Happy Hacksgiving 2015 - A Hacker's Thanksgiving (from an Architect's Table)

by Rosa Sheng, AIA

So Bob Borson decided to throw down a Thanksgiving Architalks blog challenge - from The Architect's Table -  right before the project deadline and right before the holiday, when we are trying to get ready for the big day. Thanks Bob! But being a good sport, I am sharing this ultra short and sweet post in the spirit of the season. So get ready to Treat. Your. Self.

What the Hack is Hacksgiving anyway? In the spirit of the Hackathon culture, it is a day of doing good and giving back. I have further hacked "Hacksgiving" - giving license to break the rules - to experience innovative life changing results. An easy place to start is the Architect's Table - so throw those dogmatic Thanksgiving traditions out the window and give yourself the room to "hack" - de-construct, re-interpret and resuscitate the true meaning of the holiday, Pilgrim. It's a day of sharing, giving back to those you care for and those that can't do for themselves. And also being grateful for all that we have. This includes celebrating the bounty of food available to us when there are those who make do with much less.

To embrace the spirit of Hacksgiving - take joy and liberation in breaking the rules and owning the day. Who says you have to make or eat Turkey? Who says you have to make everything from scratch and spend the entire day in the kitchen (unless you want to)? And who says you have to make all the traditional dishes exactly the way your family demands year after year? So my Hacksgiving gift and inspiration is a disruption of the "favorites". 

Cornish Game Hens w/ Olives & Fall Fruits - Because it's easier to manage small bird(s), then a larger unwieldy high maintenance one. This recipe from Cooks.com is a fail proof hit that I discovered 15 years ago and is one of my go to recipes. Marinate the birds overnight, stuff with fall fruits and olives and roast until ready. This is also a good option if you have a small guest list (or individual) Factor 1 hen for 2 people. Full recipe via link above.

What if you are a veggie/vegan? Dread T-day no more, because Hacksgiving has a delicious hack; Meet the Vegducken created by Katherine Sacks for Epicurious. Move over Turkey, here comes something prettier and tastier. 

photo by Chelsea Kyle via Epicurious

Munchery Mashed Potatoes & Stuffing - I am outsourcing the traditional starches to the expert chefs this year at Munchery.com (loud gasp!). It's okay because it's Hacksgiving! There is a reason why it tastes like someone slaved all day making these dishes - because they did ! (so I don't have to!) Rather than killing ourselves, outsource the mash and stuffing to be delivered to your door, ready to heat and serve the next day. Shhhh, don't tell. Let's see if the guests notice the difference. Treat. Your. Self.

Surprise veggies - I have asked my guests to bring the veggies or a salad. I didn't tell them what to make. I said, "Surprise us". That's part of the fun right? But If you insist on making your own veggies Here are some Low maintenance vegetables to try: 

Romanesco , Broccoli or Cauliflower - Steam and season w/ salt, pepper, and lemon butter. or balsamic and olive oil.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding - Throw that bland, lifeless pumpkin pie out the window. Try this mash up of Pumpkin Pie meets Bread Pudding. For added hack points, add apples, raisins or other fall fruits (and maybe some spirits...) into the custard mix. If you want to use less sugar, add more spices. If you don't want to use cream, use kefir instead. Vegan version? Use coconut milk chia seed pudding. You get the idea, license to hack.

If you would like to find out more (non T-day) recipes from my hack kitchen, you can get them here. Falafel Waffles, Pannini Press Latkes, and Hummus Crab Cakes to name a few.

And last, but not least, don't forget the reason for the season. Give Thanks. Don't fight with your family or friends. Play Adele and sing "Hello" together.  The other thing you can do is buy a limited edition "Eat the Whale" T-shirt designed by yours truly to raise funds for The Equity Alliance website which will host all the WIA and Equity Groups' events, resources, and initiatives for equitable practice.  Treat. Your. Self. (Are you getting the subtle message?)

The Ultimate Hacksgiving Treat - Eat the Whale (Zero Calories and Full Satiation Guaranteed)

If you want to get more amazing recipes from the Architect's Table, please go to these links by my fellow Architalks Bloggerati friends. I am super Thankful for all of them and for each and everyone that takes the time to read these blog posts. Happy Hacksgiving! We can't wait to hack more in 2016 - Stay Hungry for Change with more good things to come. #EQxDHack16

Bob Borson - Life of An Architect (@bobborson)
http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/margaritas-especial-del-arquitecto-de-texas/

Matthew Stanfield - FiELD9: architecture (@FiELD9arch)
Thanksgiving Feast...

