Letter from the OFA Chair Milk District Sketch Walk Orlando Digital Twin + Presentation OFA Movie Night at Casa Feliz. Architecture on Tap +1 OFA Annual Art Show Building a Sustainable Future Recap: 2024 Scholarship Awards It's Time to Renew Your OFA Membership OFA's Architectural Guidebook
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Letter From the OFA Chair Greetings and Happy Earth Day! Spring has sprung in the City Beautiful and there are inspiring things happening this month toward a more sustainable community and healthier planet! Founded in 1970, Earth Day (April 22) is a global celebration in which the world pauses to consider the impacts of our daily actions on planet Earth and demonstrate our collective support for environmental protection. For decades scientists have been tracking the effects of industrial activity, the automobile, increase in waste, rapid land development and the built environment on climate change, water and air quality, land, forests, and oceans, as well as overall human health. After 50 years of effort, there is optimism that awareness is rapidly increasing, progress is being made, and some man-made environmental disasters have been averted. Earth Day 2024: Why you should celebrate climate change optimism (usatoday.com) Orlando is ranked one of the greenest cities in America (Sustainability & Green Initiatives in Orlando (visitorlando.com), based on its |
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sustainable practices in the management of infrastructure, urban farming, “voluntourism,” and one of only five cities awarded the Smart City Council Readiness Challenge grant in 2017. In 2020 the City of Orlando was awarded the LEED Gold for Cities certification for its citywide sustainability and resiliency efforts, the highest level of performance for any city in the Southeast United States. LEED for Cities - City of Orlando. Through continuing private and public initiatives and funding, Orlando remains a global leader in sustainability as evidenced in our revitalized neighborhoods and districts, community gardens, green hotels and resorts, university campuses, public transportation, and world-famous theme parks. Visit the USGBC website LEED project profiles | U.S. Green Building Council (usgbc.org) to survey projects in Orlando that have received or are pending receipt of LEED certification, including the Orlando Science Center (2010), CNL Center I (2024), multiple buildings in Lake Nona and on the UCF campuses, and even the Saint Laurent and Burberry boutiques at the Mall at Millenia! This year Orange County has extended Earth Day to Earth Month (April 3 - April 30), promoting celebrations and events throughout Central Florida that connect us with nature, each other, and our community toward a greener future. Some of these events include neighborhood cleanups, vegan food festivals, events at some of the urban farms and community gardens, and an Earth Day Birthday celebration featuring some of Central Florida’s musical artists. Earth Day Events and Activities in Orlando 2024 (gottagoorlando.com). This isn’t just for April - every day can be Earth Day!. Take a stroll through Lake Nona’s Town Center and walking trails, or the Orlando Wetlands to experience Central Florida’s indigenous plants and wildlife while learning about sustainable water management and conservation. Orlando Wetlands - City of Orlando, Native landscape inspires sustainable solutions - Lake Nona. From Sanford to Mount Dora, Christmas to downtown, there are many places to connect and make a difference. We are looking forward to May and the “Endless Summer” of features on the local hospitality, leisure and entertainment industry, a tour of Orlando’s Digital Twin, an evening stroll and tour of Lake Nona’s Town Center, Boxie Park and Wave Hotel, and Movie Night at Casa Feliz! We look forward to seeing you there! With Gratitude, |
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Debra Lemons, AIA, IIDA, WELL+AP OFA Chair |
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Milk District Sketch Walk Saturday, May 11th, 2024 10:00AM - 12:00PM The Plaza Live
425 N Bumby Ave Orlando, FL 32803 Join AIA Orlando, ASLA (Orlando Section), Urban Sketchers and OFA for a collaborative sketch walk guided by Greg Bryla, ASLA of Dix Hite+Partners and the Orlando Chapter of Urban Sketchers. Leave CAD and REVIT behind for this fun and exciting chance to brush up on your hand graphics!!! |
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Orlando Digital Twin Presentation + Discussion
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Orlando Economic Partnership
200 S. Orange Ave, Suite 200 Orlando, FL 32789 Join OFA in partnership with the Orlando Economic Partnership as we take a tour of Orlando's Digital Twin. Representatives from OEP will lead a presentation and discussion before the tour and there will be a Q & A session to follow. |
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OFA Lake Nona Town Center Walking Tour
Friday May 17, 2024 7:00PM - 9:00PM
Lake Nona Town Center/Boxi Park
6877 Tavistock Lakes Blvd. Orlando, FL 32827 Join OFA for an informational walking tour of the Lake Nona Town Center in partnership with Lake Nona. The tour will begin at Boxi Park and feature the architectural and landscape architectural design teams from Tavistock Development Company. This unique Friday evening tour will also include the Wave Hotel and the sculpture garden. Register today to join us! |
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OFA Movie Night at Casa Feliz Tuesday, May 21st, 2024 6:00PM - 7:30PM Casa Feliz 656 N. Park Ave. Winter Park, FL 32789 Join us for OFA's second movie night at Casa Feliz! A double feature showing: "Jewel of Parramore" A UCF Student Film about prominent early black physician Dr. Wells and the Wells'Built Hotel, now the Wells'Built Museum of African American History & Culture. "Rosenwald" A documentary chronicling the remarkable story of a Jewish partnership with African American communities. Courtesy of the National Center for Jewish Film, Waltham MA. Sponsored by Toto & Casa Feliz |
