Great Spaces, Great Places
Design in the Hills 2014 Restorations kicked off fittingly in Deadwood with walking tours of Mt. Moriah Cemetery (the burial place of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock and other well-known historic characters), the Mickelson Trailhead, and the planned future Powerhouse Park.
The 2013 theme was Design in the “Explorations” and we adventured into the vibrant public art scene of Downtown Rapid City. Originally, we had tours of Ellsworth AFB scheduled, but Federal furloughs forced last-minute changes. Fortunately, there is an abundance of creative built environment to discover in Rapid City.
2012 was the year to study “Transformations” in Rapid City. 2011 saw the beginnings of Main Street Square under construction. In 2012 we did a follow-up tour of the completed plaza and the adjacent building renovations into The Shops at Main Street Square. The former parking lot and empty buildings were now transformed into a energetic beating heart of the community.
Design in the Hills 2011 was our first year, featuring tours and presentations of local Built Environment design projects. Rapid City was undergoing a revitalization of the downtown area, and we toured the construction site of the new Main Street Square, which would become the heart of Downtown.
With COVID-19 pushing back our in-person Design in the Hills events to 2021, the American Institute of Architects South Dakota (AIA SD) is partnering with the Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association to open this year’s virtual event to the public through the Design in the Hills 2020 Photo Contest. One final $150 prize to a local Black Hills business provided by AIA South Dakota will be awarded to the top photo.
As the Fourth of July approaches, I challenge you to reflect on our nation’s history. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Acknowledge the triumphs and shortcomings of our nation. Remember how we the people have and can continue to learn and grow. Pause and appreciate those that came before (in all their imperfection) who fought to preserve our inalienable rights. We are blessed and we will overcome the challenges. We are a resilient nation of people who hold different backgrounds and beliefs; however, we are united by our shared value of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let freedom ring and continue to pursue equality!
Meet the new and veteran members of the board of the South Dakota chapter of the AIA.
Matthew Kreilich, FAIA, LEED AP, will keynote our 2020 AIA SD convention and serve as the juror for the 2020 AIA SD design awards. Kreilich is a design principal at Snow Kreilich Architects in Minneapolis. Recently the studio received AIA’s 2018 Architecture Firm Award, an honor that recognizes a practice that consistently has produced distinguished …
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As member Architects or members of the general public, it’s understandable to question “what are my dues paying for?” and “what does the AIA do for us, anyway?” There are detailed responses to those questions, of course, but right now it’s easiest to just present some tangible evidence of the value of this organization. In …
Continue reading “The AIA is leading the built-environment response to the pandemic.”
Among the silver linings of the worldwide Coronavirus epidemic and associated shutdowns are the drastic improvements to urban air quality, remarkable examples of community building and random kindness, and the opportunity to consider new possibilities for the spaces in which we live, work and play. Here are just a few quick reads on how some …
Continue reading “Rethinking Architecture in the Pandemic Era”