October is National Architecture and Design Month.
To celebrate, Flushing Town Hall will host Archtober – two days of films, workshops, panels, activities, etc. — in partnership with AIA Queens and the Queens Foundation for Architecture.
The fun kicks off with the Archtober! Architecture Short Film Festival on Thursday, Oct. 19. Then it continues with Designing the Future for Kids on Sunday, Oct. 29.
Admission to the film festival is free, and the lineup features shorts that tell stories about architecture projects that address social equity, the right to shelter, climate change, and DEI issues. Here’s the schedule.
6 pm: Meet-and-Greet, Registration, Opening Remarks.
6:30 pm: Betances Residence, Bronx, NY by COOKFOX Architects and Bilyana Dimitrova reports on a new Passive House supportive residence for formerly homeless and low-income seniors run by the nonprofit Breaking Ground.
6:35 pm: The Heart of East Harlem by Aaris Design Architects and Nicole Hollant-Denis tells the story of La Marqueta Plaza in Manhattan’s El Barrio. It sprung from economic revitalization efforts to become a beloved cultural space.
6:40 pm: Silo City by Jay Valgora/Studio V and Jake Catalonotto examines the reuse of the largest collection of grain elevators in the world as a mixed-use arts and culture complex in Buffalo.
6:45 pm: Designed to Last: Blueprint for a Better Home by Illya Azaroff follows the architect’s journey to rebuild a Breezy Point resident’s home after it was rendered uninhabitable by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
6:50 pm to 7:05 pm: Intermission/Panel Discussion with Queens Foundation for Architecture President Willy Zambrano, AIA Queens Chapter President Jacqueline Velez, Illya Azaroff, Nicole Hollant-Denis, and Jay Valgora.
7:10 pm: Tiny Victories 2.0 A Tale of Empathy by Chioco Design and Gustavo Bernal depicts building a micro home for an individual who has struggled with chronic homelessness.
7:15 pm: Flint Forward by OPN Architects and Alexander Michl takes place in a Michigan community struggling with socio-economic divides and recovering from a notorious water crisis. The film explores the transformation of a 1950s Era library into a modern and flexible beacon for learning and hope.
7:20 pm: A Dream Starts Here by the Clemson School of Architecture and Jordan Gray explores the process of engaging the community of Calhoun Falls, South Carolina—once a city of opportunity now beset by a stunted economy and population decline—in the redesign of dilapidated, downtown buildings for a new community center.
7:25 pm to 7:30 pm: Closing Remarks.
Admission to Designing the Future for Kids on Oct. 29 is also free. It’s starts and 11 am, and attendees can look forward to three hours of hands-on workshops for children and families to learn about the built world. Youth-focused activities range from building blocks for toddlers, LEGO sets, Jenga towers, drawing stations, and paper skyscraper accordion book activities for elementary and middle schoolers.
Flushing Town Hall is at 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Images: Flushing Town Hall