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Architecture on Tap +1 Wednesday, June 12th, 2024 6:00PM - 8:00PM Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company 1300 Alden Road Orlando, FL 32803 Join OFA at Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company for a casual evening of conversation about Why Design Matters in Central Florida. Come out and connect with OFA members, students and other design professionals as we discuss plans for the Orlando Center for Architecture and Design (OCAD). OFA Committee Chairs will also be attending and can answer questions about how you can get involved with Committee volunteer opportunities. |
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6th Annual Art Show November 21st - December 14th, 2024
CityArts Downtown
39 S Magnolia Ave. Orlando, FL 32801 The Orlando Foundation for Architecture will be hosting the 6th Annual OFA Art Show, which will take place at the CityArts. The art show will be open to the public. As the Orlando Foundation for Architecture promotes public understanding and appreciation of architecture and design, art with a theme related to “Architecture and Design” is encouraged, but not required. |
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Building a Sustainable Future: The Rise of Green Buildings By Ariel Hadley The world is facing compounding challenges – all of which are connected to the climate crisis and demand immediate action. Architects and designers have the opportunity to enact positive impact on the built environment as the building sector has a major negative environmental impact. In response, the green building movement has emerged and gained continual momentum, influences building codes across the nation. Green buildings are more than just structures; they are beacons of change in our built environment. Their advantages extend far beyond mere aesthetics. In a world grappling with climate change, the impact of green buildings will continue to benefit future generations. |
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2024 Scholarship Award Winners |
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The Orlando Foundation for Architecture hosted its annual awards event in collaboration with UCF, the University of Florida CityLab, and Valencia College. The evening featured student presentations, scholarship awarded, and a presentation by David Goldberg, FAIA, President of AIA's 2023 Firm of the Year, Mithun. Thank you to everyone who applied for the 2+2+2 scholarship program this year. We encourage you to apply next year! Congratulations to this year's winners: Gabriel Lewis, Basma Elsheikh, Chase Scholze, Sadier Hernandez, Charlee Allen. Thank you to all of our sponsors: HKS, rhodes + brito architects, TLC Engineering Solutions, Construction Engineering Group, TAGS Engineering, RLP Engineers, Baker Barrios & The AIA Orlando Fellows. |
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It's Time To Renew Your OFA Membership |
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Thank you for being a valued member of The Orlando Foundation for Architecture, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to public education that inspires people to discover WHY DESIGN MATTERS. With your loyalty and support, OFA is able to continuously provide our members with valuable benefits and programming through educational programs, tours, exhibits, and events. Your investment also allows us to provide college scholarships to students that participate in the 2+2+2 program at Valencia College, UCF and UF CityLab Orlando. |
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Purchase Your Copy of OFA's Architectural Guidebook |
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Order your copy of The Architectural Guide to Central Florida- the first available guide to offer visitors and natives alike an overview of outstanding buildings spanning nearly a century and a half of growth in Central Florida. With dramatic color photography, the guidebook introduces the major cities from Daytona to Lake Wales, and architects who have shaped the communities, including Murry S. King, James Gamble Rogers II, Nils M. Schweizer and Gene Leedy, with essays by ten knowledgeable experts. It showcases historic buildings from the early twentieth century, mid-century modern, to the |
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present, as well as the only campus designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and a new spectacular Polytechnic University by Santiago Calatrava. A bevy of buildings at Walt Disney World and Celebration Florida by Leading National and International architects Robert Stern, Arata Isozaki, Phillip Johnson, Aldo Rossi, Michael Graves, Venturi Scott Brown, Graham Gund, Welton Becket, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Architectonica round out the collection. We printed a limited number so be sure to purchase your copy today! |
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Thank You to Our New OFA Members & Supporters! |
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Join us in welcoming our new members and supporters to the Orlando Foundation for Architecture, we look forward to working with you within this great organization! |
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Audrey Alai Nathan Aleskovsky Jorge Arboleda Jose Benitez Mier L. William Chapin Keith Holloway Harry Hummel Herbert James Roseann Latta Nicole Nichols Jed Prest Daniel Sellers Carlos Weiser Chris Whitney |
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Your support is essential to the continuing success of the Orlando Foundation for Architecture and its community-centered programming. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to OFA or join as a member! |
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