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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

WORLD ARCHITECTURE / QUIGLEY MIXED-USE URBAN HACIENDA LANDS STATE ARCHITECTURE AWARD

HONOR AWARD--The AIACC jury honored architect Rob Quigley's team for
“Torr Kaelan,” a 14,000 s.f., five level courtyard centric town home and commercial space in the heart of San Diego’s East Village urban node.
By Thomas Shess--Architect Rob Quigley, FAIA, is one of San Diego’s leading lights in residential, hospitality, multi-unit housing, transit and public works.  Only a handful of local architects share the stage with Quigley’s masterful career contributions.

This past week, Quigley’s firm received a top “honor” award from his peers at the American Institute of Architects California Council, an industry group comprising 11,0000 architects and allied professionals in California.

The AIACC jury honored the Quigley team for “Torr Kaelan,” a 14,000 s.f., five level townhome and commercial space in the heart of San Diego’s East Village urban node.

It is a significant award.

The goal of the project was to create a transparent, unusually interactive environment for creative tenants to live over their workplace in a redeveloping downtown neighborhood.  Create a sustainable building with enough solar energy to power offices, residence and two electric cars.

THE PROJECT:
Torr Kaelan is a five-story, mixed-use, urban infill building with two town house residences over offices. The heart of the building is the central courtyard. In the late afternoon, the courtyard glows with reflected light from gold colored paint on the west facing wall.  At night, the space is transformed into a dining and gathering space for spontaneous or special occasions. Two town homes comprise the fourth and fifth floors, each with its own private elevator entry.

Westside Residence
THE JURORS:
The AIACC represents the interests of more than 11,000 architects and allied professionals in California. Founded in 1944, The AIACC’s mission supports architects in their endeavors to improve the quality of life for all Californians by creating more livable communities, sustainable designs and quality work environments. Today, The AIACC is the largest component of the national AIA organization. For more information, visit www.aiacc.org.

Award winning Torr Kaelan project by Rob Quigley is located at Island and 13th Street in San Diego's East Village
PROJECT THANK YOUS
Greg Yeatter, Dominic Chemello, Bob Dickens, Kathleen Hallahan,
Eric Johnson, Jonathan Massie, Kathy McCormick, Leslie Nordman, Fernando Ramirez at the firm of Rob Quigley, FAIA.

Our Great Neighbors at The Metro and The Mission
AD Security
Adroit Solar
Baker Door /Bejar Gate
Bolton Engineering
Centex Glazing
Construction Inspection & Testing
DC West Construction
DJC Services
Ed Jones Heating and Air Conditioning
Geyer Plumbing
Ideal Mechanical & Sheet Metal
McLean Door and Window
PBQA - Pat QuigleyLighting
Sea Bright Civil Engineer
Solid Rock Engineers
Southland Fire sprinkler
TKJ Structural Engineering
Voodoo Design Cabinets
Zen-Made
and thanks to photographers Darren Bradley and Steve Simpson

To view Rob Quigley’s portfolio of projects: www.robquigley.com

SOURCE: AIACC and http://www.robquigley.com/main.html


West side residence
Second Level Offices

ARCHIVE / ARTIST JULIE WARREN UNVEILS NEW COMMISSION


San Diego chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is having a party and we’re invited (the public).  The event hails the unveiling of the Centennial Mural by local artist Julie Warren. 

Warren’s commissioned work celebrates watershed moments in the ACLU’s civil-liberties rich history from its founding in 1933 through present day.

Date: October 2, 2015
Time: 5:30 pm thru 7:30 pm
Venue: ACLU office, 2760 Fifth Avenue, Suite 300, San Diego CA 92103.
Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP is a must:
Call Myra Lopez at 619.398.4490 or by

ABOUT THE ACLU:
In 1920, Roger Baldwin formed the ACLU with a board of directors that included Jane Addams, Helen Keller and Felix Frankfurter.

