SF's Architecture and the City

(Re)discover the New Bay Bridge

This boat tour on September 27th from 3:00-5:00 shows participants how the progress is coming on the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. Learn more about how ecology, design, and transit intersect while cruising the Bay. This tour is a bit steep at $65 for AIA members and $75 for civilians, but it looks amazing. The starting point is at the Ferry Building.

Rem Koolhaas: A Kind of Architect (2008) and Architecture Is… Best of Shorts Awards

On September 28th don't miss this screening of a film that Rem Koolhaas calls "the only film about me I like." Better yet, stay for the Architecture Is... awards ceremony decorating a handful of outstanding short films about architecture. The screening is free but you need to register. It's being held at the Koret Auditorium in the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

Acoustic Wayfinding for the Blind

Christopher Downey, an architect who lost his sight in 2008, leads this walking tour dedicated to acoustic wayfinding for the blind on September 20th from 6:00-8:00 PM. Learn about how the visually impaired navigate the city streets, and how they rely on the sounds and soundscapes of various buildings and sites help them get where they need to go. After the walk Joshua Cushner of Arup will lead a discussion on how to create acoustic markers of space. The tour and talk costs $40 for AIA members and $50 for the general public.

The Bay Area’s Modern Landscape Legacy

This half-day symposium on the legacy of the region's landscape design, wich special emphasis placed on pioneers like Lawrence Halprin, Garret Eckbo, Thomas Church, Geraldine Knight Scott and other progressive designers. You'll hear from academics, landscape architects, and historians and get a greater sense of what we have to treasure here in our backyard. The event is on September 15th from 1:00-5:00 at SPUR Urban Center. The event is part of the Cultural Landscape Foundation's What's Out There Weekend.