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Engagement:
Promoting Diversity and Opportunity: As a member of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle's Diversity Roundtable, Leon Holloway, intern architect, applies his boundless enthusiasm to helping fulfill the group's mission to attract, retain and empower individuals of underrepresented backgrounds in the profession of architecture through scholarship, community service and activism. Leon participates in several annual events sponsored by the AIA Seattle's Diversity Roundtable, which he joined in 2006, including the Summer Solstice Sequence, a fundraiser for diversity scholarships at the University of Washington; Celebrating Women in Architecture; and the Children's Gingerbread House Design Competition. In addition, he makes career presentations at elementary, middle and high schools on behalf of the organization. He was instrumental in the group being named as one of four honorees across the nation as part of the 2010 AIA Diversity Recognition Program. The program recognizes architects and AIA chapters that are actively committed to increasing diversity and inclusion within the architecture profession. Leon also is president of the Northwest Chapter of The National Organization of Minority Architects, which co-sponsors Diversity Roundtable events.
A Commitment to Hope: Dedicated to improving the lives of all Angelenos, Managing Principal Helena L. Jubany was elected to a one-year term as Board Chair of A Community of Friends (ACOF), a Los Angeles nonprofit developer of affordable housing for people with special needs. She is dedicated to the mission of the organization, to end homelessness through the provision of quality permanent supportive housing for people with mental illness, and the dignity that comes with having a home. Estimates vary widely, but various studies conclude that there are 43,000 – 82,000 people in Los Angeles County who are homeless on a given night. ACOF has completed over 1,300 units in 35 properties located throughout Los Angeles County, and it has several properties currently in development. ACOF also provides tenants with a variety of services to help them remain in housing and become productive members of their communities.
NAC|Architecture - Up to the Challenge: Demonstrating their athletic prowess - as well as promoting good health and environmental stewardship - NAC|Architecture staff participated in the 2010 Group Health Commute Challenge May 1-30. Coinciding with National Bike Month, the annual challenge is one of the largest bike commuter events on the West Coast. Participants are challenged to commute to work a minimum of five times (roundtrips) during the 30-day period to be eligible for prizes. NAC|Architecture’s Spokane team, SPOkeNAC, rolled up 677 miles and 53.5 roundtrips. SEANAC, the firm’s Seattle team, completed seven roundtrips for a total of 118 miles. Out of 723 teams, Team SPOkeNAC ranked 325th and Team SEANAC came in 595th - a respectable finish considering the formidable competition: sizable teams representing Amazon.com, Boeing, the FAA, Microsoft, Nordstrom, the University of Washington, and the like. Group Health Commute Challenge overall final statistics: 723 organizations participated; 1,677 teams with 10,375 riders took part; 75,331 commute trips made; 1,083,208 miles biked
Combining her architectural expertise and her passion for the Los Angeles community, Managing Principal Helena L. Jubany serves as a commissioner on the City of Los Angeles Board of Building and Safety. Helena, who was appointed to the Commission by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council, volunteers her time to serve at the biweekly board meetings. As a board member, Helena views her role as vital in protecting the public health, safety and welfare of the city's 3.8+ million residents through the decisions that are made by the board on appeals to code enforcement, modifications of building ordinances, and haul routes, which provide safeguards and ensure uniformity in the construction industry. She believes that, as an architect, she can make valuable contributions to the decision making of the Board based on her personal knowledge and experience in the industry. Helena, whose second term continues through June 2014, is very active in the community and has been a strong advocate of the urban revitalization of downtown Los Angeles. Dedicated to improving the lives of all Angelenos, Helena also serves as a board member of A Community of Friends (ACOF), a nonprofit organization focused on housing the mentally ill homeless.
Retired? Hardly! Rotary Club 21 of Spokane has named NAC|Architecture Retired Managing Principal Ben Nielsen “Rotarian of the Year,” bestowing the Fred K. Jones Memorial Award on the longtime Rotarian for his dedicated service to the organization and community. The Fred K. Jones Memorial Award was established to honor Fred K. Jones, a longtime member and past president of Club 21 as well as past district governor and past Rotary International director. The honor is conferred on the member who best epitomizes “Service Above Self” and whose life personifies Rotary’s Four Avenues of Service: Club Service focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of the club. Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards. Community Service covers the projects and activities the club undertakes to improve life in its community. International Service encompasses actions taken to expand Rotary's humanitarian reach around the globe and to promote world understanding and peace. Ben’s involvement with Rotary Club 21, which spans 16 years of perfect attendance, has included active participation on its Board and numerous committees, including the Rotary Riverfront Park Fountain Committee. He played an instrumental role in making the interactive fountain a reality. A Paul Harris (founder of Rotary International) Fellow, Ben was born in Billings, Montana, where his father was a longtime member of the Billings Rotary Club, and has a brother who is a longtime member of the East Portland Rotary Club of Portland, Oregon.
