Academy of Architecture for Justice

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2011 Knowledge Scholar for the AAJ National Conference - Law Enforcement Design Track

  

Greetings everyone, my name is Chris Hirai and I will be attending the AAJ Conference this year as a Knowledge Scholar.  I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to sharing my experiences at this year's conference with fellow designers and non-designers alike. 

For the past four years I have worked for Nacht & Lewis Architects in Sacramento and have had the opportrunity to work on a variety of Justice oriented projects, from courthouses to correctional facilities to my most recent project, a law enforcement facility. If you would have asked me as 4th year architecture student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo if I could have envisioned myself working in the area of Justice design, the answer probably would have been "No!".  However, after being brought aboard a justice design team I began to see the challenges and intracacies of corrections projects and I embraced the challenge.

As an emerging professional I am continuously learning new and innovative solutions to the age old question "How is this building going to work?".  Whether it be a court or a correctional facility the functionality and efficiency of the space is crucial to the buildings success.  In law enforcement of course the same standard applies.  

I see this conference as a great chance for me to grow and learn as a designer and as a problem solver.  New ideas, new technology, and new solutions are constantly shaping the built envoronment around us.  Through social media I hope to share these new found "discoveries" with all of you.

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