Category: AIA National News

(Continued from above)
Few delegates were silent when the floor was opened to debate, whether in support of or against this amendment. Representing the New York Region, and the vast majority of those in the room, AIA New York State President Francis Pitts, AIA, spoke of the value of diversity of experience and new voices for the Board. Opponents included representatives from AIA Arkansas, AIA Las Vegas, AIA New Mexico, AIA South Carolina, and, surprisingly, AIA Chicago. Their position raised fears that Associates didn’t have the necessary professional experience to participate in Board dialogue, or might, in some manner, be discouraged from seeking licensure. The opinions expressed by these delegates recalled those previously heard at last year’s Convention in San Francisco, when the amendment was first introduced.

The vote for 10-D was 2,727 in favor, 1,022 opposed, and 21 abstaining. The proposition did not receive a two-thirds majority that would have been possible if all accredited chapters and states were present. It was declared that 2,727 votes were less than 60% of those accredited. But it was also noted, in the Gleason Theater’s back rows, that 2,727 votes was more than 72% of the 3,770 votes actually cast. For the amendment to pass with 3,078 votes of the 3,770 votes accredited, a super-majority of 81% would have been needed.

In The Honeymooners, when the Jackie Gleason character, Ralph Kramden got mad he would say, “One of these days Alice, Bang Zoom! To the Moon Alice! To the Moon!” Maybe one of these days Associates will be accorded proper respect by accredited Convention delegates. Next year in New Orleans!

Venesa Alicea, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, is the 2010 AIA New York State Associate Director, and co-chair of the AIA New York Emerging New York Architects Committee. She currently works at Dattner Architects. Rick Bell, FAIA, is the Executive Director of the AIA New York Chapter.

(Continued from above)
Jason McLennan, LEED AP, CEO of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), outlined the progress of the LBC — a stringent certification program and advocacy tool originally focused on buildings, but which now includes landscapes, infrastructure, and neighborhoods. There are currently more than 70 projects in the pipeline in the U.S. and Canada, and a growing interest in the program from overseas. “It’s an audacious idea that is spreading,” he said. “But we still have a long way to go… buildings need to act like living things.” He is also bothered by “too many ugly green buildings.” Beauty has been left out of the green discourse for too long, he argued. The LBC’s financial study matrix (online at ilbi.org) proves “you can do a water-independent building in Phoenix,” and an energy-independent building, using solar panels, “in the sunny climate of Portland.”

---

The New York Times Building: A Tool for Evidence Based Design — The Role of Research and Energy-Related System Databases in Informing the Design Process
The New York Times Building continues to be a “Petri dish for design research,” stated Bruce Fowle, FAIA, LEED AP, principal of FXFOWLE Architects. By using research and practice, the team of Renzo Piano Building Workshop, FXFOWLE, and Gensler was able to make critical design decisions with sustainable results — a process called “evidence based design.” Whether it was the exposed steel structure or the exterior ceramic tubes used on the façade, each element underwent a series of experiments, from “solstice to solstice” daylight modeling to full-scale building mock-ups, to determine its performance characteristics. And in the end, the research seems to be paying off.

Data collection and experimentation not only happened during schematic design and design development. Processes have been set up to collect post-occupancy information. For example, whenever an individual overrides the automatic shading system, which happens a mere 5% of the time, he or she must give a reason. Most of the time, said Glenn Hughes of MechoShade, individuals are overriding to let more light in, rather than pulling the shades down to reduce glare. This, according to Hughes, is a testament to the lighting design, solar orientation, and strategic fritting in the glass — all which were thoroughly researched prior to construction.

With two years worth of data, evidence is showing dramatic pay-offs due to sustainability implementations.

