Building Future Leaders & Building Communities

Project Pipeline Camp 2024

As part of the Board of NOMA of Central Texas, I helped to plan this year’s Project Pipeline Camps. The purpose of these camps is to help introduce middle and high school students to the field of Architecture. In addition to our camps in Austin and San Antonio, we expanded our camp program to Brownsville this year. Across our 3 camps, we had 76 students this past July!

There are a few reasons for expanding our camp to the Rio Grande Valley.  First, there are no professional Architecture degree programs students in RGV.  So many students wanting to pursue Architecture end up coming to the Central Texas region to finish their education, and many that make this journey end up staying here. This is what happened for one of our current and one of our prior Board members.  The second reason is that there is a lot of growth in RGV, which means that they will need more architects to help design the future of that region. So establishing a camp here makes sense as we want to help future architects find their path as that path takes them through RGV and Central Texas.

Building Communities Conference 2024

To help raise awareness of our new Project Pipeline camp program, I spoke at the Building Communities Conference and Tradeshow that was held on South Padre Island on September 5-7.  AIA LRGV offered free conference admission to our campers and five of them attended. They had fun collecting swag from the booths at the tradeshow, holding a baby alligator, and eating from a giant charcuterie board.

The first day of the conference was a day of organized tours. Additionally, 28 conference sessions offered topics ranging from organizing and running an architecture firm to Landscape infrastructure.  Immediately before my presentation, Dr. Murad Abusalim and Erick Diaz of ORANGE MADE Architecture gave a really informative talk highlighting data to support the establishment of a professional Architecture program in the Rio Grande Valley.

Kathy Leuders, the Starbase General Manager of SpaceX, gave a keynote address on the history and current developments at SpaceX.  It was interesting to hear more about SpaceX since they will be a major influence in drawing in growth to the region. The second keynote by Nicolas Garcia Mayor, CEO and Founder of Cmax System, was about his life experience and how that led to his work with developing a rapidly deployable building system to help with disaster relief. His heartfelt and inspiring story was  met with teary eyes as well as laughs from the audience. One of the key takeaways from both keynotes was that even though life may throw obstacles in your way, working towards what you believe in should give you the drive to move forward.  If you are not passionate about your work, maybe you are focused on the wrong thing.

The Building Communities Conference and expanding Project Pipeline Camps highlight the importance of nurturing the next generation of architects, especially in underrepresented regions like the Rio Grande Valley. By giving middle and high school students the opportunity to explore architecture through Project Pipeline, we are investing in their future and the future of our communities. Project Pipeline provides exposure, inspiration, and guidance, empowering students to see the possibilities of a career in architecture. As we continue to grow and evolve this program, we remain committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of their location, has the chance to explore their interests and shape the world around them.

Project Pipeline 2023

National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA)

NOMA was founded in 1971 with the mission of providing fellowship among minority Architects, advocating for positive changes in the field of Architecture, and to inspire the next generation of Architects.  NOMA held the first national Project Pipeline camp in 2012.

NOMA of Central Texas

Our local NOMA chapter was founded a little over three years ago and covers the region surrounding Austin and San Antonio.  There are also NOMA Student organizations at UT Austin and UT San Antonio.  

https://www.nomacentraltx.org/

Project Pipeline Camp 2023

The purpose of Project Pipeline is to show youth that there are career opportunities in the field of Architecture and related design and construction industries.  We especially want to reach out to populations that have been historically underrepresented in the profession of Architecture. We pair the campers with mentors that are professional Architects, college Architecture students, and other design professionals so they can share their educational and professional experiences with the campers.

Our chapter began participating in Project Pipeline in our first year.  Albert, of Studio Plearn, volunteered as a mentor for that first camp and then joined the Board of NOMA to help with organizing the camps for the next two years.  As our chapter covers two cities, the camps have been held at UT Austin and UT San Antonio and we have tried to expand our reach to more areas in Central Texas.  Our attendance has grown from 25 students in the first year to 65 students in our third year.

