Alan Sandler, Executive Director

Alan Sandler is executive director of the Architectural Foundation of San Francisco, a nonprofit educational organization that created and sponsored Build SF and is in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District to pair San Francisco elementary school and secondary school students with mentors in architecture, engineering, construction, and design. By actively involving students with successful professionals and utilizing a design-oriented, problem-solving approach, students learn real-world skills that increase their chances for success in life.

Sandler joined the AFSF in summer 1999 to develop, implement, and administer AFSF programs such as Build SF. Prior to directing the AFSF, he was director of operations and education programs for the American Architectural Foundation and the American Institute of Architects from 1979 to 1999. At the AAF and the AIA, he was responsible for the development of Learning by Design, the AAF's elementary and secondary education program, which involved development and dissemination of information resources, teacher training, and instructional materials to the education and architectural communities.

Alan Sandler wants to hear from you.

Use the comment field below to get in touch with Sandler. Posted questions and comments are forwarded directly to program participants. (Scroll down through existing comments first to see whether your question has previously been answered.) You can also reach Sandler through the Build SF site.

• Build SF: Architecting the Next Generation of Young Professionals
• Overview Video: Build SF School-to-Career Program

• Overview: Build SF Lessons at a Glance
• How to Draw in 2-D and 3-D
• Conceptualizing the Golf-Hole Design
• How to Build Golf Holes to Scale
• How to Make Blueprints on Presentation Boards
• Using 3-D Software to Render Golf-Hole Designs
• Presenting and Playing the Hole
• A Glossary of Common Build SF Terms
• Troubleshooting Project-Implementation Hurdles

• Immersing Students in Civic Education
• A Week in the Life of a Build SF Student
• Third-Party Assessment of Build SF
• Tips and Resources

• Alan Sandler, Executive Director
• Will Fowler, Program Director
• Julia Jones, Teacher

More on A New Day for Learning: A Deeper Look into Four Full-Time-Learning Programs