---

Sustainable Justice: Designing a Green System
“The goal of our practice,” said Frank Greene, FAIA, principal of RicciGreene, “is to make the job of justice planners and architects obsolete.” Greene and fellow panelists, Kenneth Ricci, FAIA, Susan Oldroyd, FAIA, LEED AP, and Beverly Prior, FAIA, LEED AP, along with the several thousand members of the Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ), one of the AIA’s Knowledge Communities, claim there is a link between sustainable design, social justice, and economic development.

“Clients ask architects to solve the wrong problem,” according to Ricci. “Instead of asking ‘how big?’ they should be asking ‘how small?'” In simplistic terms, if society can reduce crime and reduce the rate of incarceration, architects can build smaller facilities, government can put funds into other public services, and the nation will reduce its carbon footprint. Police stations, court houses, and detention and correctional facilities that are as green as non-justice offices and residences, will benefit people who work, occupy, and visit these buildings, he said. Justice facilities should be close to courthouses, bail bondsmen, attorneys, and families. Therefore, it makes sense not to isolate inmates, but to locate them in urban areas and integrate them into the fabric of the community. Municipalities might be more accepting of justice facilities as neighbors if they didn’t look like fortresses covered with razor wire. Ricci and Greene argued that these facilities can make good neighbors, and even provide publicly accessible space for meetings and events.

Greene proposed the creation of green jobs within detention centers. Why not train prisoners to become organic farmers or solar panel experts, so they can help advance sustainability when they are released?

---

Sustainable Suburbs: Preserving Planned Communities in Queens — Douglas Manor and Sunnyside Gardens
Queens, NY, has eight historic districts, including Sunnyside Gardens and Douglaston. Both make the argument that the words “sustainable” and “preservation” are synonymous.

Laura Heim, AIA, LEED AP, principal of Laura Heim Architect and president of AIA Queens, lives in Sunnyside Gardens, a planned, affordable, middle class, and pre-green community. Built in 1924-1928 the community includes rows of one- to three-family private houses with mixed co-op and rental apartment buildings that wrap common gardens. Stores and parking garages are sited around the perimeters of the neighborhood, encouraging residents to walk home and socialize with neighbors along the way. When easements lapsed after 40 years, residents began to construct additional floors, paved yards, and enclosed porches. Today, each court has its own association that governs the community, and residents are encouraged to make more sustainable renovations. As a result, they are reusing materials, building solar tubes for natural light, installing radiant heating, dual flush toilets, and conduits placed for future solar panels on rooftops. For all that’s changed, according to Heim, the community retains what it had when architecture critic Lewis Mumford chose to live there.

Kevin Wolfe, AIA, principal of Kevin Wolf Architect, both lives in and designs projects for Douglas Manor, another planned garden community built around the same time as Sunnyside Gardens, though it serves more affluent owners. This secluded community was created with strict deed rules, but there was no restriction on architectural style. The streets are lined with homes in Tudor Revival, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and Mediterranean. Prior to landmark designation, teardowns and McMansion-like restorations were changing the face of the neighborhood. Now, homeowners collectively maintain the community’s Little Neck Bay waterfront and wildlife preserve, and are scaling back their renovations with sustainability in mind. They are using recycled materials and natural daylight.

Looking toward the 2010 AIA Convention: Design for the New Decade, in Miami, 06.10-12.10. Here is a list of events that may be of interest to AIANY members:

Thurs, 06.10.10

Keynote Presentation, 8:15am-10am. “Building Design for the New Decade: The Role of Right-Brain Thinking in a Modern Economy.”
Providers: AIA; McGraw-Hill Construction
Speakers: Daniel Pink; Susan Szenasy (moderator)

TH021, 2pm-3:30pm. “Sustainable Design for the New Decade: Deep Dive on Issues and the Role of Design.”
Speaker: Susan Szenasy

TH054, 4pm-5pm. “Creating Sustainable Communities Now and In the Future: Lessons Learned from the AIA Honors and Awards Recipients.”
Provider: AIA

7-9pm. AIANYS Party sponsored by IBEX. Sunset Lounge of the Mondrian South Beach, 1100 West Avenue. RSVP here.

