Session Code: AAJ156RT
Session Time: Thursday, Nov. 19 Track Session: Roundtable, AAJ Miami 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm, 2015 AIA AAJ Fall Conference
Werner Mueller, AIA | Sam Himmelrich, Jr., Himmelrich Associates | Kristine Johnson, AIA, LEED AP
Ryan Bouma, RLA, LEED AP | Kirby Fowler, President of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Inc. | Irena Savakova, AECOM
I had a chance to interview Kristine Johnson, who is a speaker within this Track Session. With over a decade of experience in the justice sector, Ms. Johnson is a courts architect that understands the inner working of court facilities planning. Johnson focuses on engaging the stakeholders to understand their organizations operations and has worked on several justice projects in Maryland including the Baltimore City Courts study. Johnson's leadership in the judicial field is best demonstrated by her publications and speaking engagements, including the Spring 2011 issue of Courts Today. Johnson has served as a Courts Track Chair at past AAJ conferences and was featured as an AIA AAJ Emerging Professional in 2014. Ms. Johnson currently serves as Architecture Manager and Justice Practice Lead for the National Capital Office of AECOM.
"The session is about starting a dialogue and engaging the audience, rather than providing a long list of answers for all identified problems. We want to start a dialogue with the various viewpoints that the professionals on our panel and those attending the conference can offer. All the ideas that we will share will show a path to building a successful social infrastructure – strong community with viable outlets, where we invest in people."
1. What regions of the country (besides Baltimore) do you work in as far as planning and design or is your observation a general study of America as a whole suffering social challenges, weakening economy, and heightened racial tensions resulting in the atmosphere of mistrust?
"The issues that our panel discussion is going to zero in on are not isolated to the inner city core of Baltimore. We work all over the country, and the same issues are prevalent in other major metropolitan areas. In general, previously strong manufacturing zones are struggling in a postindustrial society. Localities are struggling to attract industry that will drive the economy and some of those reasons are the lack of social and physical infrastructure."
2. You mention Baltimore’s re-growth initiatives will be discussed – can you expand on what those strategies are as a preliminary look into your session?
"The mayor in Baltimore is focusing on initiatives to promote redevelopment in areas that have been abandoned. Take a look at the websites below…"
3. The abstract also mentions “Our responsibility is to engage all stakeholders in a process that challenges the status quo to right size buildings for their needs now and in the future as well as drive development in a socially and environmentally sustainable fashion.” – who are the typical stakeholders from an owner, designer, government, contractor, residents, and societal perspectives in order to engage all possible parties that will be effected? How easily do these parties come together to reach the common goal for the common good?
The City ----------------> Developer Community ----------------> The Local Communities
(Incentives) ---------------------> (Studies) ---------------------> (Engage Stakeholders)
"Usually the City identifies common goals that will be attractive to the Developer Community. Reclaiming abandoned areas are the municipal economic targets with very high priority.
In the first stage of the process, the City provides a variety of incentives and financial tools such as tax breaks, expedited permits, minimal ground lease burdens, etc. to incentivize the developers. As a result, the inner city core or areas targeted for redevelopment can "receive" signature civic building structures without the budget burden of initial capital investment through lease-back, or pro-rated cost ground lease type scenarios.
In the second stage, developers and designers prepare detailed studies to determine realistic costs relative to re-use of structures, while working with the Local Community, such as religious organizations, educators, non-profit groups, and municipality based organizations. This process ensures that needs of the Local Community are identified and they become active stakeholders.
The change is being proactive to engage the community groups as stakeholders. Success is not just in getting someone to develop the physical infrastructure in a down trodden area but to provide social infrastructure. Look at a community holistically, what basic needs need to be met, what other amenities can be provided to improve quality of life and divert residents from the “wrong” path? Providing the physical and social infrastructure, strengthening the education system, skills training and positive social outlets develop a more productive community."
4. In the session, you will be sharing how the future could look in planning and design if everyone comes together for the process, as well as, what will drive it, along with how transportation can be a catalyst for this change – from your viewpoint, what does the ideal future look like in this scenario?
"We won't try and predict the future but will share some examples of successfully revitalized areas…"
5. Lastly, can you tell me about how you became a criminal justice expert and what you are most passionate about in this field?
"I started working in the justice building type by chance. I originally came to my company with the hope of working on embassy projects. The project I intended to work on was delayed and my supervisor convinced me that I should work on a large correctional project. He touted that it was very similar to an embassy just keeping people within the walls instead of keeping them from getting inside. I enjoyed the challenge and complexity of the building type and eventually branched out into courts where I have spent the majority of my career.
I consider myself an advocate for the stakeholders and appreciate the interaction in understanding how they work, learning from their process and bringing another perspective to the way they may work in the future."
*****
Thank you Kristine Johnson for taking the time to interview and give the AIA & AIA AAJ Community a sneak peak of this upcoming session!
Speaker Bios:
Werner Mueller brings 40 years of architectural design experience. He demonstrates a passion for quality and permanence, expressing the fundamental truth that our surrounding built environment has a direct impact on our quality of life and work. Mr. Mueller is committed to the philosophy that collaborative project teams inherently provide better solutions than individuals. He is the design director for a $2 billion light rail project with 19 stations, 14 above ground and five in tunnels below ground for the Maryland Transit Authority in Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a long time Baltimore resident.
Sam Himmelrich, Jr. has pursued difficult redevelopment projects and has successfully revived properties encumbered by brownfields, flood plains, historic buildings, challenging neighborhoods and unproven markets. Himmelrich Associates is a Baltimore-based real estate firm focused on repositioning and adapting industrial properties for commercial uses.
Ryan Bouma is a landscape architect and urban designer working to advance urban resilience and productive redevelopment. He leads regenerative planning and public realm design efforts around the globe, emphasizing the social, environmental and economic resonance of landscape infrastructures. His work is multi-scalar and multi-disciplinary, ranging from ecological corridor planning in Ontario’s Oak Ridges Moraine, to reimagining underutilized industrial sites in Louisville, KY, to designing the waterfront parks of Ningbo, China, to detailing the streetscapes of The Yards redevelopment in Washington DC. These projects each seek to establish reinforcing relationships between community and ecology, place-making and economy. Mr. Bouma holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from West Virginia University and recently completed a Master of Design Studies in Urbanism, Landscape and Ecology from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Mr. Bouma is trained professional in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED).
Kirby Fowler is President of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Inc., a nonprofit corporation working to make Downtown Baltimore a destination of choice for businesses, employees, residents, and visitors. During his tenure, The Partnership has supported growth in the office market; promoted new housing and retail; revitalized parks; expanded events and marketing; assisted the homeless; launched an initiative to re-imagine Pratt Street, Downtown’s principal boulevard; and proposed new transit strategies such as the Charm City Circulator. Before beginning work at The Partnership, Kirby was an attorney handling matters involving land use, economic development, employment law, and contracts. Kirby also served as Special Assistant for Economic and Neighborhood Development under Mayor Martin O'Malley, where he led the creation of Station North Arts & Entertainment District. Kirby also participated on the Transition Teams for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and former Mayor Sheila Dixon.
Irena Savakova serves as Lead Designer for National Capital Office of AECOM. She has over 25 years of experience in corporate commercial and government facilities design. Ms. Savakova has led, or contributed to, the architectural design of new signature administrative facilities for agencies such as the Social Security Administration in Baltimore, Maryland, the National Guard Bureau, the Air National Guard, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. She is currently working closely with community leaders, developer groups and local transportation authorities to provide concept planning for future transit oriented developments.
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