2014 AKASLA_AnnualGeneralReport
Transcription
2014 AKASLA_AnnualGeneralReport
President’s Message Brent Hove I’m excited to be taking over as President of the Alaska Chapter ASLA. The last couple of years serving on the board have shaped my views and ideas about the local chapter and the important role we play in defining landscape architecture as a profession that is represented by all 50 states under National Chapter in Washington DC. I understand how membership, continuing education, public outreach and community involvement sustain a positive perception and attitude towards the profession of landscape architecture. Before joining the board, as someone on the outside looking in, many of those principals were lost on me, but with increased involvement my respect and admiration for what the chapter provides to the community grew. Roll Call 2015 President: Brent Hove Past-President: Jonny Hayes Trustee: Tamás Deak Secretary: Mélisa Babb Treasurer: Ed Leonetti VP South Central: Oona Martin VP Southeast: Michele Elfers VP Interior: Eliza Cink Member-At-Large: Monique Anderson Member-At-Large: Stephanie Brown AELS Representative: Luanne Urfer How did I get here? It was certainly not the traditional route. There was no Wisconsin State Fair Carnival palm reader tracing her nail across the creases of my upturned teenage hand and saying, “I see for you a career hunched over pieces of the earth, working with pencils and crinkly paper.” My father and both of my grandfathers were salesmen. My high school offered nothing that remotely resembled architecture. I can guarantee you that no teacher ever paused at my desk, peered over my shoulder and called attention to the rest of the class, saying, “every one look at what Brent drew.” From the time I finished high school to the time I sat in my first cubicle (yes I said cubicle, this isn’t a romance story) to begin working as a landscape designer I covered some serious occupational territory all the way from schlepping frozen yogurt for TCBY in Waukesha, WI., bartending in Lake of the Woods MN., and longlining for black cod in the Bering Sea. Fed up with dead end jobs I sat at the computer and started scrolling the long list of degrees offered at various universities across the United States. I came across some real gems like Poultry Science, Jazz Studies, Bowling Industry Management and Puppetry. My degree in English had done little more than affirm my suspicion that people must pursue a BA in English with the sole desire of becoming less employable. Finally, my eye rested upon landscape architecture. Having spent a good deal of my 20’s as a landscape laborer and operator it seemed like a practical fit. Finally, the writing skills I’d attained pursuing my English BA had a purpose as I utilized them to write an essay that persuaded the LA faculty at the University of Oregon I would be an excellent candidate for the accelerated LA master’s degree program. After three years of hard work, more sleepless nights than I want to remember, and the ability to identify 457 trees and shrubs I held both a BLA and MLA in landscape architecture. Entering the program with no graphic or architectural background and a limited ability to see something through from start to finish I can easily say it was one of the most challenging periods in my life. If not for my young son and a friendly bet I’d made with a classmate challenging one another to complete the five year program in three years I might have simply thrown in the towel and returned to Alaska to rekindle my career as a “dead end job specialist.” Now that I’m here and taking over the position of President people have come to me with different questions, “what’s your goal? What will you be focusing upon?” In my opinion assuming this role goes beyond simply seeing that the tasks we have laid out as board are given the opportunity to grow and attain their potential. For me the challenge lies in making sure that our membership understands that this organization represents a community they are a part of. I hope to see the faces of our members returning to functions and volunteer efforts because this community has value to them and represents something they want to be a part of. Often, in our current age of twitter, 24/7 news feeds and email exchanges we forget that communities grow and develop when people simply show up and offer what they have to share again and again. 2 As landscape architect’s we should understand this principle better than others. Time and again our work calls upon us to build, heal, connect and stabilize the landscapes that people inhabit. We strive to create sustainable, connective, and social places that create the backdrop for a strong, safe and healthy community. By healthy community I refer not only to the human inhabitants, but all living beings of the greater ecosystem including birds, insects, trees, and fish to name a few. For all of our efforts to sustain and heal a thriving green network we’re still met with naïve labels of “tree hugger, greenie, nature lover” or my personal favorite “eagle freak”. These are all easy terms to use in a world fixated upon cut rate development shoved down the public’s throat as quickly as possible for short term profit. More often than not simple practices like protecting streams, preserving trees and creating habitat are seen as a hindrance to development. It is not our goal as landscape architects to stand in the way of development. Our goal is simply to do the right thing by the land and the people that inhabit it. Our vision extends miles beyond the cookie cutter spaces springing up in 1/4 mile clusters over and over. Our goal is to preserve any remaining character inherent to a location and build on that with good design in order to create places people will remember, identify with and define. We do this over and over no matter the scale, constantly considering the links and connections to a larger green network I have to admit that taking on the role of president for the Alaska chapter is an intimidating one. After all when we speak of the landscape our field of expertise suddenly extends to everything beyond the building. It’s vast, limitless, and unpredictable and the opportunities are endless. With that being said my goal as president is to move forward and build upon the solid framework my predecessors have established. We have a strong community of LA’s here in Alaska and just like the expansive profession we represent I feel that the potential for what we can achieve is limitless. 