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/

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

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.

ORA and HyBrid Architects have formed a team that will be working on a Habitat home in Pacific this Saturday September 26, so please consider either making a donation or joining us on site (8:30am-1:00pm), or better yet, both! If you want to participate this Saturday, please sign up on-line to join the ORA/HyBrid team, or email Owen Richards if you want to learn more.

To donate or join the ORA/HyBrid team, please go to: http://www.blueskycollaborative.com/hbat/participantpage.asp?fundid=94&uid=454&fkroledescid=1

If you prefer to write a check please make it payable to Habitat for Humanity and send it to ORA Architects, 1205 E Pike Street #2B Seattle, WA 98122.

Why is this so important? Because only 14% of King County housing is available to households earning below 50% of median income (HDC, 2006).This must change. You can lead the way by sponsoring my volunteer hours with the Habitat for Humanity Build-a-Thon!

If you have any questions or want to talk about participating please give Owen a call at 206 625 0941. If you have any questions about Habitat for Humanity or the Build-a-Thon please visit www.habitatbuildathon.org for more information.

Thanks for your support!

Our task is to develop a schematic design in order to assist them in raising funds for the project. The first phase will consist of developing a package including site planning ideas, sustainable concepts, local construction techniques research, and general programming.

If you are interested in joining the design team, please join us for a kick-off meeting on Tuesday, August 18th at Piecora’s Pizza, 6:30pm. Email Carter Woollen at carter@woollenstudio.com for questions and additional information.

Hosted by:  AWB-Seattle and AIA Seattle

Give some time to your community and give your career a boost by volunteering some design time and a helping hand to a community group in need.  Meet Seattle community groups in need of volunteer design assistance, who will be on hand to discuss opportunities.  Learn from successful volunteers.  And enjoy a beer with like-minded peers in the design community.

For more information contact: Kevin.daniels@danielsdev.com

Save the date for our upcoming Happy Hour fundraising event! It will be at Belt Collins (1925 Post Alley) at 6pm – on their rooftop deck, if weather allows. Light refreshments and Ghanaian Music provided by members of Ocheami African Dance Company featuring Kofi Anang. Check out his bio and their website: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~ocheami/.

If you think you might be coming, please let us know at http://crush3r.com/page/cbhoovlyxp so that we can get a headcount for refreshments.  And feel free to spread the news – the more the merrier.

The Ghana team has been researching appropriate building technologies and environmental responses to deal with erosion control in the village of Gboloo Kofi, and two AWB volunteers will be travelling to Ghana late October to implement some of these findings, as well as assess conditions for potential future AWB design projects with Village by Village.

This research will also benefit two other projects we will are gearing up on in Africa – Grafton, Sierre Leone Community Buildings with All as One and Sudan Lost Boys School Compound with the Deng Ater Foundation. Come to the fundraiser for more information on these two projects as well.

Our goal is to raise $2000, which will be used to help design and build a prototype building. Any level of donation will be greatly appreciated. And if you can’t make it to the event, but still want to give please donate here:

(NOTE: you must enter an amount before hitting Donate button.)