Summary: This week, AIA members have something to say about San Antonio’s River Walk, Karen Lewand’s Doer’s Profile, global warming, the economy, and who’s responsible for the Hearst Building.

Re: A Walk Through History—San Antonio’s River Walk

How could you write an article about this incredible urban feature and fail to mention O’Neil Ford, Sam Zisman, or Stewart King? These outspoken and dedicated Architects/Planners/Landscape Architects were the driving force behind the redevelopment that we see today. They were in the trenches (no pun) slugging it out with a city government to promote the changes and lift the restrictions and raise the funds necessary to actualize Hugman’s vision, adding their own ideas and fighting a thousand little battles for walks without railings, head knocker bridges and saving the trees. H.B. “Pat” Zachery’s Palacio del Rio (lift a completed concrete box room) Hotel was the catalyst for quality development, matched historically by Ford’s La Villita and “the hemisfair.” Your article was however, interesting and informative. Please give us more.

—James E. (Jim) Wheeler, AIA.
Dallas

Re: Doer’s Profile: Karen Lewand, Hon. AIA

Great piece on and by Karen. She is a jewel.

—William A.L. Gaudreau, AIA, president and principal
Gaudreau Inc. Architects Planners Engineers
Baltimore

Re: Teach-In Defines “Catalyzing Moment” for Environmental Action

Global Warming Scam: It is not a scientific fact. Those purporting our demise via global warming are the same people claiming that a new ice age was coming a few years ago. How the AIA can get sucked into this scam is puzzling . . .

—Bob Sprague, AIA
Sante Fe

Re: Homeowner Focus on Kitchens and Baths Not Deterred by Housing Slowdown

As you indicate, the housing market is at least partly driven by increasing population. That’s fine for now, but obviously not sustainable for the long term. First, if Latin America ever gets its act together, large-scale immigration will stop or at least diminish and internal population growth is already negative. Two, America has grown from the 159 million of my youth to a current 300 million; if that continues, my oldest grandchildren face 600 million fellow citizens when they are my age. That is not good; that is not acceptable I don’t believe that population growth on the current scale will continue, but if it does not, what will sustain the economy? Is anyone doing any long-range planning, or is planning a dirty word?

—Enoch Lipson, AIA
New York CIty

Re: Best New Skyscraper of 2006 Stands in New York City

Your news blurb does not credit Adamson Associates, the core and shell executive architect and implies that Gensler, the interior executive architect, was Foster’s understudy.

—Bruce E. Phillips, managing director,
Tishman Speyer
New York City