Building a Better Community: Children seeking refuge from a difficult home life find security and camaraderie at The Hutton Settlement in Spokane, Washington, which relies on endowments and charitable contributions to maintain its facility and operations. The most recent annual fundraiser sponsored by the Inland Northwest Society for Human Resource Management (INSHRM), of which NAC|Architecture Human Resources Director KaLee Paul-Quanz is a board member, collected $3,466 for The Hutton Settlement. KaLee co-chaired the committee that organized the fundraiser. Founded in 1919 by Levi Hutton, who himself was an orphan, The Hutton Settlement is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The facility provides residential care for children ages 5-18, but a child may remain a resident through high school graduation. Referrals come from parents, grandparents, other family members, the Department of Social and Health Services, case managers and/or custodial parents. The referral age is 5-14, and family groups are welcome. The Hutton Settlement provides a loving and stable home environment while maintaining a belief and practice in traditional values. A strong emphasis is placed on education, and if they are able, the children are encouraged to continue their schooling past high school. Kudos to KaLee for her role in INSHRM and the organization’s efforts to help build a stable, thriving community through support of nonprofit institutions that offer hope and opportunity to those in need.
The Computer Lab and Library addition to the Savelugu School for the Deaf in Ghana, West Africa, has been completed and is brimming with activity. A Peace Corps project whose planning and construction were managed by Sabrina Krewin, 27, the facility serves the school’s 240 deaf and mute students. Sabrina, who served as a Special Education/Visual Arts teacher at the Savelugu School for 2 1/2 years, coordinated the fundraising for the project and supervised its construction. $13,700 was collected, with NAC|Architecture contributing $2,800 ($1,400 from Seattle office employees and a $1,400 match from NAC|Architecture). Kari Benge, who succeeded Sabrina as the Special Education/Visual Arts teacher at the Savelugu School, supplied photos of the new building, explaining “Here are some pictures I took … There is the computer room with a class in session and then the library. Students use the library on their own and during class time. Each class has an hour once a week during which the students sit at the desks and read encyclopedias or children's books. The computer lab gets considerable use. There are two computer teachers, and each class, starting with upper primary to junior secondary, has an hour once a week. The computer room is also the new gathering space for the junior secondary school teachers, hence the couches in the middle.” After completing 2 1/2 years of Peace Corps service, Sabrina moved to Kenya for a six-month contract to work for the Trust for African Rock Art as an exhibition designer. She then moved to Utah, where she currently is working as a Field Instructor for Second Nature Entrada, a year-round licensed therapeutic wilderness program specializing in treatment of a wide range of mental-health conditions. In this position Sabrina assists therapists with clients’ treatment plans by leading a clinically focused, wilderness therapy experience.
Connecting to the World: For the 240 students of the Savelugu School for the Deaf in Ghana, West Africa, education is the key to a productive, independent future. With a population of 20 million, Ghana has only 12 schools for the deaf. Of those, only three have modern facilities that include a computer lab and library. Enter Sabrina Krewin, 25. After graduating from the UCLA School of Art and Architecture two years ago, Sabrina, a Peace Corps volunteer, has served as a Special Education/Visual Arts teacher at the Savelugu School. Sabrina made it her mission to bring books and computers to the school, as well as a building in which to house them. “Acquired computer skills will expand employment options and life skills for deaf Ghanaians, who historically have high rates of unemployment,” Sabrina explains. Sabrina teaches – in sign language – the deaf and mute students to create artwork (woven fabrics, ceramics, pottery, paintings, greeting cards) from which they can develop their own interests and related skills to support themselves in the future. “Computers can electronically store and retrieve a great variety of learning materials for the children, who depend on visual explanations,” Sabrina notes. “Access to computers will also support school administrative tasks such as managing student records, enrollment and budgets.” With nine computers and more than 400 books donated to the school, Sabrina set about raising funds to build a secure, simple two-room computer lab and library. She prepared the detailed documentation with cost estimate to construct the new building. The project was approved by the Peace Corps and posted on its web site to solicit donations. After four months of intensive fundraising, the required $13,700 was collected, with NAC|Architecture contributing $2,800 ($1,400 from Seattle office employees and a $1,400 match from NAC|Architecture). The funds were transferred by the Peace Corps to Sabrina, who is now supervising the construction and managing the finances. Locally built, all of the construction tools are basic: shovels, trowels, pick axes, and a tape measurer made of string. The 68’x35’ building, which features an open veranda on one side, is divided into three sections, with the library and computer-lab rooms flanking a central storage room. Each room will be equipped with iron window bars and double locks to deter theft, ceilings fans for cooling, and exterior veranda overhangs to shelter windows from rain and direct sunlight. The computer lab will be wired to support technology requirements. Sabrina reports that the students enjoy watching the construction activities and their new building take shape. When complete, the facility will offer a stimulating teaching-learning environment in which the students and teachers can take much pride.
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We have offices located in Seattle and Spokane, Washington; Los Angeles, California; Denver, Colorado.
Contact Us
Seattle Office
2201 6th Ave Ste 1405
Seattle, Washington 98121-1847
phone: 206-441-4522
fax: 206-441-7917
Los Angeles Office
3951 Medford St
Los Angeles, California 90063-1608
phone: 323-859-3100
fax: 323-859-3110
Spokane Office
1203 W Riverside Ave
Spokane, Washington 98021-1107
phone: 509-838-8240
fax: 509-838-8261
Denver Office
450 W 14th Ave No 40389
Denver, Colorado 80204
phone: 720-335-6248
fax: 720-294-3465