Helen Marston, the daughter of San Diego civic leader and merchant George Marston, served on that board, which was based in Los Angeles.

In 1933, the San Diego chapter was organized.


MORE ON JULIE WARREN:

www.juliewarren.net

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

WHY IS INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY IMPORTANT?

FREE COFFEE TODAY--SEE LIST AT END OF TODAY'S POSTING:


Editor’s Note: In many places around the world, including the USA, today is celebrated as a national coffee day.  But the UN sanctioned trade group known as the International Coffee Organization (ICO) has officially called for October 1, 2015 to be the first International Coffee Day.  So what’s the deal? Guest blogger Peter Giuliano is a specialty coffee symposium director for the ICO and he calls for awareness of the importance of internationalist solidarity in the world coffee industry.

GUEST BLOG—By Peter Giuliano--As a political concept, internationalism emphasizes trade, exchange, communication and respect between and among people and nations. It respects all humans on the planet as citizens of the world, each with human rights. It promotes connection and solidarity across national borders. It is the opposite of nationalism and its extreme forms, jingoism and xenophobia.

Coffee is, of course, essentially and historically international. Indigenous only to East Africa, it made its way to Asia early in its history, and it was there it was first traded internationally- first by the Arabs, then by Europeans, and later in the Americas and throughout Asia.

The trade of coffee, along with other foods like spices, sugar, cod, and cacao, helped create the trade network we still use today. Sadly, this trade often carried with it international abuses- the slave trade was a part of this same network, and much of the structure of international trade was built upon the framework of colonialism.

When thinking of internationalism in coffee, therefore, we must recognize the history and potential for international oppression, and understand that the best remedy for that is positive international exchange, a commitment to international human rights, and increased communication.  Today, the specialty coffee community is one of the most international there is- it is frankly impossible to get coffee into a person’s cup without engaging in international trade in some way.

Therefore, on International Coffee Day, we are called to celebrate the benefits of internationalism in coffee while we recommit to rejecting its ills, and seeking progress towards enlightened international exchange and solidarity. Today, we remind ourselves that the only way to move towards better quality, true sustainability, and universal prosperity in coffee is to embrace the global diversity of our trade. Everyone can- and should- do this. How? I’m glad you asked!

Celebrate Internationalism Vertically
Wherever you sit on the coffee chain from coffee farmer to coffee drinker, you are a part of a connected line of individuals which grows up from the farm into the cup. This International Coffee Day, identify and celebrate someone else in that line. If you’re a barista, investigate the coffee you’re serving today; there was a farmer somewhere who grew it- and you might even know their name or their co-op’s name.

Why not learn a little more?

Do you know exactly where the coffee was grown? Can you pronounce the name of the town? Can you find their email- either by googling or asking the roaster- and thank them for their work?

Can you tweet at them? If you’re a coffee lover- can you find out where the coffee came from, and see if you can contact them?

This year, I plan to reach out to one of my favorite co-ops, CENFROCAFE** in Northern Peru, to say hi and remind them that I look forward to drinking their coffee every year. I’ll also offer my help and solidarity. For those whom face a language barrier, why not use Google Translate to break down the barrier, which is the very purpose for which it was designed?

Celebrate Internationalism Horizontally
Whether you’re a coffee roaster, a barista, an importer, a consumer, or a salesperson, you have an international peer somewhere in Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, the Americas, or elsewhere. Today, why not rekindle that contact or establish a new one? Solidarity among coffee people transcends political boundaries- it’s likely that a coffee roaster in Europe faces many of the same challenges and aspirations as one in Australia. Why not reach out to one? I think I’ll email my friend and hero Yuko Itoi of Cafetime in Kyoto, who I’ve lost contact with in recent years.

Get involved in International Efforts
The most powerful things happening in coffee right now are international efforts to improve the coffee trade worldwide. World Coffee Events is behind the World Barista Championship and other global coffee competitions. Re:co Symposium is an intentional effort to bring international coffee leaders together for idea sharing and to foster innovation. World Coffee Events and the Coffee Quality Institute are international organizations dedicated to coffee research, development, and progress.

