SoCA @ Harvard GSD

What's the FACA?

2011-02-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

SoCA, GSDNOMAS and LatinGSD are excited to have GSD alum and past SoCA activist, Quilian Riano come speak to us about the Facatativa, Colombia social housing project of his research and design office, DSGN AGNC (design agency).

Quilian is a designer, writer and teacher based in Brooklyn, New York. Quilian is working on architectural design and research projects in Africa, Europe and the Americas with DSGN AGNC, colleagues at Harvard University, and with Estudio Teddy Cruz and the non-profit Architecture 2030. His research focuses on devising new and flexible urban, landscape and architectural systems to mediate the conditions of mobile populations (from displaced people and refugees to immigrants). He has taught studios at Harvard University, the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston and City College of New York (with Teddy Cruz).

Come join us!

Find out more here.

DO!: Design Opportunity

2010-10-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

Trays Journal (http://students.gsd.harvard.edu/trays/) and SoCA have collaborated for the GSD's first annual compendium on socio-cultural awareness in design entitled DO!: Design Opportunity.

The goal of the publication is to showcase the myriad of GSD student work that contribute to the discourse on the global and regional role of socially conscious design. In the context of the growth of advocacy and grassroots initiatives within the profession, and in light of such exhibitions as MoMA's "Small Scale, Big Change," it was integral to showcase the contribution that such considerations can have on both a macro and micro scale. The information culminated in this publication is to be accessible to designers and spectators alike, further improving the quality of discussion in the public realm.

The release of the publication will be marked by a reception to follow the public Bryan Bell Lecture on Open House Day, November 5th, 2010 in the lobby from 5:30-6:30pm alongside the release of the new GSD Platform 3. Hope you will join us!

INSERT! Chinatown Library Blog

2009-02-08T11:03:00.001-08:00

http://insert-chinatownlibrary.blogspot.com/

Blog for the SoCA sponsored design project.

Charrette for the Design of a Temporary Public Library Insert in Boston's Chinatown

2009-01-27T10:51:00.001-08:00

The Department of Micro-Urbanism (DMU) and Social Change and Activism (SoCA) are launching a project for the design and construction of a temporary public library insert in Boston's Chinatown. The design will happen as a collaboration between interested students at the GSD over the spring semester, and fabrication and construction will take place over the summer as part of the GSD's community design fellowship program. If you are interested, please come to:

Thursday January 29th - 6PM
Portico 123
Information session (snacks provided)

Saturday January 31st - 10AM
GSD Doughnut (meeting)

OPTIONAL Site visit in Chinatown

Tuesday February 3rd - 6PM
Portico 123

Open pin-up of initial design ideas

We hope to see you on Thursday!

For more information contact SoCA

OFFICIAL SPONSORS:
The Friends of the Chinatown Library
The Chinese Progressive Association
The Asian Community Development Corporation

SFI LIVE NOW

2008-04-05T11:44:00.001-07:00

SFI8 explores the interface of design and systemic social action. Schedule | Watch Live Today until 5:30PM

FUTUREPRESENT SYMPOSIUM AGENDA

2008-03-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

Harvard Graduate School of Design:
Gund Hall, 48 Quincy St

9am Registration (lobby)

10am Panel 1: “Altruism vs. Egoism: The Nature of Architecture”
Derek Ham
(rm 112)

11am Panel 2: “Perspectives on New Orleans”
David Lee, Clifton James
(rm 112)

12:30pm Lunch
1pm Lunch presentation “Constructing Diversity”
Craig Barton
(rm 122)

2pm Panel 3: Minority Mentoring and Recruitment
MITES, BAC,CAMP
(piper auditorium)

2:45pm Archiculture Trailer and Presentation
(piper auditorium)

3:15pm Workshop: Strategic Planning
(piper auditorium)

5pm Wrap-up
(piper auditorium)

6:30pm Public Keynote: What are the boundaries of "Design"?
Jason Glenn, Toni Griffin, Maurice Cox
(piper auditorium)

7:30pm Reception
(lobby)

Symposium Overview

2008-02-19T21:26:00.000-08:00

Our Communities: FuturePresent
Harvard Graduate School of Design
3 April 2008

Framework:

The FuturePresent symposium and initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Design serves to amplify discussion of the interrelationship between marginalized cultural environments, (schools of) architecture, and renewed leadership of minority architects. FuturePresent seeks to energize a network of students, professionals and academics to think critically across the design disciplines and to proactively and in collaboration work to increase diversity within landscape/architecture, urban planning and design.

Our Communities » Too often design discourse foregrounds a generic “urban” over the more political “community” or “neighborhood,” and ignores the significance of culturally-loaded territories linked to terminology such as “Our.” Can we make design more relevant to marginalized communities through advocacy and design?

FuturePresent » What can today’s new generation of young designers do now to increase underrepresented minority presence in academia and practice?

Schedule:

Symposium begins at 9am on 3 April 2008. Free registration required to attend the three panels/workshops; evening lecture and reception are open to the public. Panels address topics of Design Education, Professional Practice and Minority Recruiting.

Confirmed panelists include Maurice Cox, Director of Design, National Endowment of the Arts; Toni Griffin, Director of Community Development, Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development; David Lee, FAIA, Principal, Stull and Lee, Adjunct Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Design; Steve Lewis, President-Elect, National Organization of Minority Architects; Craig Barton, Chair, Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Virginia; Derek Ham, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Florida Agricultural and Technical University

Registration and more information: www.gsd.harvard.edu/soca

Note: Limited funds are available to assist students with cost of travel and accommodation.
FuturePresent is organized together with the Systems for Inclusion 8 conference 4-6 April 2008 at the GSD. The theme of the SFI conference is design + social action, and more information as well as information on hotels can be found at: www.designcorps.org/sfi

On Social Responsibility

2008-02-19T14:39:00.001-08:00

On 1 December 2005, SoCA held an Open Dialog at the GSD on Social Responsibility. Over 100 students and a half dozen faculty packed the Stubbins room to discuss what many felt was the GSD's bias toward formalism at the expense of any larger social agenda.

If individually we support social and economic justice, why as a profession have we remained indifferent? Are we independent agents for change, or the pawns of clients, competition juries, approval boards and building code? Can we make what we do in studio matter in the real world?