Fri, 06.11.10

FR005, 7am-8am. “Design Vanguard: Finding the Leading Edge in Architecture.”
Provider: McGraw-Hill Construction
Speakers: Paul Lewis; Clifford Pearson

Keynote Presentation, 8:15am-9:45am. “Community Design for the New Decade: Consumerism and Responsibility.”
Providers: AIA; McGraw-Hill Construction
Speaker: Chris Jordan; Ted Landsmark, Assoc. AIA (moderator)

FR026, 10:15am-11:45am. “Sustainable Justice: Designing a Green System.”
Provider: AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice
Speakers: Frank Greene, FAIA; Susan K. Oldroyd, FAIA, LEED AP; Beverly Prior, FAIA, LEED AP; Kenneth Ricci, FAIA

FR028, 10:15am-11:45am. “The New York Times Building: A Tool for Evidence Based Design — The Role of Research and Energy-Related System Databases in Informing the Design Process.”
Provider: AIA New York Chapter
Speakers: Bruce Fowle, FAIA, LEED AP; Glenn Hughes; William Maiman

Friday Investiture Ceremony, 4pm-6pm.

FR065, 4pm-5:30pm. “Design Your Network of Mentors: Connect with Diverse Women in Design.”
Provider: AIANY Women in Architecture Committee
Speakers: Lori Apfel Cardeli, Assoc. AIA; Angelina Pinto; Diane T. Tien, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB

FR068, 4pm-5:30pm. AIA Institute Honor Awards
Provider: AIA Committee on Design
Speaker: Carol Bentel, FAIA, LEED AP

FR082, 6pm-7pm. “Sustainable Suburbs: Preserving Planned Communities in Queens — Douglas Manor and Sunnyside Gardens.”
Provider: AIA Queens
Speakers: Laura Heim, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB; Kevin Wolfe, AIA

FR083, 6pm-7pm. “Next Generation Airports and Opportunities for High-Performance: Achieving High-Performance and Environmentally Beneficial Infrastructure Projects.”
Providers: Atelier Ten; Grimshaw-Architects
Speakers: Jim Keen; Benjamin Shepherd, LEED AP

FR088, 6pm-7pm. “Engineered Transparency: ETFE Systems and Skin Physics — The Design Development of Sustainable Transparency.”
Provider: Thornton Tomasetti

EV058, 7pm-9pm, $150. “Convention Party: Sand in Your Shoes — Deco Style.”

Sat, 06.12.10

SA003, 7am-8am. “Economic Recessions: How Forensic Architects Can Help Designers.”
Provider: Erwin Lobo Bielinski
Speakers: Ronald Bielinski, AIA; Sharon A. Lobo, AIA, NCARB

SA010, 7am-8am. “Transformative Sustainable Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings: Precedents, Preservation, and Adaptive Reuse Strategies for Blending Sustainability and Design Excellence.”
Provider: Kliment Halsband Architects
Speakers: Alex Diez, AIA, LEED AP; Michael A. Nieminen, AIA

SA041, 1pm-2:30pm. “Four By Four Forum: 4 Architects/4 Regions/4 Visions/4 the Future.”
Provider: AIA New York Chapter
Speakers: Michael Damore, AIA; Elizabeth del Monte, AIA; Mark E. Strauss, FAIA, AICP, LEED AP; Martha Lampkin Welborne, FAIA

Keynote Presentation, 3pm-4:30pm. “Global Design for the New Decade: A Discussion with the 2010 Gold Medalist and Architecture Firm Award Recipients.”
Provider: AIA College of Fellows; McGraw-Hill Construction
Speaker: Robert A. Ivy, Jr., FAIA (moderator)

I am writing to share the news that Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Chris McEntee will leave the Institute July 23, 2010 to become Executive Director of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), an international non-profit scientific association dedicated to furthering the sciences of geophysics through individual efforts and in cooperation with other scientific organizations. In her new capacity, Chris will lead a professional society that is a global leader of scientific knowledge within the Earth and space science communities and expand AGU’s global reach and scientific excellence for the benefit of humanity.

