Welcome Ucha!

We are excited to welcome Ucha Abbah, our Dallas bcINTERN this summer!

From Dallas, Texas, Ucha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights and Environmental Studies from Southern Methodist University and is in the process of completing a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia. You can read more about Ucha here.

Thus far, Ucha has worked to research Freedmen's Towns in Dallas and how urban development has impacted them to support future storytelling work.

Ucha says, "My experience so far has been great, I have gotten to see completed projects while learning about the processes that lead to the completion of the projects that [bc] works on. I have enjoyed getting to know the different personalities here and how they come together to make the office unique and fun."

Welcome Alison!

We are excited to welcome Alison Katz, our Houston bcINTERN this summer!

Alison is from Saratoga Springs, NY and currently pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University as part of the class of 2020. You can read more about Alison here. 

Alison has been supporting our RAPIDO work in Houston. This summer, she will be working on marketing for upcoming projects, as well as assisting with community meetings that are happening here in Houston regarding the local needs and priorities for recovery since Harvey.

Alison says, "So far, my experience at [bc] has been really eye opening. Houston is a new city to me, and talking to people who have lost everything because of Harvey has been really impactful. In a short amount of time I have learned a lot about the way policy has specifically affected the way the city has recovered (or not) from the hurricane, and the ways community centers are advocating for people in need."

Welcome Sara!

We are excited to welcome Sara Taketatsu, our RGV bcINTERN this summer!

Sara is from Antonito, Colorado and is currently a junior at the CU Boulder Program in Environmental Design working on her Bachelor of Environmental Design, specialization in architecture. You can learn more about Sara here. 

Throughout the summer, Sara will be working on creating materials, documenting, and attending meetings for the El Sonido del Agua project, as well as helping out with architectural design and low-impact development projects in the Rio Grande Valley. 

Sara says, "It's been amazing to meet so many wonderful people in the [bc] community and in the LRGV. There's a depth of knowledge and experiences here that is truly remarkable and exciting to learn from."

Welcome Lilith!

We are excited to welcome Lilith Winkler-Schor, our DC bcINTERN this summer!

She received her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts from Tulane University in social policy, political science, and studio art. Born in Munich, Germany, and raised in Seattle, Washington, Lilith now lives in New Orleans. You can read more about Lilith here. 

This summer, Lilith will be conducting interviews and research to discover best practices for community engagement and stakeholder inclusion in Business Improvement District formation and implementation, as well as building on site for the DC Public Library Container Lab project. 

Lilith says, "I love the interdisciplinary nature and fast-paced energy of [bc]. With a background in policy and sculpture, it's rare to find opportunities that exist in both worlds, but at [bc] I get to bounce between conducting interviews on policy implementation to grinding metal on site for a maker space."

Four Musicians Selected for El Sonido del Agua

On June 13, 2018 the musician selection committee—comprised of community organizers, conjunto musician experts and designers—reviewed applications and held live auditions at the ARISE Support Center in Alamo, TX. The Support Center is just a few miles from Alberta Meadows and Owassa Acres, two colonias which are focus areas for the project.

Four musicians rose to the top of the list during this session and the committee thought that finding a way for the four of them to work together would foster the best possible outcomes for the project. Two of the musicians are from the colonias themselves (one each from Alberta Meadows and Owassa Acres). The other two live in the Rio Grande Valley and have experience working with colonias. This combination of local expertise and regional understanding of drainage and music should make for a lively experience!

We will announce the musicians at the July 11 and 12 songwriting workshops and community audits, to take place in the colonias. These events will kick off the next phase of the project. Musicians will lead corrido writing writing workshops, following walking community audits led by [bc]. The community audits are designed to support residents of the colonias in identifying, documenting, and reporting infrastructural issues that impact drainage and catalyze conversations about the challenges of daily living in a flood prone area. These audits and conversations will be a foundation for writing corridos (narrative ballads) about these conditions.

Additional workshops will be held this summer to refine the corridos and then produce conjuntos based on these stories. This effort to put the daily struggles that colonia residents face into song is at the heart of El Sonido del Agua.

 This project is supported by a grant from the ArtPlace America National Creative Placemaking Fund.

buildingcommunityHEROES 4th Edition Released

[bc] is excited to share our 4th edition of buildingcommunityHEROES ([bc]HEROES) trading cards. This edition celebrates individuals across Dallas who are making strides in the areas of education, food access, community organizing, arts, bicycle advocacy, and community development. With a fresh new design, these cards are a fun way to learn about and celebrate local Dallas heroes.

Our 4th Edition Heroes include: Lucy Phelps Patterson, Daron Babcock, Kay Thompson, William Sidney Pittman, Yvonne Ewell, Taylor Toynes, Clarice Criss, Cora Cardona, Onjaleke Brown, Joli Robinson, Ronnie Mestas, Lily Weiss, Ben Leal, and Ashly Fields.

