nothing to do with architecture; it simply undermines an engineer's ability to specify the kind of pipes he or she may want. That has nothing to do with our buildings... or does it? As professionals who specify materials for the built environment, we know that we make those important decisions by factoring in many things; upfront cost, maintenance, long term costs, environmental impact, performance, among many other things. Do we want to have an industry, which is simply trying to get its product to be given more consideration than others because it has the cheapest upfront cost, to limit a professional's (any professional's) ability to specify the products we think are the most appropriate for the job, and the client?

AIAMI's Government Affairs Committee (GAC) thinks that all design professionals should have the ability to specify their products without our state government picking one winner over another, without context. SB 157 requires that particular products get extra consideration, which undermines the specifying professional's, and the client's, ability to select the right material for the job. That should give you pause.

The GAC has joined with our engineer and surveyor colleagues to oppose this bill. And we need your help to write to your senator expressing your opposition to SB 157. And we have learned that the Senate Republicans are likely to caucus on SB 157(S-3) and could vote on it as early as Tuesday, February 13th.

So it is important to contact your state Senator and register your opposition to SB 157 (S-3) immediately. If you are not sure of your Senator, please click here: http://www.senate.michigan.gov/fysbyaddress.html and you will be prompted to input your home address and contact information and a link to your state Senator will be provided.

AIA Where We Stand Series - Professional Licensure

Here is the next installment in our Where We Stand series - this time on professional licensure. AIA Strongly opposes any efforts to reduce or remove requirements for the professional licensing of architects.

Intersections:

The City Through Cartography

WORKSHOPS

Time Traveling in Ink | Lyz Luidens
Thursday February 15; 5:30pm-7:30pm
In this workshop we will make collograph maps of the landmarks we travel around most often in the city. A collograph is a type of print made out of collaged items - we'll be using flat items, like cardstock, ribbon, thread, tape, etc. We'll then use a reductive monoprinting technique to overlay our routes over our collographs of the city! Materials will be provided.
Register>

How to Read Maps | Alex Hill

Tuesday February 20; 5:30pm-7:30pm
In a world full of data visualization and maps, through the shares, likes, and retweets we have never seen maps appear and educate as much as they do right now. Maps are an engaging way to visualize data and gain knowledge, but need to be viewed with a critical eye. Participants will be lead through a discussion on the history and creation of maps. Following the discussion, participants will get to use their new critical map reading skills to examine historic and current maps. Materials will be provided.
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Memory Map Monoprints I Lyz Luiden
Thursday March 1; 5:30pm-7:30pm
In this workshop, we'll use specific prompts to create a visual map of a specific memory in Detroit. We'll print multiple times on one paper, creating a layered images, each layer representing a different part of the experience. Additive Monoprinting is often referred to as the most painterly printmaking technique, and very good for improvisation. Materials will be provided.
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QGIS101 I Alex Hill
Tuesday March 6; 5:30pm-7:30pm
We produce incredible amounts of data daily while at the same time we ARE the data. In this hands-on workshop participants will learn and apply Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping techniques commonly used by those practicing in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Attendees will need to bring a laptop.
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Timeline Mapping I Lyz Luidens

Thursday March 15; 5:30pm-7:30pm
In this workshop, we'll be choosing one specific place in Detroit (as specific as your home, or as broad as a whole neighborhood). We'll be making several prints of this one place at different points in time, as your relationship with the location or the physical location itself has changed. We can create several different prints to show this time passing, or layer our prints on top of one another to show the passing of time and the ways the city has changed. To create these prints, we'll be using Styrofoam to create relief prints, as well as having the option of adding collograph and monoprint elements to our visual timelines. Materials will be provided.
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Public Space Printing I Lyz Luidens
Tuesday March 20; 5:30pm-7:30pm
In this workshop, we'll be choosing memories that happened in public spaces in Detroit; parks, streets, bus stops, libraries, etc. We'll be creating relief printing blocks out of Styrofoam to create our maps. Materials will be provided.
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You are cordially invited to the Alger House one of the finest estates on Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe. Join art historians, architects, designers and restoration experts

to explore the intriguing legacy of old homes and their neighborhoods.

The Alger House is part of The War Memorial.

32 Lake Shore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

Tickets are $20 per lecture.

2 pm, Sunday, March 4
Placemaking: A plan for rebuilding Detroit's neighborhoods
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2 pm, Sunday, April 8
Preservation expert Brian Conway presents his new book on Michigan Modern

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2 pm, Sunday, May 6
Behind the red door on Vendome: a restoration team is reclaiming historic design

Please click here to register