Architecture And The Information Age: UA Professors And Students Guiding The Future Of The Profession

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Writers and historians speculated about the future of architecture long before the Internet.

Nineteenth—century French writer Victor Hugo hinted in "Notre Dame de Paris" that the printed word might replace the church. Seventeenth—century Italian architect Bernini might have rolled a few eyes when his large-scale architecture was unveiled.

It's no wonder than that the 90th annual Associate of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) meeting held in New Orleans was "Architecture in Communication: Challenge and Opportunity in the Building of the Information Age."
The topics included digital media, the Internet and the future of architectural "space," which on a computer screen might be better described as "time."

University of Arkansas associate professors of architecture Greg Herman and Julieanna Preston and American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) Vice President Cory Whalin were part of this discussion.

As a recently elected Southwest Regional director of ACSA, Herman was honored at the conference. For the next three years, he will sit on the board of directors, helping steer the future of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas architecture schools.

The Information Age will be only one of Herman's upcoming concerns. Beginning in 2002—03, he will also try to promote diversity in architecture schools, create a new regional journal, participate in international meetings and present a final project at the end of his term.

"The School of Architecture is happy to see Greg Herman continuing a longstanding School tradition of leadership in the ACSA," says Dean of the School of Architecture Jeff Shannon.

Herman has been an important asset to the University for over 10 years and will now continue his service to students within the region as well, Shannon said.

Herman was voted by students as an outstanding teacher award and recently earned a Faculty Professional Essay Award by the School of Architecture.

For many years, he has been involved with the ACSA. Most recently, he chaired the Southwest Regional meeting in Memphis, Tenn., including a trip to the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, Ark., where he participated in a regional cultural issues conference.

UA associate professor Julieanna Preston also presented "Northern Gateway Project-Scene 8" at the conference as part of a session called "Installations by Architects." This presentation was part of her work from Victoria University, which will also be included in an upcoming symposium and book.

UA student Cory Whalin of Cabot, Ark., and other architecture students also traveled to New Orleans. Whalin represented the University of Arkansas AIAS in a session called "Studio Culture Critique," where panelists spoke about the future of architecture studios, focusing on the students' perspective of such issues as safety, stress and costs of materials.

Founded to advance the quality of architectural education, the ACSA is a nonprofit, membership association. School membership in ACSA has grown from 10 charter members to over 250 schools in several membership categories. Through these schools, over 5,300 architecture faculty are represented, and over 500 supporting members composed of architecture firms, product associations and individuals add to the breadth of interest and support of ACSA goals.

For more information visit http://www.acsa-arch.org.

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