The International Coffee Organization is the organization dedicated to economic internationalism, and is holding a Global Coffee Forum in Milan this very week. As you may have heard, the SCAE and SCAA- already international organizations themselves- are exploring ways to work together, to form the largest international coffee network dedicated to quality, sustainability and progress we’ve ever seen.

If you care about internationalism, get involved in one or more of these efforts. As a first step, you could watch one of the Re:co talks on the subject- perhaps Paul Stack’s appeal for international cooperation, or the ICO’s own Mauricio Galindo’s talk about the international coffee market.

But, most of all, just recognizing the international effort it took to get delicious coffee into the cup is a critical first step.

Have a great International Coffee Day, everyone.


**See October 3, 2015 posting on Pillar to Post[pillartopost.org] for an update on CENTROCAFE, the coffee producing cooperative in Northern Peru mentioned in this blog.


FREE COFFEE TODAY

No free coffee here, but in honor of National Coffee Day—today--Starbucks will plant a coffee tree for every bag of coffee purchased.

Peet's Coffee & Tea will give you a free small cup of its Major Dickason Blend with the purchase of any baked good, oatmeal or fresh food item.

Krispy Kreme is offering a free small cup of coffee and an original glazed doughnut.

Death Wish Coffee offers free shipping on online coffee purchases today only:
http://www.deathwishcoffee.com/

Members of the IKEA Family program a free cup of coffee. But then, members always get a free cup of coffee.

Whole Foods is offering a cup of coffee for 25 cents. If you buy an Allegro Coffee, Whole Foods will donate $1 to the Whole Planet Foundation.


Caribou Coffee says that for every cup of Amy's Blend purchased on National Coffee Day, it will donate a cup of coffee to nurses and families in cancer centers around the country.

Monday, September 28, 2015

MONDAY MEDIA / UNITED NATIONS STATE OF THE WORLD REPORT


MONDAY MEDIA / UNITED NATIONS STATE OF THE WORLD REPORT

Editor’s Note: Pillar to Post has assembled the following two-part analysis of the recent United Nations State of the World summit held on Saturday and Sunday.  Part one is Chinese media coverage of the release of the United Nations General Assembly Report. Part two is an excerpt from the UN report itself, which was issued on its 70th anniversary of its founding proposing/demanding 17 sustainable development goals and 169 target goals to be met by 2030.

1. Sustainable development agenda adopted by 193 UN member states. 
By Xinhua.net--A momentous sustainable development agenda, which charts a new era of sustainable development until 2030, was adopted on Friday by 193 UN member states at the UN Sustainable Development Summit at UN headquarters in New York.

"We have reached a defining moment in human history. The people of the world have asked us to shine a light on a future of promise and opportunity," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the opening ceremony of the summit.

"The true test of commitment to Agenda 2030 will be implementation. We need action form everyone, everywhere. Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are our guide. They are a to-do list for people and planet and a blueprint for success," said Ban.

This ambitious agenda, comprising of 17 goals, will serve as the launch pad for action by the international community and by national governments to promote shared prosperity and well-being for all over the next 15 years.

Speaking to the media after the adoption of the agenda, Ban highlighted the inclusive process of setting the 17 goals, which cover a wide range of issues, including poverty, hunger, health services, education, gender equality and environmental protection, among others.

"The goals emerged from the most inclusive process in United Nations history. 193 countries. Thousands of non-governmental organizations and the private sector," he said, adding that "If we combine all the numbers it will be around 8.5 million people or organizations who have been surveyed on what kind of a world and what kind of a future they wanted to have."

"Today, United Nations Member States have committed to a visionary agenda for a life of dignity and prosperity for all on a healthy planet," he said. "Let us work together over the next 15 years to make their vision a reality for all people in all countries."

The summit, which ran from Sept. 25-27, sees the gathering of over 150 world leaders in the year of 2015 which coincides with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.


