Author: Murrye Bernard, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP - Contributing Editor

In this issue:
· AIANY Convention Preview
· New Benefits for AIANY Members
· Attend the AIA Convention — Virtually
· WIA Work/Life Balance Survey
· New Bike Parking Regulations and Waterfront Design Standards for NYC

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AIANY Convention Preview
Looking toward the 2009 AIA Convention in San Francisco, 04.29-05.02, here is a list of events that may be of interest to AIANY members:

Wednesday, 04.29
W03 Project Finance for Principals and Project Managers: Project Management in an Increasingly Diverse Environment
Speaker: Jim Sawyer, AIA

W06 The Human Connection: Bring Your Presentations to Life!
Speakers: Carol Doscher and Geoff Webb

W32 Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment, The Essentials: Diversify Your Practice to Include Selection, Specification and Procurement of FF&E
Speakers: Diana M.H. Brenner, FAIA, IIDA, IFMA; Julia Monk, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP; and Tricia Moore, LEED AP

W33 Architecture’s New Rainbow Coalition: Or What Happens When You Design with Diverse Materials, Urban Sites, and Multiple Cultures?
Speakers: Carlton Brown, NOMA, CSI; Frederic Schwartz, FAIA; Wendy Talarico; and Jack Travis, FAIA, NOMA

W46 Designing with Your Whole Brain
Speakers: Carol Doscher and Geoff Webb

5:00-7:00pm
FOUR X FOUR: 4 Architects/4 Regions/4 Visions/4 the Future
Hafele San Francisco Showroom
151 Vermont St. #9

Thursday, 04.30
T20 Design as a Business Strategy
Speakers: Carol Rusche Bentel, FAIA; John Grant Jessen, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP; and Richard Logan, AIA, LEED AP

Plenary Presentations

Candidate Speeches and Regional Caucuses

New Practices New York Exhibition Opening
AIA San Francisco’s Center for Architecture + Design
130 Sutter Street, 6th Floor

T34 Navigating Life and the Workplace: How Leading Women in Architecture and Other Professions Balance Their Careers and Other Goals
Speakers: Nancy A. Goshow, AIA; Geri A. Gregor; Barbara Kasoff; Lina G. Telese, Esq.; and Diane T. Tien, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB

T68 Queer Space: Designing for the GLBT Community
Speakers: S. Jane Cee, AIA; Belmont Freeman, FAIA; Robert J. Hotes, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB; and Grant C. Uhlir, AIA, NCARB

T72 Building a Sustainable Future: How Architects and Designers Connect with Politics, Practice, and Action
Speakers: Bob Adams; Richard Burdett; Daniel M. Kammen, PhD; Vivian E. Loftness, FAIA; Christopher K. Ratcliff, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP; and Susan S. Szenasy

E25 Honors & Awards

T83 High Performance Schools: Design Strategies, Tools and Resources
Speakers: Charles Eley, FAIA; and Deane M. Evans Jr., FAIA

T85 New Active Living Design Guidelines for Healthier Environments
Speakers: David J. Burney, FAIA; Karen Lee; and Gayle Nicoll, PhD

7:00-9:00pm
AIA NYS Party
City Club
155 Sansone Street

9:00-10:30pm
E40 AIAS Nightcap Reception

Friday, 05.01
F18 The Urbanization of Urban Design: The Evolution of the RUDC Honor Awards Recipients Over the Past Decade
Speaker: Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, and David Dixon, FAIA

F31 The Invisible Shield: Designing High-Risk Structures
Speakers: Matt Kmetz, PE, and Tod Rittenhouse, PE

F40 Manufacturing for Sustainability: Diverse Approaches to Green
Speakers: Hillary Brown, FAIA, LEED AP; Gail Whitney Karn, AIA; Annette Schaich Maharam, IIDA, ASID; and Melissa Vernon, IIDA

GS02 Focus on Design and Global Practice
Speakers: Moderated by John Hockenberry; Amale Andraos; Minsuk Cho, AIA; Craig Dykers, AIA; Julien De Smedt

F25 Design Innovation: Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Speakers: Phillip G. Freelon, FAIA, LEED AP; Robert Ivy, FAIA (moderator); Lisa Iwamoto; Paul Lewis, AIA; and Kulapat Yantrasast, Assoc. AIA

F51 2007 Latrobe Prize Presentation
Speakers: Guy Nordenson, PE, SE; Catherine Seavitt, AIA; and Adam Yarinsky, FAIA

