I've been actively involved with the San Diego Architectural Foundation for seven years as I believe it fulfils a critical need by bringing together people from all walks of life who are committed to heightening the awareness of our built environment and in recognizing the influence it has on all citizens in our community.
SDAF provides a critial link between the design community and the general public, particularly through the Orchids & Onions (O&O) yearly awards. This well-run and well-received program really takes the public's pulse on the good and not so good in the built environment in San Diego. This is a rare (in my experience) but necessary collaboration that, while I'm sure is humbling at times for receivers of "Onions", really works to promote great architecture and design to help create a built environment that works for people.
SDAF has done an exceptional job of making the Orchids and Onions Awards event THE best designer event of the year. Every year it gets better and better. And the URBAN Orchids tour this summer we must have back again next year! HATS off SDAF
I have been involved with the San Diego Architectural Foundation for many years and really appreciate the consistently strong design related programming that they organize and host. Exceptionally unique is the organization's ability to produce a wide range of events that bring together the City's creatives from architecture, planning, landscape, developerment, graphics, art, and plain ol' interested resident around the common theme of improving the quality of life for all San Diegians through the built environment. There is literally something for everyone, screenings of design films, the wildly popular Orchids & Onions awards, the thoughtfully provocative Pecha Kucha nights, and lectures by the region's premier built environment leaders. A group of designers easily can create a heady, exclusive, even intimidating atmosphere for non-insiders-but this is the magic of the SDAF, I have brought my teenage children and my 82 year old parents to events and they thoroughly enjoyed the topics, relevance, and energy-all positive. If you never have, I encourage you to stop by the Foundations web site www.sandiegoarchitecture.org, peruse the offerings and attend a program, you'll enjoy it regardless of whether you are a pro, or just the public.