[bc]HEROES launched in 2014 in commemoration of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. Dr. King challenged us to build a more perfect union and taught us that everyone has a role to play. [bc] honors that incredible legacy of service by recognizing local trailblazers, advocates, organizers, and leaders, who serve our communities.

Check out more at buildingcommunityheroes.org, read HERO bios, nominate your HERO for future trading cards, and explore our HEROES’ causes. If you would like your own pack of [bc]HEROES trading cards please contact give us a call or swing by the Dallas Office. Supplies are limited.

Disaster Recovery Leadership Development

Houston residents will have a lasting impact in shaping the future of region as the City asks the people how they wish to see federal funds allocated for Harvey recovery. We have worked with the Texas Organizing Project (TOP) to create resources for individuals to learn about specific issues including flooding, the disaster recovery process, housing and gentrification. We hope that these modules will help people provide informed feedback at community meetings, support community organizing efforts, and empower them to have engaged conversations with local officials and experts. These educational resources will help locals understand the details regarding these issues and the systems in which these issues exist. We have been meeting with residents, TOP, and the City to pinpoint neighborhoods' specific struggles before and after Harvey. 

Summaries of each module can be found below. Click the image to access the content of each module through [bc]'s People's Design Library.

Flooding:

This module explores the causes of flooding, how rain water is managed at different scales, and what residents of Houston and Harris County should be aware of in regards to flooding post-Harvey.

Housing:

This module investigates the factors that shape housing affordability, who is responsible, and ways you can advocate for more choices in Houston’s housing market.

Gentrification:

This module explores the impacts of gentrification, anti-displacement strategies, and responsibilities of preserving housing affordability and community identity in Houston.

Disaster Recovery:

This module explores the stages of recovery, types of recovery housing, and who is involved in the disaster response and recovery process.

Welcome bcINTERNs!

This summer, for the first time ever, [bc] will host an intern in each of its 4 offices.

Our Summer 2018 bcINTERNs are:

• Dallas Office: Ucha Abbah

Ucha is currently pursuing a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights and Environmental Studies from Southern Methodist University.

• RGV Office: Sara Taketatsu

Sara is working on her Bachelor of Environmental Design, specialization in architecture, at the University of Colorado Boulder.

• Houston Office: Alison Katz

Alison is pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University.

• Washington, DC Office: Lilith Winkler-Schor

Lilith is a recent graduate of Tulane University with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Policy and Practice, Political Science and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine and Studio Arts.

We are excited to welcome these four new interns to our team! Follow the links to their bio pages to learn more about them and what they'll be working on this summer!

Cottages Featured in Two Exhibitions

A view of The Cottages at Hickory Crossing in Dallas, TX. 

The Cottages at Hickory Crossing, the 50-unit permanent supportive housing complex in Dallas, TX for which [bc] served as architect, will be featured in two new exhibitions this summer.

Re-opening June 14, 2018 at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at George Washington University is the Sustainable Native Communities Collective (SNCC) Bridging Boundaries exhibition. The exhibition, which runs through August 19, demonstrates "how art and design can create space for unification and negotiation." Join us for the opening reception!

This October, Design for Good: Architecture for Everyone will open at the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA). The exhibition is curated by the author of the eponymous book, John Cary. 

We are thrilled to have our work featured in these important exhibitions. If you have a chance to visit them, engage with us on social media, snap a picture, and let us know what you think!

2018 State of Dallas Housing Report

Read the full report here!

Learn more about bcANALYTICS  and check out the 2016 and 2017 State of Dallas Housing Reports!

We are excited to release the third annual State of Dallas Housing report, the latest in our series of data-driven analytics reports that examine the issue of housing affordability within Dallas and present opportunities for equitable housing development.

The maps and graphics included in the report illustrate longitudinal trends in housing production and new residential construction, as well as growth in population, jobs, and income, across Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. The report looks at median incomes by racial and ethnic group and by industry of employment in relation to average housing costs by Census tract.

The bcANALYTICS team interviewed 10 housing experts in Dallas to determine priority areas where additional research was needed. The need to better understand Dallas’s housing market within the context of the four-county region (Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant) emerged as a top priority. The report examines key data that demonstrates how Dallas’s housing market is not producing enough affordable housing to meet the needs of its socioeconomically diverse population. With costs of housing on the rise, the housing products on the Dallas market—and the regional market—are increasingly out of reach for many. Moving to surrounding communities does not, according to the study, provide a viable option for finding more affordable housing.

With the City of Dallas adopting a new Comprehensive Housing Policy, Dallas’s residents and stakeholders will need additional metrics and context to understand the issue of housing affordability at the city-wide scale. This new report aims to equip our city with the knowledge to be informed advocates for their communities’ interests.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2017 North Texas continued to be one of the fastest growing regions in the United States, and one of the top housing markets in the United States. As the City of Dallas’ prepares to implement its recently passed housing policy, aimed at increasing the production of housing units across the city, it is important to understand housing production at a larger scale to pinpoint where new housing units or typologies may be needed at this critical juncture. The 2018 State of Dallas Housing Report explores current housing trends in the City of Dallas and socioeconomic trends across the four most populous counties of North Texas (Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant) to help contextualize housing production and identify potential challenges and opportunities for improving access to housing for residents of Dallas and North Texas. 

