Architects, authors, and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein celebrate the enduring legacy of Julia Morgan, FAIA, the first great American female architect. Morgan was posthumously awarded the 2014 AIA Gold Medal at AIA Convention 2014 in Chicago, where Morgan's grandniece, Ellen North and her daughter Lauren Woodland, accepted the award, followed by remarks from Beverly Willis, FAIA.
CA Supreme Rules Against Architects in Beacon Decision
CCM+S Newsletter: California Supreme Court Rules Against California’s Architects in the Beacon v. Skidmore Owings Case The closely watched California Supreme Court case of Beacon Residential Community Association v. Skidmore Owings and Merrill et. al. has been decided, and the opinion is bad news for California Architects. The Court held that architects owe a duty of care to future homeowners in the design of residential buildings where the architect is a principal architect on the project, meaning that the architect is not a subordinate to other design professionals.
Legislative Update: June 2014
State Budget is Kind to Court Facilities Program For the first time in several years the Administrative Office of the Court’s ambitious $5 Billion court construction and modernization program has not been harmed by the State Budget. The past several budgets, when the state was facing significant and painful budget revenue deficits, the Legislature and Governor took or borrowed nearly $2 Billion from the court construction and modernization program, causing the cancellation of some projects and delays in several others. This year’s budget did not take any additional funds, actually returned some the funds previously taken, and appropriated new funds into the program. The budget returned $130 Million borrowed in prior years and appropriated $40 Million in new money. Over $200 Million is expected to be returned over the next two budget cycles. Most of the money taken, however, is gone and expected to never be returned.
T.B. Penick & Sons Expands to San Francisco
Penick’s Innovative Concrete Systems (ICS) is pleased to announce the opening of a new T. B. Penick & Sons, Inc. Satellite Office in The Bay Area. Penick’s Innovative Concrete Systems (ICS) is renowned for artistic design concepts and outstanding execution in architectural site concrete work and has been ranked as the #1 decorative concrete contractor in the nation by Concrete Construction Magazine.
Scott Carter has been named to head up this bay area satellite office. Carter is a 22-year veteran of the concrete contracting industry, and as Penick’s Bay Area general manager, he will focus primarily on developing business for the company’s Innovative Concrete Systems division, which specializes in architectural site concrete design and applications, as well as its Structural division.
Carter has broad concrete industry experience including office management, estimating, project management, sales and field work. Most recently he was president and general manager of Arrowhead Concrete in Austin TX., where he was responsible for all aspects of the business including safety, marketing, sales, estimating, purchasing, HR, finance and scheduling. Carter holds several key concrete industry certifications, and has been one of Penick’s leading Lithocrete installers since inception of the company’s licensee program in 2005.
Penick’s Bay Area satellite office is open as of July 1, 2014. The company will work with GCs, architects, designers and project managers throughout the Bay Area adding value with its expertise and design and implementation capabilities in architectural site concrete as well as use of terrazzo and other decorative building materials.
The new T. B. Penick office is located at 23785 Cabot Boulevard, Suite 325 Hayward, CA 94545
Design Space for Sub-lease
Third floor of the historic Brunswick Drug Company Building (SE corner of 5th and J street in the Gaslamp District).
Three separate office spaces and 2 drafting stations available 1st of July (approx 420 S. F.) Included is access to two conference rooms (one 6-person, another 25-person) shared by two firms. Nearby parking available. Ideal tenant: Architects, Interior Designers or Engineers.
