WE'RE A CERTIFIED SEED FIRM!

Inscape is proud to be one of the first three Certified SEED Firms, along with Architectural Nexus in Salt Lake City, Utah and Springboard Design in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Certified SEED firms have the capacity to understand the greater needs of clients and communities that often lie outside of the traditional scope of the architect.

Our role as a certified SEED firm is to address more than just the physical structure or space; it is to better understand the people and community which the project will serve and to ensure after completion and occupancy that the design works as intended. Inscape Publico was selected for our ability to work with clients and communities through collaboration and participation to create the highest level of positive impact through design, increasing the public value of each project.

Click here to learn more about what it means to be a Certified SEED Firm.

Thank You from Inscape Publico

Last week, Inscape Publico hosted the first annual Social Impact Design Celebration. There was great food, music, and drink to fuel the evening, and it was a wonderful forum for discourse about the importance of making a positive impact on our local communities through the power of design. The proceeds from the evening support the mission of Inscape Publico, though the impact will have a have a far greater reach in bringing together the talented and dedicated creative professionals of our Nation’s Capital to support others through our collective design efforts.

A special thanks to all our supporters and partners who made the evening possible. We were privileged to recognize Joel Mills, the Director of the American Institute for Architects’ Center for Communities by Design, and Fallon & Children’s Defense Fund as the initial winners of the Excellence in Social Impact Design Awards. I would also like to thank Tommy Wells, Director of the Department of Energy & Environment, for attending the Celebration and representing the District Government.

View the Social Impact Design Celebration photos here >

Thank you for your continued support and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Stefan Schwarzkopf on Social Impact Design

Inscape's design director, Stefan Schwarzkopf, shares his thoughts on Social Impact Design at a recent Inscape Publico event.

"Everybody’s got their voice, everybody’s got their tools, and I think the critical thing is to do something with that. Do something meaningful in the world and that’s doing 'designing like you give a damn,' or 'acting like you give a damn,' or 'banking like you give a damn,' or whatever it is. All of these things are part of the way things are but you can use them for more."

Video by Raibar Chener and Laura Ewan.

Scooter Raffle

Inscape Publico is announcing a raffle of a brand new Stella Scooter. Valued at $3499, with an automatic transmission and 125cc engine, this is a scooter that anyone can ride. It is fast yet fuel efficient and environmentally friendly.

Tickets are $25 each and only 300 are being sold. Proceeds will support Inscape Publico's nonprofit design program for other nonprofits and those they serve. The drawing will be held at the Social Impact Design Celebration on November 17th, and the lucky winner does not need to be present to win.

To purchase a ticket and more information, please visit www.inscapepublico.org/scooter

Social Impact Design Celebration

Inscape Publico will be hosting an evening with friends, colleagues and design leaders to highlight and draw attention to the work of those involved with Social Impact Design in the DC area. This will provide individuals and organizations with the opportunity to display their Social Impact Design work. Awards will recognize those who have demonstrated passion, leadership, and excellence in the field of Social Impact Design for the greater Washington, DC region.

The Social Impact Design Celebration is the first of its kind and will be the social event for all of those supporting Social Impact Design in the architecture, design, development, and construction fields in the DC area. The event will not only showcase the Social Impact Design of Inscape Publico, but many individuals and organizations dedicated to improving our communities through professional design.

The event takes place on November 17, 2015 from 6:30pm to 10:00pm, the evening before Greenbuild begins in DC, at the Wonder Bread Factory at 641 S Street NW. All proceeds will support Inscape Publico's efforts to provide processional architecture services to other nonprofits, who would not otherwise be able to afford them, and those they serve.

Tickets are on sale now. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.inscapepublico.org/sidc.

Happy Hour at Maple

Inscape Publico and AFHdc  hosted a relaxing and enjoyable evening on Maple's back patio to update attendees about Inscape Publico's latest project, the St. John's Episcopal School in Honduras.

AFHdc Directors also announced their new chapter subcommittees and shared updates from the international chapter network. AFHdc is a volunteer organization that works to solve social justice issues through sustainable design. Formerly operating for 10 years as the DC Chapter of Architecture for Humanity, AFHdc has provided pro bono design services for organizations locally and abroad.

If you weren’t able to attend this great networking event with leaders in Social Impact Design in DC, make sure you get out to the next one!

Inscape Publico Expands

Executive Director Greg Kearley formally welcomes two new team members to Inscape Publico – Matt Alcide and Rayya Newman. In the past year, the positive impact of Inscape Publico’s pro bono architecture services have grown as they have successfully helped to create spaces for other nonprofits as far north as Detroit with work on behalf of Repair the World, and to the south in Honduras with work on St. John’s Episcopal School. Matt, as the Development Director, and Rayya, as the Outreach Director, will play pivotal roles and leading our fundraising efforts and reaching out to future nonprofit partners.