The region’s rise in population, new housing, employment, and income exemplifies the uneven nature of development and economic growth across North Texas. Growth in the region is concentrated in specific cities and neighborhoods, while other areas have experienced less measurable change in recent years. Housing production has followed this growth in parts of the region. However, housing production in the city of Dallas has been heavily concentrated in just a few of the Dallas’ nearly 400 neighborhoods despite more widespread growth across Dallas.

This report helps quantify these trends in Dallas’ housing production from 2011 to 2017, contrasting them with socioeconomic changes and housing production across North Texas. Is Dallas’ goal of increasing the production of housing feasible, inclusive, and able to address the needs of all Dallas residents? Central to this report is the focus of housing accessibility and affordability for different income and population groups in Dallas, based on the ratio of housing values to median income. Has new housing production across North Texas provided opportunities for Dallas’ median income households to access housing in surrounding communities? This report suggests the answer is no. 

As more of Dallas’ housing production is focused on higher-valued homes, largely in the city’s northern sector, new housing built in North Texas from 2011 to 2016 was largely concentrated in areas that are the least affordable to Dallas’ median income households of color. As the City weighs a new housing policy to stimulate housing production in Dallas it is important to understand both the history of recent housing production in Dallas and the connection between housing production and Dallas’ existing residents. 

This report finds that despite large numbers of new housing units built across the region, many Dallas households are only able to easily afford housing in certain parts of North Texas, primarily in Census tracts that are heavily segregated with high poverty and further removed from much of the economic growth in North Texas. Additionally, some of the fastest growing industries in North Texas tend to pay lower wages that create an additional barrier to accessing affordable housing in proximity to jobs and other amenities based. The lack of production of affordable rental units only further enforces the challenge of Dallas’ minority and low income residents from accessing quality affordable housing at the expense of providing luxury housing for more affluent new residents moving to neighborhoods close to Downtown Dallas. 

El Sonido del Agua Call for Musicians - deadline for submission extended to JUNE 15!

We are thrilled to announce the Call for Musicians for "El Sonido del Agua," a multi-year creative placemaking project supported by ArtPlace America.

The deadline for submissions has been extended to JUNE 15!

As part of this project, we will commission one or more local corrido writers / conjunto musicians to lead workshops with colonia residents and collaboratively write corridos that speak to residents’ experiences of flooding and other stormwater issues in the colonias.

The call for musicians is below:

Convocatoria para Músicos de Conjunto Regional / Compositores de Corridos

El Sonido del Agua - Valle del Rio Grande

Convocatoria de Músicos empieza: 5-17-18

Fecha límite para entregar solicitud: 6-15-18

Favor de enviarla escrita o verbalmente

Para preguntas:

Para preguntas sobre el proyecto contacte a Thor - thor@bcworkshop.org

Envíe preguntas en Español a Martha - martas@lupenet.org o Laura - laura.arise94@gmail.com

Envíe preguntas sobre los talleres de música a Rogelio - nrogelio@hushmail.com  

Descripción del Proyecto:

buildingcommunityWORKSHOP ([bc]) se complace en anunciar la convocatoria de propuestas de músicos para El Sonido del Agua, un proyecto que asociará a residentes de colonias con escritores de Corrido / músicos de Conjunto.

El Sonido del Agua es un proyecto de ritmo acelerado y altamente colaborativo. Los músicos trabajan con  residentes, organizadores comunitarios, expertos en políticas y salud pública, diseñadores y planificadores, trabajadores de la ciudad y del condado y más. Los músicos seleccionados para el proyecto le enseñarán a residentes de colonia cómo escribir corridos que respondan y se enfoquen en los problemas relacionados con el drenaje, las inundaciones y los huracanes  al igual como los problemas afectan su vida cotidiana. Dependiendo de los resultados de los talleres se seleccionarán múltiples Corridos para que se produzcan en Conjuntos.

Los músicos deberían estar dispuestos a trabajar en colaboración con los líderes de las colonias y aliados comunitarios y deberán ser capaces de enseñar como escribir canciones y ser músicos de Conjunto o socios de los músicos de Conjunto.

La línea de tiempo del proyecto es la siguiente:

• Convocatoria de lanzamiento de músicos - 5-15-18
• 1er Auditoría comunitaria - Observar condiciones secas - 6-11-18
• Preguntas - formato de seminario web - 6-13-18
• Llamada para músicos - 6-15-18
• Selección y notificación de músicos - 6-15-18

Actividades de Talleres:

• 2da Auditoria comunitaria - condiciones después de la lluvia - TBD
• 1er Taller de Corridos - TBD
• 2do Taller de Corridos - TBD
• 3er Taller de Corridos - TBD
• Finalización del Corrido - JULIO
• Composición de letra musical con conjunto - AGOSTO
• Funciones / Sesiones de Música - SEPTIEMBRE - OCTUBRE
• Celebraciones en la Colonia - OCTUBRE - NOVIEMBRE

