2017 AIASD Presidents Letter to Membership

January 2017 Happy New Year to all AIA|SD Members!

Starting 2017 brings the promise of another excellent year for the Chapter targeting continued member growth and diversity, outstanding programs, and significant community involvement. AIA|SD will reaffirm our ethical duty to foster the design of buildings that contribute to the public health, safety, and wellbeing of our environment and to speak out against negative impacts.  We will advocate for policies that create long-term benefits, more workforce housing, resiliency and jobs for San Diego County.  Our new Housing Taskforce will take on Housing Affordability, at all levels, as the County visions how to absorb another million people over the next 30 years. We will advocate for the Climate Action Plan, water resource and recycling management, ecologically sound infrastructure investments, accessory dwelling units, state of the art health care facilities, restoration and adaptive reuse of our historic buildings, regulatory reform and proactive urban design through our passionate committees.

As an AIA|SD member, you can be assured that your Chapter leaders are committed to offering many practice-enhancing benefits and providing a value proposition that exceeds your annual dues investment.  Among our challenges is meeting the needs of members across a range of practice types.  Our large firm members have their emphasis on large projects with sophisticated delivery models. Our many small firm members operate small design businesses in a very competitive marketplace.  We believe we can assist all our firms to be nimble, more visible, and more efficient through the professional services and tools provided by our phenomenal staff and knowledge community leaders.

2017 highlights:

• Professional development workshops and construction site visits with dozens of continuing education programs exceeding AIA and state-continuing education requirements; many free of charge or at cost to members;
• Monthly meetings of our very active committees including: The Urban Design Committee (UDC), Committee on the Environment (COTE), Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN), Healthcare Committee, Preservation Committee, Women in Architecture, and a new Lean Housing Taskforce and a Small Firm Forum, allowing many opportunities for volunteering;
• Improved programs between AIA|Palomar and AIA|San Diego;
• Assistance to NewSchool and Woodbury in reaching out to firms to support NCARB’s Integrated Path to Architecture Licensure (IPAL) pilot program in San Diego with internships and shadowing;
• Our annual Design Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Archtoberfest events;
• A County-wide Regional Urban Design Charrette “Housing the Next One Million" in cooperation with Housing You Matters, SDAF, ULI, SDGBC, and SANDAG, among others, to vision the 330,000 more housing units required to meet this growth.

Your participation in programs and events and your willingness to offer guidance on sustaining our continued relevance, is essential to the Chapter’s ongoing success and viability. This year, we hope you will make the time to get involved, volunteer for an event, or join a committee.  Next year, AIA|San Diego celebrates its 90th anniversary and will enjoy a proud legacy of service and achievement through its ability to adapt to changing environmental, economic and social circumstances.  We thank you for your commitment to our organization and the values it upholds.

Sincerely,

Philip J. Bona, AIA 2017 President, AIA San Diego

View the 2016 AIA California Council metrics

2017 AIA Institute Honor Awards Recognize Excellence in Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Regional & Urban Design

2017 AIA Institute Honor Awards Recognize Excellence in Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Regional & Urban Design

Contact: Matt Tinder 202-626-7462 mtinder@aia.org

For immediate release: Washington, D.C. – January 13, 2017 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected the 2017 recipients of the Institute Honor Awards, the profession’s highest recognition of works that exemplify excellence in architecture, interior architecture and urban design. Selected from roughly 700 submissions, 23 recipients located throughout the world will be honored at the AIA Conference on Architect 2017 in Orlando.

Please contact Matt Tinder for high resolution images. View this press release online here: https://www.aia.org/press-releases/26616-2017-aia-institute-honor-awards-recognize-ex

2017 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture

The 2017 AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture jury includes: Mark Reddington, FAIA (Chair), LMN Architects; Gregory P. Baker, AIA, HNTB Architecture; David Cordaro, AIAS Representative; Leslie K. Elkins, FAIA, Leslie K. Elkins Architect; Timothy J. Johnson, AIA, NBBJ; William Q. Sabatini, FAIA, Dekker/Perich/Sabatini; Adrian D. Smith, FAIA, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture; Beatrice Spolidoro, Assoc. AIA, Rothschild Doyno Collaborative and Marilyn Terranova, PhD, Interim Superintendent, Pocantico Hills CSD.

Aspen Art Museum; Aspen, CO Shigeru Ban Architects; Associate Firm: CCY Architects

Founded in the late 1970s as a non-collecting institution, the Aspen Art Museum worked in tandem with the design team to determine programmatic needs and to ensure its new home completely supported the art it hangs. Adhering to a strict 18-month construction schedule, the new museum opened in 2014 and has seen a 400 percent increase in visitorship and a 1,140 percent increase in the number of students served by the museum’s educational outreach initiatives. Three floors—two above ground, one below—are dedicated to gallery space, while the top floor includes an ample multiuse space, café, and public terrace with sweeping views of the Rockies.

Carmel Place; New York City nARCHITECTS

Winner of the 2012 adAPT NYC competition for New York City’s first micro-unit apartment building, Carmel Place represents a new housing paradigm for the city's growing small household population. The design of the 9 story building’s 55 units aims for spaciousness and luminosity through the implementation of 9’-8” ceilings, 8’ tall sliding windows and Juliet balconies. With a goal of conveying the residents’ nested scales of community, afforded by varied interior and exterior shared spaces, the building’s brick exterior massing resembles four slender “mini-towers” – a microcosm of the city’s skyline.

Carnegie Hall Studio Towers Renovation Project; New York City Iu + Bibliowicz Architects LLP

The Carnegie Hall Studio Towers Renovation Project centered on: renovation, reorganization, and repurposing of 167,000 square feet of non-performance venues at the National Historic site. The 7-year project encompassed the creation of a Music Education Wing, new roof terrace, consolidation of administrative offices, expanded backstage space and functionality, and façade lighting to showcase the landmark. Substantial interior structural modifications and infrastructure upgrades aided in the success of the renovation. The project was awarded LEED Silver Certification, one of the oldest and most notable buildings in the country with such distinction.

The Cotton Gin at the CO-OP District; Hutto, Texas Antenora Architects LLP

The reuse of the two existing cotton gin structures is the first piece of a 2012 master plan to revitalize the site, which was purchased by the City of Hutto. Both structures were selectively deconstructed and reused to create a single open-air 6,500-square-foot public events space. The new building is wrapped in perforated stainless steel that reflects the hot Texas sun during the day and provides intriguing transparency at night. The design team succeeded in creating a flexible space for public and private events that complements everything from programmatic functions of the local library and farmer’s markets to artisan fairs and wedding receptions.

Grace Farms; New Canaan, CT SANAA; Associate Firm: Handel Architects

Grace Farms was established with the idea that “space communicates” and can inspire people to collaborate for good. To realize this vision, Grace Farms Foundation appointed SANAA to create a porous, multipurpose building nestled within an 80-acre landscape that would encourage people to engage with nature, the arts, justice, community, and faith. The River building emerged as a new kind of public space that embodies these aspirations. Its sinuous structure is comprised of 203 individually curved glass panels containing five volumes: a Sanctuary; Library; Commons; Pavilion; and partially submerged Court. 

Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts; Chicago Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners; Associate Firm: Holabird & Root

Sitting on the southern edge of Chicago’s Midway, the Center houses the University of Chicago’s visual arts, film, music, and theater programs, finally uniting the programs under one roof.  The building comprises a 10-story tower and an adjacent two-story “podium.” Both are clad in Missouri limestone cut into four-foot lengths and laid as bricks. The material echoes the limestone found on the University’s neo-Gothic structures as well as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, also located on campus.  Bathed in natural light, the smaller building is lit by north-facing skylights throughout its many creative spaces. St. Ann's Warehouse; Brooklyn, New York Marvel Architects

Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, Marvel Architects has brought the brick and mortar ruins of the historic Tobacco Warehouse back to life, creating a new theater space for renowned presenter St. Ann's Warehouse. Leading a team of Silman, Buro Happold and Charcoalblue, Marvel created a controlled acoustical environment using natural state materials - concrete, blackened steel, Douglas fir plywood. With a respectful sleight of hand, a new roof floats atop a ribbon of solid glass brick. Adjacent to the theater is a trapezoidal garden designed with Michael Van Valkenberg Landscape.

