UL to discuss Japanese Architecture (photo via U of L)

The University of Louisville Department of Fine Arts will be hosting Professor Dana Buntrock this Spring, who will be presenting two public lectures on contemporary architecture in Japan and the United States. Ms. Buntrock, associate professor of architecture at University of California-Berkeley, is the Frederic Lindley Morgan visiting professor of architectural design.

The Morgan Chair of Architectural Design was endowed by Frederic Lindley Morgan (1889-1970), a Louisville architect who designed many well-known buildings, including the The Pendennis Club, the Schuster Block, and Lee Terminal at Standiford Field.  Morgan also designed many churches, including Highland Methodist and St Francis-in-the-Fields. In addition, he led a group that was responsible for  developing the current campus for the University of Louisville.

Ms. Buntrock has published two books:  “Materials and Meaning in Contemporary Japanese Architecture: Tradition and Today” and “Japanese Architecture as a Collaborative Process: Opportunities in a Flexible Construction Culture.” Buntrock has taught in Japan and Australia as well as the United States.

Buntrock’s public talks will be:

• Jan. 28 — “Tradition and Today: Materials and Meaning in Contemporary Japanese Architecture.”
• April 15 — “Four Small Structures Bursting With Big Ideas: SUMIKA.”
• Both lectures will take place at 6 p.m. at the Speed Art Museum, 2035 S. Third Street.
• They are free and open to the public.

More information can be found on the U of L Department of Fine Arts website.

[ Photo Credit:  Photo from the University of Louisville's Hite Institute events page. LINK. ]

[ Editor's Note:  Thanks to SushiK for putting together this article.  She is the newest guest contributor to Broken Sidewalk and will be writing articles from time to time on various topics. ]

Two Cycling Events Planned In January

Two interesting cycle-centric events are planned in January.  F*** Gas reports that the Second Annual Ghost Bike Memorial Ride will take place Sunday, January 3 to draw attention to cyclists and pedestrians killed in Louisville in 2009.  The ride is described as a “casually paced somber memorial” through an 11-mile route beginning at the National City Bank at Bardstown Road and Douglass Boulevard starting at 11:00 am.  More info at F*** Gas.

Another installment of the Car Free Happy Hour is also set for Tuesday, January 12 from 5:30 until 9:00pm at the Monkey Wrench (1025 Barret Avenue).  The monthly event is designed to foster camaraderie among citizens interested in getting around Louisville without a car, whether it’s by walking, biking, taking transit, etc.  Inquiries about attending the event or if you “want to make a reality TV show about this event” can be directed to 619.4352.

Three hand selected events you might enjoy (click to enlarge)

We get a lot of events sent in here at Broken Sidewalk.  Unfortunately, there’s no time to post them all, but every once and a while we do hand select a few events that pertain directly to the material covered here on Broken Sidewalk.  Here are three that fit the bill and should prove quite interesting.

• Car Free Happy Hour.  Tuesday, November 17, 2009.  From 5:30 to around 8:00pm at the Third Avenue Cafe in Old Louisville, pedestrians, cyclists, transit enthusiasts, and others will join together for what CART is calling “the event of the century.”  It’s in fact the second-ever such event and is geared towards discussing the future of Louisville.  Expected attendees include representatives from Bicycling for Louisville, CART, Freewheel Bike Collective, Bike Louisville, and perhaps a few mayoral candidates.  Stop by to join the discussion.  (If you must use a car to get there, we suggest parking a couple blocks away.  You’ll at least be a pedestrian for part of your trip.)
• Everybody’s Gotta Be From Somewhere… Close! Sunday, November 22, 2009.  Councilman Tom Owen will be giving a talk about Louisville neighborhoods at  2:00pm at the Clifton Center.  The expanded and deepened version of his famous lecture will include video highlights from his six neighborhood videos, which will also be on sale at the event (and if you stick around, Tom will shake your hand and sign your purchase).  Owen describes the event as “a staccato bark of brief histories of fifty or so Metro neighborhoods” and should be a great hit for anyone interested in Louisville history.  The hour and a half long presentation is sponsored by the Louisville Historical League and Atkinson’s Duckworks (movie producers) and is free and open to the public.
• Sustainable City Series: Urban Parks & Greenways. Thursday, December 3, 2009.  The twelfth installment of the popular discussion forum put on by the Urban Design Studio is scheduled for 6:00pm at the Glassworks building on West Market Street.  Speakers include Lisa Hite, AICP, Senior Planner at Louisville Metro Parks, David Karem, President of the Waterfront Development Corporation, and Dan Jones, Chairman and CEO of 21st Century Parks.  These three should be able to cover just about anything park-related in Louisville.  The event is free and open to the public but you must RSVP over here as space is limited.  Ramsi’s Cafe will provide food and Heine Brothers will keep your eyes wide open with coffee.  Here’s some more info from the UDS:

“Urban parks and greenways play a vital role in the overall sustainability of a city and region. Parks protect wildlife habitats, provide economic development through place-based economies, cleanse the air, reduce flooding, provide environmental education opportunities, facilitate social gatherings, and offer the possibility for recreation, health, and fitness activities.