Esta iniciativa está respaldada por el patrocinio de ArtPlace America. Para conocer más sobre ArtPlace America, visite el sitio web: www.artplaceamerica.org

PRINCIPIOS DEL PROYECTO

Las presentaciones de propuestas deben enfocarse en este proyecto musical en colaboración con los miembros de la comunidad utilizando los principios de guia y el proceso de Activacion Vacantes [bc] que se encuentran a continuación:

• Los corridos deben versar sobre la vida cotidiana, las inundaciones, los huracanes y las travesías que les trajo, incluyendo los problemas relacionados con la salud pública, la vivienda digna y las condiciones de vida.
• El proyecto debe ser impulsado por objetivos definidos y articulados por los residentes de un lugar en particular
• Debe elevar las voces y motivar la participación cívica
• Fortalecer la identidad del vecindario y la historia cultural, desafiando las normas, incluida la aburguesación y el desplazamiento
• Fomentar la colaboración y la participación creativa entre un conjunto diverso de personas, que culmina en un trabajo co-creado por el artista y la comunidad
• Empoderar a los residentes para abordar el futuro de su propio vecindario y buscar mayores resultados relacionados con los objetivos de la comunidad
• Cambiar las percepciones de los desafíos

Para más información en procesos de Activación Vacantes se pueden encontrar aqui.

¿Quienes pueden ser candidatos?

Todo tipo de músico(s) que viva en los El Valle del Rio Grande en EE.UU es elegible a participar y se le invita a enviar una solicitud. Los músicos deben demostrar un gran interés en la justicia social y un gran deseo de trabajar en colaboración con partes interesadas de diversos orígenes económicos y culturales. Los músicos interesados en participar en el diseño, proyectos comunitarios, la planificación urbana o en la creación de espacios creativos son especialmente alentados a presentar solicitudes y aplicar. Las solicitudes son abiertas para ambos grupos colectivos e individuos.

PREMIO DEL PROYECTO

El presupuesto musical es de $ 30,000. Esto se puede otorgar a un o más de un músico, dependiendo de la calidad de la solicitud y su propuesta. El presupuesto incluye la participación en los eventos mencionados anteriormente y el trabajo del músico. Los músicos deberán participar en una auditoría de colonias para informarse de la vida cotidiana de los residentes. Este evento brindará a los músicos la oportunidad de conocer a los residentes y conocer a la comunidad. La programación de este evento puede incluir un recorrido a pie u otros eventos similares para ayudar a presentar a los vecinos a los músicos.

INSTRUCCIONES PARA ENTREGAR SOLICITUD Y PROPUESTA

Las solicitudes se pueden enviar en línea aquí, o verbalmente con Laura o Martha. El personal de [bc] está feliz de ayudar a los solicitantes a completar su solicitud en cualquier momento del proceso. Todas las preguntas de los solicitantes pueden dirigirse con Thor Erickson a el correo electrónico: thor@bcworkshop.org

Todas las aplicaciones requerirán:

1. Información del solicitante: nombre, dirección, número de teléfono, correo electrónico y sitio web (si corresponde)
2. Biografía del Músico  (700 caracteres)
3. Testimonio escrito del músico (700 caracteres)
   1. Un testimonio que proclama la experiencia y el interés en trabajar en colaboración con las comunidades durante el desarrollo de la música
4. Propuesta de proyecto (900 caracteres)
   1. Especifique el interés y el enfoque del artista para ayudar con las prioridades establecidas de la comunidad
   2. Mencione cómo se relacionaría el trabajo con los principios de activación de vacantes
   3. Mencione cómo el músico trabajará con los residentes a través de talleres
   4. Describa el enfoque y si el músico tiene cualquier otro formato que prefiera que el esquema anterior.
   5. Describe cómo el músico creará  el Corrido con un Conjunto
   6. Incluya un presupuesto preliminar que describa los gastos y las redistribución de todas las personas involucradas.
5. Muestras de trabajo y descripciones: Los músicos pueden proporcionar hasta 5 muestras de trabajo. Todos los enlaces e imágenes deben compilarse en un PDF, menos de 10 MB.
   1. Medios de audio y / o video: hasta 3 de las muestras de trabajo pueden ser de audio o video. Si usa Vimeo, Soundcloud o YouTube, no proteja con contraseña los enlaces multimedia. El tiempo total de audio o video enviado para las 3 muestras de medios no debe exceder los 6 minutos. Todos los enlaces deben estar relacionados con la hora de inicio.
   2. Documentación fotográfica de trabajo de audio / video y trabajo en 2D / 3D: las fotos deben tener 72 ppp, no menos de 800 píxeles y no más de 1100 píxeles a lo mucho. El tamaño total del archivo de cada imagen no puede superar los 10 MB.
   3. Para cada muestra de trabajo favor de incluir:
      1. El título, año y dimensiones
      2. El rol del artista en la producción de la obra
      3. Descripción breve del trabajo
      4. Solo si aplica, incluya una breve descripción de cómo se utilizó el compromiso de la comunidad para crear o compartir el trabajo