3 Treasurer’s Report Ed Leonetti The financial state of the Chapter continues to be healthy with Executive Board members implementing responsible spending, effectively generating income and planning for the future. The executive board passed and operated the year within a balanced budget and had only one minor modification through the year. This year was a dual income year with the chapter planning and implementing the Garden Design Workshop in Anchorage and a concerted effort to organizing and drum up income thru the sponsorship plan. The major income generator for the year was Garden Design workshop – however the tides are turning and next year major income generators could be different. Expenses for the chapter was as usual with the majority going to Affiliate Sponsors and Events; i.e. Alaska Design Forum and The Alaska Professional Design Council. Other expenses included executive board member reimbursements and general operating costs; i.e. insurance and web page maintenance fees. Spring of 2014 marked the shift of financial institutions and all of the chapters funds were transferred to Credit Union One. The transition was seamless and smooth. The organizational structure of the accounts is much more manageable. The recent upgrade to online banking allows further management simplicity and organization. The future of the Chapter’s relationship with Credit Union One is encouraging and refreshing. The consistent financial position of the chapter is positive and looks to continue. The chapter is fortunate to have dedicated members who have a desire to improve the financial responsibility and accountability of the chapter. A special thank you goes to all the members who volunteered countless hours and have made this year a success. Great job Alaska! Chapter Income 43% 25% 32% Chapter Income Chapter Dues Donations & Sponsorships Special Projects 4 $4,500.00 $4,000.00 $3,500.00 $3,000.00 $2,500.00 $2,000.00 $1,500.00 $1,000.00 $500.00 $0.00 Chapter Income Chapter Dues Donations & Sponsorsh ips Special Projects $2,397.00 $3,000.00 $4,050.00 Chapter Expenses $0.00 ($500.00) ($1,000.00) ($1,500.00) ($2,000.00) ($2,500.00) ($3,000.00) ($3,500.00) Required Expenditures -28% -32% Chapter Expenses Affiliate Sponsors + Events -38% Required Expenditu res Advocacy + Nat'l CPC & BoT Meeting Attendance Chapter Expenses ($2,302.31) Chapter Income/Expense Affiliate Sponsors + Events Advocacy + Nat'l CPC & BoT Meeting Attendan ce ($3,004.70) ($2,500.00) Chapter Income/Expense $12,000.00 $10,000.00 $8,000.00 $6,000.00 $4,000.00 Income $2,000.00 Expense Chapter Income/Expense $0.00 -$2,000.00 Income Expense -$4,000.00 -$6,000.00 -$8,000.00 -$10,000.00 Cash Allocations Cash Allocations $60,000.00 $50,000.00 $40,000.00 $30,000.00 $20,000.00 Reserve/Rainy Day Account 73% 8% Scholarship Account 6% $0.00 Cash Allocations Outreach 6% 7% $10,000.00 0% Sponsorship Acct Visitation Acct Encumber Funds 5 ASLA Alaska Chapter - 2013-14 Actuals 10.14.2014 ITEM A 1 3 -' 1 4 ACTUAL 1 3 -' 1 4 BUDGET DESCRIPTION Income Expense Income Expense Balance Not es Chapt er Income 1 Local Chapt er Dues ( 3 7 @ $ 7 5 ) 2 Int erest Income $ 2 ,7 7 5 .0 0 $ 2 ,3 9 7 .0 0 $ 0 .0 0 $ 0 .0 0 $ 0 .0 0 $ 0 .0 0 Donat ions and Sponsorships 3 Annual Meet ing Sponsorship ( 4 ) Current Chapt er Sponsors + Job Opport unit y Advert ising - $ 5 0 0 Alaska 4 Sponsorship Plan $ 2 ,0 0 0 .0 0 $ 3 ,0 0 0 .0 0 $ 3 ,0 0 1 .5 7 Archit ect ural Light ing, $ 5 0 0 Bet t iswort h Nort h, $ 5 0 0 Corvus Design, $ 5 0 0 Dowl/ HKM, $ 5 0 0 Landscape Forms, $ 5 0 0 Sit elines 5 Job Opening Advert ising $ 0 .0 0 $ 0 .0 0 $ 4 ,5 0 0 .0 0 $ 4 ,0 5 0 .0 0 6 7 Special Project s Garden Design Workshop Tuit ion ( 2 0 @ $ 2 2 5 ) Annual GDW event in Anchorage: 5 0 % of ( $ 1 ,7 8 1 .8 1 ) Prof it s allocat ed t owards St udent Out reach Program ( see Special Project s It em C3 9 ) 3 5 6 3 .6 2 / 2 =1 7 8 1 .8 1 Miscellaneous Account s 8 Available Funds in Account $ 8 ,0 6 6 .0 0 9 Reserved Funds $ 5 ,0 3 4 .8 4 ( $ 5 ,0 3 4 .8 4 ) $ 2 5 0 .0 0 ( $ 2 6 7 .1 4 ) 10 Chapt er Visit at ion Account 11 Scholarship Account St udent Out reach Account $ 5 3 ,6 9 6 .7 2 ( $ 5 2 ,6 9 6 .7 2 ) $ 3 ,8 7 0 .0 0 ( $ 2 ,8 7 0 .0 0 ) $ 5 ,4 4 5 .0 9 $ 5 ,4 4 5 .0 9 $ 5 ,0 3 9 .9 3 ( $ 5 ,0 3 9 .9 3 ) $ 5 ,0 3 9 .9 3 $ 5 3 ,7 2 7 .7 6 ( $ 5 3 ,7 2 7 .7 6 ) $ 1 2 .2 3 $ 3 5 0 .2 1 year. $ 5 3 ,7 2 7 .5 6 ( See Chapt er Expense It em B2 5 ) Project ed expense of $ 1 0 0 0 f or Nancy Lakes + St at e of AK PUC Design 12 Compet it ion ( See Special Project s It em C3 8 ) Sect ion Subt ot al B $ 1 7 ,3 4 1 .0 0 $ 0 .0 0 $ 9 ,4 4 7 .0 0 $ 3 ,6 6 3 .2 8 Chapt er Expenses Required Expendit ures 13 ASLA Insurance 14 APDC Annual Dues 15 16 ( $ 5 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 5 2 .3 1 ) Required by ASLA Nat ional ( $ 3 7 5 .0 0 ) APDC Legislat ive Liaison ASLA Websit e Annual Fee Prof essional membership wit h APDC ( $ 1 ,6 2 5 .0 0 ) ( $ 1 ,9 5 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 3 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 3 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 2 5 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 2 5 0 .0 0 ) Cont ribut ion f or legislat ive represent at ion 17 Affiliat e Sponsors + Event s 18 E-Week 19 Discret ionary Fund ( CEU , Sponsorship, Event s) 20 Engineer' s Week Flexible t o allow f und f or event s or ( $ 1 ,0 0 0 .0 0 ) part nerships Chapt er Visit at ion Account ( $ 2 5 0 .0 0 ) 21 AK Bot anical Garden Business Membership ( $ 1 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 1 2 5 .0 0 ) 22 ASLA AK Design Forum Cont ribut ion ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) Forum 23 Yearly Cont ribut ion t o Account See A3 9 Council of Educat ion Facilit y Planners Int ernat ional ( CEFPI) ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) Prof essional membership wit h CEFPI 24 Chapt er Annual General Meet ing ( $ 6 2 9 .7 0 ) ( $ 6 2 9 .7 0 ) Anchorage-5 8 4 .4 0 , Sout h East :4 5 .3 0 25 Scholarship Award t o Recipient ( $ 1 ,0 