Jeff Echols - Architect Of The Internet (@Jeff_Echols)
This Thanksgiving: Something New

Lora Teagarden - L² Design, LLC (@L2DesignLLC)
ArchiTalks: Bourbon. Every architect's friend.

Mark R. LePage - Entrepreneur Architect (@EntreArchitect)
From My Table To Yours

Eric T. Faulkner - Rock Talk (@wishingrockhome)
Archi-Table - Any Berry Salad

Michele Grace Hottel - Michele Grace Hottel, Architect (@mghottel)
"From an Architect's Table" Dolly Brown's Pumpkin Pie

Michael Riscica - Young Architect (@YoungArchitxPDX)
The Architect's Postmodern Thanksgiving!

Brian Paletz - The Emerging Architect (@bpaletz)
All In the Family

Meghana Joshi - IRA Consultants, LLC (@MeghanaIRA)
Archtalks from an Architects Table

Amy Kalar - ArchiMom (@AmyKalar)
ArchiTalk #15: From An Architect's Table

Eric Wittman - intern[life] (@rico_w)
giving thanks and [wine]ing

Emily Grandstaff-Rice - Emily Grandstaff-Rice AIA (@egraia)
Unplug Tradition

Jarod Hall - di'velept (@divelept)
UTAH = JELLO

Jonathan Brown - Proto-Architecture (@mondo_tiki_man)
From an Architect's Holiday Table

AIASF NEXT Conference Recap: Design "Thinkering"

by Rosa Sheng, AIA

Last week, AIASF kicked-off its inaugural NEXT Conference on Thursday and Friday. MoMa Curator Paola Antonelli gave an invigorating and provocative keynote about the increasing ambiguity and ambivalence of design in the next frontier. She suggested that Design is expanding beyond problem solving to complex critical thinking: challenging what we know and stretching out of our comfort zone in a truly disruptive way. Paola asked us to think of Design as Activism out of necessity as we ultimately will be approaching extinction given the way we are operating today. She introduced the concept of "Thinkering", which could be interpreted as a marriage of Design Thinking and Tinkering; merging strategic disruption with real world application and maker experimentation in an iterative dialogue.

In reference to more effective sustainable design, she promoted examples combining biomimetic inspirations with adaptation of new technologies such as 3D and 4D printing Kinematic. And in the case of MIT's MediaLab, The Silk Pavilion explores the relationship between digital and biological fabrication on product and architectural scales. Silkworms were deployed as a biological printer in concert with an algorithmically generated pavilion using a single thread. You can view the project video below to get a sense of the "Thinkering" that Paola references.

SILK PAVILION from Mediated Matter Group on Vimeo.

Another exploration that Paola suggests is that of Design as a political vehicle to engage and build empathy. In her book release earlier this year "Design and Violence", Paola suggests that Design has a history of violence while the professional discourse has largely trumpeted its successes. Violence - defined as the manifestation of power to alter circumstances against the will of others to their detriment, while ubiquitous and ambivalent, has introduced new threats with the rapid advancement of technology. How can we be responsible stewards of design to leverage the ambiguity of design for positive impact while mitigating the negative effects from moving too quickly forward without understanding the power and consequence of design?

Following the inspiring keynote, the remainder of the conference content addressed some of these themes in 4 sessions within 3 tracks: Business, Technology & Design.  I attended the following sessions and found the content to be of high quality and relevant information (with no bias of my co-presentation on Negotiation of course!)

Nexus: Water Recycling for a Resilient Future

• Ellen Fuson, HOK
• Rowan Roderick-Jones, ARUP
• Tracy Quinn, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Scott Bryan, ImagineH2O
• John Scarpulla, SFPUC

With California's current water crisis, Design professionals have an unprecedented opportunity to drive change. The technologies, practices and policies we use to tackle water scarcity has the potential to set a national precedent. While the panel presented cutting-edge water technologies, we still face challenges related to policy, funding, and social norms, particularly for solutions that step beyond drilling new wells or basic conservation measures.  

Business Skills Sprint Session

SPRINT 1: The Future of Business for Architects, Richard Pollack, Pollack Consulting

One of the most important aspects of our profession receives minimal focus during our years in architectural school, yet its the key component of having a viable, appropriately compensated, enjoyable career - and that component is BUSINESS. 