For more information, contact:
Stan Livingston, FAIA SALERNO/LIVINGSTON ARCHITECTS 363 Fifth Avenue, Suite 300 San Diego, CA 92101 Phone (619) 234-7471 x-316 stan@slarchitects.com
Transit Oriented Development Events
They offer great opportunities to learn about and participate in the discussion on a topic that is crititcal to our region. Please follow the links and sign up today, and please invite your friends! Friday June 13 the San Diego Chapter of the American Planning Association will host:
Building Regional Connections: A Two-Part Transit Tour
http://sdapa.org/go/event/building-regional-connections-a-two-part-transit-tour/
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On Tuesday July 1, Circulate San Diego will host:
Building for Mobility: Regional TOD Summit
http://www.circulatesd.org/index.php?cID=88
Architecture & Design Day Trip
Join AIA San Diego, the Urban Land Institute San Diego-Tijuana and Tijuana Architects Association for an exciting and informative day-trip exploring the sophisticated, compelling places and spaces of Tijuana illuminating Mexico's continuing transition to a vibrant and successful economy and culture.
Participants will visit the AIA San Diego 2013 Design Award winning Tijuana Autism Clinic as well as the city's impressive Art Center, Children's Museum, Musical Arts Center and Culinary School.
The tour will begin Saturday morning, July 12 at 9:00 am, just over the Mexican side of the San Ysidro border-crossing and conclude at about 5:00 pm the same day.
Throughout the program, the group will be accompanied by a representative of the Tijuana Architects Association & the AIA San Diego as well as a qualified English/Spanish speaking interpreter/guide. The journey will be coordinated with local officials to ensure smooth and secure operation.
Participants must have a valid U.S. or other passport (exceeding 6 months from expiration at the time of re-entry to the U.S.) and are responsible for ensuring they are eligible to enter Mexico as tourists/visitors and to return to the United States.
Cost: $50
NCARB announces it will create program for architecture students to graduate with licensure
In a major adaptation to U.S. licensure rules, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards has proposed a new option for gaining licensure -- simply through the process of an architecture education. As announced in a NCARB press release earlier today, architecture students could earn intern experience and take their licensing exam while still in school, to receive licensure upon graduation. Read full article at Archinect.
BNIM San Diego Announces New Principals, New Leadership
Next Generation of Leadership positions BNIM for Future Growth and Project Delivery
Erin Gehle, BNIM Phone: 816-783-1582 egehle@bnim.com
San Diego, Calif. (May 23, 2014) — BNIM announced today that the firm has appointed new leadership, including Principals, Associate Principals and Associates firmwide. Matthew Porreca, AIA, has been named a Principal in the San Diego, Calif. office and will add day-to-day operations to his role, in addition to continuing design and project related work to fully represent the growing BNIM office in San Diego.
Matthew is joined by Maria Maffry, Dev Malik and Kevin Nordmeyer, who have also been named Principals of BNIM. The four will become the new operational leadership team for the firm and have full operating authority over the firm’s five offices, working with BNIM’s existing leadership group to enhance firm operations. This structure bolsters BNIM’s ability to support and sustain steady expansion that has resulted in additional offices in other markets, international work and an increased staff.
Looking toward the future, BNIM is committed to identifying and developing young leaders to carry the legacy of the firm into the future. As such, BNIM is pleased to announce the addition of new Associate Principals to the BNIM leadership team. In San Diego, Elif Tinney, IIDA, has been named an Associate Principal.
“We are fully committed to a singular, yet diverse and multidisciplinary ‘One BNIM’ in order to achieve consistency in our brand across all offices and markets where we maintain a presence,” says Casey Cassias FAIA, Principal, Director of Practice. “These individuals have demonstrated leadership and expertise by achieving excellent results in design, performance and client service.”
Each of the firm’s new leaders possesses the qualities of design leadership, thought leadership, client leadership, and talent leadership. The newly promoted staff is spread across BNIM’s Kansas City, Mo., Des Moines, Iowa, and San Diego, Calif. offices.
These organizational changes and new leadership appointments are a proactive step to address the opportunities ahead and prepare the next generation of leadership and succession to secure the firm’s position as a leading-edge design firm into the future while delivering the conscientious service that BNIM is known for.