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 1 ,0 0 0 .0 0 ) President - ASLA Mid Year Reimbursement ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) Def rays cost s of represent ing chapt er President - ASLA Annual Mt g. Reimbursement ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) Def rays cost s of represent ing chapt er Past / Elect President - ASLA Mid Year Reimbursement ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) Def rays cost s of represent ing chapt er Past / Elect President - ASLA Annual Mt g. Reimbursement ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) Advocacy + Nat 'l CPC & BoT Meet ing At t endance 26 27 28 29 30 31 Execut ive Member Travel Reimbursement s Def rays cost s of represent ing chapt er Trust ee - ASLA Mid Year Reimbursement ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) Def rays cost s of represent ing chapt er 32 Trust ee - ASLA Annual Mt g. Reimbursement ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) Def rays cost s of represent ing chapt er 33 ASLA Licensure Summit ( 1 person) ( $ 5 0 0 .0 0 ) 34 Licensure Advocacy AK…board t o recommend someone For Legislat ive Fly-In ( $ 1 ,5 0 0 .0 0 ) Sect ion Subt ot al -$ 1 1 ,5 7 9 .7 0 -$ 7 ,8 0 7 .0 1 ASLA Garden Design Class Program Cost s ( $ 1 ,0 0 0 .0 0 ) ( $ 4 8 6 .3 8 ) 38 St udent Out reach Program ( $ 1 ,0 0 0 .0 0 ) 39 St udent Out reach Program Fund Allocat ion ( $ 2 ,2 5 0 .0 0 ) C 35 $ 0 .0 0 Special Project s $ 1 0 0 0 f or Anchorage locat ion cost 36 37 AK ( $ 1 2 .8 2 ) $ 1 ,7 8 1 .8 1 $ 5 ,6 5 4 .0 6 Project ed 5 0 % Prof it Allocat ion t o 40 St udent Out reach Program sub-account . 41 Sect ion Subt ot al $ 0 .0 0 -$ 4 ,2 5 0 .0 0 $ 1 ,7 8 1 .8 1 -$ 4 9 9 .2 0 $ 1 7 ,3 4 1 .0 0 -$ 1 5 ,8 2 9 .7 0 $ 1 1 ,2 2 8 .8 1 -$ 4 ,6 4 2 .9 3 Sect ions Tot al Overall Budget Balance 6 $ 1 ,5 1 1 .3 0 $ 6 ,5 8 5 .8 8 $ 7 3 ,2 1 8 .4 2 ASLA Academic Scholarship Libby Jacobson The scholarship committee was pleased to award our 2014 ASLA Alaska Academic Scholarship to Libby Jacobson. A message from the Scholarship Recipient: Hello, my name is Libby Jacobson and I am from Haines, Alaska. I gladly received the Alaska Chapter ASLA scholarship and am putting the money to use while attending California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). I always loved being outside, design, and would notice how people interacted in spaces. The course load here at Cal Poly is difficult, yet interesting. I have learned the basics of the digital realm, and completed the intro class. I am just beginning my first real studio and already, on the first day, I have been assigned to create a 17” by 11” model using 40-100 layers of card stock. Cal Poly’s “Learn By Doing” motto is certainly coming in to play. Thank you, once again, for supporting me in my education to become a landscape architect. AELS and CLARB Report Luanne Urfer The AELS Board has been busy addressing the changes in engineering licensure. A large number of applications have been submitted for currently licensed engineers for new licenses in their individual disciplines. The board has also introduced new requirements for structural engineering licensure. During the past few months, the Board has been reviewing budgets and expenditures in an effort to keep licensure affordable. We have been working with the State of Alaska to better understand how expenses are classified and split between boards. We are hopeful that some shared expenses, if appropriate, can be reduced to the AELS Board. Throughout the year, both CLARB and the AELS Boards have been working to encourage licensure of young professionals. These efforts have resulted in some changes including early testing for landscape architecture candidates. At the annual CLARB meeting, significant interest in Alaska’s mentoring program was expressed. Other states are looking to include mentoring as part of their pathway to licensure. On an exciting note, at the last AELS Board meeting, a motion was brought forward to approach the new legislature to provide a permanent, voting seat for landscape architecture. More information will be available as soon as more action is taken by the Board on this motion. 7 Garden Design Workshop 2014 Oona Martin The Garden Design Workshop raised $4050.00 this year minus expenses of $461.38. Expenses consisted of advertising through ADN online, facebook, catering and snacks offered during lectures and the day-long workshop. Half of the funds raised were allocated towards future Student Outreach efforts. We operated the event in the usual way - 2 lectures and a 2 hour design session to 20 participants and 225$ per project/team. The lecture spaces at the BP Energy Center facility are top notch and the smaller classrooms work best for the lectures. For a change (and due to scheduling) , we tried the venue at the Community Center at Loussac Place this year, at no cost, and it worked really well. A big thanks to Tamás Deak and Brent Hove for securing this venue and helping with set up and breakdown. The Saturday session lunch was catered by Side Street Espresso - delicious, healthy, and abundant food! And now for the Thank You’s… Special Thanks to Dwayne Adams for presenting the 1st lecture - folks could not get enough of the photos of his yard! Special Thanks to Peter Briggs and Bud Hooker for presenting the 2nd lecture - great presentation and sound advice. Thank you to the GDW 2014 team - Brianne Keifer, who promoted the event at the Alaska Botanical Garden Spring Conference (see below), Laura Minski for cleaning up the documents, fixing Facebook, etc., Mélisa Babb for help with securing venues…. and Maeve Nevins for stepping up to help at both lectures and assisting with 3! projects. And, of course, thanks so much to all the Design Workshop volunteers for their time: Dwayne Adams, FASLA Brent Hove, ASLA Mélisa Babb, ASLA Mark Kimerer, ASLA Peter Briggs, ASLA Ryan King, Associate ASLA Stephanie Brown, ASLA Tania Krawchenko Leah Buron ASLA MEMBER? Oona Martin, ASLA Nancy Casey, ASLA Maeve Nevins, ASLA Josh Durand ASLA Chad Taylor, ASLA Kevin Doniere, ASLA Steve Hennig As for 2015, we will forgo the GDW as a fund-raiser this spring in light of the success of the AK ASLA Sponsorship Program and the incoming Challenge Grant chapter allocation from the Anchorage Parks Foundation. I look forward to participating with you in Student Outreach activities and the Challenge Grant community workshops. 