Launching Soon: 2015 AIA Compensation Survey

Need up-to-date salary information? Participate in the 2015 AIA Compensation Survey!

It has been almost two years since the AIA published the 2013 AIA Compensation Survey Report - an industry standard, and the most comprehensive national survey on architect compensation. The new 2015 survey will provide compensation data for 40 positions at architecture firms, all nine regions of the country, plus many states and metro areas.

To thank you for your participation, you will receive a complimentary PDF copy of the complete survey report when it is released. If you received an invitation to participate, we ask that you respond as your reply is vital for the success of this study. If you are a firm leader who has not received an invitation and would like to participate, please send an email to Jennifer Riskus at compensationsurvey@aia.org. We thank you in advance for your participation.

AIA Member Firm Skala Architecture Featured in Coastal Living Magazine

AIA member firm, Skala Architecture recently featured in Coastal Living Magazine for their remodeled Tuscan home! Congratulations to Sue Skala, AIA and her team.

Burkett & Wong Engineers is now BWE, adopts new logo

San Diego, CA – Burkett & Wong Engineers, Inc. announced last week that the firm has changed its name to BWE, Inc. and will do business as BWE / Burkett & Wong Engineers.

Late last year the BWE Board of Directors voted unanimously on the name change and new logo to coincide with a fresh start in a new office, but more importantly, a new attitude that had been cultivated over the past few years. “We are not the same firm we were 20, ten or even five years ago. Our current team has brought fresh new ideas, abilities, and insights that are moving this company towards a more vibrant future,” Board Chairman and President Tom Newsom says about the change. “We want this new name and logo to be an external representation of what we have been a part of for years. At the same time we want to respect our heritage. I believe our new identity does that.”

For over 43 years BWE / Burkett & Wong Engineers has been a stalwart in the San Diego building industry, providing structural engineering, civil engineering, land surveying, land planning, and forensic engineering. The firm’s extensive portfolio of projects includes Petco Park Garden Buildings, San Diego County Operations Center, UCSD Jacobs Medical Center, San Diego New Central Library, SDSU Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union and over 12,000 other projects, spread across 16 states and five foreign countries.

Within the past few years BWE has welcomed a new President, became an employee-owned company, moved to a new office, and implemented numerous internal improvements. But even before this recent wave of change, the founding Principals knew that change was inevitable and invested in the younger engineers and surveyors.

“The founding Principals believed that it was important to invest in the next generation, finding the young talent and then developing that talent into individuals to lead the firm.” Newsom continues, “That is what makes BWE special. We pass on the great lessons learned from those that preceded us but are not afraid to incorporate new ideas. It is what keeps us relevant and always looking over the horizon.”

Two years ago the firm became an ESOP because the leadership wanted to leverage the greatest asset – our employees. “By giving all the employees ownership and being more open about our finances, the hope was to increase employee engagement,” said Newsom.

The firm’s recent move in September of 2014 was as much strategic as it was practical. “The previous location in Bankers Hill/Hillcrest was our home for a long time and a landmark in its own right but it lacked some of the amenities that our employees wanted. Plus we had out grown that space long ago.” BWE’s new office, located at 9449 Balboa Avenue in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego, has a custom layout designed to improve both productivity and collaboration with a mix of offices, traditional cubicles and multiple gather spaces. “It has only been a short time but everyone loves the space. It seems like employee morale and productivity are both up,” said Therese Hunt, BWE’s Human Resource Generalist.

Newsom concludes, “We want everyone to know that these and other changes have made us a more exciting, progressive, thoughtful company while still staying true to our roots as fiscally sound, service oriented, and employee driven. The one thing that will not change is our commitment to live up to our motto: Engineered to Exceed Expectations.”

BWE / Burkett & Wong Engineers is a consulting design firm with offices located in San Diego and Las Vegas. Founded in 1971, the firm provides structural and civil engineering design services, land surveying, land planning, expert witness consultation, and project administration. More than 12,000 projects have been completed for the public and private sectors throughout the Southwestern United States and beyond. More information about the firm can be found at www.bwesd.com.

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Office space available in Downtown San Diego

Office space available in Downtown San Diego located in the heart of the Gaslamp District at 363 Fifth Avenue, Suite 300. Rent for the space is $5,000 / month which includes all utilities. This space will be shared with a Forensic Architectural firm and Graphics firm.

There are 4 workstations with windows facing Fifth Avenue and 3 private offices. This office has a front desk receptionist, two conference rooms, and a kitchen that will also be shared. Monthly parking is available two blocks from the office for approximately $75.00+ per month.

More pictures available. Please call for an appointment to see the space at (619) 234-7471 and ask for Stan or Bob.

Construction Underway On South Campus Plaza At San Diego State University

Media Contacts: Sundt Linda Obele Fingerpaint Marketing 480-368-7999 lobele@fingerpaintmarketing.com

SVA Architects Beth Binger BCI 619-987-6658 Beth.binger@BCIpr.com

SGPA Architecture and Planning Rebecca Gelbart rgelbart@sgpa.com

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Jan. 20, 2015) – Construction is underway on the South Campus Plaza, a mixed-use student housing and retail project located on the campus of San Diego State University (SDSU).

Sundt Construction, Inc., a full-service general contractor, was selected as the design-build contractor for the $143 million project, which includes two residential buildings above all ground-floor retail, and an adjacent parking structure. Upon completion, the residence halls will house 608 beds in double-occupancy student rooms, 32 single-occupancy student rooms, three staff apartments and three visiting scholar studios.

“We have a longstanding history with San Diego State University and believe our work on South Campus Plaza will further solidify that great relationship,” said Sundt Area Manager Jon Wald. “These new facilities will not only enhance the quality of life for students and the campus community, but also create a pedestrian-friendly shopping and dining destination for the community as a whole.”

