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Dear Members of the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art, and
Architecture Knowledge Community (IFRAA):
As 2008 chair, I thank you for your continued membership in IFRAA.
I would like to take this opportunity to bring you up to speed on
IFRAA’s accomplishments for 2007 and to inform you of our
plans for this year.
The IFRAA Journal, our KC’s
e-newsletter, was started again in 2007 with a strong spring issue.
If you did not have a chance to read it, you may view it online.
IFRAA’s Tour at the 2007 AIA Convention in
San Antonio saw two busloads of participants tour three
architecturally distinct examples of religious spaces designed in
the Southwest vernacular: the Episcopal Church of the
Reconciliation, Agudas Achim Synagogue, and the San Fernando
Cathedral. Lunch included a presentation from Lake Flato Architects
and an animated panel discussion on the Southwest vernacular as it
applies to religious buildings.
Another highlight of 2007 was the 2007 IFRAA
Conference - Spiritual Space and Spirit of Place:
Pietro Belluschi and the Northwest held August 15–17, 2007
in Portland, Oregon. This conference focused on the work of Pietro
Belluschi, FAIA, and his creation of contemporary religious places
that respond to cultural, contextual, traditional, and spiritual
forces. Participants visited churches designed by Belluschi during
both his early and later years, as well as other projects
influenced by Belluschi. A post-conference trip to Mount Angel
Abbey Library, one of only two buildings that Alvar Aalto designed
in the United States, was included on the itinerary. We were
blessed to have partnered with AIA Portland on this event and thank
them for thier collaboration. If you were unable to attend, please
find a few minutes to review the
Conference Report.
Once again, we collaborated with Faith and Form magazine on
the 2007 IFRAA/Faith & Form Awards. The
submissions received in 2007 illustrated the best of religious art
and architecture from around the world. If you have not yet seen
the winners please visit Faith and Form online.
The IFRAA Advisory Group was also proud to collaborate with
Faith and Form on a joint 2007 Educational Issue of
Faith and Form magazine. This issue dealt with a
variety of topics, including acoustical design. As a member of
IFRAA you each received a copy of this issue. We hope you enjoyed
it and that some of you made the choice to subscribe to Faith
and Form. A special feature of that issue for AIA members was
the opportunity to read the articles and take a quiz (found on the
IFRAA site) for AIA CES credits.
As you can see, 2007 was a year full of success and we hope the
value you received as a member of the IFRAA was just as
exciting.
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Michael
Landau, AIA for his tremendous leadership and efforts on the IFRAA
Advisory Group. Michael served for more than 6 years before
stepping down from his official role on our committee. We thank him
for his integral role and look forward to his continued enthusiasm
and insights.
As we begin 2008, I welcome our newest member, Doug Benson, AIA of
MCM Architects, PC. Doug joins the other members of the IFRAA
Knowledge Community Advisory Group:
- James F. Williamson, FAIA - 2008 Chair
- Dawn R. Schuette, AIA - 2009 Chair
- Paul Harding, FAIA - Past Chair
- Richard Vosko, PhD, Hon. AIA
It is with tremendous excitement that I assure you that 2008 will
provide IFRAA members with even more value than last year.
We will continue to build upon the success of the IFRAA
Journal, and encourage everyone to take the time to open
and read each issue. Look for our first issue in the next month. We
also encourage you to submit articles, case studies or other
information. Look for a "Call for Information" in each issue.
We invite everyone to join us at the AIA Convention for the
IFRAA Study Tour: Context, History, Place, and Form,
to be held on Wednesday, May 14. Boston is a richly layered city
where history, place, and form intersect to form a unique context
for spiritual architecture. History and architecture are
intricately interwoven, and many churches are revered for their
role in the development of our nation and national identity. It is
this many-layered context that this tour seeks to explore. Sites
will include Trinity Church, the MIT Chapel, the Harvard Business
School Chapel, and the Glavin Family Chapel, as well as a lunchtime
panel discussion. To register, please visit the
AIA Convention Web site.
If you will be in Boston we also encourage you to join us for the
IFRAA/Faith & Form Awards Dinner, to be held
Wednesday, May 14. This gala event will take place from 7:30 p.m.
to 10:00 p.m. at The Westin Boston Waterfront. Cost is $85.00 per
person. If interested, please contact Trena McClure at The Duke
Endowment (704-927-2253) or tmcclure@tde.org for further
information.
Once again, we will collaborate with Faith & Form on the
2008
Design Awards (entry deadline is July 1st), as well as
our 2nd F&F Educational Issue: Sustainable Sacred Space. The
focus is on sustainability — what designers, architects,
artists, clergy, and congregations can do to make new and existing
worship environments more resource efficient, greener, and
healthier, and how can people of faith can be better stewards of
the earth. Look for this issue in your mailbox in early
April.
Our goals include the establishment of local IFRAA components. We
have begun with the establishment of a Chicago chapter, and
discussions are also underway with the Virginia Society of
Architects for a chapter based in Richmond.
We will close out 2008 by sponsoring a spectacular overseas
Study Tour
in Rome, Italy, with the theme "Masters of
Light". The conference is scheduled for October 10-18,
followed by a post-conference tour to Southern Italy & Sicily,
October 18-26, 2008. Join us for a study tour of the world’s
most significant religious capital. Attendees will experience first
hand the masterworks of Bernini and Borromini, as well as those of
such contemporary masters as Renzo Piano and Richard Meier. Guided
by Dr. Donald J. Bruggink, Hon. MAIA, Hon. IFRAA, this conference
presents a truly unique opportunity to explore Rome with other
architects, clergy, artists, and designers. Full details and
registration information are available online.
It is truly an exciting time to be involved with IFRAA. There is
much to be done, however, and your Advisory Group cannot do it all
alone. We encourage everyone to become engaged. In particular,
there is a need for an experienced volunteer to assist in keeping
the IFRAA website up to date. If you have any questions or
comments, or wish to become more involved in IFRAA please email ifraa@aia.org.
Sincerely,
James F. Williamson, FAIA - 2008 Chair
Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects
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