Letters: A Letter to Brian Greenspun, Editor of the Las Vegas Sun

Dear Brian Greenspun,

The word sustainable has gained legs in the last few years. It's no longer on the fringe. Television networks attempt to showcase their sustainable credentials with green content and green logos. And the construction industry is poised to reach a tipping point in building energy efficient, sustainable buildings.

What should we think of when we hear 'sustainability'?

Behaviors that work for generations. Imagine all of us behaving like we do now for several generations and try to understand the results of our actions on our descendants. In a sustainable future, the quality of life for our children and grandchildren improves, and a sustainable practice is one that can be utilized every day, week, and year to get us there.

Many policies crucial to our quality of life are not sustainable. Oil production is peaking as the demand for energy skyrockets. Education is in decline while fewer jobs are being created. Political candidates spend more and more money to get the attention of fewer and fewer voters.

At all levels of government we ignore our duty to the future.

We must consistently make more sustainable decisions and look farther than the next election. For a moment, look at the issues you believe in through the lens of sustainability. Of course, we will bring our politics to sustainability and we can expect to disagree about things, but when we evaluate our own solutions if they cannot be sustained let's keep looking for better answers.

All the best,

Paul Cline, AIA

Paul Cline, AIA is an architect and builder in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a member of the Young Architects Forum Advisory Committee and writes on issues of community, sustainability, and innovation in design and construction.

Letters: A Letter to Mrs. Mary Beth Scow, President of the Clark County School District's Board of Trustees.

Mrs. Scow,
Thank you for your service on the school board. As a graduate of CCSD schools I have a lot of respect and thanks for the board's work.

I wanted to write you a quick email to express something that crosses my mind occasionally.

I am disappointed by the lack of planning and poor use of resources when I find a county school adjacent to a county park. I realize that schools must be a safe place for students but there must be a better solution.

When the district is planning and designing schools please encourage better integration into the neighborhoods and community resources in the school's area. I feel that this type of integration not only reduces the tax burden for infrastructure and buildings but also improves the quality of life and the quality of services.

Thank you in advance for any thoughts you have to share on the subject.

All the best,

Paul Cline, AIA

PS: Please indicate if I may post your response to my blog. If you'd like you can respond at my blog.

CC:http://makingprojects.blogspot.com/

Do you write letters to your community leaders?

YAF 150 at 150: Jack Travis, FAIA

(listen here) The American Institute of Architects honors committed, exceptional members who contribute significantly to the profession and the community by making them a Fellow.

I was interested in interviewing Jack because he grew up in Las Vegas (I'm a native) and because of his serious commitment to mentorship. I was introduced to Jack through Bob Fielden, at my first podcast interview. When I asked Jack to help me with the interview he agreed right away.

In the interview I learn about his upbringing in Las Vegas, how his family made the sacrifices necessary to put Jack through parochial schools, and how racism impacted the structure of Las Vegas in the 60s. Jack talks about a series of important mentors throughout his career, people who continue to be a part of his life, and how he has in turn mentored many. He has even created a foundation for that purpose. Also, he tells me that he has struggled with sketching early on. He explained that designers need to communicate their ideas quickly to clients and sketching is critical.

Take home message: "be bold and humble, seek out the mentors you need and ask for their help."

This is my second podcast and counting. I hope I'm getting better.

You can subscribe to the 150 at 150 podcast at: XML or iTunes.

You can find out more about Jack Travis in these articles from AIA.org: Jack Travis, FAIA, on Black Identity, Face of the AIA, Jack Travis, 25 Steps to Diversity, and Patrons and Partonage or at JackTravis.com.

Paul Cline, AIA is an architect and builder in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a member of the Young Architects Forum Advisory Committee and writes on issues of community, sustainability, and innovation in design and construction.

YAF 150 at 150: Dr. Robert Fielden, FAIA

(listen here) The American Institute of Architects honors committed, exceptional members who contribute significantly to the profession and the community by making them a Fellow.

Bob Fielden was made a fellow because of his leadership in the profession and I interviewed him as a part of project by the Young Architect's Forum; the 150 at 150. Young architect's are interviewing fellows to find out how they got where they are in their careers, who their mentors were, and what was their greatest challenge.

This is my first podcast ever! And you can tell. I'm so nervous in the interview that I'm shaking.

You can subscribe to the 150 at 150 podcast (and find better interviewers than me) at: XML or iTunes . You can also listen to over eight years of Bob Fielden's commentaries on design issues that effect Las Vegas and the southwest at KNPR.

It's good to try new things.

Where to go from here.

I am interested in rescuing stories. I take as my standard the great storytelling you'll find at This American Life. I have been listening through TAL's archives and I am developing the radio bug. I want to record people telling the stories of their lives before the stories are lost. Little stories. Real stories. I got jump started by joining the AIA's YAF. We are interviewing architect leaders to help transmit their knowledge to a new generation of emerging architects.

Check it out at the AIA's Leadership Podcast page.

This is very exciting to participate in. Would you like to record an interview?

The Boilerplate Rhino

I read The Boilerplate Rhino: Nature in the Eye of the Beholder by David Quammen and heard him on Fresh Air talking about his new book Monster of God: The Man-Eating Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind. (Listen here.) I am enjoyed Boilerplate Rhino so much. The book is a collection of essays. The essays come from Quammen's work at Outside magazine and works as a vicarious traveler journal of the field naturalist sort.

Find David Quammen at these other links:
Fresh Air: Tuesday - September 23, 2003
National Geographic Adventure: On Assignment--Grand Canyon
National Geographic Magazine @ nationalgeographic.com

David Quammen blends science and travel. He reminds me of Oliver Sacks.

I finished Evolving the Mind by A. G. Cairns-Smith a few days ago. For me it was rather ponderous. I may need to re-read it.

I picked this book because I came across a quote of Cairns-Smith's in Darwin Among the Machines by George B. Dyson. [A history of computing.]

As I understand it Cairns-Smith proposes that the conscious mind, the parts of mind that have feelings and effect behavior, are like a macro-quantum mechanical effect. (i.e. superfluidity or coherent light lasers) He argues that the mind is an evolved 'physical' phenomenon but its clear to him that our models of physicality are insufficient to know the mind. Indeed our misunderstanding of our world is the most substantial impression I took from the book.

For me this book was a challenging science primer, structured to hold up a proposal for consciousness. I would recommend it to interested readers who feel they have a strong grasp of the physical sciences.