Designed by SVA Architects and SGPA Architecture and Planning to achieve LEED Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council, the project spans nearly 350,000 square feet and features student learning spaces, multipurpose rooms, faculty offices, study areas, lounges and a community kitchen. Student amenities in the building also will include a mail room, bicycle storage, laundry room and trash chutes.

“At this time when challenges are greater than ever for university students, SVA is very pleased to be leading the design team for the South Campus Plaza project,” said Robert Simons, AIA President & Partner of SVA Architects. “Students will be accommodated with exceptional housing and retail offerings as they seek higher education. We are very grateful to be working with SDSU to execute their vision for a campus that supports and inspires our region’s future leaders.”

“It’s been a pleasure to work alongside Sundt, SVA Architects, CBRE and San Diego State University to create a bustling environment for students,” said Keith Pittsford, Principal at SGPA Architecture and Planning. “Our role on South Campus Plaza has been to provide thriving retail and restaurant opportunities while anticipating lifestyle trends of students to enrich their lives on campus.”

Located immediately south of the SDSU Transit Center, between Hardy Avenue and Montezuma Road, South Campus Plaza is expected to be completed in late 2016.

About Sundt Sundt Construction, Inc. is one of the country’s largest and most respected general contractors. Known nationally for its innovative approach to construction services, the firm is currently ranked the 62^nd largest construction company in the United States by ENR, the industry’s principal trade magazine. The company is also ranked 24^th on ENR's list of Top Contractors in California. www.sundt.com

About SVA Architects

Founded in 2003, SVA Architects (formerly MVE Institutional) has become one of the country’s most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in planning, architecture, and interior design of corporate, public, mixed-use residential and student housing, as well as institutional facilities. SVA Architects values institutional and public environments as the foundation of a community and the backdrop against which we live, learn, work, worship, and play. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, and Honolulu. For more information, visit www.sva-architects.com

About SGPA Architecture and Planning

Forty-five years ago, SGPA was founded. Since opening its doors, the firm has designed an integral part of the Southern California and Bay Area landscape, providing places for thousands of people to shop, gather, learn, and heal.  Today, SGPA consists of 30+ people across two offices in San Diego and San Francisco. The collaborative technologies that allow us to function as one team across time and distance have expanded the scope of SGPA’s work immensely. We believe that the ever-evolving marketplace will continue to change over the next few decades, especially as densification and mixed use become more viable and desirable. SGPA aims to meet these changes by keeping its focus on what’s important: creating places that enrich daily life.

Additional information can be found at www.sgpa.com.

2015 AIA Institute Honor Awards Recognize Excellence in Architecture, Interiors, and Urban Design

For immediate release:

Washington, D.C. – January 9, 2015 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected the 2015 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 500 submissions, 23 recipients located throughout the world will be honored at the AIA 2015 National Convention and Design Exposition in Atlanta.

To obtain high resolution images, please contact Matt Tinder: mtinder@aia.org

2015 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture The 2015 AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture jury includes: Calvin Lewis, FAIA (Chair), Iowa State University; Ray Calabro, FAIA, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson; Nicole Gerou, AIAS Student Representative, Lawrence Technological University; Ana Guerra, Assoc. AIA, Jacobs; Sherri Gutierrez, AIA, Arquitectonica; Jill Lerner, FAIA, Kohn Pedersen Fox; James McDonald, AIA, A&E Architects; Waller McGuire, Executive Director, St. Louis Public Library and Angela O'Byrne, FAIA, Perez.

28th Street Apartments; Los Angeles Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Inc. The historic YMCA (1926) had been a focus of African-American life in the era of segregation but had fallen into severe disrepair. The design re-establishes the building’s role as a community focus, restores principal spaces for youth training programs, brings existing living quarters in compliance with contemporary standards and adds new housing units. Inventive integration of new building systems released the existing rooftop for outdoor social space that connects and anchors old and new.  The new addition is thin and cross-ventilated.  It is shaded to the south by a vertical photovoltaic panel array and wrapped to the north with lightweight perforated metal screens that contrast with the heft of the original masonry building.

Brockman Hall for Physics, Rice University; Houston KieranTimberlake The campus of Rice University is a continuously studied and managed “canvas” that represents an intensive ongoing collaboration between architects, planners, and administrators.  Its park-like environment—with live oaks, lawns, walkways, arcades, courtyards, and buildings—comprises a clear and timeless vision.  The Brockman Hall for Physics needed to fit within this distinctive setting, to gather together a faculty of physicists and engineers working in as many as five separate buildings, and to house highly sophisticated research facilities carefully isolated from the noise, vibrations, and temperature fluctuations that could destroy experiments.

California Memorial Stadium & Simpson Training Center; Berkeley, California HNTB Architecture; Associate Architect: STUDIOS Architecture The historic stadium is one of the most beloved and iconic structures on the UC Berkeley campus.  The key goals for this project were to restore the stadium’s historic and civic prominence, integrate modern training and amenity spaces, and address severe seismic concerns. By setting the new athlete training facility into the landscape, a new grand 2-acre public plaza for the stadium was created on the roof.  A new press box/club crowns the historic wall; its truss-like design acts as a counterpoint to the historic facade.

Cambridge Public Library; Cambridge, Massachusetts William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.; Associate Architect: Ann Beha Architects The Cambridge Public Library has become the civic “Town Common” for a city that celebrates and welcomes its highly diverse community (with over 50 languages spoken in its schools).  With its all-glass double-skin curtain wall front facade, the library opens seamlessly out to a major public park.  This double-skin curtain wall uses fixed and adjustable technologies to ensure that daylight is infused throughout the interiors and to maximize thermal comfort for the most active patron spaces looking out to the park.