SCORING

Las solicitudes serán evaluadas por [bc] y el Comité Asesor, según los siguientes criterios:

• La alineación del solicitante con los valores del proyecto
• La experiencia del solicitante involucrando a la comunidad de maneras innovadoras, creativas y consideradas
• La experiencia del solicitante de trabajar en grupo con restricciones de tiempo y una fecha límite
• El interés expresado por el solicitante de trabajar con los residentes de la colonia y los socios del proyecto
• El interés del solicitante en incorporar los datos recopilados a través de la auditoría
• La fortaleza de la capacidad de los solicitantes para incorporar principios estéticos para abordar desafíos basados en la comunidad
• Originalidad, competencia y consistencia de los solicitantes a través de muestras de trabajo

ALIADOS EN ESTE PROYECTO

• LUPE
• ARISE
• TXLIHIS
• Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center
• UTRGV - Director of Estuary, Environmental and Special Projects (Cameron County Region)
• University of Texas School of Public Health
• Department of Population Health and Behavioral Sciences, UTRGV School of Medicine

RECURSOS ADICIONALES

• Activating Vacancy Project Guide

 

 

Call for Conjunto Musicians / Corrido Writers

El Sonido del Agua - Rio Grande Valley

Call for Participation Release Date: 5-17-18

Application Deadline: 6-15-18

Submit Via Typeform, or verbally

Contacts:

Questions about the project Thor - thor@bcworkshop.org

To submit verbally Spanish Martha - martas@lupenet.org or laura.arise94@gmail.com

Questions about the workshops - Rogelio - nrogelio@hushmail.com  

PROJECT OVERVIEW

buildingcommunityWORKSHOP ([bc]) is excited to announce the call for proposals from teaching musicianfor El Sonido del Agua, a project that will partner colonia residents with Corrido writers / Conjunto musicians.

El Sonido del Agua is a quick paced and highly collaborative project. Musicians will get to know residents and stakeholders, community organizers, public health and policy experts, designers and planners, City and County workers, and more. The musicians selected for El Sonido del Agua will teach residents how to write Corridos that respond to and address issues related to drainage, flooding, and hurricanes and the dealings of daily life through these storm events. Depending on workshop outcomes, multiple Corridos may be selected to be produced into Conjuntos.

The musicians should be willing to work in collaboration with colonia leaders and local stakeholders, should be able to teach songwriting, and either be a Conjunto musician or partner with Conjunto musicians.

The timeline of the project is as follows:

• Call for musicians release - 5-15-18
• Community Audit 1 - 6-11-18
• Q&A for applicants and auditions - 6-13-18
• Applications due - 6-15-18
• Selection and notification of musicians - 6-15-18

Workshop activities:

• Community Audit 2 - wet after rain - TBD
• Corrido Workshop 1 - TBD
• Corrido Workshop 2 - TBD
• Corrido Workshop 3 - TBD
• Corrido finalization - JULY
• Conjunto writing - AUGUST  
• Performances - SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER
• Colonia celebrations - OCTOBER - NOVEMBER

This initiative is supported by ArtPlace America. To learn more about ArtPlace America visit www.artplaceamerica.org

PROJECT PRINCIPLES

Proposal submissions should focus on this music project in collaboration with community members utilizing [bc]’s Activating Vacancy guiding principles and process found below:

• Corridos should be about daily life, flooding, hurricanes, and living through this including issues related to public health, fair housing, and general living conditions.  
• The project as a whole should:
• Be driven by a set of goals defined and articulated by the residents of a particular place.
• Elevate voices and encourage civic participation.
• Strengthen neighborhood identity and cultural history, challenging norms, including gentrification and displacement
• Foster collaboration and creative participation between a diverse set of individuals, culminating in a work co-created by artist and community
• Empower residents to address the future of their own neighborhood, and pursue larger outcomes related to community goals
• Shift perceptions of challenges

More information on the Activating Vacancy process can be found here.

ELIGIBILITY

Musicians of all disciplines living in the United States Lower Rio Grande Valley are eligible to apply. Musicians should demonstrate a strong interest in social justice and desire to work collaboratively with stakeholders from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. Musicians  with interests in design, community-engaged projects, urban planning or creative placemaking are especially encouraged to submit applications. Individuals and collectives/groups are welcome to apply.

PROJECT AWARD

The total budget for the musician stipend is $30,000. This may be awarded to 1 or more than 1 musician depending on scope of application and thoroughness. This fee should include participation in the events listed above, and the unique approach of the musician. Musicians will be required to participate in a colonia audit to inform their understanding of residents' daily experiences. This event will provide musicians with the opportunity to meet residents and learn about the community. Programming for this event may include a walking tour or other similar events to help introduce neighbors to the musicians.  

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Applications may be submitted online here, or verbally to Martha or Stephanie.  [bc] staff are happy to support applicants in the completion of their application at any point in the application process.  All applicant questions can be directed to Thor Erickson at thor@bcworkshop.org.

