Architects Without Borders

WHEN: Wednesday, September 15th from 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
WHERE: HFH Rainier Vista site is located at 4015 Martin Luther King Jr Way, S.

WHAT: Habitat for Humanity has made a special request of AWB-S to help them prepare for their upcoming Build-A-Thon. They anticipate that as architects, we will have a clear understanding of the design intent, documentation and construction process and should be able to make good headway on the project’s behalf. Specifically, they have asked that we prepare the concrete foundations for the Phase III four-plex at the Rainier Vista site.  This would entail building the stem wall forms, cutting, bending and tying rebar, then closing and bracing the wall forms for the concrete pours.  It’s a big job at a critical juncture in the project that once completed, will allow a lot of other work to proceed.

As always, both skilled and unskilled labor are welcome and greatly appreciated.  HFH will provide the tools, material and instruction.  However, to make this work, it will require that we have a core of people who are familiar with this aspect of construction and/or are comfortable using power tools.

If you are interested and available, please contact Kalman Axelrod at kaxelrod@live.com.   Also, please include an assessment of your skill level for the required work. More information will follow.

We look forward to hearing from you and joining us on September 15th.

Now calling volunteers for teams 2 and 3 to perform building damage assessments in Haiti! The first team had an incredibly rewarding (and very hot) experience.

Volunteers should be:

• architect or designer with ATC training (or other relevant experience).  See below for info on training opportunity.
• or structural engineer
• and ready to rough it

We’re anticipating the next team will be in Haiti the first half of July and the third team for the second half of July.
We are collecting donations to help offset costs for the teams, though be prepared to cover your travel expenses and minimal cost for lodging and food upfront, since it is unknown how much we will be able to raise.

If you may be interested in joining the team please contact:
Rachel Minnery: rminnery@gmail.com (architects)
Scott Douglas: sdouglas@dci-engineers.com (engineers)

Thank you! From the disaster coalition of Architects Without Borders-Seattle, SEAW Disaster Response, and the AIA

HAVEN’T DONE THE TRAINING?: We’ve established a special training day for ATC-20 Post-earthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings on 6/18; 12:30-4:30pm with Behrooz Emam. Register here: http://www.aiaseattle.org/node/4399

OTHER WAYS TO HELP:

• If you can’t join the team, but would like to support the cause, your donation is greatly appreciated:
  http://awb-seattle.org/haiti-rebuilding-effort/
• If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering in a general capacity, see the link to Hands On Disaster Response: http://hodr.org/volunteer-info/project-leogane-volunteer-info/

This is a fund raising competition among firms to raise money to combat hunger by supporting Food Lifeline.  Food Lifeline channels surplus food from food producers and retailers to a network of distributors such as food banks, shelters, and meal programs.  Some information from their website:

• Many of the people served by Food Lifeline are among the working poor.
  62% of the households Food Lifeline serves count a job, social security, SSI, unemployment or disability as a main source of income.

• The profile of a hungry person in Western Washington continues to defy society’s assumptions.
  Nearly 45% of the individuals using a food bank, meal program or shelter in Western Washington have some form of post-secondary education. Only 15% are actually homeless.

• 38% of the hungry people Food Lifeline serves are children.

• 13% of the hungry people Food Lifeline serves are seniors.

Please spread the word and consider participating in this effort to combat hunger in Western Washington. For more information please click here.

Also May 8th is Stamp Out Hunger food drive and you can leave food out for the mail person to pick up.

?Designers 4 Haiti: AWB-Seattle will be participating in a panel symposium on the culturally appropriate means of extending a helping hand to the Haitian community.
When: April 19th, 7pm
Where: University of Washington, Architecture Hall – Room 147
For more information here or visit www.designers4haiti.org.

There is an immediate need for design professional volunteers in Leogane, Haiti to perform building damage assessments. People needed:

• architects or designers with ATC training (or other relevant experience)
• structural enginel volunteers

At this time, general volunteers are not needed.

We’d like to see a group of design professionals from the Seattle area team together for a 1-2 week volunteer trip.  Anticipate departing no later than May 1.  There may be some monetary and organizational support for the team, though be prepared to cover your own travel expenses to and from Leogane.  Most questions about volunteering in Leogane can be found on this web page – http://hodr.org/volunteer-info/project-leogane-volunteer-info/

If you are interested, and have read through the information in the link above…. and are still interested, please contact either:

Rachel Minnery: rminnery@gmail.com (architects)
Scott Douglas: sdouglas@dci-engineers.com (engineers)

From the disaster coalition of AIA and SEAW Disaster Response, Architects Without Borders-Seattle

Other links of interest:
See this excellent article on the Chile earthquake and Seattle connection: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/opinion/28yanev.html?scp=1&sq=yanev&st=cse
See also reports on Haiti and Chile:
http://www.crew.org/index.html

From AIA National:

Habitat for Humanity is starting to look for architects and engineers with relevant skills to start organizing for the next phase of the recovery process in Haiti. You can find and share information about this opportunity at: http://www.habitat.org/ivp/apply_now.aspx

The AIA Diversity Roundtable is sponsoring a meeting on February 2nd at 4pm at the AIA Seattle offices to coordinate and inform the response to the Haitian earthquake. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to attend and AWB-Seattle will have representatives there, as well as other organizations.

Details:
When: Tuesday, February 2nd at 4pm
Where: AIA Seattle, 1911 1st Ave. phone: 206.448.4938
For more information click here.