Danish Maritime Museum; Elsinore, Denmark BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group The design solution to the site’s inherent dilemmas was to wrap a subterranean museum around a dry dock like a doughnut, where the hole was the dry dock itself and the centerpiece of the museum’s collection.  Three two-level bridges span the dry dock, serving as shortcuts to various sections of the museum.  All floors slope gently, so that a visitor continually descends further below the water’s edge to learn about Danish maritime lore. The civil engineering and construction work for the museum were among the most complicated ever undertaken in Denmark.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice; New York City Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP Located in Manhattan, John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s new building provides all the functions of a traditional college campus within the confines of a single city block. SOM’s 625,000-square-foot addition doubles the size of the college’s existing facilities by adding classrooms, laboratories, auditoriums, faculty offices, and social spaces.  These functions are arranged within a new 14-story tower and four-story podium topped with an expansive landscaped terrace that serves as an elevated campus commons.  A 500-foot-long cascade runs the length of the podium and functions as the social spine of the campus. SOM’s design places a premium on communal and interactive space so that students may enjoy the experiences of a traditional college setting.

Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology at the University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism Challenging the established model of laboratory buildings, the Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology is organized around an ascending spiral that hybridizes the tradition of the campus quadrangle with the public promenade.  The Center for Nanotechnology twists its laboratories around a central campus green, opening the sciences to the University of Pennsylvania’s landscape while providing a suite of public spaces within the building for cross-disciplinary collaboration amongst scientists.  Here, multiple types—courtyard, laboratory loft, ascending gallery—each with their own distinct histories, are grafted together to create a new, but recognizable hybrid.

LeFrak Center at Lakeside Prospect Park; Brooklyn, New York Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects This project restored 26 acres of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in the 19th century and added a new 75,000-square-foot, year-round skating and recreational facility. In the winter, the facility’s two rinks are open for ice skating, and in the summer one rink converts to roller skating and the other to a large water-play fountain.  Clad in rough-hewn gray granite, the new LeFrak Center appears to be large stone retaining walls set in the landscape.  Much of the structure is tucked into the land.  The L-shaped plan consists of the east and north block, both one-story structures with roof terraces connected by a bridge.

Sant Lespwa, Center of Hope; Outside of Hinche, Haiti Rothschild Doyno Collaborative The Center of Hope, commissioned by World Vision, is located in a rural region in Haiti and provides support, education, and skill building opportunities.  The design process involved the entire community from children to elders.  Construction included on-the-job skills training for over 100 residents.  The courtyard scheme and breezeway capture prevailing winds while opening expansive views to the mountains beyond.  Careful planning for natural ventilation, daylighting, water collection, sewage treatment, and electricity generation resulted in a completely self-sufficient building.  The participatory and empathetic process created an uplifting environment that inspires hope.

United States Courthouse, Salt Lake City, Utah Thomas Phifer and Partners; Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects The design of the new United States Courthouse in Salt Lake City emanates from a search for a strong, iconic, transparent, and metaphorically egalitarian form to symbolize the American judiciary system.  The primary nature of the courthouse’s cubic mass projects grounded dignity, immovable order, and an equal face to all sides. The 400,000-square-foot, 10-story courthouse resides on a landscaped terrace that spans an entire city block, uniting the new and existing federal courthouses as a public-access amenity while fulfilling a required federal security setback from the street.

Wild Turkey Bourbon Visitor Center; Lawrenceburg, Kentucky De Leon & Primmer Architecture Workshop Located on a bluff overlooking the Kentucky River, the visitor center is the newest component of recent additions and expansions to the Wild Turkey Distillery Complex, one of seven original member distilleries of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  The 9,140-square-foot facility houses interactive exhibits, a gift shop, event venues, a tasting room, and ancillary support spaces. Utilizing a simple barn silhouette (an interpretation of Kentucky tobacco barns common to the area), the building, clad in a custom chevron pattern of stained wood siding, presents a clear and recognizable marker in the landscape. 2015 Institute Honor Awards for Interior Architecture

The 2015AIA Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture jury includes: Rick Kremer, FAIA (Chair), Architect Rick Kremer, FAIA; Matt Murphy, AIA, RMTA; Luke Ogrydziak, AIA, Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects; Susan Elizabeth Seifert, AIA, seifertmurphy and Steven Shapiro, Hon. AIA, Clark Construction.

Arent Fox; Washington, D.C. STUDIOS Architecture Key elements of this office building include a formal reception space with a physical and visual connection to the building lobby, a conference center, an auditorium with tiered seating, break-out areas for receptions, and slab openings on typical office floors for visual connection to other floors.  The building has two primary street-facing sides and two sides that face an alley. To create parity between the two, the design places key elements on the alley side of the building to draw people from the front to the back for collaboration and support functions.  Glass was used to shape offices and conference rooms and to blur the line between circulation and enclosed spaces.

The Barbarian Group; New York City Clive Wilkinson Architects; Design Republic Partners Architects LLP The offices for digital marketing firm The Barbarian Group were designed with connectivity, accessibility, and collaboration in mind. Simplifying the basic needs of the conventional office to their core, an endless table was envisioned that connects all employees at a single surface. The table, dubbed “the Superdesk,” rises and falls throughout the space, lifting over pathways and creating work and meeting grottos beneath its arches. Its plywood underside is made of 870 unique laser-cut panels, and its top surface is a light-reflecting pearlescent white with a clear epoxy coating.

