http://www.idsa.org/whatsnew/sections/ecosection/index.html

The links section alone is worth the visit!
http://www.idsa.org/whatsnew/sections/ecosection/selectedlinks.html

Ed Mazria is the force behind the 2030 Challenge. The challenge is to create carbon neutral building by 2030. The incremental steps to achieve this goal are outlined at http://www.architecture2030.org/open_letter/index.html

The lecture highlighted the role of the building industry in global warming and the responsibility and power that lies with architects to save humans on the planet. The American Institute of Architects has accepted the 2030 Challenge, putting them in a leadership role. LEED is now lagging in advocating the standards needed to halt global warming.

Ed Mazria called on today's architecture, planning, engineering, and landscape students to step up as well. He issued the 2010 Imperative here, at UNLV, for the first time -- to be followed up this week with a series of lectures at California architecture schools. The 2010 Imperative is a challenge to professional schools to look to their programs and their facilities to achieve the following by 2010:

1. beginning next semester, "all projects be designed to engage the environment in ways that dramatically reduce or eliminate the need for fossil fuels"

2. by 2010, achieve complete ecological literacy in professional design education

3. make the school's facility carbon neutral -- either by renovation or by buying credits if necessary.

There will be a global emergency teach-in February 2007 on the 2010 Imperative. It will last 3 1/2 hours and go to schools all over the world. More information will be forthcoming.

Is anyone in the UNLV School of Architecture (or even anyone on campus) on? in? involved with? Second Life?? If so please contact me.

I have not yet set up an avatar, but plan to do so, at least to explore. The main cause for my delay is the import of choosing an avatar name : )

The survey is available in the Architecture Studies Library and students are urged to fill it out and present their perspectives.

Categories in the survey are the 10 principles established by the AIA Center for Communities by Design. Categories include "preserve urban centers," "vary transportation options," "building vibrant public spaces," and "create a neighborhood identity." The principles are online at http://www.aia.org/liv_principles

The results of the survey will be reported in Architecture Las Vegas, 6th annual edition due out in April.

This clearinghouse is aimed primarily at architects and interior designers, although there is much of interest to other design fields. The project is a collaboration between the University of Minnesota and the American Society of Interior Designers.

The research summaries are both keyword searchable and accessible by topic. Topics are grouped into three broad areas: space, occupants, and issues. As an example of its broad coverage, there are 431 research summaries in the category of Outdoor Space. In the area of Hospitality/Restaurant, of particular interest to Las Vegas, there are 136 research summaries.

This is a tool for all designers interested in how current research might impact their design projects!

Google News Archive search proved effective for the more recent past, but America's Historical Newspapers was more productive for turn-of-the-century materials.

Another point worth noting: many of the items retrieved in the Google search are only available for a fee. For America's Historical Newspapers, the subscription fee has been paid by the Libraries! And before you pay to access items in the Google results list, check UNLV Libraires newspapers databases -- some of the items in the Google results are in newspapers available in Libraries' databases.

To try it out go to http://www.library.unlv.edu/trials.html
If you like it be sure and let me know so that I can pursue getting more long-term access!
For those of you interested in Building Information Modeling [BIM]**: there are many papers in the database on that topic.

**Remember that the Architecture Studies Library has recordings of two events from last spring where BIM was explored:
April 25, 2006 -- panel discussion in the library at which representatives of Autodesk, Bentley, and Graphisoft presented their BIM products. Video and DVD available
May 17, 2006 presentations by Glenn Fellows and Russ Sanders at the AIA Las Vegas meeting. Video and DVD available.

Among other activities at the meeting, including an announcement of this blog!, I passed out a "technology survey" -- just to get an idea of the kinds of technology UNLV SOA students are using. In particular I was interested in whether many of them read blogs. Sadly the answer is: very few read blogs. Now I am faced with the question of why. Do they not read blogs because it is not a preferred form of communication, or do they not read blogs because there are relatively few blogs out there, or few blogs of interest? Obviously this is an experiment. Comments would help!

As for other blogs out there, see the Internet Guide to Architecture Resources I have compiled http://www.library.unlv.edu/arch/rsrce/webrsrce/contents.html There is a section on blogs. Currently only five blogs are listed. Any suggestions for additions?