Sparkflight Studios

"I Have a Dream" 1963 "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - MLK Strength to Love , 1963 For reflection... Equal Justice Initiative Community Remembrance Project Bryan Stevenson , creator Community Remembrance Project

The Parks at Walter Reed Our mission at Sparkflight Studios is to "design for humans," to create spaces for our neighbors that produce positive social impact. To that end, we are actively pursuing and passionate about mixed-use, multi-family affordable housing projects. These types of projects encompass what it means to truly design for the betterment of our communities. By developing an area that is a self-sustaining business and residential destination not totally reliant on cars/parking for its clientele, we are providing much-needed affordable housing while supporting economic development by bringing businesses a built-in customer base. These projects are starting to be built across the country, with promising results. According to the Multi-Housing News website : "Developers from market-rate to affordable housing are identifying ways to create mixed-income and mixed-use developments that promote diversity, equity and integration." One such project is th...

Credit: Mario Aachen The holidays are here! It's a wonderful time to be with loved ones, exchange presents, and share in the joy of the season. Sadly, some families spend the holidays without gifts and sometimes even a hot meal or a warm place to sleep. It's easy to get swept up in all of the shopping and gift-giving frenzy, but taking the time to give back to our community can be the greatest gift of all. This holiday season, consider donating your time or resources to organizations that help our neighbors who are less fortunate. Here is a list of charities and non-profits where your support can truly make a difference: Three Square HELP of Southern Nevada The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth Ronald McDonald House Charities Opportunity Village Family Promise of Las Vegas The true spirit of the holiday season comes from giving thanks and giving back by lending a helping hand to those in need. Give this season a whole new meaning by making the world a little...

Giving Tuesday has become a tradition for Sparkflight Studios.  What better way to finish off a Thanksgiving holiday enjoying time with family and friends than to extend that gratitude into a gift for your community? This year we're pleased to highlight a few community partners: Family Promise of Las Vegas UNLV - College of Fine Arts Desert Research Institute - DRI It is always difficult to choose recipients when there are so many good causes in need.  If you face this challenge as well, take a look at an article by Nurith Aizenman on KNPR's website: Why Giving Tuesday Raises an Uncomfortable Moral Dilemma. When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.   – Maya Angelou  

Rendering of the proposed mixed-use site In September, we introduced Sparkflight Studios' involvement in the 2019 AIA Blueprint for Better Housing , a mission to solve housing needs in our community. Anne was invited to be the Team Coordinator of the Multi-Family Mixed-Use group. She worked diligently with her team and alongside the charrette participants and members of the local community to create a design that was presented to AIA Las Vegas in October. The team proposed a 381,000-SF mixed-use, mixed-income development on the west side of Martin Luther King Boulevard, south of Lake Mead Boulevard, in the 89106 zip code. The team chose this site due to the economic disparity between this zip code and the rest of our city, with a diaspora of community members seeking opportunity elsewhere. This community has an intense desire to preserve its heritage and build a vibrant future for its children; Anne and the rest of the dedicated charrette team worked hard to come up with u...

One of the many activity stations On October 5th, Sparkflight Studios sponsored the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada at their annual Girls Day & Boys Nite Out . The event's goal was to create a fulfilling and exciting experience for the children, giving them the attention they deserve and leaving them with the confidence to grow and strive for the best future possible. And with one-on-one mentor support and 38 unique stations for all kinds of food, sports, fun activities, giveaways, and meet-and-greets with first responders, they definitely succeeded. Sparkflight Studios is proud to have been a part of this event, which hosted a record number of children and raised more funds than ever before, ensuring that the children and Youth Development Professionals in our community continue to receive their much-deserved support year-round.  We invite you to participate as a mentor, or with a gift, in 2020! A happy child with her mentor

At the halfway point of the charrette This year AIA Las Vegas put a call out to our professional community to coordinate a Blueprint for Better Housing.  This is our local chapter's response to a national project Blueprint for Better that challenges architects to work closely with community leaders to "...tackle key issues from rising water levels and more frequent natural disasters, to diverse housing needs and the increased urgency for sustainable design." After coordination with community stakeholders, the AIA identified three housing categories: Multi-family Mixed Use, Workforce Housing, and Micro Housing.  Key locations within the city were targeted as virtual project sites, and an all-day visioning charrette was held in late August.  Happily, our design teams, six total, consisted of a mix of non-architects like business owners, bankers, government employees, developers--and a few architects and landscape architects too.  This event was just the star...