450 architects

450 architects, inc.
four-fifty clementina
san francisco
california 94103
415.546.0450
© 2010

American Institute of Architects - San Francisco Chapter
450 architects Principal Richard Parker has been a driving force behind the growth of AIA San Francisco. This effort to expand the Chapter’s political identity has allowed the Chapter to contribute valuable feedback on major public policy issues, informing and leading important civic change. Richard’s leadership positions within the organization have included:

• AIA SF, Executive Committee, Secretary, 2003-2004
• AIA SF, Board of Directors, 2000-2002
• AIA SF, Public Policy Committee, Chair 2002-04
• AIA SF, Small Business Committee, Chair 2001-2003
• AIA SF, Curator of gallery and public exhibitions, 2002-2004

American Institute of Architects - California Council
Richard Parker served as a member of the AIA California Council Board of Directors from 2006 to 2008, and he has become a sought-after resource on green building technical issues, child care legislation, and California correctional facility rehabilitation and reform programs.

• Richard pioneered a state-wide public education campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of sustainable architecture, in which the AIA California Council funded a web-cast production of the design and construction process of AIA SF’s new offices, a LEED Gold Certified commercial tenant improvement project.
• Richard advocated for paperless Board meetings; as a result, the agenda and supporting documents are now sent electronically, saving paper and reducing printing costs.
• Richard encouraged the Board of Directors to vote to support CA Assembly legislation requiring alcohol, drug and mental health rehabilitation services at all California correctional facilities.
• As part of the AIA California Council Committee on the Environment, Richard advocated for the 10-4-1 Plan: a concept of reforestation in which developers plant trees based upon the scale of their development project–at a rate of 10 trees locally, 4 trees within the state, and 1 tree nationally or internationally.
• Richard coordinated efforts between the AIACC Committee on the Environment with those of the USGBC-NCC State Advocacy Task Force to build a stronger and more unified voice in Sacramento.

United States Green Building Council - Northern California Chapter
Principal Richard Parker has been an active member of the USGBC-NCC since 2002, eventually serving on its Advocacy Committee and Events Committee, and has been nominated for its Board of Directors.

• During his tenure as Co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee State Task Force, Richard was responsible for reviewing State legislation for impact on green building and the environment. He regularly drafts “white papers” on the potential impact and loopholes of legislation, and writes letters to his elected officials in support or opposition of legislation.

Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) - Northern California Chapter
Principal David Bushnell has been an active member of ADPSR since 2005, serving as a Board Member and as Lecture Chair for the Building Ecology Lecture Series.

San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR)
To encourage more sustainable construction and development in San Francisco, 450 architects contributes its expertise on several green building codes subcommittees set up by the local Planning and Building departments. We are members of a joint AIA / SPUR task force that has proposed establishing working groups to update local building codes in consideration of such issues as renewable energy, resource management, and water conservation.

• As a member of the SPUR Sustainable Development Committee, Richard Parker has coordinated the work of the Solar Task Force and Green Roof Task Force to enact changes at the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, to facilitate the growth of renewable energy and installation of “living roofs” within the City and County of San Francisco.
• As a member of the Green Building Sub-Committee, 450 architects was instrumental in developing a streamlined permit approval process for solar photovoltaic panels in San Francisco.

San Francisco Small Business Network
Through Richard Parker’s success as Chair of the AIA San Francisco Small Business Committee, he was elected to the San Francisco Small Business Network Board of Directors in 2000. There he served as a critical voice in negotiations of the City’s payroll and gross receipts tax and onerous legislation.

• Richard was an active participant in the crafting of legislation and subsequent passage of Proposition D by the voters of San Francisco, creating the Small Business Commission, giving the small business community a voice in City Hall. Ours is the only city in the country that has small business interests represented in its City Charter.

Architectural Foundation of San Francisco
450 architects is committed to community stewardship, as demonstrated by the hundreds of hours we volunteer annually to help empower inner-city youth.

• The Build San Francisco Institute is a unique partnership between AFSF, San Francisco Unified School District, and more than two dozen major San Francisco firms. The program combines a rigorous academic program with mentorship in partner firms, so that students not only gain new knowledge, but also have the immediate experience of applying that knowledge in a real world setting. 450 architects has mentored five students through Build San Francisco.
• 450 architects also participates in the Architecture & Youth Collaborative, which empowers teens to be “advocates for their own ideas and priorities in their social and physical environments.”

Graze the Roof - Glide Memorial Methodist Church
450 architects provided pro-bono code research services and helped transform the rooftop at Glide Foundation, a progressive church and nonprofit located in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, into an edible, community-produced vegetable garden. The rooftop at Glide Church has grown into a demonstration of local, urban, sustainable, Do-It-Ourselves food production. The project features soil-less vegetable growers; Earthboxes, a brand of self-watering container; customized, lightweight garden beds made from shipping pallets and milk crates; a worm composting system; and an educational mural that ties the whole project together.