Dean Sakamoto appointed to AIA National Committee

President Mickey Jacobs, FAIA, of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has appointed Dean Sakamoto, FAIA, LEED AP to serve on the 2013 Committee on Disaster Assistance. Others on this committee include Rachel M. Minnery, AIA, LEED AP of Seattle, Washington; Michael D. Lingerfelt, FAIA, LEED AP of Orlando, Florida; Gregory R. Beste, AIA of East Providence, Rhode Island; James E. Butch" Grimes, AIA of Birmingham, Alabama; and Robert W. Thiele, AIA of San Diego, California. Dean Sakamoto's interest in this area is based upon his belief "...that our communities and buildings today must not only be sustainable, but they must also incorporate resilient design strategies." Resilient design has to do with the built environment's ability to absorb the effects of predicted and unpredicted changes and impacts due to natural or human-induced events. DSA's Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center, a LEED Gold building on Kauai, Hawaii, is designed for hurricane resilience.

Superstorm Sandy Damage Observed

From November 29 to December 6, 2012, Dean Sakamoto, FAIA, LEED AP; Karl Kim, Ph.D., University of Hawaii Urban Planning Professor, who is also executive director of the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC); along with coastal geologist and land use law expert, Dennis Hwang, of UH Sea Grant, visited the most severely damaged areas along the New York City and New Jersey coasts to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) efforts in recovery from Hurricane Sandy. The team was hosted by Professor Ronald Shiffman, FAICP of Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment and met with community leaders, local officials, New York City planning and design professionals, residents, building owners, and those involved in relief and recovery efforts. Coastal storm surge, flooding, and infrastructure failure were the main causes and consequences of Sandy’s impact. Sandy struck the east coast on October 29 of this year. Dean Sakamoto leads the Urban Resilience Lab at UH Planning and is the lead developer of NDPTC's HURRIPLAN, a design-based training course for hurricane resilience. HURRIPLAN will be presented at the Center for Architecture in New York City as part of its September 2013 Design For Risk and Recovery events. Dennis Hwang photo above of the remains of a home on Union Beach, NJ. 

DOCOMOMO US Hawaii Chapter Makes News

In the Honolulu Weekly cover story, "Architecture Matters Now!" author and architecture critic Curt Sanburn describes the convergence (and resurgence) of interest in the Aloha State's capital city. Sanburn cites the opening of AIA Honolulu's Center for Architecture in downtown; plans for Kakaako, a central urban industrial district which appears to be turning a corner towards its long anticipated redevelopment; and coincidentally, Dean Sakamoto's return to Honolulu and start-up of the Docomomo US Hawaii Chapter with  a team of local preservationists, designers and historians. Sakamoto is the Hawaii Chapter's founding President. Sanburn wisely states: "It’s Honolulu’s time to look back and move forward, to lovingly defend itself, embrace itself, and build itself as a blessedly unique city of the world. Whether it’s the architects at the AIA or the scholars at Docomomo, their passions and their conversations will help to forge a new Honolulu." This article appeared in the November 14, 2012 issue of the Weekly which can be found at http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2012/11/architecture-matters-now/

DSA's Modern House Honored by AIA Connecticut

The Modern House Renovation for Dr. Lauren Cohn in Woodbridge, Connecticut was the recipient of a 2012 AIA Connecticut Merit Award. A masterpiece of mid-century modern design which was originally designed by Yale architecture professor King-Lui Wu (1918-2002) for Benjamin Dupont and built in 1952. DSA's primary objective was to retain the identity and character of King-Lui Wu's architecture, yet update and improve artificial lighting and worn finishes, while "softening" the acoustics and areas of everyday activity such as the kitchen, living room and master bedroom. Lighting designers Atelier Ten and the Westmount Group, builders of the project were key collaborators. Vicky Sambunaris photo above. 

