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AIA KnowledgeNet Roundup

By Kathleen McCormick posted 04-25-2011 10:28 AM

  

PMKC ArchEx 2011 Call for Presentations

Contributed by Scott Khuen, AIA

The AIA Practice Management Knowledge Community (PMKC) is partnering with Architecture Exchange East for a special fall conference.  Architecture Exchange East is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier conference and expo for the design and construction industry.   ArchEx 2011 will be held Nov. 2–4, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia. This will be the 24th annual conference presented by the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects, and we hope that you will join us in making ArchEx 2011 the best ever.  Download Call | Download Submission Form 
 

Design Process for Mainstream Net-Zero Buildings - A Case Study

Contributed by Edward Dean, AIA, LEED AP


The 2030 Challenge requires that all new buildings starting design in 2030, the net result is zero net energy (ZNE) performance in non-residential buildings. Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger supported legislation that essentially requires the same result for new buildings in California. Currently, there are few examples of mainstream non-residential buildings that are designed for ZNE. How will the design process be different in 2030, and what will be the impact of the integration of the ZNE design approach on architecture? This presentation showcases these issues through a “real world” case study.  Read Case Study on CAE Website


Join the Universal Design Member-Created Community

Universal Design has been defined as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” This definition was developed by the architect Ron Mace, FAIA, an architect and the founder of the Center for Universal Design at N.C. State University. In recent years, architects and designers in the US and abroad have come to recognize significant and growing overlaps between Universal Design principles and emerging values of social and environmental sustainability. Join the community.

Meet Karl Hartnack, AIA

Karl is a licensed architect living in Germany. His specialty is “making life easier for owners.”  On the Practice Management Member Conversations Discussion Forum he recently asked “Would getting the contractor on board and sharing the responsibility be a way of reducing risk in a high tech [and] litigious environment?” View Karl's Profile | Complete Your Own Profile

Meet Praveen Obeegadoo, Assoc. AIA

Praveen is the Director of Domus Design at ltd based in Quatres Bornes, Mauritius. He shared on his biography, “Those of you, who are passionate and share the same design philosophy, should jump into the train which will bring us to the right destination with the support of all AIA members and the AIA community at large.” View Praveen's Profile |Complete Your Own Profile


AIA Japan sends an open letter.
Hisaya Sugiyama, AIA via Shawn Jenkins, Assoc. AIA

AIA Japan Chapter is a very small chapter with very little resources.  We may not be able to do much as a group vis-à-vis the disaster.  But at least we can try to identify and convey the issues we are facing, and provide opportunities for discussions for professional awareness of and possible solutions to such problems through our upcoming Northwest Pacific Region / COD conference in Japan in November. Read the Entire Blog Entry


Archiflix for Architecture Week
Contributed by A. Lira Luis, AIA

Film and architecture has an affinity that architects in history have time and time again attempted to project on screen. Architect Charles and Ray Eames used film as a likely vessel for their ideas. In Powers of Ten, it "takes us on an adventure in magnitudes." They chose a fitting starting point at a lakeside in Chicago. As the American Institute of Architects (AIA) celebrates National Architecture Week, what a fitting segue to an upcoming Film Festival that will take place in Chicago's Gene Siskel Film Center from May 5th to the 9th.
Read the Entire Blog Entry

Architecture Firm Qualification as Small Business: SBA Seeks Input by May 16
Alerted by Gordon Burns, AIA

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has proposed new size standards for what defines an architecture small business, leading to potentially large impacts on many design firms across the country.
View Discussion Forum Thread
| View the AIA SBA Resource Page | Submit Comments

New, Practical, Dare I Say, Modern Moves in Urban Residential Design
Response by Eric Rawlings, AIA