Beats By Dre; Culver City, California Bestor Architecture The Beats By Dre campus was designed to reflect the diverse and innovative work undertaken in the music and technological fields.  The main building is carved by a, two-story lobby that forms an axis and two courtyards to orient the work spaces.  Courtyards connect to the varied working environments and include offices, open workstations, flexible work zones, and interactive conference rooms.  The office plan encourages interaction and contact across departments by establishing a variety of calculated environments that exist within the larger workspace: peaceful, activated, elegant or minimal.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Museum Store; Bentonville, Arkansas Marlon Blackwell Architect The work of a local Arkansas basket maker, Leon Niehues, known for his sculpturally ribbed baskets made from young white oak trees from the Ozarks, provided the design inspiration for the museum store, located at the heart of the Moshe Safdie, FAIA, designed museum (2011) in Bentonville, Arkansas.  A series of 224 parallel ribs, made of locally harvested cherry plywood, were digitally fabricated directly from the firm’s Building Information Modeling delivery process.  Beginning at the top of the exterior glass wall, the ribs extend across the ceiling and down the long rear wall of the store.

Illinois State Capitol West Wing Restoration; Springfield, Illinois Vinci Hamp Architects The West Wing of the Illinois State Capitol is the second phase of a comprehensive renovation program of this 293,000-square-foot National Historic Landmark. Designed by French émigré architect Alfred Piquenard between 1868 and 1888, the Capitol represents the apogee of Second Empire design in Illinois.  Over the years inappropriate changes were made through insensitive modifications and fires.  The project mandate was to restore the exuberant architecture of the West Wing’s four floors and basement, while simultaneously making necessary life safety, accessibility, security and energy efficient mechanical, electrical, & plumbing system upgrades.

Louisiana State Museum; Natchitoches, Louisiana Trahan Architects The Louisiana State Museum merges historical and sports collections, elevating the experience for both.  Set in the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase on the banks of the Cane River Lake, the quiet yet innovative design reinterprets the geometry of the nearby plantation houses and the topography of the riverfront; between past and future. Spaces flow together to accommodate exhibits, education, event and support functions.  The hand-folded copper container contrasts with the digitally carved cast-stone entry and foyer within, highlighting the dialogue between the manmade and the natural.

National September 11 Memorial Museum; New York City Davis Brody Bond The 9/11 Memorial Museum is built upon the foundations of the Twin Towers, 70 feet below street level.  Visitors reach the museum via a gently sloped descent, a journey providing time and space for reflection and remembrance. Iconic features of the site, such as the surviving Slurry Wall, are progressively revealed.  This quiet procession allows visitors to connect to their own memories of 9/11 as part of the experience. Located at the site of the event, the museum provides an opportunity to link the act of memorialization with the stories, artifacts and history of that day.

Newport Beach Civic Center and Park; Newport Beach, California Bohlin Cywinski Jackson The Newport Beach Civic Center and Park creates a center for civic life in this Southern California beachside community.  Nestled within a new 17-acre park, the City Hall is designed for clarity and openness. A long, thin building supporting a rhythmic, wave-shaped roof provides a light and airy interior, complemented by connections to outdoor program elements, a maritime palette, and commanding views of the Pacific Ocean. The project’s form and expression are generated by place and sustainability, as well as the City’s democratic values of transparency and collaboration.

2015 Institute Honor Awards for Regional & Urban Design

The jury for the 2015 Institute Honor Awards for Regional & Urban Design includes: Frank Fuller, FAIA, (Chair), Field Paoli; Karl Grice, AIA, Grice Group; Anne-Marie Lubenau, AIA, Bruner Foundation; Klaus Philipsen, FAIA, ArchPlan and Adam Thies, AICP, Director of the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development.

Beijing Tianqiao (Sky Bridge) Performing Arts District Master Plan; Beijing, China Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP Old Tianqiao was once a bustling hub of cultural activities and folk arts traditions ranging from storytelling, variety shows, acrobatics, and operas.  The project intends to reestablish the cultural heart of the capital with a collection of modern and traditional performance venues that respect the city’s sensitive, World Heritage context. An integrated design process across many disciplines laid out a series of environmental goals, including reintroducing the historic farm fabric, developing a storm water filtration system, reducing waste by using existing materials, and reducing automobile dependence and carbon footprint by creating walkable neighborhoods around three new subway stations.

The BIG U; New York City BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group The BIG U is a 10-mile protective ribbon around lower Manhattan that addresses vulnerabilities exposed by Superstorm Sandy (2012). The BIG U consists of three components: BIG Bench, Battery Berm, and Bridging Berm.  BIG Bench is a continuous protective element adapted to the local context that mediates new and existing infrastructure.  The Battery Berm weaves an elevated path through the park, enhancing the public realm while protecting the Financial District and critical transportation infrastructure.  This signature building features a “reverse aquarium” that enables visitors to observe tidal variations and sea level rise.  The Bridging Berm rises 14 feet by the highways, connecting the coast and communities with greenways.

Government Center Garage Redevelopment; Boston CBT Architects The redevelopment of the Government Center Garage project is an example of undoing the ills of the 1960's urban renewal in Boston that critically separated six thriving neighborhoods.  The plan unlocks neighborhood connections, reopens urban vistas, and creates engaging public spaces by strategically removing a portion of the garage while preserving the remaining structure through creative phasing to provide for a sustainable and economically feasible redevelopment.  The project introduces 3 million square-feet of housing dominant mixed-use program to downtown, creating a dynamic 24-hour neighborhood as a model for sustainable, transit-oriented development.  The project also sets up a new position for urban design in Boston by shaping the urban form to respond to acute desire lines of a pre-grid city and promoting slender building typologies.

