ReVisioning History
Thursday, May 28, 4 pm
virtual panel discussion
Santa Fe has long been preoccupied with its built environment. Architectural preservation, Santa Fe Style, environmental sustainability, and affordable housing are all hot button issues due up for critical, participatory re-examination. An article we published in 2018 by Rachel Preston Prinz, “The Slash that Killed Santa Fe Style,” is still one of the most-read articles on this site.
In an effort to bring multiple perspectives into conversation, Friends of Architecture Santa Fe has organized an in-depth series of public discussions termed “ReVisioning History” to take place May through December this year.
Each installment of the ReVisioning History series will bring together a group of architects, planners, allied design professionals, and policymakers to make expert presentations, engage in panel discussions, hold Q&A sessions, and structured visioning exercises. The series kicks off via webinar on Thursday, May 28, at 4 pm with an introductory session that will specifically address how informed, participatory approaches to planning, development, preservation, and sustainability hold the keys to designing a better future for all. Panelists include Robert Innis (Partner, Rinse Design and Co-Founder, Design Corps), Carlos Gemora (Senior Land Use Planner, City of Santa Fe), Jonah Stanford (AIA – Principal, NEEDBASED, and Chief Technical Officer, B.Public), Solange Serquis (Principal, Serquis and Associates, and Partner, Trailhead Development), and Shawn Evans (AIA – Principal, AOS Architects); moderated by Gayla Bechtol (AIA – Principal, Gayla Bechtol Architects, and Treasurer, FASF) and Anthony Guida (AIA – Director of Sustainability, AOS Architects, and President, FASF).
I spoke with Anthony Guida about what participants can expect from this high-level series of discussions.
Lauren Tresp: Tell me about the title for the series, what is the significance of the phrase “ReVisioning” History?
Anthony Guida: It’s a bit of a play on Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent podcast, Revisionist History, which reexamines things from the past that were maybe overlooked or misunderstood. We’re interested in the future of design and planning in Santa Fe. ReVisioning History will look back at historic plans and studies to inform community dialogue about contemporary issues, and to develop a more equitable, sustainable vision for our built environment.
What kind of (re)visioning exercises can participants expect to engage in?
Each session is structured as an interactive conversation between leading architects, planners, design professionals, policymakers, and the broader public. The idea is to provide an expansive and inclusive space for listening, for mutual education, and to explore new ideas for the built environment—quite unlike a planning commission hearing, where stakes and emotions run high.
What are the most pressing questions this series seeks to answer in the context of the current moment, 2020?
Following the series introduction, four sessions in 2020 will be dedicated to key topics that have and will continue to shape our physical environment: planning, preservation, housing, and sustainability. How do we plan for the technological and demographic changes that will occur in the coming decades? Whose history and culture are we preserving, and whose are we overlooking? What does smart density, and equitable housing development look like? How do we reduce carbon emissions, ensure social and economic resilience, and adapt to a changing climate?
At the end of the series, what is the ultimate outcome FASF hopes will come from the conversations and exercises that have taken place?
We’re looking for members of our community—design professionals and the public alike—to have a stronger voice and greater input in the policy and development decisions that shape the built environment in Santa Fe. Design thinking is valuable and participatory. These conversations are an opportunity to establish a seat at the table for good design and informed community voices.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Please visit the Friends of Architecture website, architecturesantafe.org to register for ReVisioning History and to learn more about our speakers and upcoming discussions in the series. You can also sign up for our e-newsletter to stay informed about all of our programs—design charrettes, lectures and workshops, architecture tours, and PechaKucha.
Upcoming events:
Revisioning Planning: Thursday, June 25, 4 pm.
Revisioning Preservation: Thursday, August 27, 4 pm.
Revisioning Housing: Thursday, October 22, 4 pm.
Revisioning Sustainability, Thursday, December 10, 4 pm.