BNIM’s work includes local, national and international models of High Performance Integrated Design such as Qualcomm’s Building AY at the Pacific Center Campus in San Diego, Calif., which will be completed later this fall; the Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, N.Y., which was the first building to achieve both LEED Platinum and Living Building Status; and an IDIQ contract for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Building Operations which will include the renovation of such projects as embassies, consulates, and diplomatic buildings internationally.
About BNIM With 43 years of experience, BNIM is one of the most important architectural firms working to redefine practice in the realm of green architecture today and is the recipient of the 2011 AIA National Architecture Firm Award. As early pioneers in the arena of sustainable design, BNIM continues to shape the national and global agenda for responsible architecture and design excellence. Established in 1970, the firm has emerged nationally as a leading resource for established methodologies, innovative technologies and cutting-edge research in architecture, planning, landscape, education and workplace design. The firm has offices in Kansas City, Mo.; Des Moines, Iowa; Houston, Texas; San Diego, Calif.; and Los Angeles, Calif.
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Working with City of San Diego Development Services Department
On May 15, 2014 the Director of the City of San Diego’s Development Services Department and his team provided to nearly 30 AIA-members a 2 ½-hour, in-depth review of DSD policies and procedures with a particular focus on how to facilitate working with the department and its plan reviewers, as well as other issues pertaining to field inspections and technology changes.
A veteran “Plan Consultant” was also on-hand to discuss the pragmatic, day-to-day issues that, when identified and managed, can greatly ease the review process and speed approvals. Attendees were offered ample opportunity to present specific questions and concerns to the DSD executive team on-hand, who responded with candid and practical advice on how to mitigate challenges and speed the process of review and approval.
We hope to organize another workshop with Development Services for AIA members in fall 2014 for those unable to attend.
First Ever Large Firm Roundtable
AIA San Diego hosted its first “large firm roundtable” on May 8, 2014 aimed at gaining a better understanding of the priorities and concerns of the region’s largest architecture firms and how the Chapter might shape its programs and activities to better serve this important cohort.
The principals of the 20 largest firms gathered with the Executive Committee of AIA SD Board of Directors Executive Committee for a 90 minute workshop followed by a networking event attended by the full-board and other key local contacts at Co-Merge in downtown San Diego.
An important outcome of the program was the expression by attendees that our largest member-firms can also lever their networks and resources to assist the Chapter better serve the full membership, including emerging professionals and medium/small design practices.
2013 Design Awards Unbuilt entry may come to life
2013 AIA San Diego Design Awards Unbuilt winner - Coronado Bridge Tube by domusstudio architecture was recently featured in the UT-San Diego. After many years of putting the dream on the backburners, Lew Dominy's vision is being supported by San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox. Read the full article here: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/may/19/bridge-bike-pedestrian-study/
How to Choose an Architect for Your Project
Licensed architects are specialists. Part of becoming one is to understand a multitude of details, products, and technologies within a specific field of design. This only happens with years of experience and continuing education. In order to find the right residential architect you've got to ask the right questions. Here are a few... Brought to you by CRAN, the custom residential architects network. A knowledge community of the American Institute of Architects.
DeForest Architects -- Wenatchee Cabin DeForest Architects -- Wenatchee Cabin Eck MacNeely Architects -- Block Island House Hutker Architects -- Kings Shade Estes/Twombly Architects - Field House Eck MacNeely Architects -- Block Island House
Written by David Andreozzi and John Isch. Produced, edited and narrated by Doug Patt.
CEOs To Launch “Alliance for a Resilient Tomorrow"
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) will be among 20 organizations taking part in an unprecedented announcement that commits designers, builders, operators and managers of the built environment to promoting resilience in a unified way. The event will feature panel discussions with several of the 20 organizations’ CEOs who will explore how this industry and its members can make the nation's infrastructure and environment safer and more secure.
