Blogs

2024 CRAN Chair Letter

By Kevin Harris posted 02-21-2024
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Dear C RAN nies , It is with great pleasure that I begin 2024 as the c hair of AIA C ustom Residential Architects Network (C RA N®) ; it is a real honor . As an AIA Cornerstone Partner , AGS Stainless (AGS) is committed to supporting the members of the AIA as they grow their practices. As the d irector of s ales and m arketing for AGS, over the past 11 years, it has been my privilege to work with many AIA Components by sponsoring their trade shows, advertising in their regional magazines, participating in local events, and providing continuing education to their members. These continue ...
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A message from 2023® CRAN Chair, Warren Lloyd, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 12-01-2023
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As architects, the demands, and constraints of our practices, even as we all repeat the ‘live/work balance mantra’ to our co-workers, colleagues, and families, mean that we have limited opportunities to gather, be proximate, be in the moment, and genuinely connect and share with each other. Within those constraints, however, in 2023, the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN®) shared many powerful moments that illustrate meaningful connections this past year. In June, we gathered in San Francisco at the A23’ Conference on Architecture for the AIA CRAN Forum, where our CRAN community shared in “The Arc of Practice - from Startup to Transition,” organized ...
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CCADE Update: Small Firms and the Framework for Design Excellence

By Nathan Kipnis FAIA posted 09-07-2021
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From our training in architecture school to design competitions and media influences, many architects are taught that great design means aesthetically beautiful buildings. Yet we see that the world is changing and changing quickly, and so is the definition of great design. The AIA’s newly adopted Framework for Design Excellence is based on 10 holistic principles that are the new measure of architectural success. Among important challenges that now must be addressed are appropriate responses to climate change. These center firmly on sustainable and resilient design strategies that incorporate wellness and environmental justice, and are now the ...
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AIAU CRAN Courses and Recordings

By Alexander Chaconas posted 01-19-2021
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2024 AIAU On-demand Accessory Dwelling Units: A Solution to Housing Inequity Speakers: Jörg Rügemer and Warren Lloyd, AIA, Recorded March 13, 2024 1 LU | HSW Available on demand > 2022 AIAU On-demand Getting Your Work Published II - Print Media Speakers: Mary Jo Bowling, S. Claire Conroy, Eve Guilbaud, Kevin Harris, Assoc. AIA, Michele Grace Hottel, AIA, Sheri Olson, FAIA Recorded live December 7, 2022 Available on-demand > Getting Your Work Published I Speakers: Ann Fugeron, FAIA, Kevin Harris, Assoc. AIA, Liza Hausman, Michele Grace Hottel, and Paul Petrunia 1 LU Recorded live May 18, 2022 Available on-demand ...
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Calendar of Upcoming National Virtual Residential Design Events

By Kevin Harris posted 06-02-2020
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Here are some great Summer Virtual Residential Design Events, curated by local CRAN, Solo and Small Practice AIA Knowledge Communities, that you don't want to miss! June 5th, NY CRAN presents James Timberlake, FAIA, and Stephen Kieran, FAIA , of KieranTimberlake will sit down with author and architecture critic Sarah Williams Goldhagen over a custom-crafted cocktail as they discuss their firm and work . June 8-12 Seattle SPARC (Small Practice & Residential Committee) hosts the Virtual Housing Design Week . This is a full week of continuing education webinars, discussions, film screenings, art, and engagement focused on small scale ...
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2020 Letter from the CRAN® Chair

By Lindsay A. Colwell posted 03-12-2020
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Letter from the CRAN ® Chair Welcome to Spring 2020 It is my pleasure to serve as the chair of CRAN® for 2020. For the past 3 months our Executive Committee and Advisory Group have been busy organizing various activities for 2020. Please go to our homepage to stay up to date with our events and other news. Our Yearly Symposium We are actively preparing another great Symposium , which will take place in Miami, FL this October 24-27. Expect an outstanding home tour, 2 days of solid, worthwhile educational sessions, plus a lovely boat cruise! It’s also a great opportunity for architects to see new and familiar products and services in our sponsor ...
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2019 CRAN Conference - Scottsdale: For Exhibitors

