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AIA KnowledgeNet Roundup

By Kathleen McCormick posted 07-05-2011 11:11 AM

  

Architecture in the Cloud
Contributed by Klaus Steinke, AIA

Perhaps you read in the news today that a major software firm has decided to take its major programs into the "cloud". Cloud computing is a recent innovation in file sharing, one that puts files onto an online server that is accessible to users on a variety of devices wherever they have an Internet connection. Perhaps you've seen recent commercials that tout the value of going "to the cloud" when users have a problem - such as a couple at an airport facing crushing boredom because their flight was delayed. Read the complete story.


Visualizing Green - Energy Performance
Contributed by Premnath Sundharam, AIA

Energy Efficiency is a huge part of national and international energy reduction goals. As Architects and Designers, communicating energy efficiency strategies to achieve a set energy goal is vital to promote this cause. To assist non-technical oriented people in understanding the impact of design and to help technical minded people to quickly identify inefficiencies, I have come up with a way of communicating the energy story. Read the complete discussion thread. View the Predicted Energy Consumption Diagram uploaded to the resource library.


Design-Build/Project Delivery 2008-2009 Web Seminar Series

The 2009 Design-Build Web seminar series explored basic and advanced topics in the development and management of design-build firms and projects. Topics varied from design-build for the public institutions; integrated project delivery, and to how architectural firms established their design-build services. Video and PDF presentations are included for your reference. View complete listing | Visit Project Delivery Website


Measuring Design Excellence
Contributed by David Burney, FAIA

I think the problem of explaining design excellence to the general public is amply illustrated by the recent exchanges on this forum. It can be an arcane subject that is all too quickly overshadowed by concerns over its all-too-measurable rivals, cost and schedule. Does anyone use DQI? We have been using our "Design Quality Indicator" on projects we manage for our clients and it is quite helpful in defining "quality" among the stakeholders of our projects. Originally conceived by the Construction Specification Institute and the RIBA in London, it is a simple tool for assessing and measuring design quality on a capital project from start to finish. It's not perfect, but it does at least provide a common vocabulary by which we can discuss design and agree on what we might mean by quality (and that can vary from project to project), and a design metric that elevates quality to the same level of "measurability" as cost and schedule. Download the Design Quality Indicator leaflet from the Committee on Design Resource Library.


Committee on Architecture for Education Fall Conference
Investing in Education, Building Better Schools | November 9-11, 2011 | London, England

Come to London and join the Committee on Architecture for Education and the British Council for School Environments (BCSE) in an exciting conference that will discuss current educational facility design, and the future of our schools on both sides of the Atlantic. The conference will include tours of award winning academic environments by world renowned architects.

Read event description | Register today


Reengineering Historic Preservation
Contributed by Don Swofford, FAIA

In 1995, Walker Johnson, FAIA, during his chairmanship of the AIA Historic Resources Committee initiated a series of presentations to the Committee that he styled “Re Engineering” Historic Preservation. Those presentations did not present solutions employing anywhere near the technical capabilities we have today, but they were inspiring and began to illustrate the depth of the issues facing the architect who practices in the stock of built inventory. In hindsight, with historic preservation being the mother of sustainability, it seems appropriate that during those earlier times it was different methods of solar heating and cooling that were being deployed in the rehabilitation and refitting of historic properties - and other properties that were just plain old. Read the entire article. Read the entire Preservation Architect newsletter.


Join the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network

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 local 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.


TAP Call for Presentations

TAP is pleased to join with Build Boston for our 2011 conference; mark November 17, 2011 on your calendars and look for TAP blast e-mails, tweets, and website for more conference news as it develops. The conference theme is Faster Forward; read more about themes, topics, and fresh formats for this exciting conference in the Call for Presentation Proposals, then submit your proposal using the online form. View the call for proposals online form.

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