What: Press Conference/Announcement
Where: National Building Museum, 401 F St NW, Washington, DC 20001
When: 10 a.m., May 13, 2014
Participants:
Randy Fiser, Executive Vice President, American Society of Interior Designers Henry Green, President/CEO, National Institute of Building Sciences Jason Hartke, Senior Vice President, U.S. Green Building Council Robert Ivy, FAIA, CEO, the American Institute of Architects Jim Kendzel, Executive Director/CEO, American Society of Plumbing Engineers Tom Phoenix, President-Elect, ASHRAE Chase Rynd, Hon. ASLA. Executive Director, National Building Museum Michael Gardner, EVP, International Code Council Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA, American Society of Landscape Architects
See original press release here.
AIA Architect Featured in SDBJ Sustainable Homes Article
AIA member, and 2013 AIA San Diego Design Award recipient, Heather Johnston, is featured in the April 28, 2014 San Diego Business Journal issue for her award-winning residential project "Casabrava."
Read more about the sustainable homes article here: http://www.cbjonline.com/a3sdbj/resources/supplements/PDF/20140428_SSD.pdf.
Engineering Firm Continues to Promote From Within To Sustain Core Business Values
Burkett & Wong Engineers has always had a philosophy of promoting from within. Since its inception, the firm has embraced meaningful mentoring, assessment over time and specific training to ensure that all key personnel are able to provide services that exceed the expectations of everyone that works with the firm. From the President to Associates, the firm’s dedication to this philosophy is evident with the promotions of several key staff members over the past few years. Recently, the Board of Directors named Thomas Newsom as its third President. Mr. Newsom has been with Burkett & Wong Engineers since 2001 and is a licensed Civil Engineer in California, Nevada and Arizona. He comes from a Geotechnical Engineering background with extensive experience associated with the development and construction of residential, commercial and infrastructure projects. Mr. Newsom is also a Registered Geologist, Civil Engineer and Certified Engineering Geologist in California. In addition to the responsibilities associated with running a 40 person firm, he provides consulting services for the resolution of construction defect cases in California, Nevada and Arizona. He was promoted to Principal Associate in 2005 and Principal in 2007. Prior to working at Burkett & Wong Engineers, Mr. Newsom was a Principal at Lejman Geotechnical, Inc. in Laguna Hills, CA.
He succeeds Timothy Yeun who served as President for over 13 years, who succeeded Bob Burkett, the founding President.
In addition, Burkett & Wong Engineers has named two new Principals, Charlie Colvin and Casey Lynch. Charlie Colvin is a licensed Structural Engineer in multiple states, including California, and has been with the firm for over ten years. His project management experience covers a wide variety of assignments ranging from education and military structures, to hotels and corporate centers. He coordinates projects for several large institutions and Fortune 500 companies on an as-needed basis for the structural engineering design of new construction, retrofit, and repair needs. His most notable projects include an award-winning remodel of Ferring Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, CA and ongoing projects with Grand Pacific Resorts, which he began when he first joined the firm. Since then, Mr. Colvin has provided project management support on over 12 buildings for Grand Pacific Resorts.
Mr. Lynch joined Burkett & Wong Engineers in 2007 as a Land Surveyor and quickly began his ascent to become the firm’s first Principal Land Surveyor. He was the 2010 President of the California Land Surveyors Association, San Diego Chapter and the founding member of the Land Surveyors Advisory Council on Technical Standards. Mr. Lynch also serves as an instructor for the Land Surveyor Review Session, teaching the Subdivision Map Act and Land Surveyors Act to Professional Land Surveyor candidates. In the office his responsibilities include directing, planning, reviewing, and approving projects for the land surveying department as well as providing strategic oversight for the Civil Engineering Department. His experience encompasses residential developments, military, healthcare, civic, and commercial projects. He has worked on several prominent projects such as the New Central Library for the City of San Diego, Miramar National Cemetery, and UCSD’s Jacobs Medical Center.