Target Field Station; Minneapolis Perkins Eastman Target Field Station, opened in May 2014, is a distinctive transit station located in the heart of Minneapolis' revitalized North Loop neighborhood.  The project links the street fabric of the existing neighborhood with Target Field Stadium Promenade and to the larger downtown core beyond.  The station seamlessly links parking, light rail, regional rail, bus and bicycle modes of transit – while always privileging ease of pedestrian access. It also provides of a series of interconnected public open spaces, including an amphitheater and a ‘Great Lawn’ as additional amenities for public use.  By combining sustainable design, carefully crafted public space, landscape elements, public art, and private development, Target Field Station sets the bar for how modern cities leverage transit design to create iconic cultural centers.

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, members of the American Institute of Architects consistently work 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 well being.  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.

2015 AIA National Convention: President Bill Clinton to Deliver Keynote Address

Washington, D.C. – January 6, 2015 – President Bill Clinton will deliver the keynote address during the 2015 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in Atlanta on May 14th. The theme of this year’s AIA Convention is Impact, focusing on how architects impact their communities both locally and globally. Through learning the essential skills to become successful entrepreneurs, the AIA Convention will provide attendees the skills to grow, sell and promote their firm’s business.

President Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton was the first Democratic president in six decades to be elected twice – first in 1992 and then in 1996. Under his leadership, the country enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, including the creation of more than 22 million jobs.

After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation with the mission to improve global health, strengthen economies, promote health and wellness, and protect the environment.

In addition to his Foundation work, President Clinton has served as the top United Nations envoy for the Indian Ocean tsunami recovery effort and as the UN Special Envoy to Haiti. Today, the Clinton Foundation is supporting economic growth, capacity building, and education in Haiti.

President Clinton was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas. He and his wife Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have one daughter, Chelsea, and live in Chappaqua, New York.

AIA Members Achieve Important Legislative Wins

A message from Robert Ivy, FAIA EVP/Chief Executive Officer of the AIA

It's been an extremely busy last few days in Washington – a period of time that has proved beneficial for our membership and our profession. In the last week, we've had great results in two key areas. Congress has:

Approved an important provision that reforms the design-build procurement process, providing more certainty and opportunity for firms that want to participate in federal projects. Since state and local government agencies – and many private sector clients – often follow federal practices, this change will help thousands of architecture firms compete for projects.

Passed legislation to restore several important incentives for energy efficient design, including the 179D energy efficient commercial building tax deduction, which has helped firms save millions of dollars for their clients and themselves while promoting sustainable design.

These wins result directly from a heightened advocacy presence from AIA members who responded to our calls for action on these issues, testified on Capitol Hill, met with their local representatives, and supported the AIA's champions through ArchiPAC, the AIA's political action committee. Their efforts prove what the AIA can accomplish when we speak with a strong, unified voice.

As we head into 2015 I encourage all of you to be integral to the AIA's advocacy efforts by visiting the AIA's Get Involved page, in addition to supporting ArchiPAC. In tandem with our new Look Up campaign, which aims to build more awareness of the AIA and our profession, we can continue to spread the word on the positive impact architects and designers have on every facet of the world around us.

We hope you all enjoy a safe holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Robert Ivy, FAIA

Architect Office Space Available, Hillcrest

 UPDATED January 14, 2015: Space still available!  

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American Institute of Architects Confers Highest Award on Local Architects

American Institute of Architects Confers Highest Award on Local Architects

Contact:  Buu Huynh Phone: (619) 232-0109 Email: bhuynh@aiasandiego.org Twitter: @aiasandiego

San Diego, CA – November 10, 2014 The American Institute of Architects San Diego is pleased to announce the recent presentation, at the 2014 AIA San Diego Design Awards on October 30, of its highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, to two of the region’s most important architects; Eugene “Gene” Weston III and Paul McKim. The long and varied careers of both men, both won regional and national design awards, spanned one of the most dynamic periods in California design with the emergence and establishment of modernism as the defining typology of progressive architecture. Their early contributions are today recognized as exemplars and are widely embraced for their originality and livability.

As building design and technology evolved in the 60’s and 70’s, Messrs. Weston and McKim continued their commitment to the highest standards for their projects, both as individuals and as part of larger firms. Their diverse output ranged from residential projects to large-scale institutional and commercial commissions, and included incorporating such important trends as adaptive reuse and sustainable design. In addition, both men expanded their spheres of influence to include participation as volunteers on planning boards and community groups – helping shape the region’s built environment far beyond their own projects. Further, the long and impressive list of architects and designers directly influenced by these men is a testament to their broad-based contributions to the profession. Gene Weston passed away in 2012. Paul McKim continues his design practice in San Diego County.

For more information, please contact AIA San Diego, email info@aiasandiego.org or call 619.232.0109

AIA San Diego was established in 1927 by the city’s leading architects of the time, including Irving Gill.  With offices located in the historic Center City Building (1927, Frank Stevenson), adjacent to City Hall, the chapter serves the interests of its nearly 850 members through a vigorous program of professional development, advocacy, public awareness and fellowship.   For more information please visit www.aiasandiego.org

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UT San Diego: Architects honor best local projects

(Read original article here)

Architects honor best projects Awards come at a time of an improving development climate

By Roger Showley 10 P.M.OCT. 30, 2014

The San Dieguito Lagoon master plan won a special award for urban solutions. — Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects

Winding up San Diego's first "Archtoberfest" celebrating local architecture, the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects handed out 31 Design Awards Thursday, ranging from grand monumental landmarks like the new downtown Central Library to a modest infill lawyer's office.

Three outside jurors looked over 67 entries before bestowing five honor awards, five merit awards, three citations and 16 special category awards. The awards were announced at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union at San Diego State University.

Two individual awards also were announced -- the young architect of the year, J. Antonio Garcia, and the patron of the year, JMI Realty, which oversaw the development of Petco Park and the ballpark district downtown.

