2008 04 pyatok newsletter
TRANSCRIPT
MORE THAN 35 YEARS have passed since the fi rst Earth
Day. As young designers of that era, we thought our warnings about
the environment and our ideas for change would reach mainstream
America quickly, but we were wrong. We can only hope now that
changes in attitude and behavior will be comprehensive, and not just
narrow, technological fi xes. “Change” is the slogan of the current
presidential campaigns, but the environmental movement knows
how long attitudes and policies take to really change.
Lest we forget, global warming is as much the result of peo-
ple exploiting people as it is of exploiting resources. Thoughtless
consumption by the ‘Golden Billion’ has long created desperation
among the other fi ve billion. Poverty in America continues to grow;
the average CEO earns 300 times what the average worker earns;
15% of Americans own 85% of the wealth; and once again, the
global economy is in chaos because of the greed of a few on Wall
Street — who this time exploited the housing dreams of modest
Americans. These same American workers are inextricably linked
to the global workforce, for if workers in the Philippines aren’t paid
livable wages, don’t get health care and decent housing, then US
workers have a harder time getting these, for capital seems always
ready to chase after cheaper labor.
In recent years, Pyatok Architects has developed award-winning affordable, market rate, and student housing; multi-use facilities; preservation projects; and TODs.
International ImpactSocial justice means designing for the most vulnerable, with respect and skill.
People Designing PlacesWhen local residents participate in the process, the results refl ect local values.
CHANGE BY DESIGNPYATOK ARCHITECTS ::: SPRING 20 08
Going GreenSmart building envelopes and a weighted matrix promote sustainability.
In 2007 the U.N. reported that
more than three billion people
live on less than two dollars a
day. While the majority of Pyatok
Architects’ work is in the western
US, the fi rm’s commitment — to
high quality, sustainable, cultur-
ally- and climatically-sensitive
designs that serve the working
poor and those in extreme pov-
erty — has attracted the attention
of developers and governments in
the Philipines, Malaysia, Russia,
and Dubai. The fi rm is committed
to social justice, recognizing that
the most vulnerable suffer under
the strains of a warming planet and
a cold, global economy.
International Impact
With global warming now a fact,
North Americans are slowly
agreeing to ‘cozy up’ to each other
in sustainable, compact commu-
nities. For more than 20 years,
Pyatok Architects’ work has been
used across the US, Canada, and
Mexico to change public opinion
about affordable housing and the
value of high-density living —
demonstrating the ways this work
can be a model of sensible living
for all people. In 2007 alone, the
fi rm was invited to present more
than 50 times in 35 cities. A broad
cultural change is in the air and
Pyatok, together with their non-
profi t clients, are leading the way.
Cozy Communities
Cozy CommunitiesAffordable housing has led the way to promote high-density communities.
NAHRO AwardLion Creek CrossingMaster Plan, Mixed Use415 units
Seven DirectionsOakland, CA Affordable Family Housing and Health Clinic, 36 units
Palamanui Kona, HIMarket Rate and Affordable Housing, 200 units
Wood Street Multifamily Market Rate Housing301 units
CA Preservation FoundationAltenheim Senior Housing93 units (rehabilitation)
Orchards on Foothill Senior Housing65 units
SO WHAT CAN ARCHITECTS DO in this global web
of interdependence and injustice? In our modest way, we can work
with clients who develop affordable, sustainable communities in the
US and abroad. But we need to understand that until policies and
funding priorities change, we will not make substantial change. The
most we can expect is that our talents will create environments that
consume less and inspire others to view them as successful models.
As poets, we can present models of what the world could be like,
helping others imagine a better future. After all, imagination and
hope are the foundations for long-term change.
While Pyatok Architects is best known for its work in the
greater Bay Area, we are working in neighboring states and Hawaii,
and in several developing countries. We have designed and proudly
watched the development of more than 35,000 units of affordable
housing. Individually and collectively, staff has advocated for hous-
ing reform, volunteered on community boards, and renovated deteri-
orated homes. We donate a sizable percentage of our modest profi ts
to the nonprofi t developers and housing advocacy organizations. We
promote the incorporation of locally created art into our projects.
And, we continue to do what we can to lighten the carbon footprint
of our offi ce and of the buildings we design.
It has taken all these years for warnings about the environ-
ment and youthful optimism about alternative lifestyles aided by
new technologies to reach the mainstream. Now we need to ensure
the changes will be comprehensive. Photovoltaic cells, green roofs,
and ‘sustainable’ fads applied to buildings will not produce real
change unless economic and social equity are also our goals.
Continuing its history of incor-
porating lay people in the design
process, Pyatok Architects worked
with neighbors and residents
of Nystrom Village last year to
transform a 1940s public hous-
ing project in Richmond, CA into
an affordable neighborhood with
400 rental and ownership oppor-
tunities. Pyatok Architects, with
the California Local Government
Commission, also helped residents
of Salinas, CA resolve issues result-
ing from years of disinvestment in
their local Chinatown, once made
famous by writer John Steinbeck.
A 7-day charette produced a plan
that preserved the area’s history
while adding housing, retail, and
offi ce space.
Since its founding, Pyatok
Architects has practiced sustain-
able design through the promo-
tion, design, and development of
high-density, urban infi ll commu-
nities. By designing in ways that
discourage reliance on automo-
biles, by creating smart building
envelopes that maximize natural
light and ventilation, and by using
green materials, the fi rm’s work
emphasizes the usefulness of infi ll
locations. Recently staff at Pyatok
Architects developed a weighted
sustainable measures matrix,
focused on affordable housing,
helping developers to set early
goals for sustainability.
People Designing Places Going Green
Recent projects are located in communities throughout the Bay Area, Southern CA, the Central Valley; Washington, Arizona, Hawaii; the Philipines and Malaysia.
Some Recent Awards Samples on the Boards Two of Many in Construction
PYATOK ARCHITECTS 1611 Telegraph Avenue Suite 200, Oakland, CA 94612 P. 510.465.7010 F. 510.465.8575