8 Note from Editor: Oona Martin promoted the Garden Design Workshop on KSKA’s Hometown Alaska. A copy of the broadcast can be found at http://www.alaskapublic.org/2014/03/28/garden-fever-in-april/ Annual General Membership Meeting The annual General Membership Meeting was held on January 16th at side Street Espresso in downtown Anchorage. General discussion at the meeting included the fate of the Garden Design Workshop and the importance of Student Outreach. For further information about the meeting, please contact the ASLA Alaska Chapter Executive Board. 9 Remembering Susan R Luescher 03.23.1958 - 01.13.2015 Excerpts from the Reno Gazette-Journal: Susan Ruth Luescher, who resided in Haines, Alaska, passed peacefully at her second home in Reno, Nevada on January 13, 2015. She was among loved ones after a courageous and dignified four year battle with pancreatic cancer. Sue’s lifelong quest for adventure began when she graduated from Reno High School in 1975 and headed off to Switzerland to spend many weeks with her Onkel Ruedi, Tante Berti, aunts, uncles and cousins. She then embarked on her next adventure hitch hiking in Hawaii followed by a trek to Canada to work on a fishing boat and then a tour around the country with her brother Dennis. In 1977, Sue returned to Reno where she obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology from the University of Nevada, Reno. It was there that she met the love of her life, Dennis Geasan, with whom she spent 35 wonderful years. After spending time in the Nevada desert hunting for minerals Sue opened Graphic Harmony in 1990, a business specializing in computer graphics and drafting. Sue’s unique artistic talent, along with her love of the outdoors, drew her to Cornell University in 2001 where she obtained her Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture. After graduating she had employment in Reno, Boulder Colorado, and Anchorage Alaska working on various Landscape Architecture projects some of which she shared design rewards with colleagues. After moving to Haines she continued her career as an independent Landscape Architect. In recent years Sue spent a great deal of time with Dennis and their pup Luna at their home on the ocean in Haines living the Alaska life. That life consisted of skiing, hiking, and fishing along with berry and mushroom gathering and being involved with the local arts community. Sue battled her illness while living her life to its fullest, even hiking the “Tour of the Matterhorn Trail” in the Swiss Alps for two weeks with Dennis in 2013. Her life these last few years was not only about the cancer - it was about teaching us all to live life to its fullest: take that trip, do that hike, catch that fish, and spend your precious time with the ones you love. Sue lived a great and directed life. If she desired something there was no standing in her way. She always had to be the first whether it was to the top of a mountain, the bottom of a ski run, jumping off rocks at Tahoe, or getting her two cents into a conversation. But Sue, we did not want you to be the first of your family and many friends to leave this dear earth. We will miss everything about Sue, but our memories of her will live on forever. Words from Our Anchorage Community about Susan: I became professionally acquainted with Susan around 2009 while she was working at DOWL in Anchorage. She struck me as a super nice person that was passionate about landscape architecture. Years later, in 2014, I had the opportunity to propose on a project in Haines, AK and thought of Susan because I knew she and Dennis had a cabin in Haines. Upon getting a hold of her, she let me know that she was doing great and was eager to participate in the project. We won it together and as expected, Susan did a great job with us on the work. I knew I could trust her abilities, and her judgment while co-representing us and our project to the Haines Community. I was very sad and very surprised to hear she passed away. Reflecting back, I consider Susan to be a genuine, energetic and caring person that enjoyed her travels and loved her husband and family. I extend my heartfelt condolences to Dennis and Susan’s family and friends. She set a fine example as a person and a professional that I think will be remembered and emulated for a long time. - Mark Kimerer I was lucky enough to have Susan on my design team at DOWL from 2008 – 2012. She was a real pleasure to know and to work with. I wish that I had spent more time working alongside her. I might not have realized it at the time, but she had a special energy about her, and a willingness to always go for it - whatever it was. Even if we hadn’t done something in the past on a project, she was always pushing to try it to see if it worked or if it didn’t work…just so we would know. I prayed for her and thought about her during her illness and always thought how awesome it was that she didn’t take no for an answer when battling cancer. Whenever talking with friends or family about her, I always mentioned her as the poster child for beating it! Everyone I talked with was amazed that she had done so well and I hope others will look at her example and follow her lead. She was a caring person and passionate colleague with an adventurous spirit. She is a great example of living life to its fullest. She will be remembered and truly missed. - Kevin Doniere A Bench and a Tree Brent Hove Thirteen years ago I entered the University of Oregon’s landscape architecture program to attain a second degree when I determined that my original English Literature degree wasn’t exactly panning out. I had the privilege of taking a design studio with Ron Lovinger . In the 60’s Ron was fortunate enough to have attended Penn State under the tutelage of Ian McHarg. During Ron’s senior year in the landscape architecture program at Penn State Ian McHarg received a call from Lawrence Halprin. Lawrence was seeking fresh, young and affordable talent for his design firm and asked that Ian provide him with his best and brightest student. Ron was selected and shortly thereafter began his apprenticeship