During our 2-day camp, the campers create a Lego construction and create drawings of it as if it were a habitable building.  We play a game called “Mind Your Neighbor” where the campers must think about how buildings relate to each other in a neighborhood context.  For the final project, campers are asked to design a building and create a physical model of their design.  This year we partnered with City of San Antonio initiatives to promote Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) for our project focus.  ADUs add additional housing units to pre-existing housing lots.  The campers designed tiny houses, units for college kids to live in when they return home, assisted living units for the elderly, dog care facilities, and many other things.

WHAT PRIDE MEANS TO ME: CELEBRATING 10 YEARS WITH THE PRIDE OF SAN ANTONIO BAND

Music has the power to bring people together and build community, and it serves as an authentic and significant way for me to celebrate Pride.

This year, the Pride of San Antonio Showband is celebrating our 10 year anniversary!

The Pride of San Antonio Showband marches in the 2022 Pride Parade in San Antonio, Texas.

Before 2013, Pride didn’t mean much to me. It seemed like just another excuse for people to waste their money on alcohol and rainbow decorations, which has never appealed to me.

But several years ago I joined a local band that gave me an opportunity to get back into music and join a community outside of my workplace. Little did I know it would transform my connection to an event that holds significant meaning for me.

For years many of my friends in our community band mentioned forming a band to march in San Antonio’s Pride Parade, but no one actually wanted to take on the considerable task to organize this effort. So I decided that I was going to be the one to finally do it.

Rehearsal is held every Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Woodlawn Pointe Center for Community. The address is 702 Donaldson Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78201.

With the deadline of the 2013 Pride march fast approaching, we planned to wait until the following year to organize, but there was so much interest from musicians we were connecting with and other members of the community that we decided to go ahead march in the 2013 Pride Parade as the Pride of San Antonio Showband.

As an introvert, this was one of the most difficult things I had ever done. I didn’t know many people in San Antonio, so I had to rely on my band friends to find musicians to join our group. People were afraid that we would fail and were nervous about showing public support for a LGBTQ+ cause, so I spent hours a day on the phone reassuring people to get all our musicians on board.

Our first Pride march as the Pride of San Antonio Showband – June 2013

We made a really great showing at that first parade in 2013. We had no real plans on how the band would carry on after this—I was completely exhausted. But luckily there others in the band pitched in and the band has continued as a concert and marching band in San Antonio, for 10 years. We’ve joined the national Pride Band Alliance, and each year we have the privilege of marching alongside our sister bands, the Houston Pride Band of Houston, Texas, and the Oak Lawn Band of Dallas, Texas, during their Pride parades as well.

Our Pride of San Antonio Showband at the King William Pride Parade 2022

Pride has come to mean COMMUNITY for me. It is a celebration of people embracing their differences and coming together to support and appreciate each other; and through the Pride of San Antonio Showband, I am fortunate to celebrate meaningfully in great company.

If you’d like to join the Pride of San Antonio Showband, or if you’re looking to learn more, visit our website at prideofsashowband.org or connect with me. Still not sure? Come check out our rehearsal, which is held every Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at Woodlawn Pointe Center for Community. The address is 702 Donaldson Ave, San Antonio, TX 78201.

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Written by Albert Condarco, Senior Architect of Studio Plearn.

THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF PLEARN เพลิน ('JOY')

I’m here to tell you that you can do anything.

I had a dream to start my own architecture firm, and in 2020, I became the proud owner of a small but mighty business—Studio PLEARN. Check us out!

It is a JOY grown out of a great but worthy risk. 

We love our maneki-neko (“lucky cat”) figurines

A LEGACY OF PLEARN เพลิน (‘JOY’)

My life is temporary. But my values are not. So how do  want to be remembered? I want to leave behind a legacy of เพลิน and flavor it with my roots.

เพลิน in Thai means Joyful. 

Joy does not depend on happiness. Although used interchangeably, they are not truly synonymous. Happiness reacts. Joy is a choice. The definition of joy doesn’t mention happiness at all.

PLEARN (เพลิน) is defined this way: full of joy, as a person or one's heart; glad; delighted; showing or expressing joy as actions.