This is a professional challenge that will afford Chris new areas in which to learn and grow in her career of leading professional associations. Chris is embracing an opportunity of great personal and professional interest and I invite you to join me in wishing her every future success.

As you already know, Chris leads a staff of seasoned professionals who capably manage the AIA’s daily operations. As a first next-step, I will be forming a search committee that will work under the guidance of the AIA Board Executive Committee and engaging an executive search firm to help us identify the right qualified candidates. Chris will work closely with the AIA leadership and staff to ensure a smooth transition.

Chris and I agree that the AIA is strong and poised to take advantage of new opportunities. The AIA will continue to offer programs and experiences that deliver member value and expand upon new opportunities, such as those represented by the current discussions with Hanley Wood.

There will be time in the upcoming three months for appropriate farewell activities where we can learn more about this important and exciting next challenge for Chris. Her new role will find her building the framework necessary for the AGU to become the authoritative voice of scientific knowledge to policy makers, media, and the broader public, with an increasing emphasis on mitigating the effects of climate change. This is a challenge for which Chris is well-suited, after having successfully accomplished a similar result during her time at the AIA.

And, as you speak to or respond to questions from your AIA and professional colleagues, you can be confident in sharing the message that the inherent strength of the AIA lies squarely in the passion and commitment of our members, you and me. Our rich history encompasses many significant individual contributions, but collectively, it is we who shape our future. If you would like, you can reach me via e-mail: gmiller@aia.org.

I look forward to keeping you informed and involved as we continue working together throughout the year and, in particular, hope to be seeing you at our national convention in Miami.

PLENARY & PENURY
The most remarkable aspect of the 2009 AIA Convention in San Francisco was that despite near-record attendance, many AIA members were able to participate in the plenary sessions and continuing education seminars from home. From the podium at the Moscone Center, AIA President Marvin Malecha, FAIA, spoke of a symposium where 14 people were in the room, while over 14,000 participated electronically. Questions were asked online and through Twitter, and the Tweet sounds of pluralist participation, at 140 characters max, kept the grandstanding and pontificating to the minimum, except at Saturday’s Business Session. While overall attendance surpassed 20,000 people, and the product exhibition space was sold out, revenue was down, and many who were in Boston could not afford to attend because of the state of the economy and the liquidity of their firms.

HONORS & AWARDS
The almost-full plenary sessions belied the fall-off since last year’s convention, and spirits were high as many New Yorkers were honored for design awards and distinguished service. Honor awards were won by NY-based firms including FXFOWLE Architects, Thomas Phifer & Partners, Lyn Rice Architect, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Cristoff:Finio, TEN Arquitectos, and STUDIOS Architecture.

Matthew Bremer, AIA, notably, won one of the eight Young Architect Awards. Bremer was recognized as co-chair of the AIANY New Practices Committee and as a “young architect who combines recognized and celebrated talent with a willingness to support the profession and provide mentorship for others.” His design talent and attention to detail were also noted in the AIA National commendation. Bremer, along with co-chair Marc Clemenceau Bailly, AIA, curated and installed the New Practices New York exhibition at AIA San Francisco’s Center for Architecture + Design; the exhibition opened with the concurrent announcement of the New Practices San Francisco winning firms.

Venesa Alicea, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, received the AIA Associates Award. First presented in 2008, it is the highest honor given to individual Associate AIA members based on their demonstrated and unparalleled commitment to their component or region’s membership, in the community, in professional organizations, and in the design and construction industries. Alicea was commended for her unwavering commitment, her abilities in practice, and her outreach encouraging others to pursue IDP and licensure.

Marcy Stanley, Hon. AIA, received her Honorary Membership in the AIA, where she was applauded for her service to the Institute, AIANY, and the Washington DC Metro Chapter.

