With all due respect, there are 3 things that iunfluence legislation: Money, Numbers and Credibility. Architects have a lot of the last one, not so much the first two. Do you really think we can out lobby the homebuilders? If so, I know every state PAC and ArchiPAC will be looking for the maximum donation allowed by law from each of us.
Let me propose the following instead. The AIA needs to focus on 3 things for a while:
First, we need to tell the stories of our projects from the CLIENTS perspective. Awards are great, but they are primarily a pat on the back between ourselves. Every project has a story, a problem the client percieved that we helped solve. Who better to tell that story than the people we are truying to reach. BTW, this has no cost.
Second, we need to suck it up and learn not how to avoid risk, but to manage it. The demands of clients have changed. They want to know that when they hire us we are going to meet their goals for their project, whatever they might be. This is known also as Knowledge (Evidence) Based Design. If you practice in the Health Care or Education markets you know what I am talking about. The impact of this change means a greater emphasis on research and creating a culture of sharing, which the profession is very bad at. Folks, there is a lot of knowledge out there on the internet. How you validate it and apply it differentiates people today. There are no trade secrets, but we still practice like there are. If we don't change, others will take more of the risks and recieve the larger reward.
Lastly, we need to be taught how to quantify the return on investment our services bring in dollars and cents. Its the language our clients understand, and offers the ability to win more work at fairer fees. If, for instance, a design of a classroom results in higher test scores for a student, do you really think they won't pay for that value added? However, you go to any conference, AIA or other, and you have mediocre business people teaching bad business people how to be mediocre.
This focus can happen, if we, as members, demand it. To do that, we need to be involved. The AIA is us, not someone in Washington that we expect to do it for us. But if AIA didn't exisit we wouldn't even be having this discussion, would we?
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Walter Hainsfurther FAIA
Kurtz Associates Architects
Des Plaines IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2013 22:07
From: David Johnson
Subject: AIA Dues, Value of membership, and RePositioning
When I first joined the AIA in the early 1990's I was eager to be part of an organization that worked to promote Architects, first and foremost. I have, for the most part, been disappointed in this regard. For a long time, each time I paid the dues I was telling myself it was happening, but now, many years later, it hasn't happened.
The Architect and Architecture is struggling to survive. There is some great work being done, however there is far too much bad or no-design being promoted. Architects are quitting the profession and going to nearly anything else because their contribution to society is not valued as it should be. It should be the main focus of the AIA to promote this value head on.
While the AIA has promoted many issues that are noble, it has consistently gotten sidetracked on social issues and lost in the weeds of others that stem from personal political preferences - drifting wherever the current social trends take them. Those issues should be left to other organizations and architects left to join them separately as they choose. At best, the AIA has nibbled at the edges of promoting who we are as architects and how our service is essential to society.
And so, I can't shout loud enough my agreement with Mark Robin's comment: "the total legislative efforts of the AIA should be to pass the necessary legislation so than no construction in this country can be permitted without the services of an Architect."
This is long overdue to us as architects and to anyone who has any connection to the built environment. There needs to be a real change not just catharsis. AIA Leadership everywhere you are, I'm still paying dues are you listening?
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David Johnson AIA
Portland OR
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-05-2013 14:33
From: Mark Robin
Subject: AIA Dues, Value of membership, and RePositioning
Once again the AIA is evolving to sustain us in the future. In our history has any other such efforts improve the profession. If so, why would such mannerism be employed
From my perspective as a small project practitioner, the only way to elevate our lot is to make our services a requirement. The services of other professions like medicine, accounting, lawyering are used through need, not value. Firms need accounts to figure taxes, partnership filing, etc. To obtain eye glasses one first must see an ophthalmologist. What I am saying is the the total legislative efforts of the AIA should be to pass the necessary legislation so than no construction in this country can be permitted without the services of an Architect.
The level of services that should be required should provide an sustainable life for architects. Morover the benefits to society and the better built environment with make our value obvious. As things are now the Institute will continue struggling trying to sell value while "need" is what can sustain us.
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Mark Robin AIA
Mark Robin Architecture
Nashville TN
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-03-2013 13:30
From: Mary Brush
Subject: AIA Dues, Value of membership, and RePositioning
This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Historic Resources Committee and Small Project Practitioners .
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This is a fascinating discussion on the value of AIA Membership for the dues, the communication of the organization within membership, and how the organization can improve. The writers are long term members of the AIA with varying levels of involvement in the organization. Thank you! the current repositioning efforts underway by AIA National are having similar cathartic effects on what the organization should be in the future.
the attached youtube link is from the Grassroots presentation on the repositioning effort
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x22D0po1h5Y&feature=player_embedded
Hopefully this will keep the conversation going.
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Mary Brush AIA
Brush Architects, LLC
AIA Illinois Past President
Chicago IL
soon to be WBE!!!
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