Architects Without Borders

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.

As most of you already know, this past Tuesday  a 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti outside of Port-a-Prince. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and Haiti’s infrastructure has been devastated. This, in a country already suffering from extreme poverty.

AWB is actively engaging in discussions to identify opportunities to assist in a coordinated disaster recovery effort. We will post updates to the website as more information becomes available – www.awb-seattle.org.

While AWB-Seattle is not a first responder in the event of disaster, instead focussing our work on long term recovery efforts, we hope to support those now involved in the response effort.  At this point, cash donations are the most effective way to do this and we hope you will consider making a contribution.

Below is a list of organizations you can contribute to:

• Habitat for Humanity
• Architecture for Humanity
• The American Red Cross
• UNICEF
• World Vision
• Oxfam
• Doctors Without Borders
• Mercy Corps

For updated information on the situation and additional information on how you can help you can check the following websites:

The Whitehouse

USAID

Earthquake Haiti Facebook page

In coming weeks AWB-Seattle will be organizing an effort to help Haiti rebuild and recover from this catastrophe. We will keep you posted as we progress. Please check for updates on our website.

Thanks,

Ben Spencer
President
Architects w/o Borders-Seattle

Written by Kevin Daniels

Hurricane Katrina remains the single most destructive impact on our country’s cultural heritage since the Civil War.

As preservationists, we share a common love for the built environment and for all the rich and diverse cultural heritage stories that go along with it. Many of us have been involved in battles to save a piece of architectural heritage that we personally hold dear; most of us have also felt the painful sting of battles that have been lost.

Over the last few years, I have taken a group of preservation-minded volunteers to work in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans with the goal of helping that community preserve, protect, and reuse the thousands of homes that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Now, over four years later, the immense needs of that community remain. I have personally witnessed a slow rebirth of one of the toughest areas in America (the city’s Holy Cross neighborhood), and all of those who have traveled with me previously to New Orleans have a lot to be proud of. We’ve experienced firsthand the power of community to overcome overwhelming odds. We’ve witnessed the grace of a devastated community and their determination to move forward. We’ve also all been touched by the outpouring of gratitude from everyone in New Orleans – not just those directly impacted by the disaster.

Hurricane Katrina remains the single most destructive impact on our country’s cultural heritage since the Civil War. While it’s easy to ignore the work that needs to be done when the story is no longer on the front page, it doesn’t relieve any of us of our obligation to assist in rebuilding that city.

Our group of volunteers from September 2009.

The rebuilding of the Lower Ninth Ward remains an opportunity that you can participate in. I will again lead a team of volunteers down to New Orleans to work on three houses in the Holy Cross neighborhood, this year between April 5th and April 9th. We welcome all talented people to join us, from those who have strong carpentry skills to those who can push a broom, deconstruct, or paint. Everyone is welcome and needed.

While the costs of travel and accommodations are borne by each volunteer, we can assist in finding inexpensive lodging and/or potential roommates.

As all who have gone before will attest, it is a rewarding experience that will stay with you throughout the remainder of your life.

For more information, please contact me at kevin.daniels@nsco.com. Also, click here to learn more about the National Trust’s ongoing Gulf Coast recovery efforts.

Kevin Daniels is a preservationist and developer in Seattle, Washington. He currently serves on the National Trust’s Board of Trustees as vice chair of the Preservation Committee.