SPRINT 2: Lean (Financial) Management for Architectural Firms, Steven Burns, BQE Software

Lean management is the long-term approach where you seek small, systematic, incremental changes in your process in order to improve your efficiency and quality. While most successful manufacturers have been following a Lean approach for decades, only recently have architects begun to explore Lean management.  Successful implementation is achieved not by the management team but instead from the workers themselves. The front-line staff, those who actually perform the work are the ones charged with innovating ways to speed the process, minimize risk and provide higher client satisfaction. This seminar explores how a Lean approach to financial management can be implemented in an architectural firm.

SPRINT 3: Developing the "Practice of Innovation in Architecture", Mark Miller, MK Think

As principal of the Innovation Studio at MKThink, Mark depends on big data to inform designs so that the outcome is the appropriate solution for the problem. Sometimes the issue at hand is not clear and the use of key analytics can provide answers to undefined problems. By discovering the means to transcend systemic inefficiencies of traditional building, the alignment with today’s post-industrial economy can occur. Innovative solutions correct and capitalize on these inefficiencies by applying successful analytic and technological precedents from parallel industries.

Innovative Negotiation: The Art and Science of Making the Deal

• Rosa Sheng, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
• Elizabeth Tippin, Elizabeth Tippin Law
• Joan Williams, UC Hastings School of Law

Joan Williams, UC Hastings gives strategies for better negotiation. 

Innovative Negotiation was a newly developed seminar that leverages the science and art of successful deal making to become a more effective negotiator on behalf of yourself, your practice, and for the profession-at-large. In the session, attendees learned tactical skills to build confidence by understanding default negotiation styles and discussed ways to increase effective outcomes for various situations; performance review, salary raise negotiation, contracts and additional services with your clients. There are many situations and types of negotiation — and ultimately it breaks down to communication styles and the choices we make when we engage in these situations. Understanding the various styles of negotiation while learning when to apply these skills based on the situation is critical to successful outcomes. 

Equity in Action: Co-Creating Space for Social Change

• Mallory Cusenbery, RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture, Inc.
• Tomas Alvarez, Beats Rhymes & Life, Inc.

Engaging "At Promise" Oakland Youth in design process.

In Oakland where youth face daily challenges to their well being, "placemaking" and "personal growth" may seem like indulgences. Communities of young people are busy coping with impacts from gun violence, teen pregnancy, high drop-out rates, inadequate healthcare and incarceration. Yet, it is in this very area where a set of important community innovations are emerging. Through concurrent initiatives in programming, mental health facilitation and collaborative placemaking design, East Bay youth are redefining themselves and the places where they live. At the heart of this are grassroots, hands-on engagement processes—using culturally relevant tools—offering a generation of young people means to build their world in their image. This is about co-creating efficacy through guided collaboration. In architecture, youth-focused participatory design is engaging young people in a generative creative process to co-design their built environment, with exciting results. In social work, hip hop therapy is offering a model for culturally-responsive approaches to adolescent mental health, healing and empowerment. Both approaches embrace the notion that youth labeled "at risk" are capable of creating, transforming and shaping their communities; both leverage similar tools to achieve this: collaborative activity groups, exercises to extract youth stories, improvisation, structures for youth creative input, documentation. The role of the "expert”—architect, therapist—is redefined, replacing top-down approaches with porous, non-hierarchical facilitator/collaborator roles. 

Unfortunately, I didn't get to attend Thursday's Placemaking Deep Dive. But judging from the live tweet activity (Captured in Storify Summary) there were some very active discussions about the need for Placemaking to authentically engage with communities to inspire a new activism for "Citizen Planners".

Why Every Project is My "First"

by Rosa T. Sheng, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

— Steve Jobs, Excerpts from The 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech

#Architalks is back again. For those that are unfamiliar with Architalks, it is the brainchild of Bob Borson, AIA (also the recent recipient of the Texas Society of Architects Honor Award for his social media contributions to spread the awareness of Architects and Architecture to the general public.) Architalks can be thought of as Architects blogs meets The Iron Chef:  November's secret ingredient topic is "My First Project". 

The "first" thing that popped into my head was trying to decide what would define a "first" project. There are no fast an ready rules and we are all left to our own devices to figure how we approach the topic. So I let my stream of consciousness lead the way and the results teased out many firsts:

• My first project on the first day of architecture school (yes, but too abstract, not architectural)
• My first project in studio with architectural solution (yes, but design outcome wasn't that great)
• My first project at my first job after graduation? (My multiple 1st projects were not memorable)
• My first project completed as a Project Architect? (If I told you, I would have to...)
• My first project that I got really excited and passionate about? (okay, I may be on to something...)