All applications will require:

1. Applicant Information: name, address, phone number, email and website (if applicable)
2. Musician Bio (700 characters)
3. Musician Statement (700 characters)
   1. A statement that proclaims experience and interest in working collaboratively with communities during the development of music
4. Project proposal (900 characters)
   1. Specify artist’s interest in and approach to addressing stated community priorities
   2. Address how the work would relate to Activating Vacancy principles
   3. Address how musician will work with residents through workshops.
   4. Describe approach and if the musician has any other format they prefer than the outline above.
   5. Describe how musician will merge the Corrido with a Conjunto
   6. Preliminary budget that describes expenses and stipends to all people involved.
5.  Work Samples and Descriptions: Musicians can provide up to 5 work samples. All links and images should be compiled into one PDF, less than 10MB.
   1. Audio and/or Video Media: Up to 3 of the work samples can be audio or video. If using Vimeo, Soundcloud, or YouTube, do not password protect media links. The total time of audio or video submitted for all 3 media samples should not exceed 6 minutes. All links must be cued to the start time.
   2. Photo Documentation of Audio/Video work and 2D/3D Work: Photos should be 72 DPI, no smaller than 800 pixels and no larger than 1100 pixels on the long side.   The total file size of each image can be no larger than 10MB
   3. For each work sample include:
      1. Title, year and dimensions
      2. Role of the artist in the work’s production
      3. Brief description of the work
      4. If applicable, brief description of how community engagement was used to create or share the work

SCORING

• Applications will be evaluated by [bc], and the Advisory Committee, based upon the following criteria:
• Applicant’s alignment with project principles
• Applicant’s experience engaging communities in innovative, thoughtful and creative ways
• Applicant’s experience working collaboratively within time restraints and on deadline
• Nuance and strength of applicant’s expressed interest in working with colonia residents and project partners
• Applicant’s interest in incorporating data collected through the audit
• Strength of applicants ability to incorporate aesthetic principles to address community based challenges
• Originality, proficiency and consistency of applicants work samples

PROJECT PARTNERS

• LUPE
• ARISE
• TXLIHIS
• Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center
• UTRGV - Director of Estuary, Environmental and Special Projects (Cameron County Region)
• University of Texas School of Public Health
• Department of Population Health and Behavioral Sciences, UTRGV School of Medicine

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Activating Vacancy Project Guide

Cultivating Connections Final Presentations

See more posts about our work in DC!

On May 1, students in Professor Barbara Brown-Wilson's Ecological Democracy course at the University of Virginia School of Architecture gave their final presentations for their Cultivating Connections project, through which they explored how to connect the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens—a National Park—to the surrounding Kenilworth-Parkside community. Students presented via video conference to a group which included representatives of Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, the National Park Service, and the DC Office of Planning. The presentations wrapped up a semester-long project for the students, who received guidance  and mentorship in public interest design and community engagement practices from [bc]'s Washington, DC team.

Over the course of the semester, activities that informed their project included visits to the park and design activities with visitors. As part of NatureFest—a weeklong camp at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens—UVA students asked young participants to  draw maps of how they get to the park and representations of plants and animals they've encountered there, learning about where campers come from and how they interact with the park. 

Check out images from the final presentation day below!

This project is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Smart Growth for Dallas Focus Forums

Learn more about Smart Growth for Dallas!

Smart Growth for Dallas, an initiative led by the Trust for Public Land, buildingcommunityWORKSHOP, and Texas Trees Foundation, seeks to combine community insight and science to promote quality public spaces and green infrastructure in Dallas. To unpack the issues highlighted during our community engagement process, Smart Growth for Dallas will be hosting a series of Focus Forums to explore the challenging topics of race and ethnicity, urban development, and accessibility within our public space design. The closing discussion will seek to knit together the prior conversation by exploring the specific role of design in bringing equity to public spaces. Through these conversations we hope to uncover forward-thinking ideas about planning and public space design in Dallas by bringing together groups whose work directly relates to each theme.

The first focus forum, "Equitable Development & Public Space" will be held on Thursday, May 17. A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Ivonne Audirac, of the University of Texas at Arlington's College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA), will convene key stakeholders to explore the issues of urban development and the effect of public space design on neighborhood vitality. This moderated forum will discuss how the design of public spaces can impact neighborhood strength and urban development, through exploring how public space design can contribute to the perpetuation of neighborhood disinvestment or be a catalyst for new development and neighborhood desirability.

Joining us as panelists are Aaron Abelson of HR&A Advisors, Brent Brown of the Trinity Park Conservancy, Brianna Brown of Texas Organizing Project, and Cynthia Salinas of the Esperanza Building Blocks.

Stay tuned for more information about future focus forums as their dates and locations are announced!

RAPIDO in Houston

With the support of a funding partnership with Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., [bc] is working to bring the RAPIDO model to Houston, working with families affected by Hurricane Harvey in collaboration with Texas Low Income Housing Information Service and Covenant Community Capital. 