with one of the most well-known landscape architects of the 20th century. “I got lucky,” Ron would say to me when I pressed him for details. In the time I had under Ron’s instruction he taught me about Japanese Zen gardens and the borrowed landscape. He showed our class slides juxtaposing Arabic oasis gardens with gaudy neon lit Las Vegas landscapes. His eyes were wild as he gestured with his hands in swooping arcs. During design studio he’d snatch the drafting pencil from your hand, begin squiggling, stippling and shading on the trace until lush clusters of vegetation sprung to life. “Do it like this” he’d say, firmly tapping a finger on the freshly drawn trees as he stared you straight in the eye. Then he’d tap on what you’d been struggling over for the last three hours and say, “not like this.” What I remember most of my time studying with Ron was how he pushed me to utilize the twelve pointed star as the spatial centerpiece of a one acre lot our class was tasked to design for the local Unitarian Church. In Ron’s opinion the geometric pattern of the twelve pointed star could serve as the template for the social organization of any space. I spent the entire 6 week studio trying to unlock the mystery of this twelve pointed star. No matter how I manipulated the star the plan view of my design ended up looking like some kind of elementary kaleidoscope. Slowly, I grew to hate that star. Ron kept pushing. “It’s the perfect form,” he exclaimed. “You just need to spend more time until it reveals itself.” It was as if some kind of all-knowing design Yoda was imparting great knowledge to me if only I were patient enough to wait for it. I pressed on. Finally, after weeks of crumbling up trace paper and slinging it into the trash can everything clicked. The hard edges of the twelve pointed star wore away until the components of the garden, connecting trail, promenade, church and parking lot fell into place. The space had become what it was supposed to be and the hard work was over. “That’s it” I said out loud breathing a sigh and sliding my heavy drafting pencil across the trace paper. Hani, the Israeli grad student and only other person in the studio at 3am walked to my desk, leaned over my shoulder, nodded and said “nice job.” That’s the first time I felt like I “got it” regarding design. Every space no matter how difficult or challenging had a solution if only the right effort and energy were applied to it. To this day I don’t know if Ron truly believed in the twelve pointed star or if he just challenged me with it for his own amusement. Regardless, the process turned out to be a huge first step that greatly altered my approach to design. I was no longer intimidated by the blank page and could now approach every design as a challenge that had its own unique solution. It also fostered in me an immense degree of respect and admiration for others who choose to roll up their sleeves and plow in the design field. 12 At the end of the studio Ron asked me what my plans were after school and I told him I planned to move back to Alaska to be a landscape architect. He looked at me with a face that can only be described as the way one might look if he were to unexpectedly step in fresh dog poo with a bare foot. “I’ve never heard of anything so preposterous in all of my life” he said. “Think of all of the plants you’re depriving yourself of,” he said shaking his head. “Yeah,” but at least I’ve got the twelve pointed star,” I said shrugging my shoulders. Ron flashed a grin, raised an eyebrow and nodded his head, before he turned and disapprovingly muttered under his breath “Alaska.” Thirteen years later I’m still met with the same kind of reaction, “Alaska.” The truth is I couldn’t think of a better place to be. As landscape designers and architects we’re always looking to the land and spaces that surround us as inspiration. From the outside eye it would appear that we have mountains, rivers, and valleys without end, but in truth these spaces are just as fragile as any other and as landscape architects we’re poised to act as stewards and protectors of what Alaska has to offer. Ultimately, be it the Butte or the Bahamas people seek beautiful and healthy spaces to enhance their lives. I was hiking with a friend of mine in the mountains and struggling with the limitations of being an LA in Alaska when he rather simply stated, “it doesn’t matter where you are. Just give a person a view, a bench to sit on with a beautiful tree beside it and they’ll feel better.” Sometimes it’s that’s simple. Sometimes it’s as complicated as the twelve pointed star. Even though the design is never finished and there’s never enough time we must continually strive for the perfect solution. In my opinion there’s no better place to strive for that goal than Alaska. A Message from the VP Interior Eliza Cink The profession of Landscape Architecture can be traced back to many roots: gardening, engineering, city planning, and architecture among others. In school we touch on subjects that range from ecology, water systems, horticulture, and engineering to design and sociology. In a world of ever increasing specialization, we are taught to be the jacks of all trades. This has put our profession in the unique role of interpreters. Since we can speak in the language of both design and science, we can easily converse with the many disciplines with whom our work is intertwined. In fact, I would argue that our ability to communicate and to interpret is one of the greatest asset of our profession. So far in my career I have found that it is this aspect of my skills that most attracts employees, and it is the one I use with the most frequency in my daily work. It was my desire to improve on this particular skill that made me choose to take Arctic Engineering over Northern Design as part of my licensing requirement. Although both classes offer general knowledge of the concerns associated with building in our climate, they do so through a different lens and in a different language. So far, getting even more familiar with the language of engineers, such as learning to talk in BTU-hours or thinking about snow in terms of its heat resistance, has proven to be as valuable as the subject matter itself. Ideally, we would all have the time to take both