Brian Dougherty , an architect with offices in Costa Mesa and Oakland and this year's president of the AIA California Council, said the jury focused on how projects adhered to the "program" or purpose dictated by the builder or owner.

(VIEW MAP OF AWARD WINNERS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY)

"I was very impressed with the quality of design," Dougherty said. "I loved the diversity of scale and types of projects, and overall I thought especially the sensitivity to sustainability and creating buildings appropriate to their site was very high."

The awards come at a time of slow but steady improvement in the development climate after several years in the doldrums following the financial meltdown of 2008.

"I think everybody's is getting busy again, which is great," Dougherty said. "I think there's a whole new wave of new, young architects coming on the scene that are very energized and exciting" -- including his daughter, who is a student at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in downtown San Diego.

The other two jurors were Ted Hyman, a partner at ZGF Architects in Portland, ands Edward Lifson, architecture and culture writer and lecturer and director of the Pritzger Architecture Prize, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for architecture.

UT San Diego: San Diego architects' best work

San Diego architects' best work

AIA Design Awards for 2014 go to monumental and small-scale projects

By Roger Showley10 P.M.OCT. 30, 2014

PIRCH Headquarters entry by Hollander Design Group/Photo by John Durant.

View slideshow of winners and original UT San Diego article here.

AIASD Members In The News: Bill Bocken, AIA

AIA San Diego architect, Bill Bocken, AIA, is the latest member to be featured in a local publication, the San Diego Magazine. Learn more about his latest residential project, a remodel of a tract-style home into a modern mid-century home in Del Mar, CA by reading the original article here.

AIA Foundation, American Institute of Architects and Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Launch Research Consortium on Design and Health

Request for Proposals Due October 15 For University-led Research 

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

For immediate release: Washington, D.C. – Sept. 16, 2014 – The AIA Foundation, along with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), today announced the establishment of the AIA Design & Health Research Consortium to help fund basic research into the growing influence design has on public health.

The consortium will be comprised of like-minded university teams consisting of experts in architecture and public health. AIA Foundation and its partners will work with consortium members to identify and develop opportunities for funded research, publication, and other resources in design and public health, with the idea that coordination and collaboration will benefit the consortium, its partners and the design and health professions.

The AIA Foundation has set a deadline of October 15, at 11:59 pm PDT for receiving qualification proposals from interested academic institutions. Selection of the schools will be made by late-November.

“In the last ten years, we have accepted that healthy places are sustainable places; that the optimal building of this century will be one that minimizes its ecological footprint while promoting human health and well-being,” said AIA Foundation Executive Director Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop. “This consortium will help lay the foundation for making this vision a reality.”

“Good design can improve our well-being, whether in our homes, schools, workplaces, or where we play,” said AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA. “By careful consideration of the human condition and its surroundings, architectural design promotes well-being, mental health and performance.”

The launch of the consortium is the latest effort by the AIA Foundation and its partners to expand the growing body of research into the design and health nexus. In April, the AIA Foundation, AIA, and ACSA held a design and health-focused summit attended by more than 100 design and public health officials. In June, the AIA and McGraw-Hill Construction announced a ground-breaking survey on the attitudes of architects, public health officials and human resource professionals on whether design techniques can make a difference in improving the health of the American public.

The AIA has organized its design and health initiative around six evidence-based approaches that architects can influence through design practices and policies at the building and urban scale.  These six approaches—environmental quality, natural systems, physical activity, safety, sensory environments, and social connectedness—recognize that the physical environment creates health opportunities and facilitates positive health behaviors. The AIA’s Design & Health Leadership Group (DHLG) has convened a research working group to manage the review of qualifications submitted by member candidates. Following an open request for qualifications, the working group will recommend up to ten members working across these six research areas.

Over a three year period, the AIA Foundation and its partners will provide institutional support and capacity building for inaugural consortium members to promote collaboration through local and national partnerships; enable the sharing of knowledge through private listserv activity, conference calls, and face-to-face events; and provide a new portal on AIA.org for Members to share research activity. Whenever appropriate, the AIA Foundation and its partners will promote the activities of the consortium with potential funders.

The full Request for Qualifications, application form, and other resources are available here: http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB104553

About AIA Foundation The AIA Foundation preserves, honors and advances excellence in design for the benefit of the public.  As a nonprofit philanthropic extension of the American Institute of Architects, the AIA Foundation is the preeminent voice and advocate for architecture and design in America.  The AIA Foundation is dedicated to the belief that good design is good for all and plays an essential role in transforming lives and building a better world.

About The American Institute of Architects Founded in 1857, members of the American Institute of Architects consistently work 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.

About the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture ACSA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, membership association founded in 1912 to advance the quality of architectural education. The school membership in ACSA has grown from 10 charter members to over 250 schools in several membership categories. These include full membership for all accredited programs in the United States and government-sanctioned schools in Canada, candidate membership for schools seeking accreditation, and affiliate membership for schools for two-year and international programs. Through these schools, over 5,000 architecture faculty are represented. In addition, over 500 supporting members composed of architecture firms, product associations and individuals add to the breadth of interest and support of ACSA goals.

San Diego History Center Digital Architectural Archive Program

With the support of the SDAIA the History Center in Balboa Park has launched a program to digitize the drawings, documents, sketches and photos of San Diego Architects and Engineers. Several years in the making, Robert Mosher FAIA, Jack Carpenter FAIA and Jack Stevenson AIA have been working with History Center Archivist, Jane Kenealy to set up a permanent digital archive of San Diego architects’ work. You need to be included.

Two large hard drives will be used at the Center to insure duplicity and security. Two additional large hard drives will capture the same information at the San Diego AIA Chapter office. So your work will be saved at both the History Center and the SDAIA.