Here's an example of bucking traditionalist brain dead ideas we all just accept for the look and replacing them with new, practical, dare I say modern moves. I do much of my work in the inner city areas of Atlanta and the lots tend to be narrow and the homes are old. No one uses a single hung window on the side of their house when less than 10ft away from their neighbor. This thermal hole always stays covered with curtains, the ventilator is at the bottom, and they sit in the middle of the wall making it useless. When I started using clerestory or transom windows on the sides as much as possible, the owners never covered them with curtains which provides more natural light for less window, the ventilator is up high where the heat rises, and you have a full wall for art, furnishings, etc. It's a modern look that still works with traditional styles too, yet improves several functional aspects of the building and it saves money.  Read the Entire Message Post | View Discussion Forum Thread

What is a Masters in Architecture worth in the State of California when you can become a license Architect without it?
Asked by Karla Lockhart, Assoc. AIA

I have a huge dilemma to discuss - Whether or not to get my Masters in Architecture (first professional) or continue to work at my new job in these hard times. I have been accepted into several programs but they require me to put in more money through student loans as well as change my location. I have thought about the pros and cons and they are about even.
View Thread on YAF
| View Thread on CAE | View Thread on PMKC

Meet John Egan, AIA

 

John has practiced architecture for over 25 years. A graduate of Cornell University, he moved to Philadelphia, where he worked for Kling, Ewing Cole, and Ballinger specializing in Healthcare design. A member of AIA Philadelphia, he joined the effort to form a Charter High School for Architecture and Design in 1999. This became the Legacy project for the 2000 AIA National Convention. CHAD has grown to over 500 students, boasts an attendance rate of 98%, and has sent graduates on to Architecture programs at Penn State, Cornell, and Temple. He is a founding Board member of CHAD and joined the AIA Diversity Council in 2008. Mr. Egan presently works at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD on the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. View His Profile. Complete Your Own Profile.

Hot Tip for Residential Architects

Contributed by Jane Frederick, AIA

 

Go to www.houzz.com.  If you do residential work this is a place you can post your profile and examples of your work.  The public can then use ideas posted to create their "scrapbook" of ideas and wants for their home using your work as idea inspiration.  When they get ready to do a project they have your name and number.  Read the complete Small Firm Roundtable Discussion Forum thread.

Dissecting Cow Eyeballs and How this Correlates to CD's
Contributed by Tara Imani, AIA

I recently had the experience of dissecting a cow eyeball as one of many volunteers for my child's class. I arrived after the initial lecture by an M.D., so I waited in the covered outdoor area where a row of 8 tables were set up with sterilized instruments, including a scalpel, and one fresh, cold cow eyeball. I read through the lengthy instruction sheets to educate myself on the various parts of a cow eyeball and prepared to cut one open, teaching the students what each part was. Read the entire blog entry

Register Now for WhichCRAFT Dialogues + Culture of CRAFT
Contributed by Anne Schopf, FAIA

The AIA Seattle forum and the AIA Committee on Design conference begin a year-long study of craft. The forum will be a lively dialog with architects, economists, fabricators, business innovators, technology leaders and more as we explore the role of craft in 21st century architecture. Through panel discussions, a “town hall” discussion, and a curated idea slam asking “what is craft.” The conference focuses on projects that embody the past and future role of craft and the influence of Pacific Rim design. It features tours, lectures, film, and other educational opportunities for design professionals and enthusiasts.  Register now.

Attention Residential Architects: Connect Locally and Nationally with Your Colleagues

 

If you practice residential architecture for individual homeowners, whether you work on bathroom or kitchen remodeling projects, additions to existing residences, or ground-up new homes, you are doing “custom” work. We invite you to access a national network of custom residential architects by joining AIA/CRAN on AIA KnowledgeNet at http://www.aia.org/cran
 

AIA/CRAN has been establishing regional and individual city chapters across the country within the AIA to grow its membership and provide a results-based platform to fulfill its mission of supporting, advocating and educating its members. CRAN has created a unique toolkit to help you develop a local AIA/CRAN.  

 

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