courses (whether for the first time or as refreshers), but when that proves impractical, I’d like to suggest that we take not the course we are more comfortable in, but the one that teaches us a language we are not as comfortable in. 13 Kachemak Bay Water Trail Project Receives 2015 Project Excellence Award Jonny Hayes In exciting news, the Alaska Chapter ASLA, in partnership with the Kachemak Bay Water Trail Association (KBWTA) and the National Park Service Alaska Region Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (NPS-RTCA) program is happy to announce that the Kachemak Bay Water Trail has been selected to receive a 2015 Project Excellence Award from the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals. The Kachemak Bay Water Trail is a 125-mile water trail that inspires exploration and wise stewardship of the natural treasure that is Kachemak Bay. It extends from Homer, north to the head of the Bay and back along the south side to Seldovia. For more information about the Kachemak Bay Water Trail, and to plan your own visit, see the Bryan Hawkins, Homer Port and Harbor Director (left), Julie Engebretson, Homer Deputy City Planner (behind), Jonny Hayes, Alaska trail website at http://www.kachemakbaywatertrail.org/ Chapter ASLA (center) and Angie Otteson, Homer Parks Coordinator (right) develop layout concepts for the Homer Launch Site. Photo:NPS Creating the water trail was a true collaborative process. It began in 2011, when Dave Brann, a Homer trails advocate, came up with the idea of a water trail connecting communities around Kachemak Bay. Dave rallied others and soon established a committee of ten enthusiastic community volunteers to lead the planning process. Recognizing that it would be a major undertaking and additional expertise was needed, the KBWTA committee and NPS-RTCA approached the Alaska Chapter ASLA and multiple other entities for project assistance and help throughout the three year planning process. Alaska Chapter members Jonny Hayes and Mark Kimerer volunteered time throughout the process to assist in developing the water trail icon and branding material, served as advisors on the website development committee, and lead a design charrette for the Homer launch site master plan with the City of Homer, area stakeholders and KBWTA committee members. Pat Pourchot, Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior for Alaska Affairs (left) and Dave Brann (right) celebrate the Kachemak Bay Water Trail ribbon cutting with RTCA’s Heather Rice (left) and Lisa Holzapfel (right). Photo:NPS Multiple other entities and individuals were instrumental in making the Kachemak Bay Water Trail a reality, including: the Cities of Homer and Seldovia and associated parks and recreation committees, Homer and Seldovia Chambers of Commerce, Alaska State Parks, Kachemak Bay Wooden Boat Society, Kenai Peninsula Borough, NOAA – National Ocean Service/Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, Alaska Trails, Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park. On June 6, 2014, two ribbon cutting ceremonies, one in Homer and one in Seldovia, inaugurated the Kachemak Bay Water Trail. At each site, a brass plaque was unveiled commemorating the trail as a Department of the Interior’s America’s Great Outdoors project. 14 Of the value of collaboration and partnerships, Dave Brann said: “Ideas are just ideas until people, organizations and agencies come together in partnership to make something great happen. The power of a partnership is demonstrated in the realization of the Kachemak Bay Water Trail.” The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals is the nation’s leading association of outdoor recreation and related professionals. Michael Bradley, SORP Awards Committee Chair, wrote, “Each year, the SORP Board of Directors presents this prestigious award to select individuals and/or planning teams contributing to exemplary outdoor recreation projects. SORP believes the efforts by the Kachemak Bay Water Trail Association for the Kachemak Bay Water Trail is worthy of recognition.” The award will be formally presented at the National Outdoor Recreation Conference on April 14, 2015. PARK(ing) Day Oona Martin As many of you may know, ASLA Alaska Chapter participated - nay - celebrated Park(ing) Day on Friday, September 19th. The park was a group effort, tri-hosted by Anchorage Parks Foundation, ASLA Alaska Chapter and Anchorage Parks and Rec. We set up in 12 parking spots in the lot behind City Hall. Since I was fortunate enough to be involved in the planning and set-up, and I wanted to take a minute and recognize a few people. First of all, a huge thank you to Holly Spoth-Torres who volunteered to take on the project and who negotiated the parking spaces and explained the concept to City Hall management; to Josh Durand for his commitment to a vision for the space and to Maeve Nevins, Stephen Rafuse and Randy for making it happen (signs, tents, flyers and more.) Special thanks to Ted Johnson of Parks and Rec. maintenance for coordinating the heavy lifting and to the maintenance crews who were on-site early in the rain with 7 beautiful, hefty picnic tables and a bench, 12 rolls of artificial turf and several heavy, vintage signs. And to the 2 man crew who assisted me in transporting the plants to and from the site. Photo courtesy of Corvus Design The plants, a large and beautiful selection of trees, shrubs and perennials were on loan from Polar Supply, who were just fantastic to work with. We would like to acknowledge Randy Johnson, Ed Gross and Bladimiro Rosales of Polar Supply for their time and attention to the project. And of course, to Jess Rude of Anchorage Parks Foundation for setting up the 3 food trucks; Urban bamboo, Arctic Provisions and 'The Truck'. to Beth Nordland for being the face of parking day and wearing such a fantastic hat. To Bree Kessler of UAA for making Park(ing) day a real thing. THANK YOU to all! Alaska Dispatch released a VIDEO on Saturday. Watch for cameos of L.A's :) and friends - Deb and George of Side Street were important participants. I'm particularly fond of the end of the video: see Josh overlooking the park proudly. Intrinsic Landscapes mini-park was stunning. Amazing work! And if you haven't seen the photos on Facebook yet, Corvus Design did an incredible job, setting up parks on 5th avenue and downtown Juneau - they even had an interview with FOX promoting the event. Great work Peter Briggs, Kevin Doniere, and Chris Mertl and all who helped you leading up to the event. 