From Burkett & Wong Engineers’ Civil Engineering Department, Tom Eagling and Carl Fiorica have been promoted to Principal Associate, along with Jeff Densley in the Structural Engineering Department. Mr. Eagling joined Burkett & Wong Engineers in 2009 and has been responsible for the civil engineering design and project management for dozens of projects including the firm’s largest project, UCSD’s Jacobs Medical Center. Mr. Fiorica also worked on the Jacobs Medical Center providing design and BIM expertise. He started with the firm over three years ago and has since worked on over 20 projects as a project manager. Mr. Densley started with Burkett & Wong Engineers over five years ago and has over ten years of Structural Engineering experience, including his involvement on over 50 projects for Burkett & Wong Engineers. He holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree from UCSD’s Structural Engineering program, graduating Magna Cum Laude both times.
At the Associate level, the firm has promoted Mike Wagner and Hansol An. Mike Wagner, a licensed Professional Engineer, has been with the firm for over four years. He is currently the project manager for the modernization of Pershing Middle School in San Diego, CA and is overseeing the completion of Los Angeles Southwest College School of Career and Technical Education. Mr. An was brought on seven years ago as the Director of Marketing. Today he oversees the day-to-day operations of the Administrative Department as well as business development and marketing activities.
“Our company’s success ultimately relies on our employees’ abilities to perform at a high level and provide our clients with the technical ability and service they have come to expect. At Burkett & Wong Engineers, we believe that promoting from within ensures that the right people are placed into the right situations to succeed. It also allows us to maintain our high standards of excellence for our clients and the community we serve,” said Mr. Newsom.
Burkett & Wong Engineers is a consulting design firm located in San Diego. Founded in 1971, the firm provides structural and civil engineering design services, land surveying, land planning, expert witness consultation and project administration. More than 11,000 projects have been completed for the public and private sectors throughout the Southwestern United States and beyond.
Architects Laud Introduction of Bipartisan National Design Services Act As Way to Cut Spiraling Student Loan Debt
AIA and AIAS Commit to Making Bill Reality; Enlist Help of Architecture Student Community Nationwide
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) today committed to timely passage of the National Design Services Act (NDSA), which will give architecture students the same relief from crushing student loan debt, already granted to young lawyers, doctors and others – in return for community service. The bipartisan legislation, H.R. 4205, was introduced Tuesday by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and co-sponsored by Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL)
“Millions of young people aspire to help their communities build a better future – but a lack of opportunity and the crushing cost of education hold them back,” said AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA. “As a result, the design and construction industry faces a severe shortage of talent at exactly the moment America needs to rebuild for the future.
“We commend Congressman Perlmutter for recognizing this issue, for introducing the NDSA and for enlisting his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work for its ultimate passage,” Ivy said. “I promise that they will have the full resources of the AIA as well as the architecture student community behind them when more than 600 AIA members convene in Washington, D.C. next week as part of the AIA’s annual grassroots conference.”
"The National Design Services Act will help promote sustainable economic development and jobs by ensuring aspiring architects are able to gain valuable experience while giving back to their communities designing public projects such as schools, health clinics, housing facilities and libraries,” said Rep. Perlmutter. “In return, the bill will alleviate some of the barriers new students face as they pursue their dreams in architecture."
“There is no shortage of enthusiasm in our membership for passing this bill,” said Joshua Caulfield, Chief Executive Officer of AIAS. “And we intend to leverage that enthusiasm to the hilt as we go forward and call on our members of Congress.”
Student debt is one of the most critical issues facing the economy – not to mention the next generation of design professionals. Roughly 40 million Americans owe $1.2 trillion in student-loan debt, an amount that surpasses every other type of household debt except mortgage debt. Architecture student graduates come out of school with approximately $40,000 in student loan debt, ranking architecture as one of the disciplines with the highest loan balances in the country.
The NDSA eases this burden by providing loan assistance to architecture students and recent graduates who contribute their design services to underserved areas. The bill would authorize the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create a program allowing architecture students to work with Community Design Centers in exchange for assistance with their student loans.