We've worked to adapt RAPIDO's temporary-to-permanent housing model for this new geography and have designed a temporary-to-permanent unit for a family. RAPIDO’s housing model deploys a temporary CORE unit to family’s property weeks after a disaster, which can be expanded into a permanent home through a system of semi-custom designed additions. The purpose of the RAPIDO CORE is to bridge the gap between relief and recovery housing and provide a pathway to meet long-term family needs and preferences.

Our first RAPIDO prototype in Houston will provide the process and the means for a Houston family to become homeowners and allow us to pilot RAPIDO in Houston.

We're also working to design and build an Accessory Dwelling Unit prototype (ADU), which will pilot additional possibilities for post-disaster housing and pre-disaster planning. After a disaster, RAPIDO's ADU allows homeowners whose houses are in need of repairs to remain on their property while the repairs are made. After the homeowner moves back into their primary home, the ADU can be rented out as affordable housing, providing an extra income. The RAPIDO ADU unit can also play a role pre-disaster by providing a safe space on a homeowner's property.

Check out photos below!

Welcome Sara Gordon!

Learn more about Sara here!

Sara Gordon is a Design Associate at buildingcommunityWORKSHOP in the Washington, DC office. At [bc], Sara works to support a variety of design and equitable development projects.

Sara’s journey began in a small design-build firm working to modernize once run down single family homes in the northeast neighborhoods of DC. In addition, she has worked closely with youth educational groups to teach the foundations of architecture, interact with the local professionals, guide site visits to monuments, and create design-build learning environments. Originally from New Jersey, Sara has adopted DC as her new home city where she has a strong connection with community involvement and local crafters, artisans and farmers.

Sara holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture with an Urban Practice Concentration from The Catholic University of American (CUA) in Washington, DC. She also participated in The School of Architecture Foreign Studies Program in Barcelona, Spain working closely with Makers of Barcelona (MOB).

Construction to Begin on Container Lab

[bc] has partnered with the DC Public Library Foundation to design and build a mobile, deployable fabrication lab (or "fab lab"), housed in a modified shipping container, to supplement access to library resources while the  Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library undergoes a three-year renovation, piloting new methods of reaching communities in place. The Container Lab will house a variety of tools that patrons can use, such as a CNC router, a laser cutter, and a 3D printer. These very tools will be utilized in building the structure!

[bc] produced design schematics for this design/build project, pictured above. We recently received a building permit and are set to begin construction on the Container Lab in April.

We will host a number of community build days to engage DC residents in the process, so stay tuned to learn more about how you can get involved!

[bc] + UVA Community Design Partnership

Supported in part by a National Endowment for the Arts Art Works grant, [bc] is partnering with the University of Virginia School of Architecture to train students in the practice of community-engaged, public interest design.

15 students enrolled in the semester-long Ecological Democracy class, a graduate planning course taught by Assistant Professor Barbara Brown-Wilson, will work with [bc]'s DC team to utilize community-engaged research and design methods to address a timely equitable development challenge.  Over the semester, students will build awareness of "the roles planning and design can play in supporting socio-economic vulnerable communities to increase their own social and ecological resilience."

[bc] and UVA are working with the nonprofit organization Friends of the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to develop strategies that help connect residents of the surrounding community to the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, a National Park though signage, way-finding and other physical interventions. 

In February, UVA students traveled to Washington, DC. Students, faculty, and [bc] staff visited Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens to gain insight from stakeholders, conduct a site documentation assignment, and learn about the history of the Kenilworth-Parkside neighborhood.

In March, [bc] visited the UVA campus to provide feedback on students' group presentations, which explored aspects of way-finding signage design, codes and regulations, mapping, and project coordinators. Check out our photos from these activities!

This partnership furthers [bc]'s efforts to advance the practice of public interest design through training and mentorship of designers and planners, while providing UVA students with experience learning from professionals in the field. 

This project is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Update: Healing Hands Ministries

Learn more about bcANALYTICS and check out additional reports in the bcANALYTICS Catalog.

In 2014, bcANALYTICS worked with Healing Hands Ministries on a report to help advocate for a new DART bus stop at the intersection of Greenville Ave. and Royal Ln. in Lake Highlands. Over the past several years, Janna Gardner, the founder and CEO of Healing Hands, has worked tirelessly to bring that goal to fruition alongside District 10 Council Member Adam McGough, the AllinD10 Collection Impact initiative, DART, and other community groups. 

Thanks to all of that hard work, a new bus stop, which will help Healing Hand’s clients have better access to the clinic by public transportation, has opened on DART’s Route 84.

In our previous work, we found that Healing Hands was located further from public transportation than other low cost or affordable health care options, which proves a challenge for the thousands of low-income families and individuals who receive services from Healing Hands—the nearest stop was roughly ¾-mile away from Healing Hands clinic, while most organizations, as we found, have a stop less than ¼-mile away. 

The data and information prepared by [bc], with support from Communities Foundation of Texas, was an important tool in Janna’s effort to provide better public transportation to the families who rely on Healing Hands for health care services. 