15 Juneau Waterfront Seawalk Michele Elfers Last summer, another section of the Juneau Waterfront was renovated and the seawalk extended south of town to the Franklin Dock. The showcase element of this seawalk is a 190’ glass canopy with ceramic frit artwork designed by Tlingit Master Carver Wayne Price entitled ‘Under Tlingit Sky’. The dark black and grey frit casts shadows of ravens, eagles, and designs inspired by bentwood boxes and bentwood box drums on the timber seawalk and passerby’s below. Finally, Juneau can get out of the rain! The project also incorporated local cedar in the site furnishings, handrails and trim details throughout the project. Locals and tourists can now walk from Marine Park to Franklin Dock along the waterfront and get close to floatplane staging and take-off, cruise ships, the tram to Mt. Roberts, the Juneau Commercial Fishermen’s Memorial, fishing boats unloading fish and workers sorting fish at Taku Fisheries, luxury yacht and fishing boat docking at the Intermediate Vessel Float, shopping and eating such as Tracy’s King Crab Shack, and lots of public art. 16 Southeast Update Michele Elfers We have had an exciting year down here in sunny Southeast Alaska. It all began last spring with our Garden Design Workshop. We had volunteers fly in from Anchorage and Sitka to help transform the outdoor living experiences of 12 lucky individuals! Soon after, the ASLA president and his wife came to Juneau for a short but busy visit. He presented the Greenbelt Award, ate king crab, learned the ins and outs of the USFS in Alaska, and took lots of iconic Alaskan photos. Our latest venture is working in the school systems to educate students and promote Landscape Architecture as a career path. Over the past year, I have been working with the AutoCAD class at Juneau Douglas High School. The teacher incorporates the design process throughout the course by giving students projects to design and then draft in AutoCAD. Past design and drafting projects with the students have included a bus shelter, a bench for the Juneau Seawalk, and a neighborhood park design. The students begin the design by working through the issues on paper and then after their concepts are developed they move to the computer. The first project was a bench for the seawalk. We got some really creative ideas back and may be able to build one or two of them with the kids. The second project was a design for a neighborhood park downtown. With the neighborhood park project I was able to work with the students on the site analysis process, programming, master planning, and then long term management and maintenance considerations for the park. Whenever working with students, I always start with an overview of our profession and all of the different applications such as site design, environmental design, land planning, sustainable design, grading and drainage, and design detailing. The ideas ranged from castles to a cascading series of trampolines to get up the hillside to quiet pools of grass (because the students are desperate for grass in our rainy climate). I think I had more fun working with this age group than they probably did working with me! The Juneau group is also working on a Fruiting Forest neighborhood park design and installation. A draft master plan is finished and posted on the AK ASLA website and we are planning a public meeting in March and a phased construction plan over the season. Construction will be done through volunteer work and donations, so it should be an appropriately homegrown project. 17 ASLA Student Outreach Efforts & Our Partnerships by Kevin Doniere, ASLA Chair of Student Outreach Committee The ASLA Alaska Chapter Student Outreach Program has become a strong partner in the Anchorage Schools on Trails Program, which operates under the umbrella of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation’s Live.Work.Play. campaign and the Anchorage Trails Initiative. The partnership includes representatives of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service, Anchorage School District, ASLA Alaska Chapter, Anchorage Park Foundation, the National Park Service’s Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance Programs, and a growing list of community organizations and individuals. All partners have relevant prior experience with similar projects. The UAF Cooperative Extension Service offers one of the oldest and most diverse youth development networks in the state, developing leadership and life skills in youth to make healthy decisions and become better citizens. The Anchorage School District is responsible for educating all students within the municipality. The Alaska Chapter of the ASLA has worked to develop and mentor future design professionals, including our recent work of mentoring students at over a dozen different schools throughout Alaska, in communities including Anchorage, Juneau, Soldotna, and Ambler. To focus our work and identify our purpose for working with students and schools, the Schools on Trails team developed a vision and a mission. Vision Engage Anchorage schools in nearby trails, parks, streams and natural habitats to educate students and staff about community assets and enrich neighborhoods through increased local awareness. Establish connections with students and create opportunities to share in civic engagement, participate in the project planning process, foster stewardship of our lands, and instill the value of safe public spaces as a key component in the quality of life. Mission • Identify and raise awareness of trails, parks, streams and natural habitat near Anchorage schools • Connect schools and families to these nearby public spaces and encourage outdoor educational opportunities • Engage staff and students in creation, planning and implementation of improvement projects • Leverage school interest for project fundraising and long-term success • Involve students in each step of the process as real-life lessons in civic engagement and project management • Provide continuing education incentives to school staff and other volunteers for professional participation. Through these efforts, the Schools on Trails team wrote and applied for two (2) APF Challenge Grants, for a project with Nunaka Valley Elementary in Russian Jack Springs Park, and with West High School and Romig Middle School at Westchester Lagoon Nature Trail. Both these projects were awarded matching grant money for a combined total of over $60,000! Congratulations to all those involved in working toward securing this funding. 