2. Our World Today
By the United Nations General Assembly--We (the UN) are meeting at a time of immense challenges to sustainable development. Billions of our citizens continue to live in poverty and are denied a life of dignity. There are rising inequalities within and among countries.

There are enormous disparities of opportunity, wealth and power. Gender inequality remains a key challenge. Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, is a major concern.

_______________________________

For entire the UN General Assembly report: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/69/L.85&Lang=E

________________________________

Global health threats, more frequent and intense natural disasters, spiraling conflict, violent extremism, terrorism and related humanitarian crises and forced displacement of people threaten to reverse much of the development progress made in recent decades.

Natural resource depletion and adverse impacts of environmental
degradation, including desertification, drought, land degradation, freshwater scarcity and loss of biodiversity, add to and exacerbate the list of challenges which humanity faces.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and its
adverse impacts undermine the ability of all countries to achieve sustainable development. Increases in global temperature, sea level rise, ocean acidification and other climate change impacts are seriously affecting coastal areas and low-lying coastal countries, including many least developed countries and small island developing States.

The survival of many societies, and of the biological support
systems of the planet, is at risk.

It is also, however, a time of immense opportunity. Significant progress has
been made in meeting many development challenges. Within the past generation, hundreds of millions of people have emerged from extreme poverty.

Access to education has greatly increased for both boys and girls. The spread of information and communications technology and global interconnectedness has great potential to accelerate human progress, to bridge the digital divide and to develop knowledge societies, as does scientific and technological innovation across areas as diverse as medicine and energy.

Almost 15 years ago, the Millennium Development Goals were agreed. These provided an important framework for development and significant progress has been made in a number of areas. But the progress has been uneven, particularly in Africa, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, and some of the Millennium Development Goals remain off track, in particular those related to maternal, newborn and child health and to reproductive health.

We recommit ourselves to the full realization of all the Millennium Development Goals, including the off-track Millennium Development Goals, in particular by providing focused and scaled-up assistance to least developed countries and other countries in special situations, in line with relevant support programmes. The new Agenda builds on the Millennium Development Goals and seeks to complete what these did not achieve, particularly in reaching the most vulnerable.

In its scope, however, the framework we are announcing today goes far
beyond the Millennium Development Goals. Alongside continuing development priorities such as poverty eradication, health, education and food security and nutrition, it sets out a wide range of economic, social and environmental objectives.

It also promises more peaceful and inclusive societies. It also, crucially, defines means of implementation. Reflecting the integrated approach that we have decided on, there are deep interconnections and many cross-cutting elements across the new

Goals and targets:  The new Agenda

We are announcing today 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 associated targets which are integrated and indivisible. Never before have world leaders pledged common action and endeavour across such a broad and universal policy agenda. We are setting out together on the path towards sustainable development, devoting ourselves collectively to the pursuit of global development and of “win win” cooperation which can bring huge gains to all countries and all parts of the world.

We reaffirm that every State has, and shall freely exercise, full permanent
sovereignty over all its wealth, natural resources and economic activity. We will implement the Agenda for the full benefit of all, for today’s generation and for future generations. In doing so, we reaffirm our commitment to international law and emphasize that the Agenda is to be implemented in a manner that is consistent with the rights and obligations of States under international law.

Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 1.
End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Goal 2.
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and
promote sustainable agriculture

Goal 3.
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Goal 4.
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all

Goal 5.
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Goal 6.
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and
sanitation for all

Goal 7.
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern
energy for all

Goal 8.
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth,
full and productive employment and decent work for all

Goal 9.
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable
industrialization and foster innovation

Goal 10.
Reduce inequality within and among countries

Goal 11.
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable

Goal 12.
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Goal 13.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts*

Goal 14.
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine
resources for sustainable development

Goal 15.
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial
ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt
and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Goal 16.
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable
development, provide access to justice for all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Goal 17.
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the
Global Partnership for Sustainable Development