Matt Alcide has a diverse background with significant experience in fundraising within the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining Inscape Publico as Development Director, Matt worked in development for the Landscape Architecture Foundation and the Alice Ferguson Foundation. He is currently the president of the Green Burial Council and president of his fraternity’s alumni chapter at James Madison University. In addition to many nonprofit leadership and volunteer activities, Matt consults small businesses and nonprofits in enhancing their operations through web design, marketing, and development. He is also the managing partner for Land8, the online social network for landscape architects. A native of Long Island, Matt is a graduate of James Madison University and holds a degree in Political Science and History.

Rayya Newman volunteers as a Director of Project Development for AFHDC, a charitable organization that works to solve social justice issues through sustainable architecture. She is an Architect with over 10 years of experience on a variety of project types, including healthcare, academic buildings, laboratories, offices, mixed-use developments, and transit. She is member of the American Institute of Architecture and is a LEED Accredited Professional as well as a certified SEED professional. Rayya specializes in Public Interest Design and believes in the triple bottom line approach to sustainability, including social and economic as well as environmental issues. Her blog publicinterestdesign-dc.org highlights public interest design projects, events, and people in the DC area. Rayya received her Bachelor of Architecture from The Catholic University of America and her Master of Architecture from Virginia Tech.

Returning to St. John's School Honduras

This Thursday, 11 June 2015, Stefan Schwarzkopf and I will travel back to Siguatepeque in the Central Mountains of Honduras for the ground breaking of Escuela San Juan, St. John’s School. The ground breaking will be for the cafeteria, the first building to be constructed in our master plan. The structure will temporarily provide three classrooms for the children of St. John’s Parish and later be transformed into the dining hall once additional funds are secured to construct the entire campus. While in Siguatepeque, we will be assisting the building contractor in the layout of the foundation and going over the specifics of the design. The building will be occupied by the students this August, in time for the start of the new school year. 

The construction of the first structure will be a catalyst for Bishop Allen and the Episcopal Church of Honduras in their fund raising efforts, showcasing the architecture of their new campus to the supporters of their mission. In a country where compulsory education ends at the 6th grade and only 51% of children registered complete primary school, it will demonstrate their commitment to the students and parents of St. John’s School. The church’s mission is to prepare their students to engage the future of Honduras as intelligent, articulate, and compassionate people of faith that possess a global perspective and the skills necessary to make a positive impact on their world. The school will be a prototype for 21st Century education in Honduras and will take advantage of the latest technologies and pedagogical approaches to education.

- Gregory Kearley
 

To support this project, please visit www.crowdrise.com/stjohnsschoolhonduras.

HIPS Fundraiser

Thank you to all of those that attended Inscape Publico’s fundraiser to support our design efforts on behalf of HIPS. Through the generous support of those in attendance and online contributions, we raised $3,400 towards the design of their new space. Support from our community of friends and partners allows us to continue our collaboration with HIPS.

The evening celebrated the power of architecture to inspire the work and mission of HIPS. HIPS promotes the health, rights, and dignity of individuals and communities impacted by sexual exchange and/or drug use due to choice, coercion, or circumstance. HIPS provides compassionate harm reduction services, advocacy, and community engagement that is respectful, non-judgmental, and affirms and honors individual power and agency. To learn more about HIPS and their programs, visit their website at www.hips.org.

Visiting St. John's School Honduras

On the 22nd of last month, Stefan Schwarzkopf, Design Director at Inscape Publico, and I weaved between mountain tops, banked hard left, and landed at Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Greeted at the airport by our hosts for the week Jack Melvin and Bob Cantor, we climbed into a minivan and traveled northwest on highway CA5 through the Honduran Central Mountains to the garden city of Siguatepeque.

We were brought to Honduras by the Episcopal Church of Honduras and its bishop the Reverend Lloyd Emmanuel Allen to design a new school at St. John’s Parish in Siguatepeque. In a country where compulsory education ends at the 6th grade and only 51% of children registered complete primary school, the Episcopal Church of Honduras serves 1,650 students in 7 bi-lingual schools throughout the country. The church's mission is to prepare their students to engage the future of Honduras as intelligent, articulate, and compassionate people of faith that possess a global perspective and the skills necessary to make a positive impact on their world. 

The design directive that was given to Inscape Publico by Bishop Allen is to create a master plan for a new school prototype, pre-K through high school, on a plot of land adjacent to the church and current school at St. John’s Parish. The master plan is now complete and we are currently developing the components of the master plan into the architecture that will house the children and young adults of Escuela San Juan. The school will be a prototype for 21st Century education in Honduras and will take advantage of the latest technologies and pedagogical approaches to education. 

- Greg Kearley

To support this project, please visit www.crowdrise.com/stjohnsschoolhonduras.