As a result, communities will receive a broad range of architecture services that may not have otherwise been available, and architecture graduates will be induced to stay in the profession.
At a recent meeting of AIAS Milwaukee-Wisconsin where AIA National staff discussed the proposal, architecture students immediately began organizing a phone bank for students to call their members of Congress to urge them to support the bill.
Indeed, enthusiasm for such legislation knows no bounds on the campuses of architecture schools and elsewhere among the emerging professionals community. One young architect, Evan Litvin of Philadelphia, has launched an online petition that enlists the support of architects nationwide for speedy passage of the NDSA. The link to that petition can be found here: http://www.change.org/petitions/members-of-congress-support-the-national-design-services-act-ndsa?utm_source=supporter_message&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=supporter_message.
For more information on the NDSA and how you can become involved, please visit this link on AIA.org:
http://www.aia.org/advocacy/federal/AIAB099522
Contact: John Schneidawind 202-626-7457 johnschneidawind@aia.org http://twitter.com/AIA_Media
AIA Unveils New Leading Indicator in Construction Research White Paper
Fluctuations in volume of design contracts can predict changes in billings By measuring the movement of design contracts in the monthly Architecture Billings Index (ABI), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is now able to trace the path of resources into the design and construction industry from the earliest conceptualization until it results in finished projects. This new indicator is being spotlighted in an AIA economic research white paper, Designing the Construction Future.
“We have been tracking new project inquiries – bids, general solicitations, interview invitations – which tend to be rather subjective, so we began looking for a more precise way of estimating future levels of billings activity at architecture firms,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “We determined that the most accurate predictor of future design workloads is the monthly change in the volume of new design contracts.”
Design contracts are the agreements between the client and architecture firm on the scope of, and compensation for, new design projects. Similar to how construction contract awards act as a leading indicator of future construction spending, design contracts are expected to provide a comparable glimpse of future billings and design activity. Trends in the dollar volume of design contracts end up filling an important gap between trends in project inquiries and actual design billings.
The AIA began collecting data on design contracts in October 2010 and with over three years of data there is enough information to seasonally adjust the index. Preliminary analysis suggests that a change in firm billings follows a change in design contacts by approximately six months.
Contact: Scott Frank 202-626-7467 sfrank@aia.org http://twitter.com/AIA_Media
SDAF: Context Volume 1: San Diego Central Library
LETS HAVE AN AFFAIR AT THE NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY!Show your civic pride and mingle at a hosted premier cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception on the Qualcomm Dome Terrace with San Diego's business and community leaders.
The Art Gallery will be open for our exclusive reception April 29 at the San Diego Central Library.
Intersecting Lines: The Tenth Invitational Drawing Show
Description: The Central Library is pleased to present Intersecting Lines: The Tenth Invitational Drawing Show. Like its predecessors, this exhibition showcases San Diego-based artists applying a broad range of concept, media, and process to demonstrate the value of this quintessential image-making technique. Featured artist include Joshua Eggleton, John Halaka, May-ling Martinez, Jessica McCambly, Bhavna Mehta, Herbert Olds, and Marisol Rendón.
Chapter One
Vision
Context Volume 1 is an informative presentation on the 35 years of perseverance and civic courage involved to bring about this remarkable monument to San Diego and the Southern California region.
Chapter Two
Process
Dr. Irwin Jacobs and architect Rob Wellington Quigley moderated by Ms Darlene Shiley will engage in an intimate conversation about the building's architecture and the important role of our public buildings in our community. How can we make it easier to have public and private partnerships? What changes need to be made? The evening promises to be an engaging, thought-provoking conversation with two great leaders.
Chapter Three
Future
What is next in San Diego? A CALL TO ACTION. With so many projects that are still on the shelf, what is the future of San Diego;s built fabric? Jacobs and Quigley will weigh in on what they feel are some of the major projects that could be the next big pursuit.
PB/MB EcoDistrict Community Workshop