18 SO, if you’ve been asking how you can help Alaska Chapter Student Outreach efforts, now is the time to jump in and take part. We’ll need members to provide time and support of these efforts by participating in school visits; preparation of concept plans; documenting the school involvement process; and being the lead designer working with students and teachers. Currently, we have Alaska Chapter members working closely with two (2) different schools – Nunaka Valley Elementary and Ravenwood Elementary in Eagle River. With Nunaka Valley Elementary School, the Schools on Trails team organized a speed-dating night dubbed “Science in Seven.” Scientists, database specialists, outdoor education, and outreach professionals from the NPS, USFS, US F&WS, USGS, BLM, ADF&G, UAF, and the Alaska Heritage Museum participated by rotating from table to table talking with teachers from each grade level for seven minutes. These brainstorming discussions were compiled and are a resource database that we have to match up professionals in our community with teachers interested in broadening their lesson plans and having these professionals help with mentoring and developing our future workforce. The Westchester Lagoon Nature Trail project is just beginning with an upcoming site visit with West High School and Romig Middle School students. This project is focused on improvements for entry signage, interpretive signage, construction of an outdoor learning lab and a creek observation platform, public art installation columns and park bench rehabilitation. All installations will be designed and constructed in accordance with accepted standards of MOA Parks and Recreation Department. In one of the most actively-used corridors of parkland in the Municipality, Westchester Lagoon Nature Trail offers one of the only points of access to Chester Creek from the neighborhood to the south–much of the western greenbelt is accessible from the north side only. The Schools on Trails team reached out to seven different schools nearby this park area and has several project champions from both West High and Romig who will be actively involved in these efforts. From Inside ASD, “Ravenwood Students Help Plan Trail System”: Ravenwood Elementary School is currently working on a grant to build an extensive trail system around the school. ASD Health and PE Coordinator Melanie Sutton is helping in this effort, along with the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Rasmuson Foundation. The proposed trail system fits right in with the school’s outdoor education philosophy and would be well-used by both the school and the neighborhood community. Last week, landscape architects worked with Ravenwood students to design the trail system. Students have written about their dream outdoor education trail and are now working to turn their ideas into a proposal. Please feel free to contact myself or Jonny Hayes for more information of how you can get involved with these Anchorage area projects or how you can be a part of our Schools on Trails team. 19 Current Members List 20 William Dwayne Adams, Jr., FASLA Brianne Keifer, Associate ASLA Monique Anderson, ASLA Mark M. Kimerer, ASLA Cameron J. Arizmendez, Associate ASLA Ryan P. King, Associate ASLA Mélisa R. K. Babb, ASLA Edward Leonetti, ASLA Eliza Bober Cink, Associate ASLA Susan Luescher, ASLA Leah Boltz, Affiliate ASLA Raymond Mariani, ASLA Peter D. Briggs, ASLA Oona Martin, ASLA Benjamin Brown, ASLA Christopher Mertl, ASLA Stephanie E. Brown, ASLA Nevenka Milic, ASLA Leah Buron, Associate ASLA Kenneth V. Morton, ASLA Steven Callaghan, ASLA Maeve Victoria Nevins, ASLA Beth Lape Casagrande, Affiliate ASLA Eric K. Ouderkirk, ASLA Nancy J. Casey, ASLA Kenneth Pendleton, ASLA Maria D’Augustino, Affiliate ASLA Sanford P. Rabinowitch, ASLA Tamás Deak, ASLA Ralph R. Rentz, ASLA Kevin M. Doniere, ASLA John R. Rowe, ASLA Joshua A. Durand, ASLA Lori Eddie Schanche, ASLA Michele Elfers, ASLA Gordon J. Schlosser, ASLA William L. Evans, II, ASLA Terry Schoenthal, ASLA Jonathan Hayes, ASLA Paul L. Schrooten, ASLA Joshua Hooker, ASLA Holly J. Spoth-Torres, ASLA Bud Hooker, ASLA Skye Stekoll, ASLA Brent Hove, ASLA Chad D. Taylor, ASLA M. Elise Huggins, FASLA Ronald L. Wood, ASLA Sponsorship Program Over the past three years the Alaska Chapter of ASLA sponsorship program has grown into a significant budget contributor for the chapter. Currently the program includes six local and national businesses and three local firms, all committed to working with and supporting Alaskan landscape architects. Their sponsorship helps our chapter advance our mission, to increase awareness of landscape architecture through advocacy and public outreach. In 2014 the sponsorship program helped support our Student Outreach Program and the college scholarship fund. For 2015, the sponsorship program will continue to support existing programs while also contributing to professional educational opportunities and public outreach efforts across the state. We’d like to give a huge thank our current Corporate and Firm Sponsors! Current Sponsors Birch: Victor Stanley Spruce: Alaska Architectural Lighting Inc., Landscape Forms, Site Lines Fireweed: Anova Fern: Polar Supply Firm Sponsors: DOWL, Bettisworth North, Corvus Design Sponsorship can be at five different monetary levels: birch, spruce, fireweed, fern, and salmonberry, and there is also a special 'firm' sponsorship for firms licensed to practice landscape architecture in Alaska. If you would like to know more about the sponsorship program, please contact members-at-large Monique Anderson ([email protected]), or Stephanie Brown (SBrown@corvus-design. com). We look forward to developing the program in creative ways so that sponsors get the most out of their support. 21