F89 Diversity of Ideas and Concepts: How Design Competitions Enrich the Fabric of San Francisco and Provide Opportunities for Architects
Speaker: G. Stanley Collyer, Ph.D., Hon. AIA; Craig E. Dykers, AIA; William Liskamm, FAIA; Craig Scott; and Allison G. Williams, FAIA, LEED AP, NCARB

F90 What’s Wrong with How Design Firms Are Set Up?
Speakers: Joan L. Capelin, Hon. AIA, FSMPS; James E. Frankel, Esq.; and Hugh M. Hochberg, Assoc. AIA

Investiture at Grace Cathedral, Nob Hill

F107 Designing the New China: A Conversation With Architects Changing the Face of China
Speakers: Yung Ho Chang; Qingyun Ma, AIA; and Clifford Pearson

7:00-9:30pm
E48 Friday Night Live!
Asian Art Museum (extra cost)

Saturday, 05.02
S29 Designing the Emergent Firm
Speakers: Frank J. Greene, FAIA; Giles A. Jacknain; and Patricia Saldaña Natke, AIA

S51 New Technological Tools-Can They Replace Intuition?: Practice Management Knowledge Community Luncheon
Speaker: Mahadev Raman

GS03 Focus on Contemporary Architecture: Critical and New Opinions
Speakers: Randy Brown, AIA; Teddy Cruz; Jeanne Gang; Philip G. Freelon, FAIA, LEED AP; Sheila Kennedy, AIA; Tom Kundig, FAIA; Lisa Iwamoto; Paul M. Lewis, AIA; Qingyun Ma, AIA; Sebastian Schmaling, AIA; Cameron Sinclair; Nader Tehrani; Kulapat Yantrasast, Assoc. AIA

7:00-10:00pm
Architecture for Humanity10th Year Anniversary Celebration
The Autodesk Gallery
One Market Street

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New Benefits for AIANY Members
AIANY announced new benefits for members, including: discounted membership to Mint Cars; discount for study materials from PPI Educational Partner Program; and discounts at Office Depot. Go to the AIANY website for more information.

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Attend the AIA Convention — Virtually
The AIA National Convention begins in San Francisco this week. Since this is a critical time in the profession, the AIA is making a select number of convention education events available online through live video streaming. Fourteen presentations, including the three keynote sessions, will be available to AIA members live and at no cost. Participating members also qualify for continuing education learning units. The presentations will also be available for a limited time online and on demand. Advance registration is required for each session. For more information or to register, click here.

In addition, up to 50 exhibitors at the Expo will be participating online in virtual booths. To gain entry to the Virtual Convention, you must register for it separately from the live video streaming sessions. To do so, click here.

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WIA Work/Life Balance Survey
How are architects in NYC balancing work and life? As our lives become more complex and demanding, we struggle to manage the boundaries between work and personal life. The AIANY Women in Architecture Committee (WIA) seeks to understand the associated challenges and issues via an online survey. To participate, click here.

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New Bike Parking Regulations and Waterfront Design Standards for NYC
The City Council has adopted new bicycle parking regulations that will require enclosed and secure bike parking in all new buildings. For more information, click here.

Additionally, the City Council has adopted new waterfront design requirements to underscore the city’s commitment to creating inviting and publicly accessible waterfront spaces throughout the city. For more information, click here.

In this issue:
· In Brief: Happenings at AIANY & the Center for Architecture
· GBI and AIA Join Forces
· AIA Appoints New Director of Diversity and Inclusion
· Convention Resolutions and Proposed Amendments to the Institute Bylaws
· Dept. of Ed Joins AIA, Education Groups to Plan for School Modernization Funding
· GSA Releases List of Stimulus Projects, Selects Head

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In Brief: Happenings at AIANY & the Center for Architecture
By Rick Bell, FAIA, AIANY Executive Director

03.24 Albany Lobby Day
Albany is just two-and-a-half hours north of Penn Station by train, yet architects shun its Rockefeller-era mall and windswept streets. On March 24, AIANYS Lobby Day drew AIA New York Chapter members to scheduled meetings with State legislators, including Assembly members Rosenthal, Brennan, Gottfried, and Glick, and State Senator Tom Duane. Chief of Staff Brad Usher stood in for State Senator Liz Krueger for an impassioned discussion of self-certification. The AIANY delegation included Chapter President Sherida Paulsen, FAIA, Tony Schirripa, AIA, Margaret Castillo, AIA, LEED AP, Margery Perlmutter, AIA, Alfreda Radzicki, AIA, Stanley Stark, FAIA, and Jonathan Marvel, AIA, joined by AIANYS President Burt Roslyn.