“Louisville already has a world-class park and greenway system, but that is just the beginning. With the Louisville Loop, Waterfront Park, 21st Century Parks and several other notable initiatives, Louisville is creating one of the most extensive urban park systems in the country. Join us and learn more about the future of our parks and how they are promoting a sustainable city through three presentations on different facets of our growing park system.”

Model of I-65 bridge study (BS File Photo)

Two upcoming events should be of interest to Broken Sidewalk readers on November 11 and 15.  Here are the details.

On Wednesday, November 11 at Noon, the Louisville Forum will host a discussion of the Ohio River Bridges Project at Vincenzo’s on Fifth and Market Streets.  Registration is mandatory for members and nonmembers and a fee applies, but includes lunch.  Guest charge is $20.00 and cash or check is accepted at the door.  I have been to several of these luncheons in the past the they have been well worth my time.

Three panelists are lined up to speak in favor of the ORBP, but currently the conversation will be quite one-sided.  JC Stites with 8664 has sent a letter to the organization requesting to be heard, but we’ll see what happens.  The Louisville Forum has invited 8664 to speak in the past.  Regardless, show up for a delicious lunch and show your support for a more vibrant Downtown Louisville.

If you wish to attend, please register by November 6.  More information is available here.

On Sunday, November 15 at 2:00pm, the Louisville Historical League will host Donovan Rypkema for the 2009 Fenwick Lecture at the Glassworks on Ninth and Market Streets.  The event is free and open to the public.  I was able to attend a lecture by Rypkema a couple years ago and the room was well packed and the time well spent.  Here’s some information about Donovan and the lecture:

“Mr. Rypkema is principal of PlaceEconomics, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development-consulting firm. The firm specializes in services to public and non-profit sector clients who are dealing with downtown and neighborhood commercial district revitalization and the reuse of historic structures.

“Mr.  Rypkema’s book, The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide, was published by the National Trust for Historic preservation in 2005 and is widely used by preservationists nationwide. Today Mr. Rypkema is recognized as an industry leader in the economics of preserving historic structures. Since 1983 he has provided ongoing consulting services to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and its National Main Street Center.

“The Fenwick Lecture in Historic Preservation was established in memory of the late Jason M. Fenwick.  Jason Fenwick was a native of Mississippi but he spent much of his adult life in Kentucky where he joined the Kentucky Heritage Council as an archaeologist in 1977.  There he conducted countywide archaeological surveys before transferring to the Restoration Grants Program where he became increasingly interested in historic buildings and their preservation and restoration.

“From late 1981 through 1983, Mr. Fenwick served as state curator and coordinated the restoration and rehabilitation of the Kentucky Executive Mansion for Governor John Y. Brown and First Lady Phyllis George Brown.   Between 1984 and 1987, he served as preservation specialist for Kentucky Heritage Council.  He also served on the City of Louisville Landmarks Commission.”

Lincoln Memorial at Waterfront Park

While I was in town last week, I had the chance to check out the completed Lincoln Memorial in Waterfront Park for the first time (you may remember our tour of the construction site from October 2008).  On my Saturday visit, a group of several out-of-towners and a few locals were wandering around browsing the bronze bas reliefs and larger-than-life statue of Abraham Lincoln, both creations of local sculptor Ed Hamilton.

Now, the Waterfront Development Corporation is hosting two free lunchtime events with Hamilton to discuss the artwork at the memorial.  The first event is Wednesday, October 21 (that’s today!) from noon until 1:00 and a second time is scheduled for Saturday, October 24 from noon until 1:00.

Hopefully some of you can make it despite the short notice.  Lunch can be purchased at the nearby Stop Lite Liquors Cafe (fare includes bbq sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches and chili) or you can bring your own.  Here are the details from the Waterfront Development Coporation:

“The Louisville Waterfront Development Corporation is proud to present an intimate lunchtime event with Ed Hamilton.   Ed will speak about his experience creating the artwork that is the focal point of the Lincoln Memorial.  Guests will have an opportunity for questions and answers with Ed.  The two events are free and open to the public.  Guests can either use the amphitheater seating or bring blankets and lawn chairs.

“The Lincoln Memorial at Waterfront Park was dedicated on June 4, 2009 and includes Hamilton’s sculpture of Lincoln as its centerpiece.  The site, framed by an amphitheater, also features four bas reliefs that tell the story of Lincoln’s life-long ties to Kentucky.  The Memorial is part of Kentucky’s two-year bicentennial celebration of Lincoln’s birth.

“The 12 ft. sculpture shows a young Lincoln sitting on a rock, holding a book and looking out over the Ohio River, where he watched slaves being loaded onto riverboats almost 200 years ago. Lincoln always remembered this, and in later years documented his personal feelings of abhorrence at the sight in a letter to his good friend Joshua Speed.  Lincoln is perhaps best known for his visionary leadership when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

“The four bas reliefs are mounted on granite panels placed along the walkway that leads into the amphitheater, which has granite seating engraved with Lincoln quotes.  Each panel includes a text explanation of the scene depicted. One of the bas reliefs portrays an image of slaves shackled together, just as Lincoln witnessed them on the riverboat.”