The Six Affordable Veteran Housing; Los Angeles Brooks + Scarpa

The SIX is a 52-unit LEED Platinum affordable housing and support services building for disabled veterans. Located in the MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles which has one of the highest densities in the USA with a total population of 120,000 people in 2.72 square miles.  The SIX breaks the prescriptive mold of the traditional shelter by creating public and private "zones" in which private space is deemphasized, in favor of large public areas. The organization is intended to transform the way people live-away from a reclusive, isolating layout towards a community-oriented, interactive space.

Stanford University Central Energy Facility; Stanford, CA ZGF Architects LLP

The Central Energy Facility is the heart of Stanford University's transformational campus-wide energy system, projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68%. The centerpiece of this composition of large, industrial components is a central courtyard pivoting around a 2.5-million-gallon hot water thermal storage tank, showcasing the energy plant’s mission. The architecture takes its cues from Stanford’s rich heritage: the Stanford arcade is reimagined as PV trellis; integrally colored cast-in-place concrete nods to the prevalent limestone; and weathered CorTen steel accents suggest terra-cotta tile roofs that give the campus much of its character.

Thread: Performing Arts Community Center and Artists’ Residence; Sinthain, Senegal Toshiko Mori Architect

Located in the remote village of Sinthian, Senegal, this project offers multiple programs for the community, including a gathering space, performance center, and residency for visiting artists. In the design, a parametric transformation of the traditional pitched roof inscribes a series of courtyards within the plan of the building while also creating shaded, multi-purpose areas around the perimeter of the courtyard. The inversion of the roof creates an effective strategy for the collection and storage of rainwater, capable of fulfilling substantial domestic and agricultural water needs for the community. Relying exclusively on local materials and construction techniques, the building’s traditional structure is formed primarily of bamboo and spaced-brick walls that absorb heat and promote airflow through the building interior.

Yale Center for British Art Building Conservation Project; New Haven, CT Knight Architecture

Following nearly forty years of continuous operation, the Yale Center for British Art, designed by Louis I. Kahn and recipient of AIA’s Twenty-five Year Award, faced mounting programmatic, infrastructural, and operational pressures which threatened to degrade its extraordinary architectural character. The multi-year conservation project renewed interior finishes that had grown tired and worn; restored and expanded teaching spaces that were oversubscribed and underequipped; fortified spaces for exhibition, storage, and study of the growing collection; and replaced vital building systems which had reached the end of their practical life

2017 Institute Honor Awards for Interior Architecture

The 2017 AIA Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture jury includes: Hagy Belzberg, FAIA (Chair), Belzberg Architects; Jodi R. Ernst, AIA, Universal Studios; Karen Fairbanks, AIA, Marble Fairbanks; Paula Peer, AIA, Trapolin-Peer Architects and Jim Poteet, FAIA, Poteet Architects, LP.

30 Rockefeller Plaza: 65th Floor, Rainbow Room, SixtyFive; New York City Gabellini Sheppard Associates; Associate Firm: Montroy Andersen DeMarco

Gabellini Sheppard Associates opened a new chapter for the 13,160-square-foot Rainbow Room and 65^th floor, blending contemporary needs with design that rekindled the room’s original Art Deco-inspired spirit and radiant notoriety of 1934. In the Rainbow Room, the revitalization of the rotating dance floor, addition of mesmerizing crystal window veils, and restoration of the chandelier and central dome, reinforce the modern-day grandeur. In Bar SixtyFive, a faceted ceiling composed of glass-reinforced gypsum panels anchor the space, reinterpreting the open-air height the room once had as a sun parlor.

General Motors Design Auditorium; Detroit SmithGroupJJR

In 1956, the General Motors styling team moved from Detroit to a new design space. The complex, originally designed by Eero Saarinen, has become a legendary corporate master piece of planning and design. For SmithGroupJJR, the overall design intent was to modernize the facility but to do so in a manner consistent with the original Saarinen detailing. Technologies of materials, lighting and audio/visual have progressed dramatically and the revised Design Dome is now poised for General Motors to re-establish the relevance of this significant space for the design community.

George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health; Washington, D.C. Payette

Located on iconic Washington Circle Park in the heart of the nation’s capital, this School of Public Health is a rigorous, innovative response to site and program. With its most sustainable solutions so deeply embedded as to be nearly indistinguishable, it keenly demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between sustainability and public health. The building’s unusual skylit atrium, in which classrooms and study areas overlook the city through an open latticework of floor openings, invites exploration and discovery. The building supports a highly effective learning and interaction environment that is equally memorable for its intimacy and transparency.

In Situ; San Francisco Aidlin Darling Design

Located in the recently reopened San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA), In Situ represents a unique intersection of art, design, food and community. The restaurant features a curated collection of culinary innovators from around the world to make their contributions accessible for greater public engagement. Its design operates at many scales from urban to the intimate, and is intended to engage all of the senses with an emphasis on tactility and acoustics. The exposed interior shell of the building provides a backdrop for discreetly placed "artifacts" which include commissioned art, custom designed lighting, custom furniture and a sculptural wood ceiling.

Pinterest HQ; San Francisco IwamotoScott Architecture with Brereton Architects

The new Pinterest headquarters is inspired by the redesign of the company's web platform — clean, simple, intuitive. It occupies a concrete structure in the SOMA district that previously housed a John Deer factory. A key aspect of the design extends the existing atrium through to the ground floor, spatially connecting all four floors. The Knitting Stair occupies this newly-activated heart of the building. The workspace program is organized as porous, concentric layers around the atrium and Knitting Stair, opening up to the city at the ground floor’s lobby, café, all-hands space and maker lab.

University of Massachusetts (UMass) Dartmouth, Claire T. Carney Library; Dartmouth, MA designLAB architects; Associate Firm: Austin Architects

Conceived in 1963 as a utopian community by architect Paul Rudolph, the UMass Dartmouth campus remains a tour de force of late 20^th century architectural exuberance and optimism. The Claire T. Carney Library is the 160,000-square-foot centerpiece of the concentric campus plan. designLAB’s transformation celebrates the historic architecture, while creating a state-of-the-art learning environment, improved group study spaces, a cafe, a lecture space, and a new campus living room. Inspired by Rudolph’s original design intentions, the renovation included the re-introduction of a vibrant color palette, bold supergraphics, and dynamic social spaces.

Writers Theatre; Glencoe, IL Studio Gang

While functional requirements of performance venues often dictate opaque volumes, the 36,000-square-foot Writers Theatre is instead a transparent cultural anchor that embraces its community. A double-height lobby provides a flexible space for outreach, gatherings, and performances, with glass doors that open to the adjacent park. Clad in wood hewn from the site, box office and concessions are treated as furniture, integrated into flexible lobby tribune seating. A canopy walk hung from timber trusses provides an open-air gathering place before, after, and between shows. The two stages are configured to enhance the intimacy for which Writers is known while creating new opportunities for innovative performance.

2017 Institute Honor Awards for Regional & Urban Design

The 2017 AIA Institute Honor Award for Regional & Urban Design jury includes: Susan Chin, FAIA (Chair), Design Trust for Public Space, New York City; David W. Benn, AIA, Cho Benn Holback + Associates, Inc.; James S. Bershof, FAIA, OZ Architecture; Sheila Kennedy, FAIA, Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd. And Robert L. Ooley, FAIA, Santa Barbara County Government, Office of the County Architect.

Cleveland Civic Core; Cleveland LMN Architects

Cleveland’s civic center is one of the most completely realized examples of the City Beautiful movement in U.S. city planning that flourished during the late 1800s. In 1903, architect/planner Daniel Burnham designed the Mall—a large public park flanked by major civic and government buildings on a bluff above Lake Erie. One hundred years later, the Cleveland Civic Core project continues Burnham’s vision while reimagining it for the 21st century, weaving together two public assembly facilities with civic green space to catalyze a dramatic revitalization of the downtown core.

