Kansas State University

March 3, 2014

Message from the Department Head

Thank you to everyone who participated in the charrette for Midtown last week, it was a resounding success. In addition to the students who engaged in trans-disciplinary teams to vision, we appreciate the involvement and presentation by John Norris; and the involvement of Jeremy Merrill and Lorn Clement in this experience. We also thank LARCP for allowing the use of their space shown above to hold the event. Look for more to come from this Digital Fabrication class and their work with Norris Design, Inc. and Brookfield Residential in the development of impactful furnishings in the outdoor environments.

Some of us will be attending the IDEC National Conference this week, an annual event with many presentations of scholarship across a wide array of topics, discussion of teaching, a Pecha Kucha-style event, and poster presentations. The keynote speaker this year is Emily Pillotin. Pilloton founded the design nonprofit Project H in 2008, believing deeply in the power of design and building to excite learning and citizenship. Katlyn Nigus is the first student from IAPD to have a presentation accepted for IDEC and we look forward to seeing her and the presentation. 

News and Events

Important

Campus will be testing the emergency alert beacon on Tuesday, March 4th (today) at 1:30. The wall-mounted alert beacons will emit a loud siren, flash strobe lights and provide digital scrolling text for two full minutes. If an alarm does not sound in either Seaton Hall or Seaton Court, please let Mary Cosimano (cosimano@ksu.edu) know. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.

Architecture Distinguished Lecture

APDesign welcomes Jonathan Segal to give a distinguished lecture on Wednesday, March 5th at 4pm in the Little Theater. Segal is regarded as one of the San Diego area’s most reputable and impactful residential architect working to design and develop over 300 medium-to high-density urban properties and has won multiple awards at the local, state and national level.

5th Year Meeting

This is a notice to all 5th year students that there will be a meeting to discuss the details involving commencement on March 12 at 5:30pm in Seaton 063. Please plan on attending!

Current Projects

Smart Bathrooms

Assistant Professor Dave Richter-O'Connell spent last Saturday afternoon in Durland Hall working with the K-State Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering Office on an event called:  GROW- Girls Researching Our World.  The theme for the day was "The Littlest Room" or the residential bathroom.  Dave walked two groups of middle school girls through a brainstorming process of imagining the 'smart' bathroom mirror of tomorrow.

According to Dave, the future of engineering is in very good hands but warns that your bathroom mirror (as designed by these groups) may one day talk to you in a British accent, run multiple tutorials on French braiding from different points of view, and will know where all the cute boys in the 7th grade live.  Additionally there will be a 'scary' mode that displays candlelight and spooky faces after you spin around in the dark and utter strange incantations.

Midtown Charrette

The photo in the header is from the Charrette conducted last week by Dustin Headley and John Norris of Norris Design, Inc. Professor Headley's Digital Fabrication class was joined by students in Professor Lorn Clement's Landscape Architecture Seminar I class and a host of 3rd and 5th year IAPD students as they visioned possibilities for significant artistic furnishings that will create a sense of place in the new development in Denver. 

KUDOs

Dustin Headley has had work accepted to the show Digifabulous 2014 in Minneapolis. The works are titled "Macro" and "Small, Medium, Actual." Digifabulous 2014 is a juried DigiFab Exhibition Show: March 25 - April 5, 2014 at the University of Minnesota Regis Center for Art Quarter Gallery. Congratulations Dustin!

Dave Richter-O'Connell and Neal Hubbell will travel to New Orleans this week to participate in the National IDEC Conference and to deliver their paper Transformations through Time- Teaching the Past, Present and Future of Furniture History. 

Four students have been invited to join in a discussion following Jim Correll's keynote to the Kansas College Counseling Association meeting this week. Kayla Hales, Matt Spaniol, Teresa Siegele, and Kate Moeder will briefly present their current process and 5th year project and talk about IAPD and how our environment contributes to their ability to better solve problems, and how students develop a “self-efficacy” that will help them make better decisions and live better lives.

Internship & Study Abroad News

Students in Italy are continuing to learn on tours and various activities, the photo above taken by Professor Vibha Jani shows Florence on a rainy day. 

Involvement Opportunities

Library Survey

Please read this quick note from Maxine regarding the library survey:

What:  K-State Libraries’ LibQUAL Spring 2014 survey
Who:  APDesign Faculty, Students, and Staff
Where:  URL for the survey: https://www.libqual.org/survey/RWSLD24Z6QM86X8HRA
When: Now until March 14, the Friday before Spring Break 
Why: 1) Provides a voice for your opinion about K-State Libraries, including Weigel Library.    Complete the survey based on “the library that you use most often”. (Question 17) and then
2) You can submit your email address for drawings for one of two Apple iPad Minis as well as one of 10 pairs of $20 movie passes.

Calendar

Tuesday March 4 – Calayde Davey PhD Presentation – 4pm – Little Theater
March 6-8 – IDEC National Conference in New Orleans
March 12 – 5th year Commencement Informational Meeting Seaton-  063
March 15-23 – Spring Break
March 27 – IAPD Faculty Meeting – 202F 11:30-1
March 27-28 – 5th Year Design Development Village Style Review
Wednesday April 2 – Sally Augustin, Environmental Psychologist 4:00 PM in the Little Theatre
Saturday April 5 – Open House
Monday April 7 – 10 - 3 DesignExpo in the K-State Alumni Center Ballroom
Saturday May 17 – APDesign Commencement