July 28-29, 2011
Thursday–Friday, 9am-5pm
CES/AIA LU (HSW) 14 units
Questions regarding the relationship between mind and body are no longer the exclusive territory of shamanic belief and philosophical speculation. Recent advances in neuroscience and public health research have expanded our clinical understanding of what constitutes physical and psychological health. Among other concerns, climate change is prompting the reassessment of industry and technology that fuels the global economy. The need for “wellness” and a sense of “well-being” is reshaping our institutions and daily lives and generating demand for new products and services. Healthcare professionals, public policy makers, and leaders in the spa, tourism, and hospitality industries realize the crucial role of environmental planning and design in our global society. This program will present key research trends and discuss their potential influence on spa and resort development and environmental planning policy. Featured will be exemplary case studies that holistically address overlapping trends, combining visionary business and environmental planning, insightful programming with sophisticated design. An overnight excursion to a model spa development in the southwestern United States is included.
Coordinators: Click names for more info
Richard Corsini, AIA, is an architect and educator with over eighteen years of independent professional practice. Mr. Corsini was born in Los Angeles and received a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona. His work has been published nationally and internationally, and he has lectured and curated numerous exhibitions on contemporary design. He has held faculty appointments at Cal Poly Pomona, Woodbury University, and the University of Southern California School of Architecture, where has taught since 2002. He is the recipient of the 2002 Outstanding Lecturer Award for Teaching Excellence, a university-wide honor from Cal Poly Pomona.
In 2010 Mr. Corsini presented “The Bath and the Body: Politics, Spirit, and Environmental Form” and “More Spas About Buildings and Food” at the 2010 Global Spa Summit in Istanbul, where his USC thesis students placed first and third in the GSS Student Challenge design competition.
His firm, Corsini Stark Architects, was established in 1999 with Anthony Stark and is committed to architectural practice at the highest level: responsive to cultural and physical context, sensitive to historical and environmental resources, and attuned to the collaboration necessary for complex endeavors. Mr. Corsini’s professional experience includes urban design, master planning, office and mixed-use projects, college and university facilities, multi-family housing, restaurants, retail stores and entertainment complexes, commercial interiors, and distinguished custom homes.
Recent firm recognition includes design awards from the American Institute of Architects, Los Angeles Conservancy, City of Beverly Hills Architectural Commission, Los Angeles Business Council, and the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute.
Mr. Corsini is currently a member of the Richard and Dion Neutra VDL House Advisory Board, and is past president of the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design.
Mr. Corsini’s professional associations include the American Institute of Architects, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and Los Angeles Conservancy.
Qingyun Ma is a designer and educator. Named one of the world’s most influential designers by BusinessWeek, Ma’s experience and involvement on an international level make him a leader in the design community with a great understanding of the contemporary issues in global urbanization.
Ma earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in Architecture from Tsinghua University in Beijing in 1988, and in 1991, he received his Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. Through his academic and professional experience, he developed a keen business sense centered on design intelligence, which culminated in his establishment of MADA s.p.a.m in 1996. MADA s.p.a.m. has designed and built modern buildings and urban communities, garnering worldwide recognition. Ma was the chief curator of the 2007 Shenzhen Hong Kong Biennale, and he is frequently invited as a speaker and juror, including for the prestigious Rome Prize and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
In 2007, Ma became the dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California, where he has enhanced the program by developing the School’s ties with China and launching a number of global initiatives, particularly the USC American Academy in China, a base for visiting scholars to facilitate their research and foster academic exchange.