If you were to capture all the "firsts" and boil it down to its bare essence, there is a common thread. It's the feeling of excitement of unknown potential; the Tabula Rasa (or blank slate) effect. There is an exhilaration of limitless possibilities; to produce a successful, positive impact that is aesthetically stimulating in form and seamlessly integrated in function. And with that "first" project or experience, we have a more heightened sense and awareness. The process of design somewhat demands that we come to the table with this "first" project frame of reference. Without it, we would be crippled in our ability to deliver the creative problem solving skills which make our profession so valuable to those we serve. 

Pixar Animation Studios

Part of the challenge throughout my 21 year architectural career has been to keep that fresh, optimistic perspective and excitement of that "first" project. New clients, new site, new programmatic opportunity and challenges, new consultant and design team. And in many ways, I have been very fortunate that most of the projects I have worked on have been "firsts". Each one is unique from the others, but they all had the desire to innovate; breaking new ground, leading others to new ways of seeing and doing things that had never been done before.  And sometimes the fact that "it" hadn't been done before, is like a dare of sorts to be the "first" to accomplish it.

This has applied not only to architectural project work, but the amazing movement of Equity in Architecture that started with founding Equity by Design a little more than two years ago. Each major initiative has been a "first" project. The Missing 32% Project Equity in Architecture Survey which garnered 2289 national responses. The Equity by Design Symposium which was a "first" in delivering an interactive and engaging conference format which sold out with 250 attendees from all over the country. The EQxD Hackathon which was the first workshop at AIA National Convention to leverage a new format for continuing education. And AIA Resolution 15-1, Equity in Architecture which garnered the support of 4,117 delegates at the AIA National Convention in Atlanta. 

Equity by Design: Knowledge, Discussion, Action! - October 2014

So I encourage you to suspend disbelief and embrace each new project you encounter as if it were your "first" project.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish. 

Please explore other takes on the November #Architalks topic "My First Project" with the veritable offerings from the architect blog community started by Bob Borson

Bob Borson - Life of An Architect (@bobborson)
My First Project: The Best Project Ever Designed That Wasn't

Marica McKeel - Studio MM (@ArchitectMM)
My "First Project"

Jeff Echols - Architect Of The Internet (@Jeff_Echols)
My First Project - Again

Lee Calisti, AIA - Think Architect (@LeeCalisti)
first project first process

Mark R. LePage - Entrepreneur Architect (@EntreArchitect)
Our First Architecture Project [#ArchiTalks]

Lora Teagarden - L² Design, LLC (@L2DesignLLC)
#ArchiTalks: My first project

Eric T. Faulkner - Rock Talk (@wishingrockhome)
The First One -- A Tale of Two Projects

Michele Grace Hottel - Michele Grace Hottel, Architect (@mghottel)
"My First Project"

Michael Riscica - Young Architect (@YoungArchitxPDX)
The Early Years of My Architecture Career - My Role

brady ernst - Soapbox Architect (@bradyernstAIA)
I Hate Decks

Eric Wittman - intern[life] (@rico_w)
[first] project [worst] crit

Sharon George - Architecture By George (@sharonraigeorge)
My First Project - The First Solar Decathlon #Architalks

Emily Grandstaff-Rice - Emily Grandstaff-Rice AIA (@egraia)
Project Me

Daniel Beck - The Architect's Checklist (@archchecklist)
Fake it 'til you make it

Jarod Hall - di'velept (@divelept)
Define First

Anthony Richardson - That Architecture Student (@thatarchstudent)
my first project

Drew Paul Bell - Drew Paul Bell (@DrewPaulBell)
My First Project

Jeffrey A Pelletier - Board & Vellum (@boardandvellum)
Top ten tips when faced with a challenging Architectural project

Aaron Bowman - Product & Process (@PP_Podcast)
Community 101

Samantha Raburn - The Aspiring Architect (@TheAspiringArch)
6 Major Differences between my 1st School Project & my 1st Real Project

Kyu Young Kim - Palo Alto Design Studio (@sokokyu)
My First Project – The Contemporary Cottage

Nisha Kandiah - TCDS (@SKRIBBLES_INC)
The Question of Beginning

Cormac Phalen - Cormac Phalen (@archy_type)
I GOT A ROCK

Winning the lottery, requires buying a ticket

““You can’t win the lottery, if you don’t buy a ticket”. ”

— Julia Donoho, AIA, Esq.

