The Virginia Design Medalist Program in 2020 – Distance Style
Unlike any before it, the 2020 version of the Hanbury S. Michael Evans Virginia Design Medalist Program will carry on - virtually!
For the past 15 years a professor of architecture, planning or a design-related field has spent several weeks with Hanbury, participating in design discussions, critiquing work and delivering keynote presentations. In response to the 2020 backdrop of global pandemic, economic crisis and unrest related to systemic racism and inequality; we've made logistical adaptions to bring a line-up of inspiring industry leaders that reflect the interests expressed across Hanbury.
July 16: Iben Falconer – Business Development for Design Leadership
Iben's keynote focused on the key fundamentals for driving new business as we continue our push to be a firm of choice for both our clients and communities while honing our focus on design excellence. From her unrivaled experience driving intentional growth at iconic design organizations like BIG NYC, Steven Holl Architects, Gehl and MoMA; Iben introduced and facilitated a conversation on our business development strategies and tactics for thriving in this challenging time.
July 31: Kia Weatherspoon, ASID, NCIDQ – Design without Labels: Design Equity Strategies for All People
Kia is a recognized design voice of impact and change. An Air Force and Iraq War veteran and advocate for Design Equity, Kia has spent the last 15 years defying every design stereotype to prove that interior design is not a luxury reserved for a few, but a design a standard for all. By questioning the lack of these standards in economically challenged communities, Kia's presence and leadership has created ripples, prompting housing developers, agencies, and industry partners in economically disadvantaged communities not just to take notice of her work – but to do better.
July 29: Alan Organschi – Building the Carbon Positive City
The Timber City Research Initiative, from Gray Organschi Architecture where Alan is a principal and partner, offers an alternative to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the construction of new buildings and infrastructure made from mineral-based materials that are produced through industrial processes fueled by fossil-energy. Mass timber construction and bio-based urban building combined with regulatory and economic policy can transform dense urban centers from their current status as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions into massive human-made carbon sinks.
August 4: Pascale Sablan, AIA, NOMA, LEED – I Was Asked to Stand
Pascale's "I Was Asked to Stand" is a seminar and conversation geared to call attention to the disparity of representation, documentation, and acknowledgement of the great works of women and BIPOC (black, indigenous and people-of-color) designers. The discussion focuses on five categories, (1) General knowledge / existence of diverse designers (2) Flaw in the education system from enrollment / graduation rates / teaching of diverse designers (3) the obstacles in the path of licensure, (4) Architecture as advocates (5) Architect as activist. As a designer, Pascale has helped design mixed use, cultural, commercial and residential projects around the world, but she is most known as the founder and executive director of Beyond the Built Environment, LLC, which aims to address the inequitable disparities in architecture by providing a holistic platform to support numerous stages of the architecture pipeline. Beyond the Built Environment, elevates the identities and contributions of women and diverse designers through curated exhibitions, lectures, and documentaries that testify to the value of their built work and its spatial impact.
Hanbury's 2020 Virginia Design Medalist Program is an intentional response to the intensity and limitations of this particular moment in time. The voices we've brought in for this year reflect our concerns and passions as well as our quest to continually improve as a firm, as designers, and as responsible citizens of our communities and the world beyond them.
