Over the past month the AFHNY meetup group has taken on two new projects for ABC No Rio in the lower east side and The Point in Hunts Point in the South Bronx.

ABC No Rio
Already a team (Marc Pittsley, George Roushakes, Jason Buchheit, Andrew Burdick, Cynthia Barton) has begun consulting with ABC No Rio on the renovation of their building, [investigating ways to make the existing facilities more effective for community interaction and the demonstration of ABC No Rio's principles, including sustainable living. You can learn more about ABC No Rio at their website

The Point
We recently had the pleasure of being invited by Paul Lipson, director of The Point, to be a part of an Earthday tree planting session up in the Bronx. AFHNY is currently exploring way in which we can work with The Point on architectural and design projects in the future. You can learn more about The Point at their website.

The AFHNY meetup group has not only begun to instigate projects but is proud to be hosting Tom Dutton to speak on his work in Cincinnati. Dutton's talk presents his student's architectural work in helping to advance the interests of the Over-the-Rhine People's Movement in their struggle for self-determination.

Tom Dutton is director of Miami University's Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine, integrating faculty, student, and community learning in cross-disciplinary and inter-cultural experiences in inner-city Cincinnati. He has been active in the Over-the-Rhine People's Movement for twenty-three years. Currently, he and his students are designing and rehabilitating housing for low- and moderate-income people there. This lecture will take place Wednesday May 12th at 6pm at the Center for Architecture.

Thanks to AFHNY'er Tiona Martin, the AIANY and of course Tom Dutton for making this event possible.
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Calling all graphics and communication designers

We strongly believe in collaboration between all the design arts - Architecture extends well beyond form-making and how many of us define 'space'. To date we've garnered support from the industrial and interior design world and are excited by the potential to also work alongside the graphic and communication arts community. I should note that a graphic design team were one of the finalists of our first design competition.

Therefore, we welcome the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts), who are currently forming an affiliate chapter dubbed 'Design for Humanity'. If anyone (AIGA members and non-members too) would like to get involved, email Christina Jackson to join. - Even you can join Messrs. Sagmeister and Mau.

Also, our good friends at the AIGA are hosting an online competition to design posters to encourage people to vote in the upcoming 2004 presidential election. We will post information about the initiative on our site and in the next newsletter when it launches later this month.
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Project Updates and the 2004 Summer Design Competition

We had hoped to update you on all the projects we are currently undertaking including all the great building work completed in Bam. However, as you see, we are swamped with announcements this month. Due to all the events I will send another newsletter later this month, including an announcement of our new design competition. We will be formally announcing at an AIDS Walk SF event on May 24th - and yes i know it's all ready been partially leaked on the internet by some crazy design student.

This competition is a great summer or first semester project (it will over lap the first 4 weeks of term), so if there are any faculty members or firms who would like to use the competition for a studio project please contact me via the link at the bottom of the email. Also any members of the press who would like information or project images should also contact me directly with your request.
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Thank You
For the six weeks AFH has lectured in 12 states to over 3500 atendees as part of recognition of our five year annivarsary. The OUTREACH exhibition also ended its eighteen-month run with more than 55,000 visitors. We could not have been able to do this without the help of many individuals.

Special thanks this month goes out to;
Kim Olson, Chee Pearlman, the Design Matters Team at Art Center, Richard Koshalek, Shelley Pullman, Christina Jackson, Kevin Carroll, Martin Lotti, Tom Dutton, Robert Bell, the Maxfield family, Jessica Miller and Miami U. NOMAS, Kimberly Brown and the Carl Small Town Center, Alex Gilliam, Emily Chaffee (and her trusty Jeep Cherokee), Pam, Andrew Freer, Julie Saunders and the SCAD AIAS, Sarah Sapone and the UofM AIAS, Liz Ogbu, Peter MacKeith, Shannon Platt, Jonathan Cook, Harris Steinberg, Irini Sarlis, Michela Canfora, Jacopo Morando, Stephanie Edwards, Molly Baltman, Stanley Tigerman, Eva Maddox, all the AFH meetup members and many, many others.

We would also like to thank our generous donors who have allowed our projects to continue, develop and meet their goals. . We are always amazed and overwhelmed by those who contribute to our effort and come to our rescue. Last month our heroes included The Tadashi Foundation, David Blum, Maureen Ness, Freeman Murray, University of Miami AIAS, SCAD AIAS, Holly Burgin, Effie Bouras and Joselito Corpus.

Donate and help us build a better world.
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Question of the Month
Name something that you think is BAD design?
please send your nomination for your top ten bad designs to me and the top answers will be printed in a forthcoming article... ...my personal number one is for the landmine - see last newsletter for the reasons.