At the AIA Women's Leadership Summit in Seattle, there was advocacy; taking action to drive positive change for equitable practice and representation. Julia Donoho, AIA, Esq., in her presentation about leading the campaign to nominate Julia Morgan for the AIA Gold Medal summed it up pretty well; "You can't win the lottery, if you don't buy a ticket". 

That message was already on our minds prior to the summit and in early discussions with the WIA/Equity Alliance Group of the AIA Diversity & Inclusion Council.  There was the discussion that AIA National Convention in the past has been lacking educational programs that addressed equitable practice and overall diverse representation on the panels groups. Applying the theory that you have to "Be in it, to win it", we asked everyone to submit an AIA Convention seminar or workshop program during the call for proposals earlier this summer. There were 10 proposals submitted with 2 phases of peer review. At each phase, there was great collaboration and strategic thinking about panelists for each program to increase the strength of the individual submissions. We are happy to report that 7 out of the 10 have been accepted as AIA convention programs for 2016 in Philadelphia!

Here are the 7 and their respective abstracts of each program for your reference:

1. EQxD Hackathon : Architecture And...The Era of Connections
2. EQxD What's Flex Got to Do with Success
3. EQxD Negotiation is your Power Tool
4. Establishing the Business Case for Women in architecture
5. Moving the Needle: Achieving Equity starts with Architecture Schools
6. Attract, Engage, Retain, Promote: Recommendations for Equitable Practices in Architecture
7. Future Firm Culture: Defining a Path to Success

Here are the abstracts of each program for your reference:

EQxD Hackathon : Architecture And...The Era of Connections

One of the most unique and talked about ½ Day Pre-Convention Workshops is back! Join us for a new EQxD Hackathon this year. In Architecture AND the Era of Connection, we will explore the intersection of Design and Tech with a diverse panel of industry leaders and entrepreneurs to explore the practice innovations and future opportunities related to the business of Architecture in the new digital economy. The second half of the workshop will feature the popular "mini-Hackathon" format for groups to explore and develop a real plan of action that will have positive impact on the profession. (What is a Hackathon?) Very similar in format to a design charrette, this rapid prototyping format will leverage your Design Thinking skills to propose actionable initiatives and best practices for innovating equitable practice and exploring future business models for the profession. (Submitted by Rosa Sheng, AIA)

Equity by Design: Win-Win Strategies for Work/Life Flexibility

Establishing a healthy integration between work and life positively impacts business bottom lines by: providing access to a wider talent pool; increasing employee satisfaction, engagement and productivity; and reducing costly employee turnover. Meanwhile, the architectural profession commonly demands long, and often unpredictable, hours spent in the office. In this panel discussion, we will explore successful strategies for both firm leaders and employees to develop infrastructure that promotes and rewards results over the “Culture of Busy”. (Submitted by Lilian Asperin-Clyman, AIA)

Equity by Design: Negotiation is your Power Tool

According to the 2014 Equity in Architecture Survey, negotiation skills are sorely lacking in our profession. The survey found that less than 35% of all respondents, regardless of gender, negotiated their current salaries. Those who had negotiated salary increases experienced similar rates of self-reported success, and successful negotiators of both genders made more money on average than their non-negotiating counterparts. Successful negotiation is a well-honed skill that requires a deep understanding of all the potential factors that influence positive outcomes. At this session, we will discuss and learn strategies for achieving success in negotiations. (Submitted by Lilian Asperin-Clyman, AIA)

Establishing the Business Case for Women in architecture

This seminar begins with trends of women in architectural school, practice, and leadership positions. We will then identify root causes of what holds women back, or causes them to leave the profession; explore the business case for integrating women into leadership positions; and define actionable items firms can implement to raise women into leadership roles. Panelists will discuss personal experiences with attaining leadership roles, overcoming barriers, and views on the importance of women in a thriving practice.(Submitted by Amy Kalar, AIA)

Moving the Needle: Achieving Equity starts with Architecture Schools

The number of women and minorities attending architecture school has steadily increased, yet the comparable percentage of professors, department heads, heads of schools and deans of colleges that are women or minorities has not increased in years. Come hear from several Deans and Department Heads that have broken through this barrier as they describe what it means to their university, to their students and to the architectural profession. (Submitted by Nicole Dress, AIA)

Attract, Engage, Retain, Promote: Recommendations for Equitable Practices in Architecture

While women graduate with architecture degrees at a rate equal to men, they still make up only 20% of practicing architects; and today’s emerging professionals, regardless of gender, demand new approaches to work-life integration and career development. This session uses research-based recommendations and tools developed by Iowa Women in Architecture to help firms attract, retain, and nurture diverse talent pools, and to aid individuals as they move through their own career paths. (Submitted by Ann Sobiech Munson, AIA)

