The Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey (SCI)
As a client of the 2008 ENYA competition, the Seamen's Church Institute is a non-profit organization founded in 1834 in affiliation with the Episcopal Church to serve seamen. It is now the most comprehensive and largest organization in North America dedicated to helping both sea and inland water workers. It operates diverse programs of social support, ministry, legal services and advocacy, and maritime training in safety and environmental protection.
In its early history, the Seamen's Church Institute developed important roots in the maritime workers' world during colorful times when whirlwind commercial expansion, combined with weak or non-existent civil rights laws, far too often led to exploitation of merchant seamen. The Institute played a central role in the South Street Seaport community, for many years operating a floating church and large seamen's residence and meetinghouse on South Street.
The Institute now operates a seaworkers' clubhouse in Port Newark, NJ, and maintains its presence in the South Street Seaport with its Water Street headquarters, which was designed by John Stewart Polshek, and contains a chapel, social rooms, and Christmas knitting room for presents to the seaworkers.
Founded in 1834 and affiliated with the Episcopal Church, the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York & New Jersey (SCI) is the largest, most comprehensive mariners’ agency in North America. Annually, its chaplains visit 3,400 vessels in the Port of New York and New Jersey and along 2,200 miles of America’s inland waterways. SCI’s maritime education facilities provide navigational training to nearly 1,600 mariners each year through simulator-based facilities located in Houston, TX and Paducah, KY. The Institute and its maritime attorneys are recognized as leading advocates for merchant mariners by the United States Government, including the Congress, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization, the International Labor organization and maritime trade associations.
The Emerging New York Architects Committee (ENYA), AIA New York Chapter
ENYA strives to lend professional architects and designers (with ten years or less of experience) direct access to the extensive resources of the New York architectural community, through education, networking and interaction with the city's architectural environment and practitioners. ENYA offers several levels of service to its members. Monthly meetings focus upon relevant topics for emerging architectural professionals. ENYA also strives to connect young professionals with the NY design community. Prominent members of the profession present their work, site tours of noteworthy buildings are conducted, and meetings are held at different architectural offices, exposing the myriad of practitioners, projects and professional practices shaping the architectural environment.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York Chapter
Founded in 1857 by seven visionary architects, the AIA New York Chapter is the first and largest chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Through many generations, the Chapter has remained dedicated to three primary goals: public outreach, professional development, and design excellence. The AIA New York Chapter's strength is guided by its committee work. Over two-dozen committees, open to all interested, are continually exploring such vital issues as housing, planning, urban design, community development, historical preservation, and environmental sustainability. The AIA New York Chapter also serves as an advocate in public policy discussions with governmental decision-makers and other civic and professional associations. The AIA New York Chapter is a membership-based organization comprised of licensed architects and professional affiliates in real estate, construction, engineering, and facilities management, and currently has nearly 4000 members.
In 2001, in collaboration with its charitable affiliate, the Center for Architecture Foundation, the AIA NY Chapter founded the Center for Architecture. The Center for Architecture is a hub for all interested in the built environment. AIA New York Chapter and Center for Architecture Foundation have built the Center for Architecture in New York City to engage the public and professionals concerned with improving the quality of architecture and urban design in New York. Its mission is to provide a center of learning for the public and building industry professionals in order to improve the quality of the built environment and explore cutting-edge topics, technological innovations and other issues; foster exchange and collaboration among members of the design, construction and real estate community; and promote an appreciation of New York's unique urban fabric through cultural tourism in New York.
The Center for Architecture is a public resource center, community meeting place, and conference center. With multiple exhibition galleries and conference rooms, an auditorium, library, workshop and lounge for informal meetings, the Center for Architecture provides critical resources needed by the public, and young and seasoned professionals.