One of the highest AIA honors, the Edward C. Kemper Award for Service to the Profession, was bestowed on Barbara Nadel, FAIA. Nadel’s commendation by President Malecha noted the worldwide impact of her security design work. Her remarks credited the many collaborators and colleagues, both in her writings and consultations. She was described by AIA President-elect George Miller, FAIA, as “a proven leader, a dedicated mentor to emerging professionals, and an advocate for the AIA and the issues that are critical for the future of the profession.”

PORTER & BOND
The Whitney Young award, a very moving ceremony in which Clyde Porter, FAIA, a Dallas-based architect and facilities administrator, was honored, also included a tribute to J. Max Bond, Jr., FAIA. Bond had been scheduled to speak at the convention, and his untimely death leaves an immeasurable gap in the architectural fabric of our city and the world. The tribute, organized by AIA National’s historian and poet Ray Rhinehart, used interview footage seen at the 2005 Heritage Ball when Bond was honored with the AIANY President’s Award. A memorial will take place Tuesday, 05.12.09, at 3:00pm at the Great Hall of Cooper Union, followed by the opening at 6:00pm that evening of “The Life and Work of Max Bond, 1935-2009,” an exhibition at the Center for Architecture.

INVEST & CONVOKE
This year the Fellowship investiture took place at Grace Cathedral, a grand space atop Nob Hill where the invocation of distinguished achievement was spiritual, and the architecture itself awe-inspiring. Among the 112 architects elevated to Fellow were nine AIANY members, including Ken Drucker, FAIA; Belmont Freeman, FAIA; Christopher Grabé, FAIA; John Grady, FAIA; Robert Heintges, FAIA; Frank Lupo, FAIA; Joanna Pestka, FAIA; Annabelle Selldorf, FAIA; and Sylvia Smith, FAIA. Among the nine Honorary FAIA awards conferred, one name in particular stands out — that of Manfredi Nicoletti, Hon. FAIA. Nicoletti visited the Center for Architecture on 05.04.09 and delivered an impassioned oration on technology and growth after an introduction by his friend and sponsor, John Johansen, FAIA. The celebratory dinner included many others from NY, there to honor friends and colleagues. The new Fellows were honored, as well, at the social highlight of the Convention, the AIA New York State party organized and sponsored by Ibex Construction and its president, Andy Frankl. It was held at the City Club, the city’s best Art Deco interior graced by a Diego Rivera mural.

ELECTIONS & BUSINESS MEETING
The election results for AIA National office have been announced through various other communications. Our Chapter’s congratulations go out to 2010 President-elect Clark Manus, FAIA, of San Francisco, Vice Presidents Peter Kuttner, FAIA, of Boston, and Mickey Jacob, FAIA, of Tampa, along with John Rogers, AIA, of Ohio, elected as Treasurer. The merits of these and the other eminently qualified candidates were discussed at an AIA New York State caucus marked by candor and passionate debate.

Speaking of impassioned debate, the business session of the convention was held on Saturday, 05.02.09. Three reasonable and necessary amendments to the AIA National Bylaws were defeated. Our Chapter voted in favor of all of them:
1. Changing the term International Associate to AIA International,
2. Allowing Associate members to serve as Regional Directors, and,
3. Creating a new category of “Public Membership” in the AIA.

The fact they did not receive the necessary 2/3-delegate vote was seen by many as an abnegation of the future — a slap in the face to the associate membership, a denial of international outreach, and a reinforcement of the traditional insularity of many of the voting delegates. The various AIA list serves have been hot and heavy with statements of principle on both sides of all three issues. Over the next weeks and months strategies for compromise and consensus will emerge. In the aftermath of these three nay votes, however, one thing is certain: better communications and better outreach is needed to reaffirm the core principles of the AIA of the future: inclusiveness, participation, and growth. On these topics, I clearly left my heart, and say hey votes, in San Francisco.