I aspire to cause delight in the hearts of our employees, colleagues, and clients through joyful architectural design. Yes, roadblocks may alter the plans, process, or schedule of a project; running a business is in itself an occupational hazard; and interpersonal conflict comes with the territory of relationships. No one would expect happiness to define these challenges. 

I aspire to cause delight in the hearts of our employees, colleagues, and clients. Yes, roadblocks may alter the plans, process, or schedule of a project; running a business is in itself an occupational hazard; and interpersonal conflict comes with the territory of relationships. No one would expect happiness to define these challenges. 

My team expresses joy with through our architecture. PLEARN, once explained, puts people at ease and allows me to share how my team can practice the challenging profession of architecture joyfully with them. It clicks with people. 

THE RESILIENCE OF PLEARN เพลิน (‘JOY’)

PLEARN (joy) has helped us to persevere through challenges and celebrate the smallest of victories. It allows us to grow and charge forward in our vision to create enriched environments that enhance communities and people through equitable design.  

Renovating current facilities in the Civic, Education, and Healthcare spaces addresses the current economic reality: less large buildings are being built. This project scale means that the client cost is equitable for more communities. These industries impact a greater number of people than is often realized. 

While we prefer small projects, our professional experience is primarily with larger buildings so we can bring that level of experience to all types and scale of projects. This means our firm can scale up more easily than a big firm can scale down. As an adaptable Historically Underutilized Business (HUB), we provide equitable opportunities for designers from minority ethnicities, and increased minority representation on larger project teams. 

WHAT I’VE LEARNED ABOUT PLEARN เพลิน (‘JOY’)

As a small business owner I’ve gained so much from learning as I go. For anyone taking a risk, I offer these few nuggets of wisdom: 

Be yourself. As a female Asian American, I get to help pave the way for other young entrepreneurs, especially female/minority business owners. Contrary to misconceptions of Asian Americans as the silent minority, I proudly embrace my directness, confidence, and quirkiness. 

I’m charting my own course and accepting that I will learn from my mistakes. With my limited bandwidth as a mother, I’m working smarter, not harder, like choosing 1-on-1 meetings over larger BD events.

Trust your people. The gift of trust shows my team I support them beyond their industry expertise. They are free and encouraged to pour into their families, tackle academic goals, prioritize volunteering, work on a contract basis if need be, and set flexible hours when the 9-to-5 doesn’t fit their lifestyle. Because I trust them, they are more dependable and joyful teammates. It also adds opportunities to give back to our community.

As a volunteer, Albert Condarco, our Senior Architect, shares his personal time as an architect mentor through UTSA’s Kids Initiating Design Solutions (KIDS) Elementary Architecture program. KIDS is an architecture-based program offered to 3rd and 5th grade students where participants learn art and design concepts by way of exploring the built world.

Students from local schools participate in hands-on learning through UTSA’s KIDS program.

Take risks. Don’t be afraid to take chances. Don’t be afraid to take on opportunities that might scare you. I’ve heard it say that there’s no such thing as overcoming your fears…You face your fears and go through them, and do that again and again. Make it your life’s practice. 

Commit to resilience. Taking risks is not for the faint of heart. Be ready for failure. Be ready for disappointment. If you’re not failing, you’re not reaching far enough. And when you do get the wins, celebrate those big time! 

Ask and learn. Ask the “dumb” questions (there are no dumb questions). Surround yourself with wise people whom you trust. Be a listener and learner. Be a sponge. Receive wisdom and pull from it what works for you. I am a part of the City of San Antonio's Mentor Protégé Program with Pfluger Architects. which is a great way for a small start-up to grow into a strong business. I’ve learned so much from my colleague, Joshua Newton and the leadership group at Pfluger Architects, and have appreciated the guidance and counsel to help set the foundation for our success at Studio Plearn.

Have you ever had a dream that… you could do anything?

Dreaming and risking is a practice in humility and resiliency. Reaching your goals is more like a marathon than a sprint. There will be many emotions that accompany you on whatever journey you’re on.

But เพลิน… it transcends circumstances if you commit to it.

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 Written by Michelle Stedman, Founder and Principle of Studio Plearn