Future Firm Culture: Defining a Path to Success

Every architect is seeking a good firm culture that nurtures personal and professional success. But defining the necessary ingredients for a positive firm culture can be elusive. How do you as an individual influence the mood and energy of your firm? Your success and happiness as a professional may depend on your thoughtful decision to join a firm that best fits you culturally as well as your skills. ((Submitted by Nicole Martineau, AIA)

In the months to come prior to AIA National Convention, we will continue to engage, promote and advocate for attending these seminars and workshops to move the needle towards equitable practice. This will include documentation of the events and providing the best information to participants prior to and after events as we continue to build a network of champions for change.

If you have an approved program at AIA National Convention that is focused on the topic of equitable practice that is not represented here, please let us know and we will add you to the list of workshops and seminars.

Bringing a Hackathon to Payette

by Karen Robichaud, Communications Editor at Payette

When I attended the Equity by Design Hackathon at the AIA Convention this spring, I left feeling so inspired. The dialogue in that room was exciting and deep, and I was even more excited about the potential of the Hackathon platform. As I thought about how the hackathon worked – small group discussion focused on conversation and problem solving leading to a brief presentation – I had this feeling that I could bring the format to Payette.

photo by Mike Lee
After attending the 2015 AIA Convention Equity by Design Hackathon, Robichaud returned to Payette energized about the potential of the hackathon format to increase inclusion and creativity within the firm. She organized her firm's first Hackathon in early September.

I envisioned small groups working on a design challenge and coming together to present their ideas. This isn’t unlike the charrette process architects know from school. However, what if we called it a hackathon and rooted it in the desire to disrupt the status quo? I saw the hackathon as a way to stimulate new ideas related to our project work, a mechanism to bring people throughout our firm together who might not always work together and as a way for us to stretch our design muscles. Because the hackathon ends with brief presentations, participants would also have an opportunity to practice their public speaking skills and work on concisely and coherently presenting an idea.

At Payette we all sit in an open studio, with visual access to project alcoves lining the interior perimeter. We encourage dialogue and discussion and the hackathon format seemed like a natural, obvious extension of that atmosphere.

I returned from the AIA Convention fired up. I couldn’t wait to get a hackathon off the ground. While it took most of the summer to organize and plan the event, I am thrilled with the event we launched in early September. For one Friday afternoon in September, five teams of 4-5 people hacked a design challenge. We included three judges and tasked them with selecting a winning team. At Payette we often hold an internal happy hour late on Friday afternoons. Though informal, we take this time to share travel photography, outside projects and special skills (like a passion for letterpress printing or basket weaving). I tied the hackathon presentations into that Friday afternoon happy hour and invited the rest of the firm to hear the presentations and join an open discussion about the hackathon while the judges deliberated.

Photo by Mike Lee
Payette's first Hackathon

What started out as a bit of a passion project for me and a bit of an experiment for the firm, turned into a highly successful event. Through the hackathon we opened up dialogue about our project work and challenged some assumptions. We also elevated voices throughout the firm, initiating a diverse and varied design conversation.

I wanted the event to offer an avenue for design discussion separate from project work, but related to it. I also wanted the hackathon to be as inclusive as possible – pulling perspectives from a range of experience levels and backgrounds. My hope was that with success, we’d be able to hold more hackathons and eventually, everyone would have an opportunity to participate.

Overall, the Payette’s first hackathon was a success! I learned a lot about what worked for the groups and what might be improved. Due to the success, I’m in the process of planning our second hackathon.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PAYETTE'S FIRST HACKATHON

• Payette Hackathon
• Payette Hackathon: Hear from the Judges
• Payette Hackathon: Hear from the Teams
• Payette Hackathon: Hear from the Winning Team

Photos by Mike Lee, Payette's Hackathon Teams

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Hungry for more conversation about the future of Design, Architecture and the Built Environment? In less than 2 weeks, AIA SF is hosting the "NEXT" Conference on November 12 & 13th in San Francisco. What is NEXT? THAT is precisely the question the event will be addressing. 

The AIA SF NEXT Conference is a unique opportunity to extend and expand the conversation about how the professional practice of Architecture will need to adapt to the needs of our rapidly changing society that is affected by advancements in technology, transitions in commerce and availability of land and natural resources. Day 1 will a Deep Dive about Placemaking and Day 2 will kick off with keynote "The New Frontier of Design" by Paola Antonelli of MoMa.