Philadelphia 30th Street Station District Plan; Philadelphia Skidmore, Owings & Merrill,

The master plan for Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station District, created through the partnership of Amtrak, Brandywine Realty Trust, Drexel University, PennDOT, and SEPTA, and developed by SOM in association with WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, OLIN, and HR&A Advisors, will realize the long-awaited vision of a mixed-use urban district centered on a vibrant transportation hub. The plan, determined through a broad and inclusive public process, creates a sweeping transformation of the historic station and the 88-acre rail yard it anchors to build a new neighborhood above the district’s complex transportation infrastructure. 

Reinventing Vilonia; Vilonia, Arkansas UA Community Design Center

The town of Vilonia was leveled by an EF-4 tornado that killed 11 people in 2014.  The reinvention plan, unanimously adopted by the city council in 2015, is built upon a new strategy to employ underground safe rooms as a municipal planning format that can be transferred to other towns susceptible to tornados. To deal with these issues, the plan calls for the implementation of a “safescape” comprising a modulated system of shipping containers buried underground. By combining the network of safe rooms with a park system and new town loop, residents and visitors will be within a five-minute walk of safety during a tornado.

Regeneracion: A vision for the campus and district of the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico; Monterrey, Mexico Sasaki Associates

“Regeneración”, the new Framework Plan for Monterrey Tec’s flagship campus rethinks the institution’s relationship to its complex urban setting to make a new kind of contribution to the city, the country, and the very nature of higher education in Mexico. Inter-disciplinary learning, mixed-use R&D clusters and cultural facilities are carefully connected to the district by a strong public realm, reinforcing synergies with surrounding neighborhoods. The plan reflects a new pedagogical vision, and sets the stage for continued expansion of the Tec’s influence as an engine of innovation and development in Mexico.

Rock Chapel Marine; Chelsea, Massachusetts Landing Studio

A shared-use road-salt transshipment facility and recreation and habitat landscape, Rock Chapel Marine is a new model for the integration of active industrial uses with public access on the working waterfront. Through design, the project interweaves industrial operations with everyday life, making use of the seasonal nature of the salt industry to expand public recreation during the summertime and then return to industrial use in the winter. Structures from the site’s former use as an oil terminal are re-appropriated throughout, creating new forms of public engagement with the working waterfront.

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.

AIASD President SD Union Tribune Op-Ed: To tackle development issues, San Diego must become city of 'Great Villages'

To tackle development issues, San Diego must become city of 'Great Villages'

Valley Center Station in San Diego (HAYNE PALMOUR IV/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE)

PHILIP J. BONA

“Transit-Oriented Development” (TOD) needs a makeover. The term has become toxic and evokes fear in neighborhoods where well-meaning planners seek to implement the concept. But TOD’s holistic approach is in fact an elegant solution to the complex problem facing our region. Affordable housing, parking, traffic congestion and air quality are all interrelated. These issues must be tackled together if we hope to accommodate projected population growth and maintain our quality of life. But if transit-oriented development is dead on arrival, let’s reframe the conversation, starting with a new term and some updates to the basic idea. But first, here are some facts.

Housing: 90 percent of available land in San Diego is occupied; cheap suburban development in the city is gone — the other 10 percent includes unbuildable sites. Because of the limited inventory of homes for rent or for sale, the prices continue going up. This is aggravated by the high cost of entitlements and permits, which has been reported to be 40 percent of home construction cost.

Traffic and parking: Most of our houses are in low-density single-family neighborhoods with jobs spread out over diverse employment centers. Current bus service doesn’t penetrate into neighborhoods, failing to service the “last quarter mile” proximity to homes — the walkability distance found to be critical to the success of public transportation usage. This makes the city’s Climate Action Plan for increased public transit difficult to achieve; perpetuating traffic and air pollution for years to come. There are at last count eight parking spaces in San Diego for every car. Why? Because typically where we park during the day, working or shopping, are not the places we want to park on weekends and evenings.

However, using public transit, we can stop the car culture of congested freeways and asphalt parking lots.

The way forward: Remember the concept of the “City of Villages”? It was conceived to address growth and improve existing communities by combining housing, commercial, employment centers, schools and civic uses together in areas where a high level of activity already exists. It has struggled because there has never been sufficient money to pay for the needed public services. TOD calls for mixed-use development to be located around public transit stations with increased housing density — often a deal-breaker.

Combining the two concepts into a new and better nontoxic concept of “Great Villages” would be a step up in the evolutionary ladder of urban planning.

With a network of Great Villages connected by efficient public transportation — down to the last quarter mile — we can live and work in our own neighborhood and move about the county without our own private vehicle. Those of us who still need a car to do our jobs would face fewer cars on the roads. College students could ride a trolley to any of the university campuses. We could get to a doctor appointment or a hospital without having to time it around rush hour traffic. There could be parks and schools a few blocks from home. Best of all, a coffee shop a block from my house!

This basic idea has been around for years but rarely succeeded in San Diego. It appears the public has a series of concerns that are misinformed. First of all, Great Villages will not diminish property values in the surrounding area. In fact, the opposite is true: Historically the value of the surrounding neighborhoods has increased because of the improved services. The second fallacy is that it will attract the wrong people, whoever “they” are. Again, the reverse is true. If planned correctly, Great Villages create a balanced community for all ethnic and economic classes, particularly the young and elderly. Increasing traffic is the third myth. Traffic is in fact reduced by this strategy of well-planned and well-engineered communities.

San Diego is going to continue to grow. Most of that growth will come from births, not immigration. This isn’t about keeping some people out of San Diego; and we aren’t going to keep our wives and daughters out of the hospital maternity wards. To accommodate inevitable growth, San Diegans need to stop being NIMBYs and become YIMBYs. Our communities need to demand that our city grow wisely along accessible public transportation that connects our new Great Villages into a brilliant necklace.

Bona  is 2017 president of the San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects and a practicing architect with BNIM.

A'17: AIA Conference on Architecture 2017, April 27-29, Orlando

Plan your year around A'17! A'17 is the architecture and design event of the year. It's about designing a better world. It's about tapping into the architects and design professionals who are shaping our industry. And it's about moving our communities, our profession, and ourselves forward.

Join us this April for three days of fast-paced, hard-hitting ideas, inspiration, education, networking, and innovation from industry-leading architects, firms, and building product manufacturers.

AIA members save $300 with early bird rates.

Claim what's yours

Early bird member rates through Feb. 15

FREE registration for new AIA members

Young professionals save an additional 30%

Students get in for $25

Stay connected Share. What are you looking forward to at #AIACon17

AIASD Member News: Jonathan Segal, FAIA featured in San Diego Magazine's "17 Big Ideas for 2017"

17 Big Ideas for 2017: From blue technology to workforce housing to social innovation, San Diego surpasses major hubs around the country

By Erin Meanley Glenny with Kimberly Cunningham and Ann Wycoff | Photography by Jay Reilly

Let’s make it possible to live in Little Italy for $1,500 per month.

Jonathan Segal, FAIA, Architect and Developer

Architect Jonathan Segal, the brains behind the North Parker and Hillcrest’s Mr. Robinson building, wants more “efficiency unit lofts,” a sexier term for workforce housing (not to be confused with affordable housing). The building at Columbia and Cedar—which he hopes to get approval on early this year and move-in ready within six months—would have 35 600-square-foot units, each with built-in cabinetry and a fold-out bed—no furniture required—and a 6 by 10' deck.

The catch? Zero parking. He wants the bartenders and store clerks who work in Little Italy to be able to live in the same community and walk to their jobs, rather than commute in. To legally forgo parking, he’ll provide four affordable housing units ($600 per month rent). “Nine parking spaces are required for a project like this and we’re saying we want none. Zero.”

His agenda isn’t to demand people get rid of their cars. “My intention is to provide housing that hopefully, by design, will attract people that don’t have a car or that work in the area.” Not owning a car brings expenses down for both developer and tenant, in addition to being better for the environment and easing traffic. Currently, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Little Italy is $2,000, while 46 percent of millennials don’t even have a driver’s license.

Segal thinks workforce housing is the way of the future. Good candidates for this type of development are North Park, Barrio Logan, around Morena Boulevard, our university areas, and anywhere near mass transit.