Considering the economic downturn, retaining clients for repeat work is key. According to many of the speakers at the 2009 AIA Convention, the way to do this is by holding on to the best employees and adjusting the practice to accommodate modern lifestyles.

At the “Focus on Design and Global Practice” General Session, Craig Dykers, AIA, principal at Snøhetta, called for architects to “practice what we preach,” by democratizing and socializing the office. With a mixed office of international architects, landscape architects, and interior designers, his firm is not divided into typical studios. Instead, collaborations are formed and hierarchical titles and categories are discouraged. A committee of employees is responsible for making many of the policy decisions in the office, resulting in five-week vacation time and a narrow salary range (Dykers makes only twice as much as entry-level employees).

It is of ultimate importance to achieve a comfortable work-life balance. Panelists at “Navigating Life and the Workplace: How Leading Women in Architecture and Other Professions Balance Their Careers and Other Goals” discussed how this is possible by learning to be a good leader. Nancy Goshow, AIA, of NY-based Goshow Architects and co-chair of the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee, said that to achieve balance is to understand how much one can take on, and then take full responsibility to carry out the tasks required. Leadership requires knowing how to delegate, listening and being objective, taking risks, and prioritizing goals. All of the panelists agreed family must come first, but to be successful calls for an understanding of personal limits. If you are an asset to your firm and you are productive, stated Lina G. Telese, Esq., you will be able to keep reasonable hours, even request flex time, and maintain the value of your, and your firm’s, work.

With the country’s changing demographics, the Millennials will soon take up a large portion of the profession — if they stay in the field. Catering to their needs is important, and understanding the generational differences will help businesses on many levels.

If employees are happy, clients are happy, simply stated Patricia Saldaña Natke, AIA, founding partner of Urban Works in Chicago, at “Designing the Emergent Firm.” When hiring, Natke brings in individuals who demonstrate leadership in and outside of the office — many employees are board members and activists at local and national organizations. To retain emerging talent, her firm enters design competitions regularly to not only get new work, but to empower younger architects by allowing them ownership of designs. With summer hours and part-time employment options, the best employees enjoy the firm’s working environment, and this is the reason, she said, that they were voted the most family-friendly firm by Architect magazine.

For Frank Greene, FAIA, NY-based Ricci Greene Associates has enjoyed success because of the expertise of its employees. There are no project managers, only project architects at the firm. This encourages a culture of ideas and everyone has a personal stake in the work, he explained. Designing justice facilities is possible because the firm consists of diverse specialists, and, with two PhDs in criminal justice on the team, not everyone is an architectural designer.

Acknowledging the many various jobs it takes to run an architecture firm, “What’s Wrong with How Design Firms Are Set Up?” addressed the question about why ownership is in the hands of licensed professionals alone. While each state differs, the majority of the U.S. requires that owners of architecture and engineering firms be licensed professionals (in NY, 100% of owners must be licensed, although regulations may change this year dropping the percentage to 75%). This is a disservice to the profession, argued Joan Capelin, Hon. AIA, FSMPS, of Capelin Communications, as it deprives businesses of diversity and expansive knowledge. If employees who specialize in finance, marketing, information technology, public relations, human resources, among others, have an opportunity to partially own businesses, architects and engineers would have more time to focus on the creative development of their firms. Also, with a broader base, firms will be able to expand and market differently to new clients, stated James Frankel, Esq., a lawyer at Arent Fox.

At the “Focus on Design and Global Practice” session, Amale Andraos, principal of WORKac in NYC, discussed the need to always look for new ways of working in the world. Her firm tries to transform the way it works and lives as they encounter new audiences and new clients. With Public Farm 1, infrastructure and gardening were mixed with the urban context of P.S. 1 to create an interactive installation that served as a party space and vegetable garden throughout the summer. Now, WORKac is collaborating with Alice Waters for Public Farm 2 to create edible gardens at P.S. 216.

