October 8, 2003

Design Detailings: Pike Place Market seeks applicants

Two positions are open on the Pike Place Market Historical Commission: one property owner position and one merchant position.

The 12-member Pike Place Market Historical Commission is responsible for the review and approval of all use and design changes within the 10-acre Pike Place Market Historical District.

The commission is composed of two market merchants, two market property owners, two market residents and two members each representing Friends of the Market, Allied Arts and the Seattle Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Members serve a three-year term.

Interested applicants for the property owner position must own a property within the Pike Place Market Historical District, and the merchant position must own a business within the district.

Send a letter of interest and resume by Oct. 23 to Mayor Greg Nickels c/o: Heather McAuliffe, coordinator, Pike Place Market Historical Commission, city of Seattle, Department of Neighborhoods, 700 Third Ave., Fourth Floor, Seattle, WA 98104.

Free tour of Tacoma downtown housing

What's it like to live in downtown Tacoma? Find out Saturday and Sunday, when 15 of downtown Tacoma's most popular new and renovated condos, town homes and apartments open their doors.

Tour downtown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and get a feel for the downtown Tacoma lifestyle. The downtown properties will serve food and offer entertainment. The tour is free and the public is encouraged to park at the Tacoma Dome Station and ride the Tacoma Link light rail into downtown. The homes include The Bostwick, 755 St. Helens Ave.; Cliff Street Lofts, 1120 Cliff Ave.; Harmon Lofts, 1944 Pacific Ave.; Hawthorn Hill, 3222 E. D St; and The Metropolitan, 233 St. Helens Ave.

"The more people we have living downtown the more Tacoma will continue its transformation into a vibrant, 24-hour city," said Juli Wilkerson, director of the Tacoma Economic Development Department. "Increased population will also support existing businesses and make us attractive to new retail and office firms considering locating in Tacoma."

Maps of the self-guided tour, including a list of participating properties and merchants, are available online at www.TacomaBIA.org/Housing.asp or www.CityofTacoma.org.

Does architecture affect the brain?

On Monday and Tuesday, the Southwest Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects sponsors a discussion on research into the links between architecture and neuroscience. Learn about current research into how the built environment affects functions of the human brain, including stress and the immune system.

From 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the Washington State History Museum, John Eberhard, president of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, will present the film "Beyond Intuition," and provide an introduction to the field of architecture and neuroscience.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, a symposium at CI Shenanigans in Tacoma will explore architecture, design and neuroscience, as well as stress and the immune system. Joining John Eberhard in presenting the symposium will be Dr. Giovanni Cizza, senior clinician at the National Institute of Mental Health.

The cost for the Monday event is $30 for AIA members, $40 for the general public. The cost for the Tuesday symposium is $90 for AIA members and $100 for the public, with discounts available for those registering for both events. Registration information is available online at www.aiasww.org/docs/Events.asp, or by phoning (253) 627-4006.

NYC AIA chapter unveils new quarters

Photo by David Sundberg/Esto AIA New York's new 12,000-square-foot Center for Architecture has a common room, resource center and 18-foot-tall presentation hall.

The American Institute of Architects New York Chapter on Tuesday unveiled the Center for Architecture, an institution devoted to the role of architecture in urban life.

Designed by the firm Andrew Berman Architect and located in New York City in a former industrial space at 536 LaGuardia Place, the center has a 64-foot-wide glass façade looking into three floors of galleries -- establishing a relationship between the activity within and the life of the street. The 12,000-square-foot facility was renovated at a cost of $2.5 million and features galleries, a lecture hall, public resource center, library, meeting rooms and offices for the chapter and its affiliate, the New York Foundation for Architecture.

Tuesday's opening kicks off Architecture Week: six days of activities, including talks on contemporary architecture and free guided tours of new and historic buildings in the five boroughs.

"We hope this facility will serve as a catalyst to further the spirit of mutual support and respect, so that architects, planners, building industry professionals and the public can come together and learn from each other," said George Miller, president of the chapter. For more information, call (212) 683-0023 or e-mail info@aiany.org. The chapter's Web site is www.aiany.org.