By Johanna Roche posted 08-09-2019
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CRAN® 19 Conference Scottsdale - Menu: Home | Register | Schedule | Speakers | Pricing | Hotel + Travel + Special Needs | Sponsors | For Exhibitors For Exhibitors Networking Dinners CRAN ® is once again allocating time several evenings for sponsor organized Networking Dinners. Check the sponsor networking dinner summary & protocol. Shipping Instructions: Booth shipment to Valley Ho : See the instructions on this form to ship items that will be placed at your booth. Bag inserts shipment : Complete this form to notify AIA staff of your bag inserts. See list of resources to ...
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2019 CRAN Conference - Scottsdale: Schedule

By Johanna Roche posted 07-12-2019
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CRAN 19 Conference Scottsdale - Menu: Home | Register | Schedule | Speakers | Pricing | Hotel + Travel + Special Needs | Sponsors | For Exhibitors Schedule Check the full conference agenda Conference: September 11-15, 2019 The conference will take place in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Hotel Valley Ho . Tours THURSDAY September 12 8:45-10:45am - Arcosanti Architects Tour | 2 LU SATURDAY September 14 7-10:30am - Home Tour - South Loop | 3 LU 10:45-11:45am - Biltmore | 1 LU 1:30-5pm - Home Tour - North Loop | 3 LU Sessions THURSDAY September 12, 1:10-2:10pm ...
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2019 CRAN Conference - Scottsdale: Pricing

By Johanna Roche posted 07-12-2019
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CRAN 19 Conference Scottsdale - Menu: Home | Register | Schedule | Speakers | Pricing | Hotel + Travel + Special Needs | Sponsors | For Exhibitors Registration Dates Registration opens: Wednesday, July 10 Early Bird ends: Friday, August 9 Registration closes: Friday, August 30 Cancellation Fee: $150 No refunds issued after Friday, August 30. Registration is now closed! Pricing AIA Member Early Registration $400 (includes Home Tour for the first 180 registrants) Non-Member Early Registration $500 (includes Home Tour for the first 180 registrants) AIA Member Late Registration ...
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2019 CRAN Conference - Scottsdale: Hotel + Travel

By Johanna Roche posted 07-12-2019
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CRAN 19 Conference Scottsdale - Menu: Home | Register | Schedule | Speakers | Pricing | Hotel + Travel + Special Needs | Sponsors | For Exhibitors Hotel The hotel Valley Ho is sold-out . Please search for nearby hotels to make reservations. Dates Location Hotel September 11-15, 2019 Scottsdale Hotel Valley Ho Hotel Valley Ho 6850 East Main Street Scottsdale, AZ 85251 877.587.8013 For information purpose only: Enter AIA2019 in the Group Code field to receive the CRAN discount and to be placed in the CRAN rooming block. ...
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2019 CRAN Conference - Scottsdale: Speakers

By Johanna Roche posted 07-12-2019
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CRAN 19 Conference Scottsdale - Menu: Home | Register | Schedule | Speakers | Pricing | Hotel + Travel + Special Needs | Sponsors | For Exhibitors Speakers Thamarit Suchart, AIA Thamarit Suchart completed his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Architecture 1997) and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (Master of Architecture in Urban Design 1999). Thamarit was born and raised in Arizona. Having left Arizona for 13 years of education on the east coast of the United States, he chose to return to Arizona to raise his family and to start ...
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2019 CRAN Conference - Scottsdale: Sponsors

By Johanna Roche posted 07-12-2019
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CRAN 19 Conference Scottsdale - Menu: Home | Register | Schedule | Speakers | Pricing | Hotel + Travel + Special Needs | Sponsors | For Exhibitors Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors! Symposium Sponsor Special Event Sponsor Tour Sponsor Lanyard Sponsor Tote Bag Sponsor Cocktail Sponsor Lunch Sponsor Breakfast Sponsor Showcase Break Sponsor Hotel Key Card Sponsor Home Tour Sponsor Table Top Sponsor ...
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Design Competition & Scholarships

By Johanna Roche posted 05-23-2019
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Design Competition & Scholarships Architects Foundation Diversity Advancement Scholarship This multi-year scholarship supports high school and undergraduate minority students who are entering, enrolled in, or transferring into a NAAB-accredited undergraduate architecture program. Scholarships may be renewed every year until your degree is completed, for up to 5 years ($20,000 total award). The CRAN ® scholar will be one who focuses on residential architecture in their career sights. See CRAN Scholars Ania Yee-Boguinskaia and Omar Leon . Donate to the CRAN Diversity Scholarship. Learn more > Association of Collegiate Schools of ...
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Letter from 2019 Chair: Upcoming CRAN events