We celebrate this community victory with Healing Hands Ministries today and will continue to work to equip community leaders with the tools and data analytics services that they need to advocate for positive change. 

Read the full report here!
 

THIS WORK WAS SUPPORTED BY
As the largest community foundation in Texas and one of the largest in the nation, Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) works with families, companies and nonprofits to strengthen our community through a variety of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking initiatives. The foundation professionally manages more than 900 charitable funds and has awarded more than $1.3 billion in grants since its founding in 1953. Increasing financial stability of working families is one of the two key focus areas of CFT’s community impact funds. To support this area, CFT has launched the Data Driven Decision-Making (D3) Institute. The D3 Institute is designed to provide organizations that offer programs and services for low-income working families the power to accelerate their development of enduring solutions to the social and economic problems facing this population. www.cftexas.org/D3

A Note from Our Founder

Dear [bc] Friends— 

It's been fifteen years since I started down the path of organizing buildingcommunityWORKSHOP. Today, it gives me great pride to see the breadth of projects being undertaken advancing the public’s interest through design and community engagement.

Thank you to the more than two hundred smart, energetic young designers who joined me. You came from across this country giving your time, talents and energy. And thank you to the hundreds of sponsors who believed design could be a tool for justice. Without your investments [bc] would have never happened.

I am proud to have served as Founding Director and President of this organization. It is time now for the next phase for [bc] and for me. I have been given the opportunity to become the President and CEO of the Trinity Park Conservancy. I am pleased to bring all that I have learned from [bc] and my training to help the City of Dallas achieve its vision of the Trinity River as the natural gathering place for all of Dallas. In many ways, the work of the Conservancy marks the next step for me in my professional practice bringing together design, the public interest, and city building.

As I step down, I am happy to announce the appointment of Thor Erickson, AICP, as the new President of [bc]. During his past two years with [bc], Thor has provided critical leadership to help build capacity while also contributing his planning knowledge and skill. Thor will continue as Managing Director and Omar Hakeem, AIA, as Design Director. I will still be involved with [bc] as Board Chairman.

We began this transition last year and I am thankful to the Board of Directors and all the staff who have worked so hard and been so supportive. It’s been my privilege to serve alongside so many talented individuals as we worked across Texas and the United States. The real heroes have been our partners—community leaders, non-profits, governments and others—whom we can never fully express our appreciation for inviting us to join them in their work. 

It has been a joy and honor to have been a part of the impact [bc] has made since 2003. And I want to especially thank my family for their encouragement. I also want to thank all of you for your support. It has been my privilege to work with and assist in creating this special organization.

I am extremely confident in [bc]’s future and look forward to supporting the continued work.

Onward!

Brent
[bc] Founder

Community Engagement Recap

Learn more about the sustainABLEhouse initiative in Corpus Christi!

Community Meeting

[bc] partnered with the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville to host the first community engagement meeting with residents from Corpus Christi on September 18th. This process was prompted after the Port of Corpus Christi announced a voluntary relocation program for the neighborhoods of Hillcrest and Washington-Coles.The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the two organizations to Corpus Christi, which was looking for affordable housing options. We also wanted to learn what housing preferences the local residents wished to live in.

With this is mind, [bc] put together a few activities to learn more about the housing preferences. The residents were asked to fill out a survey that included questions framed around their desired neighborhood characteristics, the preferred housing attributes, and the nearby amenities they wished to live close to.

After a night of conversations and participating, the meeting finished with responses and answers that would be used to further the design process. The next step was to create a community workshop that focused more specifically on the individual housing and locational preferences for each resident.

Community Workshop

On September 30th, [bc] again paired with Community Development Corporation of Brownsville to host an interactive community workshop session. This session was focused around the individual housing and locational preferences of each residents. This was done by separating the residents into two groups; one that wanted to move together as a community and the other that was interested in finding land that fit their family's needs.

The residents that wished to move together went through an activity to construct their ideal neighborhood. The residents used blocks and paper to compose an example section of their future neighborhood. The elements were based off of the original nearby elements chosen the meeting before. This activity allowed the residents to understand how the design of a neighborhood begins.

The residents that wished to move as individuals participated in a sticker activity that had them layout their existing home and compare it to what they would like to see in their new home. Deciding among room arrangements and architectural elements allowed each participate to have a say in how their house would get designed.

The next step in the design process is to work with our partners at CDCB to address the locational preferences and begin schematic design.

Focus Group

On November 18th, the residents of Corpus Christi came to a focus group geared toward progressing residents in the design process. The main objective of the meeting was to understand the locational preferences of Corpus Christi. [bc] and CDCB put together different areas of the city in order to best understand where the residents wanted to move.

The residents and [bc] employees had conversations about various housing locations within Corpus Christi. Afterwards, a general consensus is going to allow [bc] and CDCB to find land within the city to begin the construction design process with the focus group residents.

Currently, individual design meetings are being scheduled as equitable land becomes available.