03.25 Portfolio Review
Not Business as Usual brings architects and designers to the Center for Architecture who, previously, would not have had the time or need for lunch meetings to discuss the economy. On March 25, individual tables linked together people seeking advice on developing their portfolios with those, who in busier times, did the hiring for design firms. Comments were given on format, content, nature and size of images, and how best to put oneself forward. The introduction to the event also noted that the ExchangePoint website was up and running, and has job listings, space offerings, and volunteer opportunities posted.

03.27 Basel in Beijing
A screening of the Schaub and Schindelm documentary on the Bird’s Nest Olympic stadium project filled Tafel Hall March 27. The film follows Basel-based architects Jacques Herzog, Hon. FAIA, and Pierre de Meuron, Hon. FAIA, as they walk through the Beijing construction site and reflect on the different nature of design decision-making in Switzerland and China. At times they seemed to laud the decisiveness of autocracy while criticizing some of the imperatives imposed by their poorly portrayed administrative clients. A parallel story line, about an unrealized residential project in provincial Jinhua, was inserted to de-emphasize the star turn of the big screen project.

03.30 Feelin’ Groovy
The leaders of the five AIA Chapters in NYC have been meeting monthly to coordinate activities and policies. AIANY President Sherida Paulsen, FAIA, was joined by: AIA Queens President Laura Heim, AIA; AIA Bronx President Sheldon Licht, AIA; and AIA Staten Island President Marcus Marino, AIA, to discuss Buildings Department operations and the professional certification of construction documents. Also on the agenda were the qualifications of the candidates running for AIA National office and the centennial of the Queensboro Bridge, which opened on March 30, 1909. An AIA Queens program that evening in Long Island City celebrated the inter-borough link.

03.31 Scott Peterman’s Cities
Photos from Scott Peterman’s Cities series are currently on view in the Hines Gallery at the Center for Architecture, thanks to support from Margery H. Perlmutter and the Bryan Cave office. Sao Paolo, Cairo, and New York are seen through the lens of Peterman’s expansive view — the cities seem equally boundless and inviting. Among those attending the exhibition opening March 31 was Daniel Silverstein, who works with the gallery representing the photographer. Silverstein led an informal discussion of the role of street art in the architecture of the cities depicted, anticipating the upcoming Public Art New York exhibition.

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GBI and AIA Join Forces
The Green Building Initiative (GBI) and the AIA have signed a memorandum of understanding, pledging to work together to promote the design and construction of energy efficient and environmentally responsible buildings. Among other things, the agreement calls for the two organizations to promote sustainable design by providing education and training and encouraging research to identify strategies for specific economic and environmental performance outcomes for green buildings.

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AIA Appoints New Director of Diversity and Inclusion
AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Chris McEntee announced the appointment of Sherry Snipes as the AIA’s director of diversity and inclusion, effective 04.20.09. Snipes will lead the AIA’s strategic initiative to enhance diversity within and among AIA components, firms, and members. She will set and track success measurements, provide direction and coaching to the executive leadership team on the integration of diversity into the AIA’s business strategies, and assess current programs to create strategies that increase diversity awareness in the design and construction industry.

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Convention Resolutions and Proposed Amendments to the Institute Bylaws
Resolutions submitted for consideration at the 2009 AIA Convention can be found starting on page 42 of the Delegate Information Booklet. Click here to view a .pdf.

Proposed changes to bylaws to be considered at the convention business meeting include:
– Authorization for Associate members to serve as regional directors on the Institute’s Board of Directors
– Participation by Board members in Institute Board meetings by telephonic or similar means
– Changes to the eligibility requirements for Emeritus membership
– Creation of a Public Membership category
– Elimination of the International Associate membership category and creation of an AIA International Member category.

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Dept. of Ed Joins AIA, Education Groups to Plan for School Modernization Funding
Representatives from the Department of Education met with the AIA and other organizations to discuss how stimulus funding can be used for school modernization projects. Organized by the AIA and the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI), the meeting brought together representatives from nearly 30 organizations to review the status of the department’s activities and to coordinate efforts at the state and local levels. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allowed for the use of funds from a $53.6 billion fund for school modernization, repair, and renovation, and created a new $22 billion bond program for school construction.