Young architects are no longer settling for traditional paths of practice; when they are faced with road blocks, they adjust the rules to their needs, as was proven at the “2009 Young Architects Award Recipient’s Discussion.” “Good design should be accessible, especially for those who can’t afford it,” stated Angela Brooks, AIA, LEED AP, principal at CA-based Pugh + Scarpa Architects. If good design is not feasible because of policy, she continued, then make friends in the government and change the policy. When she faced 15 variances for a market-rate, affordable housing project in Los Angeles, she co-founded Livable Places, a non-profit organization aimed at changing policy in LA.

Jinhee Park, AIA, principal of SsD in Cambridge, MA, developed a housing prototype that could be built by highway construction workers. When the Big Dig was developing, SsD’s proposal was to recycle the highway and the skilled labor to create both new housing and an opportunity for the construction workers to stay in one city longer than usual. Matthew Bremer, AIA, principal of NY-based Architecture In Formation and co-chair of the AIANY New Practices Committee, faced the challenge of developing housing in an area suffering from suburban sprawl in Bulverde, TX. His solution was to propose a development that looks like a cattle ranch, so the community would welcome it, yet it will be the densest development in the area, making it much more efficient than the surrounding neighborhoods.

During “Queer Space: Designing for the GLBT Community,” social sustainability took on a slightly different meaning. Creating a space for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender populations, architects are faced with designing a building that embraces all lifestyles, provides privacy for those who need it, enables individuals to celebrate their identity, and links people within and without the community. Belmont Freeman, FAIA, of Belmont Freeman Architects in NY, presented his firm’s LGBT Carriage House at the University of Pennsylvania. While the design incorporates a private back entrance in addition to the front entry and a Modern interior to counter the traditional architecture on campus, the meeting spaces and multi-purpose lounge are now some of the most popular spaces for all student groups on campus. For Freeman, the building is successful because the spaces are inviting to all, and its users do not segregate themselves into separate groups.

Radicalism and big ideas are what John Hockenberry, WNYC and PRI host and moderator of the “Focus on Design and Global Practice” session, called for from architects during these poor economic times. With so many bad, small ideas out there, he exclaimed, architects need to think beyond pragmatism and look to idealism to bring hope back to the U.S.

Perhaps one of the biggest ideas presented was the “2007 Latrobe Prize Presentation” on the On the Water — Palisades Bay project. Awarded to Guy Nordenson, Stan Allen, AIA, Catherine Seavitt, James Smith, Michael Tantala, Adam Yarinsky, FAIA, and Stephen Cassell, AIA, the team has been studying the effects of the rising sea level in NYC’s Upper Harbor. As the water rises, major storms are a growing threat to the city. Looking to the history of the shoreline and using various types of analysis and modeling, the team combined engineering, research, planning, and economic analysis to analyze the effects of future weather conditions and propose a solution to lessen its impact.

By marrying design with detail analysis, the proposal incorporates everything from oysters to filter the bay, windmills and algae farms to generate energy, and artificial reefs to restore wildlife habitats. Artificial islands will be strategically placed to roughen the edge of the channel, decreasing the energy of a potential storm surge and replacing some of the lost wetlands. Piers and slips will help re-contour the edge of Lower Manhattan to help break the wave energy, lessening the impact of a potential hurricane.

Ultimately, the team hopes to “turn the challenge of a problem into an optimistic opportunity,” said Nordenson. This conceivably was the mantra repeated throughout the convention overall. By next year’s convention in Miami, let’s hope to see some of the positive results.

While the formal theme for the AIA Convention in San Francisco was “The Power of Diversity,” not surprisingly, the state of the economy overshadowed all. The tone, however, was one of optimism: a take-charge mentality encouraging firms to find new avenues for revenue while still keeping sustainable design at the forefront, as well as providing plenty of advice for emerging practices struggling to survive.