Other firms honored in this year's program include Pelli Clarke Pelli, Centerbrook Architects, Newman Architects, Joeb Moore and Partners, and Beinfield Architecture. 
The design jury consisted of architects Deborah Berke, FAIA, Hillary Brown, FAIA, and David Helpern, FAIA.

Jury comments:

This remodeling project keeps the spirit of the original building. The changes that were made were sympathetic and respectful to it.

For more info on this project see http://www.dsarch.net/projects/cohn.html

2012 AIA Honolulu CSI Pacific Building and Trade Expo

Dean Sakamoto presented the concept of resilience in architectural design as it relates to the current standards of sustainability. Resilience in the built environment has to do with society’s ability to rebound or recover from widespread disruption caused by a natural or human-induced event. The first area of his talk addressed Hawaii’s vulnerability to coastal storms and how informed planning and design can prepare us for the associated hazards of high winds, heavy rains, interior flooding and coastal surge before disaster strikes. The second area coupled sustainable design and resilient mitigation strategies for commercial and institutional buildings. Dean's presentation ended with a mini-design exercise in which the audience of over 50 architects made sketches for a community safe room for a public school. 

Boathouse at Canal Dock in Yale Daily News

Read about the reinterpretation of Yale's historic Adee Boathouse(1911-2007) as part of the City of New Haven's soon to be built community rowing facility, the Boathouse at Canal Dock. Pictured above is the former Adee prior to its razing and an illustration of the future Boathouse at Canal Dock slated for completion in 2014. DSA is responsible for the interpretive design elements of the new boathouse by Greg Wies Gardner Architects and Langan Engineering. Rendering at right by Greg Wies Gardner Architects and photo at left courtesy of City of New Haven Department of City Plan.

See http://www.yaledailynews.com/photos/2012/sep/10/31100/

Senator Inouye Tours DSA Projects at NTBG

Senator Daniel Inouye, the most senior member of the U.S. Senate and the President Pro-Tempore, and his wife, Irene Hirano Inouye, President of the US-Japan Council, toured the completed Native Hawaiian Cultural Learning Center and the Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center on August 23, 2012. The Senator was responsible for National Tropical Botanical Garden's Congressional Charter in 1964 and the Federal Grant that funded construction of the new Learning Center. Chipper Wichman, Director and CEO of NTBG, led the visit as Dean Sakamoto added his insight to the design features of both projects. Jon Letman photo, courtesy NTBG

Pacific Heights House Listed on Hawaii State Historic Register

The Hawaii State Historic Places Review Board unanimously approved the nomination of the Henry F. and Florence E. Davis Residence to its Register. DSA designed the structural stabilization, renovation and restoration of this property located on historic Pacific Heights Road, saving it from demolition. According to historian Don Hibbard who drafted the nomination: "The house retains a high level of integrity with its main living areas very much intact...most notably the kitchen, bathroom, and basement, these changes were handled in a sympathetic manner, and do not detract from the overall historic impression of the home." Craftsman Rich Burkam of New Haven, Connecticut and Furukawa Custom Buildiers of Kailua, Hawaii were collaborators on this project.

Canal Dock Public Meeting - DSA reveals updated Design

On July 12, 2012, a public meeting was held at the New Haven's Public Library to present the construction of a Boathouse Facility at Long Wharf project development.

"When a new boathouse comes to Long Wharf, the public will walk on water."

by Allan Appel, New Haven Independent July 13, 2012

For more details from the meeting, click here for an article in the New Haven Independent.  And our website for more pictures of the project.

DSA attends AIA National in D.C.

Design Connects was the theme of the AIA National Convention in Washington D.C. on May 18-20.  In addition to the numerous continuing education programs and design exposition, Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon’s keynote address on making our cities more livable resonated with the DSA Team. 

Modern House Featured in New Haven Magazine

"The living room ceiling that had been comprised of warping cypress slats with fluorescent lighting above it became a classic glowing grid under Sakamoto's design."  - New Haven Magazine

See the full article, "Monument to Mid-Century Modernism" by Duo Dickinson here.  And for more images of the renovation, see our website!