Fall 2011 Lecture Series

First Church of Christ, Scientist (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2007)

Tickets: $15

Saturday, 24 September 2011
7:30 pm
First Church of Christ, Scientist
2619 Dwight Way, Berkeley

Mark A. Wilson :: Bernard Maybeck: Architect of Elegance
Mark A. Wilson, author of the new book Bernard Maybeck: Architect of Elegance (Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2011), will discuss Maybeck’s legacy and photographer Joel Puliatti will screen slides from the book. Maybeck’s granddaughter, Cherry Maybeck Nitler, will describe some of the most interesting anecdotes from her memories of growing up with “Ben.” A reception and book signing will follow. Co-sponsored by the Friends of First Church.



Thursday, 13 October 2011
7:30 pm
The Hillside Club
2286 Cedar Street, Berkeley

Christopher Grampp :: From Yard to Garden: The Domestication of America’s Home Grounds
Christopher Grampp, author of From Yard to Garden: The Domestication of America’s Home Grounds, examines the history of the American home garden and tracks the evolution of front and back yards as the nation evolved from an agrarian to an industrial economy. He connects the emergence of the modern home garden to the rise of suburbanization, the growth of city services, and the post–World War II baby boom, which established the single-family home and its grounds as the ideal American dwelling. Grampp argues that the home garden is best understood as an expression of habitability, or the ways in which Americans have collectively and individually transformed their home grounds into functional outdoor living areas. A reception will follow.


First Unitarian Church (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2004)

Friday, 18 November 2011
7:30 pm
Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley
1 Lawson Road, Kensington

Daniella Thompson :: The Berkeley Unitarians and Architectural Innovation
Early Berkeley Unitarians, whose membership included the Maybecks, the Keelers, and fellow founders of the Hillside Club, held a progressive view of architecture. Their first church building at Bancroft Way and Dana Street, designed by A.C. Schweinfurth and completed in 1898, incorporates startling architectural features and has been characterized as a “powerhouse.” Daniella Thompson will trace the history of the Unitarian community in Berkeley, introduce its cast of leading characters, and discuss the links between culture and nature embodied in its church buildings. A reception will follow. Co-sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley.

Directions to the church (please note: venue has changed)..

To order tickets, print, fill out, and mail the ticket order form.

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Alameda Legacy Home Tour

Sunday, 25 September 2011
11 am– 5 pm
Advance tickets $30; day of tour $35

Open on this self-guided tour will be seven historic houses in central and east Alameda, including the oldest house in town. The tour benefits the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society (AAPS) and the Alameda Museum.

Advance tickets are available online. On the day of the tour, tickets will be available at Franklin Park (at the intersection of Morton Street and San Antonio Avenue). For more information, see the event’s website.

What’s Out There Weekend

17 & 18 September 2011
Various locations
Free

The Cultural Landscape Foundation will host a series of guided tours of 25 Modernist designed landscapes in the Bay Area. Tour sites include the Kaiser Center Roof Garden (Ted Osmundson) in Oakland, Levi’s Plaza (Lawrence Halprin) in San Francisco, and Santa Clara Central Park (Robert Royston).

See the event page for additional information.

AIA East Bay Home Tours 2011

13 August 2011
10 am–4:30 pm
Advance tickets $40; day of tour $50

The American Institute of Architects, East Bay, will hold its inaugural Home Tours of the East Bay this summer. Eight architect-designed houses a variety of architectural styles will be open in Berkeley, Oakland, Lafayette, and Orinda.

Sustainability, open floor plans, connection of indoors to outdoors, abundant light, and a mixture of modern and traditional materials are key features of the tour houses. Ranging in size from 768 sf to 8,500 sf, these houses demonstrate that excellence in design is not limited by size or budget.

The architect of each house will be on site to answer questions. The tour is self-guided.

Tickets may be purchased online; at the AIA office, 1405 Clay Street, in downtown Oakland (after 24 July); or on the day of the tour at either of these will-call stations: Table 24 restaurant, 2 Theatre Square, Orinda, or 2237 10th Street, Berkeley.

For additional information, see aiaeb.org.

2011 Preservation Awards Winners

Bertin Properties (photo: Carrie Olson, 2011)

At its Annual Meeting on 26 May 2011, BAHA recognized eight restoration and rehabilitation projects for their part in preserving Berkeley’s architectural heritage.

Read about the winning projects and see their photos in our Awards Gallery.

Fall lecture series to be announced

Our fall lectures series promises to be interesting. We’ll have talks on Maybeck, the evolution of domestic gardens, and the fascinating history of the First Unitarian Church of Berkeley. More details soon.

Two authors sign books

Wednesday, 6 July 2011, 5:30 pm–7:00 pm
David Chu, author of  Frozen Music, will give a presentation and sign copies of his book at the AIA SF, 130 Sutter St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94104.
$10 AIA SF members; $20 non-members.
Info: AIA calendar.

Wednesday, 13 July 2011, 5:30–7:30 pm
John King, author of Cityscapes, will give a presentation and sign copies of his book as part of AIA SF and WIlliam Stout Architectural Books’ Summer Book Club Lecture and Signing Series.
AIA SF, 130 Sutter St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94104.
$10 members; $20 non-members.
Info: AIA calendar.

Thursday, 21 July 2011, 6:00 pm
John King, author of Cityscapes, will give a presentation and sign copies of his book at the San Francisco Architectural Heritage Lecture Series.
Pier 1, The Embarcadero, Port of San Francisco.
$8 Heritage members & students (with ID); $12 general.
Info: sfheritage.org.

Thursday, 2 August 2011, 7:30 pm
John King, author of Cityscapes, will participate in a panel discussion with John Kriken on the subject of City planning in conjunction with resource management at the Mechanics’ Institute Library, 57 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94104.
Free for members; $12 general.
Info: milibrary.org/events.

Thursday, 2 August 2011, 7:30 pm
John King, author of Cityscapes, will sign copies of his book at Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705.
Free and open to the public.
Info: mrsdalloways.com.