Click through for more photos of the Lincoln Memorial.

Beginning Friday, the “country’s most inspired and inspiring sustainability conference,” Bluegrass Bioneers, will be taking place in Louisville at the University of Louisville’s Rauch Planetarium.  The free event includes speakers, interactive workshops, panels, performances, and a simulcast of the famous Bioneers event being held in northern California and represents the only “satellite city” within a 350 mile radius.

Topics covered include mountaintop removal, green media, sustainable agriculture, land use & transportation, green building, environmental education, policy & activism.  The three day conference will include speakers such as author Michael Pollan, producer Gill Holland, NPR correspondent Kristin Espeland Gourlay, wellness pioneer Dr. Andrew Weil, and musicians Harry Pickens and Ben Sollee.  In short, you will want to be there.

More details are available on the Bluegrass Bioneers website, but here are the conference specifics:

• Dates:  October 16 (11am until midnight), October 17 (9am until 10pm), October 18 (9am until 6pm)
• Location:  Rauch Planetarium on U of L’s Belknap Campus
• Cost:  Free

Urban Design Studio on Third Street (BS File Photo)

There’s no doubt you have heard about the Sustainable City Series or perhaps you’ve even been to a couple of the talks.  SSC forums cover various topics from urban agriculture to the future of transportation and bring together some of the leading minds in Louisville to discuss important topics on the future of the city.  Now the Urban Design Studio who puts on these events is seeking your input to improve the program.  Here’s a message from the UDS:

“I would like to ask for suggestions on topics you would like to see covered by the Sustainable City Series in the future.  If a third of the people who receive this email respond we will have an incredible body of ideas to draw from.  I cannot promise that all ideas will be covered, but if patterns begin to emerge that will help us determine which topics are the most pressing and work towards getting speakers to address the issues.”

What topic would entice you to spend a couple hours of your afternoon at an upcoming Sustainable City Series talk?  Let the UDS know by filling out this form on their web site.

• Urban Design Studio (Official Site)

Ouerbacker House on the AIA Architects House Tour (1980 and 2008 views)

There are quite a few events going on this weekend.  A couple in particular, I feel, could be of interest to the Broken Sidewalk community.  Here’s a rundown of some of the events.  If I missed one you care about, feel free to include it in the comments.

First, I recommend you spend some time Sunday afternoon (1:00-6:00pm) checking out the American Institute of Architects’ House Tour featuring the work of local architects who will be on hand to answer questions.  Two projects in particular on this year’s tour are surprising includes:  the Ouerbacker Mansion on West Jefferson Street and the Phoenix Lofts on East Broadway.  Both projects have appeared on Broken Sidewalk, but had been laying low in recent months.  Now there’s progress at both sites and you will have a chance to check them out first hand.

The grand Ouerbacker House had a close brush with demolition last year before architect Scott Kremer of Studio Kremer stepped in to save the 19th century landmark.  It still remain’s on Preservation Louisville’s “Most Endangered” list, but Scott will be opening up the ground floor for all to see.  He tells us the project was delayed as it took almost a year to take over a deed from the city, but now a partially collapsed masonry wall is fully repaired and a landscape firm has tamed the weeds out front.  Crews filled two full30-yard dumpsters with debris in preparation for the tour.

We last checked in with the Phoenix Lofts over a year ago when the project entered a sort of hiatus.  Designer Brent Girdler of the Girdler Group told us that construction has resumed, one unit has sold, and another under-construction unit will be ready to tour this weekend.  Work recently has focused on installing decks and railings on the back of the building.

University of Louisville Urban & Public Affairs professor John Gilderbloom will also host a symposium for the AIA-CKC Architects’ House Tour on Saturday at the Henry Clay.  The event kicks off at 10:00am and runs until noon in the fourth floor Billiards Room at 604 S. Third Street.

All the houses on the tour should be worth a visit and the price of a ticket ($15 at the door of any house on the tour) gets you in to all seven homes.  As an added bonus, proceeds from the event benefit Habitat for Humanity.  Here’s the rundown of all the homes on the tour from the AIA-CKC’s web site:

1. Hansen Residence
– 2027 Bonnycastle – Louisville, Ky
– Architect: Eric Hansen, AIA

2. Allen Residence
– 1013 Canyon Road – New Albany, Indiana
– Architect: David M. Allen, AIA LEED AP

3. Reisz Residence Renovation
– 4418 Signal Hill Rd. – Louisville, Ky
– Architect: Mary Jackson, AIA

4. Triplett Residence
– 3214 Beals Branch Dr. – Louisville, Ky
– Architect: Matt Triplett

5. Basham Residence
– 8215 Chapel Drive – Crestwood, Ky 40014
– Architect: Gary Watrous, AIA

6. Phoenix Lofts
– East Broadway & Rubel Ave. – Louisville, Ky
– Designer: Brent Girdler / Girdler Group, LLC

7. Ouerbacker Mansion
-17th & Jefferson Street – Louisville, Ky
– Architect: Arthur Loomis 
– Represented by Scott Kremer, AIA of Studio Kremer

Click through for more events this weekend.