For more information on activities and resources on school modernization, visit the Department of Education’s website.

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GSA Releases List of Stimulus Projects, Selects Head
The General Services Administration (GSA) released its plan for spending the $5.5 billion it received as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the design, construction, and modernization of federal buildings. Under the law, GSA must use $4.5 billion of that total on creating green, high-performance buildings. According to the GSA, it “selected the best projects for accomplishing the goals of the Recovery Act based on two overarching criteria: ability of the project to put people back to work quickly, and transforming federal buildings into high-performance green buildings.” Click here for a .pdf of a full list of projects.

GSA also announced that Bill Guerin, AIA, will head its new Recovery Act Program Management Office. Currently, he is serving as the assistant commissioner for construction for GSA’s Public Buildings Service. He will also join a panel of experts at a full-day session at the 2009 AIA Convention to discuss the stimulus legislation and ways that architects can get work. For more details, visit the AIA’s Convention website.

In this issue:
· AIA Adds 15 Economic Survival Sessions to Convention
· AIA, ACE Mentor Program Extend Partnership
· AIA Reacts to White House Small Business Plan
· Hartford Architecture Program Accredited

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AIA Adds 15 Economic Survival Sessions to Convention
In an effort to assist members and firms during this prolonged economic downturn, the AIA has added 15 educational sessions devoted to addressing the current economic situation. The AIA will also have representatives from a number of federal agencies on hand to advise members on how they can contract with the federal government and get their firms involved with stimulus-related projects.

Educational sessions addressing the economic downturn:

· Blueprints for Brighter Tomorrows: The Upside of the Downturn
· Business Strategies and Tactics to Survive and Thrive in an Economic Downturn
· Firm Valuation in a Turbulent Economy: The Best of Times/The Worst of Times
· Making the Cut: The Psychological Impact of Downsizing and Surviving a Layoff
· Maximizing Firm Human Resources in a Complex World; Key components to success with Human Resources during good economic times and bad
· Best Laid Plans: Business Planning for Small Firms
· Redefining Your Practice in the Turbulent Global Economy: The Global Perspective and the Regional Context
· The Construction Outlook: Implications for Architecture Firms
· Coping with Stress in a Complex World; Tools to manage stress, create balance and harmony in your career, life and company.
· Firm Closure: What You Should Know (working title)
· Define Your Career Vision: Practical Tactics and Strategies to Execute a Targeted Job Search
· Downsizing: What You Should Know (working title)
· Expanding your Firm with Minimal Capital Investment: How to Expand and Diversify Your Practice through Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions
· Designing the Emergent Firm
· The Research Frontier of Risk Management in an Economic Downturn

The convention will be held on 04.30-05.02.09 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. For more information visit the 2009 AIA Convention website.

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AIA, ACE Mentor Program Extend Partnership
Created to address the growing need for skilled professionals, the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program is a nationwide effort of outreach and mentoring for students in 136 markets across the country. Officials of ACE and the AIA announced the extension and expansion of their national partnership through 2013. In addition, the ACE student website will be linked to the AIA’s Career Center, additional members will be introduced to the ACE program, and a matching fund donation program will be created. ACE will continue to offer a college scholarship to an architectural student in AIA’s name.

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AIA Reacts to White House Small Business Plan
“The White House’s plans to help unfreeze the credit market for small businesses is welcome news for the hundreds of small and sole practitioner,” said AIA President Marvin Malecha, FAIA. “With architecture billings at historic lows, small design firms need every tool they can get to keep cash flowing. The AIA has made relief for small businesses a key plank of its Rebuild & Renew plan for economic recovery. This is a very helpful step, but Congress and the White House need to take additional steps to provide additional tax relief for small firms, change unfair procurement rules that disadvantage small firms, and ensure that architecture practices of all sizes can take part in the economic recovery.” To learn more about the White House plan click here.

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Hartford Architecture Program Accredited
The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) has accredited the Master of Architecture degree program at the University of Hartford. In most states, a professional architecture degree is one of the requirements to take the architectural registration exam. The program is now one of two NAAB-accredited degree programs in Connecticut (the other is Yale University’s), and the first newly accredited program in the state in more than 40 years.