The Dwell Guide to Events in Your City

Wednesday, April 30

Representatives of the Department of the Environment's Zero Waste (recycling) team talk about the legislation shaping construction in the city. 5:30-7:30 p.m.; AIA San Francisco, 130 Sutter Street, Suite 600; www.aiasf.org

Thursday, May 1

Essayist Daniel Mendelsohn comes to the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco to introduce his book, The Lost, the story of his search for relatives killed during the Holocaust. 8 p.m.; Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California St.; (415) 292-1200; https://tickets.jccsf.org/public/default.asp

Roger Housden, author of Ten Poems to Change Your Life Again and Again, hosts wordsmiths Dave Eggers, Roger Housden, Maxine Hong Kingston, Elizabeth Rosner and Nina Wise for tonight's reading series. 7 p.m.; Cowell Theater in the Fort Mason Center; (415) 345-7575; www.fortmason.org/boxoffice

Leslie Robertson is the principal of a New York-based structural engineering firm that helped design The World Trade Center in New York, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, and the Miho Museum Bridge in Japan, among other international projects. Tonight, Robertson reflects on his work. 2:10-3 p.m.; Sibley Auditorium, Bechtel Engineering Center; 510-6420550; http://events.berkeley.edu

Friday, May 2

Before the industrial Revolution turned us onto synthetic blue pigments, artists and alchemists concocted the color using the woad plant. In this new exhibition at The Hive Gallery, four artists - Ellen Fader, Judi Pattite, Miriam Fagen, and Jessica Serran - return to the source, exploring natural blue hues in their multi-media work with woad.  The Hive Gallery, 301 Jefferson St., Oakland;  www.hivestudios.org

Saturday, May 3

Techies and artists execute their futuristic visions at the D.I.Y-minded Maker Faire, home of laser harps, electric giraffes, poor-tool races, and the Bazaar Bizarre craft fair. Through May 4. San Mateo Fairgrounds, 2495 S. Delaware St., San Mateo; www.makerfaire.com

Sunday, May 4

Last Chance: Vietnamese American photographer An-My Lê explores America's complicated relationship with war in two recent photo series: Small Wars, in which she portrays historic reenactors waging the Vietnam War in Virginia's forests, and 29 Palms, where she captures soldiers training in California. Phyllis Wattis Theater, 151 3rd St.; (415) 357-4130; www.sfmoma.org

Monday, May 5

The winners of UC Berkeley's Eisner Prize for student film get their first taste of stardom at this screening of their work. 4 p.m.; 130 California Hall, 2626 Bancroft Way; (510) 642-0808; www.bampfa.berkeley.edu

Culinary icon and star of Molto Mario on The Food Network, Mario Batali toasts his new book Italian Grill with a special lunch and signing. Il Fornaio, 1265 Battery St.; www.bookpassage.com

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