SHIFTING FOCUS IN PRACTICE
At “Four X Four: 4 Architects/4 Regions/4 Visions/4 the Future,” Mark Strauss, FAIA, AICP, LEED AP, discussed his theme as AIA New York Chapter President in 2006 — Architecture as Public Policy. He shared an anecdote about Terence Riley, AIA, the director of the Miami Art Museum, who asked a White House aide if they have had any architectural Fellows. The aide looked at him quizzically and responded, “no, they [architects] just design buildings.” Strauss believes that architects should do much more by taking an active role in politics and planning in order to make cities more livable, such as AIANY’s involvement with PlaNYC 2030.

Despite the slowing economy, many sustainable projects are still going forward. Susan Szenasy, Editor-in-Chief of Metropolis magazine, moderated a panel of experts including a sustainability consultant for IDEO, a physicist, and a professor of urban design, who compared city emissions patterns internationally to show how much they need to be reduced. Architects should be aware of these factors, the panelists argued, to help reduce carbon footprints through environmentally conscious design.

EMERGING PRACTICES
Paul Lewis, AIA, of NY-based Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis (LTL) discussed his practice at “Design Innovation: Turning Challenges into Opportunities,” moderated by Roberty Ivy, FAIA, Editor-in-Chief of Architectural Record. LTL regularly participates in design/build projects to save on construction costs, and it makes research a focal point of its young but successful practice. “Opportunistic Architecture,” written by the firm’s partners, expresses their design philosophy that “challenges in architectural practice can be transformed into generators of innovative solutions.”

When starting his firm amidst the recession of the early 1990s, Phillip G. Freelon, FAIA, LEED AP, entered many competitions and also designed furniture. The principal of Freelon Group (and a member of the team Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup, recently chosen to design the National Museum of African American History and Culture) offers this advice to start-up firms: “Do the projects that no one else wants to do.” No matter how small or uninteresting the project seems, it can lead to more exciting opportunities, he explained.

Murrye Bernard, LEED AP, is a freelance writer and has written for Architectural Record, Architecture Boston, and Architectural Lighting.

After attending six sessions and finding them all to be informative and heavily attended, I offer my thoughts on the convention overall. In the “High Performance Schools: Design Strategies, Tools and Resources,” Deane Evans, Jr., FAIA, of New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Charles Eley, FAIA, the executive director of CHPS (The Collaborative for High Performance Schools) for California, laid out the design standards, strategies, incentives, and resources that they have made available to school designers in their respective states. When the third presenter, Lisa Gelfand, AIA, of Gelfand Partners Architects in San Francisco, took the stage and presented built examples of schools that she had designed to meet (and help create) the CHPS standards, the architects in the room audience was clearly lifted by visual evidence of the successful implementation of sustainable building theory.

The architects’ hunger to hear from each other was inadvertently brought to a crescendo at the end of a session the next day: “IDEO Smart Space: Design for Community.” To demonstrate the Silicon Valley group’s design methodology, attendees divided into small work groups to create concepts and communicate ideas. The topic was none other than the AIA convention itself and how it could be improved. The findings were consistent — architects want to meet and hear from each other. Future conventions could do more to facilitate this. A sampling of ideas were offered: provide gathering places outside the sessions (with chairs!) for smaller groups to identify with (there was a Student Lounge, so how about one for architects of different regions, or of specific building types, or of age groups); find a technology to allow architects to scan each other’s badges or project each other’s work onto white boards; provide pre-convention blogs to start an intra-architect network; offer more architect-led sessions; and serve more martinis.

Other architects shared a similar sentiment outside of the sessions. In passing, one architect said the best session he attended was a talk given by Stephen Kieran, FAIA, and James Timberlake, FAIA, that brought their design methodology to life.

It goes without saying that the small groupings offsite, such as the AIA New York State party at the City Club were well worth the trip.

Scott Phillips, AIA, LEED AP, is a principal at Phillips Gelfand Architects.