BSA Launches Uncommonly Good “Common Boston”

Summary: The coming of fall has brought a harvest of public architecture activities to Beantown, including last month’s forum entitled “Art in Context / Context in Art: The Intersection of Art and the Built Environment,” and guided walking tours of the South End’s artist community. The programs are the first fruits of a $7,500 Blueprint for America grant award by the AIA to the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) to support Common Boston, a grassroots organization working “to engage all who live and work in the Boston area to learn about and shape a sustainable, equitable, and beautiful built environment.”

Common Boston—run entirely by volunteers who value the city’s architecture and want the general public to love it, too—is the BSA’s contribution to the "Blueprint for America: A Gift to the Nation," the AIA’s national community service program. The Blueprint for America in turn is the primary program of AIA150, the year-long observance in 2007 that marks the 150th anniversary of the AIA’s founding. The Blueprint program intends to offer citizens in communities across America an opportunity to celebrate their community heritage, address emerging architectural challenges and trends, and find their voices to help make their vision real for beautiful, safe, and livable communities.

“AIA150 provides us with an opportunity to extend and showcase the efforts of many Boston citizens to make our city and our neighborhoods healthier, more sustainable, and equally open to all our people. We have a chance to share with the nation the progress that is being made here in Boston and across Massachusetts,” said Brandy H. M. Brooks, Assoc. AIA, Massachusetts AIA150 coordinator and Common Boston volunteer.

Building partnerships
Common Boston kicked off a year-long series of events in September by partnering with South End Open Studios on a well-attended public forum and tours. “One of my favorite things about Common Boston has been the partnerships that we’ve developed with other local organizations here in the city,” Brooks said. “Our fall events are a perfect example—in September, we worked with the South End Open Studios and the Urban Arts Institute to present a forum on public art and public space that drew more than 60 people. During the Open Studios, Common Boston also provided a map of historic architecture in the South End artists’ community and partnered with high school students from an organization called mytown to provide walking tours. We’ve got a similar partnership with the Dorchester Open Studios in October, where we’ll be providing maps and tours to help highlight the connection between architecture and the arts community.”

Common Boston’s efforts will culminate in a weekend festival of free architecture events in June 2007. For more information, go to the Common Boston Web site.