No you don’t have to be an award winning architect to participate. This is the record for researchers, future generations and yourselves to save your work for the future. The structure of the program greatly minimizes any liability concerns.

Drawings will be picked up, scanned and returned to you by the scanning service for a minimum charge. You will receive a thumb drive containing a copy of the donated work, if you want it in that form. Scanning will be done at a charge of approximately 50 cents per standard drawing sheet or half the standard charge. If you have Autocad or other digital drawings, documents or photos, you may convert them yourself (please contact Jack Stevenson for submission requirements)

The scanning services are:

AE Scantech: Kevin Gennerman keving@aescantech.com

Mayer Blueprint: Henry Mayer hmayer@mayer.com

Mesa Reprographincs: Jim mesareprographics.com

El Cajon Blueprint: David elcajonblueprint@sbcglobel.net

For more details contact program Chair Jack Stevenson at ds402@san.rr.com, 619-991-9953.

Get started - you will be glad you did!

AIACC: What Have We Done for You Lately - NEW IPD DEFINITION: NOW AVAILABLE

The American Institute of Architects, California Council, Releases Long-Awaited Update

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Jul. 22, 2014—What do you get when you combine a passionate group of design professionals, some clarification on the Integrated Project Delivery process, and an association who is motivated by both? “Integrated Project Delivery: An Updated Working Definition.”

This document, available for free on aiacc.org, is a long time coming. Initially developed in 2006, this handbook was still largely intact. But the Integrated Project Delivery Task Force recognized it could benefit by refreshing the definition and principles. The Task Force compiled a list of over 200 projects that use multi-party contracts to incentivize and reward their times in project execution, with likely hundreds or even thousands that use the principles of IPD to improve project outcomes. Thus, they began to draw some much needed lines in the sand. “We need a holistic approach to the entire delivery supply chain and stop throwing what we make over the proverbial fence,” said Zig Rubel, AIA, Definitions Committee chair. “IPD is the necessary bridge for our evolution in maturing the industry and this update defines the differentiation needed for clarity to get us there.”

READ MORE HERE

AIASD In The News: Mexico Beckons Architects

MEXICO BECKONS ARCHITECTS

Dozens on tour of landmark projects in Tijuana reminded of less red tape and cheaper costs below the border

By Roger Showley 5:08 A.M.AUG. 10, 2014 VIEW ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

San Diego architects frustrated with endless regulations have an alternative — work in Mexico.

That was one of the goals of a recent daylong field trip south of the border by about 40 architects, engineers, developers and curious citizens.

Sponsored by the local chapters of the American Institute of Architects and Urban Land Institute, the tour took in five new Tijuana landmark developments, ranging from a cooking school to an addiction prevention center nearing completion. They met up with members of the Tijuana Architectural Association.

“I hope it will continue to grow,” said AIA San Diego President Matthew Geamen of the cross-border collaboration. “I know it will.”

The lure south is obvious.

The Tijuana-Rosarito region with about 2.5 million residents is still growing rapidly and could potentially overtake San Diego County, which is growing much slower, principally by births, not new residents.

Mexican rules and regulations for design and construction are much less restrictive than in the U.S.

One example that astounded the visitors was that a 700,000-square-foot Sanyo television assembly plant went up in seven months, from proposal to completion. It could take years for a San Diego development of that size to open its doors.

Finally, costs can be dramatically less than in the U.S. A cost of $70 per square foot in a commercial building in Tijuana might translate into $300 per square foot in the U.S., the architects agreed.

“It’s much easier,” said Jorge Gracia, 40, designer of the Culinary Art School. “There are rules, but they’re not that strict.”

But the lure northward for Mexican architects is just as strong. The salaries are higher, the transportation less hectic and the opportunities wide open. And employers welcome Mexican architects for one reason: Their experience tends to be broader and less dependent on particular building specialties.

“We are forced to be more versatile — we have to be able to adapt,” said Arturo Echánove, 50, who led the tour.

Echánove offered many examples of adaptation when dealing with Mexican projects.

The original roof of the Amber Museum for addiction-prevention education among youths was to consist of concrete panels. But waterproofing became an issue and Echánove stepped in and recommended a tensile fabric roof with a waterproof coating similar to that on the San Diego Convention Center’s Sail Pavilion.

But architects north and south face similar disappointments in the field. At the Center for Teaching of the Arts, budget overruns meant that air-conditioning systems had to be deleted. Dancers now have to perform in virtual hot boxes that cannot be kept cool from small natural-air intake ducts. The Tijuana mayor had left office, and his successor, with other priorities, apparently had no interest in making up the difference. “The administration ended and there was no way to add to (the budget),” Echánove said.

A green wall of vines and other vegetation also succumbed to money woes and treelike limbs were pasted to the green-painted wall instead.

Still, the projects on the tour offered some commendable design approaches.

The Autism Treatment Center, which won a Design Award from AIA San Diego last year, was carefully arranged to handle different stages of the disorder. One example was raising a railing from 40 to 52 inches and incorporating cleverly frosted glass panels instead of a solid wall. The idea was to let kids look through the panels and dissuade them from climbing over the 52-inch railing and falling to the floor below.

The Culinary Art School incorporates a basement wine cellar and tasting room set in a gravel-filled flooring — adding a unique sensory experience to the pleasures of palate.

San Diego public-school music education has suffered in recent years, but in Tijuana, the Center for Musical Arts was built to introduce hundreds of kids to instrument playing on a regular basis. The courtyard doubles as a performance space and a recording studio is being installed.

For all the innovations and modern design beckoning the talents of Mexican and American architects, many Mexican architects have set up practices or joined firms in San Diego.

Ivan Zepeda, 29, earned his architectural degree in 2008 in Guadalajara, but today works for The Brown Studio, headed by Lindsay and Rory Brown.