“I am trying to change the planning code to allow developers to build workforce housing anywhere the zoning allows medium to high density,” he says. “I want to build workforce housing by right, with no community involvement.” But he’s facing “tremendous pushback” from the NIMBYs. “The residents don’t understand. It’s a sophisticated thing to make a city right, and leaving it up to the community doesn’t accomplish anything other than delaying a project. It’s extortion and a waste of time.”

To that end, he is educating people through his lecture series, Masters of a Generation, which raises awareness of good design in San Diego. Top architects in the nation participate; this month’s dates are January 13 and 20.

View the complete list and read the original article here

AIA National: Architecture Billings Index ekes out another small gain

Architecture Billings Index ekes out another small gain New design contracts also return to positive levels, signifying future growth in construction activity  

Contact: Matt Tinder 202-626-7462 mtinder@aia.org

Washington, DC – December 21, 2016 – Coming off a modest increase after two consecutive months of contraction, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) recorded another small increase in demand for design services.  As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the November ABI score was 50.6, essentially unchanged from the mark of 50.8 in the previous month. This score reflects a slight increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).  The new projects inquiry index was 59.5, up from a reading of 55.4 the previous month.

“Without many details of the policies proposed, it’s still too early to tell the likely impact of the programs of the new administration,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “However, architects will be among the first to see what new construction projects materialize and what current ones get delayed or cancelled, so the coming months should tell us a lot about the future direction of the construction market.”

Key November ABI highlights:

• Regional averages: South (51.3), Midwest (50.9), Northeast (50.8), West (48.6)
• Sector index breakdown:  multi-family residential (51.7), mixed practice (51.3), commercial / industrial (50.4), institutional (49.5)
• Project inquiries index: 59.5
• Design contracts index: 50.2

The regional and sector categories are calculated as a 3-month moving average, whereas the national index, design contracts and inquiries are monthly numbers.

About the AIA Architecture Billings Index The Architecture Billings Index (ABI), produced by the AIA Economics & Market Research Group, is a leading economic indicator that provides an approximately nine to twelve month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction spending activity. The diffusion indexes contained in the full report are derived from a monthly “Work-on-the-Boards” survey that is sent to a panel of AIA member-owned firms. Participants are asked whether their billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended as compared to the prior month, and the results are then compiled into the ABI.  These monthly results are also seasonally adjusted to allow for comparison to prior months. The monthly ABI index scores are centered around 50, with scores above 50 indicating an aggregate increase in billings, and scores below 50 indicating a decline. The regional and sector data are formulated using a three-month moving average. More information on the ABI and the analysis of its relationship to construction activity can be found in the recently released White Paper, Designing the Construction Future: Reviewing the Performance and Extending the Applications of the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index on the AIA web site.

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.

AIASD In The News: "Housing You Matters" aims to mediate growth debate

"Housing You Matters" aims to mediate growth debate By Roger Showley (View original article here)

A new coalition of builders, employers, environmentalists and community planners has launched a campaign to solve San Diego’s affordable-housing problem once and for all.

Called “Housing You Matters,” the organization has raised tens of thousands of dollars to hire a staff and map out an ambitious agenda for 2017.

“I would say it’s the year of reckoning,” said Borre Winckel, president and CEO of the Building Industry Association of San Diego County. “We can’t go on like this anymore.”

The most recent evidence demonstrates the crisis that some observers believe San Diego is experiencing.

The median price of a home in October topped the $500,000-plus mark for the first since the housing crash began in 2006.

But in spite of low apartment vacancy rates and inventories among for-sale homes, production is half what it was a decade ago.

Housing You Matters, unlike previous task forces, ad hoc committees and endeavors, currently counts 51 members from 39 organizations drawn from a variety of interests, ranging from grassroots organizations to big corporations like Qualcomm.  It is run by an eight-member executive committee, chaired by Lori Holt Pfeiler, former Escondido mayor  and currently head of the local Habitat for Humanity housing group.

Mary Lydon, the former executive director of the local Urban Land Institute chapter, has been hired as the group’s consultant with the job to coordinate research projects, public events and outreach efforts. She said the group grew out of a report by economist Lynn Reaser at Point Loma Nazarene University  that estimated that 40 percent of new housing costs was due to regulation and fees. Only a slight reduction in housing regulations could increase  the current annual housing input by about two-thirds, the study said.

“We can all agree that housing affordability will impact each of our organizations that represent thousands of residents and businesses in our region,” Lydon said.

But she said the group will focus on policy, not on individual project battles.

Such was the case last month with two land-use decisions in which the organization played differing roles.

Pfeiler, in her capacity at Habitat for Humanity, pleaded on Nov. 15 with the Poway City Council to approve a 22-unit for-sale affordable housing project aimed at veterans. The council voted 3-2 to deny approval on a variety of grounds.

By contrast the day before, the San Diego City Council voted to approve a new Uptown Community Plan, after Housing You Matters as well other advocates argued for retaining the current zoning rather than reducing the total by 1,900 homes.

A third project — a $40 million, 41-unit apartment, grocery and park-and-ride lot — is scheduled to be voted on a second time by the San Diego Association of Governments next week. It represents a compromise from earlier plans by SANDAG and a previous developer for the 3.6-acre site at  Clairemont Drive and Morena Boulevard.

James LaMattery, an area real estate agent who formed a group called “Raise the Balloon” to fight the previous 60-foot-high proposal, said the new plan represents the best form of compromise.

“What we found was if the community is listened to, things do change,” LaMattery said. “You can mitigate how you do provide housing.”

Housing You Matters leaders hope to add military, church groups and organized labor to the coalition.

Murtaza Baxamusa, director of planning and development for the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council Family Housing Corp., said the coalition’s focus would be better narrowed to dealing with the most vulnerable — the homeless and people trying to get their first apartment or buy their first home.

“People are already well aware of the housing crisis and they don’t need to be convinced there is a crisis of affordability in housing,” Baxamusa said. “The question is what do we do about it.”

Lydon said the immediate plans for the coalition are to launch a countywide educational campaign and research effort to convince the public and elected officials that action is needed to build more housing. Members speak of publishing a scorecard that highlights what projects cities and county are or are not approving in line with their general land-use plans.

“Instead of us against them, it is all of us and we need to have a conversation,” Lydon said. “We can build housing, give developers certainty and be more sensitive to neighborhoods they’re building in.”

Among the initiatives planned next year:

• Design workshops organized by the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects to sketch what San Diego neighborhoods with more housing might look like in 2050.
• A day-long session on innovative housing concepts presented by the San Diego Architectural Foundation.
• Best practices in housing regulation, production and finance as compiled by the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center and presented by the local ULI chapter.
• A workshop by the coalition to analyze the impediments to housing production regionally and how to overcome them.

Nicole Capretz, executive director of the Climate Action Campaign and a member of the steering committee, said she joined the coalition because it dovetails with other issues — climate change, transportation bottlenecks, homelessness and housing shortage.

“I feel, literally, all these issues are so critically important to the future of our city and the quality of life,”  Capretz said, “and we’ve seen, for once, agreement among all these diverse stakeholders.”

But LaMattery, the activist in Clairemont who successfully battled against a large housing project at the midcoast trolley stop, echoed grassroots concerns that San Diego can’t grow forever.

As long as everyone in the whole country wants to move here, “there’s never going to be enough housing in Southern California,” he said.

roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley

AIA|SD Board President Message

 

The American Institute of Architects, San Diego Chapter

November 16, 2016

Dear AIA San Diego Member:

Considering the recent communique from AIA Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Ivy, to President-Elect Trump, the Board of Directors of AIA San Diego feels that it has a responsibility to you, our membership and our community, to comment.

In simple terms, the AIA|SD board believes Mr. Ivy’s message insufficiently acknowledged or addressed core values and key issues for our profession. We wish to reinforce our position on some that we feel are particularly critical as we face the transition to a new administration:

• We are committed to a country in which every person is respected. AIA must reaffirm that equity, diversity and inclusion are central to our professional mission;
• We are committed to protecting our climate. We do not support policies that ignore science or undermine our ethical duty to make buildings that improve public health and safety while reducing climate change;
• While we support investments in infrastructure, they must be subsidiary to the larger goal of building a just, fair, and transparent society. Our priorities must focus not on short term political objectives, but on strategies that create long-term value for our country. In addition to repairing our roads, bridges, sewers, and water systems, we must strengthen our education system and employ emerging technologies that reduce our reliance on increasingly unsustainable urban forms.

As a voice for our profession and a resource for our members in service to society, AIA|SD remains committed to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. At this moment in time, we believe it is important to emphasize tolerance and kindness in our core values. It is clear that parts of our country are hurting in ways that many, including ourselves, may not have realized.

We’d like to close with what we feel is the most meaningful part of Mr. Ivy’s message.

“It is now time for all of us to work together to advance policies that help our country move forward.”

We ask for your support in pursuing this goal.

Respectfully,

Dan Stewart, AIA 2016 President

Philip Bona, AIA 2017 President

How to effectively communicate with your clients

The AIA Message Book is your guide for crafting clear, positive, and memorable messages While there is great respect for architects, there’s little understanding of what we do, or how our work affects others.

It’s our job to help others understand what we do, and more importantly, why it’s important to them. We know well that when we collaborate closely with clients, we can design and build better homes, communities and public spaces that benefit us all.

Supported by a tremendous amount of research and developed with AIA members, this guide helps bridge the gap between architects and the public.

The AIA Message Book assists you in explaining the work of architects. It uses message points, statistics, and anecdotes grouped in topic areas that you can customize or share as examples with potential clients.

Learn more about the guide book, and download it for free here.

AIA National: Architects Issue Statement on 2016 Election Results

Architects Issue Statement on 2016 Election Results

Contact: John Schneidawind (202)626-7457 johnschneidawind@aia.org

For immediate release: Washington, D.C. - November 9, 2016 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today issued the following statement on the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, as well as the incoming 115^th Congress. Please attribute to AIA Chief Executive Officer Robert Ivy, FAIA.

“The AIA and its 89,000 members are committed to working with President-elect Trump to address the issues our country faces, particularly strengthening the nation’s aging infrastructure. During the campaign, President-elect Trump called for committing at least $500 billion to infrastructure spending over five years. We stand ready to work with him and with the incoming 115^th Congress to ensure that investments in schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure continue to be a major priority.”

“We also congratulate members of the new115^th Congress on their election. We urge both the incoming Trump Administration and the new Congress to work toward enhancing the design and construction sector’s role as a major catalyst for job creation throughout the American economy.”

“This has been a hard-fought, contentious election process. It is now time for all of us to work together to advance policies that help our country move forward.”

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.

San Diego Union Tribune: 2016 Design Awards Coverage

Qualcomm, Photo museum, Segal win design awards

Qualcomm's Pacific Center Campus by BNIM won an honor award for redeveloping a parking lot into a sustainably designed research and development building and a park. (Farshid Assassi)

Roger ShowleyContact Reporter

October 27, 2016

The annual design awards from the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects produced three honor recipients Thursday, fewer than the usual number granted during the past 56 years.

But the non-local jury heaped praise on them all as models for other architects and developers to follow.

Steve Shinn, chairman of the awards committee, said the winning projects generally reflect a design approach that tells passersby what a project was made of  — wood, concrete, metal — instead of trying to hide the “bones” behind fake walls or using manmade rather than natural materials.

“What I saw from the jury in terms of projects selected was a focus on clean, contemporary architecture with a strong focus on the use of authentic materials and an expression of materials and a focus on craft and detail,” said Shinn, an architect at the architectural firm Gensler, which won two awards.

He said while the jury judged from afar using photographs and floor plans, it also looked at how architects approach energy and water sustainability and incorporate features that promote health and wellness.

Qualcomm Stadium, originally known as San Diego Stadium, included an open vista to the east before it was filled in with extra seats in the 1990s. It received a Legacy Award for helping place San Diego on the national map. (David Marshall collection)

The institute’s executive board also granted a legacy award to Qualcomm Stadium in a continuing campaign to speak out against razing the 49-year-old facility if either of the two stadium-convention center ballot measures passes on Nov. 8.

“The AIA San Diego board felt it was important to acknowledge a San Diego landmark that is at risk of demolition,” the board said. “The stadium design has received local and national recognition, and it has been instrumental in placing San Diego on the national map. It is important to recognize buildings that have contributed to the legacy of our city.”

Shinn noted that institute members have expressed a preference for keeping the proposed East Village stadium site available for commercial and residential uses and renovating and adapting Qualcomm to the modern needs of NFL game venues.

“It is a gem within a desolate field of asphalt,” he added, “and if there is a way to change that, I think it could become a much more urban, engaging, mixed-use environment around it.”

The Chargers and other proponents of the ballot measures said East Village development would be hastened by a new stadium-convention facility and that Qualcomm Stadium cannot be easily renovated to meet current NFL standards.

Winners of the Honor Awards were:

• Qualcomm’s redeveloped Pacific Center Campus in Sorrento Mesa, designed by BNIM.
• The Museum of  Photographic Arts’ redesigned lobby area in Balboa Park, envisioned by Gensler.
• Mr. Robinson, a 36-unit apartment building in Hillcrest, by architect-developer Jonathan Segal.

The jury, chaired by architect Andy Rockmore of Denver-based Shears Adkins Rockmore, also selected five merit awards.Ten other awards went to individuals, projects and firms.

More than 200 people attended the awards ceremony at the Scripps Research Institute auditorium on Torrey Pines Mesa.

Besides Rockmore, the other jurors, all from the Denver area, were Andrew Nielsen of Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Sarah Semple Brown of Semple Brown Architects and Designers, Tom Hootman of MKK Consulting Engineers and Erick Sommerfeld  from the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning.

Here are some of the comments the jurors made about the Honor Award winners:

The Mr. Robinson apartment building at Park Boulevard and Robinson Street in Hillcrest by architect-developer Jonathan Segal was called "provocative," "simple and bold" in its award citation for architecture. (Matthew Segal)

Mr. Robinson: “The elegant concrete and glass forms create a provocative and exciting sense of community anchored to the urban fabric. This building successfully leverages the many benefits of the San Diego climate with a simple and bold execution.”

The research and development building was lauded for its passive energy features and "well-crafted detailing." (Farshid Assassi)

Pacific Center Campus’s research and development building: “This project displays beautiful integration of passive strategies, such as shading, daylight, natural ventilation and thermal mass, with well-crafted details throughout.”

The remodeled lobby area of the Museum of Photographic Arts by Gensler architects is "an exercise in sublime simplicity," said the AIA San Diego jurors. (Ryan Gobuty)

Museum of Photographic Arts: “This project is an exercise in sublime simplicity. Contrasting the richly complex historic exterior (a reconstruction of the original 1915 exposition building) is a stark white modern interior, superbly detailed and beautiful yet minimal enough for the exhibits to take center stage.”

The other award categories and winners were:

• Merit awards went to Bee Squared Apiaries in Colorado by Rinehart Herbst; Central Plant Club (a fitness facility) by DES Architects + Engineers in Rancho Bernardo; Los Angeles Valley Monarch Student Center by LPA;  and  The Press in Costa Mesa by LPA; and LPA’s architectural firm office by LPA.

The restored Mission Beach boardwalk earned a Divine Detail award for IS Architecture for "painstaking research and excavation."

• Divine Details: Mission Beach Boardwalk reconstruction by IS Architecture; and the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park by Gensler architects.

The The Design39Campus in Del Sur by Nowicki Design Studio offers floodlit spaces and movable furniture. (Zack Benson)

• Energy Efficiency Integration Awards: Petco National Service Center by Smith Consulting Architects, and the Poway Unified School District’s Design39Campus in Del Sur by Nowicki Design Studio.

The Salomon apartment building, developed in 1959 by Irving Salomon and designed by Henry Hester, received Legacy Award as a "hidden gem" with "great bones." (Darren Bradley Photography)

• Legacy awards (over 25 years old): Salomon Apartments at 3200 Sixth Ave. in Hillcrest by architect Henry Hester and Qualcomm Stadium by Frank Hope Jr. and Gary Allen.
• President’s awards: San Diego Unified Port District integrated planning effort by HKS and architect Christian Rice for his sole-practitioner work and service on Coronado’s Design Review Commission.

Matthew Geaman, winner of the "YAYA" (young architect of the year award)

• Young Architect of the Year Award: Matthew Geaman.
• Patron of the Year (for developer’s hiring of AIA architects): Alexandria Real Estate Equities.

Earlier this month, Pacific Center and Mr. Robinson received Orchids recognition at the Orchids & Onions event, which was sponsored by the separately run San Diego Architectural Foundation. Unlike the Orchids & Onions program, which awards Onions for what judges see as bad design, the institute only praises what it deems to be outstanding work.

roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley

Copyright © 2016, The San Diego Union-Tribune

AIA National: Further Contraction in Architecture Billings Index

Further Contraction in Architecture Billings Index Rare two-month downturn could reflect uncertainty in economic outlook

Contact: Scott Frank 202-626-7467 sfrank@aia.org

Washington, DC – October 19, 2016 – For the first time since the summer of 2012, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) posted consecutive months of a decline in demand for design services.  As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the September ABI score was 48.4, down from the mark of 49.7 in the previous month. This score reflects a decrease in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).  The new projects inquiry index was 59.4, down from a reading of 61.8 the previous month.

“This recent backslide should act as a warning signal,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD.  “But this drop-off in demand could be continued hesitancy in the marketplace to move forward on projects until the presidential election is decided. The fact that new work coming into architecture continues to slowly increase suggests that billings will resume their growth in the coming months”

Key September ABI highlights:

• Regional averages: South (53.4), Midwest (50.1), West (49.5), Northeast (44.0)
• Sector index breakdown:  commercial / industrial (50.4), mixed practice (49.8), institutional (49.0), multi-family residential (48.8)
• Project inquiries index: 59.4
• Design contracts index: 51.4

The regional and sector categories are calculated as a 3-month moving average, whereas the national index, design contracts and inquiries are monthly numbers. About the AIA Architecture Billings Index The Architecture Billings Index (ABI), produced by the AIA Economics & Market Research Group, is a leading economic indicator that provides an approximately nine to twelve month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction spending activity. The diffusion indexes contained in the full report are derived from a monthly “Work-on-the-Boards” survey that is sent to a panel of AIA member-owned firms. Participants are asked whether their billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended as compared to the prior month, and the results are then compiled into the ABI.  These monthly results are also seasonally adjusted to allow for comparison to prior months. The monthly ABI index scores are centered around 50, with scores above 50 indicating an aggregate increase in billings, and scores below 50 indicating a decline. The regional and sector data are formulated using a three-month moving average. More information on the ABI and the analysis of its relationship to construction activity can be found in the recently released White Paper, Designing the Construction Future: Reviewing the Performance and Extending the Applications of the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index on the AIA web site.

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.

AIA National: AIA Innovation Award Recipients Selected

AIA Innovation Award Recipients Selected Program honors projects that highlight collaboration between design and construction teams to create better process efficiencies and overall costs savings

Contact:  Matt Tinder 202-626-7462 mtinder@aia.org http://twitter.com/AIA_Media

For immediate release: Washington, D.C. – October 17, 2016 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) TAP/CCA Innovation Award honors new practices and technologies that will further enable project delivery and enhance data-centric methodologies in the management of buildings for their entire lifecycle, from design, to construction and through operations.  The AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Knowledge Community, in collaboration with the Construction Contract Administration (CCA) Knowledge Community has selected the recipients for the 2016 TAP/CCA Innovation Awards.

Categories for the TAP/CCA Innovation Awards include: Stellar Design, Project Delivery & Construction Administration Excellence, Project Lifecycle Performance (none selected this year), Academic Program/Curriculum Development and Exemplary use in a Small Firm.  The descriptions below give a brief summary of the projects being recognized. You can learn more about these projects by clicking on the name of the project/firm name. If you are interested in obtaining high resolution images, please contact Matt Tinder at mtinder@aia.org.

Category A | Stellar Design

Award Citation Astana Expo City 2017; Astana, Kazakhstan Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

Currently under construction, Astana Expo City 2017 will embrace the exposition’s theme, “Future Energy,” with the aim of reducing the overall energy demand of the site by using both passive and active strategies. All opportunities for power generation were investigated and several were incorporated into the building-design guidelines, including high-performance glazing; energy piles that will reduce energy demand and provide temperature modulation during winter; energy storage capacity that can meet two days of emergency demand; 100% of rainfall from a 100-year storm event managed on site; and 90% of waste generated on site will be diverted from a landfill.

Honorable Mention Epic Deep Space Auditorium; Verona, Wisconsin Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc.

Situated on an 811-acre site, Deep Space is Epic Systems Corporation’s largest auditorium, seating up to 11,400 guests and was completed in less than 24 months. To create the rolling roof forms and building façade, a combination of hand sculpted and laser-cut models were developed concurrently in programs suited for generation of complex shapes. The final physical model was a large scale clay model that was 3D-scanned in order to produce a digital point cloud which was integrated with BIM software and became the engine that drove the other technical delivery tools of the project. The auditoriums 8-acre green roof provides visual and physical connections to the surrounding Wisconsin landscape.

Category B | Project Delivery & Construction Administration Excellence

Award Citation Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Center for Advanced Care; Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Mortenson Construction & CannonDesign

Utilizing the latest Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) building tools and technology, the design team developed and pioneered new ways to add value and communicate with each other. By implementing a one-model approach, the team was able coordinate in advance of construction, which reduced duplication of modeling efforts, and greatly accelerated the development of fabrication models.  Compared to a previous project with the same construction management/architect team, the one-model approach resulted in a 50% reduction in Request for Information (RFI) and an 18% reduction in Architect Supplemental Instruction (ASI), as well as the addition of five floors per the owner’s request with no change to the original completion date of the project.

Category D | Practice-based or Academic Research, Curriculum or Applied Technology Development

Honorable Mention Glazing and Winter Comfort Tool; Boston Payette

The Glazing and Winter Comfort Tool is based on existing scientific research that aims to improve the design community’s understand of the triggers of thermal discomfort in the wintertime. It was developed to be simple and intuitive so that architects and engineers can design glazed facades that provide the desired levels of transparency, comfort and energy performance at an ideal cost. The development of the tool involved contributions from building scientists, designers and web developers. Previously, the only way to understand which façade properties negatively or positively impact occupant comfort involved a costly and time-intensive Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation. The Glazing and Winter Thermal Comfort Tool was conceived to facilitate this decision-making process quickly and inexpensively early in the design.

Category E | Exemplary use in a Small Firm

Award Citation Youth & Opportunity United; Evanston, IL Studio Talo Architecture

Youth & Opportunity United (Y.O.U.), a 45-year-old non-profit, youth development agency requested renderings of their new headquarters for a community outreach and fund-raising campaign. The architects understood that the youth, not the building, needed to be the campaign's focus, so they created multiple 360-degree virtual reality video renderings of spaces in the building, populated with video avatars of young people served by the organization acting as tour guides, explaining how Y.O.U. and the new building would impact their lives. Through the dynamic video rendering, community members and donors experienced Y.O.U's mission, rather than just their plans.

The public can now vote on their favorite AIA TAP/CCA Innovation Award project.  Voting will be open from October 17^th to November 18^th.  Voting can be done here: bit.ly/TAPyourchoice

The jury for the AIA TAP Innovation Awards include: Ken Sanders, FAIA (Chair), Gensler; Heather Burpee, University of Washington; Ian O’Cain, AIA, Eskew+Dumez+Ripple Architects; Greg Gidez, AIA, Hensel Phelps Construction and Pierce Reynoldson, Skanska.

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world.

AIASD Volunteer Opportunities

If you did not attend our Annual Members Meeting, or didn’t get a chance to review the volunteer opportunities available, please see below the goals we have for the upcoming year. You can contact the incoming 2017 AIASD President, Phil Bona, AIA pbona@bnim.com with your interest in helping with the following volunteer activities, or Buu Huynh at bhuynh@aiasandiego.org.

We are very excited to elevate AIA San Diego as a more active and visible contributor to the architecture & design community, but we need your expertise!

Volunteer Opportunities

• Beaux Art Costume Halloween Ball
  • General Public event to celebrate 2017 Design Award recipients and architecture
• Mentoring Committee
  • Help plan events like “An Evening with Hal Sadler, FAIA” or “An Evening with Rob Quigley, FAIA”
  • Coordinate mentorship opportunities between members, students, young professionals
• Small Firm Forum
  • addressing needs and marketing of San Diego’s small firm architects
• Housing the Next 1 Million in San Diego County Charrette
• AIA Palomar Joint Activities
• Woodbury & NewSchool Teaching Firms for IPAL Program
• Housing Affordability Industry Debate
• Your Additional Suggestions/Ideas?

AIA National: Architects to Participate in United Nations Habitat III Conference

Architects to Participate in United Nations Habitat III Conference  AIA delegation will discuss design solutions aimed at making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Contact: Scott Frank sfrank@aia.org 202-626-7467

For immediate release: Washington, D.C. – October 10, 2016 – The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development (Habitat III) is taking place in Quito, Ecuador on October 17^th – 21^st.  The goal of the conference is the adoption of a New Urban Agenda that intends to set global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is sending a delegation of topical experts led by AIA President, Russell Davidson, FAIA, who will be moderating the panel, Building Better Environments: Resilience, Health & Design.

“This is an ideal opportunity to share how design practices are responding to the multitude of environmental and ecological shocks and stresses to foster thriving urban spaces,” said Davidson.  “Architects and planners will be discussing their first-hand experiences in addressing global challenges ranging from rising sea levels to skyrocketing housing costs, with an eye on the future and other emerging urbanization issues and how we can orchestrate solutions to transform our communities.”

The delegation also includes:

• Thomas V. Vonier, FAIA, 2016 AIA First Vice President/2017 President
• Jamie Blosser, AIA, executive director of the Santa Fe Art Institute
• Mary Kell, AIA, acting chief resilience officer for the City of Tulsa
• Catherine Baker, AIA, principal at Landon Bone Baker Architects

There will be an exhibit on display of a carefully curated collection of projects selected from various AIA award programs.  These projects were chosen to be showcased because they are scalable and can be replicated in environments around the world.

The featured projects include:

Dorchester Art + Housing Collaborative The project emphasizes collaboration both in development with participation of public, private and non-profit sectors, but also the way in which it engages with art by setting aside residences for artists—a first for public housing—selected with assistance from the community.

Fayetteville 2030: Food City Scenario This initiative demonstrates that green and urban spaces can coexist.  By bringing productive agriculture into urban contexts, the project is able to address food security and health while not having to sacrifice development.

Building Hope Community + Water Initiative A new center with a program that builds community and provides needed resources stands to potentially curb neighborhood conflict and begin the community healing process.  The center stands as not only a replicable model, but also as an immediate community element to bring neighbors back together physically in daily interactions and emotionally in the new resources being provided.

H-E-B at Mueller This grocery store, a building type known for high energy consumption, reduced usage by 64% for the purpose of passing along savings to the consumer. The building does this while also improving natural lighting and dedicating spaces to community use.

West Branch of the Berkeley Library The project exemplifies how civic projects can use integrated and collaborative design processes even with the limited budget of the public bid project.  The library is a success for the use of integrated, collaborative design process and innovative ventilation and daylighting strategies, all while serving its public mission.

Flycycle High Density Bike Rack Despite its small scale, the project is able to facilitate greater bike use through making bike parking easier to use and allowing greater density. The design is attractive, easily produced, and flexible.

AIA leadership and topical experts are available for media inquiries prior to and immediately following their return from the conference.  High-resolution images of the projects selected for the exhibit are available upon request.

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.

San Diego Union Tribune: Archtoberfest offers lectures, tours on architecture

Archtoberfest offers lectures, tours on architecture

Archtoberfest, San Diego’s month-long architecture and design festival, kicked off last week with more than 65 tours, exhibitions, lectures and street fairs in this third annual edition.

“It’s not just about architecture,” said Bastiaan Bouma, executive director of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects that coordinates the event.

“It’s about how architecture works to elevate the community, to enrich the community. It’s not just a bunch of specimen buildings you look at. It’s how buildings work in the community.”

The program has added community organizations in Barrio Logan, North Park,  Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach as partners, brought in eight higher-education institutions with design curricula  and helped  organize a retrospective at various venues on San Diego’s early 20th century modernist architect, Irving J. Gill.

“We’re not just looking for architecture,” Bouma said, “we’re looking for a bigger sense of  how design, planning, sustainability and community development work together to create a more successful community.”

A full calendar is available at archtoberfest.com. Here are some highlights:

San Diego Design Film Festival: “Design Disrupters” on corporate approaches to design, Thursday, Oct. 6, and “Design Maverick” on William F. Cody’s modernist work in Palm Springs, Oct. 20,  sddesignff.tix.com.

Awards: Orchids & Onions awards program, Oct. 13, at the Spreckels Theatre,orchidsandonions.org; AIA Design Awards, Oct. 27, at the Scripps Research Institute auditorium, aiasandiego.org.

Tours:  Barrio Logan Community Committee art crawl, Saturday, Oct. 8, mwsteele.com; San Diego Modern Architecture + Design Society modern home tour, Oct. 15, mads.media; Signature Flight support facility tour, Oct. 18, sdasandiego.org; Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego tour of Tijuana architecture and design scene, Oct. 21, mcasd.org; American Society of Interior Designers interior excursion, Oct. 22,asidsandiego.org; Design Institute of San Diego campus tour, Oct. 22, disd.edu.

Lectures: Woodbury School of Architecture, Petra Blaise on Oct. 10, Karen Lewis on Oct. 21 and Mason White on  Oct. 28, architecture.woodbury.edu;  “Masters of a Generation,”  Tom Kundig, Oct. 14, adjoinsd.org;  Friends of San Diego Architecture, Rob Quigley, Oct. 15, friendsofsdarch.com; NewSchool of Architecture and Design, Billie Tsien on Oct. 19,  newschoolarch.edu.

Exhibition, talks, tours on Irving J. Gill:  “Illustrating New Architecture,”  La Jolla Historical Society, lajollahistory.org; “New Architecture for a Great Country,” San Diego History Center, sandiegohistory.org; “A Comfortable Fit,” Oceanside Museum of Art,oma-online.org; “Coronado Refined,” Coronado Historical Association,coronadohistory.org;  “Progress and Poetry in Architecture,” Save Our Heritage Organisation, sohosandiego.org; “Stones in the Meadow,” Barona Cultural Center and Museum, baronamuseum.com; “Simplicity and Reform,” UC Santa Barbara,museum.ucsb.edu; “The Iannellisin California,” La Jolla Athenaeum,   ljathenaeum.org;  “The Chicago School” symposium, La Jolla Woman’s Club, Oct. 20, eventbrite.com. “Romance and Honesty,” Bishop’s School, bishops.com. Tours  and lectures also are planned at various sites, irvingjgill.org.

roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley

Copyright © 2016, The San Diego Union-Tribune

• Art
• Arts and Culture
• Coronado

AIA National: Mixed Results in Design Projects Meeting Carbon Reduction Targets

Mixed Results in Design Projects Meeting Carbon Reduction Targets More buildings are meeting certain goals, but energy intensity reduction results have flat lined

Washington, DC – October 5, 2016 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has produced a report assessing the work of firms that are part of the AIA 2030 Commitment, a voluntary initiative to commit their practice to advancing the AIA’s goal of carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030 that began reporting performance data in 2010.

“We have made some progress in the overall program, with a noteworthy jump in the amount of buildings included in the report,” said Greg Mella, FAIA, Director of Sustainable Design at SmithGroupJJR and co-chair of the AIA 2030 Working Group. “But we are simply not making significant strides in crucial metrics that predict building performance. These findings should serve as a wake-up call to architects that there needs to be greater urgency to drive improved energy efficiency across their project portfolios if we are going to reach our ultimate carbon reduction goals.”