By Mary S. Cerrone posted 04-22-2019
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Welcome to Spring 2019 It is my pleasure to serve as the chair of CRAN® for 2019. For the past 3 months our Executive Committee and Advisory Group have been busy organizing various activities for 2019. Please go to our homepage to stay up to date with our events and other news. Our Yearly Symposium We are actively preparing another great Symposium , which will take place in Scottsdale, AZ this September 12-15. Expect an outstanding home tour, 2 days of solid, worthwhile educational sessions, plus an extra-curricular tour of Arcosanti Wednesday, September 11. It’s also a great opportunity for architects to see new and familiar products and services ...
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Letter from 2018 Chair: Upcoming CRAN events

By Stuart M. Narofsky FAIA posted 04-26-2018
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Welcome to Spring 2018 It is my pleasure to serve as the chair of CRAN for 2018. For the past 3 months our Executive Committee and Advisory Group have been busy organizing various activities for 2018. Please go to our homepage to stay up to date with our events and other news. Our Yearly Symposium As most of you are aware our 2017 Symposium in Miami was canceled due to Hurricane Irma. This was a setback for CRAN. Not only did we miss our yearly opportunity to network with our members and our loyal sponsors, we also did not benefit from the important continuing education sessions and tours. I am happy to report that for our 2018 Symposium which ...
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Social media primer, pt. 1

By Brenda Nelson AIA posted 07-22-2016
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By Lora Teagarden The background & the why that drives you I wrote in my mentorship series on the importance of my digital network in helping create relationships, continuing to learn, and finding mentors. I’m still learning and feeling my way thro ugh the dif ferent platforms, but thanks to a lot of articles read on the subject and friends who specialize in AEC (Architecture Engineering Construction) marketing, I continue to make progress. I thought I’d spend this blog post (and the next four to follow) giving some background on what I’ve learned these last two years in the digital / social media world and sharing some tips ...
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No more starving artist

By Brenda Nelson AIA posted 07-22-2016
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By Mark R. LePage, AIA How to rewrite the story of our profession With a twisted sense of pride, too many architects today accept the small firm stereotype of “starving artist”. Seeds planted in architecture school bloom into a full-on virus as professionals launch their own firms and find their way to small business. New firms are launched every day without proper planning, without an understanding of basic business fundamentals and often with an eager acceptance that life as an architect will be a difficult struggle. I was born an entrepreneur. I learned from doing, working with my auto mechanic father as soon as I was old enough ...
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Architectural Models for Small Firms

By Kevin L. Harris FAIA posted 07-22-2016
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By Kevin Harris, FAIA As architects , we are all familiar with the process and benefits of modeling our designs prior to construction. Models are an effective medium to study proposed creations and help communicate those concepts to our clients. Constructing a model takes time however, it can give us an opportunity to take a break, reflect on new insights, and manipulate the parts until all seems right. Working with a model is a process that helps us elevate our plans from good to better. As part of their ongoing effort on identifying what information could best benefit members of the AIA, the Small Firm Exchange (SFx) distributed its ...
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CRAN Chronicle: No more starving architects

By Dawn Zuber FAIA posted 07-22-2016
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Letter from the Chair Your CRAN leadership team has been working hard to prepare this year’s symposium, and I hope you’ll consider attending. The event will take place at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek in Santa Rosa, California, in the heart of Sonoma County—Wine Country—from September 18 - 22, 2016. Our event begins with a welcome reception hosted by the local AIA chapter, AIA Redwood Empire , on Sunday night, followed by a day and a half of education sessions. The CRAN home tour takes place on Tuesday from late morning through afternoon. Wednesday and Thursday morning continue a day and a ...
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BALA Awards

By Luis Jauregui FAIA posted 08-18-2014
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Best in American Living Awards: Home Design’s Top Honor There's only a few weeks left until the Best in American Living Awards' entry deadline! A lot has changed over the 30 years since the Best in American Living Awards began redefining design excellence for the entire residential building industry. But one thing has remained the same—the program is the nation's most prestigious housing honor, celebrating innovative, creative and cutting-edge design in building, remodeling, single—and multifamily and even specialty projects. In addition to being recognized as a leader in design, Best in American Living Awards winners receive ...
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