“Codes are pretty stringent in the U.S.,” he said. “I wish they were a little more (in Mexico).”

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

SDG&E's Title 24 2013 Building Standards and Requirements 4-part series on 2 different days

Join SDG&E for a complimentary educational 4-part series on Title 24 Building Codes.

Tuesday, August 12

Part 1: Title 24 2013 Nonresidential Lighting Building Standards

Part 1 of this 4-part series explains lighting and daylighting guidelines in the new Title 24 Energy Efficiency Standards for design, building and energy-efficiency professionals. Learn the major lighting-related updates in the 2013 code, and how to effectively apply the commercial lighting code requirements and compliance methodologies.

Part 2: Title 24 2013 Nonresidential Building Envelope Requirements

Part 2 of this 4-part series provides an overview of building envelope requirements affecting nonresidential construction under California's 2013 Title 24 Energy Efficiency Standards. Understand the revised and new envelope requirements for 2013, and become familiar with the 2013 standards to better understand the new changes.

Wednesday, August 13 Part 3: Title 24 2013 Nonresidential Mechanical Requirements

Part 3 of this 4-part series details the changes prescribed in the California Title 24 Building Energy Code as they relate to nonresidential mechanical systems. Topics include HVAC and domestic hot water equipment, mandatory controls, pipe insulation levels, and economizers. Process load compliance is also discussed in reference to 2013 code, including refrigeration equipment, parking garages, and a range of other applications.

Part 4: Title 24 2013 Residential Mechanical Requirements

The final session in this 4-part series details the changes prescribed in the California Title 24 Building Energy Code as they relate to residential mechanical systems. Topics include mandatory duct testing, return duct design, air flow testing, and refrigerant charge testing. Domestic hot water systems are also discussed, including new mandatory measures.

Location: Energy Innovation Center 4760 Clairemont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA  92117 View map

It's easy to register: Online: seminars.sdge.com Email: seminars@sdge.com Phone: 1-800-644-6133

Pre-registration is encouraged. There is no fee to attend.

* Live webcast available for this event. ** This 4-part series is eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs): BPI, GBCI & AIA

Speaker Martyn Dodd has written software used in California for Title 24 energy code compliance over three decades, Mr. Dodd is principal of EnergySoft, a Bay Area company that specializes in performance based energy analysis. He is one of the original authors of the 1992 Nonresidential Alternative Calculation Method (ACM) manual, which defines the rules for code compliance software. It has become the model for both national and international code compliance software procedures.

Mr. Dodd is the author of the EnergyPro, COMPLY 24, and Perform 2001 software programs, which are used extensively throughout California for code compliance. He also wrote the NECB Comply software for the government of Canada, used for performance-based code compliance with the Model National Energy Code of Canada.

Urban Design Committee: Summer 2014 Report

Download the report as a pdf here.

2015 AIA San Diego - SLATE OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT 2015 AIA San Diego SLATE OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

President* Michael Roush, AIA

Vice-President/Pres-Elect Dan Stewart, AIA

Secretary/Treasurer Richard Nowicki, AIA

COMMISSIONERS

Advocacy Philip Bona, AIA (2^nd year of term)

Membership Sue Skala, AIA

Practice Katherine Lord, AIA

Public Awareness Douglas Austin, FAIA (2^nd year of term)

Emerging Professionals Kevin Bussett, Assoc AIA

AIACC DIRECTORS**

President Michael Roush, AIA

President-Elect Dan Stewart, AIA

Immediate Past President Matthew Geaman, AIA

*          Automatically succeeds from president-elect position.  Not put to the membership for a vote.

**     The chapter’s three AIACC directors, per our chapter bylaws, are the president, president-elect, and immediate past president.  In effect, they are ex-officio positions.

TIMELINE:

May 30        President and President-Elect determine composition of Nominating Committee.

Jul 21        Nominations due from Committee.

Jul 24        Nominating Committee requests the AIASD Board approve the proposed slate at July 24 Board of Directors meeting.

Jul 24        AIASD Board-approved slate mailed to members 60 days before election.

Aug 19        Deadline for additional nominations from the members. (Requires five letters/nominations from members in good standing as well as an electronic profile to be distributed to the membership).

Aug 23        If no additional nominations received, Board Secretary can cast one ballot on behalf of all members for any/all uncontested seats.

Sep 3        Distribute ballots and post electronic profiles. (Only when additional nominations occur.)

Sep 16        Deadline for votes to arrive (if a mail ballot has been sent).

Sep 23        Annual Meeting/Election if Needed; votes tabulated and President declares elections.

Overview of the Nominating/Election Process for the 2015 Board of Directors

BYLAWS SECTION 4.3

(4.31)       Nominations.  [Committee’s] slate shall be approved by the Board of Directors and published in the Chapter newsletter at least 60 days prior to the election.  Noticed in this same publication will be the qualifications for each officer/director position and a time schedule and procedure that would allow more names to be added to the slate by the general membership. All Institute assigned members, in good standing, may be added to the Nominating Committee’s slate by producing letters from five (5) Institute assigned members (in good standing) nominating him/her for a specific officer or director position. Additional nominations are to be received by the Chapter no later than 25 days after the mailing of the Chapter’s newsletter announcing the Nominating Committee’s slate. Profiles of all qualified candidates shall be published in the Chapter’s newsletter and mailed to the membership 20 days prior to the election.

(4.32)       Voting; When Required.  If there is only one nominee for any office or directorship, 20 days before the election, the Secretary may cast a ballot for the full number of votes of the membership for the said nominee, whereupon the President shall declare the candidate(s) elected by acclamation. Otherwise, each contested office and directorship shall be placed on ballots for the voting thereof. Such voting shall be by ballot in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws.