Architecture and the City Festival

The American Institute of Architects, San Francisco chapter (AIA San Francisco) and Center for Architecture + Design present the eighth annual Architecture and the City festival, the nation’s largest architectural festival showcasing tours, films, exhibitions, lectures, family programs and more. Taking place every September 1-30, the month-long celebration offers individuals an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the local architectural community, explore the crossroads of planning and contemporary culture, and experience design in a myraid of ways throughout the city. More information about select events after the jump.

This year’s program, centered around the theme Architecture of Consequence, will continue to demonstrate the positive impact architects and designers make on our communities, enhancing sustainability, promoting creativity and increasing our collective quality of life. An extension of Architecture of Consequence – Dutch Designs on the Future, originally conceived by the Netherlands Architecture Institute in 2009, the Architecture of Consequence: San Francisco exhibition introduces new work by four Bay Area firms and provides the conceptual focal point of the 2011 festival. A series of collaborative discussions and dynamic workshops exploring topics from holistic engagement strategies, to community planning processes, flexible urbanism, alternative energy cultivation and interdisciplinary design will also be presented in conjunction with the show.

With the inclusion of over forty programs and special events, Architecture and the City will provide many opportunities to view and rediscover the city from a different perspective. The San Francisco Living: Home Tours weekend, which returns September 17-18, gives participants an exclusive look into some of the city’s latest residential projects from the inside out. Take in films that spotlight the built environment, the architectural profession and cutting-edge design or attend lectures by renowned architects and designers. Behind the scenes tours, including sailing tours along San Francisco’s changing waterfront and food and design tours of some of the city’s hottest restaurants will also be a part of the program. AIA San Francisco will be announcing the winners of our Constructed Realities Design Awards at a special celebration party at Tres on September 6 as well as screening the winning films of our short film competition – Architecture Is on September 28.

The Architecture and the City festival has been engaging members of the public and design enthusiasts, as well as architects and designers, with a deeper appreciation for San Francisco’s rich architectural and design community since 2003. Presented in collaboration with nearly 100 different organizations who contribute to our city’s creative vitality, this year’s Architecture and the City is sure to include something inspiring for everyone.

For more information on the full line-up, visit: www.aiasf.org/archandcity.

Architecture and the City Opening Night Party!
A benefit for the Center for Architecture and Design
August 26, 6:00 – 9:00 pm
San Francisco Design Center, 101 Henry Adams, San Francisco

Swing the night away at the San Francisco Design Center as AIA San Francisco and the Center for Architecture + Design celebrate the opening of this year’s festival. Throughout the evening participants can preview some of the 2011 Architecture and the City festival programs and catch a glimpse of the homes to be showcased during the 2011 San Francisco Living: Home Tours weekend.

ARCHITECTURE OF CONSEQUENCE: San Francisco
August 31 – October 21
Opening Reception August 31, 6:00 pm
AIA San Francisco/Center for Architecture + Design Gallery
130 Sutter Street, Suite 600, San Francisco

Join AIA San Francisco and the Center for Architecture + Design in welcoming Ole Bouman, Director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute, for opening remarks and a provocative exploration of the changing role of architects and architecture in contemporary society.

At the dawn of the 21st century, the human race faces a number of colossal challenges. The economic crisis, food and energy shortages, decreased leisure time and weakened social cohesion impact our lives in new and astonishing ways. While these challenges are daunting, they represent significant opportunity for new design solutions and value propositions. Broadening the notion of value to include long-term social benefits creates new space, both mentally and physically, for fresh ideas and new perspectives.

In an effort to advance critical dialogue with the international architectural community, we are delighted to announce a unique collaboration with the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI). In 2009, the NAI presented the Architecture of Consequence – Dutch Designs on the Future exhibition. Over the past two years it has been presented in multiple locations around the world. This latest incarnation, in San Francisco, is the first to add content to the exhibition, with the inclusion of new work by four Bay Area architecture firms. In doing so we hope to advance this innovative agenda and reveal how architects can practice in new ways that reinvigorate the field and reposition architects at the vanguard of social change. From modest interventions to utopian visions, the firms participating in this ground-breaking exhibition express an admirable confidence in our shared future. The result is a unique portfolio of progressive design strategies and demonstrable evidence that architects hold the creative vision needed to reshape our future.