Highlights from the AIA 2030 Commitment: 2015 Progress Report include:

• 152 firms submitted reports – a 9% increase from 2014
• 2.6 billion gross square feet (GSF) represented in this data – a 8% increase
• 5,982 whole building projects have been accounted for in this report – a 37% increase
• 4,461 interiors only projects reported – a 16% increase
• 614 design projects are meeting the 60% energy reduction target – a 42% increase
• 38% average Predicted Energy Use Intensity reduction reported by firms – an increase of 1%
• 10% of total GSF meeting the previous 60% carbon reduction target – a decrease of 4%
• 4% of total GSF meeting the new 70% carbon reduction target
• 59% of total GSF using energy modeling to predict operational energy consumption – a 9% increase

In aggregate, the energy saved from the projects accounted for in this report is approximately 21 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of running six coal-fired power plants or powering 2.2 million homes for a year (source: EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator).

“Seeing more firms including energy modeling into their workflow is one of the encouraging takeaways from this report,” said Andrea Love, AIA, Director of Building Science at Payette and co-chair of the AIA 2030 Working Group. “Architects are uniquely positioned to lead the energy modeling process and incorporate into their overall business strategy with their clients. This is exactly the sort of broad, cultural shift that is required to make serious inroads towards carbon reduction in buildings.”

2015 was the first year that firms used the new 2030 Design Data Exchange interactive tool that enables design teams to benchmark and target energy performance through a range of analytical aids to drive improved energy efficiency. Users of this tool are reporting that the ability to see immediate results on how their projects are performing has facilitated benchmarking and started conversations about efficiency options earlier in the design process. This has afforded them more ability to understand how the buildings will perform against baseline energy use.

For additional resources for architecture firms to develop greater high-performance building practices, click here.

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.

AIA National: Top three special function rooms homeowners prefer

Top three special function rooms homeowners prefer Business conditions weaken but remain positive at residential firms

Contact:  Matt Tinder 202-626-7462 mtinder@aia.org

For immediate release: Washington, D.C. – September 27, 2016 – Outdoor living space, mud rooms, and home offices top the list of special function rooms in the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey covering activity during the second quarter of 2016 that focused on emerging home features, systems and technologies.

“Heavy investment in outdoor living spaces, mud rooms, and home offices indicate that consumers are placing a premium on practicality and functionality,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA.  “Things have changed a lot from a decade ago when home theaters and exercise rooms were some of the most popular special function rooms in homes.”

All of the data from this survey can be access in this infographic.

Special function Rooms	2016	2015
Outdoor living rooms	58	62
Mud rooms	43	45
Home offices	37	34
Dedicated guest rooms (Au pair / in-law suites)	31	33
Home auto management / mechanical room	24	19
Sun room/ 3-season porch	10	N/A

(% reporting popularity of room “increasing” minus % reporting “decreasing”; Q2)

“Although accessibility features remain an important issue to homeowners, demand for some of these features has leveled off in the custom residential arena,” Baker said.  “As more homes become equipped to handle an aging population of homeowners, less custom work needs to be done to address specific accessibility issues.”

Accessibility	2016	2015
First floor master bedroom	54	51
Ramps/Elevators	42	45
On-grade entry	36	37
East-to-use features (e.g. handles)	26	32
Multiple laundry rooms	25	21

(% reporting popularity of room “increasing” minus % reporting “decreasing”; Q2)

Utility Efficient Features/Products	2016	2015
Energy management	63	62
Smart thermostats	59	59
Energy Efficient	47	50
Super insulation	44	56
Solar Panels	42	41
Water saving	38	40
Tankless water heater	35	36

(% reporting popularity of product “increasing” minus % reporting “decreasing”; Q2)

“As more automation products become available, homeowners continue to explore new ways to maintain their spaces with greater ease,” said Baker.

Low Maintenance and Home Automation Products Top List of Popular Home Products	2016	2015
Low maintenance	59	60
Wireless systems	48	53
Electrical car docking station	48	42
Home automation controls	43	42
Backup power generation	40	43
Security systems	35	34
Air purification	34	33
Automated lighting controls	26	30

(% reporting popularity of system “increasing” minus % reporting “decreasing”; Q2)

Housing market business conditions

“Though billings remain positive, demand for design services has leveled off to figures not seen since the early months of recovery from the Great Recession,” Baker said. “The same can be said for inquiries, which usually track several points higher than billings.”

AIA Home Design Survey Index for Q2 2016 (any score above 50 is positive)

• Billings: 54
• Inquiries for new projects: 56
• Regional averages: Midwest (62.5), South (47.9), West (56.3) Northeast (50)

“Activity in the additions and remodeling segments are leveling off as well, but remain positive.  Conditions in these sectors in the coming months will serve as a barometer for the housing market in 2017,” Baker concluded.

Specific construction segments	2016	2015
Additions / alterations	55%	64%
Kitchen / bath remodeling	51%	59%
Custom / luxury home market	24%	34%
Move-up homes	23%	29%
Townhouse / condo market	2%	18%
First-time buyer / affordable home market	-2%	17%
Second home	-6%	3%

(% of respondents reporting sector “improving” minus % reporting “weakening”; Q2)

About the AIA Home Design Trends Survey The AIA Home Design Trend Survey is conducted quarterly with a panel of over 500 architecture firms that concentrate their practice in the residential sector.  Residential architects are design leaders in shaping how homes function, look, and integrate into communities and this survey helps to identify emerging trends in the housing marketplace.  Business conditions are also monitored on a quarterly basis.  Future surveys will focus on community design trends (December 2016), and kitchen and bath trends (April 2017).

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.

AIA National: Small Firm Exchange Scan

The AIA Small Firm Exchange Scan collects knowledge resources for small firm practitioners and design professionals to strengthen their practice and professional careers. It advocates for small firms, promotes firm and professional leadership, and supports local component round tables and small firm networks. View the August Issue here

AIA National: Architecture Billings Index Slips, Overall Outlook Remains Positive

Architecture Billings Index Slips, Overall Outlook Remains Positive Business conditions are slumping in Northeast 

Contact: Matt Tinder 202-626-7462 mtinder@aia.org

Washington, DC – September 21, 2016 – On the heels ofsix out of seven months of increasing levels of demand for design services, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) fell just below the positive mark.  As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the August ABI score was 49.7, down from the mark of 51.5 in the previous month. This score reflects a decrease in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).  The new projects inquiry index was 61.8, up sharply from a reading of 57.5 the previous month.

“This is only the second month this year where demand for architectural services has declined and it is only by a fraction of a point,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD.  “Given the solid numbers for new design contracts and project inquiries, it doesn’t appear that this is the beginning of a broader downturn in the design and construction industry.”

Key August ABI highlights:

• Regional averages: South (55.2), Midwest (52.8), West (49.0), Northeast (44.9)
• Sector index breakdown:  mixed practice (51.8), multi-family residential (50.9), commercial / industrial (50.8), institutional (50.7)
• Project inquiries index: 61.8
• Design contracts index: 52.7

The regional and sector categories are calculated as a 3-month moving average, whereas the national index, design contracts and inquiries are monthly numbers.

About the AIA Architecture Billings Index The Architecture Billings Index (ABI), produced by the AIA Economics & Market Research Group, is a leading economic indicator that provides an approximately nine to twelve month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction spending activity. The diffusion indexes contained in the full report are derived from a monthly “Work-on-the-Boards” survey that is sent to a panel of AIA member-owned firms. Participants are asked whether their billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended as compared to the prior month, and the results are then compiled into the ABI.  These monthly results are also seasonally adjusted to allow for comparison to prior months. The monthly ABI index scores are centered around 50, with scores above 50 indicating an aggregate increase in billings, and scores below 50 indicating a decline. The regional and sector data are formulated using a three-month moving average. More information on the ABI and the analysis of its relationship to construction activity can be found in the recently released White Paper, Designing the Construction Future: Reviewing the Performance and Extending the Applications of the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index on the AIA web site.

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.